AS 91602 annotated exemplars

This annotated exemplar is intended for teacher use only. Annotated exemplars are extracts of student evidence, with commentary, that explain key parts of a standard. These help teachers make assessment judgements at the grade boundaries.

Download all exemplars and commentary [PDF, 407 KB]

TKI Biology assessment resources (external link)

For Excellence, the student needs to integrate biological knowledge to develop a comprehensive informed response to a socio-scientific issue.

This involves:

• developing a reasoned informed response by explaining why a personal position and proposed action(s), at a personal and/or societal level, have been chosen
• justifying the personal position and proposed action(s) by analysing and evaluating the biological knowledge (EN 5) related to the issue. This may include:
  
  • comparing the significance of implications
  • considering the likely effectiveness of the proposed action(s)
  • commenting on sources and information, considering ideas such as validity and bias.

This student has described and explained relevant biological concepts and processes (1), and biological implications relating to the issue of fortifying bread with folic acid (2).

A social implication is considered (3).

Two differing opinions or viewpoints about the issue are given – one against (4) and one for (5).

A personal position (6) and a proposed societal action (7) are chosen and explained with supporting evidence.

The student has made an attempt to justify the personal position and proposed societal action by comparing the significance of biological and social implications (8).

For a more secure Excellence, the student could:

• explain the social implications more thoroughly
• justify the personal position and proposed action by including more detail on why arguments concerning consumer choice and the uncertainty of biological implications due to fortifying bread with folic acid are significant.

For Merit, the student needs to integrate biological knowledge (EN 5) to develop a reasoned informed response to a socio-scientific issue.

This involves explaining why a personal position and proposed action(s) at a personal and/or societal level have been chosen.

This student has described and explained relevant biological concepts and processes (1), and biological implications relating to the issue of fortifying bread with folic acid (2).

A social implication is considered (3).

Two differing opinions or viewpoints about the issue are given – one against (4) and one for (5).

A personal position (6) and proposed societal action (7) are chosen and explained with supporting evidence.

The student has begun to justify the personal position and proposed societal action by considering the likely effectiveness of the proposed action (8).

To reach Excellence, the student could justify the personal position and proposed action by including more detail on the likely effectiveness of the proposed action.

Alternatively, the student could provide evidence to:

• compare the significance of biological and social implications, or
• comment on the sources and information used by considering ideas such as validity and bias.

For Merit, the student needs to integrate biological knowledge (EN 5) to develop a reasoned informed response to a socio-scientific issue.

This involves explaining why a personal position and proposed action(s) at a personal and/or societal level have been chosen.

This student has described and explained some relevant biological concepts and processes (1), and biological implications relating to the issue issue of fortifying bread with folic acid (2).

A social implication is considered (3).

Two differing opinions or viewpoints about the issue are given – one against (4) and one for (5).

A personal position (6) and proposed societal action (7) are chosen and explained with some supporting evidence.

For a more secure Merit, the student could:

• explain the social implications of fortifying bread with folic acid more thoroughly
• use biological knowledge to explain why the personal position and proposed action by fortifying bread with folic acid have been chosen with more related supporting evidence.

For Achieved, the student needs to integrate biological knowledge (EN 5) to develop an informed response to a socio-scientific issue.

This involves:

• presenting a personal position, developed using relevant biological knowledge
• proposing action(s) at a personal and/or societal level.

This student has described relevant biological concepts and processes (1), and biological implications relating to the issue of fortifying bread with folic acid (2).

A social implication is briefly considered (3).

Two differing opinions or viewpoints about the issue are given – one against (4) and one for (5).

A personal position (6) and personal proposed action (7) are given.

To reach Merit, the student could:

• explain the biological concepts and processes relating to the issue
• explain the social implications of fortifying bread with folic acid more thoroughly
• develop a reasoned informed response by using biological knowledge with supporting evidence to explain why the personal position and proposed action by fortifying bread with folic acid is chosen.

For Achieved, the student needs to integrate biological knowledge (EN 5) to develop an informed response to a socio-scientific issue.

This involves:

• presenting a personal position, developed using relevant biological knowledge
• proposing action(s) at a personal and/or societal level.

This student has described some relevant biological concepts and processes (1), and biological implications relating to the issue of fortifying bread with folic acid (2).

A social implication is briefly considered (3).

Two differing opinions or viewpoints about the issue are given – one against (4) and one for (5).

A personal position (6) and proposed societal action (7) are given.

For a more secure Achieved, the student could develop the relevant biological concepts and processes relating to the issue more thoroughly to support the personal position taken, and proposed societal action, of fortifying bread with folic acid.

For Achieved, the student needs to integrate biological knowledge to develop an informed response to a socio-scientific issue.

This involves:

• presenting a personal position, developed using relevant biological knowledge
• proposing action(s) at a personal and/or societal level.

An overview of what is meant by ‘biological knowledge’ can be found in Explanatory Note (EN) 5.

This student has made an attempt to describe relevant biological concepts and processes (1), and biological implications relating to the issue of fortifying bread with folic acid (2).

A social implication is briefly considered (3).

Two differing opinions or viewpoints about the issue are given – one against (4) and one for (5).

A personal position is given (6).

To reach Achieved, the student could:

• describe the relevant biological concepts and processes relating to the issue in more detail to support the personal position taken
• describe the implications relating to the issue to further develop an informed response
• propose an action of fortifying bread with folic acid at a personal and/or societal level.