SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
THE NEW LOWER SECONDARY CURRICULUM
BIOLOGY PRACTICAL
PAPER TWO
DURATION 2 HRS 30 MINUTES
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
➢ This paper contains two compulsory items, 1 and 2. Answer all the two items.
➢ ‘Write your answers in the spaces provided only’
➢ You are not allowed to touch or start working with the apparatus for the first 15 minutes. Use this
time to check the authenticity of the specimens and apparatus provided to you, plan appropriately
and organize your work stations.
➢ Any answers written in spaces beyond what has been provided represents disorganization and may
lead to loss of marks and cancellation of results...
➢ You may use only silent non-programmable calculators.
ITEM 1.
Peter is a farmer in Kamuli who owns a farm in a semi-arid region onto which he has been cultivating different
varieties of crops and over a given time spell, Peter has come to notice that certain parts of his farm land give
him different crop yields and he seems puzzled since is the same land giving him different yields. His farm land
has two parts; the upper parts and the lower parts. In an attempt to determine what is the cause of the
difference in the yields, Peter has approached you with two soil samples X and Y obtained from his farm land.
He is asking for help from you to help him know which parts of the field the two soil samples were picked and
why they give different crop yields.
a) Design an experiment that you will use to explain to Peter the cause of crop yield differences. Your
experiment should include an Aim, hypothesis, variables, and include a minimum of two readings.
(17 marks)
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b) Procedures (06 marks)
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c) Record your results. (04 marks)
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d) From which parts of the field were the following soil samples picked. (02 marks)
i. Soil sample X ………………………………………………………….
ii. Soil sample Y ………………………………………………………….
e) Explain to peter why the two soil samples gave different crop yields yet they were in the same field as
he thinks they should give the same yields (06 marks)
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ITEM 2.
Ssuuna Henry is a farmer’s son in Lusaka. His father has been growing maize for the last three years and in the
first season of this year, his father planted maize and while the seedlings were still at an early age, a dry spell
hit the area and harsh conditions prevailed over the region for quite a long period, the maize plants dried up
and their growth patterns got distorted. After a given period of time, the region received a considerable
amount of rain but the maize plants still had stunted growth patterns and the yields were low. However,
Ssuuna Henry observed a certain plant Z which had dried rekindling their growth patterns when the rains
came, the plant thrived with green broad leaves, fleshy stems and purple flowers. He has come to you
wondering why his father’s maize plants were not able to thrive as plant Z yet they are all in the same garden
and had all dried in the first place.
As a biology student;
a) Identify the phylum of the specimen Z (02 marks)
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b) Give reasons for your answer. (02 marks)
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c) What are the adaptations of specimen Z that enabled it to thrive through the harsh conditions during
the dry spell. (05 marks)
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d) Draw and label two internodes of specimen Z (06 marks)
END
