Curriculum — Units
Five Strands of Grade 10 Biology
Each strand preserves the official units and outcomes, framed with essential questions, scientific practices, lab skills, and UDL pathways.
🌊 Strand 1 · Environmental Biology
Essential Questions: How do Bahamian ecosystems work, and how do organisms adapt to them? Big Ideas: ecosystems are interdependent; organisms are adapted to their zone.
Learning Objectives (preserved): locate & map ecosystems; draw zonation profiles; build/use field equipment (quadrats, transects); identify & classify biotic/abiotic factors; compare adaptations.
Success Criteria: "I can sample an ecosystem, classify its organisms, and explain one adaptation." Vocabulary: ecosystem, zonation, quadrat, transect, biotic, abiotic, adaptation, salinity.
Scientific Practices: field sampling, observation, classification, data display. Lab Skills: quadrat & transect use, organism ID, graphing.
Cross-curricular: Geography (maps), Math (data). Technology: virtual field study, AI video. Assessment: field-work rubric, visual display, data graph.
🔬 Strand 2 · Cell Biology & Genetics
Essential Questions: What are living things made of, and how do cells work? Big Ideas: the cell is the unit of life; structure relates to function.
Learning Objectives (preserved): use a light microscope to observe plant & animal cell structures; identify organelles; investigate enzyme activity; explain transport (diffusion, osmosis).
Success Criteria: "I can use a microscope, label a cell, and explain one factor affecting enzymes." Vocabulary: cell, organelle, nucleus, membrane, enzyme, diffusion, osmosis.
Scientific Practices: microscopy, controlled investigation, hypothesis testing. Lab Skills: slide preparation, microscope use, measuring reaction rate.
Cross-curricular: Chemistry (reactions). Technology: virtual microscope, enzyme simulation. Assessment: labelled diagram, lab report.
🍽️ Strand 3 · Nutrition & Food Supply
Essential Questions: How do animals obtain nutrition, and how does The Bahamas feed itself? Big Ideas: form fits function; food supply depends on resources.
Learning Objectives (preserved): observe dentition of omnivores/carnivores/herbivores & dental formulae; explore agriculture & the Bahamian fishing industry.
Success Criteria: "I can match teeth to diet and explain how food is produced locally." Vocabulary: dentition, canine, incisor, molar, diastema, agriculture, sustainability.
Scientific Practices: comparative observation, classification. Lab Skills: examining/comparing dentition models.
Cross-curricular: Social Studies (fishing economy). Technology: interactive teeth-to-diet match. Assessment: comparison table, short investigation.
🌿 Strand 4 · Plant Anatomy & Physiology
Essential Questions: How does a plant's structure help it survive? Big Ideas: structure relates to function in plants.
Learning Objectives (preserved): observe & label external features of leaves (maize, hibiscus/sea grape); relate structure to function.
Success Criteria: "I can label leaf parts and explain how each helps the plant." Vocabulary: lamina, midrib, petiole, vein, apex, margin.
Scientific Practices: observation, scientific drawing. Lab Skills: specimen handling, labelled biological drawing.
Cross-curricular: Art (scientific illustration). Technology: interactive labelling. Assessment: labelled drawing, structure-function note.
🫁 Strand 5 · Animal Anatomy & Physiology
Essential Questions: How do living things release energy? Big Ideas: respiration releases energy; aerobic and anaerobic pathways differ.
Learning Objectives (preserved): trace the pathway of air for respiration; classify respiration as aerobic or anaerobic; investigate gas exchange.
Success Criteria: "I can trace the air pathway and tell aerobic from anaerobic respiration." Vocabulary: respiration, aerobic, anaerobic, gas exchange, stomata, glucose.
Scientific Practices: modelling, investigation. Lab Skills: testing for carbon dioxide, measuring breathing.
Cross-curricular: PE (exercise & breathing). Technology: animated pathway, sorting activity. Assessment: labelled pathway, classification quiz.