A 3-day A Level Biology course offers a fantastic opportunity for students to undertake ecological investigations in a variety of inspiring habitats and complete Core Practical 10.
Students will develop their practical skills, use of apparatus and techniques, and deepen their understanding of ecological syllabus content and synoptic links through first-hand experience.
A wide range of mathematical skills are embedded into every course, including a variety of graphical forms, calculations such as Simpson’s index of diversity, standard deviation, uncertainties and percentage error, and the appropriate use of statistical tests.
Example Timetable
Example Timetable
The following is an example of how a 3-day course might look. Our courses are as flexible as possible to meet your requirements, with other topics and skills able to be substituted into this timetable. There will be some variation between what is offered at specific centres due to habitat availability.
Day 1
Arrive Midday
Welcome by FSC staff, centre tour and introduction, pre-course meeting of FSC staff and teachers, allocation of wellies and waterproofs as appropriate.
Afternoon and evening - Introduction to Ecology
In this session the basics of the ecology toolkit will be covered, including sampling skills and key terminology. Students will consider the scientific route to enquiry in an ecological context.
Day 2
Succession
A full day session investigating succession using systematic sampling. Students will measure abundance and distribution of species and analyse the data using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient.
Day 3
Investigative Skills (Core Practical 10)
A half-day session in which students will plan, justify and carry out their own ecological investigation. They will collect, process and analyse their own data, and research and reference their findings.
Depart Midday
How this course fulfills the specification
How this course fulfills the specification
Detailed coverage of ecological content from Topics 4 and 5, with opportunities to make synoptic links to other units.
Practical Endorsement
Our courses will include Core Practical 10.
There will be multiple opportunities to assess all five CPAC during practical activities, including those that require demonstration of independence and some degree of choice (e.g., CPAC 2).
Students will be encouraged to use IT for data collection and analysis, and to carry out referenced research (CPAC 5). Students will undertake risk assessment for all environments visited and techniques used (CPAC 3).
Practical Skills, Apparatus and Techniques
The ‘hands on’ nature of our courses provide multiple opportunities for students to apply the practical skills on which they will be assessed and develop and demonstrate their use of apparatus and techniques including: 1, 5, 8, 11 and 12.
These skills will be integrated and contextualised within the topics and ecological investigations undertaken.
Maths and Statistical Skills
Our courses include a wide range of applied maths and graphical skills and, depending on the topics covered, can cover the following statistical tests: Student’s t-test, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and the chi-squared test. Students can also calculate Simpson’s index of diversity using their own data.
Added value of this course
Develop skills
- Communication | Resilience | Independent thinking | Leadership
- Numeracy | Literacy | Investigative skills | Observation
Enhance Knowledge
- Ask questions.
- Apply knowledge in the real world and make links.
- Make sense of new places and understand our place and role within this.
Enjoy
- Have fun | Make friendships | Connect with nature
Why Choose Field Studies Council?
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Expert tuition by fully trained staff
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Stunning locations across the UK
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Outstanding curriculum knowledge
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Rigorous health and safety procedures
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Support before and after your visit
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Free places for visiting staff