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.
The biological molecules topic is incredibly important, not just because it is found near to the start of the course, but also because of its detailed content which must be well understood to promote success with the other 18 CIE International A-level Biology topics. Many hours of intricate planning have gone into the design of all of the 11 lessons that are included in this bundle to ensure that the content is covered in detail, understanding is constantly checked and misconceptions addressed and that engagement is high. This is achieved through the wide variety of tasks in the PowerPoints and accompanying worksheets which include exam-style questions with clear answers, discussion points, differentiated tasks and quick quiz competitions.
The following specification points are covered by the lessons within this bundle:
Tests for reducing and non-reducing sugars
The iodine test for starch
The emulsion test for lipids
The biuret test for proteins
The ring forms of alpha and beta glucose
The meaning of the terms monomer, polymer, macromolecule, monosaccharide, disaccharide and polysaccharide
The formation of a glycosidic bond by a condensation reaction
The breakage of glycosidic bonds by hydrolysis reactions
The relationship between the molecular structure and functions of a triglyceride
The relationship between the structure and functions of a phospholipid
The structure of an amino acid and the formation and breakage of a peptide bond
The meaning of the different protein structures and the types of bonding that hold these molecules in shape
The molecular structure of haemoglobin and collagen as examples of globular and fibrous proteins
The relationship between the properties and roles of water in living organisms
The lesson on the biuret test for proteins and the emulsion test for lipids also contains a section which can be used for the revision of topics 2.2 and 2.3
Due to the detail of each of these lessons, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 4 weeks of allocated teaching time to cover the content.
If you would like to see the quality of the lessons, download the alpha and beta glucose, phospholipids and haemoglobin and collagen lessons as these have been shared for free
This bundle contains 5 detailed and engaging lessons that cover the content in topic 2.2 of the CIE International A-level Biology course. Due to the importance of these biological molecules in living organisms, this mini-topic is fundamental to the whole course and planning has taken account of this with extra time given to those key details which must be understood.
The PowerPoints and accompanying resources contain a wide range of activities which include discussion points, current understanding and prior knowledge checks and quiz competitions.
The following specification points are covered in this bundle:
The ring forms of alpha and beta glucose
The meaning of the terms monomer, polymer, macromolecule, monosaccharide, disaccharide and polysaccharide
The formation and breakage of glycosidic bonds by condensation and hydrolysis reactions
The molecular structure of a triglyceride
The relationship between the structure and functions of triglycerides in living organisms
The structure and functions of phospholipids
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons, download the glucose and phospholipids lessons as these have been shared for free
This fully-resourced lesson explains how individuals develop immunity and includes a focus on the different types (active, passive, natural, artificial). The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 6.12 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification and there is also a description and discussion of herd immunity to increase the relevance to the current epidemic with COVID-19.
The lesson begins with a series of exam-style questions which challenge the students to demonstrate and apply their understanding of the immune response as covered in the previous lessons on topics 6.8 & 6.9. In answering and assessing their answers to these questions, the students will recognise the differences between the primary and secondary immune responses and are then encouraged to discuss how the production of a larger concentration of antibodies in a quicker time is achieved. The importance of antibodies and the production of memory cells for the development of immunity is emphasised and this will be continually referenced as the lesson progresses. The students will learn that this response of the body to a pathogen that has entered the body through natural processes is natural active immunity. Moving forwards, time is taken to look at vaccinations as an example of artificial active immunity. Another series of questions focusing on the MMR vaccine will challenge the students to explain how the deliberate exposure to antigenic material activates the immune response and leads to the retention of memory cells. A quick quiz competition is used to introduce the variety of forms that the antigenic material can take along with examples of diseases that are vaccinated against using these methods. The eradication of smallpox is used to describe the concept of herd immunity and the students are given time to consider the scientific questions and concerns that arise when the use of this pathway is a possible option for a government. The remainder of the lesson looks at the different forms of passive immunity and describes the drawbacks in terms of the need for a full response if a pathogen is reencoutered.
This lesson describes how the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used to amplify DNA. The concise PowerPoint has been primarily designed to cover the detail of specification point 6.4 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification but also makes continual links to the previous lesson on DNA profiling where the PCR is important as well as DNA structure.
A quick quiz competition is used to introduce the PCR abbreviation before students are encouraged to discuss with the aim of identifying the enzyme involved and to recall the action of this enzyme as covered in DNA replication in topic 2. Students will learn that this reaction involves cyclical heating and cooling to a range of temperatures so another quiz is used to introduce these values. The main part of the lesson describes the main steps in the PCR and the reasons for each temperature is discussed and explained. Links are constantly made to related topics such as DNA structure are students are challenged on their understanding through exam-style questions. Time is taken to examine the key points in detail, such as the fact that the DNA polymerase used is taken from an extremophile so that it is not denatured at the high temperature.
Water is very important for living organisms because of its numerous properties and this lesson focuses on its role as a solvent in transport. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying worksheet have been designed to cover point 1.1 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and also explains the importance of the dipole nature for this role in transport.
A mathematical theme runs throughout the lesson as students have to match the numbers calculated in the starter task to water statistics, such as the percentage of the volume of blood plasma that is water. This has been included to try to increase the relevance of each property so that it can be described in a biological context. Time is taken at the beginning of the lesson to describe the structure of water in terms of the covalent bonds between the oxygen and hydrogen atoms as well as the hydrogen bonds which form between molecules because of its polarity. Students will understand how water is a solvent which means that it is critical for transport in animals, a topic covered in the next few lessons but also for transport in plants as discussed in topic 4. The high heat capacity and latent heat of vaporisation of water is also discussed and explained through the examples of thermoregulation and the maintenance of a stable environment for aquatic animals. The final part of the lesson focuses on the involvement of water in condensation and hydrolysis reactions, two reactions which must be well understood for topic 1 and 2 and the formation and breakage of polysaccharides, lipids, polypeptides and polynucleotides.
Simple and facilitated diffusion are forms of passive transport and this lesson describes the factors that increase the rate of this movement across membranes. This fully-resourced lesson is the first in a series of two that have been designed to cover specification point 2.4 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A and the involvement of channel and carrier proteins is also described and discussed.
In a number of previous lessons that covered specification points 2.1 and 2.2, students were provided with the details of gas exchange surfaces and the structure and properties of cell membranes. This lesson continually refers back to the content of these lessons so that links can be made between the movement across a cell membrane with the concentration gradient, the parts of the membrane involved and any features that may increase the rate at which the molecules move. A series of questions about the alveoli is used to demonstrate how a large surface area, a short diffusion distance and the maintenance of a steep concentration gradient will increase the rate of simple diffusion. One of two quick quiz rounds is then used to introduce temperature and size of molecule as two further factors that can affect simple diffusion. The remainder of the lesson focuses on facilitated diffusion and describes how transmembrane proteins are needed to move small, polar or large molecules from a high concentration to a lower concentration across a partially permeable membrane.
The other lesson included in this series to cover specification point 2.4 describes active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis.
This fully-resourced lesson describes the use of vaccinations to protect individuals and populations and the differences between active and passive immunity. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the fourth part of point 2.4 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and there is also a description and discussion on the concept of herd immunity.
The previous lesson finished with a series of exam questions where students observed differences between the primary and secondary immune responses so the start of this lesson uses an imaginary game of TOP TRUMPS to challenge them on the depth of their understanding. This will act to remind them that a larger concentration of antibodies is produced in a quicker time in the secondary response. The importance of antibodies and the production of memory cells for the development of immunity is emphasised and this will be continually referenced as the lesson progresses. The students will learn that this response of the body to a pathogen that has entered the body through natural processes is natural active immunity. Moving forwards, time is taken to look at vaccinations as an example of artificial active immunity. Another series of questions focusing on the MMR vaccine will challenge the students to explain how the deliberate exposure to antigenic material activates the immune response and leads to the retention of memory cells. A quick quiz competition is used to introduce the variety of forms that the antigenic material can take along with examples of diseases that are vaccinated against using these methods. The eradication of smallpox is used to describe the concept of herd immunity and the students are given time to consider the scientific questions and concerns that arise when the use of this pathway is a possible option for a government. The remainder of the lesson looks at the different forms of passive immunity and describes the drawbacks in terms of the need for a full response if a pathogen is reencoutered.
This lesson describes the sequence of events that occur during the phagocytosis of pathogens and the subsequent destruction by lysozymes. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been primarily designed to cover the second part of point 2.4 of the AQA A-level Biology specification but includes an introduction to antigen-presentation so that the students are prepared for upcoming lessons on the cellular and humoral responses.
At the start of the lesson, the students are challenged to recall that cytosis is a suffix associated with transport mechanisms and this introduces phagocytosis as a form of endocytosis which takes in pathogens and foreign particles. This emphasis on key terminology runs throughout the course of the lesson and students are encouraged to consider how the start or end of a word can be used to determine meaning. The process of phagocytosis is then split into 5 key steps and time is taken to discuss the role of opsonins as well as the fusion of lysosomes and the release of lysozymes. A series of application questions are used to challenge the students on their ability to make links to related topics including an understanding of how the hydrolysis of the peptidoglycan wall of a bacteria results in lysis. Students will be able to distinguish between neutrophils and monocytes from a diagram and at this point, the role of macrophages and dendritic cells as antigen-presenting cells is described so that it can be used in the next lesson. The lesson concludes with a brief introduction to lymphocytes so that initial links between phagocytosis and the specific immune responses are made.
This lesson describes the movement across cell membranes by simple and facilitated diffusion and describes how the rate is increased. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the second part of specification point 2.3 of the AQA A-level Biology course and the limitations imposed by the phospholipid bilayer and the role of channel and carrier proteins are described in detail.
The structure and properties of cell membranes was covered in the previous lesson so this one has been written to include continual references to the content of these lessons. This enables links to be made between the movement across a cell membrane with the concentration gradient, the parts of the membrane that are involved and any features that may increase the rate at which the molecules move. A series of questions about the alveoli are used to demonstrate how a large surface area, a short diffusion distance and the maintenance of a steep concentration gradient will increase the rate of simple diffusion. One of two quick quiz rounds is then used to introduce temperature and size of molecule as two further factors that can affect simple diffusion. The remainder of the lesson focuses on facilitated diffusion and describes how transmembrane proteins are needed to move small, polar or large molecules from a high concentration to a lower concentration across a partially permeable membrane.
This detailed lesson describes the structure and properties of the cell membrane, focusing on the phospholipid bilayer and membrane proteins. Fully resourced, the PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover the first part of point 2.3 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and clear links are made to Singer and Nicholson’s fluid mosaic model
The fluid mosaic model is introduced at the start of the lesson so that it can be referenced at appropriate points throughout the lesson. Students were introduced to phospholipids in topic 1 and so an initial task challenges them to spot the errors in a passage describing the structure and properties of this molecule. This reminds them of the bilayer arrangement, with the hydrophilic phosphate heads protruding outwards into the aqueous solutions on the inside and the outside of the cell. In a link to some upcoming lessons on the transport mechanisms, the students will learn that only small, non-polar molecules can move by simple diffusion and that this is through the tails of the bilayer. This introduces the need for transmembrane proteins to allow large or polar molecules to move into the cell by facilitated diffusion and active transport. Proteins that act as receptors as also introduced and an opportunity is taken to make a link to an upcoming topic so that students can understand how hormones or drugs will bind to target cells in this way. Moving forwards, the structure of cholesterol is covered and students will learn that this hydrophobic molecule sits in the middle of the tails and therefore acts to regulate membrane fluidity. The final part of the lesson challenges the students to apply their newly-acquired knowledge to a series of questions where they have to explain why proteins may have moved when two cells are used and to suggest why there is a larger proportion of these proteins in the inner mitochondrial membrane than the outer membrane.
This lesson describes and explains the processes of simple diffusion and facilitated diffusion. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the first part of specification point 4.2 (a) of the CIE International A-level Biology course and the factors that increase the rate of diffusion are covered along with the limitations imposed by the phospholipid bilayer and the role of channel and carrier proteins.
The structure and properties of cell membranes was covered in topic 4.1 so this lesson has been written to include continual references to the content of that lesson. This enables links to be made between the movement across a cell membrane with the concentration gradient, the parts of the membrane that are involved and any features that may increase the rate at which the molecules move. A series of questions about the alveoli are used to demonstrate how a large surface area, a short diffusion distance and the maintenance of a steep concentration gradient will increase the rate of simple diffusion. One of two quick quiz rounds is then used to introduce temperature and size of molecule as two further factors that can affect simple diffusion. The remainder of the lesson focuses on facilitated diffusion and describes how transmembrane proteins are needed to move small, polar or large molecules from a high concentration to a lower concentration across a partially permeable membrane
This detailed lesson describes the key structural features of a prokaryotic cell and compares these against the structures of an eukaryotic cell. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification points 1.2 (d) & (e) as detailed in the CIE International A-level Biology specification and describes how the size and cell structures differ as well as the additional features that are found in some prokaryotic cells and briefly introduces binary fission.
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
This detailed lesson describes how the movement of water between solutions and cells has differing effects on animal and plant cells. Both the PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification points 4.2 (a) and (f) as detailed in the CIE International A-level Biology specification.
It’s likely that students will have used the term concentration in their osmosis definitions at GCSE, so the aim of the starter task is to introduce water potential to allow students to begin to recognise osmosis as the movement of water molecules from a high water potential to a lower potential, with the water potential gradient. Time is taken to describe the finer details of water potential to enable students to understand that 0 is the highest value (pure water) and that this becomes negative once solutes are dissolved. Exam-style questions are used throughout the lesson to check on current understanding as well as prior knowledge checks which make links to previously covered topics such as the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane. The remainder of the lesson focuses on the movement of water when animal and plant cells are suspended in hypotonic, hypertonic or isotonic solutions and the final appearance of these cells is described, including any issues this may cause.
This fully-resourced lesson distinguishes between active and passive, natural and artificial immunity and explains how vaccinations can be used to control disease. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 11.2 (d) of the CIE A-level Biology specification and there is also a description and discussion on the concept of herd immunity.
In topic 11.1, students were introduced to the primary and secondary immune responses so the start of this lesson uses an imaginary game of TOP TRUMPS to challenge them on the depth of their understanding. This will act to remind them that a larger concentration of antibodies is produced in a quicker time in the secondary response. The importance of antibodies and the production of memory cells for the development of immunity is emphasised and this will be continually referenced as the lesson progresses. The students will learn that this response of the body to a pathogen that has entered the body through natural processes is natural active immunity. Moving forwards, time is taken to look at vaccinations as an example of artificial active immunity. Another series of questions focusing on the MMR vaccine will challenge the students to explain how the deliberate exposure to antigenic material activates the immune response and leads to the retention of memory cells. A quick quiz competition is used to introduce the variety of forms that the antigenic material can take along with examples of diseases that are vaccinated against using these methods. The eradication of smallpox is used to describe the concept of herd immunity and the students are given time to consider the scientific questions and concerns that arise when the use of this pathway is a possible option for a government. The remainder of the lesson looks at the different forms of passive immunity and describes the drawbacks in terms of the need for a full response if a pathogen is re-encountered
This fully-resourced lesson describes the modes of action of the T and B lymphocytes in the immune response. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 2.4 of the CIE A-level Biology specification and the structure of antibodies and the roles of memory cells is also briefly introduced.
Antigen presentation was introduced at the end of the previous lesson so the task at the start of this lesson challenges students to recognise the name of this process and then they have to spot the errors in the passage that describes the details of this event. This reminds them that contact between the APC and T lymphocytes is necessary to elicit a response which they will come to recognise as the cellular response. A series of quick quiz rounds reveals key terms in a memorable way and one that is introduced is helper T cells. Time is then taken to describe the importance of cell signalling for an effective response and students will learn how the release of chemicals by these cells activates other aspects of the response. The role of the killer T cells is also described before an exam-style question is used to check on their understanding at this point of the lesson. This leads into the section of the lesson that deals with the humoral response and students will understand how this involves the antibodies that are produced by the plasma cells that are the result of clonal selection and expansion. The remainder of the lesson focuses on the role of the antibodies and the attachment of phagocytes to opsonins.
All 4 of the lessons that are included in this bundle are fully-resourced and contain a wide range of activities that will motivate and engage the students whilst covering the content as detailed in topic 4 of the CIE A-level Biology specification (Cell membranes and transport).
Exam-style questions which check on current and prior understanding, differentiated tasks, discussion points and quick quiz competitions cover the following specification points:
The fluid mosaic model of membrane structure
The roles of phospholipids, cholesterol, glycoproteins and proteins
The roles of channel and carrier proteins
Simple diffusion
Facilitated diffusion
Active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis
Osmosis and the effect of the movement of water on animal and plant cells
If you would like to sample the quality of these lessons, download the active transport lesson as this has been uploaded for free
A deep understanding of the topic of cells is crucial for the success of any A-level Biologist and these lessons not only provide the depth of detail needed at this level but also make links to the upcoming 18 topics in the CIE course.
Contained within the 4 lesson PowerPoints and multiple resources that are included in this bundle are a wide range of activities to motivate and engage the students whilst they cover the content as detailed in topic 1.2 of the CIE A-level Biology specification. The majority of the resources are differentiated to allow students of differing abilities to access the work and to be challenged at all times.
The following specification points are covered in this bundle:
The relationship between the structure and function of the structures of eukaryotic cells
The structure and role of ATP in cells
The structural features of prokaryotic cells
Comparing eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells
The key features of viruses as non-cellular structures
If you would like to sample the quality of these lessons, then download the eukaryotic cell structures and functions and viruses lessons as these have been shared for free
This lesson explains the importance of memory cells in the development of immunity and describes how the structure of antibodies is related to function. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification points 11.1 (e) and 11.2 (a) as detailed in the CIE A-level Biology specification.
As memory B cells differentiate into plasma cells that produce antibodies when a specific antigen is re-encountered, it was decided to link these two topic points in one lesson. The lesson begins by checking on the students incoming knowledge to ensure that they recognise that B cells differentiate into plasma cells and memory cells. This was introduced in a previous lesson on the specific immune response and students must be confident in their understanding if the development of immunity is to be understood. A couple of quick quiz competitions are then used to introduce key terms so that the structure of antibodies in terms of polypeptide chains, variable and constant regions and hinge regions are met. Time is taken to focus on the variable region and to explain how the specificity of this for a particular antigen allows neutralisation and agglutination to take place. The remainder of the lesson focuses on the differences between the primary and secondary immune responses and a series of exam-style questions will enable students to understand that the quicker production of a greater concentration of these antibodies in the secondary response is due to the retention of memory cells.