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 bundle of 7 revision lessons covers 7 of the 12 Chemistry topics that are found on the CIE IGCSE Combined Science specification for examination in June and November 2020 and 2021. Each of the lessons has been designed to include exam questions, differentiated tasks and quiz competitions that challenge the students on their recall of the content and their ability to apply knowledge. Students will be engaged and motivated by the range of activities whilst recognising those areas that need further attention.
The following topics are included in this bundle:
Topic C2: Experimental techniques
Topic C3: Atoms, elements and compounds
Topic C4: Stoichiometry
Topic C5: Electricity and chemistry
Topic C9: Periodic Table
Topic C11: Air and water
Topic C12: Organic chemistry
If you like these lessons, please look at my revision lessons for the Biology and Physics topics of the Combined Science specification as well as the IGCSE Biology, Chemistry and Physics
This lesson has been designed to cover the content of specification point 4.1.2.1 (Chromosomes) and 4.1.2.2 (Mitosis and the cell cycle) of the AQA GCSE Biology and Combined Science course. Cell division is a topic which can cause students a number of problems so this lesson has been designed to ensure that the key details are covered and checked constantly. As well as the understanding and previous knowledge checks, quiz competitions are written into the lesson to maintain engagement and motivation.
The lesson begins with the introduction of the term cell cycle and students will learn that the cycle consists of three stages. The key details of each of these stages is covered during the main part of the lesson so that students can meet the specification requirements of being able to describe the main events. Time is allotted for discussion to encourage students to converse about important points such as what happens to the replicated chromosomes during mitosis to enable identical daughter cells to be produced. Opportunities are taken to make links to other topics such as animal and plant cells as students are challenged to recall the functions of some sub-cellular structures. The final part of the lesson involves a series of summary questions which challenges the students to not only recall content but also to apply to unfamiliar organisms and it is not until the final question that they will answer a question about the cell cycle in humans.
This bundle of 5 revision lessons covers 5 of the 12 Biology topics that are found on the CIE IGCSE Combined Science specification for examination in June and November 2020 and 2021. Each of the lessons has been designed to include exam questions, differentiated tasks and quiz competitions that challenge the students on their recall of the content and their ability to apply knowledge. Students will be engaged and motivated by the range of activities whilst recognising those areas that need further attention.
The following topics are included in this bundle:
Topic B2: Cells
Topic B3: Biological molecules
Topic B4: Enzymes
Topic B6: Animal nutrition
Topic B8: Gas exchange and respiration
If you like these lessons, please look at my revision lessons for the Chemistry and Physics topics of the Combined Science specification as well as the IGCSE Biology, Chemistry and Physics
This revision resource contains an engaging and detailed PowerPoint (66 slides) and associated worksheets, all of which are differentiated to allow students of different abilities to access the work. The range of activities that include exam questions with explained answers and quiz competitions covers the content within topic 11 (Air and water) of the CIE IGCSE Chemistry specification for examination in June and November 2020 and 2021. The resource was written to cover as much of the content as possible but the following topics have received particular attention:
The fractional distillation of air to separate oxygen and nitrogen
The composition of clean air
The variety of reactions that form carbon dioxide
The changes in the atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and the link to global warming
The common pollutants and their effects on health and buildings
The treatment of water to make it safe
The chemical tests for water
The conditions needed for the Haber Process
Efforts have been made during the design of this lesson to make connections between topic 11 and the other topics in order to show students how important it is to make Biological links. In addition, there is a big emphasis on mathematical skills and guidance is given throughout to break down any barriers that students may have with these types of questions.
This revision resource contains an engaging and informative PowerPoint (49 slides) and a differentiated worksheet that will enable the students to assess their understanding of the topic B2 (Cells) content of the CIE IGCSE Combined Science specification for examination in June and November 2020 and 2021. The following topics have been given particular attention in this lesson:
The structure and function of red blood cells
Diffusion as the movement of molecules from a high concentration to a low concentration
The structure of root hair cells to allow absorption of minerals and water from the soil
Osmosis investigations
The effect on plant cells of immersion in solutions of different water potentials
The function of the organelles found in animal and plant cells
The structure and function of specialised cells
This resource is ideal for revision purposes during or at the end of the topic and in the lead up to mocks or the actual IGCSE exams
This fully-resourced lesson has been designed to cover both the foundation and higher tier content of specification point 5.3.2 (Control of blood glucose concentration) as found in topic 5 of the AQA GCSE Biology & Combined Science specifications. This resource contains an engaging PowerPoint (37 slides) and accompanying worksheets, some of which have been differentiated so that students of different abilities can access the work.
The resource is filled with a wide range of activities, each of which has been designed to engage and motivate the students whilst ensuring that the key Biological content is covered in detail. Understanding checks are included throughout so that the students can assess their grasp of the content. In addition, previous knowledge checks make links to content from earlier topics such as the endocrine system and literacy checks ensure that the students can spell and recognise the key words, which is extremely important considering how many terms begin with the letter g in this homeostatic control system.
The following content is covered in this lesson:
The receptors, coordination centre and effectors in the control of blood glucose concentration
The release of insulin when high blood glucose levels are detected
The conversion of glucose to glycogen for storage in liver and muscle cells
The causes and treatments of diabetes type I and II
The release of glucagon when low blood glucose levels are detected
The interaction of insulin and glucagon in a negative feedback cycle
As stated at the top, this lesson has been designed for GCSE-aged students who are studying the AQA GCSE Biology or Combined Science courses, but it can be used with A-level students who need to go back over the key points before looking at the homeostatic control in more detail
This concise lesson has been designed to cover the content found in specification point 4.1.3.2 (Osmosis) of topic 1 of the AQA GCSE Biology & Combined Science specifications. This resource contains an engaging PowerPoint (23 slides) and accompanying worksheets, some of which have been differentiated to help students of different abilities to take on the task at hand.
The lesson begins with the introduction of the term, osmosis, and then students are challenged to use their knowledge of diffusion to write a definition for this method of movement of water molecules. A series of questions which check understanding are included at this early point of the lesson to ensure that the key points are known and any misconceptions are quickly addressed. Students are also challenged with an application question as these can often cause them the most problems. Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson focuses on an osmosis investigation. Scientific skills are tested during a range of tasks as well as numerical skills and guidance is given on how to calculate percentage change.
As stated at the top, this lesson has been designed for GCSE-aged students who are studying the AQA GCSE Biology course, but can be used with younger students who are keen to learn about osmosis
This REVISION resource has been designed to motivate and engage students whilst they are challenged on their knowledge of the content in topics C1-C5 of the AQA GCSE Chemistry specification which can be assessed on PAPER 1. This is fully-resourced and contains a detailed PowerPoint (208 slides) and accompanying worksheets, some of which have been differentiated.
The resource was written with the aim of covering as many of the sub-topics in C1-C5 as possible, but the following ones have been given a particular focus:
The chemical properties of the Group 1, 7 and 0 elements
The structure of atoms and ions
The properties of ionic compounds
Drawing dot and cross diagrams to represent ionic compounds
Extracting metals using carbon
REDOX reactions
Electrolysis of molten salts and solutions
Neutralisation reactions
Writing balanced chemical symbol equations
Simple and giant covalent structures
Diamond and graphite
Calculating the relative formula mass
Moles and Avogadro’s constant
Calculating the mass in reactions
Molar volume (Gas calculations)
Concentration of solutions
The organisation of the Periodic Table
Due to the extensiveness of this resource, it is likely to be used over the course of a number of lessons with a particular class and this allows the teacher to focus in on any sub-topics which are identified as needing more time.
This fully-resourced lesson has been designed to cover the content found in specification point 5.2.3 (The eye) of topic 5 of the AQA GCSE Biology specification. This resource contains an engaging and detailed PowerPoint (46 slides) and accompanying worksheets, some of which have been differentiated to help students of different abilities to take on the task.
The lesson begins with a game of IMPOSSIBLE (shown in the picture) where students are challenged to pick out the names of the 7 structures of the eye which the specification states they have to be able to identify on a diagram. Students are given the functions of the cornea and the sclera to guide them at the start of the labelling task before they have to use their previous knowledge of the nervous system to write a function for the optic nerve. Literacy and numeracy skills are tested throughout the lesson and the next round of the quiz challenges them to use synonyms to recognise the key terms of adaptation and accommodation. Time is taken to focus on the process of accommodation so that students can see how the ciliary muscles and suspensory ligaments interact to change the shape of the lens and allow both near and distant objects to be seen clearly. This takes the lesson nicely into the next section where the conditions of myopia and hyperopia are considered. Again, the students are challenged on their recognition of Biology terminology to spot that these are the medical names for short and long-sightedness. Students are guided through the correction of myopia before being challenged to write a letter to the mother of a girl who suffers from hyperopia, explaining how the lens is used to correct the defect.
As stated at the top, this lesson has been designed for GCSE-aged students who are studying the AQA GCSE Biology course, but can be used with younger students who are keen to learn about the eye or with A-level students who need to go back over the key points.
This concise, engaging revision lesson has been designed to include activities that will motivate the students whilst they assess their understanding of topic B3 (Biological molecules) of the CIE IGCSE Combined Science specification. An understanding of biological molecules is fundamental to the understanding of a lot other Biology topics and this lesson has attempted to make the links between the different areas.
The range of activities which include exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions have been written to cover as much of the content as possible but the following topics have received particular attention:
The chemical elements in carbohydrates
The formation of starch and glycogen from glucose
The iodine test for starch
Lipids are formed of fatty acids and glycerol
Investigational skills
The ethanol emulsion test for lipids
This resource includes a PowerPoint (27 slides) and a worksheet with a task about the digestion of milk fat so students can recognise the components of lipids
This lesson has been designed to cover the content set out in specification point 5.3.1 (Human endocrine system) of topic 5 of the AQA GCSE Biology & Combined Science courses. A wide range of activities have been written into the lesson with the aim of engaging and motivating the students whilst ensuring that the content is covered in detail. These activities include a number of quiz competitions which will challenge the students to identify an endocrine organ when presented with three organs as well as introducing them to the names of some of the hormones released by the pituitary gland.
The following content is covered in this lesson:
Hormones as chemicals which have a slow but long lasting effect on target organs
The location of the pituitary, adrenal and thyroid glands in the human body
The location of the pancreas, ovaries and testes in the human body
The hormones which are secreted by the endocrine glands
The effects of the hormones on their target organs
This lesson has been written for GCSE-aged students who are studying on the AQA courses but is suitable for younger students who are looking at the different organ systems
This lesson has been designed to cover the content as detailed in points 2.15, 2.16 and 2.17 (The eye as a sensory receptor and the correction of eye defects) of the Edexcel GCSE Biology specification. Consisting of a detailed and engaging PowerPoint (54 slides) and accompanying worksheets, the range of activities will motivate the students whilst ensuring that the content is covered in detail. Students will learn how the structures of the eye enable it to function as a sensory receptor, with a particular focus on the role of the cornea, lens, iris and the rod and cone cells in the retina. In addition, students will understand how eye defects such as short-sightedness and cataracts can cause problems for vision and can be corrected. Progress checks are included throughout the lesson so that students can assess their understanding of the content and any misconceptions can be addressed whilst quiz competitions are used to introduce new terms in a fun and memorable way.
This lesson has been written for GCSE-aged students who are studying the Edexcel GCSE Biology specification but can be used with younger students who have a real interest in this sensory receptor as well as older students who need to know the key details for their A level course.
This lesson has been designed to cover the content as detailed in point 5.2.1 (The structure and function of the human nervous system) of the AQA GCSE Biology & Combined Science specifications. Consisting of a detailed and engaging PowerPoint (38 slides) and accompanying worksheets, the range of activities will motivate the students whilst ensuring that the content is covered in detail. Students will learn how receptors, sensory neurones, the CNS, motor neurones and effectors are involved in the detection and response to a stimulus. Reflex reactions are also considered and discussed so that students can recognise how these automatic and rapid responses avoid damage and pain to humans. Progress checks are included throughout the lesson so that students can assess their understanding of the content and any misconceptions can be addressed whilst quiz competitions, like FROM NUMBERS 2 LETTERS and YOU DO THE MATH, are used to introduce new terms and important values in a fun and memorable way.
This lesson has been written for GCSE-aged students who are studying the AQA GCSE Biology or Combined Science specifications but can be used with older students who need to know the key details of the nervous system for their A level course before taking it to greater depths
This fully-resourced lesson has been designed to cover the content in point 3.17 (Inheritance of ABO blood groups) as detailed in the Edexcel GCSE Biology specification. As specified in this point, students will learn how this inheritance demonstrates both codominance and multiple alleles. A potentially difficult topic, time has been taken to include guidance sections where students are walked through the interpretation of the different genotypes to find out the phenotypes as well as constructing genetic diagrams and calculating blood groups from pedigree trees. There is a real focus on genetic terminology such as allele, locus, genotype and phenotype so that the understanding is deep and students can use this if they choose to further their studies at A-level.
This lesson has been designed for GCSE-aged students studying the Edexcel GCSE Biology course but is also suitable for older students who are learning about codominance and multiple alleles at A-level
This lesson has been designed to cover the content as detailed in point 2.13 (The structure and function of the nervous system) of the Edexcel GCSE Biology & Combined Science specifications. Consisting of a detailed and engaging PowerPoint (38 slides) and accompanying worksheets, the range of activities will motivate the students whilst ensuring that the content is covered in detail. Students will learn how receptors, sensory neurones, the CNS, motor neurones and effectors are involved in the detection and response to a stimulus. There is a focus on the structure of the sensory and motor neurones and the presence of the myelin sheath in both of these neurones is discussed with relation to the increased speed of conduction. Students will understand that a synapses involve the diffusion of neurotransmitters and allow communication between neurones and they are briefly introduced to relay neurones but these are covered in more detail in the reflexes lesson. Progress checks are included throughout the lesson so that students can assess their understanding of the content and any misconceptions can be addressed whilst quiz competitions, like FROM NUMBERS 2 LETTERS and SAY WHAT YOU SEE, are used to introduce new terms in a fun and memorable way.
This lesson has been written for GCSE-aged students who are studying the Edexcel GCSE Biology or Combined Science specifications but can be used with older students who need to know the key details of the nervous system for their A level course before taking it to greater depths
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 resource has been designed to cover the higher tier content of specification point 5.3.6 as detailed in the AQA GCSE Biology & Combined Science specifications. The lesson takes the format of a day at a fertility clinic and students will see how three couples, who are at different stages of their currently unsuccessful journey to getting pregnant, are advised and the treatments that could be on offer to them. Discussion points are included throughout the lesson to encourage the students to talk about the Biology and to allow any misconceptions to be addressed if and when they arise. In addition, previous knowledge checks are regular so that the links between this topic and earlier ones such as the hormones in human reproduction and contraception can be made.
Students will learn how a fertility drug may be made available and will be challenged to explain why FSH and LH would be the reproductive hormones contained in these substances. The main focus of the lesson is IVF treatment and this main task culminates with students gaining a number of key points in the for and against argument before being challenged to continue this as a set homework in the form of an evaluation. Quiz competitions are used to introduce key terms in a fun and memorable way and the final task is a mathematical skills check where students will be able to compare the high number of multiple births that are associated with this treatment as compared to the number from natural births.
This lesson has been designed for students studying the AQA GCSE Biology or Combined Science course but is suitable for older students who are looking at this topic.
This lesson resource contains a engaging PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets, all of which have been designed to cover the content of specification point 2.5 (d) on the WJEC GCSE Biology specification. This specification point states that students should know the components of a reflex arc. This lesson builds on the knowledge from the previous lesson on the structure and function of the nervous system (2.5b).
The lesson begins by challenging the students to come up with the word reflex having been presented with 5 other synonyms of the word automatic. This leads into a section of discovery and discussion where students are encouraged to consider how a reflex arc can be automatic and rapid despite the fact that the impulse is conducted into the CNS like any other reaction. Students will be introduced to the relay neurone and will learn how this provides a communication between the sensory neurone and the motor neurone and therefore means that these arcs do not involve processing by the brain. Moving forwards, the main task of the lesson challenges the students to write a detailed description of a reflex arc. Assistance is given on the critical section which involves the relay neurone in the spinal cord before they have to use their knowledge of nervous reactions to write a paragraph before and after to complete the description. As a final task, students will have to compare the structure and functions of sensory, motor and relay neurones.
Although this lesson has been designed for students studying on WJEC GCSE Biology course, it is also suitable for older students who are studying reflex reactions at A-level and need to recall the main details.
This concise lesson presentation and accompanying worksheet have been designed to cover the content of point 2.5 (h) of the WJEC GCSE Biology specification which states that students should understand the need to keep blood glucose levels within a constant range. Homeostasis is a running theme throughout the 2.5 topic so this lesson builds on knowledge from earlier topics to ensure that there is a deep understanding.
The lesson begins by introducing glucose and a quiz competition will lead to the range 4 - 7, so that students can recognise that this is the set range within which this molecule’s concentration must be kept. Time is taken to look at some of the health problems that are associated with an increase in concentration above this upper limit and the general Biological knowledge of the students is tested with some questions. Moving forwards, the main task of the lesson involves a step by step guide through the stages in the response to a high blood glucose concentration and shows the students how the release of insulin leads to the uptake of glucose from the blood and a conversion to glycogen by the liver and muscle cells. The summary task at the end challenges the students to bring all of the information together to write a detailed description of this response and this activity is differentiated to aid those students who need extra assistance.
This lesson has been designed for students studying the WJEC GCSE Biology course but could be used with A-level students who are beginning this topic and need to recall the key details.
This resource contains a concise, engaging PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets which together cover the content of specification point 7.3 (Thyroxine and the control of metabolic rate as an example of negative feedback) as found on the Edexcel GCSE Biology & Combined Science higher tier specifications. Over the course of the lesson, students will learn about the effects of the release of thyroxine, how this release is regulated by the pituitary gland and hypothalamus and also will understand how this control is an example of negative feedback. Due to the obvious connection to the previously learned endocrine system topic, regular opportunities are taken to check on this prior knowledge and these work well with the understanding checks which allow the students to assess their progress. A quiz competition called FROM NUMBERS 2 LETTERS is used to introduce the key abbreviations in a fun and memorable way, whilst the key details of the content is always at the forefront of the design of the lesson.
This lesson has been written for students studying the higher tier of the Edexcel GCSE Biology or Combined Science courses but it is also suitable for use with A-level students who need to recall the key details of these two hormones