Education and Leadership › Women’s Academy › School to University Pathway › Biology – Level 1 › Course Materials
This course is part of the Women’s Academy “School to University Pathway” programme and is equivalent to Grades 7 and 8 (lower secondary). Its main topics are living things, the cell, plants, the human body and the environment. The content is built around topics covered in international curricula (such as Cambridge Lower Secondary and IGCSE) and global assessment frameworks such as PISA, with everyday examples and step-by-step practice.
Course page in the learning system
Course details
| Level | Level 1 of 4, equivalent to Grades 7 and 8 (lower secondary) |
| Estimated duration | 40 hours of study and practice |
| Prerequisite | Fluent reading and writing; basic primary arithmetic (Grade 6) |
| Language of instruction | Farsi-e-Dari (with key terms in English) |
| Fee | Free |
| Assessment | A test after each section and a final exam; pass mark 70%; certificate after Academy approval |
After this course you will be able to
- In “Living Things”: understand the characteristics of life, classification and the microscope, and apply them to problem solving
- In “The Cell”: understand plant and animal cells, organelles, and how cells build up into organs, and apply them to problem solving
- In “Plants”: understand photosynthesis, roots, stems and leaves, and plant reproduction, and apply them to problem solving
- In “The Human Body”: understand digestion, respiration and blood circulation (introductory), and apply them to problem solving
- In “The Environment”: understand food chains, habitats and nature conservation, and apply them to problem solving
Course outline
- Characteristics of life
- Classification
- The microscope
- Plant and animal cells
- Organelles
- From cells to organs
- Photosynthesis
- Roots, stems and leaves
- Plant reproduction
- Digestion
- Respiration
- Blood circulation (introductory)
- Food chains
- Habitats
- Nature conservation
Week-by-week learning path
With about 30 to 45 minutes of study and practice a day, you will complete this course in 6 weeks:
| Week | Topic | Weekly outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Living Things | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 2 | The Cell | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 3 | Plants | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 4 | The Human Body | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 5 | The Environment | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 6 | Final project and final exam | Completed project and a score of 70% or higher |
Final project
A safe home experiment or a virtual experiment using a PhET simulation on one of the topics at this level: question, hypothesis, method, data table, graph, conclusion and a two-page report.
Project assessment criteria:
- A clear question and hypothesis
- Accurate data and graphs
- Conclusions based on evidence
- Safety and scientific integrity
Key course terms
Cell
Gene
Photosynthesis
Ecosystem
Enzyme
Evolution
Immunity
Hormone
Assessment and certificate
- After each section: a short quiz (70% is recommended before moving on)
- Practical exercises in each lesson: for learning; use Questions to send your questions
- End of course: final exam (pass mark 70%) and submission of the final project
- Digital certificate after review and approval by the Academy: Request a certificate
Teaching method
Each lesson includes learning objectives, explanations with real examples and images, key terms in Dari and English, common mistakes, practical exercises, a self-test and a summary. In every lesson you can use the Questions button to ask the teacher your questions. The courses are impartial, free and open to all young people.
Get ready now
- Take the programme’s short placement test (coming soon)
- Set aside a dedicated notebook for this subject
- Set aside 45 minutes a day for study and practice
Free, reliable resources
These resources have been selected by the Academy team. Most of them are in English; you can use the Translate option in the Chrome browser. Large files (books, exercise files, videos) will be placed in the Academy’s official Google Drive folder when the course opens and linked from this page.
- Khan Academy, free lessons in mathematics, science and economics
- CK-12 Foundation, free mathematics and science textbooks and exercises
- PhET – University of Colorado, free interactive simulations for physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics (in several languages, including Persian)
- OpenLearn – The Open University, hundreds of free short courses with a certificate of participation
Note: This is an educational and preparatory programme and does not count as an official school qualification or formal equivalence; its aim is to prepare young people for exams, scholarships and university study.
Help and questions
Questions about this course: [email protected] · All courses: Online Learning Centre · Active course: Computer and Internet Basics
Women’s Academy, Afghanistan Youth Parliament · Free and open to all young people