Grade 11: Biology

Here is a comprehensive contents outline for Grade 11 Biology, aligned with the British Columbia (BC) curriculum in Canada.

The BC Grade 11 Biology course is formally called Biology 11. It is a survey course that explores the diversity of life, focusing on the structure, function, and adaptations of various organisms, with a strong emphasis on evolution as the unifying theory of biology.

The following outline breaks down the content into the core units as they are typically presented.

Biology 11 – Course Contents Outline

Big Ideas of the Course:

• Life is a result of interactions at the molecular and cellular levels.

• Evolution is a key process for understanding the diversity of life.

• Organisms are grouped based on common characteristics.

Unit 1: The Unity and Diversity of Life

• Key Concepts:

  • The Characteristics of Life (e.g., organization, metabolism, homeostasis, growth, reproduction, response, adaptation).

  • The Core Themes of Biology: Evolution, Cellular Basis of Life, Genetics, Homeostasis.

  • The Scientific Method in Biology.

  • Biological Classification and Taxonomy: Domains, Kingdoms, Binomial Nomenclature.

  • Introduction to Evolution: Natural Selection as a primary mechanism.

• Curricular Competencies Focus: Questioning, Predicting, Planning, and Conducting.

Unit 2: Microbiology (Viruses, Bacteria, Protists, and Fungi)

• Key Concepts:

  • Viruses: Structure (capsid, genetic material), lytic vs. lysogenic cycles, role in disease.

  • Bacteria (Kingdom Eubacteria & Archaea): Prokaryotic cell structure, shapes, metabolism, reproduction (binary fission), beneficial and harmful roles.

  • Protists (Kingdom Protista): “Catch-all” kingdom; animal-like (Protozoa), plant-like (Algae), and fungus-like protists.

  • Fungi (Kingdom Fungi): Structure (hyphae, mycelium), nutrition (decomposers), reproduction (spores), role in ecosystems and human life.

• Curricular Competencies Focus: Processing and analyzing data, Evaluating.

Unit 3: Plant Biology (Kingdom Plantae)

• Key Concepts:

  • Plant Evolution: Transition to land and key adaptations (cuticle, stomata, vascular tissue, seeds, flowers).

  • Major Plant Groups: Non-vascular plants (e.g., mosses), seedless vascular plants (e.g., ferns), gymnosperms (cone-bearing plants), and angiosperms (flowering plants).

  • Plant Structure and Function: Roots, stems, leaves, and their tissues (dermal, vascular, ground).

  • Plant Processes:

    • Photosynthesis: Overview of the process (chloroplasts, light reactions, Calvin cycle).

    • Transport: Water and nutrient transport (xylem, phloem).

    • Reproduction: Alternation of generations, flower structure, pollination, and seed dispersal.

• Curricular Competencies Focus: Applying and innovating, Problem-solving.

Unit 4: Animal Biology (Kingdom Animalia – Invertebrates)

• Key Concepts:

  • Characteristics of Animals: Multicellular, heterotrophic, motile, etc.

  • Animal Body Plans: Symmetry (asymmetry, radial, bilateral), body cavity, segmentation.

  • Survey of Invertebrate Phyla: Focus on structure, function, and adaptations.

    • Porifera (Sponges)

    • Cnidaria (Jellyfish, Coral)

    • Platyhelminthes (Flatworms)

    • Nematoda (Roundworms)

    • Annelida (Segmented Worms)

    • Mollusca (Clams, Snails, Squid)

    • Arthropoda (Insects, Spiders, Crustaceans) – The largest phylum.

    • Echinodermata (Starfish, Sea Urchins)

• Curricular Competencies Focus: Evaluating, Communicating.

Unit 5: Ecology

• Key Concepts:

  • Levels of Ecological Organization: Organism, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biome, Biosphere.

  • Abiotic and Biotic Factors.

  • Energy Flow in Ecosystems: Food chains, food webs, trophic levels, and ecological pyramids (energy, biomass, numbers).

  • Biogeochemical Cycles: The cycling of water, carbon, and nitrogen.

  • Population Dynamics: Factors affecting population growth (birth rate, death rate, immigration, emigration), carrying capacity.

  • Human Impact: Sustainability, resource use, and conservation.

• Curricular Competencies Focus: Applying and innovating, Communicating.

Additional Potential Topics (Varies by School/Teacher)

• Introductory Biochemistry: Basic chemistry of life (water, carbon, macromolecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids).

• The Cell: Cell theory, prokaryotic vs. eukaryotic cells, basic cell organelles and their functions.

• Genetics (Introductory): Mitosis and asexual reproduction.

Curricular Competencies (The “Doing” of Science)

Throughout all units, students will be expected to develop these skills:

• Questioning and Predicting

• Planning and Conducting

• Processing and Analyzing Data and Information

• Evaluating

• Applying and Innovating

• Communicating

This outline provides a solid foundation for what a student can expect to learn in BC’s Biology 11 course. The emphasis is on observing and understanding the incredible diversity of life forms, classifying them based on evolutionary relationships, and understanding their interactions within ecosystems.