Basic concepts of the natural sciences in the Bavarian curriculum
When designing the new biology - and chemical - curricula for nine-year high school in Bavaria , the authors oriented towards so-called " basic concepts " of the relevant science .
Basic concepts of biology
The knowledge of the theory of evolution runs through all grades and ultimately connects all contents with one another. The pupil recognizes the connectedness of all living beings on the basis of common biological basic concepts that play a central role in all life processes. This creates structured knowledge instead of disjointed factual knowledge.
The basic concepts of this new perspective on biological issues are:
- Life phenomena can be explained on different organizational levels.
- Living beings have a material basis , they are made of substances.
- Structure and function are related.
- Energy is involved in all life processes.
- Living beings take in information , process it and pass it on.
- Living beings show variability and adaptation to their environment .
- Living beings maintain certain states through regulation .
- Living beings are in constant interaction with their environment .
Basic concepts of chemistry
The basic concepts of this new view of chemical issues are:
- Material-particle concept: The phenomena that can be experienced in the material world and their interpretation on the particle level are consistently distinguished.
- Structure-property concept: the type, arrangement and interaction of the particles determine the properties of a substance.
- Donor-acceptor concept: acid-base and redox reactions can be described as proton or electron transitions.
- Energy concept: All chemical reactions are associated with an energy turnover.
- Equilibrium concept: Reversible chemical reactions can lead to a state of equilibrium.
(from: curriculum for the grammar school in Bavaria, July 2003)