This lesson describes the action of bactericidal and bacteriostatic antibiotics, as illustrated by penicillin and tetracycline. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 6.3 (i) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification but it has been specifically planned to make continual links to earlier lessons in topic 6 and to protein synthesis as covered in topic 1 The lesson begins by challenging the students to use their general biological knowledge and any available sources to identify the suffixes cidal and static. Students will learn that when the prefix is added, these form the full names of two types of antibiotics. Their understanding of terminology is tested further as they have to recognise that Polymyxin B is an example of a bactericidal antibiotic as its actions would result in the death of the bacterial cell. Time is then taken to describe the action of penicillin and students will learn how inhibitors and modified versions of this antibiotic are used to overcome those bacteria who have resistance. Tetracycline is used as the example of a bacteriostatic antibiotic and students will discover that its prevention of the binding of tRNA that inhibits protein synthesis and this reduction and stopping of growth and reproduction is synonymous with these drugs. Students are challenged on their knowledge of translation and will also be given time for a class discussion to understand that these antibiotics encourage the body’s immune system to overcome the pathogen in natural, active immunity. The final part of the lesson uses a quick quiz competition and a series of exam-style questions to ensure that students can recognise these different types of antibiotics from descriptions.

This lesson describes the movement of water from the root to the leaf and includes the transpiration stream and the cohesion-tension theory. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point (n) of topic 3 in AS unit 2 of the WJEC A-level Biology specification This lesson has been written to follow on from a previous lesson, which finished with the description of the transport of the water and mineral ions from the endodermis to the xylem. Students are immediately challenged to use this knowledge to understand root pressure and the movement by mass flow down the pressure gradient. Moving forwards, time is taken to study the details of transpiration pull and the interaction between cohesion, tension and adhesion in capillary action is explained. Understanding is constantly checked through a range of tasks and prior knowledge checks are also written into the lesson to challenge the students to make links to previously covered topics such as the structure of the transport tissues. The final part of the lesson considers the journey of water through the leaf and ultimately out of the stomata in transpiration. A step by step guide using questions to discuss and answer as a class is used to support the students before the final task challenges them to summarise this movement out of the leaf.

This detailed lesson describes the absorption of water, the movement through the root and the role of the endodermis. Both the PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover specification points (j, k & l) in topic 3 of AS unit 2 of the WJEC A-level Biology specification and includes descriptions of the apoplast, symplast and vacuolar pathways and the Casparian strip. The lesson begins by looking at the specialised features of the root hair cell so that students can understand how these epidermal cells absorb water and mineral ions from the soil. Moving forwards, students are introduced to key terminology such as epidermis and root cortex before time is taken to look at the different pathways that water and minerals use to transverse across the cortex. Discussion points are included throughout the lesson to encourage the students to think about each topic in depth and challenges them to think about important questions such as why the apoplast pathway is needed for the water carrying the ions. The main part of the lesson focuses on the role of the endodermis in the transport of the water and ions into the xylem. Students will be introduced to the Casparian strip and will learn how this layer of cells blocks the apoplast pathway. A step by step method using class questions and considered answers is used to guide them through the different steps and to support them when writing the detailed description. This lesson has been written to tie in with the next lesson on the pathways and mechanisms by which water and mineral ions are transported to the leaves.

An informative and student-led lesson presentation (32 slides), accompanied by a reaction diagram and task worksheet, which together look at the key details of nuclear fission reactions. The lesson begins by introducing the students to the name of this reaction and to that of a neutron before they are challenged to recall the properties of this sub-atomic particle as this knowledge plays an important role in their understanding. Moving forwards, students will learn that two isotopes of uranium are involved and will discover and work out how one isotope is changed into the other. Diagrams accompany the theory throughout so that students can visualise how the reaction progresses. They are shown how to work out the two daughter nuclei that are produced in the reaction and how an equation can be written to represent nuclear fission. Progress checks have been written into the lesson at regular intervals so that students can constantly assess their understanding and any misconceptions can be immediately addressed. This lesson has been designed for GCSE students (14 - 16 year olds in the UK)

This is an informative lesson that builds on the knowledge that students gained at GCSE on the topic of inheritance to enable them to carry out genetic crosses for the inheritance of a single gene at A-level. The start of the lesson focuses on the terminology that is associated with this topic which has to be recognised and understood if students are going to be able to begin a cross. Time is taken to go over key points such as the genotypes and working out the different possible gametes that would be produced by meiosis. Students can save time by only showing the different gametes so assistance is given on this. As can be seen from the cover image, a step by step guide is used to go through a number of examples so that students can visualise how to set out their diagrams in order to maximise the marks gained. There are progress checks written into the lesson throughout so that assessment is constant. This lesson can be taught alongside another upload called “understanding genetic trees”

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 to analyse data using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient. The PowerPoint and accompanying exam-style question are part of the second lesson in a series of 2 lessons which have been designed to cover point 10.1 (vi) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification. The first lesson in this series described how to analyse data using the standard deviation and the t-test As with the previous lesson, a step by step guide is used to walk the students through the use of the formula to generate the rank coefficient and to determine whether there is a positive correlation, no correlation or a negative correlation. The students are also reminded of the null hypothesis and will be shown how to accept or reject this hypothesis and to determine significance. The students will work through an example with the class and then are given the opportunity to apply their newly-acquired knowledge to an exam-style question. The mark scheme is displayed on the PowerPoint so they can assess their understanding

This is an engaging revision lesson which uses a range of exam questions, understanding checks, quick differentiated tasks and quiz competitions to allow students to assess their knowledge of the topic of cells and related topics as covered in the GCSE Biology and GCSE Combined Science courses. As cells are the building blocks of living organisms, a strong understanding of this topic is critical for the success of a student on these two courses. The following topics are covered in this revision lesson: The key differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells The structure of a bacterial cell Specialised cells The individual functions of the organelles Calculating size Students will be engaged through the range of activities which includes quiz competitions such as “CELL, CELL, CELL” where students have to compete to identify specialised cells from descriptions. This lesson can be used at any time during the year as a revision material, in the lead up to mocks or as a final revision lesson before the GCSE terminal exams.

This revision lesson contains a motivating and engaging powerpoint (67 slides) and associated worksheets which have been designed to challenge student knowledge of the Periodic Table. The lesson involves a wide range of activities which include exam questions with clear answers to allow students to self-assess, quiz competitions and differentiated tasks. The students will enjoy the transitions between the different activities whilst crucially being able to evaluate their understanding of this key topic in Chemistry. Deliberately, the lesson hasn’t been written for any particular exam board or exclusively for Combined Science or Chemistry, but instead it covers the topics which are shown below and this will allow teachers to pick and choose which parts they want to do in a particular lesson. Properties of the alkali metals (group I) Properties of the halogens (group VII) Properties of the noble gases (group 0) Formation of ionic compounds between group I and VII elements Reactivity of the alkali metals and the halogens Displacement reactions of the halogens The transition elements Organisation of the Periodic Table Predicting properties of the unknown or rare elements As the title suggests, the content of this lesson has been written to be GCSE standard and therefore is most suitable for use with 14 - 16 year olds. However, it could be used with younger students who are doing work on the topic and want to challenge themselves

This fully-resourced revision lesson uses a range of activities to challenge the students on their knowledge of proteins from module 2.1.2. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to test the intricate details of specification points 2.1.2 (k), (l), (m), (n), (o) & (q) The range of activities include exam-style questions with displayed mark schemes, understanding checks and quick quiz competitions that will 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) The biuret test for proteins Time has been taken in the planning to make links to topics in upcoming modules such as the genetic code (2.1.3) and intracellular enzymes (2.1.4)

This lesson has been designed to cover the content as detailed in points 7.9 & 7.10 (The importance of homeostasis) of the Edexcel GCSE Biology specification. Consisting of a detailed and engaging PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets, the range of activities will motivate the students whilst ensuring that the content is covered in detail. Students will learn how a constant internal environment is maintained by homeostasis before being introduced to some of the factors which are regulated by these systems. Time is taken to look into osmoregulation and thermoregulation in more detail, so that students can explain that maintenance of the body temperature at the set-point allows enzymes to function at their maximum rate. Progress checks are included throughout the lesson so that students can assess their understanding of the content and any misconceptions can be addressed whilst quiz competitions, like SAY WHAT YOU SEE and YOU DO THE MATH, are used to introduce new terms and important values in a fun and memorable way. This lesson has been written for GCSE-aged students who are studying the Edexcel GCSE Biology specification but can be used with older students who need to recall the idea of homeostasis before taking it to greater depths in their studies.

This fully-resourced lesson has been designed to cover specification points 2.2 (a and b) about chromosomes and their role in mitosis as detailed in topic 2.2 (Cell division and stem cells) of the WJEC GCSE Biology specification. The wide range of activities will engage and motivate the students whilst ensuring that the content is covered in detail. In order for a deep understanding to be achieved, the other stages of the cell cycle (interphase and cytokinesis) are discussed so that students can recognise how th events that happen before and after this form of cell division results in genetically identical cells. A selection of summary questions will challenge the students on their understanding and ability to apply their knowledge to unfamiliar situations with questions about organisms other than humans. The lesson finishes by looking at the functions of mitosis in living organisms. This lesson has been designed for GCSE-aged students studying the WJEC GCSE Biology course but is also suitable for older students who are learning about mitosis and the cell cycle at A-level and need to go back over the key points

This engaging and detailed resource, which contains a PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets, has been designed to cover the content of point 2.5 (e) of the WJEC GCSE Biology specification that states that students should know the structure and functions of the following 9 parts of the eye: sclera cornea pupil iris lens choroid retina blind spot optic nerve The lesson was designed to include a wide range of activities to engage and motivate the students so that the knowledge is more likely to stick. These activities include Have you got an EYE for the IMPOSSIBLE, as shown in the cover image, where students have to pick out the 8 structures of the human eye from the list and avoid the IMPOSSIBLE answer. There is also a particular focus on the light-sensitive cells in the retina, the pupil reflex and the change in the shape of the lens to accommodate near and distant objects. This lesson has been designed for students studying the WJEC GCSE Biology course but is suitable for both older and younger students who may be studying the eye.

This fully-resourced revision lesson challenges the students on their knowledge of the content detailed in topic 1 (Matter) of the OCR GCSE Physics specification. The wide range of activities, which include exam questions with clear explanations, will allow them to assess their understanding of the content and to recognise those areas which require further attention. The lesson has been designed to cover as much of the module as possible but the following specification points have been given particular attention: Recall and apply the equation to calculate density Describe how and why the atomic model has changed over time Describe the atom and recall the typical size Explain the difference in density between different states of matter Describe how mass is conserved when physical changes occur Describe how physical changes differ from chemical changes Define the term specific heat capacity and distinguish between that and specific latent heat Applying the equation to calculate the specific heat capacity Understanding that temperature does not change during changes of state Applying the equation to calculate the specific latent heat Explaining the qualitative relationship between the temperature of a gas and its pressure Applying the equation that links pressure, volume and a constant Explain how doing work on a gas can increase its temperature Explain why pressure in a liquid varies with depth Most of the resources are differentiated to allow students of differing abilities to access the work and be challenged and the PowerPoint guides the students through the range of mathematical skills which are tested in this module

This is a fully-resourced revision lesson which covers the content detailed in the CORE & SUPPLEMENT sections of topics P5 & P6 (Electrical quantities and electric circuits) of the CIE IGCSE Combined Science specification. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources contain a wide range of activities which include exam-style questions with clearly explained answers, differentiated tasks and quiz competitions to allow students to assess their understanding and to ultimately recognise those areas which need further consideration. The following specification points have been given particular attention in this lesson: The electrical symbols that represent the electrical components Describe the differences between series and parallel circuits Recall that a voltmeter is connected in parallel One volt is equal to one joule per coulomb Recall and use the equations that calculate charge, potential difference and power Recall that an ammeter is connected in series Calculate the currents, potential differences and resistances in series and parallel circuits Know the safety function of the fuse Understand that like charges repel and unlike charges attract This lesson has been designed to fall in line with the heavy mathematical content of the Physics specification with a number of calculation tasks and students are guided through the range of skills that they will have to employ

This fully-resourced lesson describes the internal structure of the heart and all of the blood vessels attached to the heart. Both the engaging PowerPoint and accompanying differentiated resources have been designed to cover the 1st part of section A9 as detailed in the CIE International A-level PE specification. The structure of the heart is a topic which was covered in part at GCSE so this lesson has been written to build on that prior knowledge. The main task of the lesson involves students labelling the different structures as they are recalled. Time is taken at different points of the lesson to look at some of the structures and concepts in further detail. For example, students will learn that humans have a double circulatory system, as detailed in point section A10, and that the thicker muscular wall of the left ventricle allows the blood in the systemic circulation to be pumped at a higher pressure than in the pulmonary circulation. Students are also challenged to explain why a hole in the septum would cause health issues for an affected individual and this links back to previous work in unit 1 on energy systems. By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to identify the following structures and describe their individual functions: right and left atria right and left ventricles septum tricuspid and bicuspid valve semi-lunar valves pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein vena cava aorta A number of quiz rounds are used throughout the lesson to introduce key terms in a fun and memorable way before the final round is used as a final check so they can assess whether they can recognise the structures and recall their functions.

This lesson describes and explains the processes of simple diffusion and facilitated diffusion. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the first part of specification point 4.2 (a) of the CIE International A-level Biology course and the factors that increase the rate of diffusion are covered along with the limitations imposed by the phospholipid bilayer and the role of channel and carrier proteins. The structure and properties of cell membranes was covered in topic 4.1 so this lesson has been written to include continual references to the content of that lesson. This enables links to be made between the movement across a cell membrane with the concentration gradient, the parts of the membrane that are involved and any features that may increase the rate at which the molecules move. A series of questions about the alveoli are used to demonstrate how a large surface area, a short diffusion distance and the maintenance of a steep concentration gradient will increase the rate of simple diffusion. One of two quick quiz rounds is then used to introduce temperature and size of molecule as two further factors that can affect simple diffusion. The remainder of the lesson focuses on facilitated diffusion and describes how transmembrane proteins are needed to move small, polar or large molecules from a high concentration to a lower concentration across a partially permeable membrane

This detailed lesson describes how the movement of water between solutions and cells has differing effects on animal and plant cells. Both the PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification points 4.2 (a) and (f) as detailed in the CIE International A-level Biology specification. It’s likely that students will have used the term concentration in their osmosis definitions at GCSE, so the aim of the starter task is to introduce water potential to allow students to begin to recognise osmosis as the movement of water molecules from a high water potential to a lower potential, with the water potential gradient. Time is taken to describe the finer details of water potential to enable students to understand that 0 is the highest value (pure water) and that this becomes negative once solutes are dissolved. Exam-style questions are used throughout the lesson to check on current understanding as well as prior knowledge checks which make links to previously covered topics such as the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane. The remainder of the lesson focuses on the movement of water when animal and plant cells are suspended in hypotonic, hypertonic or isotonic solutions and the final appearance of these cells is described, including any issues this may cause.

This fully-resourced lesson describes the events of the cell cycle so that students can understand how the genetic material behaves in interphase, mitosis and cytokinesis. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification points 2.3 (i), (ii) and (iii) as detailed in the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification. Depending upon the exam board taken at GCSE, the knowledge and understanding of mitosis and the cell cycle will differ considerably between students and there may be a number of misconceptions. This was considered at all points during the planning of the lesson and to address existing errors, key points are emphasised throughout. The cell cycle is introduced at the start of the lesson and the quantity of DNA inside the parent cell is described as diploid and as 2n. A quiz competition has been written into the lesson and this runs throughout, challenging the students to identify the quantity of DNA in the cell (in terms of n) at different points of the cycle. Moving forwards, the first real focus is interphase and the importance of DNA replication is explained so that students can initially recognise that there are pairs of identical sister chromatids and then can understand how they are separated later in the cycle. The main part of the lesson focuses on prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase and describes how the chromosomes behave in these stages. An exam style question will check on their knowledge of the organelles from 2.1 and this acts to remind them that centrioles are responsible for the production of the spindle apparatus, Students will understand how the cytoplasmic division that occurs in cytokinesis results in the production of genetically identical daughter cells. This leads into a series of understanding and application questions where students have to identify the various roles of mitosis in living organisms as well as tackling a Maths in a Biology context question. The lesson concludes with a final round of MITOSIS SNAP where they only shout out this word when a match is seen between the name of a phase, an event and a picture

This detailed lesson describes the properties of water to demonstrate the importance of this molecule for living organisms. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover the details of specification point (b) of AS unit 1, topic 1 of the WJEC A-level Biology course and has been specifically designed to ensure that each role is illustrated using a specific example. As this is only the second lesson in the biological compounds topic, which is a topic that students tend to find difficult or potentially less engaging, the planning has centred around the inclusion of a wide variety of tasks to cover the content whilst maintaining motivation and engagement. These tasks include current understanding and prior knowledge checks, discussion points and quick quiz competitions to introduce key terms and values in a memorable way. The start of the lesson considers the structure of water molecules, focusing on the covalent and hydrogen bonds, and the dipole nature of this molecule. Time is taken to emphasise the importance of these bonds and this property for the numerous roles of water and then over the remainder of the lesson, the following properties are described and discussed and linked to real-life examples: polarity ability to form hydrogen bonds surface tension as a solvent thermal properties as a metabolite The final part of the lesson introduces condensation and hydrolysis reactions and students will learn that a clear understanding of these reactions is critical as they will reappear throughout the topic in the synthesis and breakdown of biological compounds