A level Formative Assessment Tasks The assessment tasks have been created to support the Edexcel A level and International A level courses but can be adapted to support other examination boards. Each assessment starts with a brief introduction to engage the student. Students use their knowledge of the topic to complete the task. The task includes a guidance of what should be included and an indication to the grade associated with the knowledge, based on level of complexity. The resources are great to summarise a topic and can be completed in class or as a homework. Students can use their notes and books for support but the tasks should be answered in their own words to show understanding. I have found that these tasks: • Engage students and promote active learning. • They help students develop their course notes and prepare their revision. • Enables students of all abilities to progress and gives the teacher a way to access knowledge and understanding. • Enables misconceptions to be addressed. • Promotes the use of key scientific vocabulary to support answering examination questions. How to assess the task: Teacher assessed If the teacher is grading, I suggest taking a general approach. If students have attempted each section and the science is correct, I award the higher mark from the section. If not all the information is present or if not all of it is correct, award the lower grade from the section. Student assessed Students gain a lot from marking their own assessment or their peer´s. They should be able to justify the grade awarded. This can help develop appropriate feedback.

A complete topic including 8 full lesson powerpoints and 7 worksheets. Each lesson includes bell ringer activities (starter activities) and plenary activities plus lots of retrieval practice. Each lesson takes approximately 50 - 60 minutes. The PowerPoint can be modified to suit your lesson. There is also a recommend practical activity that involves an eye dissection (worksheet included). There are also many exam-style questions to ensure students understand the material. I have included a range of different resources and tasks including pair and individual work. Students should be able to complete the following after the lessons: Describe the geotropic and phototropic responses of roots and stems and understand the role of auxin in the phototropic response of stems. State that the central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord andis linked to sense organs by nerves. Understand that stimulation of receptors in the sense organs sends electrical impulses along nerves into and out of the central nervous system, resulting in rapid responses Understand the role of neurotransmitters at synapses Understand the role of neurotransmitters at synapses Describe the structure and functioning of a simple reflex arc illustrated by the withdrawal of a finger from a hot object Describe the structure and function of the eye as a receptor Understand the function of the eye in focusing on near and distant objects, and in responding to changes in light intensity Describe the role of the skin in temperature regulation, with reference to sweating, vasoconstriction and vasodilation

8 lessons with powerpoints and worksheets covering the topic Gas Exchange in both plants and humans. This covers: The breathing system of humans including diagrams of the system to label Gas exchange and the alveolus. Students discover how alveoli are adapted to gas echange. Ventilation Core practical - breathing rate and exercise Smoking and how the lungs are damaged Gas exchange in the leaf Gas exchange mission - students are given access to the powerpoint to complete a spy mission linked to gas exchange (optional lesson) Core practical - investigating the effect of light on photosynthesis/respiration Each lesson contains a series of tasks to aid students learning including videos, discussion, labelling diagrams and exam questions.

A PDF worksheet, with answers, focusing on the limiting factors of photosynthesis. The experiment involves a student changing the light wavelength and investigating the rate of the reaction. Questions are similar to those found on exam papers relating to the topic. This resource is great for: In-class worksheet Pre/post-test Homework assignment Support work

Can your students identify reasons they underperformed in exams? Maybe their target is to “revise more” for the next test. There are different types of mistakes that can cause students to drop marks in an exam: Not reading the questions Incorrect wording or not topic specific Understanding the main ideas of this topic but not knowing they had to apply the knowledge to this question. Timing These are just a few types of mistakes. The printable worksheet allows students time to really reflect on their overall exam performance. Analysis of each question marked incorrectly can lead to a pattern in the type of mistake being made again and again. Once the types of mistakes being made are acknowledged, students can use the smart targets to focus on avoiding this type of mistake. We have been using this technique for 4 years and have seen a marked improvement in our external exam results.

A PDF worksheet which focuses on the changes in an embryo from totipotent cells to cell differentiation. There are questions to challenge students understanding of these terms plus DNA methylation and acetylation. Answer sheet included. This resource is great for: In-class worksheet Pre/post-test Homework assignment Support work

Exam-style questions focusing on the structure of proteins. Answer sheet included. Suitable for checking understanding in class or as a revision activity.

A worksheet designed to allow students to describe the process of primary succession in an environment.

A pdf worksheet focusing on the experiment with water plants with and without light. Also contains respiring organisms. The experiment uses bicarbonate indicator which changes colour in the presence of low and high concentrations of carbon dioxide. The experiment is explained and there are exam-style questions to promote understanding. Answer sheet included. Suggested uses: in class activity; homework task; revision task

A technique suggested in the book, Powerlearning. This is a revision technique with self-feedback. Students begin by reading each question and determining which ones they know the answer to and which ones they don’t. Independently, students determine what they know and what requires further study. Students answer the ones they know the answer to and then search for the answers they don’t know. Students then verify the answers they thought were correct. Students can fold the page over and use the questions for revision/retrieval practice.

A PDF worksheet which focuses on plant reproduction and the formation of the pollen tube. These questions are exam-style questions which check student understanding. Useful for in class activity, homework, retrieval practice activity. Answer sheet included.

A pdf file focusing on the parts of the human joint. There are exam-style questions to check understanding. Answer sheet included.

A PDF worksheet which focuses on the 3 types of neurones and Schwann cell structure. Students label the cells and complete a cloze exercise. There is also a vocabulary enhancer for students to define keywords. Answer sheet included.

A PDF worksheet with exam-style questions to check students understanding of the wave of depolarisation which spreads across the heart. Students link this to the stages of the cardiac cycle. Answer sheet included.

A formative assessment which can be completed in class or as homework. This is an independent task where students can use their own knowledge and resources for guidance, to complete an assessment which focuses on part of the GCSE specification for transport in humans. The assessment focuses on: Blood vessel structure and function Heart disease and effect. Students can peer assess the work and there is a worksheet to help them complete this task.

Focused questions for the article in June 2023 (unit 5). There are over 7 pages of questions which includes a mark scheme. Topic questions include: Bacterial growth Coordination of the nervous system Control of heart rate Protein synthesis and transport Transciption factors Immune Response Inflammation Brain function and scans Epigenetic Factors Microarray, PCR and Gel electrophoresis The questions help support revision of many topics found throughout the A level course.

18 longer response exam questions. This document can be modified and the order of questions can be changed or removed. The total time for this document is 155 minutes. Mark scheme is included. I have used this document as a timed revision exercise but the document can be used as a summative exam. Topics included: Heart structure and function Blood vessels Circulatory system Blood components including the role of the blood cells The questions test both knowledge and application of knowledge.

14 longer response exam questions. This document can be modified and the order of questions can be changed or removed. The total time for this document is 130 minutes Mark scheme is included. I have used this document as a timed revision exercise but the document can be used as a summative exam. Exam questions focus on the following areas Describe the stages in the water cycle Describe the stages in the carbon cycle Describe the stages in the nitrogen cycle

An exciting 360 panoramic escape room. The mission is set on Mars in the future. Earth is no longer inhabitable, and students want to know why. The escape room is designed to generate student interest in an important topic. There are a range of resources to support learning including videos, puzzles, worksheets and mazes. The missions should be played in numerical order as the information in the activities provide the answers to the clues. The escape room itself contains a lot of information regarding: • What is the greenhouse effect? • What is the enhanced greenhouse effect? • What is global warming? • What are the long-term effects? • What can be done? The answers to these questions are found in videos, worksheets and other websites, such as NASA. There are mini-quizzes and checkpoints along the way. At the end of each set of activities there is a key with a locked question. This is the only question students need to get correct in the activities as these lead to the next clue. A teacher answer sheet is included. I have used this resource to introduce this topic to my year 13 biology class but it would be suitable for younger year groups as the answers are on the site.

8 longer response exam questions and some multiple choice. This document can be modified and the order of questions can be changed or removed. The total time for this document is 65 minutes Mark scheme is included. I have used this document as a timed revision exercise but the document can be used as a summative exam. Exam questions focus on the the periodic table and trends within the table.