Scheme of Work for Option E

Cambridge Biology for the IB Diploma

Scheme of work for Option E, Neurobiology and behaviour

Syllabus section / Content / Time required / Outline of lessons / Coursebook resources / Worksheets / Teacher’s resources / Teaching ideas
E1 / Stimulus and response / 2–3 lessons / Explain the role of receptors, sensory, relay and motor neurons, synapses and effectors
Define ‘stimulus’, ‘response’ and ‘reflex’ and outline the reflex arc for a pain-withdrawal reflex
Explain how animal responses can be affected by natural selection (for example, European blackcaps) / p402–405
Short answer Qs p405
End-of-chapter Qs p432–436:
Q1 / Practical activity: investigation of speed of neural transmission
E2 / Perception of stimuli / 3 lessons / Outline the diversity of human sensory receptors; outline the structure of the human eye and retina to indicate cell types and direction of light; compare rods and cones
Explain the processing of visual stimuli, including contralateral processing and edge enhancement
Explain how sound is perceived and relate this to the structures in the ear / p405–412
TOK p408
Short answer Qsp412
End-of-chapter Qs p432–436:
Q2, Q3 / Extension: Q1
Support: Q2 / Practical activity: visual processing and optical illusions; hearing ranges using a signal generator
Link to TOK: perception of other organisms
E3 / Innate and learned behaviour / 4 lessons / Design investigations of innate behaviour in invertebrates to include taxis and kinesis
Analyse data in terms of the effect on survival chances and reproduction
Discuss how learned behaviour can improve survival chances
Outline Pavlov’s experiment on conditioning and the role of inheritance and learning in development of birdsong / p412–417
TOK p416
Short answer Qsp414, p417
End-of-chapter Qs p432–436:
Q4, Q5, Q6, Q7, Q15, Q16, Q18 / Extension: Q3
Support: Q1 / Practical activity: opportunity for assessed practical investigating innate behaviour in flour beetles or woodlice
Link to Chapter 1
Link to ICT: data loggers
E4 / Neuro-transmitters and synapses / 4–5 lessons / Explain how decision making in the CNS results from the interaction of excitatory and inhibitory synapses
Explain how psychoactive drugs increase or decrease postsynaptic transmission and affect the brain and personality; give three examples of excitatory and inhibitory drugs
Explain the effects of THC and cocaine at synapses, including the effects on mood and behaviour
Discuss the causes of addiction including genetic and social factors, and dopamine secretion / p418–422
Short answer Qsp422
End-of-chapter Qs p432–436:
Q8, Q9, Q10 / Support: Q3 / Practical activity: personal research project on the mode of action of psychoactive substances
Link to Aspects of internationalism: drug use and misuse
E5 (HL) / The human brain / 4 lessons / Identify the parts of the brain and their functions; explain how experiments, lesions and FMRI have been used in identifying functions of specific parts of the brain
Explain sympathetic and parasympathetic control of the heart, the iris and blood flow to the gut
Explain the pupil reflex and how it is used in determining ‘brain death’
Outline how pain is perceived and how endorphins act as painkillers / p422–427
Short answer Qsp427
End-of-chapter Qs p432–436:
Q11, Q12, Q13 / Extension: Q2 / Link to TOK: brain death and its definition
E6 (HL) / Further studies of behaviour / 3 lessons / Describe the organisation of the honey bee colony and that of one other social animal; outline how natural selection may act in social organisms
Discuss the evolution of altruistic behaviour
Outline the foraging behaviour of the bluegill fish and one other example of optimization of food intake
Explain how mate selection can lead to exaggerated traits; outline two examples of the value of rhythmic behaviour patterns / p428–432
Short answer Qsp432
End-of-chapter Qs p432–436:
Q14, Q17 / Practical activity: video footage of altruism in animals
Link to ICT: social lives of bees

Note: 1 lesson = approximately 40 minutes