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 introduces the three-domain system and describes some of the biochemical methods used in classification to overcome the problems of morphological convergence. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points [c] and [e] in AS unit 2, topic 1 of the WJEC A-level Biology specification
The lesson begins with an introduction of Carl 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 previous lesson, 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. Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson considers other molecules that can be compared between species for classification purposes and the primary structure of cytochrome is described and discussed. At this point in the lesson, the students are also tested on their knowledge of the nature of the genetic code and have to explain how mutations to DNA can also be used for comparative purposes. The use of DNA genetic fingerprinting is briefly introduced and this is described in greater detail in a future lesson about assessing biodiversity at a molecular level
This lesson bundle contains 5 lesson PowerPoints and together with their accompanying worksheets, they will engage and motivate the students whilst covering the following specification points in module 3.1.1 (Exchange surfaces) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification:
The need for specialised exchange surfaces
The features of an efficient exchange surface
The structures and functions of the components of the mammalian gaseous exchange system
The mechanism of ventilation in mammals
The mechanisms of ventilation and gas exchange in bony fish and insects
Found interspersed within the detailed A-level Biology content in the slides are current understanding and prior knowledge checks and these are followed by displayed mark schemes to allow students to assess their progress. There are also differentiated tasks, guided discussion periods and quiz competitions that introduce key values and terms in a fun and memorable way
If you would like to see the quality of lessons included in this bundle, then download the mammalian gaseous exchange system and ventilation and gas exchange in insects lessons as these have been uploaded for free
This lesson describes the levels of organisation, including the aggregation of cells into tissues, tissues into organs and organs into organ systems. The detailed and engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point (d) of AS unit 1, topic 2 of the WJEC A-level Biology specification and focuses on the levels of organisation in humans and plants. Please note that the lesson does not contain prepared slides of tissue as this is covered in a later lesson.
The lesson begins by using the process of haematopoiesis from haematopoietic stem cells to demonstrate how the red blood cell and neutrophil differ significantly in structure despite arising from the same cell along the same cell lineage. A series of exam-style questions will not only challenge their knowledge of structure but also their ability to apply this knowledge to unfamiliar situations. These differences in cell structure is further exemplified by the epithelial cells of the respiratory tract and students are challenged to remember how the shape and arrangement of these cells differ in the trachea and alveoli in relation to their function. The link between specialised cells and tissues is made at this point of the lesson so students are reminded that a tissue is a group of cells that work together to perform a specific function or set of functions. Moving forwards, a quick quiz competition will challenge the students to recognise the liver, kidney, spinal cord and pancreas from a brief functional description and this leads into a series of questions that links back to topics 1 and earlier in topic 2 where proteins, organelles and carbohydrates were originally covered. These prior knowledge checks are found throughout the lesson, along with current understanding checks, and all of the mark schemes are embedded into the PowerPoint to allow students to assess their progress. In terms of organ systems, a quick task challenges them to recognise 8 of the 11 that are found in humans from descriptions and this leaves them to identify the gaseous exchange, digestive and reproductive systems as the remaining 3.
The remainder of the lesson focuses on specialised plant cells and the differing shapes and features of the palisade and spongy cells in the mesophyll layer and the guard cells are covered at length and in detail. The cells found in the xylem and phloem tissue are also discussed.
This lesson describes how the cells of multicellular organisms are organised into tissues, tissues into organs and organs into systems. The detailed and engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.13 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification and focuses on the levels of organisation in humans and plants
The lesson begins by using the process of haematopoiesis from haematopoietic stem cells to demonstrate how the red blood cell and neutrophil differ significantly in structure despite arising from the same cell along the same cell lineage. A series of exam-style questions will not only challenge their knowledge of structure but also their ability to apply this knowledge to unfamiliar situations. These differences in cell structure is further exemplified by the epithelial cells of the respiratory tract and students are challenged to remember how the shape and arrangement of these cells differ in the trachea and alveoli in relation to their function. The link between specialised cells and tissues is made at this point of the lesson so students are reminded that a tissue is a group of cells that work together to perform a specific function or set of functions. Moving forwards, a quick quiz competition will challenge the students to recognise the liver, kidney, spinal cord and pancreas from a brief functional description and this leads into a series of questions that links back to topics 1 and 2 and earlier in topic 3 where blood clotting, proteins, osmosis, organelles, methods of transport, carbohydrates and enzymes were originally covered. These prior knowledge checks are found throughout the lesson, along with current understanding checks, and all of the mark schemes are embedded into the PowerPoint to allow students to assess their progress. In terms of organ systems, a quick task challenges them to recognise 8 of the 11 that are found in humans from descriptions and this leaves them to identify the gaseous exchange, digestive and reproductive systems as the remaining 3. This leads into a section about cystic fibrosis as this genetic disorder impairs the functioning of these systems.
The remainder of the lesson focuses on specialised plant cells and the differing shapes and features of the palisade and spongy cells in the mesophyll layer and the guard cells are covered at length and in detail. The cells found in the xylem and phloem tissue are also discussed.
This lesson describes the roles of the buccal cavity, operculum, gill lamellae and countercurrent flow in ventilation and gas exchange in bony fish. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources are part of the first lesson in a series of 2 that have been designed to cover the details of point 3.1.1 (f) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification. The second lesson in this series covers the mechanisms of ventilation and gas exchange in insects.
The lesson has been specifically planned to prepare students for the content of module 3.1.2 (Transport in animals) and therefore begins with an introduction and a brief description of the single circulatory system of a fish as this has an impact on the delivery of deoxygenated blood to the lamellae. A quick quiz competition is used to introduce the operculum and then the flow of blood along the gill arch and into the primary lamellae and then into the capillaries in the secondary lamellae is described. The next task challenges the students to use their knowledge of module 2 to come up with the letters that form the key term, countercurrent flow. This is a key element of the lesson and tends to be a feature that is poorly understood, so extra time is taken to explain the importance of this mechanism. Students are shown two diagrams, where one contains a countercurrent system and the other has the two fluids flowing in the same direction, and this is designed to support them in recognising that this type of system ensures that the concentration of oxygen is always higher in the oxygenated water than in the blood in the lamellae. The remainder of the lesson focuses on the coordinated movements of the buccal-opercular pump to ensure that the water continues to flow over the gills.
Current understanding and prior knowledge checks are included throughout the lesson and students can assess their progress against the mark schemes which are embedded into the PowerPoint
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 engaging lesson describes the structures of virus particles and explains why viruses are described as acellular and non-living. The PowerPoint and accompanying resource are part of the second lesson in a series of 2 lessons which have been designed to cover the detail of specification point (b) in AS unit 1, topic 2 of the WJEC A-level Biology specification
Details of the COVID-19 epidemic are included in the lesson to increase relevance and to help students to understand this biological topic in greater depth. They will understand that the lack of cell structures results in an acellular classification and the fact that it is unable to reproduce without a host is one of the additional reasons that renders it as non-living. The main focus of the lesson is the nucleic acid, the capsid and the attachment proteins that are present in these microorganisms and time is taken to explain how these structures are involved in the infection of a host cell. The lipid membrane is also introduced and links are made to the previous lessons on eukaryotic cells. The final section uses a version of BBC 1’s POINTLESS to introduce a number of viral diseases in animals and the use of a glycoprotein by HIV to attach to helper T cells is briefly introduced so students are prepared for the immunology option if taken
This lesson bundle contains 16 lessons which have been designed to cover the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) 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:
2.5 (i): Know the basic structure of mononucleotides (deoxyribose or ribose linked to a phosphate and a base, including thymine, uracil, cytosine, adenine or guanine) and the structures of DNA and RNA (polynucleotides composed of mononucleotides linked through condensation reactions)
2.5 (ii): Know how complementary base pairing and the hydrogen bonding between two complementary strands are involved in the formation of the DNA double helix
2.6 (i): Understand the process of protein synthesis (transcription) including the role of RNA polymerase, translation, messenger RNA, transfer RNA, ribosomes and the role of start and stop codons
2.6 (ii): Understand the roles of the DNA template (antisense) strand in transcription, codons on messenger RNA and anticodons on transfer RNA
2.7: Understand the nature of the genetic code
2.8: 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
2.11 (i): Understand the process of DNA replication, including the role of DNA polymerase
2.12 (i): Understand how errors in DNA replication can give rise to mutations
2.12 (ii): Understand how cystic fibrosis results from one of a number of possible gene mutations
2.13 (i): Know the meaning of the terms: gene, allele, genotype, phenotype, recessive, dominant, incomplete dominance, homozygote and heterozygote
2.13 (ii): Understand patterns of inheritance, including the interpretation of genetic pedigree diagrams, in the context of monohybrid inheritance
2.14: Understand how the expression of a gene mutation in people with cystic fibrosis impairs the functioning of the gaseous exchange, digestive and reproductive systems
2.15 (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
2.15 (ii): Understand the implications of prenatal genetic screening
3.8 (i): The loci is a location of genes on a chromosome
3.8 (ii): The linkage of genes on a chromosome and sex linkage
3.12: Understand how cells become specialised through differential gene expression, producing active mRNA leading to synthesis of proteins, which in turn control cell processes or determine cell structure in animals and plants, including the lac operon
3.14 (i): Phenotype is an interaction between genotype and the environment
3.15: 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
6.4: Know how DNA can be amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
6.10: Understand how one gene can give rise to more than one protein through posttranscriptional changes to messenger RNA (mRNA).
This lesson bundle contains 7 lessons which have been designed to cover the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification points which focus on the structure of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells and the functions of their components. The lesson PowerPoints are highly detailed, and along with the 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 4 of the course:
2.2 (i): Know the structure and function of cell membranes
3.1: Know that all living organisms are made of cells, sharing some common features
3.2: Know the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells, including nucleus, nucleolus, ribosomes, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, centrioles, lysosomes, and Golgi apparatus
3.3: Understand the role of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) and the Golgi apparatus in protein transport within cells, including their role in the formation of extracellular enzymes
3.4: Know the ultrastructure of prokaryotic cells, including cell wall, capsule, plasmid, flagellum, pili, ribosomes, mesosomes and circular DNA
3.6: Understand how mammalian gametes are specialised for their functions (including the acrosome in sperm and the zona pellucida in the egg)
3.13: Understand how the cells of multicellular organisms are organised into tissues, tissues into organs and organs into systems
4.7: Know the ultrastructure of plant cells (cell walls, chloroplasts, amyloplasts, vacuole, tonoplast, plasmodesmata, pits and middle lamella) and be able to compare it with animal cells.
This lesson bundle contains 6 lessons which have been designed to cover the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification points which focus on the structure of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells and the functions of their components. The lesson PowerPoints are highly detailed, and along with the 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 4 of the course:
2.2 (i): Know the structure and function of cell membranes
3.1: Know that all living organisms are made of cells, sharing some common features
3.2: Understand how the cells of multicellular organisms are organised into tissues, tissues into organs and organs into systems
3.3: Know the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells, including nucleus, nucleolus, ribosomes, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, centrioles, lysosomes, and Golgi apparatus
3.4: Understand the role of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) and the Golgi apparatus in protein transport within cells, including their role in the formation of extracellular enzymes
3.5: Know the ultrastructure of prokaryotic cells, including cell wall, capsule, plasmid, flagellum, pili, ribosomes, mesosomes and circular DNA
3.11: Understand how mammalian gametes are specialised for their functions (including the acrosome in sperm and the zona pellucida in the egg)
4.1 (i): Know the ultrastructure of plant cells (cell walls, chloroplasts, amyloplasts, vacuole, tonoplast, plasmodesmata, pits and middle lamella) and be able to compare it with animal cells
4.1 (ii): understand the function of the structures listed in (i)
This lesson describes the ethical and economic reasons for the maintenance of biodiversity. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets are filled with real-life biological examples and have been designed to cover point 3.3 (ii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification.
Many hours of research have gone into the planning of the lesson so that interesting examples are included to increase the relevance of the multitude of reasons to maintain biodiversity. These include the gray wolves and beavers of Yellowstone National Park and the Za boabab in the Madagascar rainforests as examples of keystone species. Students will learn that these species have a disproportionate effect on their environment relative to their abundance and exam-style questions and guided discussion periods are used to challenge them to explain their effect on other species in the habitat. The latest A-level Biology exams have a heavy mathematical content and this is reflected in this lesson as students are challenged to complete a range of calculations to manipulate data to support their biological-based answers. All of the exam questions that are included throughout the lesson have mark schemes embedded into the PowerPoint to allow the students to assess their progress. Moving fowards, the economic ans aesthetic reasons to maintain biodiversity are considered, and there is a focus on the soil depletion that occurs when a continuous monoculture is used. The 1 Billion tree scheme that began in New Zealand in 2018 is introduced and the reasons that some groups of people are objecting to what they consider to be a pine monoculture are discussed. Students will recognise that the clear felling of the trees dramatically changes the landscape and that the increased runoff that results can have catastrophic affects for both aquatic life and for humans with floods.
A number of quiz competitions are included in the lesson to introduce key terms in a fun and memorable way and some of the worksheets have been differentiated to allow students of differing abilities to access the work
This lesson describes the principles of in situ conservation and considers the benefits as well as the issues that surround this method. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are part of the first lesson in a series of 2 which have been designed to cover the content of point 3.3 (iii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification.
Hours of research have gone into the planning of this lesson to source interesting examples to increase the relevance of the biological content, and these include the Lizard National Nature Reserve in Cornwall, 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. The main issues surrounding this method are discussed, including the fact that the impact of this conservation may not be significant if the population has lost much of its genetic diversity and that despite the management, the conditions that caused the species to become endangered may still be present. A number of quick quiz competitions are interspersed throughout the lesson to introduce key terms and values in a fun and memorable way and one of these challenges them to use their knowledge of famous scientists to reveal the surname, Fossey. Dian Fossey was an American conservationist and her years of study of the mountain gorillas is briefly discussed along with the final issue that wildlife reserves can draw poachers and tourists to the area, potentially disturbing the natural habitat.
This lesson describes the international and local conservation agreements that are made to protect species and habitats. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover point 4.2.1 (i) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and includes details of CITES, CBD and CSS.
Many hours of research have gone into the planning of this lesson to ensure that a range of interesting biological examples are included, with the aim of fully engaging the students in the material to increase its relevance. Beginning with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the students will learn that this was first agreed in 1973 and that 35000 species are currently found in appendix I, II or III. Time is taken to go through the meaning of each appendix and then the following animal and plant species are used to explain the finer details of the agreement:
Tree pangolin, eastern black rhino for CITES appendix I
Darwin’s orchid for CITES appendix II
Four-horned antelope for CITES appendix III
Exam-style questions are used to check on their understanding of the current topic as well as to challenge their knowledge of previously-covered topics such as the functions of keratin, when considering the structure of the rhino horn. Each of these questions has its own markscheme which is embedded in the PowerPoint and this allows the students to constantly assess their progress.
Moving forwards, the Rio Convention on Biological Diversity is introduced and students will understand that this is a key document regarding sustainable development.
The final part of the lesson considers local conservation agreements, focusing on the Countryside Stewardship Scheme and its replacement, the Environmental Stewardship Scheme. Students are told that farmers, woodland owners, foresters and land managers can apply for funding for a range of options including hedgerow management, low input grassland, buffer strips, management plans and soil protection options. The importance of the hedgerows for multiple species is discussed, and again a real-life example is used with bats to increase the likelihood of retention. The last task challenges them to use their overall knowledge of module 4.2.1 (biodiversity) to explain why buffer strips consisting of multiple types of vegetation are used and to explain why these could help when a farmer is using continuous monoculture.
This lesson explains that autosomal linkage results from the presence of alleles on the same chromosome and uses biological examples to demonstrate this concept. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover point 8.2 (iv) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and supports students in the formation of their descriptions of how these results of these crosses can be explained by the events of meiosis (crossing over)
This is a difficult topic which can be poorly understood by students so extra time was taken during the planning to split the concept into small chunks. There is a clear focus on using the number of parent phenotypes and recombinants in the offspring as a way to determine linkage and suggest how the loci of the two genes compare. Important links to other topics such as crossing over in meiosis are made to enable students to understand how the random formation of the point of contact (chiasma) determines whether new phenotypes will be seen in the offspring or not. Linkage is an important cause of variation and the difference between observed and expected results and this is emphasised on a number of occasions and a link to the chi squared test which is covered in an upcoming lesson is also made. The main task of the lesson act as understanding check where students are challenged to analyse the results of genetic crosses involving the inheritance of the ABO blood group gene and the nail-patella syndrome gene n humans and also the inheritance of body colour and wing length in Drosophila.
This lesson describes a range of methods that can be used to assess the distribution and abundance of organisms in a local area. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover points [c] and [d] of topic 18.1 of the CIE A-level Biology specification and describe the use of frame quadrats, line and belt transects, and the mark-release-recapture method.
Due to the substantial mathematical content of the A-level Biology exams, as well as descriptions of the different methods, there is a focus on the range of calculations that are used to estimate the population of either sessile or motile species. As shown by the image, step by step guides are used to walk the students through the key stages in these calculations before exam-style questions challenge them to apply their understanding and mark schemes are included in the lesson to allow them to immediately assess their progress. The precautions and assumptions associated with the mark-release-recapture method are discussed and links are made to stabilising selection as covered in topic 17 when considering how the number of species have changed over time.
Each of the 6 specification points in topic 8.2 of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification are covered by the 6 lessons included in this bundle:
(i) Understanding of the key genetic terms
(ii) Be able to construct genetic crosses and pedigree diagrams
(iii) Understand the inheritance of two non-interacting unlinked genes
(iv) Understand that autosomal linkage results from the presence of alleles on the same chromosome
(v) Understand sex linkage on the X chromosome
(vi) Be able to use the chi squared test
The lessons contain step by step guides that walk students through the key details of this topic, such as the construction of genetic crosses or the calculation of the chi squared value. There are also lots of exam-style questions to challenge the students to apply their understanding and the mark schemes that are embedded in the PowerPoints will allow them to assess their progress.
The sex linkage lesson has been uploaded for free if you would like to sample the quality of lessons in this bundle.
This lesson discusses how biodiversity may be considered at different levels and describes how to calculate Simpson’s Index of diversity. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have primarily been designed to cover points 4.2.1 (a, c and d) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification but also make links to the upcoming topics of classification, natural selection and adaptations
A quiz competition called BIOLOGICAL TERMINOLOGY SNAP runs over the course of the lesson and this will engage the students whilst challenging them to recognise species, population, biodiversity, community and natural selection from their respective definitions. Once biodiversity as the variety of living organisms in a habitat is revealed, the students will learn that this can relate to a range of habitats, from those in the local area to the Earth. Moving forwards, the students will begin to understand that biodiversity can be considered at a range of levels which include within a habitat, within a species and within different habitats so that they can be compared. Species richness as a measure of the number of different species in a community is met and a biological example in the rainforests of Madagascar is used to increase its relevance. However, students will also be introduced to species evenness and will learn that in order for a habitat to be deemed to be biodiverse, it must be both species rich and even. The students are introduced to an unfamiliar formula that calculates the heterozygosity index and are challenged to apply their knowledge to this situation, as well as linking a low H value to natural selection. The rest of the lesson focuses on the calculation of Simpson’s Index of diversity and a 4-step guide is used to walk students through each part of the calculation. This is done in combination with a worked example to allow students to visualise how the formula should be applied to actual figures. Using the method, they will then calculate a value of D for a comparable habitat to allow the two values to be considered and the significance of a higher value is explained. All of the exam-style questions have mark schemes embedded in the PowerPoint to allow students to continuously assess their progress and understanding.
This lesson bundle contains 9 detailed and engaging lessons which have been designed to cover the following content in topics 10 & 11 of the CIE A-level Biology specification:
10.1: Infectious diseases
The meaning of the term disease and the difference between infectious and non-infectious diseases
The name and type of pathogen that causes cholera, malaria, TB, HIV/AIDS, smallpox and measles
Explain how cholera, malaria, TB, HIV and measles are transmitted
10.2: Antibiotics
Outline how penicillin acts on bacteria and why antibiotics do not affect viruses
Outline how bacteria become resistant to antibiotics with reference to mutation and selection
Discuss the consequences of antibiotic resistance and the steps that can be taken to reduce its impact
11.1: The immune system
State that phagocytes have their origin in bone marrow and describe their mode of action
Describe the modes of action of B and T lymphocytes
The meaning of the term immune response, with reference to antigens, self and non-self
Explain the role of memory cells in long term immunity
Autoimmune diseases as exemplified by myasthenia gravis
11.2: Antibodies and vaccination
Relate the molecular structure of antibodies to their functions
Distinguish between active and passive, natural and artificial immunity and explain how vaccination can control disease
Each of the lesson PowerPoints is accompanied by worksheets which together contain a wide range of tasks that will engage and motivate the students whilst challenging them on their understanding of the current topic as well as previously-covered topics.
If you would like to get an understanding of the quality of the lessons in this bundle, then download the transmission of infectious diseases and phagocytes and phagocytosis lessons as these have been shared for free.
This lesson describes self and non-self antigens and how a failure to distinguish between the two is the mechanism of autoimmune diseases. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been primarily designed to cover points 11.1 (d & f) of the CIE A-level Biology specification and describe examples of these diseases including myasthenia gravis, but this lesson can also be used to revise the content of the earlier topics as well as the previous lessons in topic 10 & 11 through the range of activities that are included
The first part of the lesson focuses on the antigens and explains how the failure of the immune system cells to recognise these molecules on the outside of a cell or organism elicits an immune response. Moving forwards, the students are challenged to recognise diseases from descriptions and then to use the first letters of their names to form the term, autoimmune. In doing so, the students will discover that rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, type I diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis and myasthenia gravis are all examples of autoimmune diseases. The next part of the lesson focuses on the mechanism of these diseases where the immune system cells do not recognise the antigens (self-antigens) on the outside of the healthy cells, and therefore treats them as foreign antigens, resulting in the production of autoantibodies against proteins on these healthy cells and tissues. Key details of the autoimmune diseases stated above and lupus are described and links to previously covered topics as well as to future topics such as the pancreas and nervous system are made. The students will be challenged by the numerous exam-style questions, all of which have mark schemes embedded into the PowerPoint to allow for immediate assessment of progress.
This lesson describes the structure and function of synapses in nerve impulse transmission and focuses on acetylcholine as a neurotransmitter. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 8.6 (i) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification, using a cholinergic synapse as the main example
The lesson begins by using a version of the WALL from “Only Connect” which asks the students to group 12 words into three groups of 4. Not only will this challenge their prior knowledge from topics earlier in this topic but it will also lead to the discovery of four of the structures that are found in a synapse. Moving forwards, students are introduced to acetylcholine as the neurotransmitter involved at cholinergic synapses and they will start to add labels to the structures found in the pre-synaptic bulb. Time is taken to focus on certain structures such as the voltage gated channels as these types of channel were met previously when looking at the depolarisation of a neurone. There is plenty of challenge and discovery as students are pushed to explain why organelles like mitochondria would be found in large numbers in the bulb. With this process being a cascade of events, a bullet point format is used to ensure that the key content is taken in by the students and again key points like exocytosis and the action of acetylcholinesterase are discussed further.
Understanding checks and prior knowledge checks are included throughout the lesson so that students can not only assess their progress against the current topic but also see whether they can make links to earlier topics.
