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LIFE SCIENCES (Updated October 2022)
LIFE SCIENCES: ASSESSMENT SYLLABUS
INTRODUCTION TO LIFE SCIENCES
Establish links between Natural Sciences (GET) and Life Sciences (FET). Define life, its scope, and its continuity. Life on earth is dynamic, with
homeostasis maintaining balance at every level of organisation. Life is characterised by change over billions of years. Living systems exhibit levels
of organisation from molecules to biomes.
How science works:
• Fundamental knowledge built on scientific evidence
• Observation
• Designing an investigation
• Making measurements and the importance of scaling
• Presenting data in the form of drawings, written descriptions, ta bles and graphs.
• Identifying patterns and relationships in data • Societal aspects of scientific evidence
• Limitations of scientific evidence.
The contested nature of scientific knowledge:
• Testing hypothesis (educated predictions) by means of investigations,
• facts as what structures/objects consist of/are made of,
• scientific theories as overarching explanations of how processes/mechanisms work,
• peer verification by means of publications, conferences, verifying results
IEB Copyright © 2014–2023 IMPLEMENTATION DATE: GRADE 12, JANUARY 2023
, 24/2
GRADE 10
STRAND: Environmental Studies
Grade 10: Biosphere to ecosystems
Organisms interact with other organisms and with the environments in which they live in order to survive and produce offspring. The study of these
interactions is called ecology. This section is structured so as to expose students to some of the interactions that occur in nature and to the
terminology and concepts that describe them. The terminology and concepts selected here (AIM 1) will be used in Grade 11 and Grade 12 across
all strands, where appropriate. It also enables students to contextualise the meaning of these terms and concepts within the familiar contexts of
both southern Africa (AIM 1) and their local area (AIM 2). The use of a local area context is also used to introduce human influences on the
environments in which they and other organisms live (AIM 3), a thread which will be expanded on both within local and global contexts, in more
detail, in Grade 11.
AIM 2: AIM 1: AIM 3:
INVESTIGATING PHENOMENA KNOWING LIFE SCIENCES APPRECIATING AND UNDERSTANDING THE
IN LIFE SCIENCES HISTORY, IMPORTANCE AND APPLICATIONS
OF LIFE SCIENCES IN SOCIETY
Biosphere to ecosystems
IEB Copyright © 2014–2023 NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE HANDBOOK:
IMPLEMENTATION DATE: GRADE 12, JANUARY 2023
, 24/3
Choose an ecosystem within a Biosphere Choose at least ONE example of human influence
local biome for special study Concept of the biosphere. Inter-connectedness of components within the ecosystem chosen for study in Aim 2
of global ecosystem. Describe the selected human influence and the reasons
for it having a positive and/or a negative impact on the
Identify the abiotic and biotic factors ecosystem
operating and describe the Biomes
interactions between them Terrestrial and aquatic biomes of southern Africa: describe in
terms of climate, soils and vegetation [This serves as an introduction/link to human influences
on the environment in Grade 11]
Explain the trophic relationships
present Ecosystems
Ecotourism: economics, ethics and opportunities
Theoretical understanding of ecosystems.
If possible, record and describe
seasonal changes Abiotic and biotic factors: effects on community structure and
ecosystem function
Use keys and field guides to learn
about biodiversity within the biome Energy flow through ecosystems and relationship to trophic
structure
• Trophic levels: producers, consumers (herbivores and
carnivores), decomposers
• Food chains, food webs and food pyramids
Nutrient cycles: water, oxygen, carbon and nitrogen
[Names, e.g. nitrates are required but no detail of chemistry is
necessary] Link the nutrient cycles to current environmental issues,
example the threat of global warming and how it is
affecting the Earth.
STRAND: Diversity, change & continuity
Grade 10: History of life and biodiversity
Underlying concept: Life exists in a huge array of forms and modes of life at present, which scientists organise according to a man-made
classification system. Modern life has a long history, extending from the first cells around 3.5 billion years ago. South Africa has a rich fossil record
of some key events in the history of life. Changes in life forms are related to climate changes and movements of continents and oceans over long
periods of time.
AIM 2: AIM 1: AIM 3:
INVESTIGATING PHENOMENA KNOWING LIFE SCIENCES APPRECIATING AND UNDERSTANDING THE
IN LIFE SCIENCES HISTORY, IMPORTANCE AND APPLICATIONS
OF LIFE SCIENCES IN SOCIETY
IEB Copyright © 2014–2023 IMPLEMENTATION DATE: GRADE 12, JANUARY 2023
LIFE SCIENCES (Updated October 2022)
LIFE SCIENCES: ASSESSMENT SYLLABUS
INTRODUCTION TO LIFE SCIENCES
Establish links between Natural Sciences (GET) and Life Sciences (FET). Define life, its scope, and its continuity. Life on earth is dynamic, with
homeostasis maintaining balance at every level of organisation. Life is characterised by change over billions of years. Living systems exhibit levels
of organisation from molecules to biomes.
How science works:
• Fundamental knowledge built on scientific evidence
• Observation
• Designing an investigation
• Making measurements and the importance of scaling
• Presenting data in the form of drawings, written descriptions, ta bles and graphs.
• Identifying patterns and relationships in data • Societal aspects of scientific evidence
• Limitations of scientific evidence.
The contested nature of scientific knowledge:
• Testing hypothesis (educated predictions) by means of investigations,
• facts as what structures/objects consist of/are made of,
• scientific theories as overarching explanations of how processes/mechanisms work,
• peer verification by means of publications, conferences, verifying results
IEB Copyright © 2014–2023 IMPLEMENTATION DATE: GRADE 12, JANUARY 2023
, 24/2
GRADE 10
STRAND: Environmental Studies
Grade 10: Biosphere to ecosystems
Organisms interact with other organisms and with the environments in which they live in order to survive and produce offspring. The study of these
interactions is called ecology. This section is structured so as to expose students to some of the interactions that occur in nature and to the
terminology and concepts that describe them. The terminology and concepts selected here (AIM 1) will be used in Grade 11 and Grade 12 across
all strands, where appropriate. It also enables students to contextualise the meaning of these terms and concepts within the familiar contexts of
both southern Africa (AIM 1) and their local area (AIM 2). The use of a local area context is also used to introduce human influences on the
environments in which they and other organisms live (AIM 3), a thread which will be expanded on both within local and global contexts, in more
detail, in Grade 11.
AIM 2: AIM 1: AIM 3:
INVESTIGATING PHENOMENA KNOWING LIFE SCIENCES APPRECIATING AND UNDERSTANDING THE
IN LIFE SCIENCES HISTORY, IMPORTANCE AND APPLICATIONS
OF LIFE SCIENCES IN SOCIETY
Biosphere to ecosystems
IEB Copyright © 2014–2023 NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE HANDBOOK:
IMPLEMENTATION DATE: GRADE 12, JANUARY 2023
, 24/3
Choose an ecosystem within a Biosphere Choose at least ONE example of human influence
local biome for special study Concept of the biosphere. Inter-connectedness of components within the ecosystem chosen for study in Aim 2
of global ecosystem. Describe the selected human influence and the reasons
for it having a positive and/or a negative impact on the
Identify the abiotic and biotic factors ecosystem
operating and describe the Biomes
interactions between them Terrestrial and aquatic biomes of southern Africa: describe in
terms of climate, soils and vegetation [This serves as an introduction/link to human influences
on the environment in Grade 11]
Explain the trophic relationships
present Ecosystems
Ecotourism: economics, ethics and opportunities
Theoretical understanding of ecosystems.
If possible, record and describe
seasonal changes Abiotic and biotic factors: effects on community structure and
ecosystem function
Use keys and field guides to learn
about biodiversity within the biome Energy flow through ecosystems and relationship to trophic
structure
• Trophic levels: producers, consumers (herbivores and
carnivores), decomposers
• Food chains, food webs and food pyramids
Nutrient cycles: water, oxygen, carbon and nitrogen
[Names, e.g. nitrates are required but no detail of chemistry is
necessary] Link the nutrient cycles to current environmental issues,
example the threat of global warming and how it is
affecting the Earth.
STRAND: Diversity, change & continuity
Grade 10: History of life and biodiversity
Underlying concept: Life exists in a huge array of forms and modes of life at present, which scientists organise according to a man-made
classification system. Modern life has a long history, extending from the first cells around 3.5 billion years ago. South Africa has a rich fossil record
of some key events in the history of life. Changes in life forms are related to climate changes and movements of continents and oceans over long
periods of time.
AIM 2: AIM 1: AIM 3:
INVESTIGATING PHENOMENA KNOWING LIFE SCIENCES APPRECIATING AND UNDERSTANDING THE
IN LIFE SCIENCES HISTORY, IMPORTANCE AND APPLICATIONS
OF LIFE SCIENCES IN SOCIETY
IEB Copyright © 2014–2023 IMPLEMENTATION DATE: GRADE 12, JANUARY 2023
