The causes and treatments of DIABETES (WJEC GCSE Biology)

This is a fully-resourced lesson consisting of an engaging PowerPoint and differentiated worksheets which have been designed to cover the content of point 2.5 (i) as detailed on the WJEC GCSE Biology specification. This point states that students should demonstrate and apply their knowledge and understanding of how type I and II diabetes are caused and their respective treatments. There are links made throughout the lesson between this topic and the control of blood glucose concentration from specification point 2.5 (h).

The lesson has been designed to take the format of a diabetic clinic where the students perform the duties of the attending doctor. They will move through the different stages of the role which includes identifying symptoms, diagnosis of type I or II and communication with the patients to reveal the findings. The wide range of activities will enable the students to learn how to spot that someone is suffering from diabetes and the similarities and differences between the different types so they can determine which one is being presented. The summary tasks challenge the students to construct a letter to a patient who is suffering from type II and to identify the correct type from another doctor’s letter.

Understanding and previous knowledge checks are interspersed with quiz competitions, like the one shown in the cover image, which make the learning fun and memorable and enable the students to assess their progress.

This lesson has been designed for students studying the WJEC GCSE Biology course but is suitable for both younger and older students who are focusing on this disease