NCEA Level 3 Biology case studies
NCEA Level 3 Biology · Put your knowledge to work in context.
NCEA Level 3 Biology is the final year of the Biology subject pathway in New Zealand's National Certificate of Educational Achievement, described by NZQA as "the scientific study of living things, and the interconnectedness of life forms and the environment." It is designed for Year 13 learners who want a deeper, more analytical treatment of biology and a foundation for tertiary study in the biological and health sciences. Level 3 Biology is assessed through a mix of internal and external assessment. The NCEA Level 3 Biology case studies are 5 cases and about 4,283 words.
1Catalase Kinetics Under Time and Volume Constraints
A Year 13 student has 25 minutes of laboratory time to investigate how hydrogen peroxide concentration affects catalase activity in potato tissue. Her equipment is 30 mL of 3% hydrogen peroxide, one potato, a cork borer, a 10 mL measuring cylinder, a stopwatch and a water bath set at 25 °C.
906 words, about 5 min2Setting a Minimum Flow on a Kōkopu River
A regional council is reviewing the minimum flow for a lowland river that supports giant kōkopu (Galaxias argenteus) and supplies irrigation to 34 dairy farms. The current consented minimum is 250 L/s; at that flow, summer water temperature reaches 24 °C and dissolved oxygen falls to 5.1 mg/L in pools.
698 words, about 3 min3The Huntaway That Stopped Panting
A four-year-old huntaway bitch works a 900 m hill block on a February afternoon. Air temperature is 28 °C, relative humidity is 65%, and there is little wind.
886 words, about 4 min4Two Galaxiid Populations Above and Below a Waterfall
Two populations of a non-migratory galaxiid fish live in neighbouring tributaries of a South Island river, separated by a 12 m waterfall that has been impassable for at least 6000 years. The lower tributary is warm (summer 16 °C, winter 7 °C) and silty; the upper tributary is spring-fed and stays between 8 and 10 °C year-round with stable cobble substrate.
901 words, about 5 min5Field Trial of a Low-Lignin, High-Lipid Ryegrass
A Crown research institute applies to field-test a gene-edited perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) on 2 ha in Canterbury. The edit reduces caffeoyl CoA O-methyltransferase activity, lowering lignin content and raising leaf lipid content; glasshouse trials suggest sheep grazing the grass produce 12% less methane per kilogram of dry matter.
892 words, about 4 min