Queensland

Life and Living

Level 4

Level 5

Level 6

Students understand that living things have external and internal structures which enable them to survive and reproduce in their own environment. They understand the types of interaction occurring between living and non-living parts of the environment.

Students understand that the survival of living things is determined by interactions which occur within and between systems in living things. They understand that reproductive processes and strategies influence survival of individuals and species. They understand that there are consequences of the interactions which occur between living and non-living parts of the environment.

Students understand that the effects of change can be recognised in systems within living things as well as within environments. They understand scientific ideas about how the variety of life forms has arisen.

Core Learning Outcomes

The characteristics of an organism and its functioning are interrelated.

5.1 Students collect information about the structure (including cell structure) and function of living things and relate structure and function to survival.

6.1 Students seek reasons for and can explain why functioning and behaviour change in response to variations in internal and external conditions (including disease, temperature, water and light).

Evolutionary processes have given rise to a diversity of living things which can be grouped according to their characteristics.

4.2 Students identify and analyse similarities and differences in the ways that different living things reproduce.

5.2 Students evaluate different processes and strategies of reproduction (including asexual reproduction and care of young) in terms of their relative efficiency in ensuring survival of offspring.

6.2 Students use scientific ideas (including concepts of genetics and natural selection) to explain how variation in living things leads to change in species over time.

Environments are dynamic and have living and non-living components which interact.

4.3 Students make generalisations about the types of interactions which take place between the living and non-living parts of the environment.

5.3 Students evaluate the consequences of interactions between the living and non-living parts of environments.

6.3 Students prepare scenarios to describe the potential long-term effects of changes in biodiversity caused by human action on ecosystems.

Discretionary Learning Outcomes

D5.4 Students use scientific ideas of classification to group living things.

D6.5 Students formulate questions and make judgments about the use of reproductive technologies and genetic manipulation.