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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.

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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.
Calculating biodiversity (Edexcel A level Biology A)
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Calculating biodiversity (Edexcel A level Biology A)

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This fully-resourced lesson explains the meaning of biodiversity and describes how it can be calculated within a habitat and within a species. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 4.2 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification and in addition to biodiversity, the meaning of endemism is also explained. 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 key terms from their definitions. This quiz will introduce species, population, biodiversity, endemic, heterozygote and natural selection and each of these terms is put into context once introduced. Once biodiversity has been revealed, the students will learn that they are expected to be able to measure biodiversity within a habitat, within a species and within different habitats so that they can be compared. The rest of the lesson uses step by step guides, discussion points and selected tasks to demonstrate how to determine species richness, the heterozygosity index and an index of diversity. Students are challenged with a range of exam-style questions where they have to apply their knowledge and all mark schemes are displayed and clearly explained within the PowerPoint to allow students to assess their understanding and address any misconceptions if they arise.
Topic 1: Molecules, Transport & Health (Edexcel International A-level Biology)
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Topic 1: Molecules, Transport & Health (Edexcel International A-level Biology)

10 Resources
This bundle contains 10 detailed lesson PowerPoints and the variety of tasks that are contained within these slides and the accompanying resources will engage and motivate the students whilst covering the following specification points within topic 1 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification: The importance of water as a solvent in transport The difference between monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides The relationship between the structure and function of monosaccharides The formation and breakdown of disaccharides The relationship between the structure and function of glycogen, amylose and amylopectin The synthesis of triglycerides The differences between saturated and unsaturated lipids The relationship between the structure of capillaries, arteries and veins and their functions Atrial systole, ventricular systole and cardiac diastole as the three stages of the cardiac cycle The operation of the mammalian heart and the major blood vessels The role of haemoglobin in the transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide The oxygen dissociation curve for foetal haemoglobin and during the Bohr effect The blood clotting process If you want to sample the quality of this bundle, then download the glycogen, amylose and amylopectin, cardiac cycle and blood clotting lessons as these have been uploaded for free
Haemoglobin & the Bohr effect (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)
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Haemoglobin & the Bohr effect (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)

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This lesson describes the role of haemoglobin in transport and explains the change in the dissociation curve when there is an increased concentration of carbon dioxide (the Bohr effect). The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 1.9 (i) & (ii) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and this lesson also compares the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve of foetal haemoglobin against maternal haemoglobin. The lesson begins with a version of the quiz show Pointless and this introduces haemotology as the study of the blood conditions. Students are told that haemoglobin has a quaternary structure as it is formed of 4 polypeptide chains which each contain a haem group with an iron ion attached and that it is this group which has a high affinity for oxygen. Time is taken to discuss how this protein must be able to load (and unload) oxygen as well as transport the molecules to the respiring tissues. Students will plot the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve and the S-shaped curve is used to encourage discussions about the ease with which haemoglobin loads each molecule. At this point, foetal haemoglobin and its differing affinity of oxygen is introduced and students are challenged to predict whether this affinity will be higher or lower than adult haemoglobin and to represent this on their dissociation curve. Moving forwards, the different ways that carbon dioxide is transported around the body involving haemoglobin are described and the dissociation of carbonic acid into hydrogen ions is discussed so that students can understand how this will affect the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen in the final part of the lesson on the Bohr effect. A quick quiz is used to introduce Christian Bohr and the students are given some initial details of his described effect. This leads into a series of discussions where the outcome is the understanding that an increased concentration of carbon dioxide decreases the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen. The students will learn that this reduction in affinity is a result of a decrease in the pH of the cell cytoplasm which alters the tertiary structure of the haemoglobin. The lesson finishes with a series of questions where the understanding and application skills are tested as students have to explain the benefit of the Bohr effect for an exercising individual.
Cardiac cycle & the mammalian heart (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)
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Cardiac cycle & the mammalian heart (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)

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This fully-resourced lesson describes the key events that occur during the three stages of the cardiac cycle and relates these to the structure of the mammalian heart. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 1.8 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification As the structure of the heart was covered at iGCSE, the lesson has been planned to build on this prior knowledge whilst adding the key details which will enable students to provide A-level standard answers. The primary focus is the identification of the different structures of the heart but it also challenges their ability to recognise the important relationship to function. For example, time is taken to ensure that students can explain why the atrial walls are thinner than the ventricular walls and why the right ventricle has a thinner wall than the left ventricle. Opportunities are taken throughout the lesson to link this topic to the others found in topic 1 including those which have already been covered like the blood vessels. There is also an application question where students have to explain why a hole in the ventricular septum would need to be repaired if it doesn’t naturally close over time. The next part of the lesson introduces the cardiac cycle through the use of quick quiz competition which generates the key term systole. Students will learn that there are three stages in the cycle are atrial and ventricular systole followed by cardiac diastole and that the uni-directional movement of blood during these stages is maintained by the atrioventricular and semi-lunar valves. This leads into the emphasis of the key point that pressure changes in the chambers and the major arteries is the cause of the opening and closing of these sets of valves. Students are given a description of the pressure change that results in the opening of the AV valves and shown where this would be found on the graph detailing the pressure changes of the cardiac cycle. They then have to use this as a guide to write descriptions for the closing of the AV valve and the opening and closing of the semi-lunar valves and to locate these on the graph. By providing the students with this graph, the rest of the lesson can focus on explaining how these changes come about. Students have to use their current and prior knowledge of the chambers and blood vessels to write 4 descriptions that cover the cardiac cycle. The final part of the lesson covers the changes in the volume of the ventricle. It is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 hours of allocated A-level teaching time to cover the detail included in this lesson as required by this specification point
Capillaries, arteries & veins (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)
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Capillaries, arteries & veins (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)

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This fully-resourced lesson explores how the structure of capillaries, arteries and veins relate to their functions. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 1.7 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification. This lesson has been written to build on any prior knowledge from iGCSE or earlier in this topic to enable students to fully understand each type of blood vessel has its particular features. Students will be able to make the connection between the narrow lumen and elastic tissue in the walls of arteries and the need to maintain the high pressure of the blood. A quick version of GUESS WHO is used to introduce smooth muscle and collagen as the substances that are found in the tunica media and externa and again the reason for their presence is explored and explained. The next part of the lesson looks at the role of the capillaries in exchange and links are made to diffusion to ensure that students can explain how the red blood cells pressing against the endothelium results in a short diffusion distance. The remainder of the lesson considers the structure of the veins and students are challenged to explain how the differences to those observed in arteries is due to the lower blood pressure found in these vessels. Valves are introduced and important mechanisms like the skeletal muscle pump are discussed to ensure that students can understand how the return of blood to the right atrium of the heart is maintained.
Triglycerides, saturated & unsaturated lipids (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)
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Triglycerides, saturated & unsaturated lipids (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)

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This fully-resourced lesson describes how a triglyceride is synthesised and describes the differences between saturated and unsaturated lipids. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification points 1.5 (i) & (ii) as detailed in the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and links are also made to related future topics such as the use of lipids as a substrate for respiration and the importance of the myelin sheath for the conduction of an electrical impulse. The lesson begins with a focus on the basic structure and roles of lipids, including the elements that are found in this biological molecule and some of the places in living organisms where they are found. Moving forwards, the students are challenged to recall the structure of the carbohydrates from earlier in topic 1 so that the structure of a triglyceride can be introduced. Students will learn that this macromolecule is formed from one glycerol molecule and three fatty acids and have to use their understanding of condensation reactions to draw the final structure. Time is taken to look at the difference in structure and properties of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and students will be able to identify one from the other when presented with a molecular formula. The final part of the lesson explores how the various properties of lipids mean that these molecules have numerous roles in organisms including that of an energy store and source and as an insulator of heat and electricity.
Topic 3: Cell structure, Reproduction & Development (Edexcel International A-level Biology)
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Topic 3: Cell structure, Reproduction & Development (Edexcel International A-level Biology)

13 Resources
The locus and linkage, meiosis, differential gene expression and protein transport within cells lessons have been uploaded for free and by downloading these, you will be able to observe the detail of planning that has gone into all of the lessons that are included in this bundle. This intricate planning ensures that the students are engaged and motivated whilst the detailed content of topic 3 (Cell structure, Reproduction and Development) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification is covered. The 13 lesson PowerPoints and accompanying resources contain a wide range of activities which cover the following topic 3 specification points: All living organisms are made of cells Cells of multicellular organisms are organised into tissues, organs and organ systems The ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells The function of the organelles in eukaryotic animal cells The role of the RER and Golgi apparatus in protein transport within cells The ultrastructure of prokaryotic cells Magnification and resolution in light and electron microscopes The gene locus is the location of a gene on a chromosome The linkage of genes on a chromosome The role of meiosis in ensuring genetic variation Understand how the mammalian gametes are specialised for their functions The role of mitosis and the cell cycle in growth and asexual reproduction The meaning of the terms stem cell, pluripotent, totipotent, morula and blastocyst The decisions that have to be made about the use of stem cells in medical therapies Cells become specialised through differential gene expression One gene can give rise to more than one protein through post-transcriptional changes to mRNA Phenotype is the interaction between genotype and the environment Epigenetic modifications can alter the activation of certain genes Some phenotypes are affected by multiple alleles or by polygenic inheritance Due to the detail included in all of these lessons, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 6 weeks of allocated A-level teaching time to complete the teaching of the bundle
Polygenic inheritance (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)
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Polygenic inheritance (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)

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This fully-resourced lesson describes how polygenic inheritance gives rise to phenotypes that show continuous variation. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been primarily designed to cover points 3.20 (i) & 3.21 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification but also includes activities to challenge the students on previous concepts in topics 3 and 2. The students begin the lesson by having to identify phenotype and species from their respective definitions so that a discussion can be encouraged where they will recognise that phenotypic variation within a species is due to both genetic and environmental factors. The main part of the the lesson focuses on these genetic factors, and describes how mutation and the events of meiosis contribute to this variation. A range of activities, which include exam-style questions and quick quiz rounds, are used to challenge the students on their knowledge and understanding of substitution mutations, deletions, insertions, the genetic code, crossing over and independent assortment. Moving forwards, the concept of multiple alleles is introduced and students will learn how the presence of more than 2 alleles at a locus increases the number of phenotypic variants. Another quick quiz round is used to introduce polygenic inheritance and the link is made between this inheritance of genes at a number of loci as an example of continuous variation. The final part of the lesson describes a few examples where environmental factors affect phenotype, such as chlorosis in plants. As this is the final lesson in topic 3, the numerous activities can be used for revision purposes and to demonstrate the links between different biological topics.
Post-transcriptional changes to mRNA (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)
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Post-transcriptional changes to mRNA (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)

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This fully-resourced lesson describes how post-transcriptional changes to mRNA enable 1 gene to give rise to multiple proteins. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.19 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification. The lesson begins with a knowledge recall as the students have to recognise the definition of a gene as a sequence of bases on a DNA molecule that codes for a sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain. This description was introduced in topic 2 and the aim of the start of the lesson is to introduce the fact that despite this definition, most of the nuclear DNA in eukaryotes doesn’t actually code for proteins. A quick quiz competition is then used to introduce exons as the coding regions within a gene before students are challenged to predict the name of the non-coding regions and then to suggest a function for these introns. Moving forwards, pre-mRNA as a primary transcript is introduced and students will learn that this isn’t the mature strand that moves off to the ribosome for translation. Instead, a process called splicing takes place where the introns are removed and the remaining exons are joined together. Another quick quiz round leads to an answer of 20000 and students will learn that this is the number of protein-coding genes in the human genome. Importantly, the students are then told that the number of proteins that are synthesised is much higher than this value and a class discussion period encourages them to come up with biological suggestions for this discrepancy between the two numbers. The lesson concludes with a series of understanding and application questions where students will learn that alternative splicing enables a gene to produce more than a single protein and that this natural phenomenon greatly increases biodiversity.
Differential gene expression (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)
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Differential gene expression (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)

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This fully-resourced lesson describes how cells become specialised through differential gene expression. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the details of point 3.19 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification. 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 2, so the lesson begins by reminding students that in addition to the structural gene in a transcription unit, there is the promotor 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. The final section of the lesson looks at one further example with oestrogen and the ER receptor and explains how the binding of this chemical results in the release of the inhibitor and the production of active mRNA.
The role of mitosis & the cell cycle (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)
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The role of mitosis & the cell cycle (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)

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This fully-resourced lesson describes the role of mitosis and the cell cycle in producing genetically identical daughter cells. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.14 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and explains the importance of these cells for growth and asexual reproduction. In an earlier lesson covering meiosis (3.10), 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.
Meiosis ensures genetic variation (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)
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Meiosis ensures genetic variation (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)

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This detailed lesson describes how the crossing over of alleles and the independent assortment in meiosis contribute to genetic variation. The PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover specification point 3.10 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and includes describes how the fertilisation of the haploid gametes that were formed by meiosis increases variation further. In order to understand how the events of meiosis like crossing over and random 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 segregation of chromosomes and chromatids during anaphase I and II results in genetically different gametes. 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 questions which challenge the students to apply their knowledge to potentially unfamiliar situations.
Gene locus and linkage (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)
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Gene locus and linkage (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)

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This clear and concise lesson describes the meaning of a gene locus and explains how the inheritance of two or more genes that have loci on the same chromosome demonstrates linkage. The engaging PowerPoint and associated resource have been designed to cover points 3.9 (i) and (ii) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and makes clear links to the upcoming topic of meiosis when describing the effect of crossing over on this linkage This is a topic which can cause confusion for students so time was taken in the design to split the concept into small chunks. There is a clear focus on how the number of original phenotypes and recombinants can be used 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 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. The main task of the lesson acts as an understanding check where students are challenged to analyse a set of results involving the inheritance of the ABO blood group gene and the nail-patella syndrome gene to determine whether they have loci on the same chromosome and if so, how close their loci would appear to be.
Magnification & resolution (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)
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Magnification & resolution (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)

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This fully-resourced lesson describes how magnification and resolution can be achieved using light and electron microscopy. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the content of points 3.7 (i) & (ii) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and also considers how specimens are stained. To promote engagement and focus throughout this lesson, the PowerPoint contains a quiz competition with 7 rounds. The quiz rounds found in this lesson will introduce the objective lens powers, the names of the parts of a light microscope and emphasise some of the other key terms such as resolution. The final round checks on their understanding of the different numbers that were mentioned in the lesson, namely the differing maximum magnifications and resolutions. Time is taken to explain the meaning of both of these microscopic terms so that students can recognise their importance when considering the organelles that were met earlier in topic 3. By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to explain how a light microscope uses light to form an image and will understand how electrons transmitted through a specimen or across the surface will form an image with a TEM or a SEM respectively.
Ultrastructure of prokaryotic cells (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)
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Ultrastructure of prokaryotic cells (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)

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This fully-resourced lesson describes the ultrastructure of a prokaryotic cell and the function of the structures found in these cells. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification point 3.5 (i) & (ii) as detailed in the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and also compares these cells against the eukaryotic cells that were met in the previous lesson. A clear understanding of terminology is important for A-level Biology so this lesson begins with a challenge, where the students have to recognise a prefix that they believe translates as before or in front of . This leads into the discovery of the meaning of prokaryote as before nucleus and this acts to remind students that these types of cell lack this cell structure. Links to the previous lessons on the eukaryotic cells are made throughout the lesson and at this particular point, the students are asked to work out why the DNA would be described as naked and to state where it will be found in the cell. Moving forwards, the students will discover that these cells also lack membrane bound organelles and a quick quiz competition challenges them to identify the specific structure that is absent from just a single word. In addition to the naked DNA, students will learn that there are also ribosomes in the cytoplasm and will discover that these are smaller than those found in the cytoplasm of an eukaryotic cell (but the same size as those in chloroplasts and mitochondria). The remainder of the lesson focuses on the composition of the cell wall, the additional features of prokaryotic cells such as plasmids and there is also the introduction of binary fission as the mechanism by which these organisms reproduce
Eukaryotic cells (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)
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Eukaryotic cells (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)

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This fully-resourced lesson describes the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells and the functions of each of the organelles in these cells. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 3.1, 3.2 & 3.3 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and therefore this lesson also describes how all living organisms are made of cells and that these cells are organised into tissues, organs and organ system in multicellular organisms. As cells are the building blocks of living organisms, it makes sense that they would be heavily involved in all of the 8 topics in the Edexcel course and intricate planning has ensured that links to previously covered topics as well as upcoming ones are made throughout the lesson. The cell theory is introduced at the start of the lesson and the first 2 principles are explained. Students will see how epithelial cells are grouped together to form different types of epithelium in the respiratory tract and their prior knowledge of gas exchange at the alveoli from topic 2 is tested with a series of questions. The rest of 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 apparatus lysosomes smooth endoplasmic reticulum mitochondria cell surface membrane 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
Glycogen, amylose and amylopectin (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)
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Glycogen, amylose and amylopectin (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)

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This detailed and fully-resourced lesson describes the relationship between the structure and function of glycogen and amylose and amylopectin as components of starch. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the fourth part of points 1.2 & 1.4 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and links are continuously made to the previous lessons in this topic where the monosaccharides and disaccharides were introduced. The lesson begins with the CARBOHYDRATE WALL where students have to use their prior knowledge to collect the 9 carbohydrates on show into 3 groups. This results in glycogen, starch and cellulose being grouped together as polysaccharides and the structure and roles of the first two are covered over the course of the lesson. Cellulose is covered in a lesson in topic 4. Students will learn how key structural features like the 1 - 4 and 1 - 6 glycosidic bonds and the hydrogen bonds dictate whether the polysaccharide chain is branched or unbranched and also allows for spiralling. Following the description of the structure of glycogen, students are challenged to design an exam question in the form of a comparison table so that it can be completed as the lesson progresses and they learn more about starch. This includes a split in the starch section of the table so that the differing structures and properties of amylose and amylopectin can be considered. The importance of the compact structure for storage is discussed as well as the branched chains of amylopectin acting as quick source of energy when it is needed. The lesson concludes with a question and answer section that guides the students when answering a question about the importance of the lower solubility of the polysaccharides when compared to the monosaccharides.
Disaccharides (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)
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Disaccharides (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)

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This lesson describes how monosaccharides are joined together during condensation reactions to form maltose, sucrose and lactose. The PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover the third part of point 1.2 & 1.4 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification but also make links to the previous lesson on monosaccharides when considering the different components of these three disaccharides. The first section of the lesson focuses on a prefix and a suffix so that the students can recognise that the names of the common disaccharides end in -ose. In line with this, a quick quiz round is used to introduce maltose, sucrose and lactose before students are challenged on their prior knowledge as they have to describe how condensation reactions and the formation of glycosidic bonds were involved in the synthesis of each one. The main task of the lesson again challenges the students to recall details of a previous lesson as they have to identify the monomers of each disaccharide when presented with the displayed formula. Time is taken to show how their knowledge of these simple sugars will be important in later topics such as digestion, translocation in the phloem and the Lac Operon in the control of gene expression. The lesson finishes with two exam-style questions where students have to demonstrate and apply their newly acquired knowledge and the mark schemes are included within the lesson PowerPoint so students can assess their understanding and address any misconceptions if they have arisen.
Structure of monosaccharides (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)
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Structure of monosaccharides (Edexcel Int. A-level Biology)

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This fully-resourced lesson describes the relationship between the structure of monosaccharides and their roles in living organisms. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the second part of points 1.2 & 1.4 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and describes alpha-glucose, galactose, fructose, deoxyribose and ribose. The lesson begins by reminding students that monosaccharides are the simplest sugars and that these monomers provide energy. Using the molecular formula of glucose as a guide, students will be given the general formula for the monosaccharides and will learn that deoxyribose is an exception to the rule that the number of carbon and oxygen atoms are equal. Moving forwards, students have to study the displayed formula of glucose for two minutes without being able to note anything down before they are challenged to recreate what they saw in a test of their observational skills. At this point of the lesson, the idea of numbering the carbons is introduced so that the different glycosidic bonds can be understood in an upcoming lesson as well as the recognition of the different isomers of glucose. The difference between alpha and beta-glucose is provided but students do not need to consider the beta form until topic 4. The remainder of the lesson focuses on the roles of the monosaccharides and the final task involves a series of application questions where the students are challenged to suggest why ribose could be considered important for active transport and muscle contraction
The difference between monosaccharides, disaccharides & polysaccharides
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The difference between monosaccharides, disaccharides & polysaccharides

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This lesson describes the differences between monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides, including glycogen and starch. The PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover point 1.2 (i) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and the main aim of the lesson is to prepare the students for the upcoming lessons on the individual carbohydrate groups. The lesson begins with a made-up round of the quiz show POINTLESS, where students have to try to identify four answers to do with carbohydrates. In doing so, they will learn or recall that these molecules are made from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, that they are a source of energy which can sometimes be rightly or wrongly associated with obesity and that the names of the three main groups is derived from the Greek word sakkharon. A number of quick quiz rounds have been written into the lesson to introduce key terms in a fun and memorable way and the first round allows the students to meet some of common monosaccharides. Moving forwards, students will learn that a disaccharide is formed when two of these monomers are joined together and they are then challenged on their knowledge of condensation reactions which were originally encountered during the lesson on water. Students will understand how multiple reactions and multiple glycosidic bonds will result in the formation of a polysaccharide and glycogen and starch are introduced as well as amylose and amylopectin as components of this latter polymer.