BIOLOGY SYLLABUS - Curriculum

1 AN ROINN OIDEACHAIS AGUS EOLA OCHTA. L EAVING C ERTIFICATE. BIOLOGY . SYLLABUS . (O RDINARY L EVEL AND H IGHER L EVEL ). LEAVING CERTIFICATE PROGRAMMES. Aims and Principles The Leaving Certificate (Established). 1. The general aim of education is to contribute The Leaving Certificate (Established) programme towards the development of all aspects of the offers students a broad and balanced education individual, including aesthetic, creative, critical, while allowing for some specialisation. cultural, emotional, expressive, intellectual, for Syllabuses are provided in a wide range of personal and home life, for working life, for subjects.

2 All subjects are offered at Ordinary and living in the community and for leisure. Higher levels. In addition, Mathematics and Irish are also offered at Foundation level. 2. Leaving Certificate programmes are presented within this general aim, with a particular The certificate is used for purposes of selection emphasis on the preparation of students for the into further education, employment, training and requirements of further education or training, for higher education. employment and for their role as participative, enterprising citizens.

3 The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP). 3. All Leaving Certificate programmes aim to provide continuity with and progression from the The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme is Junior Certificate programme. The relative an intervention within the Leaving Certificate weighting given to the various components (Established). LCVP students study a minimum personal and social (including moral and of five subjects (at Higher, Ordinary or spiritual) development, vocational studies and Foundation levels), including Irish and two preparation for further education and for adult subjects from specified vocational subject and working life within the programmes may groupings.

4 They are also required to take a vary. recognised course in a Modern European language, other than Irish or English. In addition 4. Programmes leading to the award of the Leaving LCVP students take three Link Modules on Certificate are of two years duration and are Enterprise Education, Preparation for Work and offered in three forms: Work Experience. i. The Leaving Certificate (Established) In particular, the LCVP aims to foster in students a spirit of enterprise and initiative and to ii. The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme develop their interpersonal, vocational and technological skills.

5 Iii. The Leaving Certificate Applied The Leaving Certificate Applied 5. All Leaving Certificate programmes, in The Leaving Certificate Applied is a distinct, self- contributing to a high quality education, contained Leaving Certificate programme. It is emphasise the importance of : designed for those students who do not wish to proceed directly to third level education or for self-directed learning and independent those whose needs, aspirations and aptitudes thought are not adequately catered for by the other two Leaving Certificate programmes.

6 The Leaving a spirit of inquiry, critical thinking, problem Certificate Applied is structured around three solving, self-reliance, initiative and enterprise main elements Vocational Preparation, Vocational Education and General Education - preparation for further education, for adult which are interrelated and interdependent. This and working life programme is characterised by educational experiences of an active, practical and student- lifelong learning. centred nature. LEAVING CERTIFICATE. BIOLOGY .

7 (ORDINARY AND HIGHER LEVEL). L E A V I N G C E R T I F I C AT E B I O L O G Y S Y L L A B U S . Preamble Policy Context Science education in the senior cycle should reflect The three components are integrated within each the changing needs of students and the growing science SYLLABUS , with the first component having significance of science for strategic development in a 70% weighting. The remaining 30% should be Ireland. allocated to the other two components in the ratio 3 to 1. Leaving Certificate Science syllabuses are designed to incorporate the following components: The science syllabuses, which are offered at two levels, Higher and Ordinary, will have approximately 180.

8 Science for the enquiring mind or pure science, hours of class contact time over a two-year period. to include the principles, procedures and They should be practically and experimentally based concepts of the subject as well as its cultural in their teaching. and historical aspects science for action or the applications of science and its interface with technology science that is concerned with issues political, social and economic of concern to citizens. L E A V I N G C E R T I F I C AT E B I O L O G Y S Y L L A B U S.

9 CONTENTS. Introduction .. 2. Unit One: BIOLOGY - The Study of Life .. 5. Unit Two: The Cell .. 15. Unit Three: The Organism .. 27. 1. L E A V I N G C E R T I F I C AT E B I O L O G Y S Y L L A B U S . Introduction Aims BIOLOGY is the study of life. Through the study of BIOLOGY students employ the processes of science in The aims of the SYLLABUS are: their investigations and explore the diversity of life to contribute to students' general education and the inter-relationship between organisms and through their involvement in the process of their environment.

10 Students develop an scientific investigation and the acquisition of understanding and knowledge of the unit of life the biological knowledge and understanding cell whose structures and processes are shared by all to encourage in students an attitude of scientific living organisms and, in so doing, gain an insight into enquiry, of curiosity and self-discovery through the uniqueness, function and role of organisms, (i) individual study and personal initiative including themselves. In addition, they become aware (ii) team work of the use by humans of other living organisms and (iii)