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Science · Year 10 · Unit 1

Genetics and Evolutionary Change

This 21-lesson unit explores the molecular basis of inheritance, genetic technologies, and the processes that drive evolutionary change over time. You will investigate DNA structure, patterns of inheritance, natural selection, and the evidence that supports the theory of evolution.

21lessons

5assessments

8-13hstudy

Start Lesson 1 →

Lessons

Block A, DNA, Genes and Heredity (Lessons 1-5)

Introduction to Genetics and Heredity

Heredity, genes and chromosomes, and why offspring resemble their parents

DNA Structure and Function

The double helix, the four bases and how DNA stores genetic information

DNA Replication and Cell Division

How DNA copies itself, and how mitosis and meiosis divide cells

Genes, Alleles and Inheritance Patterns

Dominant and recessive alleles, Punnett squares and pedigrees

Genetic Variation and Mutations

Sources of variation and how mutations arise and affect organisms

Cumulative assessment for Lessons 1-5

Block B, Genetic Technologies and Ethics (Lessons 6-10)

Selective Breeding and Artificial Selection

Choosing traits in crops and livestock over many generations

Genetic Modification and Transgenic Organisms

GM crops, insulin-producing bacteria and their applications

DNA Technologies, Screening, Fingerprints and Sequencing

Genetic screening, DNA profiling and sequencing in the real world

Gene Editing and CRISPR

The gene-editing revolution and the possibilities it opens up

Ethics of Genetic Technologies

Weighing the benefits, risks and ethical questions

Cumulative assessment for Lessons 6-10

Block C, Evolution and Natural Selection (Lessons 11-16)

Diversity of Life and Evolutionary Thinking

Biodiversity, classification and how evolutionary ideas developed

Natural Selection, The Mechanism

Variation, selection pressure and differential survival

Adaptations, Structural, Behavioural, Physiological

How inherited features suit organisms to their environment

Evidence for Evolution, Fossils and Anatomy

What the fossil record and comparative anatomy reveal

Evidence for Evolution, Molecular and Biogeographical

DNA comparisons, molecular clocks and species distribution

Speciation and Isolation

How new species form through isolation and divergence

Cumulative assessment for Lessons 11-16

Block D, Evolution in Context and Synthesis (Lessons 17-21)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' Knowledge of Biodiversity

Indigenous ecological knowledge and caring for Country

Human Evolution

Shared ancestry with primates, fossil evidence and key trends

Investigating Genetics and Evolution

Designing and conducting secondary-source investigations

Evidence-Based Argumentation in Genetics and Evolution

Claim, evidence and reasoning, and evaluating scientific claims

Unit Synthesis and Depth Study Preparation

Connecting concepts and preparing for a depth study

Cumulative assessment for Lessons 17-21

Comprehensive assessment covering all 21 lessons

Unit Snapshot

21lessons

4checkpoints

1unit quiz

1NESA outcome

Ready to start?

Work through the lessons in order, each one builds on the last.

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