UNIVERSITY OF MALAWI

SCHOOL OF EDUATION

EDUCATION FOUNDATIONS DEPARMENT

TO : DR N. MBANO

FROM : ERICK BRIGHT SIAME

REG. NUMBER : UCE/133/22

COURSE TITLE : TEACHING STRATEGY IS BOILOGY

COURSE CODE : SCE 520

DUE DATE: 01/07/2023

 UCE Biology for Teachers

Revision exercise

Section A: Plants, Animals, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Ecology and Genetics (100 marks)

Answer all questions

1. Why plants are called producers? 57

 Plants are called producers because they are able to manufacture their own food
through the process called photosynthesis. This is a process whereby green plants
make their food by using light energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere and water from the soil. The food produced is glucose which is main
sources of energy utilized by different organisms including human beings 4
marks 4
2. Imagine someone sprayed a forest with a chemical that destroys chlorophyll. Describe
and explain what would happen
 Generally chemicals that destroy chlorophyll are called herbicides and they are
capable of inhibiting cell division, photosynthesis as well as production of acids.
The result of this is that the plant leaves change the colour to blown and once the
colour of the leaves changes, the process of photosynthesis will not take and
eventually the plants die. Therefore the whole forest will die in the same process.
3 marks 3
3. Arrange the following plants in their evolutionary order 4 marks
Beans, pines, ferns, Algae, liverworts, mosses
 Algae, Liverworts, Moses, Ferns, Pines, beans 4

4. Plants are called the lungs of the Earth. Why?

 Trees are called the lungs of the earth just because they extract carbon dioxide
form the surrounding environment and release out Oxygen. In this case plants act
as lungs to purify air by using up carbon dioxide which is a raw material for
photosynthesis and releases oxygen as a waste just like lungs in animals where
gaseous exchange takes place (Animals take in oxygen and give out carbon
dioxide). 4 marks 4
5. Give an example of each of the following animals:
 Protozoa e.g. Paramecium
 Arthropod e.g. Insects
 Reptile e.g. Lizards
 Annelida e.g. Earthworms 4 mark 4

6. How are carbohydrates different from Lipids?

 Carbohydrates are biological compounds for example starch, cellulose and sugars
and mainly used by organisms as sources of energy while lipids organic
compounds that are comprised of fatty acids and other compounds they are
mainly used to provide cells with energy, to store energy and used in the
formation of cell membranes 5 marks 1

7. What is the fundamental unit of protein? Write its general formula

 The fundamental units of proteins are the Amino Acids where there is the Amino
group and the Acid group
 The general formula for proteins is RCH(NH2)COOH where C is carbon, N is
nitrogen, H is hydrogen, O is oxygen and R is a group varying in composition and
structure called side chain 2 marks 2
8. What distinguishes plants from animals 3
marks 0
9. The common relationship between organisms can be mutualism, commensalism and
parasitism. Classify the relationship below and give reasons for your answer

a. Bees and flowers 2 marks

 The relationship between the two is mutualistic one. It is mutualistic
because both organisms benefit from this kind of relation where bees are
provided with food which is the nectar or pollen while stationary plants
disperse their pollen which are the sperm cells to other plants of the same
species 2
b. Fleas on a dog 2 marks
  It is a parasitism relationship. In this relationship, one organism benefits
while at the same time harming the host organism. In this case flea obtains
all the nutrients and protection from the dogs while making these dogs to
be harmed or affected by the bites of these fleas 2
c. Bacteria on the skin of a person 2 marks
 It is a commensalism kind of relationship. This is a relationship where one
benefits and the other is not affected. Bacteria living on the skin of people
do not cause any harm to humans they only consume the dead cells. 0
d. Cattle and egrets 2 marks
 This is a commensalism kind of relationship. One organism benefits
without harming the other. Cattle Egrets consume on the ticks and other
parasites found on the skin of cattle without harming them. 1
 On the other hand it can be a mutualistic relationship where both
organisms will benefit. Tick suck blood from cattle and cause some
diseases and once these ticks are eaten by egrets cattle will benefit (health
wise) and egrets will also benefit by consuming the ticks that obtain their
nutrients from cattle
10. Box 1 gives results of a cross between varieties of radish
Box 1
Two varieties of radish plants, one with long roots and one with round roots had
been grown in school garden for several years. They were, as is usual harvested
before flowering. It was decided to investigate the effect of crossing the two
varieties and the offspring of the cross were found to be always oval shaped roots.

If the gene of the round roots is represented by R and for long root r
a. Write the genotypes of the parents and the offspring. 3 marks
 The genotype of the round root variety is RR
 The genotype of the long root variety is rr
 The offspring after crossing will have Rr which is a heterozygous,
oval roots 3
 b. What would happen if the oval root variety was crossed with the long root
variety; show both genotype and phenotype 5 marks
 The genotype of the long root will be rr
 Offspring after the crossing will be Rr, a heterozygous oval shape
 The phenotype will be oval shape for all the offspring 0
c. What would happen if the oval root variety was self-pollinated? 5marks

PARENTS Rr
Rr R r
R RR Rr
R Rr rr

 The genotype of the offspring will be RR (a round shape), Rr (an

oval shape) and rr (a long shape). 4

11. The diagram below is a pyramid of numbers on 0.1 hectare of land in Zomba area

Consumer
3
Consumer 2

Consumer 1

Producer

i. What type of vegetation is likely to be? Give reason for your answer 2 marks
 The vegetation likely to be found in this garden is bean plants it is because
these plants are able to make their own food through photosynthesis that would
be used by consumers in the higher trophic levels 0
ii. Name one example in each case of an organism which may be found in the following
levels:
Consumer 1:
 An example on consumer one would be any herbivore that feeds on bean
leaves like beetles
 Consumer 2:
 An example is a chicken that can feed of beetles
Consumer 3:
 An example of consumer 3 would be any organism that is a carnivore or
omnivore such as a person or an eagle that feed on chickens 3
marks 0
iii. Why is the pyramid of numbers not the best way of showing the energy flow in a
system? 3 marks
 Because there is no accurate representation of the flow of the energy in the
way that larger organisms can have high level of energy regardless of their small
in numbers.
 The pyramid of numbers also does not consider the biomass of organisms
at each trophic level. The biomass is the total mass of all organisms found in an
area and pyramid of number only considers the number of organism at each
trophic level not the mass of the organisms.
3
12. Box 4 is a menu in a certain school
Box 4: A school menu
Meal Food Frequency per week
Breakfast Mgaiwa porridge and sugar 7 (everyday)
Morning tea Black tea with sugar 7 (every day)
Lunch and supper Nsima 12
Rice 2
Fish 1
Meat 1
Eggs 1
Beans 5
Vegetables 6

a. What is a balanced diet?

  Balanced diet is a diet that allows our bodies to access all the required nutrients
per day without exceeding the amount of calories required per day. The
balanced diet includes all 5 main food groups such as fats and oils,
carbohydrates, proteins, vegetables, fruits in diet 2 marks
2
b. Is the school offering a balance diet? Give reasons for your answer 10
marks
 The school is not offering the balanced diet because of the following reasons
1
 Based on the menu, there is very little food variety because the menu
lacks different food options. The menu should have included various
food groups to ensure that there is a various nutrients. The mainly
consists of Mgaiwa porridge, Nsima, and beans, which may not provide
an adequate variety of essential nutrients.
 There are also insufficient sources of proteins. Despite the fact that the
school is offering fish, eggs, meat and beans the frequency of eating
them is very low which may result into lower protein intake..
 In addition there is limited fruit and vegetable Intake: Although the
menu includes vegetables, the frequency of consuming vegetables is
not specified for specific meals. Additionally, there is no mention of
fruits in the menu. A balanced diet should include an adequate amount
of fruits and vegetables to provide essential vitamins, minerals, and
dietary fiber
c. Suggest ways in which the diet could be improved nutritionally with modest increase
in cost. 4 marks
 The menu should increase the sources of proteins. Food that is rich in proteins
such as fish, meat, eggs and beans should be highly incorporated in the menu
throughout the week. But with the rise in cost of various items, the school
cannot afford to provide eggs and meet frequently thus why they mostly
provide beans which have very low nutrition value. Beans can be nutritionally
improved by adding Nsinjiro to increase protein content.
  The Menu does not include fruits whish are sources of essential vitamins.
Fruits can be introduced in the menu and sometimes these fruits are season
and when in season at least they have lower prices for example Mango is a
fruit that most schools do not provide even in their season. 1
d. What would you recommend to pupils to buy with their pocket money to supplement
the diet? Give reasons for your answer 4 marks
 I would recommend them to buy eggs, meat and fish if there are some people
who sell already prepared relish at the campus. The reason behind this is that
the menu does not frequently provide these three sources of protein-rich food.
If they buy with their money they are able to increase dietary intake of
proteins by increasing the frequency of consuming them per week.

12. Plan an investigation to test effect of any one given factor in leaves on the time it
takes to remove chlorophyll from it.
Your plan should include the following:
The aim of the investigation
Prediction with reasons of the outcomes (hypothesis)
Procedure of the investigation (including independent, dependent, control variables,
materials and process)
Table of results
Note possible factors to use : age, thickness, type of surface area, size 22 marks

Aim: To Investigate the effect of the age of the leaf on time taken to remove chlorophyll
3
Prediction: The time required to remove the chlorophyll will be less because there is less
chlorophyll in old leaves (most of the chlorophyll has been used up) 1
Materials and Chemicals required
 Leaves
 Ethanol beakers
 Spectrophotometer
Procedures
 1. Get leaves from the same plant with the same size and shape
2. Group the leaves into 2 groups, one with old leaves and the other with
young levees
3. Prepare 5 beakers of ethanol into 5 beakers with the volume of 50ml
each
4. Label the beakers with time interval of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 minutes
5. Take one leaf form old leaves and young leaves and put them in ethanol
in a beaker labeled 5 minutes and leave it for 5min.
6. Measure the amount of the chlorophyll removed using
spectrophotometer
7. Record results in the table and repeat the steps 5 to 7 for each time
interval and for each leaf groups.
8. Find the average amount of chlorophyll removed at a certain time
interval for a given leaf group
9. Conclusion will be based on the result to compare the age of the leaf
with the time it took to extract the chlorophyll 0
 Independent variable: Age of the leaf
 Dependent Variable: Time taken to remove the chlorophyll
 Control Variable: Leaf shape and size, amount of ethanol used, Time Interval
Time (minutes) Young leaves Old leaves
5
10
15
20
25
0
Sections B: Aims of science education and setting assessment questions (35 marks)
14. Data sheet 1 gives the results of an experiment done to compare the numbers of
earthworms in different maize gardens. Use it to answer questions that follow.
Data sheet1: Earthworms in Maize Garden

Habitat pH Average number of

 earthworms /square metre

Maize garden with stalks buried 6.0 350

Maize garden with stalks burned 4.0 100

Maize garden with stalks burned 3.0 50

and then buried

Maize garden with stalks burned 6.5 600

and farmyard manure added

a. Set assessment questions at different cognitive levels, particularly including some higher
order questions (application and above in Bloom’s Taxonomy). Your questions should
carry a total of 10 -12 marks altogether. 10 marks
Knowledge Level (2 marks)
1. a. What is the pH of the maize garden with stalks buried? (1 mark)
b. What is the average number of earthworms in Maize garden with stalks burned
and then buried? (1 mark)
Comprehension Level (4 marks)
2. (a). Explain the relationship between pH and the number of earthworms in the
maize gardens. (2 marks)
(b). Why do you think the average number of earthworms is higher in the maize
garden with stalks buried compared to the one with stalks burned and then buried?
(2 marks)
Application Level (3 marks)
3. (a). From the data, which maize garden should be recommended to a farmer who
wants to increase the number of earthworms in their field? Give a reason. (2
marks)
(b).Suppose a new maize garden with a pH of 5.5 is created by burning the stalks
and then burying them. Estimate the average number of earthworms you would
expect to find per square meter based on the data. (1 mark)
Analysis Level (2 marks)
 4. Differentiate the average number of earthworms per square meter in the Maize
garden with stalks burned and farmyard manure added with the maize garden
where the stalks barned and then berried (2 marks) 6
b. Provide a marking scheme, showing clearly all possible correct responses and how the
marks are allocated. 10 marks
c. Indicate the cognitive level of your questions 5 marks
 Knowledge Level - question number 1. (2 marks)
 Comprehension Level - question number 2. (4 marks)
 Application Level - question number 3. (3 marks)
 Analysis Level - question number 4 (2 marks)
MARKING KEY ( 10 marks)
1. Knowledge level
a. The pH of the maize with stalk buried if 6.0 (1 mark)
b. The average number of earthworms in the maize garden where maze stalk burned
and then buried is 50 (1 mark)
2. Comprehension Level
a. The overall average number of earthworms in all the gardens with different soil
pH increase as the soil pH also increases (2 marks)
b. The average number of earthworms in the maize garden with the maize stalks
buried is higher than where the stalks burned and then buried because earthworms
favour the soil that has a lot of humus and more humus will be found where the
stalks are buried not where they are burned and them buried (2 marks)
3. Application Level
a. If a farmer wants to increase the number of earthworms in the farm, the farmer
should be encouraged to burn the maize stalk and then to add the farmyard
manure just because more earthworms would require the soil which has a lot of
humus and adding manure to the soil will increase the amount of humus and
eventually increase the number of earthworms. (2 marks)
b. The estimation of earthworms in a farm with 5.5pH would range from 230, 240
and 250 (2 marks)
4. Analysis Level
 a. There is a big difference in number of earthworms. In the farm where the stalks
were burned and then buried is 50 while where the stalks were burned and then
farmyard manure added is 600. The difference is 550. (2 marks) 6+1
15. Most science education curriculum have aims that focus on the following:

A. Scientific knowledge
Students are able to familiarize themselves with basic knowledge of the blood
circulatory system and are able to apply scientific knowledge on what happens
breathing rate with exercises 0
B. Scientific methods
Carrying out investigations require scientific methods which follows a process which
one of the objectives in the scientific methods of investigations 2
C. Societal issues
Discuss the role of Malawi Blood Transfusion Service. The success criteria is related
to societal issues where students will be able to understand the importance of blood
transfusion which has an impact to the society when it comes to health issues 2
D. Personal needs
Record measurements accurately. This success criterion focusses on the skills that a
person need when handling data or measurements to reduce errors which are a
personal need. These skills are included in science education to train students to use
these skills on their day to day activity.0
E. Career awareness
Describe the process of blood donation. This success criterion is related to career
awareness as it requires students to know the process of the blood donation which
gives them the required skills on that career. 0
Classify the success criteria below using the focus of aims above and explain your
answer. (10 marks)

a. Carry out investigations

b. Explain why breathing rate increases with exercise
c. Describe the process of blood donation
d. Discuss the role of Malawi Blood Transfusion Service
e. Record measurements accurately

Date due 1 July 2023