Rationale:
In the Stage 6 Biology Course it draws upon and builds onto knowledge and understanding, skills and values developed in Science Stages 4-5. However, in the stage 6 Biology course, it specialises in one of the scientific spheres, rather than a various scientific fields to help students in year 7-10 to develop an understanding of how science explains phenomena they would have previously been unaware of.
Students undertaking the biology course is designed for those who obtained substantial achievement level based Science Stages 4-5 syllabus (NSW Board of Studies, 2010).
Aims
In the Stage 4/5 syllabus the aims are more general; whereas the Biology Syllabus has more specific requirements of the students undertaking the course. For example, in the stage 4-5 syllabus one of the expectations of the students is to "develop an appreciation of science as a human activity and apply their understanding to every day life". Compared to the Stage 6 Syllabus where it states that a student "recognises the importance of evidence and the use of critical evaluation of different scientific opinions related to various aspects of biology".
Objectives
Stage 6 Biology Syllabus has the same PFAs as stage 4/5 from dot points 1-5, but all of them relate to 'biology'. There is also 5 more PFAs in the syllabus. Skills are the same in both documents. However, stage 6 clearly points out that students will develop further skills in planning and conducting investigations, communicating information and understanding, developing scientific thinking and problem solving techniques, and working individually and in teams.
In conclusion, both the stage 4/5 science syllabus and stage 6 syllabus are different in quite a number of aspects. Especially since once focuses on a specific scientific field; whereas the other is more general. However, I found that both documents clearly showed a continuum of learning from the lower stages through to stage 6.
