Purpose
Achievement Criteria
Explanatory Note 1
Demonstrate understanding of the relationship between a microorganism and the environment involves:
- describing a life process of a microorganism
- describing an abiotic or biotic factor within an interconnected environment, that affects the life process of the microorganism, using observations.
Explain the relationship between a microorganism and the environment involves:
- linking a change to an abiotic or biotic factor of the interconnected environment to the effect on the life process of the microorganism, using observations.
Analyse the relationship between a microorganism and the environment involves:
- examining how the life process of the microorganism affects an abiotic or biotic factor of the interconnected environment, using observations.
Explanatory Note 2
For the purposes of this standard, a life process refers to any of the basic physiological functions of a microorganism. The microorganism does not need to meet the full definition of 'living', but must undertake some of the processes which are characteristic of living organisms.
Examples of a life process include:
- gaining nutrients through hyphae in fungi
- excretion of waste in bacteria
- replication of a virus.
Explanatory Note 3
For the purposes of this standard, an interconnected environment supports a community where the microorganism interacts as part of a system.
Examples of an interconnected environment include:
- the human body
- a food production process
- an ecosystem.
Explanatory Note 4
For the purposes of this standard, observations can be primary or secondary data.
Shared Explanatory Note
Refer to the NCEA glossary for Māori, Pacific, and further subject-specific terms and concepts.
This achievement standard is derived from the Science Learning Area at Level 6 of The New Zealand Curriculum: Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 2007.
Conditions of Assessment
Assessor involvement during the assessment event is limited to:
- providing general feedback. They can suggest sections of student work that would benefit from further development, or skills a student may need to revisit across the work. Student work that has received sustained or detailed feedback is not suitable for submission towards this Achievement Standard.
- providing advice when students select observations, or providing students with comparative data
- helping students develop good practice that is not a requirement of the assessment such as referencing and attributing third-party content, and presentation of work. Students should not be limited to a method or decision about presentation – this decision can be made in consultation with the assessor.
At the start of the assessment event, assessors need to provide students with commonly used resources, tools, or equipment to support development of student assessment.
Students may not:
- collaborate on their use of observations in the Assessment Activity with others, even though the collection of the observations may be carried out or collected as a group
- practise the exact task prior to the assessment activity
- receive feedback or feedforward on the exact task prior to the assessment.
Evidence for all parts of this assessment can be in te reo Māori, English, or New Zealand Sign Language.
Unpacking the Standard
Examples of expected student responses for this Achievement Standard can be found at the bottom of the page.
Examples of expected student responses for this Achievement Standard can be found at the bottom of the page.
Mātauranga Māori constitutes concepts and principles that are richly detailed, complex, and fundamental to Māoridom. It is important to remember that the practice of these are wider and more varied than their use within the proposed NCEA Achievement Standards and supporting documentation.
We also recognise that the cultures, languages, and identities of the Pacific Islands are diverse, varied, and unique. Therefore the Pacific concepts, contexts, and principles that have been incorporated within NCEA Achievement Standards may have wide-ranging understandings and applications across and within the diversity of Pacific communities. It is not our intention to define what these concepts mean but rather offer some ways that they could be understood and applied within different subjects that kaiako and students alike can explore.
Mātauranga Māori constitutes concepts and principles that are richly detailed, complex, and fundamental to Māoridom. It is important to remember that the practice of these are wider and more varied than their use within the proposed NCEA Achievement Standards and supporting documentation.
We also recognise that the cultures, languages, and identities of the Pacific Islands are diverse, varied, and unique. Therefore the Pacific concepts, contexts, and principles that have been incorporated within NCEA Achievement Standards may have wide-ranging understandings and applications across and within the diversity of Pacific communities. It is not our intention to define what these concepts mean but rather offer some ways that they could be understood and applied within different subjects that kaiako and students alike can explore.
The intent of the Standard
The purpose of this Achievement Standard is for ākonga to show understanding of the interconnections between the life process of a microorganism and its environment. This allows ākonga to apply their knowledge of life processes when they consider the way that a life process and the environment affect each other.
Microorganisms do not exist in isolation. They affect and are affected by their surroundings. There is a two-way relationship between the life process of the microorganism and the environment within which it is found. Each affect the other in the complex system of the ecosystem.
Some microorganisms have traditionally been thought of as beneficial, such as bacteria used in cheese making. Others have been viewed as negative or pathogenic, such as Phytophthora infecting kauri trees or fungal infections of skin. This Achievement Standard does not assess the concept of roles of organisms. Instead, it focuses on how a life process of a microorganism is affected by its environment, and how the life process of the microorganism can in turn affect the environment.
This Achievement Standard aligns with the following items of Significant Learning:
- explore the interrelations with an ecosystem to understand the dynamic nature of the environment
- recognise that nutrients cycle and energy is transferred through biological systems
- explore characteristics of life in an interconnected system including microscopic and submicroscopic level.
Nutrient cycles and species interactions should form part of the teaching and learning programme. This will allow ākonga to develop a rich understanding of the microorganisms in an environment. This will provide opportunities for ākonga to explore the disruptions to ecosystems and wider effects. Ākonga will make connections between biological and chemical interactions, when nutrients cycle and energy is transferred.
This Achievement Standard will allow ākonga to take observations of the wider world and match them to their understanding of biochemistry and microbiology. However, it does not assess investigation or observation-gathering skills. It assesses the matching of observations to the underlying science of the microorganism involved.
How the life process of a microorganism affects the environment can be seen in different ways depending on context. An objective examination of the effects on the interrelated environment should not include subjective observations. An example of this is the life process of fermentation carried out by bacteria. In cheesemaking, this is considered useful and beneficial, whereas the same microorganism and life process is considered detrimental when it is the cause of milk in the fridge going sour. In both cases, this Achievement Standard aims to assess the analysis of how a change to an abiotic or biotic factor of the environment affects the bacterial life process of fermentation, and the effect of this, rather than to evaluate or make a judgement on the outcome of the effects.
Making reliable judgments
Ākonga should study a wide range of microorganisms in a rich teaching and learning programme. They should be assessed on their knowledge of one example of a microorganism and one life process in an interconnected environment. Ākonga will show their understanding of the relationship between the microorganism and its environment, and how the identified life process is affected by an abiotic or biotic factor of the environment.
The traditional life processes (MRS GREN) are not an exhaustive list of life processes for the purpose of this Achievement Standard. For example, viral mutation or development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria could be considered. The microorganism chosen does not have to carry out all the traditional life processes, or meet the full definition of 'living', but must undertake some of the processes which are characteristic of living organisms. This Achievement Standard intends to leave space for ākonga to show their learning in the context of viral infection.
Evidence used to attain all levels for this Achievement Standard may be drawn from a range of observations used for the Assessment Activity.
At higher levels of achievement, ākonga will consider the interrelationship between the microorganism's life process and its environment. Ākonga will explain how disruptions, or changes, to an abiotic or biotic factor in the environment can affect the life process of the microorganism. Ākonga will analyse the relationship of the microorganism with its environment, how the change in the life process will have an effect on an abiotic or biotic factor of the environment. This may involve discussion of how the change in life process results in an increase or decrease in microorganism population, which in turn affects another abiotic or biotic factor of the interconnected environment. A detailed analysis is likely to use a different biotic or abiotic factor to explore each aspect of the relationship between the microorganism and its environment.
Collecting evidence
Observations used by ākonga for this Achievement Standard may be collected individually, as part of a group, or provided by the teacher. The final assessment using the observations collected will be an individual presentation which could be written, oral, or audiovisual.
Ākonga should have opportunities to make observations in the field, laboratory, workplace, or wider world, rather than solely using existing information in texts or websites. While teacher guided practical work is recommended to situate modelling in the laboratory, and link this to real world contexts, this standard does not assess practical work.
Observations can be any form of primary and secondary data, such as: microbial growth curves, microscope observations, appearance and formation of biofilm, results from laboratory experiments, fermentation data, and reports on species interactions. Examples of observations from a study of a local waterway could include: transect survey, light meter readings, spectrometry of water samples to identify light absorption, measures of biochemical oxygen demand, use of a haemocytometer to quantify algal or bacterial density in a water sample, turbidity measures, cultures made of microorganisms, and collected and collated data in tables or graphs.
Possible contexts
A microorganism in an interconnected environment could include: the bacteria in a compost heap, a protist or virus infecting the human body, algae, fungi and micro-invertebrates in an ecosystem such as a wetland or pond, or a food production process using microorganisms, such as poi, rēwena, yoghurt, or cheese.
Ākonga will describe a life process of the microorganism, and the dynamic effects between this process and the environment of the microorganism.
Ākonga will explore an abiotic or biotic factor of the environment that affects the life process of the microorganism. Examples of a factor could include defences that humans and other organisms have against microorganisms, such as the skin barrier, immune system, vaccinations, antibiotics, disinfectants, and antiseptics. It can also include an abiotic condition in the environment such as temperature, moisture, or pH and salt levels.
The intent of the Standard
The purpose of this Achievement Standard is for ākonga to show understanding of the interconnections between the life process of a microorganism and its environment. This allows ākonga to apply their knowledge of life processes when they consider the way that a life process and the environment affect each other.
Microorganisms do not exist in isolation. They affect and are affected by their surroundings. There is a two-way relationship between the life process of the microorganism and the environment within which it is found. Each affect the other in the complex system of the ecosystem.
Some microorganisms have traditionally been thought of as beneficial, such as bacteria used in cheese making. Others have been viewed as negative or pathogenic, such as Phytophthora infecting kauri trees or fungal infections of skin. This Achievement Standard does not assess the concept of roles of organisms. Instead, it focuses on how a life process of a microorganism is affected by its environment, and how the life process of the microorganism can in turn affect the environment.
This Achievement Standard aligns with the following items of Significant Learning:
- explore the interrelations with an ecosystem to understand the dynamic nature of the environment
- recognise that nutrients cycle and energy is transferred through biological systems
- explore characteristics of life in an interconnected system including microscopic and submicroscopic level.
Nutrient cycles and species interactions should form part of the teaching and learning programme. This will allow ākonga to develop a rich understanding of the microorganisms in an environment. This will provide opportunities for ākonga to explore the disruptions to ecosystems and wider effects. Ākonga will make connections between biological and chemical interactions, when nutrients cycle and energy is transferred.
This Achievement Standard will allow ākonga to take observations of the wider world and match them to their understanding of biochemistry and microbiology. However, it does not assess investigation or observation-gathering skills. It assesses the matching of observations to the underlying science of the microorganism involved.
How the life process of a microorganism affects the environment can be seen in different ways depending on context. An objective examination of the effects on the interrelated environment should not include subjective observations. An example of this is the life process of fermentation carried out by bacteria. In cheesemaking, this is considered useful and beneficial, whereas the same microorganism and life process is considered detrimental when it is the cause of milk in the fridge going sour. In both cases, this Achievement Standard aims to assess the analysis of how a change to an abiotic or biotic factor of the environment affects the bacterial life process of fermentation, and the effect of this, rather than to evaluate or make a judgement on the outcome of the effects.
Making reliable judgments
Ākonga should study a wide range of microorganisms in a rich teaching and learning programme. They should be assessed on their knowledge of one example of a microorganism and one life process in an interconnected environment. Ākonga will show their understanding of the relationship between the microorganism and its environment, and how the identified life process is affected by an abiotic or biotic factor of the environment.
The traditional life processes (MRS GREN) are not an exhaustive list of life processes for the purpose of this Achievement Standard. For example, viral mutation or development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria could be considered. The microorganism chosen does not have to carry out all the traditional life processes, or meet the full definition of 'living', but must undertake some of the processes which are characteristic of living organisms. This Achievement Standard intends to leave space for ākonga to show their learning in the context of viral infection.
Evidence used to attain all levels for this Achievement Standard may be drawn from a range of observations used for the Assessment Activity.
At higher levels of achievement, ākonga will consider the interrelationship between the microorganism's life process and its environment. Ākonga will explain how disruptions, or changes, to an abiotic or biotic factor in the environment can affect the life process of the microorganism. Ākonga will analyse the relationship of the microorganism with its environment, how the change in the life process will have an effect on an abiotic or biotic factor of the environment. This may involve discussion of how the change in life process results in an increase or decrease in microorganism population, which in turn affects another abiotic or biotic factor of the interconnected environment. A detailed analysis is likely to use a different biotic or abiotic factor to explore each aspect of the relationship between the microorganism and its environment.
Collecting evidence
Observations used by ākonga for this Achievement Standard may be collected individually, as part of a group, or provided by the teacher. The final assessment using the observations collected will be an individual presentation which could be written, oral, or audiovisual.
Ākonga should have opportunities to make observations in the field, laboratory, workplace, or wider world, rather than solely using existing information in texts or websites. While teacher guided practical work is recommended to situate modelling in the laboratory, and link this to real world contexts, this standard does not assess practical work.
Observations can be any form of primary and secondary data, such as: microbial growth curves, microscope observations, appearance and formation of biofilm, results from laboratory experiments, fermentation data, and reports on species interactions. Examples of observations from a study of a local waterway could include: transect survey, light meter readings, spectrometry of water samples to identify light absorption, measures of biochemical oxygen demand, use of a haemocytometer to quantify algal or bacterial density in a water sample, turbidity measures, cultures made of microorganisms, and collected and collated data in tables or graphs.
Possible contexts
A microorganism in an interconnected environment could include: the bacteria in a compost heap, a protist or virus infecting the human body, algae, fungi and micro-invertebrates in an ecosystem such as a wetland or pond, or a food production process using microorganisms, such as poi, rēwena, yoghurt, or cheese.
Ākonga will describe a life process of the microorganism, and the dynamic effects between this process and the environment of the microorganism.
Ākonga will explore an abiotic or biotic factor of the environment that affects the life process of the microorganism. Examples of a factor could include defences that humans and other organisms have against microorganisms, such as the skin barrier, immune system, vaccinations, antibiotics, disinfectants, and antiseptics. It can also include an abiotic condition in the environment such as temperature, moisture, or pH and salt levels.
Standard Exclusions
This Standard has exclusion(s). Standards that recognise the same or similar learning outcomes as other Achievement or Unit Standards need to be excluded to prevent 'double dipping'. Where two or more Standards assess the same learning outcome, those Standards are specified in the Exclusions List. You can only use credits gained from one of these Standards towards your NCEA qualification.
Click here for the exclusions list for the new NCEA Level 1 pilot Standards.
Standard Exclusions
This Standard has exclusion(s). Standards that recognise the same or similar learning outcomes as other Achievement or Unit Standards need to be excluded to prevent 'double dipping'. Where two or more Standards assess the same learning outcome, those Standards are specified in the Exclusions List. You can only use credits gained from one of these Standards towards your NCEA qualification.
Click here for the exclusions list for the new NCEA Level 1 pilot Standards.
Examples of Expected Student Responses
Examples of Expected Student Responses
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