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 fully-resourced lesson describes the role of mitosis and the cell cycle in producing identical cells for growth and asexual reproduction. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying differentiated resources have been designed to cover point 3.10 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification
In the previous lesson covering meiosis (3.9), students were introduced to the different phases and structures involved in the cycle so this lesson builds on that by providing greater detail of the key events in each phase. Beginning with a focus on interphase, the importance of DNA replication is explained so that students can initially recognise that there are pairs of identical sister chromatids and then can understand how they are separated later in the cycle. A quiz competition has been written into the lesson and this runs throughout, challenging the students to identify the quantity of DNA in the cell (in terms of n) at different points of the cycle. The main part of the lesson focuses on prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase and describes how the chromosomes behave in these stages. Students will understand how the cytoplasmic division that occurs in cytokinesis results in the production of genetically identical daughter cells. This leads into a series of understanding and application questions where students have to identify the various roles of mitosis in living organisms as well as tackling a Maths in a Biology context question. The lesson concludes with a final round of MITOSIS SNAP where they only shout out this word when a match is seen between the name of a phase, an event and a picture.
This detailed lesson describes the transport of sodium and potassium ions in the maintenance of resting potential and how an action potential is formed. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the detail included in points 9.5 (i) & (ii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification.
This topic is commonly assessed in the terminal exams so a lot of time has been taken to design this resource to include a wide range of activities that motivate the students whilst ensuring that the content is covered in the depth of detail that will allow them to have a real understanding. Interspersed within the activities are understanding checks and prior knowledge checks to enable the students to not only assess their progress against the current topic but also to challenge themselves on the links to earlier topics such as methods of movements across cell membranes. There are also a number of quiz competitions which are used to introduce key terms and values in a fun and memorable way and discussion points to encourage the students to consider why a particular process or mechanism occurs.
Over the course of the lesson, the students will learn and discover how the movement of ions across the membrane causes the membrane potential to change. They will see how the resting potential is maintained through the use of the sodium/potassium pump and potassium ion leakage. There is a real focus on depolarisation to allow students to understand how generator potentials can combine and if the resulting depolarisation then exceeds the threshold potential, a full depolarisation will occur. At this point in the lesson students will discover how the all or nothing response explains that action potentials have the same magnitude and that instead a stronger stimulus is linked to an increase in the frequency of the transmission. The rest of the lesson challenges the students to apply their knowledge to explain how repolarisation and hyperpolarisation result and to suggest advantages of the refractory period for nerve cells.
This detailed resource has been designed to cover the content of points 7.19, 7.20, 7.21 and 7.22 (The structure and function of the nephron of the kidney, kidney failure and the production of urea) as set out in topic 7 of the Edexcel GCSE Biology specification. This resource contains an engaging and detailed PowerPoint (66 slides) and accompanying worksheets, which have been differentiated so that students of different abilities can access the work. The detail of the content and this resource means that it is likely to take at least 2 lessons to go through the tasks.
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 good detail. Understanding checks are included throughout so that the students can assess their grasp of the content. In addition, prior knowledge checks make links to content from earlier topics such as homeostasis, osmosis and diabetes.
The following content is covered in this lesson:
The formation of urea by the break down of excess amino acids in the liver
Filtration of the blood in the glomerulus and the Bowman’s capsule
The selective reabsorption of glucose
The reabsorption of water
The effect of ADH on the permeability of the collecting duct and the production of concentrated urine
Treatment of kidney failure by dialysis or organ transplant
As stated at the top, this lesson has been designed for GCSE-aged students who are studying the Edexcel GCSE Biology course, but it can be used with A-level students who need to go back over the key points before looking at the function of the nephron in more detail
This lesson describes how the hydrolysis of ATP provides energy for biological processes such as active transport and endocytosis and exocytosis. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 4.2 (iv), (v) & (vi) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification
The start of the lesson focuses on the structure of this energy currency and challenges the students to use their knowledge of nucleotides and specifically RNA nucleotides to recognise the components of ATP. As a result, they will learn that this molecule consists of adenine, ribose and three phosphate groups. In order to release the stored energy, ATP must be broken down and students will be given time to discuss which reaction will be involved as well as the products of this reaction. Time is taken to describe how the hydrolysis of ATP can be coupled to energy-requiring reactions and this leads into a series of exam-style questions where students are challenged on their knowledge of simple and facilitated diffusion to recognise that ATP is needed for active transport. These questions also challenge them to 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 and in the release of ADH from the pituitary gland during osmoregulation.
This clear and concise lesson covers the Link reaction and its site in the cell as detailed in point 5.2.2 (d) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification. The PowerPoint explains how the product of glycolysis, pyruvate, is decarboxylated and dehydrogenated and combined with coenzyme A to form acetyl coenzyme A which will then enter the Krebs cycle.
The lesson begins with a challenge, where the students have to recall the details of glycolysis in order to form the word matrix. This introduces the key point that this stage occurs in this part of the mitochondria and time is taken to explain why the reactions occur in the matrix as opposed to the cytoplasm like glycolysis. Moving forwards, the Link reaction is covered in 5 detailed bullet points and students have to add the key information to these points using their prior knowledge as well as knowledge provided in terms of NAD. The students will recognise that this reaction occurs twice per molecule of glucose and a quick quiz competition is used to test their understanding of the numbers of the different products of this stage. This is just one of the range of methods that are used to check understanding and all answers are explained to allow students to assess their progress.
This lesson has been written to tie in with the other uploaded lessons on glycolysis and the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation.
This detailed lesson describes the formation of dipeptides & polypeptides and the relationship between the structure and roles of proteins in living organisms. Both the engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the second part of point 1.4.1 of the AQA A-level Biology specification.
The start of the lesson focuses on the formation of a peptide bond during a condensation reaction so that students can understand how a dipeptide is formed and therefore how a polypeptide forms when multiple reactions occur.
The main part of the lesson describes the different levels of protein structure. A step by step guide is used to demonstrate how the sequences of bases in a gene acts as a template to form a sequence of codons on a mRNA strand and how this is translated into a particular sequence of amino acids known as the primary structure. The students are then challenged to apply their understanding of this process by using three more gene sequences to work out three primary structures and recognise how different genes lead to different sequences. Moving forwards, students will learn how the order of amino acids in the primary structure determines the shape of the protein molecule, through its secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure and time is taken to consider the details of each of these. There is a particular focus on the different bonds that hold the 3D shape firmly in place and a quick quiz round then introduces the importance of this shape as exemplified by enzymes, antibodies and hormones. Students will see the differences between globular and fibrous protein and again biological examples are used to increase relevance. The lesson concludes with one final quiz round called STRUC by NUMBERS where the students have to use their understanding of the protein structures to calculate a numerical answer.
This lesson describes how the expression of a gene mutation impairs the functioning of the organ systems in people with cystic fibrosis. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have primarily been designed to cover point 2.16 in AS unit 1 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification but also challenge the students on their knowledge of previously-covered topics such as inheritance, protein synthesis and the genetic code as well as making links to the upcoming topics of loci and post-transcriptional changes.
The main focus of the lesson is the CFTR gene and the functions of the ion channel that is synthesised when this gene is expressed. As well as explaining that this channel allows chloride ions to flow across the apical membrane of the epithelial cells, time is taken to emphasise the importance of its inhibition on the ENaC, which prevents the flow of sodium ions back into the cells. A step by step guide is then used to describe the sequence of events that result in mucus which is motile and can be moved by the wafting action of the cilia in healthy individuals. This leads into the section of the lesson which considers the inheritance of cystic fibrosis in an autosomal recessive manner and then focuses on the change in the primary structure of the channel which results from one of over 1500 different gene mutations. Again, the students are guided through the events that lead to the depletion of the apical surface liquid and the cilia being unable to move the viscous mucus. Although the majority of the lesson is described with reference to the gaseous exchange system, the impaired functioning of the digestive system in terms of the blockage of the pancreas and liver secretions is considered and discussed and the students are challenged on their understanding through a range of exam-style questions.
All of the questions included in the lesson have mark schemes which are embedded into the PowerPoint and this allows the students to assess their progress.
Due to the detailed content of this lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 3 hours of allocated A-level teaching time to cover
This detailed and fully-resourced lesson describes the structure and properties of the cell membrane, focusing on the phospholipid bilayer and membrane proteins. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover point 2.2 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification and makes links to the fluid mosaic model which is covered in greater detail in the next lesson.
Students were introduced to triglycerides in topic 1 and the start of this lesson challenges them to recall the structure of this lipid to identify the shared features of a phospholipid. This introduces the structure of this macromolecule as a glycerol molecule, two fatty acids and a phosphate group. Time is taken to look at the differing properties of the phosphate group and the fatty acid tails so that students become comfortable with the terms hydrophobic and hydrophilic. At this point, the class is given an opportunity to discuss how the phospholipids are arranged when both the inside and outside of the cell contains an aqueous solution and the phospholipid bilayer as the fabric of the membrane is subsequently met. In a link to some upcoming lessons on the transport mechanisms, the students will learn that only small, non-polar molecules can move by simple diffusion through the tails of the bilayer. This introduces the need for transmembrane proteins to allow large or polar molecules to move into the cell by facilitated diffusion and active transport. It is at this point of the lesson that students will meet the fluid mosaic model and will begin to understand how this describes the dynamic nature of the membrane as well as explaining the interaction with the environment. Moving forwards, the structure of cholesterol is covered and students will learn that this hydrophobic molecule sits in the middle of the tails and therefore acts to regulate membrane fluidity. The final part of the lesson challenges the students to apply their newly-acquired knowledge to a series of questions where they have to explain why proteins may have moved when two cells are used and to suggest why there is a larger proportion of these proteins in the inner mitochondrial membrane than the outer membrane.
This lesson describes the role of the rER and the Golgi apparatus in the formation of proteins, the transport within cells and their secretion. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.4 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and also includes key details about the role of the cytoskeleton in the transport of the vesicles that contain the protein between the organelles and the membrane.
The lesson begins with the introduction of the cytoskeleton and explains how this network of protein structures transverses across the cytoplasm and is fundamental to the transport of molecules between organelles. The lesson has been planned to closely tie in with the previous lesson on the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells and students are challenged on their knowledge of the function of the organelles involved in protein formation (and modification) through a series of exam-style questions. By comparing their answers against the mark scheme embedded in the PowerPoint, students will be able to assess their understanding of the following:
Transcription in the nucleus to form an mRNA strand and the exit of this nucleic acid through the nuclear pore
Translation at the ribosomes on the surface of the rER to assemble the protein
Transport of the vesicles containing the protein to the Golgi apparatus
Modification of the protein at the Golgi apparatus
Formation of the Golgi vesicle and its transport to the cell membrane for exocytosis
Time is taken to discuss the finer details of this process such as the arrival of the vesicle at the cis face and the transport away from the trans face and the requirement of ATP for the transport of the vesicles along the microtubule track and exocytosis.
The remainder of the lesson uses a series of exam-style questions about digestive enzymes (extracellular proteins) to challenge the students on their recall of the structure of starch and proteins
This lesson describes the structures and functions of the components of the mammalian gaseous exchange system. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.1.1 [c] of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and contains links to future topics such as transport in animals as well as prior knowledge checks of their recall of the content of previously covered modules.
The lesson is filled with a range of activities such as guided discussion periods, exam-style questions (with markschemes) and quiz competitions and these run alongside the slides containing the detailed A-level Biology content to cover the following features:
The incomplete rings of cartilage, ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium and goblet cells in the trachea
The narrowing airways of the primary, secondary and tertiary bronchi
The elastic fibres and smooth muscle in the terminal and respiratory bronchioles and the change from simple columnar epithelium to simple cuboidal epithelium
The large surface area to volume ratio and the simple squamous epithelium of the alveoli
The pleural cavity and fluid of the lungs
When describing the production of mucus by the goblet cells in the trachea, time is taken to consider cystic fibrosis and the inheritance of this autosomal recessive disorder. Students will be supported in working out genotypes from a pedigree tree to prepare them for module 6.1.2 (Patterns of inheritance)
An engaging lesson presentation that runs the lesson in a quiz format, with numerous rounds, in order to introduce the students to the different stages of the life cycle of a star. The lesson begins by introducing students to the first three stages (nebula, protostar, main sequence) which all stars go through regardless of their mass. Key details about each stage are discussed and considered. Moving forwards, this lesson ensures that students understand that the stages after the main sequence are dependent upon the mass of the star. Key links are made to associated topics such as nuclear fusion.
This lesson has been designed for GCSE students but could be used with KS3 students if they are doing a project on space and stars
This fully-resourced lesson describes how light and electron microscopy can be used to observe cells and cell structures. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the content of points 2.1.1 (a) & (f) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and also describes the difference between magnification and resolution
As this is likely to be one of the very first lessons that students cover in their A-level studies, it’s important to maintain motivation from the off whilst covering the detailed and important content of microscope studies. In line with this, all of the lessons in module 2.1.1 (cell structure) have an ongoing quiz competition where points can be won in rounds that introduced key terms and values. A quiz scoresheet is included within the resources so that the teacher can keep track of the scores over the 7 lessons in the module and the winning team can be revealed at the end of the last lesson.
In this lesson, the quiz rounds are interspersed between a range of tasks which cover the following content:
The use of the light microscope to observe cells
The total magnification as a product of the power of the eyepiece and objective lens
An introduction to the importance of staining
The difference between magnification and resolution
The use of the TEM
The use of the SEM
Due to the detail included in this lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 hours of allocated A-level teaching time to cover the content
This lesson describes how molecules move across the cell membrane by the passive methods of simple and facilitated diffusion. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the first part of specification point 2.1.5 (d) [i] of the OCR A-level Biology A specification 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 were described in the lesson covering 2.1.5 (b), 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 uses step by step guides to describe how to calculate the surface area to volume ratio. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are part of the first lesson in a series of 2 lessons which have been designed to cover the detail of points 8.2 and 8.3 of the Edexcel GCSE Biology & Combined Science specifications.
The calculation of the SA/V ratio can be an area of the course that students find difficult so this lesson breaks the calculation into parts to guide them through each step. The students are shown how to calculate the surface area, then the volume and then how to express the answer of the division calculation as a ratio against 1. After each step, the students are given the opportunity to apply their understanding and all questions have mark schemes with full workings embedded into the PowerPoint to allow the students to self-assess. Students also tend to struggle to see the relevance to Biology so the remainder of the lesson involves the calculation of the ratio for the alveoli in the human body. Students will discover that the surface area to volume ratio is significantly increased in these gas exchange surfaces which leads into the upcoming lesson on the adaptations of the alveoli to overcome the overall low ratio in larger organisms.
This revision resource includes exam questions, understanding checks and quiz competitions, all of which have been designed with the aim of motivating and engaging the students whilst they assess their understanding of the content found in topic 1.1 (Cells and movement across cell membranes) of the WJEC GCSE Biology specification.
The range of activities have been designed to cover as much of the content as possible but the following sub-topics have been given particular attention:
Active transport as an active process
The differentiation of cells in animal and plants to become adapted for specific functions
Osmosis
The functions of the organelles of animal and plant cells
Enzymes as proteins which speed up reactions
The active site, substrates and enzyme-substrate complexes
The effect of pH on enzyme activity
Diffusion as a passive process, which allows substances including oxygen and carbon dioxide to pass across a membrane
This is a fully-resourced REVISION lesson which prepares the students for the various types of questions that they can encounter on PAPER 1 of the Pearson Edexcel GCSE Combined Science course. The lesson uses a wide range of activities to challenge the students on their knowledge of the content of topics B1 - B5 and has been specifically designed for students taking the HIGHER TIER exam.
The lesson has been designed to take place within a hospital and the students will then visit a number of wards, the pharmacy, the hospital cafe and the museum to allow the following specification topics to be covered:
Cancer and uncontrolled cell division
Meiosis and the production of gametes
Mitosis and the cell cycle
Sex determination
The difference between communicable and non-communicable diseases
The spread of communicable diseases by pathogens
Diseases caused by the four different pathogens
The use of antibiotics to treat bacterial infections
Evolution by natural selection in bacteria and animals
Genetic terminology
The structure of DNA
Inheritance of disorders caused by dominant and recessive alleles
The central nervous system and other structures involved in nervous reactions
Reflex arcs
Risk factors of non-communicable diseases
Osmosis
Fossils as evidence for human evolution
In order to cater for the different abilities that can be found in Combined Science classes, most of the tasks have been differentiated 2 or 3 ways and there are also step by step guides to walk the students through the more difficult concepts like evolution by natural selection and genetic diagrams.
To maintain engagement throughout the lesson, 8 quiz rounds have been written into the lesson which will challenge the students to work within their teams and compete for a range of team points.
The size of this lesson means that it is likely to take in excess of 3/4 teaching hours to cover the detail as necessary and therefore this allows the resource to be used at numerous points throughout the duration of the course as well as just before the terminal exam.
This lesson describes the properties of gas exchange surfaces and shows how Fick’s law of diffusion is dependent on these properties. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover points 2.1 (i & ii) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification and there is a particular focus on the relationship between the size of an organism or structure and its surface to volume ratio.
Adolf Fick is briefly introduced at the start of the lesson and the students will learn that his law of diffusion governs the diffusion of a gas across a membrane and is dependent on three properties. The students are likely to know that surface area is one of these properties but although they may have been introduced to the surface area to volume ratio at GCSE, their understanding of its relevance tends to be mixed. Therefore, real life examples are included throughout the lesson that emphasise the importance of this ratio in order to increase the relevance. A lot of students worry about the maths calculations that are associated with this topic so a step by step guide is included at the start of the lesson to walk them through the calculation of the surface area, the volume and then the ratio. Through worked examples and understanding checks, SA/V ratios are calculated for cubes of increasing side length and living organisms of different size. These comparative values will enable the students to conclude that the larger the organism or structure, the lower the surface area to volume ratio. A differentiated task is then used to challenge the students to explain the relationship between the ratio and the metabolic demands of an organism and this leads into the next part of the lesson, where the adaptations of a human to increase the ratio at the gas exchange surface is covered. The students will calculate the SA/V ratio of a human alveolus (using the surface area and volume formulae for a sphere) and will see the significant increase that results from the folding of the membranes. The remainder of the lesson introduces concentration difference and thickness of membrane as the other two properties in Fick’s law of diffusion and students are reminded that the maintenance of a steep concentration gradient and a reduction in the diffusion distance are critical for this transport mechanism.
This lesson has been specifically planned to prepare students for the next lesson which describes how the structure of the mammalian lung is adapted for rapid gas exchange (specification point 2.1 [iii])
This lesson focuses on the organisation of the nervous system into the CNS and the several divisions of the PNS. The PowerPoint and accompanying resource are part of the 1st lesson in a series of 17 lessons that cover the details of the brain and neuropsychology topic of the AQA GCSE Psychology specification.
This lesson has been designed to act as an introduction to the topic to allow students to understand how the brain and spinal cord (as part of the CNS) and the SNS and ANS (as part of the PNS) fit into the organisation of the system. The functions of each part are briefly introduced to give an understanding that can then be built upon in future lessons in the topic. The students will learn that the main part of the brain is the cerebrum and that this organ is divided into hemispheres. They’ll learn that the brain is connected to the other part of the CNS, the spinal cord, by the brain stem, and that these nerves are responsible for conducting impulses between the brain and the rest of the body. The differences between the somatic and autonomic nervous systems are introduced before a worksheet task challenges the students to recognise which responses are brought about by the SNS and which by the ANS.
This topic of the brain and neuropsychology has proved particularly difficult for the students in recent years, so I have taken time to analyse the lesson sequencing. There’s a lot of content to absorb and to understand before moving onto the next part, so I’ve tried to ensure that cross topics links and prior knowledge checks run throughout the lessons. I have organised the lessons to run through the biology content first before moving onto the psychology parts as shown by the 17 lessons below:
#1 Organisation of the nervous system
#2 The structure and function of the cerebral lobes
#3 The cerebellum
#4 The structure and function of the sensory and motor neurones
#5 The relay neurones
#6 Synaptic transmission
#7 Excitation and inhibition at the synapse
#8 The somatic nervous system
#9 The autonomic nervous system
#10 The fight or flight response
#11 James-Lange theory of emotion
#12 James-Lange theory of emotion part 2
#13 Penfield’s study of the interpretative index
#14 Hebb’s theory of learning and neuronal growth
#15 An introduction to neuropsychology
#16 Brain scanning techniques
#17 Tulving’s gold memory study
This lesson describes the structure and function of the sensory and motor neurones. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are part of the 4th lesson in a series of 17 lessons that cover the details of the brain and neuropsychology topic of the AQA GCSE Psychology specification.
This lesson focuses on the functions and the structural similarities and differences between a sensory and motor neurone. Students will be introduced to key structures like the cell body, axon and dendrites and learn how they differ in these two peripheral nervous system neurones. They will also learn about the myelin sheath and will be challenged to use a data table to recognise that myelinated neurones conduct impulses faster than unmyelinated neurones. There is a brief explanation about the jumping action of the impulse between the nodes of Ranvier to enable this faster conduction.
This topic of the brain and neuropsychology has proved particularly difficult for the students in recent years, so I have taken time to analyse the lesson sequencing. There’s a lot of content to absorb and to understand before moving onto the next part, so I’ve tried to ensure that cross topics links and prior knowledge checks run throughout the lessons. I have organised the lessons to run through the biology content first before moving onto the psychology parts as shown by the 17 lessons below:
#1 Organisation of the nervous system
#2 The structure and function of the cerebral lobes
#3 The cerebellum
#4 The structure and function of the sensory and motor neurones
#5 The relay neurones
#6 Synaptic transmission
#7 Excitation and inhibition at the synapse
#8 The somatic nervous system
#9 The autonomic nervous system
#10 The fight or flight response
#11 James-Lange theory of emotion
#12 James-Lange theory of emotion part 2
#13 Penfield’s study of the interpretative index
#14 Hebb’s theory of learning and neuronal growth
#15 An introduction to neuropsychology
#16 Brain scanning techniques
#17 Tulving’s gold memory study
This detailed lesson describes how oxygen is transported by haemoglobin and explains how the dissociation of oxyhaemoglobin changes with increases in carbon dioxide (Bohr shift). The informative PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the final point of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems section of the OCR A-level PE specification.
The lesson begins by using a quiz round from the game show POINTLESS to engage students and to introduce haemotology as the study of diseases related to blood. This includes haemoglobin and students will be reminded that this is the protein that is found in the red blood cells of humans. They will learn that it is a protein consisting of four polypeptide chains with a haem group on each chain and that it is this haem molecule which has a high affinity for oxygen to enable oxyhaemoglobin to be formed. Moving forwards, students will plot an oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve. The understanding of the changes in saturation can be poorly understood so a step-by-step method with simple questions to discuss is used to ensure that the fundamentals are embedded. Ultimately, students will understand that haemoglobin becomes fully saturated at the high partial pressures of oxygen at the alveoli at the lungs, before transporting it to the cells of the working muscles where it dissociates to release the oxygen at the lower partial pressures there.
A quick quiz competition, called SPORTS SCIENCE, is used to challenge their knowledge of the names of famous sports people to identify the surname of the scientist, Christian Bohr. They are told that this effect describes how an increase in the concentration of a substance affects the dissociation curve and are encouraged to predict what this substance might be. By shifting the curve to the right, students will learn that the affinity of haemoglobin is reduced. The curve is used to show how the saturation of haemoglobin is less at low partial pressures of oxygen when there is increased carbon dioxide concentration before they are challenged to summarise the effect on the dissociation before applying all of their knowledge to a final sporting situation.
The final task has been differentiated 2 ways so that students of differing abilities are able to access the work