Living World resources

For this practical task students are assessed on their understanding of the life cycle of a butterfly by putting pictures (of eggs, caterpillar, pupa, emerging butterfly, and butterfly) into the correct sequential order and answering some questions.

Students are provided with information about a genetic trait. They develop genotypes for the parents involved and then complete a punnet square for these.

Using the genetic characteristic for ear lobes, students answer questions about the genotype, and construct a punnet square.

Students answer questions about genotype and phenotype in cats, and explain a breeding result for the genetic characteristic 'taillessness'.

Task: Students draw a labelled diagram of a plant indicating how it gets its energy. Assessment focus: photosynthesis.

Task: Identify adaptations of 3 animals that live under the soil, and design an animal that could live underground. Self-assess the design by considering given criteria. Assessment focus: adaptations that enable an animal to live underground.

For this NEMP task students show their understanding of the life cycle, functions and parts of a tree.

Students are provided with some information about testing leaves for starch. They are required to match the steps in the process with their purpose, and to explain what substance is present that turns iodine blue-black.

Students are given diagrams of an experiment on photosynthesis using pond weed. Students are asked to put the diagrams of the experiment into the correct order, to give an aim, identify the gas produced, name the process in plants that produces this gas, and to write a conclusion for the experiment.

Task: Describe on a chart how a duck's features help it to survive, then infer what might happen if these features were changed in some way. Assessment focus: how adaptations aid survival.

Task: Students describe two features of a skull that suggest it comes from a herbivore. Assessment focus: features of a herbivore's skull.

Task: choose 3 features of a mosquito and say how they help it survive. Assessment focus: adaptations for survival.

Students explain two features of insects and explain how the wings differ between a fly and a butterfly.

Task: from a set of animals students identify which have observable features common to fish. They then use this information to identify which of the animals are fish. Assessment focus: classification of fish.

Task: Sequence drawings of a bean seedling to show order of events during germination. Assessment focus: germination.

Task: Fill in a chart to identify the damage caused by various animal pests. Assessment focus: specific contextual knowledge about animal pests.

Students are provided with some information on the diet of eight NZ birds. Students use this information to fill in a table that identifies which birds are herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores.

Students answer questions about the materials that pass through the placenta between the mother and the baby.

Students read about sexual and asexual reproduction in plants, identify an asexual plant by budding characteristics and answer two questions on the advantages of asexual reproduction.

This NEMP task assesses knowledge about plants and animals.

For this NEMP task students write about parts of the snail that help it survive.

For this NEMP task students write about the parts of a praying mantis that help it survives.

Students explain the function of the veins, waxy layer of the upper surface of the leaf, how the shape of the leaf traps light energy and why the upper surface of the leaf is a darker green than the lower surface.

Four diagrams showing different ways plants store food (tuber, bulb, corm, and a tap root) are provided. Students are asked to identify which method of food storage different plants use. Three short answer questions are also included.

Using a diagram of a crab, students explain some of the crab's adaptations.