I am a secondary science teacher from Plymouth, United Kingdom. I have a passion for designing interactive, engaging and well scaffolded resources that are inclusive for all pupils. I teach all years, from years 7-13. I teach KS3 Activate (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy (Biology and Chemistry), AQA GCSE Biology, AQA GCSE Chemistry, and A Level Biology (OCR A).
I am a secondary science teacher from Plymouth, United Kingdom. I have a passion for designing interactive, engaging and well scaffolded resources that are inclusive for all pupils. I teach all years, from years 7-13. I teach KS3 Activate (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy (Biology and Chemistry), AQA GCSE Biology, AQA GCSE Chemistry, and A Level Biology (OCR A).
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum.
This lesson is focused on unicellular organisms.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Name two unicellular organisms (amoeba and euglena)
Describe the basic structures found in unicellular organisms (amoeba and euglena) and their functions
Compare the structures of euglena to the structures found in animal cells and plant cells
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum.
This lesson is focused on ‘movement of substances’ (diffusion).
From this lesson, students should be able to describe the process of diffusion, using specific examples.
Students should also be able to name two substances that diffuse into cells (oxygen and glucose) and two substances that diffuse out of cells (carbon dioxide and water).
This lesson includes a demonstration of skittles in water.
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A full 1 hour lesson designed for a low ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science syllabus.
This is a theory lesson, so suitable for teaching random sampling with quadrats in the winter months!
This lesson focuses on the method of random sampling, as well as the calculations.
This resource includes:
A ‘5 in 5’ retrieval-style starter
A careers link (ecological consultant)
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
An embedded video
An animated teacher model, helping students to visualise the method
Model results
A teacher model on calculating a mean / estimations, with answer slides
Exam question on random sampling method, with optional scaffold, and answer slide
Exam questions on calculations, with answer slides
Written plenary
A full 1 hour lesson designed for a low ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science syllabus.
This is a theory lesson, so suitable for teaching random sampling with quadrats in the winter months!
This lesson focuses on the method of systematic sampling using transect lines.
This resource includes:
A ‘5 in 5’ retrieval-style starter
A retrieval practice (recalling method for random sampling)
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher model slides (examples)
An animated teacher model, helping students to visualise the method
Guided class discussions
Multiple choice hand signals quiz
‘Fill in the blanks’ closed task with answer slide
Exam questions, with optional scaffolds, and answer slides
Written plenary
This is a 1 hour lesson resource designed for a lower ability year 11 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science Biology topic ‘Homeostasis’.
This lesson focuses on reflex arcs, and neurotransmitter release at synapses.
My lesson resources always contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
From topic 2.1.4 Enzymes, spec point:
d) i) the effects of pH, temperature, enzyme concentration and substrate concentration on enzyme activity, to include reference to the temperature coefficient.
My lesson resources always contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
From topic 2.1.4 Enzymes, spec point:
c) the effects of pH, temperature, enzyme concentration and substrate concentration on enzyme activity
My lesson resources always contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
From topic 2.1.4 Enzymes, spec points:
a) the role of enzymes in catalysing reactions that affect metabolism at a cellular and whole organism level
b) the role of enzymes in catalysing both intracellular and extracellular reactions, with catalase and amylase as examples
My lesson resources always contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
From topic 2.1.4 Enzymes, spec point:
c) The mechanism of enzyme action.
To include the tertiary structure, specificity, active site, lock and key hypothesis, induced-fit hypothesis, enzyme-substrate complex, enzymeproduct complex, product formation and lowering of activation energy.
My lesson resources always contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
From topic 2.1.4 Enzymes, spec point:
(f) the effects of inhibitors on the rate of enzyme-controlled reactions, “the role of end-product inhibition.”
My lesson resources always contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
From topic 2.1.4 Enzymes, spec points:
(e) the need for coenzymes and cofactors in some enzyme-controlled reactions
(f) the effects of inhibitors on the rate of enzyme-controlled reactions.
My lesson resources always contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
Tes paid licence
This is a 1 hour lesson resource designed for a mixed ability year 11 class studying the AQA GCSE Biology topic ‘Homeostasis’.
This lesson focuses on thermoregulation, and the mechanisms of controlling body temperature by homeostasis.
My lesson resources always contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This is a 1 hour lesson resource designed for a mid-ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science curriculum. They were studying the topic on the digestive system and enzymes.
This lesson focuses on the function of the liver.
In this lesson, students will practice:
Labelling the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, bile duct
Describing the functions of the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, bile duct
Describing the role of the bile in terms of neutralising stomach acid and emulsifying lipids
My lesson resources always contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A full 1-hour lesson resource designed for a mid-ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science curriculum.
This resource focuses on the human digestive system, specifically labelling the organs in the digestive system and describing the function of each organ in the digestive system.
This resource contains:
A ‘5 in 5’ retrieval-style starter
A lesson hook
A retrieval practice - can students draw the organs in the correct place on the human body outline?
Teacher input slides - location of organs in digestive system
Check for understanding slides - cold call
Deliberate practice slide on labeling digestive system (worksheet include), with answer slide
Teacher input slides - function of organs
Multiple choice hand signals quizzes
Deliberate Practice slide - students match the function to the organ, with answer slides
Written plenary
A full 1-hour lesson resource designed for a mid-ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science curriculum.
This resource focuses on introducing enzymes, specifically on the action of enzymes and lock and key theory.
This resource contains:
A ‘5 in 5’ retrieval-style starter
A lesson hook
An introduction task on what an enzyme is
Teacher input slides on enzyme action (active site, substrate, product)
Multiple choice hand signal quizzes
Student independent task, drawing and labelling enzyme-substrate complex (with answer slide)
Teacher model slides, naming the enzyme, substrate and product
Student independent task naming enzyme, substrates and products (with answer slide)
Guided class discussion about locks and keys, how they work
Teacher input slides on the lock and key theory, with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Guided class discussion, applying lock and key theory as to why protease can’t be used to break down starch
Student independent practice on lock and key theory (with optional scaffold, and answer slide)
Written plenary
A full 1-hour lesson resource designed for a mid-ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science curriculum.
This is a practical lesson on conducting food tests.
This resource contains:
A ‘5 in 5’ retrieval-style starter
A lesson hook - linking to real word applications
A health and safety / risk assessment slide
A results table
Practical instruction slides to print, for carousel practical
Model answer slide
Checkpoint - short exam questions to go through as a class, with answers
Multiple choice hand signal quizzes
Deliberate Practice - extended response exam question, with answer slide
Written plenary with answer slide
A full 1-hour lesson resource designed for a mid-ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science curriculum.
This is a theory lesson that focuses on the effects of temperature and pH on enzyme activity.
This resource contains:
A ‘5 in 5’ retrieval-style starter
A retrieval practice hand signals quiz, focusing on identifying enzymes, the active site, substrate and product
Teacher input slides - story tellling “Goldlilocks and the three enzymes” to introduce the effect of temperature on enzymes
A guided class discussion
Student deliberate practice slides - explaining the graph on temperature and enzyme action, with optional scaffold slide, and answer slide
Teacher input slides on pH and enzymes (dual coding, reduced cognitive load)
Written multiple choice quiz
Student independent task, three levels of challenge
Answer slide
Written plenary (exam question, with key word bank), and answer slide
This is a 1 hour lesson resource designed for a lower ability year 11 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science Biology topic ‘Homeostasis’.
This lesson focuses on the structure of the nervous system:
Nerves vs. neurones
The function of a neurone
Central nervous system and peripheral nervous system
Labelling a neurone
Stimulus, receptor, effector, response
My lesson resources are always designed to contain the following:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A full 1-hour lesson designed for a mixed ability year 9 class studying the AQA GCSE Biology topic “Ecosystems”.
This lesson covers interdependence in communities, stable communities and competition.
This full 1-hour lesson resource contains:
A 5-in-5 retrieval style starter
An embedded YouTube video as a lesson hook
Introduction slides on interdependence (reduced cognitive load, dual coding)
Teacher model slides on interdependence in food webs
A ‘thumbs up, thumbs down’ hand signals quiz, with answers
An exam question for students to practice, with answer slides
Introduction slides on competition, with pictures
An embedded YouTube video on competition in plants
A written recall task with answer slides on competition
A guided ‘turn and talk’
A written exam question on competition, with answer slides
Introduction slides on stable communities
Exam question with answer slides on stable communities
Plenary - written exam question
A full 1-hour lesson resource designed for a mixed ability year 9 class studying the AQA GCSE Biology topic “Ecology”.
This lesson focuses on the different types of adaptation (structural, physiological, behavioural), specifically in animals.
This lesson resource includes:
5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
Lesson hook - spot the camouflaged animal
Introduction slides on the different types of adaptation, with examples (reduced cognitive load, dual coding)
Written checkpoint - students match the types of adaptation to their definitions (answer slide included)
Hand signals multiple choice quiz
Embedded YouTube video with written task
Reading task on adaptations of polar bears
Comprehension task - students identify structural, physiological and behavioural adaptations in polar bears from the text
Guided 6-mark exam question
Written plenary with answer slide