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 lesson explains the effects of temperature on the rate of enzyme activity and describes how to calculate the temperature coefficient. The PowerPoint and the accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 5.21 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and this lesson has been specifically planned to tie in with a lesson in topic 2 where the roles and mechanism of action of enzymes were introduced.
The lesson begins by challenging the students to recognise optimum as a key term from its 6 synonyms that are shown on the board. Time is taken to ensure that the students understand that the optimum temperature is the temperature at which the most enzyme-product complexes are produced per second and therefore the temperature at which the rate of an enzyme-controlled reaction works at its maximum. The optimum temperatures of DNA polymerase in humans and in a thermophilic bacteria and RUBISCO in a tomato plant are used to demonstrate how different enzymes have different optimum temperatures and the roles of the latter two in the PCR and photosynthesis are briefly described to prepare students for these lessons in modules 6 and 5.
Moving forwards, the next part of the lesson focuses on enzyme activity at temperatures below the optimum and at temperatures above the optimum. Students will understand that increasing the temperature increases the kinetic energy of the enzyme and substrate molecules, and this increases the likelihood of successful collisions and the production of enzyme-substrate and enzyme-product complexes. When considering the effect of increasing the temperature above the optimum, continual references are made to the previous lesson and the control of the shape of the active site by the tertiary structure. Students will be able to describe how the hydrogen and ionic bonds in the tertiary structure are broken by the vibrations associated with higher temperatures and are challenged to complete the graph to show how the rate of reaction decreases to 0 when the enzyme has denatured.
The final part of the lesson introduces the Q10 temperature coefficient and students are challenged to apply this formula to calculate the value for a chemical reaction and a metabolic reaction to determine that enzyme-catalysed reactions have higher rates of reaction
This lesson describes the structure and functions of the sensory, relay and motor neurones. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 8.1 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification but also considers the organisation of the nervous system into the central and peripheral nervous systems and therefore also covers point 8.10.
The PowerPoint has been designed to contain a wide range of activities that are interspersed between understanding and prior knowledge checks that allow the students to assess their progress on the current topics as well as challenge their ability to make links to topics from earlier in the modules. Quiz competitions like SAY WHAT YOU SEE are used to introduce key terms in a fun and memorable way.
The students will be able to compare these neurones based on their function but time is taken to distinguish between them based on their structural features. The importance of the myelin sheath for the sensory and motor neurones is briefly discussed and students are introduced to key terminology such as saltatory conduction and Schwann cells so they are prepared for the upcoming lesson covering specification point 8.5. The final task involves a comparison between the three neurones to check that the students have understood the structures and functions of the neurones.
Throughout the lesson, the organisation of the nervous system is discussed and students are provided with additional knowledge such as the differences between somatic and autonomic motor neurones.
This lesson explains how negative feedback control maintains systems within narrow limits and uses biological examples to describe the meaning of positive feedback. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 7.11 (i) and (ii) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification but have been planned to provide important details for upcoming topics such as the importance of homeostasis during exercise and the depolarisation of a neurone.
The normal ranges for blood glucose concentration, blood pH and body temperature are introduced at the start of the lesson to allow students to recognise that these aspects have to be maintained within narrow limits. A series of exam-style questions then challenge their recall of knowledge from topics 1 - 6 as well as earlier in topic 7 to explain why it’s important that each of these aspects is maintained within these limits. The students were introduced to homeostasis at GCSE, so this process is revisited and discussed, so that students are prepared for an upcoming lesson on exercise, as well as for the next part of the lesson on negative feedback control. Students will learn how this form of control reverses the original change and biological examples are used to emphasise the importance of this system for restoring levels to the limits (and the optimum). The remainder of the lesson explains how positive feedback differs from negative feedback as it increases the original change and the role of oxytocin in birth and the movement of sodium ions into a neurone are used to exemplify the action of this control system.
This lesson describes the function of transcription factors in eukaryotes and uses the lac operon to explain the control of protein production in a prokaryote. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 16.3 (b, c & d) as detailed in the CIE A-level Biology specification and also includes a description of how gibberellin breaks down DELLA protein repressors, allowing transcription to be promoted.
This is one of the more difficult concepts in this A-level course and therefore key points are reiterated throughout this lesson to increase the likelihood of student understanding and to support them when trying to make links to actual biological examples in living organisms. There is a clear connection to transcription and translation as covered in topic 6, so the lesson begins by reminding students that in addition to the structural gene in a transcription unit, there is the promoter region where RNA polymerase binds. Students are introduced to the idea of transcription factors and will understand how these molecules can activate or repress transcription by enabling or preventing the binding of the enzyme. At this point, students are challenged on their current understanding with a series of questions about DELLA proteins so they can see how these molecules prevent the binding of RNA polymerase. Their understanding is then tested again with another example with oestrogen and the ER receptor. The final and main section of the lesson focuses on the lac operon and immediately an opportunity is taken to challenge their knowledge of biological molecules with a task where they have to spot the errors in a passage describing the formation and breakdown of this disaccharide. Students will be able to visualise the different structures that are found in this operon and time is taken to go through the individual functions. A step by step guide is used to walk students through the sequence of events that occur when lactose is absent and when it is present before they are challenged to apply their understanding to an exam question.
This lesson describes the behaviour of chromosomes during meiosis, focusing on the events which contribute to genetic variation. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 16.1 (a, d & e) of the CIE A-level Biology specification and explains how crossing over, the random assortment and the random fusion of haploid gametes leads to variation.
In order to understand how the events of meiosis like crossing over and independent assortment and independent segregation can lead to variation, students need to be clear in their understanding that DNA replication in interphase results in homologous chromosomes as pairs of sister chromatids. Therefore the beginning of the lesson focuses on the chromosomes in the parent cell and this first part of the cycle and students will be introduced to non-sister chromatids and the fact that they may contain different alleles which is important for the exchange that occurs during crossing over. Time is taken to go through this event in prophase I in a step by step guide so that the students can recognise that the result can be new combinations of alleles that were not present in the parent cell. Moving forwards, the lesson explores how the independent assortment and segregation of chromosomes and chromatids during metaphase I and II and anaphase I and II respectively results in genetically different gametes. The key events of all of the 8 phases are described and there is a focus on key terminology to ensure that students are able to describe genetic structures in the correct context. The final part of the lesson looks at the use of a mathematical expression to calculate the possible combinations of alleles in gametes as well as in a zygote following the random fertilisation of haploid gametes. Understanding and prior knowledge checks are interspersed throughout the lesson as well as a series of exam-style questions which challenge the students to apply their knowledge to potentially unfamiliar situations.
This lesson has been specifically planned to link to the two lessons on the cell cycle and the main stages of mitosis as covered in topic 5 and constant references are made throughout to encourage students to make links and also to highlight the differences between the two types of nuclear division
This lesson describes the biuret and emulsion tests for proteins and lipids respectively and then acts as a revision lesson for topics 2.2 and 2.3. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to be taught at the end of topic 2 and uses a range of activities to challenge the students on their knowledge of that topic, but also covers the second part of point 2.1 (a) of the CIE A-level Biology specification when the qualitative tests are described.
The first section of the lesson describes the steps in the biuret test and challenges the students on their recall of the reducing sugars and starch tests from topic 2.1 to recognise that this is a qualitative test that begins with the sample being in solution. The students will learn that the addition of sodium hydroxide and then copper sulphate will result in a colour change from light blue to lilac if a protein is present.
The next part of the lesson uses exam-style questions with displayed mark schemes, understanding checks and quick quiz competitions to engage and motivate the students whilst they assess their understanding of this topic. The following concepts are tested during this lesson:
The general structure of an amino acid
The formation of dipeptides and polypeptides through condensation reactions
The primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure of a protein
Biological examples of proteins and their specific actions (e.g. antibodies, enzymes, peptide hormones)
Moving forwards, the lesson describes the key steps in the emulsion test for lipids, and states the positive result for this test. There is a focus on the need to mix the sample with ethanol, which is a distinctive difference to the tests for reducing sugars and starch and proteins.
The remainder of the lesson uses exam-style questions with mark schemes embedded in the PowerPoint, understanding checks, guided discussion points and quick quiz competitions to challenge the following specification points:
The structure of a triglyceride
The relationship between triglyceride property and function
The hydrophilic and hydrophobic nature of the phospholipid
The phospholipid bilayer of the cell membrane
Cholesterol is also introduced so that the students are prepared for this molecule when it is met in topic 4 (cell membranes)
This is an extensive lesson and it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 hours of allocated teaching time to cover the detail and the different tasks
This lesson describes the evidence that led to the three-domain model of classification as an alternative to the five-kingdom model. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.1 (vii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and focuses on Carl Woese’s detailed study of the ribosomal RNA gene and the need for this evidence to be validated by the scientific community
The lesson begins with an introduction of Woese and goes on to describe how he is most famous for his definition of the Archaea as a new domain of life. Students were introduced to domains and the other classification taxa in a lesson at the start of this topic, so their recall of this knowledge is continually tested and built upon as details are added. Students will discover the key differences between Archaea and Bacteria that led to the splitting of the prokaryotae kingdom and the addition of this higher classification rank and will understand that it wasn’t until 13 years after the discovery that it was adopted. Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson describes how molecular phylogeny uses other molecules that can be compared between species for classification purposes. One of these is a protein called cytochrome which is involved in respiration and can be compared in terms of primary structure to determine relationships. At this point in the lesson, the students are also tested on their knowledge of the nature of the genetic code (as covered in topic 1) and have to explain how mutations to DNA can also be used for comparative purposes.
This lesson describes classification as a means of organising the variety of life based on relationships between organisms. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover point 4.14 (i) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and focuses on the classification hierarchy where species is the lowest taxon but also describes the binomial naming system which uses the genus and species. The lesson also contains links to the next lesson where molecular phylogeny is described and the three-domain system is covered in greater detail with a focus on the results of Carl Woese’s rRNA study
The lesson begins by looking at the meaning of a population in Biology so that the term species can be introduced. A hinny, which is the hybrid offspring of a horse and a donkey, is used to explain how these two organisms must be members of different species because they are unable to produce fertile offspring. Moving forwards, students will learn that classification is a means of organising the variety of life based on relationships between organisms using differences and similarities in phenotypes and in genotypes and is built around the species concept and that in the modern-day classification hierarchy, species is the lowest taxon. A quiz runs throughout the lesson and this particular round will engage the students whilst they learn (or recall) the names of the other 7 taxa and the horse and the donkey from the earlier example are used to complete the hierarchy. Students will understand that the binomial naming system was introduced by Carl Linnaeus to provide a universal name for each species and they will be challenged to apply their knowledge by completing a hierarchy for a modern-day human, by spotting the correct name for an unfamiliar organism and finally by suggesting advantages of this system.
This fully-resourced lesson describes how to calculate the concentration of solution in grams per decimetres cubed and mol per decimetre cubed. The lesson PowerPoint and accompanying questions which are differentiated have been designed to cover points 1.49 & 5.8 of the Edexcel GCSE Chemistry specification.
The lesson begins by introducing students to volumes in decimetres cubed and time is taken to ensure that students are able to convert to this measurement from volumes in centimetres cubed. Moving forwards, students are shown how to calculate the concentration in both units through the use of worked examples and then they are challenged to apply this to a series of exam-style questions which have been differentiated so students of differing abilities can access the work
This lesson describes the similarities and differences between the structure and function of haemoglobin and myoglobin. The PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover point 4.5 (iii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification
Students have already covered the structure and function of haemoglobin in topics 1.3 and 4.5, so this concise lesson has been planned to challenge that knowledge. Students are introduced to myoglobin and will learn that this is an oxygen-binding protein found in the skeletal muscle tissue. Therefore the first part of the lesson focuses on slow twitch muscle fibres, where the content of myoglobin is high, and this presents an opportunity for links to be made to respiration, mitochondria and capillaries. The main part of the lesson challenges the students to compare the two proteins on structure and function including the number of polypeptide chains and affinity for oxygen and students can assess their understanding through use of the displayed mark schemes to the series of exam-style questions.
This lesson describes how large molecules are hydrolysed to smaller molecules by the enzymes produced by the digestive system in mammals. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets are part of the 1st lesson in a series of 2 which have been designed to cover the content of point 3.3 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and this lesson includes descriptions of the action of amylase, disaccharidases, lipase, endopeptidases, exopeptidases and dipeptidases.
The lesson has been designed to walk the students through the functions of the digestive system at each point of the digestive tract up until the duodenum and focuses on the action of the enzymes produced in the mouth, stomach and small intestine and by the accessory organs of the system. Time is taken to describe and explain key details, such as the fact that endopeptidases cleave peptide bonds within the molecules, meaning that they cannot break down proteins into monomers. The lesson is filled with exam-style questions which will develop their understanding of the current topic as well as checking on their knowledge of related topics which have been previously-covered such as the structure of the biological molecules and qualitative tests. In addition to the detailed content and regular questioning, the lesson PowerPoint contains guided discussion periods and two quick quiz competitions which introduce a key term and a key value in a fun and memorable way
This lesson has been specifically planned to prepare the students for the very next lesson where the mechanisms for the absorption of the products of digestion are described.
This lesson explains the properties of typical covalent simple molecular compounds and introduces diamond and graphite as giant substances. The lesson PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been primarily designed to cover point 1.34 of the Edexcel GCSE Chemistry & Combined Science specifications but also links to points 1.35 - 1.37 where the structure and uses of the giant covalent substances are described.
The lesson begins with a quick recap task where students have to recognise a covalent bond from a description and fill the missing part. Moving forwards, they are introduced to the fact that covalent molecules can be simple or giant. They are then presented with a table showing some properties of covalent molecules and having to group them as simple or giant in the short space of time that the table remains displayed on the board. This task challenges their observational skills, something which will again be tested later in the lesson as they study the structure of graphite and diamond. Time is taken to ensure that key details such as the strong covalent bonds in both sets of molecules is understood and that it is the weak intermolecular forces which are actually responsible for the low melting and boiling points. The last part of the lesson introduces diamond and graphite as allotropes of carbon and students will briefly learn why one of these conducts electricity whilst the other doesn’t. If you want a lesson about these allotropes in more detail, then please look for “Diamond and Graphite”. Progress checks have been written into the lesson at regular intervals so that students are constantly assessing their understanding and so misconceptions are quickly identified.
This lesson describes how Fick’s law of diffusion is governed by the three main properties of gas exchange surfaces in living organisms. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover points 2.1 (i & ii) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology 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 iGCSE, 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 describes the relationship between the size of an organism or structure and its surface to volume ratio. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover point 3.1 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and also have been specifically planned to prepare the students for the upcoming lessons in topic 3 on gas exchange and absorption in the ileum.
The students are likely to have been introduced to the ratio at GCSE, but understanding of its relevance tends to be mixed. Therefore, real life examples are included throughout the lesson that emphasise the importance of the surface area to volume ratio in order to increase this 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 that walks 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 larger organisms to increase the ratio at their exchange surfaces 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. This is further demonstrated by the villi and the microvilli on the enterocytes that form the epithelial lining of these folds in the ileum. The final part of the lesson introduces Fick’s law of diffusion so that students are reminded that the steepness of a concentration gradient and the thickness of a membrane also affect the rate of diffusion.
This lesson describes the structure and functions of the organelles that are found in eukaryotic cells. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point (a) in AS Unit 1, topic 2 of the WJEC A-level Biology specification
As cells are the building blocks of living organisms, it makes sense that they would be heavily involved in all 6 modules in the OCR course and intricate planning has ensured that links to the lessons earlier in AS unit 1 are made as well as to the upcoming topics in the other units.
The lesson uses a wide range of activities, that include exam-style questions, class discussion points and quick quiz competitions, to maintain motivation and engagement whilst describing the relationship between the structure and function of the following organelles:
nucleus
nucleolus
centrioles
ribosomes
rough endoplasmic reticulum
Golgi body
lysosomes
smooth endoplasmic reticulum
mitochondria
cell surface membrane
vacuole
chloroplasts
plasmodesmata
All of the worksheets have been differentiated to support students of differing abilities whilst maintaining challenge
Due to the detail that is included in this lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 3 hours of allocated A-level teaching time to go through all of the tasks
This lesson describes the uses and implications of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling. The lesson PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been primarily designed to cover point 2.17 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification but there are regular checks of their knowledge of the content of topic 2, where topics including monohybrid inheritance and cystic fibrosis are tested.
The lesson begins by challenging them to use this prior knowledge of topic 2 to identify the letters in the abbreviations PGD and CVS. The involvement of IVF to obtain the embryos (or oocytes) is then discussed and a series of exam-style questions are used to get them to understand how this method screens embryos prior to implantation, so that those identified as having genetic diseases or being carriers are not inserted into the female’s uterus. Mark schemes for all of the questions included in this lesson are embedded into the PowerPoint so students can constantly assess their progress.
Moving forwards, Down syndrome (trisomy 21) is used as an example of a chromosomal abnormality that can be tested for using CVS or amniocentesis. Time is taken to describe the key details of both of these procedures so students have a clear understanding of the implications and the invasiveness to the female being tested. The link between amniocentesis and an increased risk of miscarriage is considered and the results of a 2006 study are used to challenge them on their data skills.
This lesson bundle contains 10 lessons which have been designed to cover the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification points which focus on the structure and function of the biological molecules, including water, carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. The lesson PowerPoints are highly detailed, and along with their accompanying worksheets, they have been planned at length to contain a wide range of engaging tasks which cover the following A-level Biology content that’s found in topics 1, 2 and 4 of the course:
1.2: Understand the importance of water as a solvent in transport, including its dipole nature
1.12 (i): Know the difference between monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides, including glycogen and starch (amylose and amylopectin)
1.12 (ii): Be able to relate the structures of monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides to their roles in providing and storing energy
1.13: Know how monosaccharides join to form disaccharides (sucrose, lactose and maltose) and polysaccharides (glycogen and amylose) through condensation reactions forming glycosidic bonds, and how these can be split through hydrolysis reactions
1.14 (i): Know how a triglyceride is synthesised by the formation of ester bonds
during condensation reactions between glycerol and three fatty acids.
1.14 (ii): Know the differences between saturated and unsaturated lipids
2.9 (i): Know the basic structure of an amino acid
2.9 (ii): Understand the formation of polypeptides and proteins (amino acid
monomers linked by peptide bonds in condensation reactions)
2.9 (iii): Understand the significance of a protein’s primary structure in determining
its three-dimensional structure and properties (globular and fibrous proteins
and the types of bonds involved in its three-dimensional structure)
2.10 (iv): Know the molecular structure of a globular protein and a fibrous protein and
understand how their structures relate to their functions (including
haemoglobin and collagen)
4.9: Understand the structure and function of the polysaccharides starch and
cellulose, including the role of hydrogen bonds between β-glucose molecules in
the formation of cellulose microfibrils
This lesson bundle contains 16 lessons which have been designed to cover the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification points which focus on the structure of DNA and RNA, their roles in replication and protein synthesis, and genetics and inheritance. The lesson PowerPoints are highly detailed, and along with their accompanying worksheets, they have been planned at length to contain a wide range of engaging tasks which cover the following A-level Biology content found in topics 2, 3 and 6 of the course:
2.9 (i): Know the basic structure of mononucleotides (deoxyribose or ribose linked to a phosphate and a base, including thymine, uracil, adenine, cytosine or guanine) and the structures of DNA and RNA (polynucleotides composed of mononucleotides linked by condensation reactions to form phosphodiester bonds)
2.9 (ii): Know how complementary base pairing and the hydrogen bonding between two complementary strands are involved in the formation of the DNA double helix
2.10 (i): Understand the process of DNA replication, including the role of DNA polymerase
2.11: Understand the nature of the genetic code
2.12: Know that a gene is a sequence of bases on a DNA molecule that codes for a sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain
2.13 (i): understand the process of protein synthesis (transcription and translation), including the role of RNA polymerase, translation, messenger RNA, transfer RNA, ribosomes and the role of start and stop codons
2.13 (ii): Understand the roles of the DNA template (antisense) strand in transcription, codons on messenger RNA and anticodons on transfer RNA
2.14 (i): Understand how errors in DNA replication can give rise to mutations (substitution, insertion and deletion of bases)
2.14 (ii): Know that some mutations will give rise to cancer or genetic disorders, but that many mutations will have no observable effect
2.15 (i): Know the meaning of the terms: gene, allele, genotype, phenotype, recessive, dominant, codominance, homozygote and heterozygote
2.15 (ii): Understand patterns of inheritance, including the interpretation of genetic pedigree diagrams, in the context of monohybrid inheritance
2.15 (iii): Understand sex linkage on the X chromosome, including red-green colour blindness in humans
2.16: Understand how the expression of a gene mutation in people with cystic fibrosis impairs the functioning of the gaseous exchange, digestive and reproductive systems
2.17 (i): Understand the uses of genetic screening, including the identification of carriers, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and prenatal testing, including amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling
2.17 (ii): Understand the implications of prenatal genetic screening
3.9 (i): Know that a locus is the location of genes on a chromosome
3.9 (ii): Understand the linkage of genes on a chromosome
3.18: Understand how cells become specialised through differential gene expression, producing active mRNA, leading to the synthesis of proteins which, in turn, control cell processes or determine cell structure in animals and plants
3.19: Understand how one gene can give rise to more than one protein through posttranscriptional changes to messenger RNA (mRNA).
3.20 (i): Phenotype is an interaction between genotype and the environment
3.21: Understand how some phenotypes are affected by multiple alleles for the same gene at many loci (polygenic inheritance) as well as the environment and how this can give rise to phenotypes that show continuous variation
6.17: Know how DNA can be amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
This lesson evaluates the methods used by zoos and seed banks in the conservation of endangered species. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been primarily designed to cover point 4.16 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification but as this is potentially the last lesson in this topic, lots of questions and activities have been included that will challenge the students on their knowledge of topic 4 (Biodiversity and Natural Resources).
Hours of research went into the planning of this lesson to source interesting examples to increase the relevance of the biological content and although the main focus of the lesson is the two ex situ conservation methods, the lesson begins with a consideration of the importance of the in situ methods that are used in the Lake Télé Community reserve in the Republic of Congo and the marine conservation zone in the waters surrounding Tristan da Cunha. Students will learn how this form of active management conserves habitats and species in their natural environment, with the aim of minimising human impact whilst maintaining biodiversity.
To enrich their understanding of ex situ conservation, the well-known examples of ZSL London zoo, Kew Gardens and the Millennium Seed Bank Project in Wakehurst are used. Students will understand how conserving animal species outside of their natural habitat allows for human intervention that ensures the animals are fed and given medical assistance when needed as well as reproductive assistance to increase the likelihood of the successful breeding of endangered species. An emphasis is placed on the desire to reintroduce the species into the wild and the example of some initial successes with the mountain chicken frog in Dominica and Montserrat is discussed. As stated in the specification point, these methods must be evaluated and therefore the issues are also considered and there is a focus on the susceptibility of captive populations to diseases as a result of their limited genetic diversity. The final part of the lesson considers how seed banks can be used to ensure that plant species, which may contain the molecules for medicine development, avoid extinction, and how the plants can be bred asexually to increase plant populations quickly.
Due to the extensiveness of this lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2/3 hours of allocated A-level teaching time to cover the tasks and content included in the lesson and as explained above, it can also be used as revision of topic 4 content
Hours of research and planning has gone into each and every one of the 9 lessons that are included in this lesson bundle that covers topic 18 of the CIE A-level Biology course . Conscious that some students do not fully engage in the topics of biodiversity, classsification and conservation, the lessons have been designed to contain a wide range of tasks which will motivate the students whilst the content of the following specification points are covered:
18.1: Biodiversity
Define the terms species, ecosystem and niche
Explain that biodiversity can be considered at three different levels
Explain the importance of random sampling in determining the biodiversity of an area
Use suitable methods to assess the distribution and abundance of organisms in a local area
Use Spearman’s rank correlation to analyse the relationship between the distribution and abundance of species and abiotic or biotic factors
Use Simpson’s Index of diversity
18.2: Classification
Describe the classification of species into the 8 taxonomic divisions
Outline the characteristic features of the three domains
Outline the characteristic features of the kingdoms
Explain why viruses are not included in the three domain classification and outline how they are classified
18.3: Conservation
The reasons for the need to maintain biodiversity
Discuss methods of protecting endangered species
The role of non-governmental organisations like the WWF and CITES in local and global conservation
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons in this bundle, then download the Spearman’s rank correlation, features of the kingdoms and WWF, CITES and conservation lesson as these have been uploaded for free
