AS 91155 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.

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TKI Biology assessment resources (external link)

For Excellence, the student needs to demonstrate comprehensive understanding of adaptation of plants or animals to their way of life.

This involves linking several biological ideas, which may include justifying, evaluating, comparing and contrasting, or analysing. In the context of understanding adaptation as it relates to one life process over three taxonomic or functional groups of multi-cellular plants or animals, links between biological ideas must consider these two points:

• comparing diversity of adaptation in response to the same demand across different taxonomic or functional groups.
• considering the limitations and advantages involved in each feature within each organism.

This student has described (1) and provided biological reasons to explain how and why adaptations (2) enable fish to carry out gas exchange in order to survive (4) in water (3). The student has given some biological ideas about diversity of adaptation, and about limitations and advantages involved in features for gas exchange, comparing fish, humans and insects (5).

For a more secure Excellence, the student could consider a more thorough comparison of the diversity of adaptation in response to the demand for oxygen across the three groups, and in particular, the limitations and advantages in the gas exchange system of insects.

For Merit, the student needs to demonstrate in-depth understanding of adaptation of plants or animals to their way of life.

This involves providing a biological reason that explains how or why the adaptations enable each organism to carry out its life process(es) in order to survive in its habitat.

An adaptation:

• may include structural, behavioural, or physiological features of an organism
• provides an advantage for the organism in its specific habitat and ecological niche.

Way of life includes:

• relationships with other organisms
• reproductive strategies
• adaptations to the physical habitat.

This student has described (1) and provided biological reasons to explain how and why adaptations (2) enable fish to carry out gas exchange in order to survive (4) in water (3). Some biological ideas describing limitations and advantages involved in features for gas exchange within fish and humans are given (5).

To reach Excellence, the student could link more examples of biological ideas in the gas exchange systems of fish, humans and insects by:

• comparing the diversity of adaptation in response to the demand for oxygen for respiration to provide energy
• considering more thoroughly the limitations and advantages in the habitats of each animal in order to survive.

For Merit, the student needs to demonstrate in-depth understanding of adaptation of plants or animals to their way of life.

This involves providing a biological reason that explains how or why the adaptations enable each organism to carry out its life process(es) in order to survive in its habitat.

An adaptation:

• may include structural, behavioural, or physiological features of an organism
• provides an advantage for the organism in its specific habitat and ecological niche.

Way of life includes:

• relationships with other organisms
• reproductive strategies
• adaptations to the physical habitat.

This student has described (1) and provided biological reasons to explain how structural adaptations (2) enable fish to carry out gas exchange in order to survive (4) in water (3).

For a more secure Merit, the student could further develop the reasons explaining the adaptations that enable fish to carry out gas exchange in order to survive in water. For example, by explaining how and why the lamellae (surface area to volume ratio) and counter current system operate to ensure efficient gas exchange in water.

For Achieved, the student needs to demonstrate understanding of adaptation of plants or animals to their way of life.

This involves describing the adaptations and identifying the aspects of the adaptations that enable each organism to carry out its life process(es) in order to survive in its habitat.

An adaptation:

• may include structural, behavioural, or physiological features of an organism
• provides an advantage for the organism in its specific habitat and ecological niche.

Way of life includes:

• relationships with other organisms
• reproductive strategies
• adaptations to the physical habitat.

This student has described (1) and provided some biological reasons to explain how structural adaptations (2) enable fish to carry out gas exchange in order to survive (4) in water (3).

To reach Merit, the student could support in-depth understanding by providing more thorough biological reasons to explain how or why the adaptations enable fish to carry out gas exchange in order to survive in water. For example, using the graph to explain the counter-current exchange system.

For Achieved, the student needs to demonstrate understanding of adaptation of plants or animals to their way of life.

This involves describing the adaptations and identifying the aspects of the adaptations that enable each organism to carry out its life process(es) in order to survive in its habitat.

An adaptation:

• may include structural, behavioural, or physiological features of an organism
• provides an advantage for the organism in its specific habitat and ecological niche.

Way of life includes:

• relationships with other organisms
• reproductive strategies
• adaptations to the physical habitat.

This student has described some structural adaptations (1), and aspects of these adaptations that enable fish to carry out gas exchange in order to survive (3) in water (2).

For a more secure Achieved, the student would need to identify and describe more aspects of these adaptations that enable fish to carry out gas exchange in order to survive in water. For example, the student could identify and describe the counter-current exchange system and high concentration gradient of oxygen and carbon dioxide gases in the gill lamellae.

For Achieved, the student needs to demonstrate understanding of adaptation of plants or animals to their way of life.

This involves describing the adaptations and identifying the aspects of the adaptations that enable each organism to carry out its life process(es) in order to survive in its habitat.

An adaptation:

• may include structural, behavioural, or physiological features of an organism
• provides an advantage for the organism in its specific habitat and ecological niche.

Way of life includes:

• relationships with other organisms
• reproductive strategies
• adaptations to the physical habitat.

This student has briefly described some structural adaptations (1) and identified some aspects of the adaptations that enable fish to carry out gas exchange in order to survive (3) in water (2).

To reach Achieved, the student could identify and clearly describe more aspects of the adaptations that enable fish to carry out gas exchange in order to survive in water. For example, the student could identify that each gill filament has lamellae to increase the surface area. For gas exchange to occur, the blood flows through the lamellae in the opposite direction to that of the flow of water.