St Francis de Sales

SACE Stage 1 Biology:

Topic: Natural Selection and Evolution
Issues Investigation

Name:

Grade:
(Summative: 20% of your SACE Grade)

Write a report (maximum) 800 words or conduct a 5 minute interview with your teacher based on
the question:
Do humans control Natural Selection?
Issues could include: Selective Breeding, Designer Babies, Antibiotic resistance
Due date: 1 weeks from receiving task: A1: Friday 18 th September (WEEK 9)
B2: Monday 21st September (WEEK 10)
Reference material may be sourced from the internet, journal articles, books, newspapers, TV or
documentaries to get information. Make sure you are using up-to-date information from credible
sources. Guide your responses though the use of the performance standards.

The completed issues investigation should include these main sections:

Introduction

Identifies the biological issue

Why is this an important issue?
Who does it affect?

Biological Relevance

Describe its biological impacts and the biology of this issue

Social Impacts

Effects on individuals, families, society

Identification of alternative views, positive and negative
Explanation of the perspective on the issue (social, morally, ethically,
costs ($ or society/emotional level), benefits & problems).

Conclusion

A summary of results or findings and conclusions drawn

Your own opinion with reasoning & justification

Reference List

Harvard system

Source Analysis: An evaluation of the information you have gathered.

Reference: Recording the following information will help you to acknowledge your sources and write a
reference list for your research.
URL___________________________________________________________________________
Author_________________________________________________________________________
Title___________________________________________________________________________
Format__________________________ Publisher
Place_______________________________________ Date
Date accessed_______________________________
Evaluation: Recording the following information will enable you to evaluate your source.
Relevance

Provides information on .

Information is detailed

Information includes supporting facts/statistics/equations about ..

Terms are clearly explained (may have supporting glossary)

Recently printed/updated (provide details) ..

Site is easy to use

Use Subheadings
Index/contents list provided
Site is difficult to use
Includes a lot of technical language

Diagrams/flow charts used to support/explain information

Information not clear/easy to read

Some of the information provided is irrelevant (not useful for report). For example..
..

Additional information needed on ...

Highly relevant
Credibility

Partially relevant

Not relevant

Type of site/print source (Provide details) ......

Author stated ......

Author has training/expertise in the topic (Provide details) ..

Data/Statistics used to support statements made (Provide details) .

Based on experimental data (provide details)

References for information provided (provide details) ..

Links to additional information

Printed in a peer reviewed journal

Published and thus checked for accuracy

Cannot be modified by people accessing site

Highly credible

Partially credible

Not credible

Bias

States more evidence for one side of the argument (details)....

Offers personal opinions (details. . ...

Heading/Title implies issues is only good/bad (details).........

Group producing the book/site has a monetary interest in the issue (details).. ..

Uses language/pictures to evoke an emotional response (details)..

Purpose of source to provide information does not address

ethical/controversial issues

All statements supported with research

Does not offer any personal opinions

Factual statements

Provides arguments for both sides of the topic

Not biased

Partially biased

Biased

Reference: Recording the following information will help you to acknowledge your sources and write a
reference list for your research.
URL___________________________________________________________________________
Author_________________________________________________________________________
Title___________________________________________________________________________
Format__________________________ Publisher
Place_______________________________________ Date
Date accessed_______________________________
Evaluation: Recording the following information will enable you to evaluate your source.
Relevance

Provides information on .

Information is detailed

Information includes supporting facts/statistics/equations about ..

Terms are clearly explained (may have supporting glossary)

Recently printed/updated (provide details) ..

Site is easy to use

Use Subheadings
Index/contents list provided
Site is difficult to use
Includes a lot of technical language

Diagrams/flow charts used to support/explain information

Information not clear/easy to read

Some of the information provided is irrelevant (not useful for report). For example..
..

Additional information needed on ...

Highly relevant
Credibility

Partially relevant

Not relevant

Type of site/print source (Provide details) ......

Author stated ......

Author has training/expertise in the topic (Provide details) ..

Data/Statistics used to support statements made (Provide details) .

Based on experimental data (provide details)

References for information provided (provide details) ..

Links to additional information

Printed in a peer reviewed journal

Published and thus checked for accuracy

Cannot be modified by people accessing site

Highly credible

Partially credible

Not credible

Bias

States more evidence for one side of the argument (details)....

Offers personal opinions (details. . ...

Heading/Title implies issues is only good/bad (details).........

Group producing the book/site has a monetary interest in the issue (details).. ..

Uses language/pictures to evoke an emotional response (details)..

Purpose of source to provide information does not address

ethical/controversial issues

All statements supported with research

Does not offer any personal opinions

Factual statements

Provides arguments for both sides of the topic

Not biased

Partially biased

Biased

Reference: Recording the following information will help you to acknowledge your sources and write a
reference list for your research.
URL___________________________________________________________________________
Author_________________________________________________________________________
Title___________________________________________________________________________
Format__________________________ Publisher
Place_______________________________________ Date
Date accessed_______________________________
Evaluation: Recording the following information will enable you to evaluate your source.
Relevance

Provides information on .

Information is detailed

Information includes supporting facts/statistics/equations about ..

Terms are clearly explained (may have supporting glossary)

Recently printed/updated (provide details) ..

Site is easy to use

Use Subheadings
Index/contents list provided
Site is difficult to use
Includes a lot of technical language

Diagrams/flow charts used to support/explain information

Information not clear/easy to read

Some of the information provided is irrelevant (not useful for report). For example..
..

Additional information needed on ...

Highly relevant
Credibility

Partially relevant

Not relevant

Type of site/print source (Provide details) ......

Author stated ......

Author has training/expertise in the topic (Provide details) ..

Data/Statistics used to support statements made (Provide details) .

Based on experimental data (provide details)

References for information provided (provide details) ..

Links to additional information

Printed in a peer reviewed journal

Published and thus checked for accuracy

Cannot be modified by people accessing site

Highly credible

Partially credible

Not credible

Bias

States more evidence for one side of the argument (details)....

Offers personal opinions (details. . ...

Heading/Title implies issues is only good/bad (details).........

Group producing the book/site has a monetary interest in the issue (details).. ..

Uses language/pictures to evoke an emotional response (details)..

Purpose of source to provide information does not address

ethical/controversial issues

All statements supported with research

Does not offer any personal opinions

Factual statements

Provides arguments for both sides of the topic

Not biased

Partially biased

Biased

Investigation

A
Critically and logically selects
and consistently and
appropriately acknowledges
information about biology and
issues in biology from a range
of sources.

Analysis and
Evaluation
Systematically analyses data
and their connections with
concepts, to formulate
logical and perceptive
conclusions and make
relevant predictions.

Application

Knowledge and Understanding

Applies biological concepts and

evidence from investigations to
suggest solutions to complex problems
in new and familiar contexts.

Consistently demonstrates a deep and

broad knowledge and understanding of a
range of biological concepts.

Uses appropriate biological terms,

conventions, formulae, and equations
highly effectively.
Demonstrates initiative in applying
constructive and focused individual
and collaborative work skills.

Logically selects and

appropriately acknowledges
information about biology and
issues in biology from
different sources.

Logically analyses data and

their connections with
concepts, to formulate
consistent conclusions and
mostly relevant predictions.

Applies biological concepts and

evidence from investigations to
suggest solutions to problems in new
and familiar contexts.
Uses appropriate biological terms,
conventions, formulae, and equations
effectively.
Applies mostly constructive and
focused individual and collaborative
work skills.

Selects with some focus, and

mostly appropriately
acknowledges, information
about biology and issues in
biology from different
sources.

Analyses data and their

connections with concepts,
to formulate generally
appropriate conclusions and
make simple predictions,
with some relevance.
.

Applies biological concepts and

evidence from investigations to
suggest some solutions to basic
problems in new or familiar contexts.
Uses generally appropriate biological
terms, conventions, formulae, and
equations, with some general
effectiveness.
Applies generally constructive
individual and collaborative work
skills.

Selects and may partly

acknowledge one or more
sources of information about
biology or an issue in biology.

Describes basic connections

between some data and
concepts, and attempts to
formulate a conclusion and
make a simple prediction
that may be relevant.

Applies some evidence to describe

some basic problems and identify one
or more simple solutions, in familiar
contexts.
Attempts to use some biological terms,
conventions, formulae, and equations
that may be appropriate.
Attempts individual work
inconsistently, and contributes
superficially to aspects of collaborative
work.

Identifies a source of
information about biology or
an issue in biology.

Attempts to connect data

with concepts, formulate a
conclusion, and make a
prediction.

Identifies a basic problem and attempts

to identify a solution in a familiar
context.

Uses knowledge of biology perceptively

and logically to understand and explain
social or environmental issues.
Uses a variety of formats to communicate
knowledge and understanding of biology
coherently and highly effectively.
Demonstrates some depth and breadth of
knowledge and understanding of a range
of biological concepts.
Uses knowledge of biology logically to
understand and explain social or
environmental issues.
Uses a variety of formats to communicate
knowledge and understanding of biology
coherently and effectively
Demonstrates knowledge and
understanding of a general range of
biological concepts.
Uses knowledge of biology with some
logic to understand and explain one or
more social or environmental issues.
Uses different formats to communicate
knowledge and understanding of biology,
with some general effectiveness

Demonstrates some basic knowledge and

partial understanding of biological
concepts.
Identifies and explains some biological
information that is relevant to one or more
social or environmental issues.
Communicates basic information to others,
using one or more formats.

Demonstrates some limited recognition

and awareness of biological concepts.

Uses some biological terms or

formulae.

Shows an emerging understanding that

some biological information is relevant to
social or environmental issues.

Shows emerging skills in individual

and collaborative work.

Attempts to communicate information

about biology.