Www.earthscienceeducation.com Teaching the ‘big ideas’ of biology through an Earth context.

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Teaching the ‘big ideas’ of

biology through an Earth context


The ‘big ideas’ of biologyPlan for the day

• Coffee/tea• Welcome• Biology through the window• Sampling the KS3 and KS4 ‘Biology in an Earth context’

workshop activities and feeding back on them• What are the ‘big ideas’ of biology that all children should

know/understand?• Lunch• ‘Big ideas’ plenary - recording all suggestions• Planning, testing, writing materials for a KS3 or KS4 activity for

teaching the ‘big idea’ in an Earth/environment context• Feedback on the activities• Feedback on the day and ‘What next’ - sorting out the follow up• Departure

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The ‘big ideas’ of biology

An Evaluative Study of Creative Science By Manchester Metropolitan University, Institute of Education

Science in an Earth context: teaching the big ideas of science through an Earth

perspectiveThe impact on the participants was overwhelmingly positive. There are many reasons why this session buzzed, but it appears that the key reason was that they had to think and work things out for themselves, and in the process of thinking and talking to others and then seeing if their ideas worked in practice, they became more creative than they had imagined was possible. They were automatically being critical of their own ideas and the ideas of others. There was very little didactic input, yet expert information was transferred in indirect but more effective ways: 'I could never have believed it possible that we could have generated so many "new" ideas in so short a space of time.'



• Biology through the window: life and its characteristics - KS3

• Biology through the window: the environment and us in it - KS4



Sampling the KS3 and KS4 ‘Biology in an Earth Context’ workshop activities

Dead and buried?: teaching KS4 biology through an

Earth context• What is a fossil?• Making a fossil• Evolution in action• Extinction mystery• The washing line of time• Nature’s prototypes• The ‘Dead and buried?’ plenary

Life on Earth: teaching KS3 biology through an Earth

context• Life’s cycle• How am I of use to plants?• Cell spectacular• Jurassic menu• Cretaceous crime scene• Minerals into me• The ‘Life in the future’ plenary



What are the big ideas of Biology that all children should know/understand?



• ‘Big ideas’ plenary – recording all suggestions

• Planning, testing, writing materials for a KS3 or KS4 activity – for teaching the ‘big idea’ in an Earth/environment context

• Feedback on the activities• Feedback on the day and ‘What next’ –

sorting out the follow up.


The ‘big ideas’ of physicsSuggested ‘quintessential’ stories that merit a place in the curriculum from Beyond 2000: science education for the future – a report with ten recommendations. Osborne, J and Millar, M (1998). London: King’s College. Available on: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/education/be2000/be2000.pdf

the human body as a set of inter-related organ systems;

cells as basic building blocks;

adaptation of organisms; life processes in plants; mechanisms for passing

characteristics from one generation to the next;

evolution by natural selection;

all matter being made of tiny particles;

chemical reactions as particle rearrangements;

different kinds of bonding; the Earth’s movement relative to the

Sun; the structure of the Solar System; the formation and evolution of the

Earth; the structure and evolution of the

universe; forces acting over long distances; the causes of motion and its control; the causes and direction of change,

and radiation, light and their interaction

with matter.



‘Big ideas’ of biology that all children should know/understand include (from Sue Griffiths, Science adviser, Stoke-on-Trent):

Characteristics of life, general understanding of processes: movement, respiration, sensitivity, growth, reproduction, excretion, nutrition

Structure of living things re. organism, organ system, organ, tissue, cell ( then relate to function)

Coordination of organ systems/organs etc in major processes in humans e.g. respiration requiring respiratory, digestive, circulatory and nervous systems working together

Coordination of organ systems /organs in plants for nutrition (photosynthesis) and transport

Specific examples of homeostasis re. skin temp, water content, removal of waste Health and disease Nervous and hormonal coordination DNA, variation and inheritance Genetic engineering Evolution Interrelationships re. energy transfer, man's effect on environment, competition,

adaptation, predation Nutrient cycles



• Planning, testing, writing materials for a KS3 or KS4 activity – for teaching the ‘big idea’ in an Earth/environment context


The ‘big ideas’ of biologyScience in an Earth/environmental context activity

Participant CardTitle:Introduction:Activity:

Teachers’ Support Key Stage: National Curriculum Refs: Time: Pupil learning outcomes: Context: Common misconceptions: Resource list:Follow-up:

Name…………………School…………………Contact details ……………………………………….

Use extra paper for diagrams, tables of results, risk assessments etc. as necessary and attachPlease tick:□ We would be happy for ESEU to pilot this activity in schools□ We would be happy for ESEU to use this activity as part of its future ‘Science in an Earth context’ work



• Feedback on the activities• Feedback on the day and ‘What next’ –

sorting out the follow up

Www.earthscienceeducation.com Teaching the ‘big ideas’ of biology through an Earth context.

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