1
, TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
1. Introduction 3
2. How to use this Self-study Guide 4
3. Responding to the environment: Humans 5
3.1 Notes/Summaries/Key concepts/ Study and Examination Tips 13
3.2 Questions 28
3.3 Answers 33
4. Responding to the Environment: Plants 40
4.1 Notes/Summaries/Key concepts/ Study and Examination Tips 46
4.2 Questions 62
4.3 Answers 68
5. References 71
6. Acknowledgements 71
2
,1. INTRODUCTION
The declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation led to the
disruption of effective teaching and learning in many schools in South Africa. The majority of learners
in various grades spent less time in class due to the phased-in approach and rotational/alternate
attendance system that was implemented by various provinces. Consequently, most schools were not
able to complete all the relevant content designed for specific grades in accordance with the
Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements in most subjects.
As part of mitigating against the impact of COVID-19 on the current Grade 12, the Department of
Basic Education (DBE) worked in collaboration with subject specialists from various Provincial
Education Departments (PEDs) and developed this Self-Study Guide. The Study Guide covers those
topics, skills and concepts that are located in Grade 12, that are critical to lay the foundation for Grade
12. The main aim is to close the pre-existing content gaps to strengthen the mastery of subject
knowledge in Grade 12. More importantly, the Study Guide will engender the attitudes in the learners
to learning independently while mastering the core cross-cutting concepts.
3
, 2. HOW TO USE THIS REVISION BOOKLET
o You must use this Revision booklet together with the Life Sciences Mind the Gap Study
Guide, which is a complementary booklet.
o You need to study the content from the DBE Grade 12 Textbook, DBE Exam Guideline 2021,
and Mind the Gap for all the topics.
o Ensure you understand all the relevant concepts and content.
o THIS Self-study Guide focusses mainly on the skills you will need to answer the questions in
examinations.
o Section 2 focusses on general tips to approach certain question types in the Life Sciences
question papers:
o How to answer multiple choice questions
o How to master the relevant terminology
o Answering matching questions
o Drawing and interpreting of graphs
o Interpreting tables
o Interpreting diagrams
o Doing calculations
o Section 3 deals with the following:
o Examples of remembering questions in each paper per topic are given.
o Tips are provided on how to approach the answering of these questions.
o References are made on how to link the questions to Mind the Gap
o Practice questions per topic are provided
o Section 4 deals with the following:
o Examples of understanding questions in each paper per topic are given.
o Tips are provided on how to approach the answering of these questions.
o References are made on how to link the questions to Mind the Gap
o Practice questions per topic are provided
o Section 5 deals with the following:
o Examples of application, analysing, synthesising, and evaluation questions in each
paper per topic are given.
o Tips are provided on how to approach the answering of these questions.
o References are made on how to link the questions to Mind the Gap
o Practice questions per topic are provided
4
, TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
1. Introduction 3
2. How to use this Self-study Guide 4
3. Responding to the environment: Humans 5
3.1 Notes/Summaries/Key concepts/ Study and Examination Tips 13
3.2 Questions 28
3.3 Answers 33
4. Responding to the Environment: Plants 40
4.1 Notes/Summaries/Key concepts/ Study and Examination Tips 46
4.2 Questions 62
4.3 Answers 68
5. References 71
6. Acknowledgements 71
2
,1. INTRODUCTION
The declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation led to the
disruption of effective teaching and learning in many schools in South Africa. The majority of learners
in various grades spent less time in class due to the phased-in approach and rotational/alternate
attendance system that was implemented by various provinces. Consequently, most schools were not
able to complete all the relevant content designed for specific grades in accordance with the
Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements in most subjects.
As part of mitigating against the impact of COVID-19 on the current Grade 12, the Department of
Basic Education (DBE) worked in collaboration with subject specialists from various Provincial
Education Departments (PEDs) and developed this Self-Study Guide. The Study Guide covers those
topics, skills and concepts that are located in Grade 12, that are critical to lay the foundation for Grade
12. The main aim is to close the pre-existing content gaps to strengthen the mastery of subject
knowledge in Grade 12. More importantly, the Study Guide will engender the attitudes in the learners
to learning independently while mastering the core cross-cutting concepts.
3
, 2. HOW TO USE THIS REVISION BOOKLET
o You must use this Revision booklet together with the Life Sciences Mind the Gap Study
Guide, which is a complementary booklet.
o You need to study the content from the DBE Grade 12 Textbook, DBE Exam Guideline 2021,
and Mind the Gap for all the topics.
o Ensure you understand all the relevant concepts and content.
o THIS Self-study Guide focusses mainly on the skills you will need to answer the questions in
examinations.
o Section 2 focusses on general tips to approach certain question types in the Life Sciences
question papers:
o How to answer multiple choice questions
o How to master the relevant terminology
o Answering matching questions
o Drawing and interpreting of graphs
o Interpreting tables
o Interpreting diagrams
o Doing calculations
o Section 3 deals with the following:
o Examples of remembering questions in each paper per topic are given.
o Tips are provided on how to approach the answering of these questions.
o References are made on how to link the questions to Mind the Gap
o Practice questions per topic are provided
o Section 4 deals with the following:
o Examples of understanding questions in each paper per topic are given.
o Tips are provided on how to approach the answering of these questions.
o References are made on how to link the questions to Mind the Gap
o Practice questions per topic are provided
o Section 5 deals with the following:
o Examples of application, analysing, synthesising, and evaluation questions in each
paper per topic are given.
o Tips are provided on how to approach the answering of these questions.
o References are made on how to link the questions to Mind the Gap
o Practice questions per topic are provided
4
