An engaging lesson presentation (61 slides) and associated worksheets that uses a combination of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within unit B5 (Genes, inheritance and selection) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Biology specification The topics that are tested within the lesson include: Sexual and asexual reproduction Meiosis Dominant and recessive alleles Genetic crosses The history of genetics Natural selection Classification systems Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “Number CRAZY" and “Which Scientist is hidden?” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention

This is a fully-resourced lesson which uses exam-style questions, engaging quiz competitions, quick tasks and discussion points to challenge students on their understanding of the content of topics P1 - P6, that will assessed on PAPER 5. It has been specifically designed for students on the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science course who will be taking the FOUNDATION TIER examinations but is also suitable for students taking the higher tier who need to ensure that the fundamentals are known and understood. The lesson has been written to cover as many specification points as possible but the following sub-topics have been given particular attention: Factors affecting thinking and braking distance The 7 recall and apply equations tested in PAPER 5 The units associated with the physical factors challenged in PAPER 5 Recognising the motions represented by different motions on velocity-time graphs Using a velocity-time graph to calculate acceleration Resultant forces Sound waves as longitudinal waves The electromagnetic waves Using significant figures and standard form The relative charges and masses of the particles in an atom Recognising isotopes Using the half-life of radioactive isotopes The development of the atomic model In order to maintain challenge whilst ensuring that all abilities can access the questions, the majority of the tasks have been differentiated and students can ask for extra support when they are unable to begin a question. Step-by-step guides have also been incorporated into the lesson to walk through students through some of the more difficult concepts such as half-life calculations. Due to the extensiveness of this revision lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 3 teaching hours to complete the tasks and therefore this can be used at different points throughout the course as well as acting as a final revision before the PAPER 5 exam.

This lesson has been designed to cover the higher tier content of specification points 7.4 & 7.5 (The hormones involved in the stages of the menstrual cycle) which is found in topic 7 of the Edexcel GCSE Biology & Combined Science specifications. A wide range of activities will engage and motivate the students whilst the content is covered in detail and understanding checks are included at regular points to enable the students to self-assess their new found knowledge. Students will learn about the different stages of the menstrual cycle including menstruation and ovulation and will see how FSH, oestrogen, LH and progesterone interact to control these stages. This lesson has been designed for GCSE-aged students who are taking the Edexcel GCSE Biology or Combined Science course but it is also suitable for younger students who are looking into this topic as part of the reproduction module

This revision resource includes exam questions, understanding checks and quiz competitions, all of which have been designed with the aim of motivating and engaging the students whilst they assess their understanding of the content found in topic 1.2 (Respiration and the respiratory system in humans) of the WJEC GCSE Biology specification. The range of activities have been designed to cover as much of the content as possible but the following sub-topics have been given particular attention: The need and purpose of the respiratory system The function of the mucus and cilia in the trachea and the effect of smoking on these structures The structure of the alveolus and its blood supply The mechanisms of inspiration and expiration The process of aerobic respiration and the release of energy in the form of ATP Anaerobic respiration and the production of lactic acid

A fully resourced lesson, which includes an informative lesson presentation (22 slides) and differentiated worksheets that guide students through the topic of balancing symbol equations. The lesson takes the students through the steps involved and begins by getting them to be able to recognise when an equation is balanced or not. The difficulty of the equations to be balanced increases as the lesson progresses and students are given helpful hints to aid their progress. This lesson is suitable for both KS3 and GCSE students

This fully-resourced lesson has been designed to cover the specification points about sex-linked characteristics as detailed in the supplement section of topic 17 (inheritance) of the CIE IGCSE Biology specification This resource consists of an engaging and detailed PowerPoint and an accompanying worksheet, which has been differentiated two ways so students who find the tasks difficult are given assistance to result in good outcomes. The lesson builds on the knowledge from earlier in the topic on monohybrid crosses and sex determination to show students how to draw genetic diagrams to calculate offspring outcomes when the gene is carried on the sex chromosomes. Step by step guides are used to demonstrate how to write the genotypes and gametes in these disorders by including the sex chromosomes to show gender. The lesson focuses on red-green colour blindness and haemophilia and builds up to questions on a pedigree tree to challenge the students to apply their new knowledge. This lesson has been designed for GCSE-aged students who are studying the CIE IGCSE Biology course but is suitable for A-level students who are looking at these types of genetic disorders.

This detailed lesson has been planned to cover the 1st part of specification point 6.4.3 of the AQA A-level Biology specification which states that students should be able to describe the detailed structure of the nephron and understand its role in ultrafiltration, selective reabsorption and osmoregulation. The lesson was designed at the same time as the other lessons in this topic on ultrafiltration, selective reabsorption and osmoregulation so that a common theme runs throughout and students can build up their knowledge gradually in order to develop a deep understanding of this organ. Students will come to recognise the renal cortex and renal medulla as the two regions of the kidney and learn the parts of the nephron which are found in each of these regions. Time is taken to look at the vascular supply of this organ and specifically to explain how the renal artery divides into the afferent arterioles which carry blood towards the glomerulus and the efferent arterioles which carry the blood away. The main task of the lesson challenges the students to relate structure to function. Having been introduced to the names of each of the parts of the nephron, they have to use the details of the structures found at these parts to match the function. For example, they have to make the connection between the microvilli in the PCT as a sign that this part is involved in selective reabsorption. This lesson has been designed for students studying on the AQA A-level Biology course

This lesson guides students through the use of the chi-squared test to determine the significance of the difference between observed and expected results. It is fully-resourced with a detailed PowerPoint and differentiated worksheets that have been designed to cover point 8.2 (vi) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification The lesson includes a step-by-step guide to demonstrates how to carry out the test in small sections. At each step, time is taken to explain any parts which could cause confusion and helpful hints are provided to increase the likelihood of success in exam questions on this topic. Students will understand how to use the phenotypic ratio to calculate the expected numbers and then how to find the critical value in order to compare it against the chi-squared value. A worked example is used to show the working which will be required to access the marks and then the main task challenges the students to apply their knowledge to a series of questions of increasing difficulty. This is the final lesson of topic 8.2 (transfer of genetic information) and links are made throughout the lesson to earlier parts of this topic such as dihybrid inheritance as well as to earlier topics like meiosis

This lesson describes the relationship between gross and net primary productivity and plant respiration and explains how to calculate NPP. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 5.10 (i) and (ii) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification. Due to the fact that the productivity of plants is dependent on photosynthesis, a series of exam-style questions have been written into the lesson which challenge the students to explain how the structure of the leaf as well as the light-dependent and light-independent reactions are linked to GPP. All of the exam questions have displayed mark schemes which are included in the PowerPoint to allow students to immediately assess their understanding. A number of quick quiz competitions as well as guided discussion points are used to introduce the formulae to calculate NPP and N and to recognise the meaning of the components. Once again, this is immediately followed by the opportunity to apply their understanding to selected questions. As well as linking to photosynthesis from earlier in topic 5, this lesson has been specifically planned to challenge students on their understanding of ecosystem terminology from the start of the topic as well as preparing them for the next lesson on the efficiency of biomass and energy transfer

A fast-paced lesson that explores the meaning of “health” and introduces the idea of communicable and non-communicable diseases. The lesson begins by showing the students an example of a health survey so they can complete a definition of the meaning of this term. Despite being widely used in the English language, the actual Scientific definition is not always well known by students so this 1st task is an important one. Moving forwards, students are given 5 minutes to see if they can fill an A-Z with the names of different diseases. Students will learn that diseases can be grouped as communicable or non-communicable and will be encouraged to discuss what the determining factor is on this classification. A quiz competition called “TO COM or NOT TO COM” is a play on words of Shakespeare’s famous saying but acts to test whether the students can distinguish a number of diseases as being spread by pathogens or not. After each disease is revealed, time is taken to look at the details of some of them like cystic fibrosis and the zika virus. The lesson concludes with the example of the human-papilloma virus and the connection between this and cervical cancer so that students can recognise that sometimes both types of disease are involved. This lesson has been written for GCSE students (14 - 16 year olds in the UK) but could be used with younger students who are looking at the healthy living topic.

A fully-resourced lesson which explores the photosynthesis reaction, focusing on where it takes place and the reactants and products of this chemical reaction. This lesson includes an engaging and detailed lesson presentation (45 slides), a summary task and a crossword which is used throughout the lesson. Students will already have a fair knowledge of this topic from KS3 so this lesson has been written to take that knowledge and push it forward. Key details are added throughout the lesson such as how the reactants enter the plant by osmosis and diffusion and also how water travels from the roots to the leaves in the xylem vessel. An engaging competition runs during the lesson called “LIGHT up the crossword” and this enables the key terms of the topic to be stored in one place. There are two main written tasks during the lesson which challenge the students to summarise the reaction using all that they have learnt and also to state the different uses of glucose. The lesson has been linked to related topics with understanding checks written in at regular intervals so this knowledge can be assessed. This lesson has been written for GCSE students but could be used with higher ability KS3 students who want to learn more than they currently know

This fully-resourced lesson describes how the cohesion-tension model explains the transport of water from the roots to the shoots. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 4.7 (iii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification This lesson has been written to follow on from the end of the previous lesson, which finished with the description of the transport of the water and mineral ions from the endodermis to the xylem. Students are immediately challenged to use this knowledge to understand root pressure and the movement by mass flow down the pressure gradient. Moving forwards, time is taken to study the details of transpiration pull and then the main focus is the interaction between cohesion and tension. The role of adhesive forces in capillary action is also explained. Understanding is constantly checked through a range of tasks and prior knowledge checks are also written into the lesson to challenge the students to make links to previously covered topics such as the structure of the transport tissues.

This fully-resourced lesson describes the main stages of mitosis and explains the significance of this type of nuclear division in life cycles. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 2.1.6 (c & e) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and make direct links to the previous lesson which covered the cell cycle Depending upon the exam board taken at GCSE, the knowledge and understanding of mitosis will differ considerably between students and there may be a number of misconceptions. This was considered at all points during the planning of the lesson so that existing errors are addressed and key points are emphasised throughout. Their understanding of interphase is challenged at the start of the lesson to ensure that they realise that it is identical pairs of sister chromatids that enter the M phase. The main part of the lesson focuses on prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase and describes how the chromosomes behave in these stages. There is a focus on the centrioles and the spindle fibres that they produce which contract to drag one chromatid from each pair in opposite directions to the poles of the cell. The remainder of the lesson is 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 quiz 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.

A fully-resourced lesson that uses a range of tasks, understanding checks and quick competitions to guide students through calculating the relative formula mass for substances with a range of chemical formulae. The relative formula mass is required in a lot of calculations, such as those that involve moles, so it is an important skill to get right. Worked examples are used throughout the lesson to visualise the metho for the students. Initially, students will learn how to calculate the mass from simple formulae before helpful hints are provided for harder formulae such as those that contain a bracket. Students are given the chance to apply their knowledge by proving that mass is conserved in a reaction. This lesson has been written for GCSE students but could be used with higher ability KS3 students in lessons that are looking to push knowledge forward

This detailed and engaging lesson describes the different ecological techniques used to assess the abundance and distribution of organisms in a habitat. In line with point 10.1 (iv) of the Edexcel A-level biology B specification, the following techniques are included in the PowerPoint and accompanying resources: quadrats (of differing areas) transects ACFOR scale percentage cover The mathematical element of the course is challenged in the early stages of this lesson, when the students have to estimate the populations of different plant species using data obtained with a quadrat. Understanding checks are used throughout the lesson to allow the students to assess their progress against the current topic and they are encouraged to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each technique.