AICE The Test

Chapter 6 Physiology of marine organisms

Teaching physiology in the marine context can feel overwhelming for students—gas exchange, osmoregulation, buoyancy, and water potential are heavy topics that require careful explanation. In this chapter, we’ll explore strategies to make these complex processes more approachable through visual aids, guided practice, and AICE-style exam questions. With the right tools, you can help students connect abstract physiological mechanisms to real marine organisms, building both understanding and exam confidence.

This blog post aims to provide insights and strategies for teachers to effectively teach these concepts, ultimately improving student outcomes and their preparedness for AICE/Cambridge Exams

Topics

  • 6.1 General cell structure
  • 6.2 Movement of substances
  • 6.3 Gas exchange
  • 6.4 Osmoregulation

Resources

(click on the links below)

Time frame

  • Timeframe for block schedule [90 min class period] – 5 weeks/ 13 class periods
  • Timeframe for regular schedule [45-50 min class period] – 5 weeks/ 25-26 class periods

Curriculum Pacing Guide and Resources

The agenda provided is structured for block schedules with 90-minute classes. For teachers working with 40–45-minute periods, I recommend dividing each lesson into two parts:

  • Day 1: Deliver the lecture content.
  • Day 2: Use the bell ringer and complete the activities.

This approach ensures full coverage of the material while maintaining the intended balance between direct instruction and active learning.

Note: All pacing suggestions are estimates. Adjust the time to accommodate for specific student needs and interests.

1 Day = 90 minutes class. Click on Day # Lesson below for daily lesson plans.

Day 0

Objectives

  • Intro to AICE Marine Science A level
  • Syllabus/ Class expectations

Instructional Materials

Day 1

  • 6.1 General cell structure  

Objectives

  • 6.1.1 recognize the organelles and other cell structures and outline their functions

Instructional Materials

Day 2

  • 6.1 General cell structure

Objectives

  • 6.1.2 describe the fluid mosaic model of membrane structure, including an outline of the structure and functions of phospholipids and proteins, limited to carrier and channel proteins
  • 6.1.3 understand the selectively permeable nature of membranes and relate this to the transport (active and passive) of substances across a membrane  

Instructional Materials

Day 3

  • 6.1 General cell structure

Objectives

  • 6.1.4 describe and interpret photomicrographs, electron micrographs and drawings of typical animal and plant cells
  • 6.1.5 recall and apply the formula: magnification = image size ÷ actual size  

Instructional Materials

Day 4

  • 6.1 General cell structure

Objectives

  • 6.1.6 (PA) make observations, drawings and magnification calculations from unfamiliar structures or specimens (taken from any of the key groups in topic 4.2, topic 5.2 or the cell structures in Learning outcome 6.1.1) 

Instructional Materials

Day 5

  • 6.2 Movement of substances  

Objectives

  • 6.2.1 describe and explain the processes of diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis and active transport
  • 6.2.2 understand the concept of water potential and explain how dissolved solutes affect the water potential of a solution or cell  
  • 6.2.7 explain the movement of water between cells and solutions with different water potentials and explain the different effects on plant and animal cells

Instructional Materials

Day 6

  • 6.2 Movement of substances  

Objectives

  • 6.2.6 (PA) investigate the effects of immersing plant tissues in solutions of different water potentials, using the results to estimate the water potential of the tissues.

Instructional Materials

Day 7

  • 6.3 Gas exchange

Objectives

  • 6.3.1 understand that the raw materials and waste products of respiration must be moved to and from the surface of organisms
  • 6.3.2 discuss how surface area to volume ratio is dependent on the size and shape of an organism, and relate this to the need for specialized gaseous exchange surfaces and transport systems in larger animals  

Instructional Materials

Day 8

  • 6.3 Gas exchange

Objectives

  • 6.2.4 calculate surface areas and volumes of simple shapes (all formulae and relevant symbols will be provided) to illustrate the principle that surface area to volume ratio decreases with increasing size
  • 6.2.5 (PA) investigate the effect of changing surface area to volume ratio on diffusion using agar blocks of different sizes

Instructional Materials

  • Bellwork #7
  • Core practical activity 6.5 – page 243
  • Math skills 6.2 – page 244

Day 9

  • 6.3 Gas exchange

Objectives

  • 6.3.3 describe gaseous exchange by simple diffusion, pumped ventilation and ram ventilation, in examples including coral polyps, grouper and tuna
  • 6.3.4 relate an organism’s method of gas exchange to its habitat and motility 

Instructional Materials

Day 10

  • 6.4 Osmoregulation

Objectives

  • 6.4.1 explain why marine organisms may need to regulate their water content and ion content, with reference to the composition of sea water and of body fluids
  • 6.4.2 explain the terms osmoconformer and osmoregulator with reference to marine mussels and tuna

Instructional Materials

Day 11

  • 6.4 Osmoregulation

Objectives

  • 6.4.3 explain the terms euryhaline and stenohaline with reference to salmon, marine mussels and tuna
  • 6.4.4 outline the processes of osmoregulation in e.g., salmon  

Instructional Materials

Day 12

  • Review

Objectives

  • Review

Instructional Materials

Day 13

  • Chapter#6 TEST

Objectives

  • Introduction to Chapter 7 – students copy vocabulary words from Ch7.

Instructional Materials