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.
This concise lesson describes the basic structure of an amino acid and introduces them as the monomers of polypeptides. The engaging PowerPoint has been designed to cover point 2.9 (i) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification and has been specifically written to lead into the next lesson on dipeptides and polypeptides.
The lesson begins with a prior knowledge check, where the students have to use the 1st letters of 4 answers to uncover a key term. This 4-letter key term is gene and the lesson begins with this word because it is important for students to understand that these sequences of bases on DNA determine the specific sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide as detailed in specification point 2.8. Moving forwards, the students are given discussion time to work out that there are 64 different DNA triplets and will learn that these encode for the 20 amino acids that are common to all organisms. The main task of the lesson is an observational one, where students are given time to study the displayed formula of 4 amino acids. They are not allowed to draw anything during this time but will be challenged with 3 multiple choice questions at the end. This task has been designed to allow the students to visualise how the 20 amino acids share common features in an amine and an acid group. A quick quiz round introduces the R group and time is taken to explain how the structure of this side chain is the only structural difference, before cysteine is considered in greater detail due to the presence of sulfur atoms. Students are briefly introduced to disulfide bridges so they will recognise how particular bonds form between the R groups in the tertiary structure which is covered in the next lesson. The lesson concludes with one more quiz round called LINK TO THE FUTURE where the students will see the roles played by amino acids in the later part of the course such as translation and dipeptides.
This detailed and engaging lesson describes the basic structure of a mononucleotide and the similarities and differences between DNA and RNA. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheet containing exam-style questions have been designed to cover points 2.5 (i) & (ii) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification.
In topic 1, the students were introduced to a number of monomers and the start of the lesson challenges them to recognise the key term nucleotide when only the letters U, C and T are shown. The next part of the lesson describes the structure of a DNA nucleotide and an RNA nucleotide so that the pentose sugar and the bases adenine, cytosine and guanine can be recognised as similarities whilst deoxyribose and ribose and thymine and uracil are seen as the differences. Time is taken to discuss how a phosphodiester bond is formed between adjacent nucleotides and their prior knowledge and understanding of condensation reactions is tested through a series of questions. Students are then introduced to the purine and pyrimidine bases and this leads into the description of the double-helical structure of DNA and the hydrogen bonds between complementary bases. The final section of the lesson describes the structure of mRNA, tRNA and rRNA and students are challenged to explain why this single stranded polynucleotide is shorter than DNA
In addition to the current understanding and prior knowledge checks, a number of quiz rounds have been written into the lesson to introduce key terms in a fun and memorable way and the final round acts as a final check on the structures of DNA and RNA.
Some of the key biological topics are covered in topic 2 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) course and include the transport of materials across cell membranes, DNA structure and replication, protein synthesis and monohybrid inheritance. In line with this, many hours of intricate planning have gone into the design of all of the 19 lessons that are included in this bundle to ensure that the content is covered in detail, understanding is constantly checked to immediately address misconceptions and that engagement is high. This is achieved through the wide variety of tasks in the PowerPoints and accompanying worksheets which include exam-style questions with clear answers, discussion points, differentiated tasks and quick quiz competitions.
The following specification points are covered by the lessons within this bundle:
The properties of gas exchange surfaces in living organisms
Understand how the rate of diffusion is dependent on these properties and can be used in the calculation of the rate of diffusion by Fick’s law
Adaptations of the mammalian lung for rapid gaseous exchange
Structure and properties of cell membranes
Simple and facilitated diffusion as methods of passive transport
The involvement of ATP and carrier proteins in active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis
The basic structure of mononucleotides
The structures of DNA and RNA
The process of protein synthesis
The roles of the template strand, mRNA and tRNA
The nature of the genetic code
A gene is a sequence of bases on DNA that codes for the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide
The basic structure of an amino acid
The formation of polypeptides and proteins
The primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure of proteins
Globular and fibrous proteins using haemoglobin and collagen as examples
The mechanism of action and the specificity of enzymes
Enzymes are biological catalysts that reduce activation energy
The process of DNA replication
Errors in DNA replication can give rise to mutations
The meaning of key genetic terms
Patterns of inheritance, in the context of monohybrid inheritance
Understand how the expression of a gene mutation in people with cystic fibrosis impairs the functioning of the gaseous exchange, digestive and reproductive systems
Understand the uses and implications of genetic screening and prenatal testing
Due to the detail included in each of these lessons, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 months of allocated teaching time to cover the content.
If you would like to see the quality of the lessons, download the gas exchange surfaces, cell membranes, transcription, globular and fibrous proteins, monohybrid inheritance and cystic fibrosis lessons as these have been shared for free
This bundle contains 5 detailed and engaging lessons that cover the content in topic 2.2 of the CIE International A-level Biology course. Due to the importance of these biological molecules in living organisms, this mini-topic is fundamental to the whole course and planning has taken account of this with extra time given to those key details which must be understood.
The PowerPoints and accompanying resources contain a wide range of activities which include discussion points, current understanding and prior knowledge checks and quiz competitions.
The following specification points are covered in this bundle:
The ring forms of alpha and beta glucose
The meaning of the terms monomer, polymer, macromolecule, monosaccharide, disaccharide and polysaccharide
The formation and breakage of glycosidic bonds by condensation and hydrolysis reactions
The molecular structure of a triglyceride
The relationship between the structure and functions of triglycerides in living organisms
The structure and functions of phospholipids
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons, download the glucose and phospholipids lessons as these have been shared for free
This bundle contains 4 detailed and engaging lessons that cover the content in topic 2.3 of the CIE International A-level Biology course. Due to the importance of proteins and water in living organisms, this mini-topic is fundamental to the whole course and planning has taken account of this with extra time given to key details that must be understood.
The PowerPoints and accompanying resources contain a wide range of activities which include discussion points, current understanding and prior knowledge checks and quiz competitions.
The following specification points are covered in this bundle:
The structure of an amino acid and the formation and breakage of a peptide bond
The meanings of primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure
The types of bonding that hold protein molecules in shape
The molecular structure of haemoglobin as an example of a globular protein
Collagen as an example of a fibrous protein
The relationship between the properties of water and its roles in living organisms
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons, download the haemoglobin and collagen lesson as this has been shared for free
This lesson describes the relationship between the structure and function of the vacuole, chloroplast and cell wall, as found in plant cells. Additional structures, such as the nucleus and mitochondria, were covered in the previous lesson on the structure of eukaryotic animal cells and the detailed content of these two lessons has been designed in parallel to cover the main content of point 2.1.1 of the AQA A-level Biology specification.
The lesson begins with a task called REVERSE GUESS WHO which will challenge the students to recognise a cell structure from a description of its function. This will remind students that plant cells are eukaryotic and therefore contain a cell-surface membrane, a nucleus (+ nucleolus), a mitochondria, a Golgi apparatus, ribosomes and rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum like the animal cells. Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson focuses on the relationship between the structure and function of the vacuole, chloroplast and cellulose cell wall. When considering the vacuole, key structures such as the tonoplast are described as well as critical functions including the maintenance of turgor pressure. A detailed knowledge of the structure of the chloroplast at this early stage of their A-level studies will increase the likelihood of a clear understanding of photosynthesis when covered in topic 5. For this reason, time is taken to consider the light-dependent and light-independent reactions and to explain how these stages are linked. The final part of the lesson challenges the students on their knowledge of cellulose as a polysaccharide as previously covered in topic 1. In addition to the focus on plant cells, the presence of chloroplasts and a cell wall in algae and the latter in fungi is also described.
The previous lesson which contains the content that ties in closely with this one has been uploaded under the title “Structure of eukaryotic (animal) cells”
This lesson describes the sequence of events that occur during the phagocytosis of pathogens and the subsequent destruction by lysozymes. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been primarily designed to cover the second part of point 2.4 of the AQA A-level Biology specification but includes an introduction to antigen-presentation so that the students are prepared for upcoming lessons on the cellular and humoral responses.
At the start of the lesson, the students are challenged to recall that cytosis is a suffix associated with transport mechanisms and this introduces phagocytosis as a form of endocytosis which takes in pathogens and foreign particles. This emphasis on key terminology runs throughout the course of the lesson and students are encouraged to consider how the start or end of a word can be used to determine meaning. The process of phagocytosis is then split into 5 key steps and time is taken to discuss the role of opsonins as well as the fusion of lysosomes and the release of lysozymes. A series of application questions are used to challenge the students on their ability to make links to related topics including an understanding of how the hydrolysis of the peptidoglycan wall of a bacteria results in lysis. Students will be able to distinguish between neutrophils and monocytes from a diagram and at this point, the role of macrophages and dendritic cells as antigen-presenting cells is described so that it can be used in the next lesson. The lesson concludes with a brief introduction to lymphocytes so that initial links between phagocytosis and the specific immune responses are made.
This fully-resourced lesson describes the modes of action of the T and B lymphocytes in the immune response. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 2.4 of the CIE A-level Biology specification and the structure of antibodies and the roles of memory cells is also briefly introduced.
Antigen presentation was introduced at the end of the previous lesson so the task at the start of this lesson challenges students to recognise the name of this process and then they have to spot the errors in the passage that describes the details of this event. This reminds them that contact between the APC and T lymphocytes is necessary to elicit a response which they will come to recognise as the cellular response. A series of quick quiz rounds reveals key terms in a memorable way and one that is introduced is helper T cells. Time is then taken to describe the importance of cell signalling for an effective response and students will learn how the release of chemicals by these cells activates other aspects of the response. The role of the killer T cells is also described before an exam-style question is used to check on their understanding at this point of the lesson. This leads into the section of the lesson that deals with the humoral response and students will understand how this involves the antibodies that are produced by the plasma cells that are the result of clonal selection and expansion. The remainder of the lesson focuses on the role of the antibodies and the attachment of phagocytes to opsonins.
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 lesson describes the movement across cell membranes by simple and facilitated diffusion and describes how the rate is increased. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the second part of specification point 2.3 of the AQA A-level Biology course and the limitations imposed by the phospholipid bilayer and the role of channel and carrier proteins are described in detail.
The structure and properties of cell membranes was covered in the previous lesson so this one has been written to include continual references to the content of these lessons. 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 engaging lesson describes how chromosome mutations result in changes to the number or structure of chromosomes and focuses on Downs and Turner’s syndrome. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification points 2.3 (vi) and (vii) as detailed in the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification.
A human karyotype which has not been altered by a mutation is studied at the start of the lesson to allow students to recall the usual number of chromosomes as well as the sex chromosomes. They are then challenged to identify the differences when presented with the karyotypes of sufferers of Downs, Turner’s and Klinefelter’s syndrome. Students will learn that in the majority of cases, these conditions are the result of non-disjunction and having been assisted in the explanation of the outcome for Downs and Klinefelters, they have to form their own for Turner’s. The remainder of the lesson looks at other types of mutations, including translocation, and students will also see how whole sets of chromosomes can be duplicated in polyploidy.
This fully-resourced lesson has been written to support students to develop a clear understanding of 16 key genetic terms, including the 8 that are detailed in specification point 8.2 (i) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification. The 16 terms are genome, gene, chromosome, gene locus, homologous chromosomes, alleles, dominant, recessive, genotype, codominance, multiple alleles, autosomes, sex chromosomes, phenotype, homozygous and heterozygous.
As some of these terms were met at GCSE, this fully-resourced lesson has been designed to include a wide range of activities that build on this prior knowledge and provide clear explanations as to their meanings as well as numerous examples of their use in both questions and exemplary answers. The main task provides the students with an opportunity to apply their understanding by recognising a dominance hierarchy in a multiple alleles characteristic and then calculating a phenotypic ratio when given a completed genetic diagram. Other tasks include prior knowledge checks, discussion points to encourage students to consider the implementation of the genetic terms and quiz competitions to introduce new terms, maintain engagement and to act as an understanding check.
This lesson describes the roles of phosphate, calcium, magnesium and nitrate ions in plants. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the content of point 1.6 of the Edexcel A-level biology B specification.
The lesson begins by challenging the students to recognise DNA, RNA and phospholipids from three clues, and then they are challenged to recognise that these three biological molecules all contain phosphate ions. Moving forwards, a quick quiz round introduces adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and the students will learn that this is a phosphorylated nucleotide which can be hydrolysed to ADP to release energy. Time is taken to explain how this energy can be coupled to processes within cells such as active transport and examples in plants including the absorption of mineral ions and active loading in the phloem are explored.
The rest of the lesson describes the role of magnesium in the production of chlorophyll, nitrates to make DNA and amino acids and calcium ions to form calcium pectate in the middle lamellae. There are multiple understanding checks and also prior knowledge checks, where the students recall of the structure and function of haemoglobin is challenged.
All 5 lessons included in this bundle are detailed and have been filled with a variety of tasks to maintain the engagement of the students whilst checking on their understanding of A2 unit 3, topic 3 of the WJEC A-level biology specification, which is titled “Respiration releases chemical energy in biological processes”.
If you would like to see the quality of the lessons, download the glycolysis lesson 1st as this has been shared for free.
This lesson describes the role of reduced NAD and FAD as sources of electrons and protons for the electron transport system. The PowerPoint has been designed to cover the content of topic 3 point (d) of A2 unit 3 as set out in the WJEC A-level biology specification and explains how ATP is produced by oxidative phosphorylation.
The lesson begins with a recognition that the start of this stage doesn’t have a carbon-based molecule as was observed with the Krebs cycle. This leads into a discussion period, where the students are challenged to study their notes on glycolysis and the Krebs cycle to suggest which products of these reactions could initiate this stage. This introduces the reduced coenzymes as the sources of electrons and protons for the electron transport system, and as shown in the cover image, a step-by-step guide walks the students through the key parts of this stage. Students will learn about the creation of a proton gradient across the inner mitochondrial membrane and the formation of ATP and water when oxygen acts as the final electron acceptor.
This lesson is a follow-on lesson from the previous lessons covering the Krebs cycle, glycolysis and the need for respiration.
This lesson describes the meaning of absorption and action spectra and explains why plants contain several photosynthetic pigments. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover both specification points in topic 5.6 of the Edexcel A-level biology B specification and includes key information to prepare the students for the photosynthesis lessons in topic 5.7.
The students are presented with a picture of a leaf with chlorosis at the start of the lesson and are challenged to explain the appearance and name the ion which is deficient in the soil, drawing on their knowledge from topic 1. The lesson has been intricately planned to build on their limited knowledge of photosynthesis from GCSE, and to introduce key details such as the location of chlorophyll in the photosystems in the thylakoids. The students will learn that there are two forms of chlorophyll a, as well as a chlorophyll b, and a quick quiz round is used to reveal the values of 680 and 700. The absorption spectrum for chlorophyll a and b are displayed and when the students are presented with a spectra, they will discover that there are more chloroplast pigments. The carotenoids are introduced and the students have to interpret the spectra to reveal more details about these pigments. The meaning of an action spectrum is provided and the students are challenged to draw a sketch graph to show how the rate of photosynthesis differs for different wavelengths, before the correlation between the two spectra is considered.
This lesson describes the importance of photosynthetic pigments in photosynthesis. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are part of the 1st lesson in a series of 2 lessons which have been designed to cover point [c]of module 5.2.1 of the OCR A-level biology A specification and include descriptions of the role of the chlorophylls, carotene and xanthophyll and explains how to interpret absorption and action spectra. .
The students are presented with a picture of a leaf with chlorosis at the start of the lesson and are challenged to explain the appearance by drawing on any knowledge from GCSE. The lesson has been intricately planned to build on the previous lesson on the structure of the chloroplast, and the students are reminded that chlorophyll is located in the thylakoids. The students will learn that there are two forms of chlorophyll a, as well as a chlorophyll b, and a quick quiz round is used to reveal the values of 680 and 700. The absorption spectrum for chlorophyll a and b are displayed and when the students are presented with a spectra, they will discover that there are more chloroplast pigments. The carotenoids are introduced and the students have to interpret the spectra to reveal more details about these pigments. The meaning of an action spectrum is provided and the students are challenged to draw a sketch graph to show how the rate of photosynthesis differs for different wavelengths.
Due to the similarities in the structure and function between haemoglobin and chlorophyll, the final task is a prior knowledge check about this protein.
This lesson challenges the students on their knowledge of the content of module 2.1.2 using a multiple-choice assessment of 15 questions. This sub-module of the OCR A-level biology A specification concerns biological molecules and understanding of this content is fundamental to the understanding of a lot of the topics that follow. The answers to the 15 questions are embedded into the accompanying PowerPoint, which also has KEY POINTS, and other knowledge checks to challenge the content that wasn’t directly assessed by the 15 questions.
This lesson has been designed to be used for revision purposes when students reach the end of module 2.1.2 or in the lead up to mock examinations or even final A-level examinations.
