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 uses real-life examples in plants and animals to explain the need for all living organisms to carry out respiration to provide energy. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the content of topic 3 point (a) of A2 unit 3 as detailed in the WJEC A-level Biology specification but can also be used as a revision tool to challenge the students on their knowledge of active transport. As the first lesson in this topic, it has been specifically planned to act as an introduction to this cellular reaction and provides important details about glycolysis, the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation that will support the students to make significant progress when these stages are covered during upcoming lessons. Students met phosphorylation in topic 2 when considering the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis and their knowledge of the production of ATP in this plant cell reaction is challenged in this lesson. The students are also tested on their recall of the structure and function of ATP, as covered in AS unit 1, topic 5, through a spot the errors task. By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to explain why the ATP produced in cellular respiration is needed by root hair cells and by companion cells and will be introduced to uses in animals too, such as nervous transmission. They will also be able to name and describe the different types of phosphorylation and will know that ATP is produced by substrate-level phosphorylation in glycolysis and the Krebs cycle and by oxidative phosphorylation in the final stage of aerobic respiration.

This lesson describes how lipids and amino acids are used in respiration, as an alternative to glucose. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the content of topic 3 point (f) of A2 unit 3 as set out in the WJEC A-level biology specification. The lesson begins with a challenge, where the students have to recognise the key term substrate using either 1 or 2 descriptions. The definition of a respiratory substrate is provided and students will learn that although glucose is the chief respiratory substrate, lipids and amino acids can be metabolised to generate molecules of ATP. A quick quiz round is used to introduce the relative energy value per gram of carbohydrate and then this is used as a reference value for the remainder of the lesson. Students will learn that the energy value is higher for lipids and this is explained, making reference to the proton gradient in the final stage of aerobic respiration. The final part of the lesson considers amino acids and makes a link to deamination, and explores how the entry point into respiration depends upon the keto acid which was formed. The lesson contains multiple understanding checks and all answers are embedded into the PowerPoint to allow students to assess their progress.

This lesson describes the importance of water and inorganic ions in plants. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the content of point 4.8 of the Edexcel International A-level biology specification, and includes details of the roles of nitrate, calcium and magnesium ions. In an earlier lesson, the students explored the relationship between the structure and function of the xylem vessel, so this lesson describes how the properties of water allow movement through the tissue. The students will understand how hydrogen bonds between water molecules leads to cohesion and this coupled with tension, causes the column of water to be pulled towards the leaves by the transpiration pull. Their knowledge and understanding of the role of water in hydrolysis and condensation reactions is challenged, before the role of water as a transport medium for multiple substances, including inorganic ions, is discussed. 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 the vacuole and haemoglobin are challenged.

This lesson describes the role of the chlorophylls, carotene and xanthophyll and explains how to interpret absorption and action spectra. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 4 and 5 in topic 13.1 of the CIE A-level biology specification. 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 they are presented with a spectra, the students 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.

This lesson describes the importance of water and calcium, magnesium and nitrate ions in plants. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the content of point 4.12 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level biology A (SNAB) specification. In the previous lesson, the students explored the relationship between the structure and function of the xylem vessel, so this lesson describes how the properties of water allow movement through the tissue. The students will understand how hydrogen bonds between water molecules leads to cohesion and this coupled with tension, causes the column of water to be pulled towards the leaves by the transpiration pull. Their knowledge and understanding of the role of water in hydrolysis and condensation reactions is challenged, before the role of water as a transport medium for multiple substances, including inorganic ions, is discussed. 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.

This lesson describes how chloroplast pigments can be separated by chromatography and the pigments identified by Rf values. The PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been planned to cover point 5.7 of the Edexcel International A-level biology specification and to build and check on the knowledge acquired in the previous lesson on the absorption and action spectrum. The lesson begins with a challenge, where the students must recall that chromatography is the separation method that has a stationary and a mobile phase and then to realise that the chloroplast pigments could be separated using this technique. A step-by-step guide goes through the thin-layer chromatography process, and understanding and prior knowledge checks are used throughout to add key details. Moving forwards, the formula for the retention factor is provided, and the students are challenged to apply this formula to recognise the values for the chlorophylls and the carotenoids to allow them to be identified. All answers to the understanding and prior knowledge checks are embedded into the PowerPoint to allow students to assess their progress.

This lesson describes how to use thin-layer chromatography to separate and identify chloroplast pigments. The PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been planned to cover point (6) of topic 13.1 of the CIE A-level biology specification and to build and check on the knowledge acquired in the previous two lessons on the structure of the chloroplast and photosynthesis and the chloroplast pigments. As shown in the cover image, the lesson begins by challenging them to recall that chromatography is the separation method that has a stationary and a mobile phase and then to realise that the chloroplast pigments could be separated using this technique. A step-by-step guide goes through the TLC process, and understanding and prior knowledge checks are used throughout to add key details. Moving forwards, the formula for the retention factor is provided, and the students are challenged to apply this formula to recognise the values for the chlorophylls and the carotenoids to allow them to be identified. All answers to the understanding and prior knowledge checks are embedded into the PowerPoint to allow students to assess their progress.

This lesson describes the features of the endocrine system, focusing on the differing actions of peptide and steroid hormones at target cells. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been primarily designed to cover point (1) of topic 15.1 of the CIE A-level biology specification but can also be used as a revision tool to check on their knowledge of the role of glucagon in the homeostatic control of blood glucose concentration from topic 14 whilst introducing transcription factors which will be covered in topic 16. Students should have a base knowledge of the endocrine system from GCSE and topic 14 so this lesson has been planned to build on that knowledge and to add the detail needed at this level. The lesson begins by challenging this knowledge to check that they understand that endocrine glands secrete these hormones directly into the blood. Students will learn that most of the secreted hormones are peptide (or protein) hormones and a series of exam-style questions are used to challenge them on their recall of the structure of insulin as well as to apply their knowledge to questions about glucagon. Moving forwards, the students are reminded that hormones have target cells that have specific receptor sites on the surface of their membrane. The relationship between a peptide hormone as a first messenger and a second messenger on the inside of the cell is described to allow students to recall how the activation of cyclic AMP triggers a cascade of events on the inside of the cell. The rest of the lesson focuses on steroid hormones and specifically their ability to pass through the membrane of a cell and to bind to transcription factors, as exemplified by oestrogen.

This lesson describes the mechanism by which the guard cells open and close the stomatal apertures in response to changes in environmental conditions. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 1, 2 and 3 as set out in topic 14.2 of the CIE A-level biology specification (for assessment in 2025 - 2027). The lesson begins with a plant biology check, where the students have to spot the structure which isn’t found in a leaf, and then to spot the three leaf cells. This reveals the palisade and spongy mesophyll cells, but most importantly the guard cells. In a change to the normal, this lesson considers the function of the guard cells first before the structure is considered, and an understanding of the relationship between the two is embedded. Students will understand that there’s a balance between the opening of the stomatal aperture to allow carbon dioxide to diffuse in for photosynthesis, with the closing to reduce transpiration losses. The students’ knowledge of photosynthesis and other related topics are challenged throughout, and answers to all of the questions are found in the PowerPoint to allow the students to assess their progress. The final part of the lesson describes the mechanism by which the guard cells open the stomata, including details of ATP, potassium ions and the movement of water by osmosis.

This fully-resourced lesson has been designed to cover the specification point 3.21B (understanding the term co-dominance) as detailed in topic 3 (Reproduction and inheritance) of the Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Biology specification. The lesson uses the inheritance of the ABO blood group system to demonstrate co-dominance. 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 supporting them through the construction of genetic diagrams and working out the 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 Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Biology course but is also suitable for older students who are learning about codominance (and multiple alleles) at A-level

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

The engaging Powerpoint and accompanying worksheet which come as part of this lesson resource have been designed to cover specification point 5.2.4 (Control of body temperature) as detailed in the AQA GCSE Biology specification. A wide range of activities which include Biology and Maths tasks and quiz competitions are interspersed with understanding and prior knowledge checks so that students are engaged and motivated whilst learning the key content in a memorable way and checking their progress. Students will learn that the body temperature is maintained at 37 degrees celsuis by a homeostatic control system called thermoregulation and will be challenged to recall the topic of enzymes to explain why this is so important. Time is taken to look at the responses brought about the effectors such as vasodilation and shivering and students will recognise how these lead a decrease or increase in body temperature back to the set point. Links are also made between the Sciences so that there is a deeper understanding of exactly why sweating cools the body down. This lesson has been designed for students studying the AQA GCSE Biology course but is suitable for older students who are studying Biology at A-level and need to recall the key details of thermoregulation.

This resource contains a concise, engaging PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets which together cover the content of specification point 7.3 (Thyroxine and the control of metabolic rate as an example of negative feedback) as found on the Edexcel GCSE Biology & Combined Science higher tier specifications. Over the course of the lesson, students will learn about the effects of the release of thyroxine, how this release is regulated by the pituitary gland and hypothalamus and also will understand how this control is an example of negative feedback. Due to the obvious connection to the previously learned endocrine system topic, regular opportunities are taken to check on this prior knowledge and these work well with the understanding checks which allow the students to assess their progress. A quiz competition called FROM NUMBERS 2 LETTERS is used to introduce the key abbreviations in a fun and memorable way, whilst the key details of the content is always at the forefront of the design of the lesson. This lesson has been written for students studying the higher tier of the Edexcel GCSE Biology or Combined Science courses but it is also suitable for use with A-level students who need to recall the key details of these two hormones

This lesson has been designed to cover the content set out in specification point 5.3.1 (Human endocrine system) of topic 5 of the AQA GCSE Biology & Combined Science courses. A wide range of activities have been written into the lesson with the aim of engaging and motivating the students whilst ensuring that the content is covered in detail. These activities include a number of quiz competitions which will challenge the students to identify an endocrine organ when presented with three organs as well as introducing them to the names of some of the hormones released by the pituitary gland. The following content is covered in this lesson: Hormones as chemicals which have a slow but long lasting effect on target organs The location of the pituitary, adrenal and thyroid glands in the human body The location of the pancreas, ovaries and testes in the human body The hormones which are secreted by the endocrine glands The effects of the hormones on their target organs This lesson has been written for GCSE-aged students who are studying on the AQA courses but is suitable for younger students who are looking at the different organ systems

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 lesson describes the role of plant hormones in stomatal closure, leaf loss in deciduous plants and seed germination. The extensive and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been planned to cover the content of point b of module 5.1.5 of the OCR A-level biology A specification. The start of the lesson challenges the students to identify three leaf cells in the list of 11 leaf structures. This introduces guard cells and then the opening between them, the stomatal aperture. Time is taken to go through the process by which the apertures are opened to allow carbon dioxide to diffuse into the leaf for photosynthesis. This provides students with an insight into the movement of potassium ions and water when they are challenged about the closure of these openings in response to water stress. Students will meet abscisic acid and understand how this acts as the first messenger, before calcium ions act as the second messenger to trigger events on the inside of the guard cells. Moving forwards, the role of ethene and auxins in leaf loss and gibberellins in seed germination are described and explained. Multiple opportunities are taken to challenge students on their prior knowledge as well as their current understanding and all answers are embedded into the PowerPoint. This lesson is extensive and it is estimated that it will take 2-3 hours of teaching time to go through all of the tasks and content.

This lesson explains why the conduction of an impulse along myelinated neurones is faster than along unmyelinated neurones. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been written to cover point (7) of topic 15.1 of the CIE A-level Biology specification. A wide range of activities are included in this lesson to maintain the motivation of the students whilst ensuring that the detail is covered in depth. Interspersed with the activities are understanding checks and prior knowledge checks to allow the students to not only assess their understanding of the current topic but also challenge themselves to make links to earlier topics such as the movement of ions across membranes and biological molecules. Over the course of the lesson, students consider the structure of the myelin sheath and specifically how the electrical insulation is not complete all the way along. This leaves gaps, known as the nodes of Ranvier, which allow the entry and exit of ions. Saltatory conduction can be poorly explained by a lot of students so time is taken to look at the way that the action potential jumps between the nodes and this is explained further by reference to local currents. The rest of the lesson focuses on the other two factors which are axon diameter and temperature and students are challenged to discover these two by focusing on the vampire squid.

This detailed lesson has been intricately planned to support student revision in the build up to their PAPER 2 mocks or final assessment. The wide range of tasks and activities will challenge students on their knowledge of topics 1 - 4, 7 & 8 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level biology A specification, allowing them to recognise those areas which require further attention before the examinations. Included in the range of tasks are exam-style questions and understanding checks and all answers are embedded into the PowerPoint. There are quiz rounds to maintain engagement and to encourage healthy competition, as well as guided discussion periods to provide opportunities for students to support each other. The following content is directly covered by this revision lesson: Allopatric and sympatric speciation Saltatory conduction The structure of neurones Depolarisation and the initiation of an action potential Hardy-Weinberg principle Genetic terminology Sex linkage and autosomal linkage Aerobic respiration The lower yield of ATP from anaerobic respiration The sliding filament model of muscle contraction The ultrastructure of skeletal muscle Slow and fast twitch muscle fibres The control of heart rate The functions of the different parts of the brain Calculating cardiac output Gene expression as demonstrated by the lac operon The events of atherosclerosis Epigenetics This is an extensive lesson with many tasks so it is estimated that it will take over 3 hours of teaching time if covered in full, but teachers may choose to use sections to focus on a specific topic.

This lesson will support students with their revision in the build up to the AQA A-level biology PAPER 1 mocks or final assessments. The lesson includes a wide variety of tasks and activities which will engage and motivate students whilst challenging their knowledge and understanding of the content of topics 1 - 4, allowing them to identify any gaps so they can be addressed before the assessments. These tasks include exam-style questions and understanding checks and all answers are embedded into the PowerPoint. Several of these questions challenge their mathematical skills, to prepare them for the volume of marks that will be assigned to this aspect of the course. There are also quick quiz rounds and guided discussion periods to allow students to support each other, and some of the accompanying resources have been differentiated to allow access to the content for all. The following content is directly covered by this revision lesson: The nature of the genetic code Classification hierarchy The structure of proteins Cardiac output The roles of enzymes in DNA replication The events of meiosis which contribute to genetic variation The relationship between structure and function in plant polysaccharides The structure and function of organelles Cell fractionation Calculating the size of an object under an optical microscope Using the image = actual x magnification formula Types of immunity Understanding whether data is significantly different or not The role of macrophages in the immune response The evolution of antibiotic resistance The lesson finishes with a round of BLOCKBUSTERS, where students are challenged to recognise 17 key terms from across topics 1 - 4, which weren’t directly covered by the earlier part of the lesson. If you are happy with the quality of this revision lesson, a lesson challenging content from topics 5 - 8 for PAPER 2 has also been uploaded.