A Science teacher by trade, I've also been known to be found teaching Maths and PE! However, strange as it may seem, my real love is designing resources that can be used by other teachers to maximise the experience of the students. I am constantly thinking of new ways to engage a student with a topic and try to implement that in the design of the lessons.
A Science teacher by trade, I've also been known to be found teaching Maths and PE! However, strange as it may seem, my real love is designing resources that can be used by other teachers to maximise the experience of the students. I am constantly thinking of new ways to engage a student with a topic and try to implement that in the design of the lessons.
This is a fully-resourced lesson bundle, where the detailed and engaging PowerPoints and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover the details of topic 6 of the CIE International A-level Biology specification which concerns the nucleic acids and protein synthesis. All 7 of the lessons include differentiated tasks to cater for all abilities of students whilst containing the detail to push them to the next level.
The following specification points are covered within these lessons:
The structure of nucleotides
ATP as a phosphorylated nucleotide
The structure of DNA
The structure of mRNA, tRNA and rRNA
DNA replication
Genes and polypeptides
Gene mutations
Sickle cell anaemia
Transcription and translation
Links are continually made throughout the lessons to previously-covered topics as well as to those which will be covered later in the AS course or during the second year
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons, download the semi-conservative replication and gene mutation lessons as these have been shared for free
This fully-resourced lesson describes how the different properties of water make this biological molecule incredibly important in Biology. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover point 1.7 of the AQA A-level Biology specification.
Hydrolysis reactions have been a recurring theme throughout topic 1, so the start of this lesson challenges the students to recognise the definition when only a single word is shown: water. Students will also recall the meaning of a condensation reaction. Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson focuses on the relationship between the structure and properties of water, beginning with its role as an important solvent. The lesson has been specifically written to make links to future topics and this is exemplified by the transport of water along the xylem in plants. A quick quiz round is used to introduce cohesion and tension so students can understand how the column of water is able to move along this vascular tissue without interruption. The next section focuses on the high latent heat of vaporisation and heat capacity of water and these properties are put into biological context using thermoregulation and the maintenance of a stable environment for aquatic animals. The lesson finishes with an explanation of the polar nature of water, a particularly important property that needs to be well understood for a number of upcoming topics, such as cell membranes.
This fully-resourced lesson describes the movement of molecules by active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis and explains the need for ATP. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover the second part of point 2.4 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology specification. The first part of 2.4, concerning simple and facilitated diffusion, was covered in the previous lesson.
The start of the lesson challenges the students to use their prior knowledge of biological molecules to come up with the abbreviation ATP and they will learn that this is a phosphorylated nucleotide that contains adenine, ribose and three phosphate groups. Students may not have known this as the energy currency from GCSE so time is taken to explain that this molecule must be broken down to release energy and students are challenged to recall which type of reaction will be involved and to predict the products of such a reaction. This hydrolysis of ATP can be coupled to energy-requiring reactions within the cell and the rest of the lesson focuses on the use of this energy for active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis. Students are challenged to answer a series of questions which compare active transport against the forms of passive transport and to use data from a bar chart to support this form of transport. In answering these questions they will discover that carrier proteins are specific to certain molecules and time is taken to look at the exact mechanism of these transmembrane proteins. A quick quiz round introduces endocytosis and the students will see how vesicles are involved along with the enery source of ATP to move large substances in or out of the cell. The lesson concludes with a link to a future topic as the students are shown how exocytosis is involved in a synapse.
This detailed lesson describes the process of translation and the roles of the mRNA, tRNA, rRNA and amino acids during this second stage of protein synthesis. Both the PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the second part of points 2.5 (i) & (ii) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification and contains constant links to the previous lessons in this topic on transcription and the structure of DNA and RNA.
Translation is a topic which is often poorly understood and so this lesson has been written to support the students in answering the different types of questions by knowing and including the details of the key structures involved. The lesson begins by challenging the students to consider why it is so important that the amino acids are assembled in the correct order during the formation of the chain. Moving forwards, a quick quiz round called “LOST IN TRANSLATION” is used to check on their prior knowledge of the mRNA strand, the tRNA molecules and the ribosomes. The next task involves a very detailed description of translation that has been divided into 14 statements which the students have to put into the correct order. By giving them a passage that consists of this considerable detail, they can pick out the important parts to use in the next task where they have to answer shorter questions worth between 3 and 4 marks. These types of questions are common in the assessments and by building up through the lesson, their confidence to answer this type should increase. The final two tasks of the lesson involve another quiz, where the teams compete to transcribe and translate in the quickest time before using all that they have absorbed to answer some questions which involve the genetic code and the mRNA codon table
Some of the key biological topics are covered in topic 2 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) course and include the transport of materials across cell membranes, DNA structure and replication, protein synthesis and monohybrid inheritance. In line with this, many hours of intricate planning have gone into the design of all of the 19 lessons that are included in this bundle to ensure that the content is covered in detail, understanding is constantly checked to immediately address misconceptions 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:
The properties of gas exchange surfaces in living organisms
Understand how the rate of diffusion is dependent on these properties and can be used in the calculation of the rate of diffusion by Fick’s law
Adaptations of the mammalian lung for rapid gaseous exchange
Structure and properties of cell membranes
Simple and facilitated diffusion as methods of passive transport
The involvement of ATP and carrier proteins in active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis
The basic structure of mononucleotides
The structures of DNA and RNA
The process of protein synthesis
The roles of the template strand, mRNA and tRNA
The nature of the genetic code
A gene is a sequence of bases on DNA that codes for the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide
The basic structure of an amino acid
The formation of polypeptides and proteins
The primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure of proteins
Globular and fibrous proteins using haemoglobin and collagen as examples
The mechanism of action and the specificity of enzymes
Enzymes are biological catalysts that reduce activation energy
The process of DNA replication
Errors in DNA replication can give rise to mutations
The meaning of key genetic terms
Patterns of inheritance, in the context of monohybrid inheritance
Understand how the expression of a gene mutation in people with cystic fibrosis impairs the functioning of the gaseous exchange, digestive and reproductive systems
Understand the uses and implications of genetic screening and prenatal testing
Due to the detail included in each of these lessons, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 months of allocated teaching time to cover the content.
If you would like to see the quality of the lessons, download the gas exchange surfaces, cell membranes, transcription, globular and fibrous proteins, monohybrid inheritance and cystic fibrosis lessons as these have been shared for free
This fully-resourced lesson describes the relationship between the structure and function of globular proteins, specifically focusing on haemoglobin, insulin and pepsin. The detailed and engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been primarily designed to cover specification point 2.1.2 (n) of the OCR A-level Biology A course but due to the detailed coverage of haemoglobin, the start of this lesson could also be used when teaching lessons that cover specification points 3.1.2 (i) and (j).
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to describe that the interactions of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic R groups results in a spherical shape that is soluble in water and be able to explain the importance of this property with reference to the individual functions of these three globular proteins. They will also be able to name key individual details for each protein, such as haemoglobin being a conjugated protein, insulin being linked by numerous disulfide bridges and pepsin’s low number of basic R groups meaning it is stable in the acidic environment of the stomach.
Extra time has gone into the planning of this lesson to ensure that links are continuously made to previous topics such as amino acids and the levels of protein structure as well as to upcoming topics like the control of blood glucose concentration that is covered in module 5.1.4.
This engaging lesson describes the relationship between the structure, properties and functions of a phopholipid and cholesterol. The PowerPoint has been written as the second lesson in a series of two that cover specification points 2.1.2 (h), (i) & (j) of the OCR A-level Biology A course and there is a particular focus on their roles in membranes to link to module 2.1.5.
In the previous lesson, the students met triglycerides and a quick quiz round called FAMILY AFFAIR is used at the start of the lesson to challenge the students on their knowledge of the structure of this macromolecule to identify the shared features in a phospholipid. This then allows the differences to be introduced, such as the presence of a phosphate group in place of the third fatty acid. Moving forwards, the students will learn that the two fatty acid tails are hydrophobic whilst the phosphate head is hydrophilic which leads into a key discussion point where the class has to consider how it is possible for the phospholipids to be arranged when both the inside and outside of a cell is an aqueous solution. The outcome of the discussion is the introduction of the bilayer which is critical for the lesson in module 2.1.5 on the fluid mosaic model. Students are briefly introduced to facilitated diffusion and reminded of active transport so they can recognise that proteins will be found in the membrane to allow for movement of large or polar molecules. The remainder of the lesson focuses on cholesterol, beginning with the structure. The hydrophobic nature of this molecule is then considered and discussed so that they can understand its role in the regulation of membrane fluidity. That just leaves one final quiz round which identifies vitamin D, testosterone and oestrogen as three substances that are formed from cholesterol
This bundle of 6 fully-resourced lessons have been designed to cover the content as detailed in topic 1.4 of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification. The specification points in this DNA and protein synthesis topic which are covered by the lessons are as follows:
The structure of DNA
The semi-conservative replication of DNA
A gene is a sequence of bases on DNA that codes for an amino acid sequence
The structure of mRNA
The structure of tRNA
The process of transcription
The process of translation
Base deletions, insertions and substitutions as gene mutations
The effect of point mutations on amino acid sequences
The engaging PowerPoint lessons and accompanying resources contain a wide range of activities and tasks that include exam-style questions with displayed mark schemes, quick quiz competitions, useful hints and discussion periods.
If you would like to see the quality of the lessons then download the structure of DNA and transcription lessons as these have been uploaded for free.
This detailed lesson describes the light-dependent reaction of photosynthesis and focuses on the transfer of electrons and proton pumping. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the first part of point 5.1 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and has been planned to link with the previous lesson on the structure of the chloroplast and to prepare the students for the next lesson on the light-independent reaction.
The light-dependent reaction is a topic which students tend to find difficult so this lesson has been planned to walk them through all of the key details. Time is taken to describe the roles of the major protein complexes that are embedded in the thylakoid membrane and this includes the two photosystems, the cytochrome proton pump and ATP synthase. A series of exam-style questions have been written that link to other biological topics in this course such as cell structure and membrane transport as well as application questions to challenge them to apply their understanding. Some of these resources have been differentiated to allow students of differing abilities to access the work and to be pushed at the same time. Students will learn that there are two pathways that the electron can take from PSI and at the completion of the two tasks which describe each of these pathways, they will understand how ATP is generated in non-cyclic and cyclic fashion. The final task of the lesson asks them to compare these two forms of photophosphorylation to check that they understand when photolysis is involved and reduced NADP is formed.
Due to the detail included in this lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2.5 hours of allocated A-level teaching time to complete.
This fully-resourced lesson describes the components of the chloroplast, focusing on the grana and stroma as the sites of photosynthesis. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 5.2.1 (b) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and has been specifically designed to introduce students to the light-dependent and light-independent stages before they are covered in detail in upcoming lessons.
Students were introduced to eukaryotic cells and their organelles structures in module 2.1.1 so this lesson has been written to test and to build on that knowledge. A version of the quiz show POINTLESS runs throughout the lesson and this maintains engagement whilst challenging the students to recall the parts of the chloroplast based on a description which is related to their function. The following structures are covered in this lesson:
double membrane
thylakoids (grana)
stroma
intergranal lamellae
starch grains
chloroplast DNA and ribosomes
Once each structure has been recalled, a range of activities are used to ensure that key details are understood such as the role of the thylakoid membranes in the light-dependent reactions and the importance of ATP and reduced NADP for the reduction of GP to TP in the Calvin cycle. Links to other topics are made throughout and this is exemplified by the final task of the lesson where students are challenged on their recall of the structure, properties and function of starch (as originally covered in module 2.1.2)
This fully-resourced lesson describes the series of reactions in the light- independent stage of photosynthesis. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the details of point 5.2.1 (e) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and detailed planning includes continual links to the previous lesson on the light-dependent stage to ensure that students recognise how the products of that stage, ATP and reduced NADP, are essential for the Calvin cycle
The lesson begins with an existing knowledge check where the students are challenged to recall the names of structures, substances and reactions from the light-dependent stage in order to reveal the abbreviations of the main 3 substances in the light-independent stage. This immediately introduces RuBP, GP and TP and students are then shown how these substances fit into the cycle. The main section of the lesson focuses on the three phases of the Calvin cycle and time is taken to explore the key details of each phase and includes:
The role of RuBisCO in carbon fixation
The role of the products of the light-dependent stage, ATP and reduced NADP, in the reduction of GP to TP
The use of the majority of the TP in the regeneration of RuBP
A step-by-step guide, with discussion points where the class consider selected questions, is used to show how 6 turns of the cycle are needed to form the TP that will then be used to synthesise 1 molecule of glucose. A series of exam-style questions are included at appropriate points of the lesson and this will introduce limiting factors as well as testing their ability to answer questions about this stage when presented with an unfamiliar scientific investigation. The mark schemes are included in the PowerPoint so students can assess their understanding and any misconceptions are immediately addressed.
This detailed lesson describes the role of the mRNA, tRNA, ribosomes and start and stop codons during the second stage of protein synthesis - translation. This lesson is the second in a series of two, which have been designed together to cover point 2.13 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification. The first lesson in this series describes transcription.
Translation is a topic which is often poorly understood and so this lesson has been written to enable the students to understand how to answer the different types of questions by knowing and including the key details of the structures involved. The lesson begins by challenging the students to consider why it is so important that the amino acids are assembled in the correct order during the formation of the chain. Moving forwards, a quick quiz round called “LOST IN TRANSLATION” is used to check on their prior knowledge of the mRNA strand, the tRNA molecules, the genetic code and the ribosomes. The next task involves a very detailed description of translation that has been divided into 14 statements which the students have to put into the correct order. By giving them a passage that consists of this considerable detail, they can pick out the important parts to use in the next task where they have to answer shorter questions worth between 3 and 4 marks. These types of questions are common in the assessments and by building up through the lesson, their confidence to answer this type should increase. The final two tasks of the lesson involve another quiz, where the teams compete to transcribe and translate in the quickest time before using all that they have learnt to answer some exam-style questions which involve the genetic code and the mRNA codon table.
This fully-resourced lesson describes the structure of the cell surface membrane and references Singer and Nicholson’s fluid mosaic model. The detailed and engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification point 4.2 (i) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and also makes clear links are made to related topics such as the binding of hormones as covered in topic 9 and the electron transport chain as covered in topic 5.
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 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 topic 9 so that students can understand how hormones or drugs will bind to target cells in this way and cause the release of cAMP on the interior of the cell. 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 detailed and engaging lesson describes how the passive transport of water molecules is brought about by osmosis. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the second part of specification point 4.2 (ii) as detailed in the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and water potential is included throughout which will help students to prepare for core practical 6
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 between cells and a solution when these animal and plant cells are suspended in hypotonic, hypertonic or isotonic solutions.
This detailed lesson describes the role of haemoglobin in the transport of respiratory gases and compares the dissociation curves for foetal and adult haemoglobin. The PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover points 4.5 (i), (ii) and (iv) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification.
The structure of haemoglobin was covered during topic 1, so the start of the lesson acts as a prior knowledge check where the students are challenged to recall that it is a globular protein which consists of 4 polypeptide chains. A series of exam-style questions are then used to challenge them to make the link between the solubility of a globular protein and its role in the transport of oxygen from the alveoli to the respiring cells. Moving forwards, the students will learn that each of the 4 polypeptide chains contains 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.
The remainder of the lesson looks at the different ways that carbon dioxide is transported around the body that involve haemoglobin. Time is taken to look at the dissociation of carbonic acid into hydrogen ions so that students can understand how this will affect the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen in an upcoming lesson on the Bohr effect.
This bundle of 4 fully-resourced lessons have been planned to include a wide variety of tasks which will engage and motivate the students whilst covering the following points as detailed in topic 4.2 of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification:
The structure of the cell surface membrane, with reference to the fluid mosaic model
Passive transport is brought about by diffusion and facilitated diffusion
Passive transport is brought about by osmosis
The relationship between the properties of molecules and the method by which they are transported
Large molecules can be transported in and out of cells by endocytosis and exocytosis
The process of active transport and the role of ATP
The phosphorylation of ADP and the hydrolysis of ATP
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons in this bundle, then download the ATP & active transport lesson as this has been shared for free
This lesson describes and explains how increasing the concentration of inhibitors affects the rate of an enzyme-catalysed reaction. The PowerPoint and accompanying resource are the last in a series of 4 lessons which cover the content detailed in point 3.2 (a) of the CIE A-level Biology specification but this lesson also covers point 3.2 [c] as competitive and non-competitive inhibitors are introduced and their differing effects on enzyme activity described and explained.
The lesson begins with a made up round of the quiz show POINTLESS called “Biology opposites” and this allows students to recognise that inhibition is the opposite of stimulation. This introduces inhibitors as substances that reduce the rate of a reaction and students are challenged to use their general knowledge of enzymes to identify that inhibitors prevent the formation of the enzyme-substrate complex. Moving forwards, a quick quiz competition generates the abbreviation EIC (representing enzyme-inhibitor complex) and this introduces competitive inhibitors as substances that occupy the active site. The students are asked to apply their knowledge to a new situation to work out that these inhibitors must have a similar shape to the enzyme’s substrate molecule. A series of exam-style questions are used throughout the lesson and at this point, the students are challenged to work out that an increase in the substrate concentration would reduce the effect of a fixed concentration of a reversible competitive inhibitor. The rest of the lesson focuses on non-competitive inhibitors and time is taken to ensure that key details such as the disruption of the tertiary structure is understood and biological examples are used to increase the relevance. Again, students will learn that increasing the concentration of the inhibitor results in a greater inhibition and a reduced rate of reaction but that increasing the substrate concentration cannot reduce the effect as was observed with competitive inhibitors.
This lesson introduces the differences between ectotherms and endotherms and then describes the behavioural responses of an ecotherm. The PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover specification point 9.9 (vi) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification which states that students should understand how ectotherms rely on the external environment for their temperature control. The main aim when designing the lesson was to support students in making sensible and accurate decisions when challenged to explain why these types of organisms have chosen to carry out a particular response. A wide range of animals are used so students are engaged in the content matter and are prepared for the unfamiliar situations that they will encounter in the terminal exam. Time is also taken to compare ectotherms against endotherms so that students can recognise the advantages and disadvantages of ectothermy when covered in the following lesson.
This detailed lesson describes how an endotherm regulates its temperature through behaviour and also physiologically. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification point 9.9 (vii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and includes descriptions of the roles of the autonomic nervous system, thermoreceptors, hypothalamus and skin.
A wide range of activities have been written into this lesson so that students remain motivated throughout and take a genuine interest in the content. Understanding checks allow the students to assess their progress whilst the prior knowledge checks on topics such as enzymes and denaturation demonstrate the importance of being able to make connections and links between topics from across the specification. In addition to these checks, quiz competitions like HAVE an EFFECT which is shown in the cover image are used to introduce key terms and values in a fun and memorable way.
The lesson begins by introducing the key term, endotherm, and challenging students to use their prior knowledge and understanding of terminology to suggest what this reveals about an organism. Moving forwards, students will learn how the heat generated by metabolic reactions is used as a source of internal heat. The main part of the lesson focuses on thermoregulation in humans (mammals) and time is taken to focus on the key components, namely the sensory receptors, the thermoregulatory centre in the hypothalamus and the responses brought about by the skin. The important details of why the transfer of heat energy between the body and the environment actually leads to a decrease in temperature are explored and discussed at length to ensure understanding is complete. Students are challenged to write a detailed description of how the body detects and responds to a fall in body temperature and this task is differentiated for those students who need some extra assistance. The peripheral thermoreceptors are introduced and this leads into the final section of the lesson that considers behavioural responses in humans and other animals.
This detailed lesson describes the gross and microscopic structure of the mammalian kidney. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover point 9.9 (i) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification. The lesson was designed to tie in with the other lessons in topic 9.9 on ultrafiltration, selective reabsorption and the control of mammalian plasma concentration and a common theme runs throughout to allow students to build their knowledge gradually and 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.
