Sweden Biology Curriculum - Year 6

Biology

The study of biology stems from human curiosity and the need to understand ourselves and the natural world. Biological knowledge is crucial for societal advancements in areas such as health, natural resource management, and environmental protection. Understanding nature empowers individuals to improve their well-being and contribute to a sustainable future.

Aim

Biology education aims to cultivate students' knowledge of biological concepts, fostering their curiosity and interest in themselves and nature. Students are encouraged to question the natural world and human biology based on personal experiences and current events. The curriculum provides opportunities for students to seek answers through systematic investigations, including hands-on experiments using digital tools and other equipment. Students learn to evaluate various information sources, developing critical thinking skills and recognizing that scientific methods can test and assess claims. The curriculum equips students with the knowledge and tools to formulate arguments, evaluate the arguments of others, and navigate practical, ethical, and aesthetic considerations related to health, natural resource use, and ecological sustainability. Students develop familiarity with biological concepts, models, and theories, understanding how these develop through interactions with nature and human studies. They learn to discuss, interpret, and create scientific texts and various forms of aesthetic expression, differentiating between scientific and other ways of depicting the world. The curriculum provides insights into the scientific worldview, grounded in evolutionary theory, and its historical development and cultural impact. Students develop the ability to:

• Use biological knowledge to analyze information, communicate, and form perspectives on health, natural resource use, and ecological sustainability.
• Conduct systematic biological studies.
• Use biological concepts, models, and theories to describe and explain biological relationships in the human body, nature, and society.

Core Content

Nature and Society

• Human dependence on and impact on nature, and its implications for sustainable development. Ecosystem services, such as decomposition, pollination, and water and air purification.
• Life of animals, plants, and other organisms. Photosynthesis, respiration, and ecological relationships, and the importance of this knowledge for agriculture and fishing.
• Ecosystems in the local environment, relationships between organisms, and common species names. Relationships between organisms and the non-living environment.
• Nature as a resource for recreation and experiences, and our responsibilities in using it.

Body and Health

• How mental and physical health are influenced by sleep, diet, exercise, social relationships, and addictive substances. Common diseases and their prevention and treatment.
• Human organ systems. Organ names, appearance, location, function, and interaction.
• Human puberty, sexuality, and reproduction, and questions about identity, gender equality, relationships, love, and responsibility.

Biology and World Views

• Historical and contemporary discoveries in biology and their significance for human living conditions and perspectives on nature.
• Different cultures' descriptions and explanations of nature in fiction, myths, art, and early science.
• The development of life and the adaptation of organisms to different habitats.

Biology: Methods and Working Practices

• Simple field studies and experiments. Planning, execution, and evaluation.
• Identification, categorization, and grouping of animals, plants, and other organisms.
• Documentation of simple studies using tables, pictures, and simple written reports, with and without digital tools.
• Interpretation and analysis of information related to biology, such as newspaper articles and digital media films.

Knowledge Requirements: End of Year 6

Grade E: Students can discuss basic questions about health, natural resource use, and ecological sustainability, asking questions and exchanging viewpoints to some extent. They can search for scientific information, use different sources, and simply evaluate their usefulness. They can use this information in discussions and create texts and other communications with some adaptation to the context. Students can conduct simple field studies and other investigations based on provided plans, contributing to formulating simple questions and plans that can be systematically developed. They use equipment safely and in a basic manner, comparing their results with others, and simply reasoning about similarities, differences, and their possible causes. They can also suggest improvements to the study and create simple documentation using text and pictures. Students have basic knowledge of biological contexts, describing them with some use of biological concepts. They can simply reason about health, sickness, and puberty, connecting these to some relationships in the human body. They can describe human dependence on and impact on nature, drawing parallels to the life and ecological relationships of organisms. Students discuss the development of life and give examples of organism adaptation to different habitats. They can also discuss some scientific discoveries and their importance for human living conditions.