These instructions apply to the assignment for National 5 Biology.

This assignment is worth 20 marks. The marks contribute 20% of the overall marks for the course assessment.

It assesses the following skills, knowledge and understanding:

• applying knowledge of biology to new situations, interpreting information and solving problems
• planning, designing and safely carrying out experimental/fieldwork investigations to test given hypotheses or to illustrate particular effects
• selecting information from a variety of sources
• presenting information appropriately in a variety of forms
• processing information (using calculations and units, where appropriate)
• making predictions and generalisations based on evidence/information
• drawing valid conclusions and giving explanations supported by evidence/justification
• suggesting improvements to experimental/fieldwork investigations
• communicating findings/information

Your teacher or lecturer will tell you how the assignment will be carried out and any required conditions for doing it.

In this assignment you have to investigate a topic in biology by doing research.

Your research involves gathering data/information from an experiment/fieldwork and comparative data from internet/literature sources. In addition, you may gather extracts about the underlying biology from internet/literature sources.

You then produce a report on your investigation.

Your report is not marked at any point by your teacher or lecturer. It is sent to SQA for marking.

Your assignment has two stages:

• research
• report