Biology

Biology is the study of life. This subject offers students opportunities to learn how life works at the cellular and molecular level, while understanding the implications on macro levels. It address the broader questions of what life is and how life is sustained, allowing students to make connections to how micro-systems interact at the physiological and organismal levels. Students will recognise the evolving nature of biological knowledge, and through this, stimulate their interest and care for the local and global environment. Many new and important fields of biology have emerged through recent advancements in life sciences. Vast areas of knowledge in Biology have been generated, as evident from the proliferation of scientific journals catering to niche areas of research. Students can keep themselves up to date with knowledge that is relevant for their participation in a technology-driven economy.

The Hwa Chong Biology Unit adopts team-based learning (TBL) as an overarching approach. In the teaching and learning of Higher 2 and Higher 3 Biology, the Unit emphasizes largely on collaborative learning, differentiated instruction and assessment for learning. TBL sessions are designed to provide ample class time for team assignments with a focus on collaborative problem-solving. Students are held accountable for individual and group work, with timely feedback provided to help them reflect on their learning. Students engage in scientifically-oriented questions, collect and/or use evidence in response to questions and formulate explanations from evidence. In addition, students connect explanations to scientific understanding and communicate and justify their proposed explanations. Thus, the aspects of Practices of Science and inquiry-based learning continue to be infused into the TBL sessions and laboratory investigations.