Teacher Development Workshop

LIFE SCIENCES GRADE 11

CONTENTS PAGE

CONTENTS PAGE ....................................................................................................................................... 2
PROGRAMME OF ASSESSMENT FOR GRADE 11 .............................................................................. 4
TEACHING LIFE SCIENCES GRADE 11 ................................................................................................. 5
ACTIVITY A: THE URINARY SYSTEM ......................................................................................................................... 5
ACTIVITY B: POPULATION ECOLOGY ........................................................................................................................ 7
ACTIVITY C: POPULATION GRAPHS AND PYRAMIDS ........................................................................................... 11
ACTIVITY D: SKILLS LIFE SCIENCES ....................................................................................................................... 13
HOW FOCUS LIFE SCIENCES CAN HELP YOUR TEACHING ......................................................... 15

OVERVIEW OF GRADE 11 TOPICS AND SUBTOPICS IN

LIFE SCIENCES CAPS

TERM 1

TERM 2

Week 1
Week 2

Week 1

Biodiversity and classification

of micro-organisms

Week 2

Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10

Week 3

Biodiversity of plants. (Focus

on the developmental lines and Week 4
not on in-depth studies of life
cycles. Learners must be able to Week 5
use and interpret phylogenetic
trees and cladograms)
Week 6
Reproduction in plants

Week 2

TERM 4
Week 1

Gaseous Exchange

Week 2
Week 3
Week 4

Excretion in humans

Week 5

Week 5

Week 6

Week 6

Week 7

Week 7

Week 8

Week 8

Population Ecology

Week 9

Week 9

Week 10

Week 10

Energy transformations to
sustain life.

Week 10

Week 3
Week 4

Animal nutrition (mammals)

Week 7

Biodiversity of animals:
Invertebrates.
(Focus on developmental lines Week 8
and phylogenetic trees. No
further details regarding the
Week 9
morphology of the six phyla are
required).
TERM 3

Week 1

Energy transformations to
sustain life

Human impact on the

environment: Current crises for
Human survival: problems to be
solved within the next
generation

PROGRAMME OF ASSESSMENT FOR GRADE 11

CAPS provides every subject with a detailed Programme of Assessment. The table
below indicates the formal assessment task for the year for Grade 11 Life Sciences.

Taken from Focus Life Sciences Teachers Guide (page xiv)

Discussion:

How many changes have been made to the quality and quantity of the assessment
required for Grade 11 Life Sciences?

TEACHING LIFE SCIENCES GRADE 11

Activity A: The Urinary System

This activity is taken from a Grade 11 Life Sciences Topic. This example is given
from Focus Life Sciences Grade 11.

Topics to be covered:
Grade 11 The Urinary System
Learning styles

Instructions:
Participants should complete this activity in pairs.
Study the diagram taken from Focus Life Sciences Grade 11
Answer the questions that follow

Taken from Focus Life Sciences (page 206)


Taken from Focus Life Sciences (page 205)

Questions:

1. Why is it important to use graphics such as this one in Life Sciences?

2. How does the graphic assist the learners to answer the questions that follow?

Activity B: Population Ecology

This activity is taken from a Grade 11 Life Sciences Topic. This example is given
from Focus Life Sciences Grade 11.

Topics to be covered:
Grade 11 Population Ecology
Importance of understanding the information for future application

Instructions:
Participants should complete this activity in pairs.
Study the extracts taken from Focus Grade 11 Life Sciences
Answer the questions that follow

Taken from Focus Life Sciences (page 229 - 230)

Taken from Focus Life Sciences (page 239- 40)

Taken from Focus Life Sciences (page 241)


Questions:

1. Discuss the difference between knowing and understanding.

2. How do you teach this section of work to ensure that the learners understand
it?

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Activity C: Population Graphs and Pyramids

This activity is taken from a Grade 11 Life Sciences Topic. This example is given
from Focus Life Sciences Grade 11.

Topics to be covered:
Grade 11 Population Graphs and Pyramids
Learning the skills of drawing and interpreting graphs and pyramids

Instructions:
Participants should complete this activity in pairs.
Study the activity taken from Focus Life Sciences Grade 11.
Answer the questions that follow.

Taken from Focus Life Sciences (page 235)

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Taken from Focus Life Sciences (page 260)

Questions:

1. Discuss the importance of learners being able to draw and interpret graphs.

2. Discuss successful methods that help to develop these skills in learners.

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Activity D: Skills Life Sciences

This activity is taken from a Grade 11 Life Sciences Topic. This example is given
from Focus Life Sciences Grade 11.

Topics to be covered:
Grade 11 Life Sciences
Key Terminology

Instructions:
Participants should complete this activity in pairs.
Study the extracts taken from Focus Grade 11 Life Sciences.
Answer the questions that follow.




































13

Taken from Focus Life Sciences (page 237)



Questions:

1. Discuss the importance of learners using the correct terminology.

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HOW FOCUS LIFE SCIENCES CAN HELP YOUR

TEACHING

At the beginning of the workshop, you were required to rank the importance of the
criteria that are considered important to most teachers when choosing a textbook.

Focus Life Sciences books cover all of these criteria.

Sequencing of Content according to the CAPS

Focus Life Sciences books follow the exact sequence of the CAPS. Teachers are able
to follow the sequence of the textbook and be confident that they have covered
everything required by CAPS and in the correct order.


Relevant and up to date content

The authors of Focus Life Sciences books have ensured that the latest CAPS
requirements are covered as well as the latest content required by the subject.
Assessment tasks are all relevant to the age group and environments of the learners.


Specific tasks required for Programme of Assessment e.g. Tests, Projects
etc.

Focus Life Sciences books include all the required tasks for the Programme of
Assessment and the Teachers Guide includes all of the guidelines and answers.
These can also be used for revision, extension and expanded opportunities.


Annual teaching plan according to the CAPS with term-by-term overview

Focus Life Sciences books follow the exact sequence of the CAPS. They also provide
a term planning tool which assists in annual and quarterly planning.


Teachers Guide which provides guidance and answers for Programme of
Assessment

Focus Life Sciences books have a Teachers Guide that provides guidelines on how to
use the assessments and how to mark them. Rubrics, memoranda and checklists are
also provided where appropriate.

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Variety of revision activities

Focus Life Sciences books provide many different activities, which test knowledge
and understanding on a variety of levels. Teachers are able to see the learners
understanding of the content matter straight away. These activities are very
practical and assess the content in the CAPS. There is a revision activity at the end
of every chapter.
Diagrams and pictures to explain content

Focus Life Sciences books have many supporting diagrams and pictures to support
the content. Focus Life Sciences in is full colour with eye-catching photographs.
Remedial activities to support those learners that may need extra support

Focus Life Sciences books have many activities in the chapters as well as revision
sections at the end of every topic.
They also have remedial worksheets which can be used for remediation and
extension, which can be found in the Teachers Guide.

Extension activities to support those learners that need expanded
opportunities

Focus Life Sciences books have many activities in the chapters as well as revision
sections at the end of every topic.
Focus Life Sciences books also have extension worksheets, which can be used for
remediation and extension, which can be found in the Teachers Guide.

Focus Life Sciences books include a wide variety of possible investigations, all of
which can be performed as demonstrations if school has limited resources.

Focus Life Sciences components:

Learners Book
Teachers Guide with Control Test Book and
Question Bank CD

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