Science>Year 9>Unit 1>Checkpoint 4

Checkpoint 4

This checkpoint tests Block D: cancer and how cells go wrong, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, global disease and pandemics, investigating disease, public health and prevention, and unit synthesis.

SC5-DIS-04Lessons 17-2210 MC3 Short AnswerCheckpoint 4 of 4
CP4

Coverage

This checkpoint assesses your understanding of Block D.

Lesson 17

Cancer: mutations, benign vs malignant tumours, metastasis, screening.

Lesson 18

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health: bush medicine knowledge systems, social determinants, Closing the Gap.

Lesson 19

Global disease and pandemics: epidemic vs pandemic, COVID-19, influenza, malaria, the WHO.

Lesson 20

Investigating disease: case-control and cohort studies, correlation vs causation, ethics.

Lesson 21

Public health and prevention: sanitation, quarantine, screening, health promotion, surveillance.

Lesson 22

Unit synthesis and depth study: connecting concepts, investigable questions.

Checkpoint Standard Strong answers use precise scientific language and connect concepts to real-world examples.
MC Score
0 / 10
SA Score
0 / 12
Q

Test Your Understanding

UnderstandBand 3

1. Cancer begins when:

AMutations cause cells to divide in an uncontrolled way
BA person is infected by a single bacterium
CThe immune system makes too many antibodies
DCells stop dividing completely
UnderstandBand 4

2. Which statement best describes the difference between a benign and a malignant tumour?

ABenign tumours are always larger than malignant ones
BA malignant tumour can invade other tissues and spread, while a benign tumour stays in one place
CBenign tumours are caused by viruses and malignant tumours are not
DMalignant tumours never need treatment
UnderstandBand 4

3. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander bush medicine is best described as:

AA set of beliefs with no observable effects
BA practice that has been completely replaced and is no longer used
CA sophisticated knowledge system, refined over tens of thousands of years, that uses native plants with measurable medicinal properties
DIdentical to modern pharmaceutical manufacturing
UnderstandBand 4

4. A major social determinant that helps explain differences in health outcomes for some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is:

AA natural difference in immune systems
BA lack of traditional knowledge
CAn unwillingness to use medicine
DUnequal access to housing, education, and culturally safe healthcare following colonisation
UnderstandBand 3

5. What is the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic?

AA pandemic spreads across multiple countries or continents, while an epidemic is contained to one region or community
BAn epidemic is always more deadly than a pandemic
CAn epidemic only affects animals
DA pandemic is caused by bacteria only
UnderstandBand 3

6. The World Health Organization (WHO) plays a key role in global disease control by:

ARunning every hospital in the world
BManufacturing all the world's vaccines
CCoordinating surveillance and response between countries during outbreaks such as COVID-19 and influenza
DDeciding which individual patients receive treatment
UnderstandBand 4

7. In a case-control study, researchers:

AGive different treatments to two groups and compare them
BFollow one healthy group forward over many years
CTest a new vaccine on volunteers
DCompare people who have a disease with similar people who do not, looking back at past exposures
ApplyBand 5

8. A study finds that towns with more ice-cream sales also have more cases of sunburn. The best conclusion is that:

AEating ice cream causes sunburn
BThe two are correlated, but a third factor, hot sunny weather, is the likely cause of both
CSunburn causes people to buy ice cream
DThere is no relationship at all
UnderstandBand 3

9. Which set of measures are all examples of public health and prevention?

ASanitation, quarantine, screening, and disease surveillance
BSurgery, chemotherapy, and organ transplants
CBuilding MRI machines and X-ray scanners
DPrescribing antibiotics to individual patients
AnalyseBand 5

10. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some countries controlled spread better than others. Which combination of factors best explains this difference?

AOnly climate and genetics
BOnly wealth and technology
CPublic health measures, testing capacity, healthcare infrastructure, and social trust
DRandom chance alone

Short Answer Questions

UnderstandBand 4

11. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have maintained sophisticated, evidence-based knowledge systems, including bush medicine, for tens of thousands of years. Describe one strength of these knowledge systems, then explain two social determinants (such as access to housing, education, or culturally safe healthcare) that help account for differences in health outcomes today. 4 MARKS

Answer in your book.
ApplyBand 4

12. Researchers notice that people who drink more sugary soft drinks also tend to develop type 2 diabetes more often. Explain why this does not, on its own, prove that soft drinks cause diabetes, and outline one way researchers could investigate the link more rigorously. Identify one ethical consideration they must address. 4 MARKS

Answer in your book.
AnalyseBand 5

13. A government must choose between funding a vaccination program for a rare but deadly disease, or a sanitation program for a common waterborne disease. Evaluate which program should be prioritised and why. 4 MARKS

Answer in your book.

Review & Reflect

✓ I can explain...

  • How mutations lead to cancer, and the difference between benign and malignant tumours
  • The strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems and the social determinants of health
  • The difference between epidemics and pandemics, with examples
  • Case-control and cohort studies, and why correlation does not prove causation
  • The role of public health measures, such as sanitation, quarantine, and surveillance, in preventing disease

⚠ I need to review...

  • How metastasis and screening relate to cancer outcomes
  • The aims of Closing the Gap and the social determinants of health
  • The role of the WHO and global organisations in pandemic response
  • Ethical considerations in disease research
  • How to prepare investigable questions for the depth study

Mark checkpoint as complete

Tick when you have finished all questions and reviewed your answers.