This revision lesson provides students with the opportunity to assess their understanding of nucleic acids and protein synthesis (topic 6). The lesson includes a multiple-choice assessment of 10 questions and a PowerPoint containing the answers, where each answer slide shows the exact specification code to enable students to note the areas which may require extra attention. The PowerPoint also contains additional questions to challenge content from topic 6 of the CIE A-level biology specification (2025 - 2027 update) that isn’t directly covered by the 10 questions, and prior knowledge checks to encourage students to make links to content from topics 1 - 5. This lesson has been designed to be used at the end of topic 6, and in the build up to mocks and the final A-level assessments.

This revision lesson provides students with the opportunity to assess their understanding of homeostasis (topic 14). The lesson includes a multiple-choice assessment of 10 questions and a PowerPoint containing the answers, where each answer slide shows the exact specification code to enable students to note the areas which may require extra attention. The PowerPoint also contains additional questions to challenge content from topic 14 of the CIE A-level biology specification (2025 - 2027 update) that isn’t directly covered by the 10 questions, and prior knowledge checks to encourage students to make links to content from any of topics 1 - 13.

This lesson describes how epigenetic modifications like DNA methylation and histone modification can alter the activation of certain genes. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been planned to cover points 3.20 ii & iii of the Edexcel Internationational A-level biology specification, and also highlights that these modifications can be passed on following cell division. The lesson begins by introducing the meaning of the prefix epi as on or above so students understand that epigenetics refers to changes in gene function due to factors beyond the genetic code. Moving forwards, they will learn that DNA methylation involves the attachment of a methyl group to cytosine and will come to understand how this inhibits transcription. They are challenged to recognise the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis through a variety of tasks before reading through a source detailing the results of a study between this cardiovascular condition and DNA methylation. The remainder of the lesson considers how the acetylation of histone proteins affects the expression of genes. Understanding and prior knowledge checks are embedded throughout the lesson (along with the answers) to allow the students to assess their progress on this topic and to encourage them to make links to the content of topics 1 - 2.

This lesson describes the role of auxins in elongation growth, specifically in the plant responses of phototropism and gravitropism. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 15.2 (2) of the CIE A-level biology specification. The lesson begins with a prior knowledge check, where the students have to identify key terms encountered across topics 1 - 14, and use their 1st letters to form the term, tropism. Students are reminded of the meaning of a tropism, and how these directional growth responses are determined by the direction of the external stimuli. They should have met auxins at this previous level, but will now be introduced to IAA, and will complete several tasks which check that they understand the key features of these chemicals, such as their location of production and method by which they move through the shoots and roots. The students are guided through the movement of IAA to the shaded side in a shoot during phototropism, and will learn how this uneven distribution leads to uneven growth. An exam-style question presents them with two further scenarios, where the tip of the shoot has been cut off or is covered, and the students need to describe and explain what will happen to the appearance of the shoot after a week. Moving forwards, the students will learn how the pumping of hydrogen ions acidifies the cell wall and the subsequent activation of expansin proteins are involved in the cell elongation. The remainder of the lesson discusses the response to gravity and explains how shoots and roots respond differently. The lesson is full of understanding and prior knowledge checks and all answers are embedded into the PowerPoint.

This lesson explains how labelled DNA probes in microarrays can be used to identify active genes. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the content of point 8.20 of the Edexcel International A-level biology specification. The lesson begins by introducing the BRCA genes, and the students will learn how faulty alleles of these two genes can increase an individual’s risk of developing breast cancer. Therefore, there is a need to be able to locate specific alleles like these, and this function is performed by DNA probes. The students are challenged to use the function of the probes to predict their structure and will understand that they are short lengths of single stranded DNA that have a base sequence complementary to the base sequence of part of the target allele. A quick quiz round is used to introduce hybridisation as a key term, to ensure that students recognise that the probe will bind if the complementary base sequence is encountered. Moving forwards, a DNA microarray is introduced to show that it’s possible to screen for multiple genes. The remainder of the lesson considers how the DNA probes are used to screen for heritable conditions and drug responses, and real-life examples are used to increase relevance.

This lesson describes the structure of the mammalian liver, focusing on the blood vessels and bile canaliculi, as well as the hepatocytes. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are part of the 1st lesson in a series of 2 lessons which cover point 5.1.2 (b) of the OCR A-level biology A specification. As shown on the cover image, the lesson begins with a challenge, where the students have to recognise that the liver is supplied with oxygenated blood by the hepatic artery. Three editions of the quiz “SAY WHAT YOU SEE” are used to introduce three key terms in an engaging and memorable fashion which are hepatic portal vein, sinusoids, and bile canaliculi. Following the introduction of the hepatic portal vein and sinusoids, the students will understand that the liver is supplied by two vessels and that the blood mixes in the sinusoids. Time is then taken to focus on the hepatocytes, through 3 exam-style questions that consider the type of epithelium these liver cells are found in, the microvilli on their surface and the organelles which are abundant based on function. Moving forwards, the lesson discusses the function of the stellate cells that are found in the space of Disse, before a task challenges their recall of content from a previous lesson to reveal the name of the cells that move within the sinusoids, the Kupffer cells. Students will learn that these macrophages breakdown the haemoglobin in old erythrocytes to form bilirubin. This reminds them that liver cells produce bile and the remainder of the lesson discusses how this fluid flows along the bile canaliculi to the ductules which form the common hepatic duct. The 2nd lesson in this 2-part series describes the functions of the mammalian liver.

This lesson describes how the structure, actions and function of the loop of Henle in the kidney is pivotal in the production of urine. The PowerPoint and accompanying resource are part of a series of 4 lessons which have been designed to cover point 5.1.2 [c] of the OCR A-level biology A specification, which is titled "the structure, mechanisms of action and functions of the mammalian kidney. The lesson begins by challenging the students to recognise that the glomerular filtrate entering the loop will only contain water, ions and urea if the kidneys are functioning properly. Time is then taken to look at the structure of the loop of Henle, focusing on the descending and ascending limbs, and their differing permeabilities. Students will be reminded that this part of the nephron is located in the renal medulla, before a step-by-step guide is used to describe how the transfer of ions from the ascending limb to the descending limb, creates a very negative water potential in this region of the kidney. This allows water to move out of the descending limb to the tissue fluid and then into the capillaries. The next part of the lesson challenges students to consider the bigger picture as they learn that this decreasing water potential in the medulla allows water to be reabsorbed from the filtrate in the collecting duct too. The remainder of the lesson uses the real-world examples of the hopping mouse and kangaroo rat to check student understanding, and there are also prior knowledge checks to encourage students to make links to relevant content from earlier topics. All answers are embedded into the PowerPoint.

This revision lesson uses a multiple-choice assessment to challenge the students on their understanding of topic 8, the control of gene expression. In addition to the 20 question assessment, this lesson includes a PowerPoint where the answers are revealed and additional questions are posed about the content of topic 8 which isn’t directly challenged in the questions. The PowerPoint also contains prior knowledge checks on content from topics 1, 3, 4 and 6. Revision lessons of this format which challenge topics 1 - 7 are also uploaded.

This revision lesson provides students with the opportunity to assess their understanding of energy transfers in and between organisms (topic 5). The lesson includes a multiple-choice assessment of 20 questions, challenging photosynthesis, respiration, energy and ecosystems, and nutrient cycles, and a PowerPoint containing the answers, where each answer slide shows the exact specification code to enable students to note the areas which may require extra attention. The PowerPoint also contains additional questions to challenge content from topic 5 of the AQA A-level biology specification that isn’t directly covered by the 20 questions, and prior knowledge checks to encourage students to make links to related content from topics 1 - 4. This lesson has been designed to be used at the end of topic 5, and in the build up to mocks and the final A-level examinations.

This fully-resourced lesson explores the inheritance of sex-linked diseases in humans and then challenges the students to apply their knowledge to examples in other animals. The detailed PowerPoint and associated differentiated resources have been designed to cover the part of point 7.1 of the AQA A-level specification which states that students should be able to use fully-labelled genetic diagrams to predict the results of crosses involving sex-linkage. Key genetic terminology is used throughout and the lesson begins with a check on their ability to identify the definition of homologous chromosomes. Students will recall that the sex chromosomes are not fully homologous and that the smaller Y chromosome lacks some of the genes that are found on the X. This leads into one of the numerous discussion points, where students are encouraged to consider whether females or males are more likely to suffer from sex-linked diseases. In terms of humans, the lesson focuses on haemophilia and red-green colour blindness and a step-by-step guide is used to demonstrate how these specific genetic diagrams should be constructed and how the phenotypes should then be interpreted. The final tasks of the lesson challenge the students to carry out a dihybrid cross that involves a sex-linked disease and an autosomal disease before applying their knowledge to a question about chickens and how the rate of feather production in chicks can be used to determine gender. All of the tasks are differentiated so that students of differing abilities can access the work and all exam questions have fully-explained, visual markschemes to allow them to assess their progress and address any misconceptions

This revision lesson uses a 20 question multiple-choice assessment to challenge the students on their understanding of the topic 2 content (Cells). It has been written to check their knowledge from across the AQA A-level biology topic 2 specification and includes questions on the structure of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, the methods of studying cells, mitosis and binary fission, transport across cell membranes and the immune system. The lesson includes a PowerPoint where the answers to the 20 questions are revealed, along with their respective specification codes, to allow the students to pinpoint areas of the specification that require extra attention. The PowerPoint also includes extra questions and tasks to challenge some of the content not directly questioned in the MC assessment. Lessons challenging their knowledge of topics 1, 3 and 4 have also been uploaded.

At the end of topic 3, or in the lead up to mocks or final A-level exams, students can use this lesson to assess their understanding of topic 3 content. The lesson consists of 20 multiple-choice questions, which have been written to challenge the students on the detail of their knowledge, as well as a PowerPoint which contains the answers, explanations and key points related to the specification. The PowerPoint also contains other topic 3 knowledge checks on content which isn’t directly questioned in the multiple-choice assessment, and prior knowledge checks to encourage the students to recognise the links to topic 1 and 2. The following topics are challenged by the multiple-choice questions: Surface area to volume ratio Gas exchange (in animals and plants) Digestion and absorption Mass transport in animals Mass transport in plants

This revision lesson provides students with the opportunity to assess their understanding of topic 7 and identify those areas which need revisiting. Included in the lesson is a multiple-choice assessment consisting of 20 questions and a PowerPoint revealing the answers, along with explanations and workings for the more difficult questions, and key points which relate to the AQA A-level biology specification. The title of topic 7 is genetics, populations, evolution and ecosystems and content from all four of the sub-topics in this topic is challenged within this assessment. The PowerPoint also contains further questions on topic 7 to challenge knowledge not directly covered in the 20 questions and prior knowledge checks when the content links to work covered in one of the previous 6 topics. This lesson has been designed to be used at the end of the topic and/or in the build up to the final A-level assessments.

This revision lesson contains an assessment of 20 multiple-choice questions and a PowerPoint with the answers and related key points from the specification. The 20 questions have been written to cover the content of topic 4 of the AQA A-level biology specification, providing the students with an opportunity to assess their understanding and highlight those areas which need further attention. All 7 sub-topics of topic 4 are covered by at least one question and there are several questions which challenge mathematical skills, which aligns with the high mathematical content of the final assessments.

This lesson describes succession as the gradual, progressive changes that occur in a community over time. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are part of lesson 3 in a series of 4 lessons which have been planned to cover the content included in topic 7.4 of the AQA A-level biology specification. In line with the specification, the lesson describes primary succession and explains how the community changes from the initial colonisation by the pioneer species to the establishment of a climax community. Time is taken to focus on the lichen as a pioneer species and to explain how their actions lead to the production of soil and the subsequent colonisation by more hardy species. The island of Surtsey is used as a real-world example to deepen student understanding. Understanding checks and prior knowledge checks are embedded throughout the lesson (along with the answers) so students can assess their progress on the current topic and also test their ability to link to previously covered topics. Due to the high mathematical content of the AQA assessments, a maths in a biology context question has also been included.

This lesson describes how recombinant DNA can be produced, including the role of restriction endonucleases and DNA ligase. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the content of point 7.4 (i) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification. This lesson begins with the introduction of recombinant DNA technology as a process where fragments of DNA are transferred from one species to another. Over the course of the lesson, the students are guided through 5 steps in the production of the recombinant DNA, with a focus on the enzymes involved, which are reverse transcriptase, DNA polymerase, restriction endonuclease, and DNA ligase. Understanding checks and prior knowledge checks are used throughout the lesson and the answers are embedded into the PowerPoint to allow the students to assess their progress.

A fun, engaging and detailed lesson presentation (29 slides) on the properties of metals and non-metals. This lesson focuses on the key properties and their key terms such as malleable and ductile. A number of quick competitions are used to introduce these terms to the students and once provided with the definitions, the students are expected to put these properties correctly with the metals (or non-metals). Progress checks occur throughout the lesson so that the understanding of the students can be checked. This lesson is designed for both KS3 and GCSE students.

This lesson guides students through the use of the chi-squared test to determine the significance of the difference between observed and expected results. It is fully-resourced with a detailed PowerPoint and differentiated task worksheets that have been designed to cover the part of point 7.1 of the AQA A-level Biology specification which states that students should be able to use the test to compare the goodness of fit between the observed phenotypic ratios and expected ratios. The lesson has been written to include a step-by-step guide that demonstrates how to carry out the test in small sections. At each step, time is taken to explain any parts which could cause confusion and helpful hints are provided to increase the likelihood of success in exam questions on this topic. Students will understand how to use the phenotypic ratio to calculate the expected numbers and then how to find the critical value in order to compare it against the chi-squared value. A worked example is used to show the working which will be required to access the marks and then the main task challenges the students to apply their knowledge to a series of questions of increasing difficulty. This is the final lesson of topic 7.1 (inheritance) and links are made throughout the lesson to earlier parts of this topic such as dihybrid inheritance as well as to earlier topics such as meiosis.

This clear and concise lesson looks at the phenomenon known as the Bohr effect and describes and explains how an increased carbon dioxide concentration effects the dissociation of oxyhaemoglobin. The PowerPoint has been designed to cover the second part of point 3.4.1 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and continually ties in with the previous lesson on the role of haemoglobin. The lesson begins with a terminology check to ensure that the students can use the terms affinity, oxyhaemoglobin and dissociation. In line with this, they are challenged to draw the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve and are reminded that this shows how oxygen associates with haemoglobin but how it dissociates at low partial pressures. Moving forwards, a quick quiz is used to introduce Christian Bohr and the students are given some initial details of his described effect. This leads into a series of discussions where the outcome is the understanding that an increased concentration of carbon dioxide decreases the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen. The students will learn that this reduction in affinity is a result of a decrease in the pH of the cell cytoplasm which alters the tertiary structure of the haemoglobin. Opportunities are taken at this point to challenge students on their prior knowledge of protein structures as well as the bonds in the tertiary structure. The lesson finishes with a series of questions where the understanding and application skills are tested as students have to explain the benefit of the Bohr effect for an exercising individual.

A highly engaging lesson presentation (74 slides) and accompanying worksheets that uses exam questions (with explained answers), quick tasks and quiz competitions to allow students to assess their understanding of the topic of Biological molecules (Topic 3.1). Students will have fun whilst recognising those areas of the specification which need further attention.