The five sections of the Key Stage 3 programme of study (2007) in Organisms, behaviour and health have been consolidated into three substrands:
This strand builds on pupils' understanding of life processes such as growth and reproduction, nutrition and movement from Key Stage 2. Although pupils will have been taught about microorganisms and will have some idea that these are too small to be seen, their understanding of just how small is likely to be limited.
The ideas about systems, organs and cells are explored through the seven characteristics of living things: movement, respiration, sensitivity, growth, reproduction, excretion and nutrition. The starting point for learning is the whole organism, and it is from this concrete and familiar experience that pupils develop their understanding of the more demanding concepts of organ systems, organs, tissues and cells.
The effects of the environment, healthy lifestyles, drugs and disease on organisms, including humans, is considered. This provides an opportunity to develop critical thinking through the evaluation of the ethical, moral and commercial implications on or for the organism.
Inherited and environmental variation is explored through aspects of classification, adaptation and interdependence. Progression through the substrand develops the critical evaluation of both the positive and negative aspects of human impact on evolutionary and ecological relationships.
Behaviour is a new aspect of science at Key Stages 3 and 4 and progression through this substrand develops a capacity to recognise different theories and types of behaviour and to consider how behaviour plays a part in the survival of an organism. Consideration is given to how natural and artificial substances can influence both innate and learned behaviour.
