BBIO202 - IfE

BBIO202
Non-Animal Diversity

ECTS Value: 5 ECTS

Contact Hours: 25

Self Study Hours: 40

Assessment Hours: 60

Overall Objectives and Outcomes

This module, together with the other Biology content modules will provide future biology teachers with the knowledge required to teach the topics covered from SEC up to Advanced Level. The aim of this module is to convey a sound understanding of factors which give rise to biological diversity. Evolutionary relationships among organisms, species, higher taxa, or other biological entities will be discussed.

The module also aims to give students an overview of the diversity of non-animal biota where the criteria used for determining taxonomic groupings will be highlighted. It will cover systematics in relation to non-animal organisms and current nomenclature. Examples of local species will also be provided whenever possible when discussing the various groups.

The module unit content will include the following topics:

Introduction to Classification

Structural and functional organisation of kingdoms
Evolutionary relationships among groups,
Applied: Predicting the life-style of newly-encountered living things

The three domain system

Archaea (archaebacteria)
Bacteria
1. Mycoplasmas, cyanobacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, and Gram-negative bacteria.
Eukarya
- Protoctista
- Fungi
- Plantae

Bryophyta: adaptations to life on land

Tracheophyta including the Polypodiophyta, Pinophyta and Magnoliophyta

By the end of this module, the learner will be able to:

Competences

a)Assess the contribution of non-animal organisms to ecosystem services and human wellbeing;
b)Classify non-animal organisms using taxonomic and evolutionary principles, applying this knowledge in field and laboratory settings;
c)Predict the ecological roles and lifestyles of unfamiliar organisms based on their structural and taxonomic characteristics;
d)Examine the mode of life of representative organisms within each major group by integrating taxonomic and ecological knowledge;
e)Synthesise ecological, and evolutionary perspectives to understand the roles of non-animal organisms in ecosystems;
f)Produce engaging teaching resources and varied assessments to support student understanding of protists, fungi, and plant diversity.

Knowledge

a)Identify the major groups of non-animal organisms (e.g., plants, fungi, protists) using scientific terminology in relations to their ecological roles in ecosystems;
b)Recognise how evolutionary processes give rise to the diversity of living organisms;
c)Explain the evolutionary relationships between major non-animal groups, including their structural and functional characteristics;
d)Examine the structure and purpose of hierarchical classification systems, including their defining features and limitations;
e)Compare the structural and functional characteristics of major taxa using appropriate biological terminology;
f)Evaluate the ecological significance of non-animal diversity in global and local contexts, using examples of locally occurring species;
g)Differentiate assessments types that measure comprehension of non-animal taxonomy, reproduction, and ecological roles.

Skills

a)Use field and laboratory methods to classify non-animal organisms (e.g., fungi, plants) using taxonomic tools and techniques;
b)Analyse data on plant and fungal populations using appropriate ecological techniques;
c)Apply ecological theories to explain the role of non-animal organisms in ecosystems, using scientific reasoning and data interpretation;
d)Classify unicellular eukaryotic groups by tracing the evolutionary transition from prokaryotes to eukaryotes;
e)Use scientific terminology and classification criteria to identify the structural features of protoctists, fungi, and higher plants;
f)Design resources and assessments to support student learning of morphological and ecological characteristics of non-animal groups.