Education and Leadership › Women’s Academy › School to University Pathway › Biology – Level 4 › Course Materials
This course is part of the Women’s Academy’s “School to University” programme and is equivalent to grade 12 and pre-university preparation. Its main topics are molecular biology, advanced genetics, human physiology, ecology and climate, and biological research methods. The content is based on 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 4 of 4, equivalent to grade 12 and pre-university preparation |
| Estimated duration | 55 hours of study and practice |
| Prerequisite | Biology – Level 3 or a pass in the placement test |
| Language of instruction | Farsi-e-Dari (with key terms in English) |
| Cost | Free |
| Assessment | A test after each section and a final exam; pass mark 70%; certificate after approval by the Academy |
After this course you will be able to
- Molecular biology: understand DNA replication, protein synthesis and enzymes, and use them to solve problems
- Advanced genetics: understand complex inheritance, population genetics and the human genome, and use them to solve problems
- Human physiology: understand the heart and kidneys, cellular respiration and the nervous system, and use them to solve problems
- Ecology and climate: understand ecosystems, climate change and sustainability, and use them to solve problems
- Biological research methods: understand hypothesis and experiment, simple statistics and scientific reports, and use them to solve problems
Course outline
- DNA replication
- Protein synthesis
- Enzymes
- Complex inheritance
- Population genetics
- The human genome
- The heart and kidneys
- Cellular respiration
- The nervous system
- Ecosystems
- Climate change
- Sustainability
- Hypothesis and experiment
- Simple statistics
- Scientific reports
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 | Molecular biology | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 2 | Advanced genetics | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 3 | Human physiology | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 4 | Ecology and climate | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 5 | Biological research methods | 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 of this level: question, hypothesis, method, data table, graph, conclusion and a two-page report.
Project assessment criteria:
- Clear question and hypothesis
- Accurate data and graph
- Evidence-based conclusion
- Safety and scientific honesty
Key course terms
Cell
Gene
Photosynthesis
Ecosystem
Enzyme
Evolution
Immunity
Hormone
Assessment and certificate
- After each section: a short quiz (70% recommended before moving on)
- Practical exercises in each lesson are for learning; send your questions via the 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 ask the teacher questions using the Questions button. Courses are impartial, free and open to all young people.
Get ready now
- Review the summaries and quizzes from “Biology – Level 3”
- Set aside a notebook just for this course
- Set aside 45 to 60 minutes a day for study and practice
Free and reliable resources
These resources were selected by the Academy team. Most are in English; Chrome’s Translate feature can help if needed. 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 books and exercises
- PhET – University of Colorado, free interactive simulations for physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics (in several languages, including Farsi)
- 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 certificate or official 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