NEW (2016) AQA AS Biology – Cell Specialisation & Organisation

This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA AS-level Biology course, particularly the ‘Cells’ module.

For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA A-level Biology course please visit my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience

A-Level lesson format: I teach in more of a lecture style compared to GCSE. In the majority of my A-level lessons the beginning portion of the lesson is mainly teacher-led, where students are expected to take notes onto a handout/in their books. This is then mixed in with student-led activities, as well as questions and exam prep.

You will find some of my slides have blank spaces for you to add more detail/descriptions/explanations. If you look at the ‘Notes’ section underneath each of these slides, you will find additional content which you can add in as you teach!

This lesson on cell specialisation and organisation begins with a discussion to review specialised cell examples. Students should also describe the difference between smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum, as well as the role of chloroplasts.

To review organelles, students are then given a matching worksheet with descriptions of nine organelles. They can check the names of each with the answers on the slide. This task leads them to a series of organelle images to label and check as well.

Students are then tasked with past-paper questions to check their understanding of cell structure. A mark scheme is on the next slide.

To begin the discussion of cell specialisation students are tased with a worksheet to try with a partner. The worksheet asks students to consider what information each organelle can tell us. Suggested answers are on the following slides.

The lesson should then spark some conversation about the organisation of certain cells, before students work through a few slides of questions about cell organisation in general. After learning the levels of cell organisation students are led through a few examples to decide for themselves which level each example fits in.

To synthesise their learning, students will work through a ‘cut & stick’ task to create a table of each cell type and its characteristics. A completed table is on the following slide so students may self-asses.

The plenary for this lesson is to write three sentences in their book summarising what they’ve learned!

All resources are included. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)