KS3 & KS4 science curriculum

This unit builds on pupils’ prior learning from Fossil evidence, selective breeding and explaining evolution, where they explored how evolutionary changes are supported by fossil records and human-driven selection. It deepens their understanding of genetic variation and natural selection, focusing on how these processes drive evolution. This prepares pupils for the next unit, Classification in modern biology, where they will apply their knowledge to understand how genetic traits are used to classify organisms, reinforcing the connection between evolution and classification.

1. Variation and genetic mutations
2. Natural selection at the genetic level
3. Mutations and evolution in bacteria
4. Sexual and asexual reproduction

• The genome is the entire genetic material of an organism.
• The genome, and its interaction with the environment, influence the phenotype (characteristics) of an organism.
• There is variation in the features of individuals of the same species.
• Variation can be caused by information in the genome and by the environment, but only variation caused by information in the genome is heritable (can be passed on to offspring).
• Due to variation, some individuals within a species have features that make them better adapted to complete and survive in their environment.
• Better adapted individuals are more likely to reproduce and pass heritable adaptations (caused by genetic variation) on to the next generation.
• This ‘natural selection’ of better adapted individuals causes advantageous features to become more common in each generation of offspring.
• Natural selection can cause the common features of a species to change (evolve) over generations.
• Natural selection can cause the common features of a population to change (evolve) over generations, and eventually to become so different that we classify the population as a new species.
• Some bacteria have become resistant to some antibiotics.