This fully-resourced lesson distinguishes between active and passive, natural and artificial immunity and explains how vaccinations can be used to control disease. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 11.2 (d) of the CIE A-level Biology specification and there is also a description and discussion on the concept of herd immunity. In topic 11.1, students were introduced to the primary and secondary immune responses so the start of this lesson uses an imaginary game of TOP TRUMPS to challenge them on the depth of their understanding. This will act to remind them that a larger concentration of antibodies is produced in a quicker time in the secondary response. The importance of antibodies and the production of memory cells for the development of immunity is emphasised and this will be continually referenced as the lesson progresses. The students will learn that this response of the body to a pathogen that has entered the body through natural processes is natural active immunity. Moving forwards, time is taken to look at vaccinations as an example of artificial active immunity. Another series of questions focusing on the MMR vaccine will challenge the students to explain how the deliberate exposure to antigenic material activates the immune response and leads to the retention of memory cells. A quick quiz competition is used to introduce the variety of forms that the antigenic material can take along with examples of diseases that are vaccinated against using these methods. The eradication of smallpox is used to describe the concept of herd immunity and the students are given time to consider the scientific questions and concerns that arise when the use of this pathway is a possible option for a government. The remainder of the lesson looks at the different forms of passive immunity and describes the drawbacks in terms of the need for a full response if a pathogen is re-encountered

This fully-resourced lesson guides students through the construction of genetic crosses and pedigree diagrams for the inheritance of a single gene. The clear PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 8.2 (ii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and includes the inheritance of multiple allele characteristics as well as those that demonstrate codominance. In order to minimise the likelihood of errors and misconceptions, step by step guides have been included throughout the lesson to support the students with the following: Writing parent genotypes Working out the different gametes that are made following meiosis Interpreting Punnett crosses to work out phenotypic ratios Students can often find pedigree trees the most difficult to interpret and to explain so exemplar answers are used as well as differentiated worksheets provided to support those students who need extra assistance.

This fully-resourced lesson describes the movement of molecules by active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis, which are all active process that require ATP. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover the second part of point 2.1.5 (d) [i] of the OCR A-level Biology A specification. The first part of this specification point, concerning simple and facilitated diffusion, was covered in the previous lesson. The start of the lesson challenges the students to use their prior knowledge of biological molecules to come up with the abbreviation ATP. Students were introduced to this molecule in module 2.1.3, so a series of prior knowledge questions are used to check on their recall of the structure and properties of ATP. Students are also reminded that the hydrolysis of ATP can be coupled to energy-requiring reactions within the cell and the rest of the lesson focuses on the use of this energy input for active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis. Students are challenged to answer a series of questions which compare active transport against the forms of passive transport and to use data from a bar chart to support this form of transport. In answering these questions they will discover that carrier proteins are specific to certain molecules and time is taken to look at the exact mechanism of these transmembrane proteins. A quick quiz round introduces endocytosis and the students will see how vesicles are involved along with the energy source of ATP to move large substances in or out of the cell. The lesson concludes with a link to a future topic as the students are shown how exocytosis is involved in a synapse.

This fully-resourced lesson describes genetic biodiversity as the number of genes in a population and considers how it can be assessed. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying differentiated resources have been primarily designed to cover point 4.2.1 (e) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification but also introduces inheritance and codominance so that students are prepared for these genetic topics when they are covered in module 6.1.2 In order to understand that 2 or more alleles can be found at a gene loci, students need to be confident with genetic terminology. Therefore the start of the lesson focuses on key terms including gene, locus, allele, recessive, genotype and phenotype. A number of these will have been met at GCSE, as well as during the earlier lessons in module 2.1.3 when considering meiosis, so a quick quiz competition is used to check on their recall of the meanings of these terms. The CFTR gene is then used as an example to demonstrate how 2 alleles results in 2 different phenotypes and therefore genetic diversity. Moving forwards, students will discover that more than 2 alleles can be found at a locus and they are challenged to work out genotypes and phenotypes for a loci with 3 alleles (shell colour in snails) and 4 alleles (coat colour in rabbits). Two calculations are provided to the students that can calculate the % of loci with more than one allele and the proportion of polymorphic gene loci. At this point, the students are introduced to codominance and again they are challenged to apply their understanding to a new situation by working out the number of phenotypes in the inheritance of blood groups. The lesson concludes with a brief consideration of the HLA gene loci, which is the most polymorphic loci in the human genome, and students are challenged to consider how this sheer number of alleles can affect the chances of tissue matches in organ transplantation

This lesson describes the mechanism of breathing, including the roles of the ribcage, intercostal muscles and the diaphragm. The content of the engaging PowerPoint has been designed to cover the details of the fifth part of specification point 3.2 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and introduces the antagonistic interaction of the external and internal intercostal muscles. The lesson begins with a focus on the diaphragm and students will discover that this sheet of muscle is found on the floor of the thoracic cavity. Whilst planning the lesson, it was deemed important to introduce this region of the body at an early stage because the best descriptions will regularly reference the changes seen in this cavity. As the mechanism of inhalation is a cascade of events, the details of this process are covered in a step by step format using bullet points. At each step, time is taken to discuss the key details which includes an introduction to Boyle’s law that reveals the inverse relationship between volume and pressure. It is crucial that students are able to describe how the actions of the diaphragm, external intercostal muscles and ribcage result in an increased volume of the thoracic cavity and a subsequent decrease in the pressure, which is below the pressure outside of the body. At this point, their recall of the structures of the mammalian gas exchange system is tested, to ensure that they can describe the pathway the air takes on moving into the lungs. The remainder of the lesson involves a task which challenges the students to describe exhalation and then the accessory muscles involved in forced ventilation are also considered.

This fully-resourced lesson has been designed to cover both the foundation and higher tier content of specification point 5.3.2 (Control of blood glucose concentration) as found in topic 5 of the AQA GCSE Biology & Combined Science specifications. This resource contains an engaging PowerPoint (37 slides) and accompanying worksheets, some of which have been differentiated so that students of different abilities can access the work. The resource is filled with a wide range of activities, each of which has been designed to engage and motivate the students whilst ensuring that the key Biological content is covered in detail. Understanding checks are included throughout so that the students can assess their grasp of the content. In addition, previous knowledge checks make links to content from earlier topics such as the endocrine system and literacy checks ensure that the students can spell and recognise the key words, which is extremely important considering how many terms begin with the letter g in this homeostatic control system. The following content is covered in this lesson: The receptors, coordination centre and effectors in the control of blood glucose concentration The release of insulin when high blood glucose levels are detected The conversion of glucose to glycogen for storage in liver and muscle cells The causes and treatments of diabetes type I and II The release of glucagon when low blood glucose levels are detected The interaction of insulin and glucagon in a negative feedback cycle As stated at the top, this lesson has been designed for GCSE-aged students who are studying the AQA GCSE Biology or Combined Science courses, but it can be used with A-level students who need to go back over the key points before looking at the homeostatic control in more detail

This fully-resourced lesson has been designed to cover the content in point 3.17 (Inheritance of ABO blood groups) as detailed in the Edexcel GCSE Biology specification. As specified in this point, students will learn how this inheritance demonstrates both codominance and multiple alleles. A potentially difficult topic, time has been taken to include guidance sections where students are walked through the interpretation of the different genotypes to find out the phenotypes as well as constructing genetic diagrams and calculating blood groups from pedigree trees. There is a real focus on genetic terminology such as allele, locus, genotype and phenotype so that the understanding is deep and students can use this if they choose to further their studies at A-level. This lesson has been designed for GCSE-aged students studying the Edexcel GCSE Biology course but is also suitable for older students who are learning about codominance and multiple alleles at A-level

This lesson has been designed to cover the content as detailed in point 2.13 (The structure and function of the nervous system) of the Edexcel GCSE Biology & Combined Science specifications. Consisting of a detailed and engaging PowerPoint (38 slides) and accompanying worksheets, the range of activities will motivate the students whilst ensuring that the content is covered in detail. Students will learn how receptors, sensory neurones, the CNS, motor neurones and effectors are involved in the detection and response to a stimulus. There is a focus on the structure of the sensory and motor neurones and the presence of the myelin sheath in both of these neurones is discussed with relation to the increased speed of conduction. Students will understand that a synapses involve the diffusion of neurotransmitters and allow communication between neurones and they are briefly introduced to relay neurones but these are covered in more detail in the reflexes lesson. 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 FROM NUMBERS 2 LETTERS and SAY WHAT YOU SEE, are used to introduce new terms in a fun and memorable way. This lesson has been written for GCSE-aged students who are studying the Edexcel GCSE Biology or Combined Science specifications but can be used with older students who need to know the key details of the nervous system for their A level course before taking it to greater depths

This engaging and fully-resourced lesson looks at the effects of stabilising, directional and disruptive selection as the three main types of selection. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the 3rd part of point 7.3 of the AQA A-level Biology specification which states that students should be able to identify each type of selection by its effect on different phenotypes. The lesson begins with an introduction to the mark, release, recapture method to calculate numbers of rabbits with different coloured fur in a particular habitat. This method is covered later in topic 7 so this section of the lesson is designed purely to generate changes in numbers of the organisms. Sketch graphs are then constructed to show the changes in the population size in this example. A quick quiz competition is used to engage the students whilst introducing the names of the three main types of selection before a class discussion point encourages the students to recognise which specific type of selection is represented by the rabbits. Key terminology including intermediate and extreme phenotypes and selection pressure are used to emphasise their importance during explanations. A change in the environment of the habitat and a change in the numbers of the rabbits introduces directional selection before students will be given time to discuss and to predict the shape of the sketch graph for disruptive selection. Students are challenged to apply their knowledge in the final task of the lesson by choosing the correct type of selection when presented with details of a population and answer related questions.

This engaging lesson explores the roles of the SAN, AVN, Bundle of His and Purkyne fibres in the transmission of the wave of excitation through the heart. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the first part of point 6.1.3 of the AQA A-level Biology specification which states that students should be able to describe the myogenic stimulation of the heart and the subsequent wave of electrical activity. The lesson begins with the introduction of the SAN as the natural pacemaker and then time is given to study each step of the conduction of the impulse as it spreads away from the myogenic tissue in a wave of excitation. The lesson has been written to make clear links to the cardiac cycle and the structure of the heart and students are challenged on their knowledge of this system from topic 3. Moving forwards, students are encouraged to consider why a delay would occur at the AVN and then they will learn that the impulse is conducted along the Bundle of His to the apex so that the contraction of the ventricles can happen from the bottom upwards. The structure of the cardiac muscle cells is discussed and the final task of the lesson challenges the students to describe the conducting tissue, with an emphasis on the use of key terminology

This fully-resourced lesson explains how the transcription of target genes can be stimulated or inhibited by transcription factors. Both the PowerPoint and the accompanying resources have been designed to cover the first part of point 8.2.2 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and links are continuously made throughout the lesson to the topic of protein synthesis which was covered in topic 4.2. The lesson begins with a recall of the meaning of the terms genome and proteome so that a discussion can begin on whether a cell wants to express every gene and produce all of the possible proteins all of the time. As the answer to this is no, the idea of transcription factors is introduced. In order to fully understand this topic, students need to recall that the role of the promoter region is to bind RNA polymerase to initiate transcription. Students will learn that the factors have a DNA-binding domain and that some also have ligand-binding domains which allow molecules like hormones to bind. Moving forwards, the students are introduced to a group of substances called DELLA proteins which inhibit plant development. The way that transcription begins once the inhibition by the proteins has been removed is similar to the action of oestrogen and students are able to use this information as a guide during the final task where they have to order the sequence of events that take place once this steroid hormone binds to its transcription factor.

This fully-resourced lesson explores how projects to sequence the genomes of both simple and complex organisms can be used. Both the detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the content of point 8.3 of the AQA A-level Biology specification. The start of the lesson describes each step of Sanger’s chain termination method and demonstrates how this method has paved the way for other projects. The use of the modified nucleotides are explained and links are made to the topic 4 and 2 where protein synthesis and DNA replication were first introduced. Students will learn how the radioactively-labelled nucleotide at the end of each fragment allows the next base to be determined. Key processes like gel electrophoresis are introduced and details provided to support the students when this is encountered in greater detail in 8.4.3. Moving forwards, the applications of sequencing in simple organisms like viruses and bacteria are explored and the students are challenged on their prior knowledge of bacterial pathogenesis and current understanding of sequencing through a series of exam-style questions. The final part of the lesson looks at the difficulties of translating genome knowledge into proteome knowledge and considers the development of automated methods. Due to the detail and extensiveness of this lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 hours of allocated A-level teaching time to cover all of the points which have been written into the various tasks

This is a fully-resourced lesson which uses exam-style questions, quiz rounds, quick tasks and discussion points to challenge students on their understanding of the content of topics B4 - B6, that will assessed on PAPER 2. It has been specifically designed for students on the OCR Gateway A GCSE Combined Science course who will be taking the FOUNDATION TIER examinations but is also suitable for students taking the higher tier who need to ensure that the fundamentals are known and understood. The lesson has been written to take place at the hospital and the students will visit the various wards and health clinics day to check on their knowledge of the following sub-topics : Cancer The production of gametes by meiosis The meaning of diploid and haploid Sex determination The difference between communicable and non-communicable diseases Diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and protists Treatment of bacterial infections using antibiotics Evolution by natural selection in bacteria Vaccinations Genetic terminology Inheritance of disorders caused by dominant and recessive alleles Risk factors of non-communicable diseases Ecosystems The carbon cycle and the increase in carbon dioxide levels In order to maintain challenge whilst ensuring that all abilities can access the questions, the majority of the tasks have been differentiated and students can ask for extra support when they are unable to begin a question. Step-by-step guides have also been written into the lesson to walk students through some of the more difficult concepts such as genetic diagrams and interpreting the results and evolution by natural selection. Due to the extensiveness of this revision lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 3 teaching hours to complete the tasks and therefore this can be used at different points throughout the duration of the course as well as acting as a final revision before the PAPER 2 exam.

This fully-resourced lesson challenges students to identify environmental factors that limit the rate of photosynthesis. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the fourth part of point 5.1 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and focuses on light intensity, carbon dioxide concentration and temperature. The lesson has been specifically written to tie in with the three previous lessons in this topic which covered the structure of the chloroplast, the light-dependent reactions and the light-independent reactions. Exam-style questions are included throughout the lesson and these require the students to explain why light intensity is important for both reactions as well as challenging them on their ability to describe how the relative concentrations of GP, TP and RuBP would change as carbon dioxide concentration decreases. There are also links to previous topics such as enzymes when they are asked to explain why an increase in temperature above the optimum will limit the rate of photosynthesis. Step by step guides are included to support them to form some of the answers and mark schemes are always displayed so that they can quickly assess their understanding and address any misconceptions.

This fully-resourced lesson describes the ultrastructure of a prokaryotic cell and the function of the structures found in these cells. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification point 3.5 (i) & (ii) as detailed in the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and also compares these cells against the eukaryotic cells that were met in the previous lesson. A clear understanding of terminology is important for A-level Biology so this lesson begins with a challenge, where the students have to recognise a prefix that they believe translates as before or in front of . This leads into the discovery of the meaning of prokaryote as before nucleus and this acts to remind students that these types of cell lack this cell structure. Links to the previous lessons on the eukaryotic cells are made throughout the lesson and at this particular point, the students are asked to work out why the DNA would be described as naked and to state where it will be found in the cell. Moving forwards, the students will discover that these cells also lack membrane bound organelles and a quick quiz competition challenges them to identify the specific structure that is absent from just a single word. In addition to the naked DNA, students will learn that there are also ribosomes in the cytoplasm and will discover that these are smaller than those found in the cytoplasm of an eukaryotic cell (but the same size as those in chloroplasts and mitochondria). The remainder of the lesson focuses on the composition of the cell wall, the additional features of prokaryotic cells such as plasmids and there is also the introduction of binary fission as the mechanism by which these organisms reproduce

This fully-resourced lesson describes how evolution can come through natural selection and acts on variation to bring about adaptations. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification points 3.2 (i) & (ii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and considers a range of different behavioural, anatomical and physiological adaptations. President Trump’s error ridden speech about antibiotics is used at the beginning of the lesson to remind students that this is a treatment for bacterial infections and not viruses as he stated. 2 quick quiz competitions are used to introduce MRSA and then to get the students to recognise that they can use this abbreviation to remind them to use mutation, reproduce, selection (and survive) and allele in their descriptions of evolution through natural selection. The main task of the lesson challenges the students to form a description that explains how this strain of bacteria developed resistance to methicillin to enable them to see the principles of natural selection. This can then be used when describing how the anatomy of the modern-day giraffe has evolved over time. The concept of convergent evolution is introduced and links are made to the need for modern classification techniques. Moving forwards, students will understand how natural selection leads to adaptations and a quick quiz competition introduces the different types of adaptation and a series of tasks are used to ensure that the students can distinguish between anatomical, behavioural and physiological adaptations. The Marram grass is used to test their understanding further, before a step by step guide describes how the lignified cells prevent a loss of turgidity. Moving forwards, the students are challenged to explain how the other adaptations of this grass help it to survive in its environment. The final part of the lesson focuses on the adaptations of the anteater and links are made to the topic of classification hierarchy which was covered at the start of topic 3… Due to the extensiveness of this lesson and the detail contained within the resources, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 hours of allocated A-level teaching time to deliver this lesson.

This is a fully-resourced lesson that covers the details of specification point 5.1.2 (e) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification which states that students should be able to demonstrate and apply an understanding of the effects of kidney failure and its potential treatments. This lesson consists of an engaging PowerPoint (55 slides) and associated differentiated worksheets that look at the diagnosis of a number of different kidney-related conditions and the potential treatments for kidney failure. This lesson is designed to get the students to take on the numerous roles of a doctor who works in the renal ward which include testing, diagnosis and treatment. Having obtained measurements by GFR and results by taking urine samples, hey are challenged to use their knowledge of the function of the kidney to study urine samples (and the accompanying GP’s notes) to diagnose one of four conditions. They then have to write a letter to the patient to explain how they made this diagnosis, again focusing on their knowledge of the structure and functions of the Bowman’s capsule and PCT. The rest of the lesson focuses on haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and kidney transplant. There are regular progress checks throughout the lesson so that students can assess their understanding and there are a number of homework activities included in the lesson. This lesson is designed for A-level students who are studying the OCR A-level Biology specification and ties in nicely with the other uploaded lessons on this organ which include the structure and function of the nephron, ultrafiltration, selective reabsorption and osmoregulation.