SILO 5.1 (DRAFT)Year 5, Term 1: BiochemistryFocus: Chemical reactions Scope and sequence: Chemical reactions |
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Learning
intention: Students
explore the chemistry of living organisms.
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NSW Syllabus
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Australian Curriculum
(version 9.0)
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“A student explains how food and
fibre are produced sustainably in managed environments for
health and nutrition.” (ST3-5LW-T)
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"Students compare reversible
changes, including dissolving and changes of state, and
irreversible changes, including cooking and rusting that produce
new substances." (AC9S6U04)
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Introduction to biochemistry
Biochemistry explores 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.
DNA
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 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 red line shows 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. (This photo actually functions as a bar graph to show individual variation but a single red line is perhaps easier to visualise in this instance.)
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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
Moderated self-assessment
Discussions with students around the key components of conceptual topics and how they fit together can generate insights into student achievement.
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