NEW (2016) AQA AS-Level Biology – Defence Mechanisms & Phagocytosis

This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA AS-level Biology course, particularly the ‘Cells’ module.

For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA A-level Biology course please visit my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience

A-Level lesson format: I teach in more of a lecture style compared to GCSE. In the majority of my A-level lessons the beginning portion of the lesson is mainly teacher-led, where students are expected to take notes onto a handout/in their books. This is then mixed in with student-led activities, as well as questions and exam prep.

You will find some of my slides have blank spaces for you to add more detail/descriptions/explanations. If you look at the ‘Notes’ section underneath each of these slides, you will find additional content which you can add in as you teach!

This lesson begins with a starter review to remind students of the role of diffusion in glucose absorption, the process of co-transport, and the role of microvilli.

Students are then guided through a summary of defence mechanisms, subdividing them as non-specific (physical barriers and phagocytosis) and specific (cell-mediated and humoral responses). Students should keep this in mind before trying to name some of the physical barriers to infection in the human body. Sample answers are on the next slide for self-assessment, and students should consider which of the answers were physical or chemical barriers.

The next task is to consider three questions about the human body’s defence mechanisms in the stomach, skin, and trachea. After seven minutes students should self-assess to the answers on the following slide.

To defend the body, lymphocytes must be able to distinguish the body’s own cells, students are asked to decide which biological molecules would most likely be used for this and where they are found. The next slide explains the immune system’s identification ability and asks students to consider the medical implications of self-defence responses. The example of organ and tissue donation is explained on the following slide, there are plenty of notes below the slide as well.

If physical barriers fail, white blood cells are next, so students are then introduced to phagocytes and lymphocytes over the next few slides.
Students will then watch a short video and follow along with their worksheet to fill in boxes and summarise phagocytosis. Answers are on the next slide for self-assessment.

The next task is interactive! Students will use information stations around the classroom to complete their table on non-specific immune response.
The plenary task is to draft a 140-character tweet demonstrating what they have learned today including #keywords.

All resources are included. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)