A worksheet aimed at A-Level Biology students which provides a neat summary of the key points in the Nitrogen Cycle. The resource covers naming of key compounds (nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, ammonium ions), deamination, ammonification, decomposition and denitrification. The resource also has two 'challenge' questions for more able students to apply their knowledge. Key words: Nitrogen cycle, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ammonium, deamination, ammonification, decomposition, denitrification

This worksheet is designed to work with the web-based world mapper resource - an ingenious programme that distorts the world map according to the prevalence of certain factors. For example, if cholera deaths was the selected factor, Africa would be hugely increased in size on the map, whereas North America would shrink to become almost invisible. This worksheet allows students to see the impact of various factors of their own choosing on birth rate, death rate and overall population size. A great way for students to find out for themselves how various factors affect the global population. Key words: Population, geography, death rate, birth rate, disease, economics, religion, biology, map, world, earth, continent, countries, europe, north america, south america, asia, oceania

A summary worksheet that simplifies information required for two statistical tests: chi-squared and 95% confidence limits + standard error. The first pages of the worksheet focus on the need to conduct statistical tests and an understanding of what the mean and standard deviation tells us about data. Key words: standard deviation, mean, chi squared, 95% confidence limits, standard error

A worksheet for A-Level Biology students, for use after the main statistical tests have been taught. Students often learn statistical tests by rote, but lack the independence of thought to select appropriate statistical tests for an investigation they have designed. This worksheet provides various examples of possible titles for quick and simple investigations that can be done in the space of a lesson or for homework - students must then select the appropriate statistical test to analyse their results. Key words: Statistics, Chi-squared, 95% confidence limits and standard error, spearman rank, independent, investigation, biology, A-Level

A worksheet aimed at A-Level or high ability GCSE biology students, looking at the different trophic levels found in a typical food chain and the reasons why energy is lost at each level. The worksheet also introduces percentage efficiency calculations when calculating energy loss. Useful as either an introduction at the start of this topic or as a revision activity. Key words: Energy, trophic levels, food chains, percentage efficiency, respiration, photosynthesis, decomposers, kilojoules

A worksheet aimed at A-Level students that provides a mix and match task for the different types of nutrition seen across various biological kingdoms. The worksheet includes reference to autotrophs, heterotrophs, photoautotrophs, chemoautotrophs, saprobionts, parasites and holozoic nutrition. The final question requires students to explain why certain examples of living organisms fall into certain categories. Key words: Nutrition, parasite, saprobiont, holozoic, autotroph, heterotroph, photoautotroph, chemoautotroph, algae, tapeworm, human

Aimed at either GCSE or A-Level Biology students, this activity is part of a DRAW IT series of activities. A class is divided into two halves: one half gets the diagram and has to write a commentary as to what each stage in the diagram is depicting; the other half gets a written commentary about the process and has to draw a diagram representing each stage. The two halves of the class can then be paired up to discuss the process of eutrophication, before asking students to summarise during class discussion or on the main whiteboard of the classroom. An easy way to get information on a complex process across to students quickly. Key words: Eutrophication, draw, write, pollution, algae, sunlight, photosynthesis, decomposition, decay, oxygen, respiration, death, fish, organisms, aquatic

A worksheet aimed at A-Level Biology students, ideal as a lesson starter activity. The worksheet looks at energy flow through a cow and requires students to calculate energy losses and energy assimilated as biomass. There are follow up questions that touch on intensive farming and productivity of a grassland pasture. Keywords: Cow, energy, transfer, food chain, farming, biomass, intensive, respiration, photosynthesis, calculate, productivity, kilojoules

A worksheet designed to be used at the start of a topic on energy flow with A-Level Biology students. The worksheet provides a series of tasks which require students to conduct their own research and identify the key methods of nutrition, how energy is transferred and why energy is lost at each transfer stage. Extension work is aimed at students researching chemoautotrophs and realising that the sun is not always the start of a food chain. Key words: energy, transfer, parasite, holozoic, saprobiont, autotroph, chemoautotroph, photoautotroph, consumers

Ideal for use as a starter activity for A-Level Biology students following a topic on energy flow through food chains. This resource shows a diagrammatic representation of a food chain, with energy values quoted at each transfer stage. the questions require students to perform calculations and identify key processes involved in energy transfer through a food chain. Key words: energy, transfer, food chain, respiration, decomposition, photosynthesis, productivity, calcualtions, kilojoules, metres

Climate change is sometime a 'dry' topic and difficult to include much in the way of practical experiences for students. This worksheet contains a practical procedure that looks at the effect of temperature on the heart rate of Daphnia and the resultant impact on ecosystems. There is also provision for the analysis of results using 95% confidence limits and standard error. An engaging way to look at the impacts of climate change and global warming on living organisms. Key words: Daphnia, heart rate, climate change, global warming, temperature, food chains, ecology, 95% confidence limits and standard error

A worksheet that provides a matching exercise for key definitions related to ecology (e.g. population, community, ecosystem, niche, etc). Useful as a plenary task once this topic has been covered, which provides students with a written record of what each term means. Key words: Ecology, ecosystem, population, niche, community, competition, intraspecific, interspecific, habitat, environment

A worksheet aimed at A-Level Biology students that contains questions on ecological sampling techniques: transects, mark release recapture, random sampling, etc. The resource is useful as a revision exercise once these topics have been taught to students. Key words: Ecology, transect, sampling, quadrat, random, mark, release, recapture, bias, representative

A worksheet designed for A-Level Biology students that reviews the meaning of key words related to ecology (population, community, ecosystem, etc). The worksheet includes questions on the ethics of conservation work carried out by ecologists and includes full answers at the end. Key words: Ethics, ecology, ecosystem, abiotic, biotic, conservation, population, community, niche, competition, risk, hazard

A worksheet designed for A-Level biology students that requires independent research into the nature of crop pests and the problems they cause for farmers. The worksheet includes website references to guide students in their research. Key words: Crops, pests, pest control, farming, profits, pesticides, predators, biological control, monoculture, bioaccumulation, specific, cost effective, stable, contact, systemic, residual

Worksheet that asks students to work through a chi-squared analysis of data from an investigation into PTU tasting ability. Useful as a lesson starter or plenary review on chi-sqaured. Keywords: chi-squared, statistics, PTU, tasting, null hypothesis, probability, degrees of freedom, critical value

A starter or plenary task on the topic of the carbon cycle, designed for A-Level students. The worksheet asks students to suggest their own labels for each key process involved in the cycle and then identify carbon sources, sinks and ways in which human activity is contributing to increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Key words: Carbon, cycle, sources, sinks, global warming, deforestation, greenhouse effect, carbon dioxide

A worksheet to review the basics of the carbon cycle, identify carbon sources and sinks and review the main causes of increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Key words: Carbon cycle, source, sink, trees, photosynthesis, respiration, fossilisation, combustion, decomposition, greenhouse, global warming

A detailed worksheet/activity that introduces the idea of calorimetry as a means of measuring the energy value of foods. The worksheet provides space for initial readings and subsequent calculations. There is discussion of how to calculate and use specific heat capacity followed by questions on the limitations of this investigation. Finally, as extension material, the worksheet has an exercise on spearman rank statistical test to see whether there is a link between the amount of energy in food and the fat content. Suitable for use with A-Level biology students as a part of a practical investigation during any topic on energy transfer, food chains, etc. Key words: Energy, food chains, specific heat capacity, spearman rank, statistical test, fat, combustion, burning, calorimeter

A worksheet that displays data for an investigation into the mental arithmetic ability of male and female students. The task is then to analyse the data using 95% confidence limits and standard error statistical test. A useful starter or plenary exercise or this could be adapted into a full investigation in its own right. Key words: Investigation, mental arithmetic, 95% confidence limits, statistics, null hypothesis, standard error, standard deviation, male, female