SILO 5.1 (DRAFT)

Year 5, Term 1: Biology

Scope and sequence: Chemical reactions

Focus: Biochemistry

Learning intention: Students explore the chemistry of living organisms.
NSW Syllabus
Australian Curriculum
“A student explains how food and fibre are produced sustainably in managed environments for health and nutrition” (ST3-5LW-T).
"Students compare reversible changes, including dissolving and changes of state, and irreversible changes, including cooking and rusting that produce new substances" (AC9S6U04).


Introduction to biology and biochemistry

The word 'biology' means the study of life so you have already been introduced to some ideas from biology in SILO F.2 'Living things' and SILO F.4 'Ecosystems'. This unit introduces you to 'biochemistry' which involves the chemical processes related to living organisms. Biochemists study the chemical reactions, structure and composition of substances in living things including their functions and ways to control them. This video (3:49) by Frank Gregorio provides a vivid introduction to biochemistry.


Chemical reactions

The following video (7:56) presents six chemical reactions that changed history. They are all interesting but notice what is number one and how this is related to agriculture.



The science of losing weight

In this video (6:49), Ruben Meerman looks at the science of losing weight and answers the question, "Where does fat go?"


Cellular metabolism

Metabolism is the process by which your body converts food and drink into energy. The following video (7:14) introduces cellular metabolism as the chemical reactions within a cell that are essential for life. These reactions include the processes of breaking down (catabolism) and building up (anabolism) molecules to produce energy and other necessary components.



Biodegradation

Biodegradation is the breakdown of matter by microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. The following video (5:17) has some subtitles in places but it provides an excellent overview of the fundamentals of biodegradability and an introduction to sustainable products and the circular economy. The circular economy is discussed further in SILO 6.3 'Ideation'.


Homeostasis

Homeostasis is the state of steady internal, physical, chemical, and social conditions maintained by living systems. The following video (6:24) by the Amoeba Sisters explores homeostasis and negative/positive feedback in the human body.




Valves, arteries and veins

The direction of fluids is discussed in this video (5:23) about valves, arteries and veins.




Extract your own DNA

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms, acting as a molecular instruction manual for building and maintaining cells. In this experiment you can extract your own DNA. The following video (1:17) shows how to do this using common household chemicals.

Diffusion

Diffusion is the movement of a substance from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. The word ‘diffusion’ derives from the Latin word, diffundere, which means 'to spread out'. The following video (1:53) is an experiment using warm water and Skittles.


States of matter


SiliconProphet, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Water pressure

The following video (6:44) by BBC Earth Unplugged explores how animals can survive at the bottom of the ocean. Many of the concepts are quite advanced but the presenter is very engaging which helps makes this a great introduction to creatures of the deep.



Revision of variables

A student wanted to look at plant growth in five different soil samples. She planted the same type of seeds in identical containers containing the different soil samples and left the containers together in full sunlight. She gave each plant the same amount of water and charted the growth of each plant stem. What is the independent variable in this experiment?

a. Seeds
b. Soil
c. Light
d. Container


A graph made from plants

The following photo shows five honeysuckle plants creeping up a fence. All of these plants were bought from the same nursery and planted on the same day. The following photo actually functions as a bar graph to show individual variation amongst the plants. Although it is not a line graph, the red line makes it easier to visualise that each plant is a different height with the shortest plant on the left and each plant getting progressively taller as you look from left to right.



Was changing 'one thing' (i.e., the location) really only one variable or a combination of variables?



Capillary action

Capillary action is the process of a liquid flowing in a narrow space, often in opposition to gravity. This is an important process as it enables water and nutrients to reach the various parts of trees and plants. The following video (2:43) is a simple experiment which demonstrates capillary action using paper towel, water and food colouring. More information about this experiment can be found at https://www.woojr.com/6-easy-biology-science-experiments-kids/.

 

Organic chemistry

Organic chemistry is the study of the structure, properties and composition of compounds which contain the element carbon. Most organic compounds contain carbon and hydrogen but they can also include any number of other elements. The following video (1:40) titled Organic Chemistry for babies is based on a book by Chris Ferrie and Cara Florance.




Moderated self-assessment

Discussions with students around the key components of conceptual topics and how they fit together can generate insights into student achievement.



We welcome your feedback and suggestions

The chief investigator for The SILO Project is Associate Professor Brendan Jacobs, Head of Department STEM Education, University of New England. The SILO Project thrives on incremental improvement so constructive feedback is greatly appreciated. Please contact Brendan via email at bjacobs7@une.edu.au to share your thoughts and recommendations.

 

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