Advanced Biology in context

Information about the course.

SNAB introduces the key ideas in advanced biology through a range of interesting contexts and applications.

Real-life biology for this century
SNAB topics include story-style contexts. For instance we don't start with cell biology or biochemistry. We start with an account of two real people - Mark, a 15-year-old who had a stroke, and Peter, an adult who had a heart attack. We then go on to look at the factors which make it more likely that any of us will suffer from a stroke or heart attack.

This allows you to introduce the concept of risk, along with the relevant biology topics. The biochemistry of fats and carbohydrates is introduced in Topic 1, as students need to know about these to understand about strokes and heart diseases. Phospholipids and proteins are introduced later, in Topic 2, as they are relevant to 'Genes and Health'.

Key concepts and skills
SNAB presents the key concepts underpinning biology today. Students learn the wider experimental and investigative skills needed by modern biologists, including the ability to make judgements about the quality of scientific evidence. How Science Works is integrated into the contexts, providing an exploration of the processes and culture of the scientific community.

Interactive learning
The activities in the course challenge students to engage with ideas and evidence - working individually or in groups. The teacher's role is more to do with guiding and explaining rather than transmitting factual information.

Social and ethical debate
Through active debate and discussion students are helped to develop their ability to form opinions about social and ethical issues and to support their opinions with well-thought-through arguments, using a clear framework.

Activities and ICT: an integral part of learning
Students learn through a wide variety of activities, from standard practicals to model-building and role plays, together with interactive tutorials and animations.

Interactive material includes topic introductions, GCSE and AS reviews, tests, tutorials, simulations, animations, spreadsheets and video clips.

Resources
The textbooks for the course are fully complementary to resources provided through a subscription website. See Resources.The textbooks contain the core storylines and biological principles.

The publishers' website www.newsnab.com provides learning resources such as topic introductions, GCSE reviews, tutorials, self-marking tests, downloadable worksheets, teachers' support and technicians' notes. The student site is separate from the teachers' and technicians' site, and communication between the two allows the teacher to set assignments with deadlines, receive marks from online tests and receive homework assignments electronically.

Learning through ICT tutorials
Interactive tutorials and animations have student worksheets to ensure engagement with a clearly defined task, and the recording of essential notes for future revision. The tutorials are used by individual students and whole classes, but are ideal for encouraging collaborative learning in pairs or small groups.

A skills support section offers additional tutorials in practical work, mathematics, biochemistry, ICT (such as data-logging and use of software packages for presentation and analysis of results), and exams and coursework.

Skills taught in context
A-level biologists should be taught skills such as practical techniques, ICT and researching within the real context of the way in which these are used by professional biologists.

In addition to the skills support mentioned above, the 2008 SNAB materials will include activities developed by the Science Enhancement Programme's Learning Skills for Science post-16 project.

The biology taught within this course is within a context so that it is clear to students why they are learning a particular biological principle. In the same way, the purpose and utility of skills being learned should always be clear to students.

The SNAB community
Join the SNAB teachers e-group for lots of useful discussion and information. More information: SNAB e-group

Local teacher networks communicate with each other on a regular basis, and the project organises professional development targeted at the needs of SNAB teachers.

The Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology course

Passion flower by Lucy Hollis For more about the course follow the links on the left-hand side of this page. For reports on how centres are getting on see Teaching the course.

There's help with handling data for SNAB students on the Free-Standing Maths Qualifications site. See Handling data.