Advanced Higher Biology – Skills

The following is an example of how a 3-day course might look. Our courses are as flexible as possible to meet your requirements, and there is also some variation between what is offered at specific centres due to habitat availability.

Day 1

Arrive Midday

• Welcome by staff, centre tour and introduction, pre-course meeting of staff and teachers, allocation of wellies and waterproofs as appropriate.

Afternoon 

Introduction to Sampling

• Students discuss key ecological terminology and ecosystem components before evaluating a range of techniques to survey wild organisms in the centre grounds. This session explores how sample an ecosystem using different types of quadrats, transects and sampling strategies as well as trying out equipment to monitor abiotic environmental factors.

Evening

Remote Sampling

• How do we monitor mobile organisms? How about organisms which are active at night? In this evening session students explore field techniques and equipment used in ecological studies, then conduct some humane trapping of nocturnal mammals and invertebrates.

Day 2

Morning

Monitoring Wild Populations (including follow-up to remote sampling)

• We will open the nocturnal traps from the previous evening and identify our finds to species level. We will then attempt to quantify the population of a sample of mobile animals using mark-recapture methods.

Afternoon and evening

Rocky Shore Zonation & Adaptation

• How do organisms survive on the rocky shore? What influences their distribution? Students will conduct a transect study of the rocky shore to investigate the distribution of organisms on the shore and the abiotic factors affecting their survival. Back in the classroom, they will analyse their data using kite diagrams and Simpson’s Diversity index.

Day 3

Morning

Biodiversity

Students undertake an investigation into biodiversity in two contrasting areas within a habitat, for example coppiced versus unmanaged woodland, or trampled versus untrampled grassland. They will use random sampling to collect data on species diversity alongside considering the abiotic factors that will influence this.

Organisms and evolution

Field techniques for biologists

• Health and safety
• Sampling of wild organisms
• Identification and taxonomy
• Monitoring populations

Parasitism

• Niche
• Parasitic life cycles

Investigative biology

Scientific principles and process

• Scientific method
• Scientific literature and communication
• Scientific ethics

Experimentation

• Pilot Study
• Experimental design
• Sampling
• Reliability
• Presentation of data

Reporting and critical evaluation of biological research

• Background information
• Reporting and evaluation experimental design
• Data analysis
• Evaluating results and conclusions

• Develop personal skills
• Have fun
• Be inspired by a passion for the subject
• Build friendships