A Science teacher by trade, I've also been known to be found teaching Maths and PE! However, strange as it may seem, my real love is designing resources that can be used by other teachers to maximise the experience of the students. I am constantly thinking of new ways to engage a student with a topic and try to implement that in the design of the lessons.
A Science teacher by trade, I've also been known to be found teaching Maths and PE! However, strange as it may seem, my real love is designing resources that can be used by other teachers to maximise the experience of the students. I am constantly thinking of new ways to engage a student with a topic and try to implement that in the design of the lessons.
The detailed content, exam-style questions, guided discussion points and quiz competitions that are found in each of the 16 paid lessons that are included in this bundle (as well as the 5 free lessons which are named at the bottom) cover the following specification points in module 4 of the OCR A-level Biology A specification:
Module 4.1.1
The different types of pathogen that can cause communicable diseases in plants and animals
The means of transmission of animal and plant communicable pathogens
The primary non-specific defences against pathogens in animals
The structure and mode of action of phagocytes
The structure, different roles and modes of action of B and T lymphocytes in the specific immune response
The primary and secondary immune responses
The structure and general functions of antibodies
An outline of the action of opsonins, agglutinins and anti-toxins
The differences between active and passive immunity, and between natural and artificial immunity
Autoimmune diseases
The principles of vaccination
Module 4.2.1
How biodiversity can be considered at different levels
The random and non-random sampling strategies that are carried out to measure the biodiversity of a habitat
How to measure species richness and species evenness
The use and interpretation of Simpson’s Index of Diversity
How genetic biodiversity may be assessed
The ecological, economic and aesthetic reasons for maintaining biodiversity
In situ and ex situ methods of maintaining biodiversity
International and local conservation agreements made to protect species and habitats
4.2.2
The biological classification of species
The binomial system of naming species and the advantage of such a system
The features used to classify organisms into the five kingdoms
The evidence that has led to new classification systems
The different types of variation
Using the standard deviation to measure the spread of a set of data
Using the Student’s t-test to compare means of data values of two populations
Using the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient to consider the relationship of the data
The different types of adaptations to their environment
The mechanism by which natural selection can affect the characteristics of a population over time
How evolution in some species has an impact on human populations
If you would like to get an idea of the quality of the lessons that are included in this bundle, then download the following five OCR A lessons which have been uploaded for free:
Immunity & vaccinations
Reasons for maintaining biodiversity
Taxonomic hierarchy and the binomial naming system
Adaptations and natural selection
Transmission of animal and plant pathogens
This bundle contains 8 detailed and engaging lessons, and together they cover a lot of the key content of topic 17 in the CIE A-level Biology specification. Selection and evolution are key processes in Biology but are not always well understood or well explained by students. With this in mind, these lessons have been designed to support students in making links between the different concepts.
The following specification points are covered by these lessons:
The differences between continuous and discontinuous variation
Using the t-test to compare the variation of two different populations
The importance of genetic variation in selection
Natural selection
Environmental factors can act as stabilising, disruptive and directional forces in natural selection
Selection, the founder effect and genetic drift affect allele frequencies in populations
Using the Hardy-Weinberg principle
The molecular evidence that reveals similarities between closely related organisms
Allopatric and sympatric speciation
If you would like to sample the quality of lessons in this bundle then download the following lessons as these have been shared for free
continuous and discontinuous variation
molecule evidence and evolution
This lesson describes how molecular evidence can be used to reveal similarities between closely-related organisms. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been primarily designed to cover point 17.3 (b) of the CIE A-level Biology specification and focus on the comparison of protein structure and mitochondrial DNA but can also be used as a revision of related topics that include protein synthesis and gene mutations.
The lesson begins with the introduction of convergent evolution, a process where organisms independently evolve to have similar features due to theeir habitation of similar environments. This allows the importance of molecular evidence to be considered to ensure that organisms which are closely related (in terms of evolution) are recognised. The comparison of the primary structure of a protein involved in respiration (cytochrome c) is used to demonstrate how protein sequence data can be useful. At this point, a series of exam-style questions are used to challenge the students on their knowledge of protein synthesis and gene mutations from topics 6 and 16. The remainder of the lesson considers the use of mitochondrial DNA and a study of the mtDNA genomes of 51 gibbons demonstrates how this can provide evidence of relationships, even in organisms that show high taxonomic diversity like these lesser apes.
This lesson bundle contains 3 lessons which have been intricately planned to build on the knowledge acquired in the previous lesson and in earlier topics of the course to allow students to gain a deep understanding of classification. The lesson PowerPoints and accompanying resources contain a wide range of tasks which will engage and motivate the students whilst all of the content of topic 18.2 of the CIE A-level Biology specification is covered as detailed below:
Describe the classification of species into the taxonomic hierarchy of domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species
The characteristic features of the three domains
The characteristic features of the kingdoms
The classification of viruses, separate to the three-domain model of classification of cellular organisms
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons in this bundle, then download the “features of the kingdoms” lesson as this has been shared for free
This lesson describes the characteristic features of the three domains and explains why viruses are not included in this classification. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been primarily designed to cover points 18.2 (b) & 18.2 (d) of the CIE A-level Biology specification but also contains tasks that challenge the students on their knowledge of taxonomic hierarchy from this topic and the features of virus from topic 1.
The lesson begins with an introduction of the microbiologist Carl Woese and goes on to describe how he is most famous for his definition of the Archaea as a new domain of life. Students were introduced to domains and the other classification taxa in the last lesson, so their recall of this knowledge is continually tested and built upon as details are added. Students will discover the key differences between Archaea and Bacteria that led to the splitting of the prokaryotae kingdom and the addition of this higher classification rank and will understand that it wasn’t until 13 years after the discovery that it was adopted. Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson explains why viruses are not included in this classification and outlines how they are classified, according to the ICTV, through the type of nucleic acid they contain and whether this is single-stranded or double-stranded
This lesson explains that biodiversity is considered at three levels and describes how the Simpson’s Index of Diversity is used to calculate the biodiversity within a habitat. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 18.1 (a, b & f) of the CIE A-level Biology specification and also covers the meaning of ecosystems and niche as well as some other important ecological terms that are related such as abiotic factors and population.
A quiz competition called BIOLOGICAL TERMINOLOGY SNAP runs throughout the lesson and has been included to engage the students whilst challenging them to recognise key terms from their definitions. This quiz will introduce species, ecosystems, biodiversity, endemic, heterozygote, distribution and natural selection and each of these terms is put into context once introduced. A series of exam-style questions to challenge the students to explain how the distribution of fish is affected by abiotic factors in an ecosystem. Once biodiversity is revealed through the quiz competition, the students will learn that they need to consider biodiversity within a habitat, within a species and within different habitats so that they can be compared. The rest of the lesson uses step by step guides, discussion points and selected tasks to demonstrate how to determine species richness and the Simpson’s index of diversity. The heterozygosity index is also introduced as a means to consider genetic variation. Students are challenged with a range of exam-style questions where they have to apply their knowledge and all mark schemes are displayed and clearly explained within the PowerPoint to allow students to assess their understanding and address any misconceptions if they arise
This is a detailed lesson with a lot of tasks (some of which are differentiated), so it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 hours of allocated A-level teaching time to cover all of the content
All of the 9 lessons that are included in this bundle are highly detailed and are fully-resourced. The lesson PowerPoints and their accompanying worksheets contain a wide range of tasks that will engage and motivate the students whilst covering the following specification points as set out in topic 4 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification:
The structure and ultrastructure of plant cells
The function of the organelles in plant cells
The structure and function of starch and cellulose
The similarities and differences between the structures, position and functions of sclerenchyma, xylem and phloem
Understand that classification is a means of organising the variety of life based on relationships between organisms
New taxonomic groupings
The meaning of the terms biodiversity and endemism
Know how biodiversity can be measured within a habitat and within a species
Comparing biodiversity between habitats using the index of diversity
The adaptations of organisms to their environment
Use of the Hardy-Weinberg equation
Changes in allele frequency are the result of mutation and natural selection
Evaluate the methods used by zoos and seed banks in the conservation of endangered species and their genetic diversity
If you would like to sample the quality of lessons in this bundle then download the cellulose & starch and modern-day classification lessons as these have been uploaded for free
This lesson describes the evidence that led to the three-domain model of classification as an alternative to the five-kingdom model. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.1 (vii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and focuses on Carl Woese’s detailed study of the ribosomal RNA gene and the need for this evidence to be validated by the scientific community
The lesson begins with an introduction of Woese and goes on to describe how he is most famous for his definition of the Archaea as a new domain of life. Students were introduced to domains and the other classification taxa in a lesson at the start of this topic, so their recall of this knowledge is continually tested and built upon as details are added. Students will discover the key differences between Archaea and Bacteria that led to the splitting of the prokaryotae kingdom and the addition of this higher classification rank and will understand that it wasn’t until 13 years after the discovery that it was adopted. Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson describes how molecular phylogeny uses other molecules that can be compared between species for classification purposes. One of these is a protein called cytochrome which is involved in respiration and can be compared in terms of primary structure to determine relationships. At this point in the lesson, the students are also tested on their knowledge of the nature of the genetic code (as covered in topic 1) and have to explain how mutations to DNA can also be used for comparative purposes.
This lesson describes how the critical evaluation of new data by the scientific community leads to new taxonomic groupings, like the three domains of life. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 4.14 (ii) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and focuses on the introduction of the three-domain system following Carl Woese’s detailed study of the ribosomal RNA gene.
The lesson begins with an introduction of Woese and goes on to describe how he is most famous for his definition of the Archaea as a new domain of life. Students were introduced to domains and the other classification taxa in a previous lesson, so their recall of this knowledge is continually tested and built upon as details are added. Students will discover the key differences between Archaea and Bacteria that led to the splitting of the prokaryotae kingdom and the addition of this higher classification rank. Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson describes how molecular phylogeny uses other molecules and that these are compared between species for classification purposes. One of these is a protein called cytochrome which is involved in respiration and can be compared in terms of primary structure to determine relationships. At this point in the lesson, the students are also tested on their knowledge of the nature of the genetic code (as covered in topic 2) and have to explain how mutations to DNA can also be used for comparative purposes.
This lesson describes classification as a means of organising the variety of life based on relationships between organisms. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover point 4.14 (i) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and focuses on the classification hierarchy where species is the lowest taxon but also describes the binomial naming system which uses the genus and species. The lesson also contains links to the next lesson where molecular phylogeny is described and the three-domain system is covered in greater detail with a focus on the results of Carl Woese’s rRNA study
The lesson begins by looking at the meaning of a population in Biology so that the term species can be introduced. A hinny, which is the hybrid offspring of a horse and a donkey, is used to explain how these two organisms must be members of different species because they are unable to produce fertile offspring. Moving forwards, students will learn that classification is a means of organising the variety of life based on relationships between organisms using differences and similarities in phenotypes and in genotypes and is built around the species concept and that in the modern-day classification hierarchy, species is the lowest taxon. A quiz runs throughout the lesson and this particular round will engage the students whilst they learn (or recall) the names of the other 7 taxa and the horse and the donkey from the earlier example are used to complete the hierarchy. Students will understand that the binomial naming system was introduced by Carl Linnaeus to provide a universal name for each species and they will be challenged to apply their knowledge by completing a hierarchy for a modern-day human, by spotting the correct name for an unfamiliar organism and finally by suggesting advantages of this system.
Classification and evolution is a topic that students can find difficult, which may be for a number of reasons that include a lack of engagement during lessons or because these topics are taught quickly as exams approach at the end of year 12. However, a clear understanding is critical, as assessment questions on the content of this module are common and are often worth a significant number of marks. In line with this, the planning of each of the 7 lessons in this bundle has focused on the inclusion of a wide range of tasks that will engage and motivate the students whilst covering the following points as detailed in module 4.2.2 of the OCR A-level Biology A specification:
The biological classification of species
The taxonomic hierarchy
The binomial system of naming species and the advantages of such a system
The features used to classify organisms into the five kingdoms
The evidence that has led to new classification systems, such as the three domains of life
The different types of variation
Using standard deviation to measure the spread of a set of data
Using the Student’s t-test to compare means of data values of two populations
Using the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient to consider the relationship of the data
The different types of adaptations of organisms to their environment
The mechanism by which natural selection can affect the characteristics of a population over time
How evolution in some species has implications for human populations
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons included in this bundle, then download the following lessons as these have been uploaded for free:
Taxonomic hierarchy and the binomial naming system
Adaptations & natural selection
This lesson describes how the critical evaluation of new data by the scientific community leads to new taxonomic groupings, like the three domains of life. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 4.6 (ii) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification and focuses on the introduction of the three-domain system following Carl Woese’s detailed study of the ribosomal RNA gene.
The lesson begins with an introduction of Woese and goes on to describe how he is most famous for his definition of the Archaea as a new domain of life. Students were introduced to domains and the other classification taxa in a previous lesson, so their recall of this knowledge is continually tested and built upon as details are added. Students will discover the key differences between Archaea and Bacteria that led to the splitting of the prokaryotae kingdom and the addition of this higher classification rank. Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson describes how molecular phylogeny uses other molecules and that these are compared between species for classification purposes. One of these is a protein called cytochrome which is involved in respiration and can be compared in terms of primary structure to determine relationships. At this point in the lesson, the students are also tested on their knowledge of the nature of the genetic code (as covered in topic 2) and have to explain how mutations to DNA can also be used for comparative purposes.
This lesson describes the classification system, focusing on the biological classification of a species and the 7 taxa found above this lowest taxon. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover point 4.6 (i) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification and also describes the binomial naming system which uses the genus and species. The lesson also contains links to upcoming lessons where molecular phylogeny is described and the three-domain system is covered in greater detail with a focus on the results of Carl Woese’s rRNA study
The lesson begins by looking at the meaning of a population in Biology so that the term species can be introduced. A hinny, which is the hybrid offspring of a horse and a donkey, is used to explain how these two organisms must be members of different species because they are unable to produce fertile offspring. Moving forwards, students will learn that classification is a means of organising the variety of life based on relationships between organisms using differences and similarities in phenotypes and in genotypes and is built around the species concept and that in the modern-day classification hierarchy, species is the lowest taxon. A quiz runs throughout the lesson and this particular round will engage the students whilst they learn (or recall) the names of the other 7 taxa and the horse and the donkey from the earlier example are used to complete the hierarchy. Students will understand that the binomial naming system was introduced by Carl Linnaeus to provide a universal name for each species and they will be challenged to apply their knowledge by completing a hierarchy for a modern-day human, by spotting the correct name for an unfamiliar organism and finally by suggesting advantages of this system.
This lesson describes how the recent use of similarities in biological molecules and other genetic evidence has led to new classification systems. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 4.2.2 [c] (i) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and focuses on the introduction of the three-domain system following Carl Woese’s detailed study of the ribosomal RNA gene.
The lesson begins with an introduction of Woese and goes on to describe how he is most famous for his definition of the Archaea as a new domain of life. Students were introduced to domains and the other classification taxa in a previous lesson, so their recall of this knowledge is continually tested and built upon as details are added. Students will discover the key differences between Archaea and Bacteria that led to the splitting of the prokaryotae kingdom and the addition of this higher classification rank. Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson considers other molecules that can be compared between species for classification purposes and the primary structure of cytochrome is described and discussed. At this point in the lesson, the students are also tested on their knowledge of the nature of the genetic code and have to explain how mutations to DNA can also be used for comparative purposes.
This lesson describes the biuret and emulsion tests for proteins and lipids respectively and then acts as a revision lesson for topics 2.2 and 2.3. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to be taught at the end of topic 2 and uses a range of activities to challenge the students on their knowledge of that topic, but also covers the second part of point 2.1 (a) of the CIE A-level Biology specification when the qualitative tests are described.
The first section of the lesson describes the steps in the biuret test and challenges the students on their recall of the reducing sugars and starch tests from topic 2.1 to recognise that this is a qualitative test that begins with the sample being in solution. The students will learn that the addition of sodium hydroxide and then copper sulphate will result in a colour change from light blue to lilac if a protein is present.
The next part of the lesson uses exam-style questions with displayed mark schemes, understanding checks and quick quiz competitions to engage and motivate the students whilst they assess their understanding of this topic. The following concepts are tested during this lesson:
The general structure of an amino acid
The formation of dipeptides and polypeptides through condensation reactions
The primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure of a protein
Biological examples of proteins and their specific actions (e.g. antibodies, enzymes, peptide hormones)
Moving forwards, the lesson describes the key steps in the emulsion test for lipids, and states the positive result for this test. There is a focus on the need to mix the sample with ethanol, which is a distinctive difference to the tests for reducing sugars and starch and proteins.
The remainder of the lesson uses exam-style questions with mark schemes embedded in the PowerPoint, understanding checks, guided discussion points and quick quiz competitions to challenge the following specification points:
The structure of a triglyceride
The relationship between triglyceride property and function
The hydrophilic and hydrophobic nature of the phospholipid
The phospholipid bilayer of the cell membrane
Cholesterol is also introduced so that the students are prepared for this molecule when it is met in topic 4 (cell membranes)
This is an extensive lesson and it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 hours of allocated teaching time to cover the detail and the different tasks
This lesson explains the effects of light intensity, carbon dioxide concentration and temperature (limiting factors) on the rate of photosynthesis. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 13.2 (a, b & c) of the CIE A-level Biology specification and also considers how knowledge of these limiting factors can be used to increase crop yields in the protected environment of a greenhouse.
The lesson has been specifically written to tie in with the previous lessons in topic 13.1 which covered the structure of the chloroplast, the light-dependent reactions and the light-independent reactions. Exam-style questions are included throughout the lesson and these require the students to explain why light intensity is important for both reactions as well as challenging them on their ability to describe how the relative concentrations of GP, TP and RuBP would change as carbon dioxide concentration decreases. There are also links to previous topics such as enzymes when they are asked to explain why an increase in temperature above the optimum will limit the rate of photosynthesis. Step by step guides are included to support them to form some of the answers and mark schemes are always displayed so that they can quickly assess their understanding and address any misconceptions. The final part of the lesson provides details of the World’s largest rooftop greenhouse in Montreal and challenges their knowledge of related topics such as cellulose structure, pollination and biological control.
This lesson bundle has been formed from the 13 detailed lesson PowerPoints and their accompanying resources that have been uploaded to cover a lot of the content in modules 2.1.4, 2.1.5 and 2.1.6 of the OCR A-level Biology A specification.
Each lesson contains a wide range of tasks, which include exam-style questions (with mark schemes), guided discussion points, and quick quiz competitions, that will engage and motivate the students whilst covering the following specification points:
Module 2.1.4: Enzymes
The role of enzymes in catalysing reactions that affect metabolism at a cellular and whole organism level
The role of enzymes in catalysing both intracellular and extracellular reactions
The mechanism of enzyme action
The effect of pH on enzyme activity
The effect of temperature on enzyme activity
The calculation of the temperature coefficient
The effect of enzyme and substrate concentration on enzyme activity
The need for coenzymes, cofactors and prosthetic groups in some enzyme-controlled reactions
Module 2.1.5: Biological membranes
The fluid mosaic model of membrane structure and the roles of its components
Simple and facilitated diffusion as forms of passive transport
Active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis as processes requiring ATP as an immediate source of energy
The movement of water across membranes by osmosis and the effects that solutions of different water potential can have on plant and animal cells
Module 2.1.6: Cell division, cell diversity and cellular organisation
The cell cycle
How the cell cycle is regulated
The main stages of mitosis
The significance of mitosis in life cycles
The significance of meiosis in life cycles
The main stages of meiosis
How cells of multicellular organisms are specialised for particular functions
The organisation of cells into tissues, organs and organ systems
The production of erythrocytes and neutrophils from stem cells in bone marrow
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons in this bundle, then download the following lessons as they have been uploaded for free:
The roles of enzymes and mechanism of action
Simple and facilitated diffusion
Cell specialisation and organisation
The three lessons included in this bundle describe the key events of the mitotic and meiotic cell cycles and cover the following points as detailed in topics 5 and 16 of the CIE A-level Biology specification:
Topic 5: The mitotic cell cycle
Explain the importance of mitosis in the production of genetically identical cells, growth, cell replacement, repair of tissues and asexual reproduction
Outline the cell cycle, including interphase, mitosis and cytokinesis
The behaviour of chromosomes in plant and animal cells during the mitotic cell cycle
Topic 16: Inherited change
Explain what is meant by a pair of homologous chromosomes
The behaviour of chromosomes in plant and animal cells during meiosis
Explain how crossing over and random assortment of homologous chromosomes during meiosis and random fusion of gametes at fertilisation lead to genetic variation
Each lesson is fully-resourced and the wide range of tasks found in the PowerPoint and the accompanying resources will check on current understanding and prior knowledge and engage the students with guided discussion points and quiz competitions.
If you would like to sample the quality of lessons in this bundle, then download the interphase, mitosis and cytokinesis lesson as this has been uploaded for free
Meiosis, genetic inheritance and the control of gene expression are some of the harder topics on this A-level Biology course and all three are covered in topic 16 (Inherited change) of the CIE A-level Biology specification. The 10 lessons included in this bundle have been planned at length and contain a wide range of tasks that cover the detailed content whilst checking on understanding and key terms and values are introduced through engaging quiz competitions.
The following topic 16 specification points are covered by these lessons:
Topic 16.1
The meaning of a homologous pair of chromosomes
The behaviour of chromosomes in animal and plant cells during meiosis
Genetic variation is caused by crossing over, random assortment and the random fusion of gametes at fertilisation
Topic 16.2
The meaning of key genetic terms
Using genetic diagrams to solve problems involving mohohybrid and dihybrid crosses, including those involving autosomal linkage, sex linkage, codominance, multiple alleles and gene interactions
Use the chi-squared test to test the significance of differences between observed and expected results
Gene mutations occur by substitution, deletion and insertion and may affect the phenotype
Topic 16.3
The genetic control of protein production in a prokaryote as shown by the lac operon
The function of transcription factors in gene expression in eukaryotes
Gibberellins and DELLA protein repressors
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons included in this bundle, then download the autosomal linkage and chi-squared test lessons as these have been uploaded for free
This lesson bundle contains 11 detailed lesson PowerPoints, which along with their accompanying resources, have been intricately planned to cover the majority of the content of topics 5 and 6 of the CIE A-level Biology specification. The cell cycle, mitosis and protein synthesis are topics that students tend to find difficult and therefore the planning focused on the inclusion of a wide range of tasks that would not only promote the retention of important information and secure knowledge but also maintain motivation and engagement.
The tasks include exam-style questions with displayed mark schemes which challenge the students on their current understanding and prior knowledge, guided discussion points and quick quiz competitions which introduce key terms and values.
The following specification points are covered by these 11 lessons:
Topic 5
The structure of a chromosome, limited to DNA, histone proteins, chromatids, centromere and telomere
The importance of mitosis in producing genetically identical cells, growth, cell replacement, repair of tissues and asexual reproduction
The cell cycle, including theh G and S phases of interphase, mitosis and cytokinesis
The behaviour of chromosomes in animal and plant cells in the mitotic cell cycle
Topic 6
The structure of nucleotides, including ATP
The structure of DNA and RNA
The semi-conservative replication of DNA during interphase
A polypeptide is coded for by a gene
Gene mutations can cause changes to the polypeptide sequence
The information in DNA is used during transcription and translation to construct polypeptides
