M1.

          (a)     Award ONE mark for:

 

• stamen

(b)     Award ONE mark for identifying specific, relevant features of the flower:

•    the (red) petals;

•    the (bright) colour of the petals;

•    large, open flower;

•    small number of flowers.

Do not give credit for:

•    the flower [not specific].
Do not give credit for a response that includes incorrect
science:
•    it is pretty [this is a subjective human response,
     not applicable to insects].
1

(c)     Award ONE mark for reference to another method of seed dispersal:

•    by explosion;

•    by animals;

•    by water.

Page 1
           Allow:

          descriptions or specific examples of these processes:

•    birds carry them;

•    seed pods burst/the pod pings the seed out;

•    ants/some insects carry them;

•    animals knock/shake them off;

•    sycamore seeds are dispersed by spinning.

Do not give credit for answers that describe a seed but do

not include the method of dispersal:
•    it’s got hooks.
Do not give credit for:
•    bees (carry them).
Do not give credit for:
•    flying.
1

(d)     (i)      Award ONE mark for:

•    common poppy.

Do not give credit for:
•    poppy [not specific].
1

(ii)     Award ONE mark for:

•    yellow.
1
[5]

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M2.         (i)      Award ONE mark for both:

•    thrush; and

•    sparrow; [given in either order].

1

(ii)     Award ONE mark for both:

•    snail; and

•    caterpillar; [given in either order].

1

(iii)     Award ONE mark for an unambiguous indication of all three:

•   
1
[3]

M3.          (a)     Award ONE mark for:

•        an observation
1(L4)

(b)     Award ONE mark for an indication that he needed to have similar
results from more than one person or to check that it is safe to use on humans:

•    to check that his results could be applied to different people;

•    to see if his results applied to everyone;

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 •    to check his results; to see if it is safe (to give people cowpox);

•    to see if some people are allergic to it.

          Allow:

•    it might not affect some people;

•    in case it did not work on one person;

•    different people might react differently to it;

•    so there is more evidence.

          Allow:

          a response indicating they are checking the accuracy of the results;

•    to see if his results were accurate.

Do not give credit for an insufficient response:
•    to make his test fair.
Do not give credit for an insufficient response indicating that
people should be tested, but not indicating that there could
be variation within a population:
•    to see what effect it could have.
1(L5)

(c)     Award ONE mark for an understanding that these are safety precautions:

•    so that they do not breathe in/out the micro-organism;

•    so that the micro-organism does not get on to their skin;

•    so they do not get the illness themselves;

•    to protect them from the disease;

•    so the germs do not spread (to the scientist).

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           Allow:

          because micro-organisms can be

•    harmful/dangerous;

•    to stop them catching a disease;

•    to be safe.
1(L3)

(d)     Award ONE mark for one correct response indicating a positive benefit
of micro-organisms:

•    to make compost;

•    to break down waste material;

•    to make cheese;

•    to make bread;

•    to make yogurt;

•    in brewing;

•    to help you digest things.

          Allow:

•    to make medicines;

•    to preserve things [like sauerkraut];

•    to give yogurt/cheese flavour.

♦        Give credit for a correct response that goes beyond the key stage 2
programme of study:

•    some are producers in a food chain.

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 Do not give credit for an insufficient response, repeating
information from the stem:
•    to stop you getting ill;
•    to help make you better when you are ill.
Do not give credit for an insufficient response:
•    in food and drink [can have good and bad effects].
1(L5)

(e)     Award TWO marks for all three correct:

•    A is bacterium;

•    B is euglena;

•    C is blue-green algae.

2(L4)

or

          If you are unable to award two marks, award ONE mark for
any two correct.
1
[6]

M4.          (a)     Award ONE mark for both correct boxes ticked:
 

• They both have ur or hair.

• They both have our legs.

1(L3)

(b)     Award TWO marks for placing all four animals in the table correctly:
 
  Has Does not

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 feathers have feathers

Can fly Sparrowhawk Butterfly

Cannot Ostrich Cow

fly [Given] Camel
(in any order)

2(L4)

or

          If you are unable to award two marks, award ONE mark for a response
that correctly places two or three animals.
Do not give credit for an insufficient response naming other
animals clearly not given in the question.
or
Do not give credit for an insufficient response where ‘bird’ is
given in place of ‘sparrowhawk’.
1(L4)

(c)     Award ONE mark for all three questions correctly classified:
 
Question The question
goes in box …

Does it have a long neck?

Does it have horns?

Does it have antennae?

1(L5)

(d)     Award ONE mark for:

•    to compare the many
 
   types of animal

   

1(L5)
[5]

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E1.          Looking at Plants

(a)     The demand here was for children to identify the part of the plant which produces
pollen from five options indicated on a line drawing of a plant. Two-thirds of children
responded correctly. The item discriminated strongly by overall level achieved. Two-
fifths of level 3 gained credit, about half of level 4 and almost all of level 5. The
strongest distractor, ‘stigma’, attracted almost two-fifths of children. This incorrect
response was selected by children at all levels of overall achievement. More than
half of level 3, half of level 4 and one tenth of level 5 wrongly selected stigma. The
other three distractors attracted extremely low response rates.

(b)     The second part of ‘Looking at Plants’ asked children to use the line drawing to help
them decide what information about the plant suggests insects pollinate it.
Approximately half gained credit by correctly selecting the ‘large red petals’.
Success was strongly associated with final level achieved, nearly a fifth of those
achieving level 3, almost a half of level 4 and three-quarters of level 5 gaining the
mark. About one-quarter of level 3 and over one tenth of those achieving level 4
overall failed to gain the mark because they offered no response. For almost a tenth
of children, the presence of the stigma indicated that insects pollinated the flower.
For a few, the stamen was thought to indicate insect pollination.

(c)     The third item in ‘Looking at Plants’ probed children’s understanding of seed
dispersal. The question commentary described how, following pollination and
subsequent seed production, the seeds from the plant are dispersed by the wind.
The challenge was for children to give a second way in which seeds from other
plants might be dispersed. Two-thirds of children gained credit for suggesting a
creditworthy alternative mode of seed dispersal. Performance discriminated children
sharply by overall level achieved. Just over one tenth of level 3, two-thirds of level 4
and almost all of level 5 gained the mark. ‘Animal’, the most common correct
response, was offered by over two-fifths of children. A little under a fifth of children
suggested ‘explosion’ as the means of seed dispersal. Of the incorrect responses
almost one tenth suggested ‘bees carry the seeds’. Almost one tenth of children lost
the mark by offering ‘wind dispersal’, which was given in the question.

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 (d)     (i)      This item encouraged children to observe the simple features of the plant
depicted in the line drawing and required them to name the plant using a key.
Just over two-thirds of children successfully named the plant as a ‘common
poppy’. Two-fifths of those achieving level 3 overall, four-fifths of level 4 and
almost all of level 5 gained the mark. The most common error was to identify
the plant as a ‘Welsh poppy’. A small proportion wrongly suggested a ‘smooth
headed poppy’. The other two distractors attracted very low response rates.
There were some children - mainly those achieving level 3 overall, who
recognised the plant as a poppy and as a result used the name ‘poppy’ without
perhaps using the key.

(ii)     This item invited children to use the key to determine the colour of petals of the
greater celandine. Four-fifths of children gained credit by suggesting the petals
would be yellow. Success was gained by virtually all those achieving level 5
overall, almost all those achieving level 4 and half of those gaining level 3
overall. The most common error, made mostly by those achieving level 3
overall, was to suggest the petal would be red, suggesting that the key had not
been used.

E2.          (a)     (i)      This question required children to select two animals with wings from the
six illustrated options. Four-fifths of children gaining level 3 and almost all
those gaining levels 4 and 5 correctly identified ‘thrush’ and ‘sparrow’. Very
small proportions of those achieving level 3 and 4 selected the other options of
‘snail’, ‘cat’, ‘caterpillar’ or ‘human’.

(ii)     In this question, children were asked to select from the six illustrated options
two animals without a backbone. Almost all pupils, four-fifths achieving level 3
and almost all those at levels 4 and 5 gained the mark. A very small proportion
of children at all levels selected the other four options

(iii)     In this question, children were asked to circle three of six letters to show which
groups would include an adult human. Over four-fifths selected three correct
groups. Just less than three-quarters at level 3 and almost all those at levels 4
and 5 responded successfully. The most common mistake, made by a tenth of
Page 10
 children achieving level 3, was not to recognise that humans feed their young
on milk.

E3.          (a)     Two- thirds of children including a quarter achieving level 3, two-fifths at level 4
and three-quarters at level 5 selected ‘an observation’ from four options as the word
we use when we notice something important. While each of the other options was
selected by some children, the most common incorrect choices were ‘an
investigation’ or ‘an effect’.

(b)     Two-thirds were able to explain why Jenner’s test was carried out on more than one
person. A quarter of children at level 3, just over half at level 4 and three-quarters at
level 5 showed a creditworthy understanding. There was a wide range of non-
creditworthy responses including statements that the test would not be accurate or
that it would not be fair.

(c)     Almost all children could state why scientists wear masks and gloves when working
with micro-organisms. There were few errors, 92% gained credit, including three
quarters at level 3 and almost all at levels 4 and 5.

(d)     Children had to describe a way micro-organisms could be helpful. Only a small
proportion gained credit with only a quarter overall suggesting one benefit. The most
common correct response was, ‘making cheese’. Fewer than 5% at level 3, fewer
than a fifth at level 4 and only two-fifths at level 5 gained the mark. About a sixth
omitted the question. Many non-creditworthy responses stated that micro organisms
‘stop you getting ill’ or ‘help you get better’ which repeated what was given in the
question.

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 (e)     Children were required to use a key to identify three micro-organisms. Almost all
children, three-quarters at level 3 and almost all at levels 4 and 5 gained one of the
two marks by identifying two of the three organisms. Three-quarters, half at level 3,
three-quarters at level 4 and four-fifths at level 5 gained both marks by identifying all
three organisms.

E4.          (a)     This question has a multiple response format; pupils are required to identify two
features common to a cow and camel to gain one mark. Over four-fifths of pupils
gained the mark. Only a small proportion (14%) of pupils ticked one box, indicating
that most pupils had followed the instructions.

(b)     Pupils are asked to place the animals in the two-way table provided, according to
their characteristics. They were awarded two marks if they could place four of the
animals and one if they could place two or three animals. Nine-tenths of pupils were
able to score at least one mark on this question, indicating that they have some of
the skills required to construct a key successfully.

          Approximately a quarter of pupils were awarded only one mark on this question; the
majority of these only gave one animal (either the cow or camel) in the bottom right
cell.

(c)     In the past, pupils have shown that they are strong at using and constructing keys.
This question continues to show this. Just over three-quarters of all pupils have
answered this question successfully, despite its unusual format. In this question,
pupils were asked to identify which questions were needed at each of three
positions on a key to sort the animals as shown.

(d)     In this multiple choice question, pupils were asked to give the best reason for sorting
animals into groups. Two-thirds of pupils answered correctly with ‘to compare the
many types of animal’. The alternative option, which drew a quarter of pupils, was ‘to
help find animals in the wild’. Many, who gave this option, were pupils assessed at
level 3 on the 2004 test.

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