I am a secondary school & A-level Science teacher, specialising in Biology. I am also an experienced AQA GCSE Biology Examiner. My resources contain a mix of Biology, Chemistry and Physics lessons aimed at meeting specification points for the new AQA Trilogy GCSE course and KS3 Activate course.
All of my lessons include at least one opportunity for self-assessment, a range of activities to suit students of all abilities, a set of differentiated starter questions and a plenary.
I am a secondary school & A-level Science teacher, specialising in Biology. I am also an experienced AQA GCSE Biology Examiner. My resources contain a mix of Biology, Chemistry and Physics lessons aimed at meeting specification points for the new AQA Trilogy GCSE course and KS3 Activate course.
All of my lessons include at least one opportunity for self-assessment, a range of activities to suit students of all abilities, a set of differentiated starter questions and a plenary.
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA Trilogy Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘Ecology’ SoW.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA Trilogy specifications for Biology, Chemistry and Physics please see my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
The lesson begins with an introduction of food chains, pupils are asked to watch a video and answer a set of questions. Once complete pupils can self-assess their work.
The next part of the lesson teaches students about trophic levels, firstly there is a diagram demonstrating the meaning of terms such as ‘producer’ and ‘primary consumer’ and how these correspond to trophic levels. Pupils can then have a go at matching the correct trophic level to the correct title, definition and example. Once complete pupils will self-assess their work using the mark scheme provided.
Students can now have a go at constructing their own food chain or food web using a set of animals cards, once arranged they should write the order in their books and correctly level the trophic levels and whether the organism is a producer, a primary, secondary or tertiary consumer.
The next part of the lesson focuses on biomass, firstly a definition is given to students and then they will need to watch a video on biomass and answer a set of questions. Once this task is complete they will be able to mark their work against the answers provided.
The last task is for pupils to complete a worksheet on biomass, the answers can be written into their books and either peer r self-assessed once complete.
The plenary task is for pupils to turn to the back of their books and write a detailed description of the flow of energy & changing biomass through a food chain using a selection of key words as prompts.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA Physics GCSE, particularly the ‘Radioactivity’ SoW.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA Trilogy specifications for Biology, Chemistry and Physics please see my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
This lesson begins with some facts and figures about the rates of smoking around the world, how many cigarettes are smoked daily and the different chemicals found in cigarette smoke and which of these are linked with disease.
Students will now watch a video on the chemicals found in cigarette smoke and the damage these chemicals can do to the body, whilst watching the video students will need to answer a couple of questions. The answers to these questions are then revealed using the PowerPoint, students can self-assess their work.
Students will now watch another video on smoking and the effect on your health, students will be given a set of questions that they will need to answer using the video. Once this task is complete, students will self-assess their work using the mark scheme provided.
The latter part of the lesson involves an activity whereby students will be given a worksheet of questions, there will be information posters placed around the room which students will need to use to answer questions on their worksheet. The mark scheme for this task is included in the PowerPoint presentation for students to peer-assess their work with their partners.
The last task is for partners to complete a ‘feedback quadrant’ of their partners work, this includes a positive comment, something they missed out which should have included and a question to test their understanding of the lesson content.
The plenary activity requires students to complete a 3-3-1 reduction - 3 facts, 3 key words and then reduce this to 1 key word from the lesson.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This resources is designed for the OCR Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘B3 - Organism-Level Systems’ scheme of work.
This lesson starts by pupils watching a video about the organs and hormones involved in the menstrual cycle, during which time they will need to answer questions on their worksheet. This work can then be red-pen assessed once they have finished.
Pupils are then shown a set of diagrams which goes through the steps involved in the menstrual cycle, using the diagrams pupils are asked to discuss in pairs what they think is happening. After a short class discussion pupils will be given the series of diagrams and a set of jumbled statements, they will need to match the statements to the correct diagram to accurately describe what is happening in the menstrual cycle. For higher ability pupils you may want to just give them a set of key words for them to write their own statements below the diagrams.
To summarise the role of each of the hormones in the menstrual cycle the next activity is a table and a set of key words, pupils need to fill in the blanks using the key words to correctly describe the role of each hormone. This can be assessed using the answers provided in the PowerPoint presentation.
The next activity is a true or false activity on what pupils have learnt about this lesson, the plenary activity is a past-paper question on the hormone levels during pregnancy. The mark scheme for both these activities is provided for pupils to red-pen their work.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This resources is designed for the OCR Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘B3 - Organism-Level Systems’ scheme of work.
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA Trilogy Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘Homeostasis’ SoW.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA Trilogy specifications for Biology, Chemistry and Physics please see my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
The lesson starts by recapping on the role of negative feedback systems in homoeostasis, pupils will need to complete a flow diagram to demonstrate how a negative feedback system works. This can be completed in their books and marked using the answers provided.
The next part of the lesson focuses on thyroxine and adrenaline, pupils are reminded of the roles of each of these hormones and they will then be given some extra information (provided) using which they will need to answers some questions on the topic. Detailed answers are provided for these questions so that pupils can check their work by either peer or self-assessment.
The next activity is a ‘who am I?’ task, pupils will have covered a range of hormones by this point and will now be given a set of descriptions about different hormones, they can discuss with their partners and try to identify the names of each of them. Once completed this work can be assessed.
The final task is an exam question about hormones, with the mark scheme provided.
The plenary task is for pupils to write a text message to a friend describing what they have learnt in the lesson today!
This resources is designed for the OCR Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘B3 - Organism-Level Systems’ scheme of work.
This lesson begins by pupils being provided with the aim of the investigation plus an equipment list, pupils will need to use this to decide what the independent, dependent and control variables of the practical may be. The next slide runs through some of the important details of the practical, using this pupils will then need to write a step-by-step method summarising how they are planning to conduct their investigation, they can work in groups to plan this but must complete their own worksheet.
Next, pupil will conduct the experiment to measure the effect of a distraction on student volunteers reaction time. Results should be collected using the worksheet provided, once they have collected their raw data they can use this (as well as the calculation provided) to work out the reaction time for each volunteer in each trial, and a mean can be calculated.
Once the second table of results on the calculated reaction times have been filled in pupils can complete their graph of results, this can then be used to write a conclusion using prompt questions provided on the plenary slide of the PowerPoint presentation.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This resources is designed for the OCR Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘B3 - Organism-Level Systems’ scheme of work.
Pupils will start the lessons by considering why a reflex action is important to living organisms and asking pupils to consider any examples they can think of. After revealing the importance of reflex actions and come examples, the slides then move on to look at the pathway an electrical impulse takes along a reflex arc. Pupils will delve a little deeper into this by watching a video, during which they can answer questions. Once this has been completed they can self-assess their work using the answers provided. This process can also be summarised using a copy and complete exercise.
Next, the lesson focuses on synapse, a diagram of a synapse is shown with key details labelled, there is also a link to an animation that can be shown to demonstrate what occurs at the gap between neurons. After this has been demonstrated pupils are then asked to complete some tasks to show their understanding of what occurs at a synapse.
The next activity involved a set of statements which are muddled up, pupils need to put them into the correct order to correctly describe the steps involved with a reflex arc. Once this has been completed pupils can assess their work using the model answer provided.
The final activity is a past-paper question which can be printed for pupils or they can complete in their own books, this needs to be self or peer assessed once complete.
The plenary task is for pupils to pick a task - either to summarise the work from the lesson using a list of key words or for pupils to come up with questions for the list of answers that are provided.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This resources is designed for the OCR Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘B3 - Organism-Level Systems’ scheme of work.
The lesson begins with a recap on the difference between a stimulus and a receptor and asks students to think>pair>share what the function of photoreceptors might be and where they are found.
Pupils are then shown a diagram of an eye, pupils are asked to consider (from a list of structures provided) which labels might go where, they can discuss in pairs and annotate their own diagram if they know for sure. Pupils can then assess their own work when the answers are revealed on the next slide. Pupils must now learn the functions of each of these structures, they will each be given a slip of information about the function of one part of the eye and they should walk around the room and share their information to complete the table in their books. This task can be self-assessed using the answers provided.
The next part of the lesson focuses on the pupil reflex, firstly a practical is undertaken whereby pupils block out light from the room and then observe what happens to their partners pupils when they bring a torch to the side of their partners eye. This leads into a description of the pupils reflex, including the role of the circular and radial muscles. Pupils will need to summarise this information by copying and completing the sentences into their book, which can be self-assessed once completed.
The last activity is looking at how light is focused on the retina by the lens, pupils are shown a diagram of how this works. After being given a verbal description they are asked to firstly copy the diagram complete with labels and explain how light is focused on the retina using a list of key words that are provided.
The plenary task is an exam question on what the students have learnt this lesson, pupils should complete this in silence in their books and then red-pen their work using the mark scheme provided once they have finished.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking :)
This resources is designed for the OCR Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘B3 - Organism-Level Systems’ scheme of work.
This lesson begins by looking an organism - a cat- and asking pupils to think about the types of stimulus the cat might respond to in it’s environment, plus which organs it needs to sense these stimuli. Pupils will brainstorm their ideas and then self-assess their work once the answers are revealed, additionally they will answer an exam question on this topic.
Next, pupils focus on the effectors and their role in the nervous system. Pupils will be provided with a description of the role of muscles and glands as effectors and will then need to complete an exam question to assess their knowledge, mark scheme provided for either peer or self-assessment.
The next part of the lesson will focus on neurons, firstly a diagram of a neuron cell is shown and pupils need to think about how this cell is similar and different to a normal animal cell. Pupils may discuss this in pairs and try and come up with an answer before the mark scheme is revealed. Sensory and motor neurons are now introduced via an animation, pupils can look at the pathway the electrical impulse travels as it moved around the nervous system. Pupils will use this to then copy and complete a summary to describe this process, when completed this can be self-assessed.
The final activity is for pupils to copy and complete a table to sum up the main functions of each part the human nervous system either by using a card sort or by putting the statements on the board. This can then be peer or self-assessed when complete
The plenary activity is for pupils to summarise the 5 main key words they have learnt that lesson.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thank you!
This resources is designed for the OCR Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘B3 - Organism-Level Systems’ scheme of work.
This lesson begins with a recap on the structures and function of the endocrine system, it then moves on to look at the positions of the different glands involved in the endocrine system. Pupils are shown an image of a human body (also can be given as a worksheet) and should discuss in pairs which glands fall into which position on the diagram. After the answers have been revealed, and are then assessed, pupils will now need to discuss the function of each of the glands. From a list of descriptions, pupils should try and match the name of the gland to the hormone it produces, this work can then be self-assessed.
In the next activity pupils are required to draw a table and then in groups/per table they are given a set of cards which they then need to sort into the correct spaces on their table to summarise the main role of the hormones secreted by 5 glands - the pituitary, the thyroid, the pancreas, the ovaries and the testes. This work can then be assessed using the answers provided.
Pupils can then complete a ‘silent 5’ set of questions on the topic they have covered so far, they should try and complete the questions on their own but for lower ability groups they may want to try discuss in pairs before answering.
The final activity is an exam paper question on hormone levels, once completed pupils can use the mark scheme to mark their own work.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This resources is designed for the OCR Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘B3 - Organism-Level Systems’ scheme of work.
The lesson begins with an overview of the function of the four main lobes of the brain, pupils will be given cards of information which they need to use to complete a table on these functions.
Pupils will then be introduced to further structures which they are required to know the functions of: medulla, cerebellum, hypothalamus and cerebral cortex. Pupils will need to use posters to complete a worksheet where they label a diagram of the brain and outline the roles of each of these structures. Following this is a card sort where pupils can assess their understanding of what they have just learnt.
The next part of the lesson focuses on how scientists and doctors have gained evidence for the structure and function of the brain. Firstly students will watch a video and answers questions on Phineas Gage, which can be self-assessed once complete. This will then go on to describe the role of electrical brain stimulation and MRI scans in providing knowledge about the brain. This is assessed with a copy and complete summary sentence task and finally the plenary is a 6-mark exam question.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA Biology GCSE, particularly for the higher tier for the 'Infection & Response ’ SoW.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA Trilogy specifications for Biology, Chemistry and Physics please see my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
The lesson begins with a starter discussion to remind students about communicable disease, and which bacteria are harmful.
The next slides introduce and define pathogens, and some harmful and non-harmful bacteria. They will then watch a short video which explains the differences between viruses and bacteria then complete a Venn diagram task.
The next task is a true/false activity to complete as a class and asses their understanding thus far. Students are then directed to work in pairs to make a mind map in their books describing how pathogens are spread.
Students will then be instructed to work on their own to answer three questions about pathogens spreading. Answers are on the following slide for self-assessment.
The plenary task is an exam style question, students can self-assess to the mark scheme on the last slide.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation.
Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This is a lesson designed to meet specification points for the new OCR GCSE (Gateway) Biology 'Scaling up’ scheme of work.
This lesson begins with pupils shown a picture of an amoeba and one of a polar bear, they will need to discuss the difference between the organisms in terms of how they take in oxygen from their environment. Once you have shared a few ideas from the pupils with the class you can show the pupils the difference between the two organisms - amoeba can rely on simple diffusion whereas larger multicellular organisms need specialised exchange surfaces.
Pupils are then shown three examples of exchange surfaces - alveoli, small intestine and leaves of plants - they will need to think about how these structures might be adapted to exchange materials efficiently. You could have a short class discussion to develop these ideas.
Once you have again discussed these factors with the class you can reveal the next slide which outlines the 4 main features of an efficient gas exchange surface.
Pupils will then be given a worksheet and they will need to move around the room reading posters of information about villi and alveoli to complete the worksheet. This should take approximately 20 minutes, once finished pupils can peer-assess their work using the answers provided with the PowerPoint presentation.
The plenary is an Exit Card pupils will complete and pass to you on the way out of the door, this requires pupils to write down 3 key words, one fact and a question to test their peers knowledge of what they have learnt about in the lesson today.
This is a lesson designed to meet specification points for the new OCR GCSE (Gateway) Biology 'Cell-level lsystems’ scheme of work.
Pupils will start by looking at the differences between unicellular and multicellular oganisms and what it means for a cell to be ‘specialised’.
Pupils will then focus on the difference between stem cells in animal and plant cells, they will read a bit of information on this topic and answer questions in their books. Pupils can then peer-assess their work using the answers in the PowerPoint.
In the next task Pupils can either use posters places around the room or they each get given a different card with a different specialised cell and they need to complete a table of information on the structure and function of various specialised cells. These include: palisade cell, white blood cell, nerve cell, red blood cell, ciliated epithelial cell, sperm and egg cell.
The last activity pupils will need to complete a past-paper question to assess their knowledge. Pupils can then self-assess their work using the mark scheme provided.
All resources are included, please review with any feedback :)
This is a lesson designed to meet specification points for the new OCR GCSE (Gateway) Biology 'Scaling up’ scheme of work.
This lesson begins by pupils being introduced to the idea of stem cells, what they are and why they are important. Pupils will then watch a video about stem cells, the difference between adult and embryonic stem cells and their importance in medical research and treatments. Pupils will answer questions whilst watching the video and can self-assess their work using the answers provided once it has finished.
Pupils will then need to summarise what they have learnt so far by completing a fill-in-the-blank task, this can be copied off the board or summarised in their book.
The next activity is on stem cells in plants, pupils will be given some information on the board and will then need to answer questions about this information.
The next activity will focus on the social, moral and ethical implications of using stem cells for medical research purposes. Pupils will need to read opinion/fact cards about the use of stem cells and firstly will need to discuss the pros and cons of using stem cells for medical research. The second task is for pupils to sort the information cards into ‘fact’ or ‘opinion’ columns - this can be self-assessed using the answers provided.
The final plenary task is an exam-style question about use of stem cells, pupils can then self-assess their work.
This is a lesson designed to meet specification points for the new OCR GCSE (Gateway) Biology 'Scaling up’ scheme of work.
This lesson begins by getting pupils to think about what diffusion is and then giving them the scientific definition for the process. Pupils will then need to read statements about the stages of diffusion, look at diagrams demonstrating these stages and match them together in their books. This activity will be self-assessed using the answers in the PowerPoint presentation.
Pupils will then need to think > pair > share about the factors they think will affect the rate of diffusion. Once they have come up with their own ideas and shared them as a class you can show them the animation provided to demonstrate how concentration of particles and size affects the rate of diffusion. Pupils are then asked to consider how temperature might affect the rate, you can demonstrate this affect using the link to another animation which demonstrates this effect.
Pupils will then complete a fill-in-the-blank task to demonstrate their knowledge of how these different factors affect the rate of diffusion, which can be self-assessed using the answers provided.
Pupils will then look at the importance of diffusion in living organisms and specifically the types of adaptation organism might have to speed up the rate of diffusion. The final activity is a past-paper questions, when completed pupils will self-asses using the mark scheme.
All resources are included in the PowerPoint presentation, thank you for purchasing :)
This is a lesson designed to meet specification points for the new OCR GCSE (Gateway) Biology 'Scaling up’ scheme of work.
The lesson begins with children being asked to discuss their ideas about the environmental factors which would affect the rate of transpiration.
After a short class discussion, children will be given a slip of information about one of the four factors affecting the rate of transpiration - light intensity, humidity, temperature and wind. Children will need to walk around the room and share information with each other, to complete their table of information in their books. This task can be self-assessed once complete.
Next, children will watch a video on the use of a potometer, during which they will need to answer a set of questions. After this, they can self-assess their work using the answers provided.
Children will now be shown how to calculate the rate of transpiration, using a worked example. Children will then test their understanding of this by completing a ‘quick check’ task, the answers for this are provided in the PowerPoint.
The plenary task required pupils to compile a list of key words related to the B2 ‘Scaling up’ module of learning.
This is a lesson designed to meet specification points for the new OCR GCSE (Gateway) Biology 'Scaling up’ scheme of work.
The lesson begins by completing an activity which recaps the role of each of the components of blood.
Pupils are then introduced to the three types of blood vessels - artery, vein and capillary. Looking at a diagram provided pupils will need to consider the differences between the three in terms of structure an function.
Pupils will then watch a video and answer questions about arteries and capillaries, the answers to the video are provided so that pupils can then self-assess their work.
The next slide will show how veins are structured and how they work to move blood back to heart from the rest of the body. Pupils could draw a diagram to represent this if there was time.
The next part of the lesson is the longest activity, pupils will need to either copy the blank table into their books or be given a printout of the table. Using cards of information pupils will need to complete the table, which shows the structural features of each of the blood vessels. The answers to this activity are provided so that pupils can either peer or self-assess their work.
The next activity is a quick fill-in-the-blank task to demonstrate the role of the capillaries within the body.
Students are now introduced to the idea of a double-circulatory system, using a diagram and a description of the system pupils will need to answer questions about the role of this system, which can then be self-assessed.
The plenary task is for pupils to pick one question to answer from a list of traffic-light questions, green for most difficult and red for easiest.
This is a lesson designed to meet specification points for the new OCR GCSE (Gateway) Biology ‘Scaling up’ scheme of work.
The lesson begins by introducing the heart as an organ and it’s function in the body, pupils will have a few minutes to read through the information on the slide as a ‘memory test’. Then move the slide forward where pupils have to copy and complete the information about the heart, using key words to help them. Pupils can then self-assess their work.
For the next activity pupils are given an information sheet providing information about the structure of the heart and the job of the blood vessels supplying/taking blood away from the hear. Pupils will also be given a worksheet which they will need to complete using this information.
Pupils will then be introduced to the idea of valves, they can watch a short video an have a look at the position of the valves within the heart. They will need to Think > Pair > Share ideas about the function of the valves in the heart. After a short class discussion the answer can be provided for them.
The next activity will require pupils to sort information into a flow diagram to demonstrate the route the blood flows through from the right atrium onwards. The words they need to fill in the boxes will be provided, they can self-assess their work once it has been completed.
Next, pupils will be given a place mat worksheet which has questions about each of the four components of the blood. Each student will then be given a slip of information about these four components, the students will need to share information to complete their place mat. Once complete, the answers which will be provided on the PowerPoint slide can be used for pupils to either self-assess or peer-assess their work.
Pupils will now look at how red blood cells transport of oxygen around the body, once this has been explained using diagrams on the PowerPoint slide pupils will then need to arrange sentences into an order to show how this process occurs. Once completed pupils will self-assess their work using the answers provided.
The next activity is a True or False activity about what the students have learnt so far, this could be extended by asking students to re-writing the incorrect sentences so that they make sense.
The final activity is a past-paper question on the components of blood, which pupils can then peer or self-assess.
This is a lesson designed to meet specification points for the new OCR GCSE (Gateway) Biology 'Scaling up’ scheme of work.
The lesson begins by pupils observing a diagram of a phloem and a xylem vessel and discussing what the similarities and differences are between the two tissues. This can lead into a class discussion about the two structures.
Next is a quick recap task, pupils should have already looked at the overall function of both of these vessels so pupils now need to complete sentences to describe the role of the xylem an phloem vessel in plants.
The next activity is a video, pupils will given a set of questions and they will need to answer these questions using the video. Once finished they can self-assess their work using the answers provided on the PowerPoint.
Next, pupils will need to draw two columns in their book entitled Xylem and Phloem and sort statements into these two columns, after this is completed they can assess their work.
The last thing students will need to consider is why is transport so important in plants, pupils will discuss/brainstorm in their books why sugars, mineral ions and water are important to the plant. The answers can then be revealed to them.
The final activity is a past-paper 6 mark question, pupils will need to attempt to answer this on their own, at the back of their books for an extra challenge!
Plenary activity is to complete a summary of what the students have learnt that lesson, a list of key words will be provided to help them complete this task.
All resources are included in the PowerPoint, any questions please ask me via the comments section. Any feedback of this lesson would be much appreciated :) thank you!
This is a lesson designed to meet specification points for the new OCR GCSE (Gateway) Biology 'Scaling up’ scheme of work.
This lesson begins by identifying the purpose of mitosis - growth and repair. Pupils will then be given a double-sided worksheet, the first side corresponds to the first 5 mins 51 seconds of the video included in the PowerPoint slide. Pupils will need to watch the video and answer the questions on the sheet, they are in order but for lower ability classes you may want to stop the video and guide pupils through the work. Self-assess this work using the answers provided in the PowerPoint before moving on with the video.
The next part of the video guides pupils through what happens during Mitosis - Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase. Pupils have diagrams of the the processes on the back of their worksheet, they will need to use the video to name the stages and describe what is happening. Self-assess work using the answers that are provided in the PowerPoint.
The next activity, pupils are given real images of a cell going through mitosis and descriptions of the stages, they need to cut and stick the stages and the pictures in the correct order to complete a flow diagram. Pupils peer or self-assess their work using red/green pens.
Past-paper question provided as an extra activity for higher-ability pupils - pupils answer the question in their books and peer-assess using the mark scheme
Resources are included in the PowerPoint, thank you for looking :)