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.
“Overall, at least 10% of the marks in assessments for biology will require the use of mathematical skills”
This sentence is taken directly from the AQA A-level Biology specification and clearly shows that being able to apply these skills in the context of biology will have a significant impact on a student’s chances of success.
This bundle has been created to cover as much of those mathematical skills as possible and the following specification points are covered by these 6 lessons:
Represent phenotypic ratios (monohybird and dihybrid crosses)
Use and manipulate the magnification formula
Use the chi-squared test to test the significance of the difference between observed and expected results
Use the Hardy-Weinberg principle to calculate changes in allele frequency
Calculate an index of diversity for a habitat
A revision lesson is also included in this bundle which acts as a fun and engaging revision of the range of calculations
This bundle contains 8 fully-resourced lessons which have been designed to cover the following content in topic 8 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification:
8.1: Know the structure and function of sensory, relay and motor neurones
8.2: Understand how the nervous system of organisms can cause effectors to respond to a stimulus
8.4: Understand how a nerve impulse is conducted along an axon
8.5: Understand the role of myelination in saltatory conduction
8.6 (i): Know the structure and function of synapses in nerve impulse transmission
8.6 (ii): Understand how the pupil dilates and contracts
8.8: Understand how the nervous system of organisms can detect stimuli with reference to rods in the retina of mammals
8.10: Know that the mammalian nervous system consists of the central and peripheral nervous systems
8.13: Understand how coordination in animals is brought about through nervous and hormonal control
8.18: Understand how recombinant DNA can be produced
8.19: Understand how recombinant DNA can be inserted into other cells
Each of the lessons contains a wide range of activities, which include exam-style questions, guided discussion periods and quick quiz competitions, and these will motivate the students whilst the difficult A-level content is covered
If you would like to see the quality of lessons included in this bundle then download the pupil reflex, saltatory conduction and nervous and hormonal control lessons as these have been uploaded for free
All of the 8 lessons that are included in this bundle are fully-resourced and contain a wide range of tasks which cover the content of the following specification points in topic 3 of AS unit 2 as detailed in the WJEC A-level Biology specification:
a: The double circulatory system of a mammal
b: The mammalian circulatory system including the structure and function of the heart and blood vessels
c: The cardiac cycle and the role of the SAN and Purkyne fibres
h: The formation of tissue fluid and its importance as the link between blood and cells
j: The absorption of water by the root
k: The movement of water through the root by the apoplast, symplast and vacuolar pathways
l: The structure and role of the endodermis
m: The detailed structure of the xylem
n: The movement of water from root to leaf including the transpiration stream and the cohesion-tension theory
q: The detailed structure of the phloem
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons included in this bundle, then download the double circulatory system and xylem and phloem lessons as these have been uploaded for free
This bundle of 7 lessons covers all of the content in the sub-topic B3.2 (Coordination and control - the endocrine system) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Combined Science specification. The topics and specification points covered within these lessons include:
Describe hormonal coordination by the human endocrine system
Explain the roles of adrenaline and thyroxine in the body
Describe the role of hormones in human reproduction (the menstrual cycle)
The hormonal and non-hormonal methods of contraception
Explain the use of hormones to treat infertility
All of these lesson presentations and accompanying resources are detailed and engaging and contain regular progress checks to allow the students to constantly assess their understanding.
This bundle of 6 revision lessons covers the content in topics 1 - 4, 7 and 8 of the Edexcel A-level Biology (Salters Nuffield) specification that can be assessed in Paper 2 (Energy, exercise and coordination).
Each of the lessons has been designed to include a range of exam questions, differentiated tasks and quiz competitions that will motivate the students whilst they evaluate their understanding of the different sub-topics. Helpful hints are given throughout the lesson to aid the students in structuring their answers and the mathematical elements of the course are constantly challenged as well.
The 6 topics covered by this bundle are:
Topic 1: Lifestyle, health and risk
Topic 2: Genes and health
Topic 3: Voice of the genome
Topic 4: Biodiversity and natural resources
Topic 7: Run for your life
Topic 8: Grey matter
This bundle contains 5 fully-resourced lessons which are highly detailed and will engage and motivate the students whilst the following content that is set out in topic 13 of the CIE A-level Biology specification is covered:
Topic 13.1
Energy transferred as ATP and reduced NADP from the light dependent stage is used during the Calvin cycle to produce complex organic molecules
The sites of the light-dependent and light-independent stages of photosynthesis
The light-dependent stage as the photoactivation of chlorophyll, the photolysis of water and the transfer of energy to ATP and reduced NADP
Cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphorylation
The three main stages of the Calvin cycle
The conversion of Calvin cycle intermediates to carbohydrates, lipids and amino acids
Topic 13.2
Explain the term limiting factor in relation to photosynthesis
Explain the effects of changes in light intensity, carbon dioxide concentration and temperature on the rate of photosynthesis
Explain how an understanding of limiting factors is used to increase crop yields in protected environments
The lesson PowerPoints and accompanying resources contain a wide range of tasks which include exam-style questions, whole class discussion periods and quiz competitions which are designed to introduce key terms and values in a memorable way.
This bundle of 7 engaging and motivating lesson presentations and associated worksheets uses a combination of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to test the students on their knowledge of the Physics units of the AQA Trilogy 9-1 GCSE Combined Science specification.
The knowledge of Topics P1 (Energy), P2 (Electricity), P3 (Particle model of matter), P4 (Atomic structure), P5 (Forces) P6 (Waves) and P7 (Magnetism and electromagnetism) can be assessed using these lessons.
This bundle of 6 lessons covers a lot of the content in Topic C8 (Acids, bases and salts) of the core and supplement sections of the Cambridge iGCSE Science Double Award specification. The topics and specification points covered within these lessons include:
Describe neutrality and relative acidity or alkalinity in terms of pH
Describe the characteristic properties of acids including the reactions with metals, bases and carbonates
Describe and use the tests for cations, anions and gases
All of these lesson presentations and accompanying resources are detailed and engaging and contain regular progress checks to allow the students to constantly assess their understanding
The biodiversity topic may not be every students’ favourite, but questions relating to this module 4 topic are very common in the OCR terminal exams, meaning it can be an area where a lot of marks are unfortunately lost. With this in mind, hours of research and planning has gone into each of the 6 lessons that are included in this bundle to ensure that the slides and accompanying worksheets contain interesting and relevant biological examples that will catch the attention of the students and ultimately increase the likelihood of the retention of the detailed A-level content. There are also regular understanding checks in the form of exam-style questions with accompanying mark schemes to allow the students to assess their progress.
The following specification points in module 4.2.1 of the OCR A-level Biology A specification are covered in this bundle:
How biodiversity may be considered at different levels
Random sampling and non-random sampling (opportunistic, stratified, systematic)
How to measure species richness and species evenness
The use and interpretation of Simpson’s Index of Diversity
How genetic biodiversity may be assessed, including calculations
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 protects species and habitats
The “reasons for maintaining biodiversity” lesson has been uploaded for free so if you download this, you will be able to recognise the quality of lesson that can be found in this bundle
This bundle contains 7 revision lessons which use multiple-choice assessments consisting of 20 questions to challenge the students on their knowledge and understanding of topics 1 - 7 content. In addition to the assessments, each lesson includes a PowerPoint which reveals the answers and contains additional questions to check on further knowledge and detail.
If you would like to sample the quality of these lessons, then download the topic 1 and 6 revision lessons as these have been uploaded for free.
This bundle of 8 revision lessons have been designed to include a range of exam questions (with explained answers), differentiated tasks and quiz competitions to enable students to assess their understanding of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification content.
The 8 topics that are covered in the specification are included in this bundle and are:
Topic 1: Lifestyle, Health and Risk
Topic 2: Genes and Health
Topic 3: Voice of the Genome
Topic 4: Biodiversity and natural resources
Topic 5: On the wild side
Topic 6: Infection, immunity and forensics
Topic 7: Run for your life
Topic 8: Grey matter
Students will enjoy the range of activities, which provide a much needed alternative to their other revision methods, and these lessons can be used throughout the duration of the course, as an end of topic revision lesson or in the lead up to mocks or the actual A-level terminal exams
All 9 of the lessons included in this bundle are fully resourced and have been designed to cover the detailed content of module 5.2.2 (Respiration) of the OCR A-Level Biology A specification.
The following specification points are covered by this bundle of lessons:
The need for cellular respiration
The structure of the mitochondrion
The process and site of glycolysis
The link reaction and its site in the cell
The process and site of the Krebs cycle
The importance of coenzymes in cellular respiration
The process and site of oxidative phosphorylation
The chemiosmotic theory
The process of anaerobic respiration in eukaryotes
The difference in the relative energy values of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins
The use and interpretation of the respiratory quotient
All of the lessons are detailed and engaging and contain regular progress checks so that students can assess their understanding of the current topic as well as prior knowledge checks to enable links between topics and modules to be seen
It is estimated that these lessons will cover in excess of a month’s A-level Biology teaching time
This bundle of 7 lesson presentations and associated worksheets have been designed to motivate and engage students whilst they assess their knowledge of the 7 Biology topics that are covered in the AQA Trilogy GCSE Combined Science specification.
The lessons use a range of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to cover the content in the following topics:
B1 Cell Biology
B2 Organisation
B3 Infection and response
B4 Bioenergetics
B5 Homeostasis and response
B6 Inheritance, variation and evolution
B7 Ecology
These revision lessons can be used at the end of the topic, in the lead up to the mock exams or in the lead up to the actual GCSE terminal exams
This bundle of 7 lessons covers the majority of the content in the sub-topic C6.2 (Organic Chemistry) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Chemistry specification. The topics covered within these lessons include:
Alkanes
Alkenes
Alcohols
Carboxylic acids
Alkanes from crude oil
Cracking oil fractions
Biological polymers
All of these lesson presentations and accompanying resources are detailed and engaging and contain regular progress checks to allow the students to constantly assess their understanding.
This bundle of 10 lessons covers the majority of the content in Topic C5 (Monitoring and controlling chemical reactions) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Combined Science specification. The topics covered within these lessons include:
Rates of reaction
The Collision theory
Temperature and the rate of reaction
Concentration and the rate of reaction
Particle size and the rate of reaction
Catalysts and the rate of reaction
Reversible reactions
Temperature and pressure and equilibrium
Choosing reaction conditions
All of these lesson presentations and accompanying resources are detailed and engaging and contain regular progress checks to allow the students to constantly assess their understanding.
This bundle of 6 lessons covers a lot of the content in Module 6.1.3 (Manipulating genomes) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and includes an end of module revision lesson. The topics covered within these lessons include:
The principles of DNA sequencing
The development of new DNA sequencing techniques
The principles of the PCR and its applications
The principles and uses of electrophoresis to separate DNA fragments and proteins
The principles and techniques of genetic engineering
6.1.3 REVISION
All of these lesson presentations and accompanying resources are detailed and engaging and contain regular progress checks to allow the students to constantly assess their understanding.
This bundle of 6 engaging and motivating lesson presentations and associated worksheets uses a combination of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to test the students on their knowledge of the 6 modules found within the OCR Gateway A GCSE Biology specification. The knowledge of Modules B1 (Cell-level systems), B2 (Scaling up), B3 (Organism-level systems), B4 (Community-level systems), B5 (Genes, inheritance and selection) and B6 (Global challenges) can be assessed using these lessons.
This bundle of 7 revision lessons covers the content in the following topics of the Edexcel GCSE Chemistry specification
Topic 1: Key concepts in Chemistry
Topic 3: Chemical changes
Topic 5: Separate chemistry 1
Topic 6: Groups in the Periodic Table
Topic 7: Rates of reaction and energy changes
Topic 8: Fuels and Earth Science
Topic 9: Separate Chemistry 2
These lessons use a range of activities which include exam questions with fully explained answers, differentiated tasks and engaging quiz competitions to enable the students to assess their understanding of the different topics and crucially to recognise those areas which need further attention.
This bundle of 7 lessons covers the majority of the content in the sub-topic B2.2(The challenges of size) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Combined Science specification. The topics covered within these lessons include:
Explain the need for exchange surfaces and a transport system in a multicellular organism due to the low SA:V ratio
The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide with the blood at the alveoli
Explain how the structure of the heart and the blood vessels are adapted to their function
Explain how the red blood cells and plasma are adapted to their transport function in the blood
Describe the processes of transpiration and translocation
Explain how the structure of the xylem and phloem are adapted to their functions in the plant
Explain the effects of a variety of factors on the rate of water uptake
Describe how a simple potometer can be used to investigate the rate of water uptake
All of these lesson presentations and accompanying resources are detailed and engaging and contain regular progress checks to allow the students to constantly assess their understanding.
This bundle of 7 engaging and motivating lesson presentations and associated worksheets have been designed to encourage students to assess their knowledge of the content in all 7 Chemistry topics of the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science specification.
The lessons use a range of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to cover the content in C1 (Key concepts in chemistry), C2 (States of matter and mixtures), C3 (Chemical change), C4 (Extracting metals and equilibria), C6 (Groups in the Periodic Table), C7 (Rates of Reaction and energy changes and C8 (Fuels and Earth Science)