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 contains 20 PowerPoint lessons, and all are highly-detailed and are fully-resourced with differentiated worksheets. Intricate planning means that the wide range of activities included in these lessons will engage and motivate the students, check on their current understanding and their ability to make links to previously covered topics and most importantly will deepen their understanding of the following specification points in topic 2 (Cells) of the AQA A-level Biology specification:
Structure and function of the organelles in eukaryotic cells
The specialised cells in complex, multicellular organisms
The structure of prokaryotic cells
The structure of viruses which are acellular and non-living
Measuring objects under an optical microscope
Use of the magnification formula
The principles of cell fractionation and ultracentrifugation
The behaviour of chromosomes during the stages of the cell cycle
Calculating the mitotic index
Uncontrolled cell division leads to the formation of tumours and cancer
Binary fission
The basic structure of cell membranes
The role of phospholipids, proteins, glycoproteins, glycolipids and cholesterol
Simple diffusion
Facilitated diffusion
Osmosis, explained in terms of water potential
The role of carrier proteins and the hydrolysis of ATP in active transport
Co-transport as illustrated by the absorption of sodium ions and glucose by the cells lining the mammalian ileum
Recognition of different cells by the immune system
The identification of pathogens from antigens
The phagocytosis of pathogens
The cellular response involving T lymphocytes
The humoral response involving the production of antibodies by plasma cells
The structure of an antibody
The roles of plasma cells and memory cells in the primary and secondary immune response
The use of vaccines to protect populations
The differences between active and passive immunity
The structure of the human immunodeficiency virus and its replication in helper T cells
Why antibiotics are ineffective against viruses
The use of antibodies in the ELISA test
If you would like to sample the quality of these lessons, then download the eukaryotic animal cells, viruses, osmosis, lymphocytes, HIV and AIDS lessons as these have been shared for free.
I have also uploaded lessons on optical microscopes and HIV and AIDS (for free) but neither are included in this bundle as the limit of 20 resources has been reached!
This resource has been designed to motivate students whilst they evaluate their understanding of the content in modules 1, 2, 3 and 5 of the OCR A-level Biology A specification which can be assessed in PAPER 1 (Biological processes). The resource includes a detailed and engaging Powerpoint (149 slides) and is fully-resourced with differentiated worksheets that challenge the students on a wide range of topics.
The resource has been written to include different types of activities such as exam questions with explained answers, understanding checks and quiz competitions. The aim was to cover as much of the specification content as possible but the following topics have been given particular attention:
Monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides
Glycogen and starch as stores and providers of energy
The homeostatic control of blood glucose concentration
Osmoregulation
Lipids
Ultrafiltration and selective reabsorption
Diabetes mellitus
Voluntary and involuntary muscle
The autonomic control of heart rate
The organisation of the nervous system
The gross structure of the human heart
Haemoglobin and the Bohr shift
Bonding
The ultrastructure of plant cells
Cyclic vs non-cyclic photophosphorylation
Oxidative phosphorylation
Anaerobic respiration in eukaryotes
Helpful hints and tips are given throughout the resource to help students to structure their answers. This resource can be used in the lead up to the actual Paper 1 exam or earlier in the course when a particular area of modules 1, 2, 3 or 5 is being studied.
If you are happy with this resource, why not look at the one which has been designed for Paper 2 (Biological diversity)?
Each of the 13 lessons included in this bundle are fully-resourced and have been designed to cover the content as detailed in module 6.1.2 (Patterns of inheritance) of the OCR A-Level Biology A specification. The specification points that are covered within these lessons include:
The contribution of environmental and genetic factors to phenotypic variation
How sexual reproduction can lead to genetic variation within a species
Genetic diagrams to show patterns of inheritance
The use of phenotypic ratios to identify autosomal and sex linkage and epistasis
Using the chi-squared test
The factors that can affect the evolution of a species
The use of the Hardy-Weinberg principle to calculate allele frequencies
The role of isolating mechanisms in the evolution of a new species
The lessons have been written to include a wide range of activities and numerous understanding and prior knowledge checks so students can assess their progress against the current topic as well as be challenged to make links to other topics within this module and earlier modules.
This detailed lesson describes the principles of DNA sequencing and has been designed to cover the first part of point 6.1.3 (a) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification. Fred Sanger’s chain termination method is used as the example to guide the students through the details of each step.
The lesson begins with a focus on the common ingredients of the process such as DNA polymerase, DNA nucleotides and primers. Links are made to module 2.1.3 where nucleic acids were initially met through a series of prior knowledge check questions. Time is then taken to explain why these short lengths of synthesised nucleotides are necessary and this will support students when primers are met in the PCR and genetic engineering. Moving forwards, students will recognise how the modification to the nucleotide means that the chain terminates once a modified nucleotide is added into the sequence and that these have been radioactively labelled. Gel electrophoresis is introduced and an outline of the process given to provide knowledge to build on when this is encountered later in the module. A series of exam-style questions allow students to assess their understanding of this potentially difficult topic before students are encouraged to consider the limitations of the method so they are prepared to meet the new methods in upcoming lessons.
A number of quiz competitions run throughout the lesson to maintain engagement and to introduce terms and values in a memorable way
These 12 lessons cover points 15.1 (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 & 12) and 15.2 (1, 2 & 3) from topic 15 of CIE A-level biology specification (for assessment in 2025 - 27). This topic is titled control and coordination and concerns comparisons between the endocrine and nervous system in mammals, and then the key structure of the nervous system before looking at this control in plants.
Each lesson has been extensively planned and contains a wide range of engaging activities and tasks, interspersed with current and prior knowledge checks.
The sensory, motor & intermediate neurones and cholinergic synapses lessons have been shared for free, if you want to download first to get an idea for the quality of these lessons.
This bundle contains 17 fully-resourced lessons which have been designed to cover the content as detailed in topic 7 (Run for your life) of the Pearson Edexcel A-Level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification. The specification points that are covered within these lessons include:
The interaction of muscles, tendons, ligaments and the skeleton in movement
The contraction of skeletal muscle by the sliding filament theory
The overall reaction of aerobic respiration
The enzymes involved in the multi-stepped process of respiration
The roles of glycolysis in aerobic and anaerobic respiration
The role of the link reaction and the Krebs cycle in the complete oxidation of glucose
Understand how ATP is synthesised by oxidative phosphorylation
The fate of lactate after a period of anaerobic respiration
The myogenic nature of cardiac muscle
The coordination of the heart beat
The use of ECGs to aid diagnosis
Calculating cardiac output
The control of heart rate by the medulla oblongata
The control of ventilation rate
The structure of a muscle fibre
The structural and physiological differences between fast and slow twitch muscle fibres
The meaning of negative and positive feedback control
The principle of negative feedback in maintaining systems within narrow limits
The importance of homeostasis to maintain the body in a state of dynamic equilibrium during exercise
DNA transcription factors, including hormones
The lessons have been planned so that they contain a wide range of activities and numerous understanding and prior knowledge checks so students can assess their progress against the current topic as well as be challenged to make links to other topics within topic 7 and earlier topics
If you would like to see the quality of the lessons, download the link reaction and Krebs cycle, the fate of lactate,the using ECGs and transcription factors lessons as these have been uploaded for free
This fully-resourced lesson describes the ultrastructure of a prokaryotic cell and the function of the structures found in these cells. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification point 3.5 (i) & (ii) as detailed in the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and also compares these cells against the eukaryotic cells that were met in the previous lesson.
A clear understanding of terminology is important for A-level Biology so this lesson begins with a challenge, where the students have to recognise a prefix that they believe translates as before or in front of . This leads into the discovery of the meaning of prokaryote as before nucleus and this acts to remind students that these types of cell lack this cell structure. Links to the previous lessons on the eukaryotic cells are made throughout the lesson and at this particular point, the students are asked to work out why the DNA would be described as naked and to state where it will be found in the cell. Moving forwards, the students will discover that these cells also lack membrane bound organelles and a quick quiz competition challenges them to identify the specific structure that is absent from just a single word. In addition to the naked DNA, students will learn that there are also ribosomes in the cytoplasm and will discover that these are smaller than those found in the cytoplasm of an eukaryotic cell (but the same size as those in chloroplasts and mitochondria). The remainder of the lesson focuses on the composition of the cell wall, the additional features of prokaryotic cells such as plasmids and there is also the introduction of binary fission as the mechanism by which these organisms reproduce
This bundle contains 20 lesson PowerPoints which are highly detailed to ensure that the topic 7 content is covered at the depth required for A-level Biology. The lessons have been intricately planned to contain a wide variety of tasks that will engage and motivate the students whilst covering the current material and to make links to other lessons in this topic as well as to the previous 6 topics.
The tasks, which include exam-style questions with mark schemes, guided discussion time and quick quiz competitions, cover the following points in the respiration, muscles and the internal environment topic of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification:
The overall reaction of aerobic respiration
The many steps of respiration are controlled and catalysed by a specific intracellular enzyme
The roles of glycolysis in aerobic and anaerobic respiration
The role of the link reaction and the Krebs cycle in the complete oxidation of glucose
The synthesis of ATP by oxidative phosphorylation
The respiratory quotient
Know the way in which muscles, tendons, the skeleton and ligaments interact in movement
The contraction of skeletal muscle in terms of the sliding filament theory
The myogenic nature of cardiac muscle
The coordination of the heartbeat
The use of ECGs in the diagnosis of abnormal heart rhythms
The calculation of cardiac output
The control of heart rate and ventilation rate by the cardiovascular control centre and the ventilation centre in the medulle oblongata
The role of adrenaline in the fight or flight response
The principle of negative feedback in maintaining systems within narrow limits
The meaning of homeostasis and the maintenance of a dynamic equilibrium in exercise
The gross and microscopic structure of the mammalian kidney
Selective reabsorption in the proximal tubule
Water reabsorption in the loop of Henle
The control of mammalian plasma concentration
Switching genes on and off by DNA transcription factors and the roles of peptide and steroid hormones
Due to the detail included in this lesson bundle, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 months of allocated A-level teaching time to cover the content
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons in the bundle, then download the skeletal muscle, coordination of the heartbeat, role of adrenaline and control of mammalian plasma concentration lessons as these have been uploaded for free
The “negative and positive feedback” and “skeletal muscle” lessons are also uploaded on TES for free but haven’t been included in this bundle as the resource limit has been reached
This detailed lesson describes the absorption of water, the movement through the root and the role of the endodermis. Both the PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover specification points (j, k & l) in topic 3 of AS unit 2 of the WJEC A-level Biology specification and includes descriptions of the apoplast, symplast and vacuolar pathways and the Casparian strip.
The lesson begins by looking at the specialised features of the root hair cell so that students can understand how these epidermal cells absorb water and mineral ions from the soil. Moving forwards, students are introduced to key terminology such as epidermis and root cortex before time is taken to look at the different pathways that water and minerals use to transverse across the cortex. Discussion points are included throughout the lesson to encourage the students to think about each topic in depth and challenges them to think about important questions such as why the apoplast pathway is needed for the water carrying the ions. The main part of the lesson focuses on the role of the endodermis in the transport of the water and ions into the xylem. Students will be introduced to the Casparian strip and will learn how this layer of cells blocks the apoplast pathway. A step by step method using class questions and considered answers is used to guide them through the different steps and to support them when writing the detailed description.
This lesson has been written to tie in with the next lesson on the pathways and mechanisms by which water and mineral ions are transported to the leaves.
This clear and concise lesson looks at the calculation of cardiac output as the product of stroke volume and heart rate. This engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resource have both been designed to cover point 7.9 (i) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification which states that students should be able to calculate cardiac output.
The lesson begins by challenging the students to recall that the left ventricle is the heart chamber with the thickest myocardial wall. This leads into the introduction of stroke volume as the volume of blood which is pumped out of the left ventricle each heart beat. A quick quiz game is used to introduce a normative value for the stroke volume and students are encouraged to discuss whether males or females would have higher values and to explain why. A second edition of this quiz reveals a normative value for resting heart rate and this results into the introduction of the equation to calculate cardiac output. A series of questions are used to challenge their ability to apply this equation and percentage change is involved as well. The final part of the lesson looks at the hypertrophy of cardiac muscle and students will look at how this increase in the size of cardiac muscle affects the three factors and will be challenged to explain why with reference to the cardiac cycle that was covered in an earlier topic.
This fully-resourced lesson describes how magnification and resolution can be achieved using light and electron microscopy. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the content of points 3.7 (i) & (ii) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and also considers how specimens are stained.
To promote engagement and focus throughout this lesson, the PowerPoint contains a quiz competition with 7 rounds. The quiz rounds found in this lesson will introduce the objective lens powers, the names of the parts of a light microscope and emphasise some of the other key terms such as resolution. The final round checks on their understanding of the different numbers that were mentioned in the lesson, namely the differing maximum magnifications and resolutions. Time is taken to explain the meaning of both of these microscopic terms so that students can recognise their importance when considering the organelles that were met earlier in topic 3. By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to explain how a light microscope uses light to form an image and will understand how electrons transmitted through a specimen or across the surface will form an image with a TEM or a SEM respectively.
This fully-resourced lesson describes the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells and the functions of each of the organelles in these cells. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 3.1, 3.2 & 3.3 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and therefore this lesson also describes how all living organisms are made of cells and that these cells are organised into tissues, organs and organ system in multicellular organisms.
As cells are the building blocks of living organisms, it makes sense that they would be heavily involved in all of the 8 topics in the Edexcel course and intricate planning has ensured that links to previously covered topics as well as upcoming ones are made throughout the lesson. The cell theory is introduced at the start of the lesson and the first 2 principles are explained. Students will see how epithelial cells are grouped together to form different types of epithelium in the respiratory tract and their prior knowledge of gas exchange at the alveoli from topic 2 is tested with a series of questions.
The rest of the lesson uses a wide range of activities, that include exam-style questions, class discussion points and quick quiz competitions, to maintain motivation and engagement whilst describing the relationship between the structure and function of the following organelles:
nucleus
nucleolus
centrioles
ribosomes
rough endoplasmic reticulum
Golgi apparatus
lysosomes
smooth endoplasmic reticulum
mitochondria
cell surface membrane
All of the worksheets have been differentiated to support students of differing abilities whilst maintaining challenge
Due to the detail that is included in this lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 3 hours of allocated A-level teaching time to go through all of the tasks
This bundle contains 11 detailed lesson PowerPoints and the variety of tasks that are contained within these slides and the accompanying resources will engage and motivate the students whilst covering the following specification points within topic 1 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification:
The importance of water as a solvent in transport
The difference between monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides
The relationship between the structure and function of monosaccharides
The formation and breakdown of disaccharides
The relationship between the structure and function of glycogen, amylose and amylopectin
The synthesis of triglycerides
The differences between saturated and unsaturated lipids
The relationship between the structure of capillaries, arteries and veins and their functions
Atrial systole, ventricular systole and cardiac diastole as the three stages of the cardiac cycle
The operation of the mammalian heart and the major blood vessels
The role of haemoglobin in the transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide
The oxygen dissociation curve for foetal haemoglobin and during the Bohr effect
The course of events that lead to atherosclerosis
The blood clotting process
If you want to sample the quality of this bundle, then download the glycogen, amylose and amylopectin, cardiac cycle and blood clotting lessons as these have been uploaded for free
All 6 lessons included in this bundle have been written to cover the detailed content of topics 8.3 and 8.4 of the AQA A-level Biology specification. These topics can provide a series of problems for students so clear explanations are used throughout the lesson as well as regular understanding checks so any misconceptions are immediately addressed. The variety of tasks will maintain engagement whilst displayed mark schemes allow students to assess their answers and add detail where it is missing.
The following specification points are covered:
8.3: Using genome projects
8.4.1: Recombinant DNA technology
8.4.2: Differences in DNA between individuals of the same species can be exploited
8.4.3: Genetic fingerprinting
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons first, why not download the lesson on producing DNA fragments which has been uploaded for free
This fully-resourced lesson has been designed to cover the content of specification point 5.2.2 (The brain) as found in topic 5 of the AQA GCSE Biology specification. This resource contains an engaging PowerPoint (33 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 cancer.
The following content is covered in this lesson:
The functions of the cerebral cortex, medulla and cerebellum
Identification of the regions of the brain on an external and internal diagram
The early use of stroke victims to identify functions
The key details of the MRI scanning technique
The difficulties of diagnosing and treating brain disorders and disease
As stated at the top, this lesson has been designed for GCSE-aged students who are studying the AQA GCSE Biology course, but it can be used with A-level students who need to go back over the key points before looking at the functionality of the regions in more detail
A detailed lesson presentation (37 slides) and associated worksheets that looks at the different pieces of evidence that scientists use to support evolution and discusses how these support the theory. The lesson begins by challenging students to decide which piece of evidence is the key piece in supporting evolution (fossils). Students will then have to arrange a number of statements to describe how a fossil is formed. Students are introduced to the fossil record and questions are used to check that they understand where the oldest fossils would be found. Moving forwards, students are given three pieces of evidence that would be observed in the fossil record and they are challenged to explain how each of these supports the theory of evolution. Quick competitions are then used to get the students to see some extinct organisms in the Dodo and Woolly Mammoth and again they are questioned on how extinct animals support the theory of evolution. Further evidence in rapid changes in species and molecular comparison is discussed. There are regular progress checks throughout the lesson so that students can assess their understanding and there is a set homework included.
The AQA specification states that a minimum of 10% of the marks across the 3 assessment papers will require the use of mathematical skills. This revision lesson has been designed to include a wide range of activities that challenge the students on these exact skills because success in the maths in biology questions can prove the difference between one grade and the next!
Step-by-step guides are used to walk students through the application of a number of the formulae and then exam-style questions with clear mark schemes (which are included in the PowerPoint) will allow them to assess their progress. Other activities include differentiated tasks, group discussions and quick quiz competitions such as “FROM NUMBERS 2 LETTERS” and “YOU DO THE MATH”.
The lesson has been written to cover as much of the mathematical requirements section of the specification as possible but the following have been given particular attention:
Hardy-Weinberg equation
Chi-squared test
Calculating size
Converting between quantitative units
Standard deviation
Estimating populations of sessile and motile species
Percentages and percentage change
Cardiac output
Geometry
Due to the detail and extensiveness of this lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2/3 hours of A-level teaching time to work through the activities and it can be used throughout the duration of the course
An engaging lesson presentation (33 slides) and associated worksheets that introduces students to classification using the taxonomic levels and teaches them how to name species using the binomial naming system. The students are told about the domain system, as developed by Carl Woese, but then the lesson focuses on showing them the seven levels that come after this. Students are challenged to understand how the levels differ from each other in terms of sharing characteristics. Time is taken to focus on the five kingdoms and links are made to other topics such as prokaryotic cells to test their previous knowledge. Moving forwards, students are shown how the genus and species are used in the binomial naming system before being given lots of opportunities to assess their understanding through questions.
This lesson has been written for GCSE students but is suitable for all age ranges
An engaging lesson presentation (16 slides) which looks at the surface area to volume ratio and ensures that students can explain why this factor is so important to the organisation of living organisms. This is a topic which is generally poorly misunderstood by students and therefore time has been taken to design an engaging lesson which highlights the key points in order to encourage greater understanding.
The lesson begins by showing students the dimensions of a cube and two answers and challenges them to work out what the questions were that produced these answers. Students are shown how to calculate the surface area and the volume of an object before it is explained how this can then be turned into a ratio. Time is taken at this point to ensure that students can apply this new-found knowledge as they have to work out which of the three organisms in the “SA: V OLYMPICS” would stand aloft the podium. Students are given the opportunity to draw conclusions from this task so that they can recognise that the larger the organism, the lower the surface area to volume ratio. The lesson finishes by explaining how larger organisms, like humans, have adapted in order to increase the surface area at important exchange surfaces in their bodies.
There are regular progress checks throughout the lesson to allow the students to check on their understanding. This lesson has been written for GCSE students but is perfectly suitable for A-level students who want to look at this topic from a basic level
A series of 5 exam questions that challenge students to work out the actual size of a section as seen under a microscope or the magnification. These questions will test their ability to convert between measurements and give answers in micrometers. These questions are suitable for GCSE and A-level students
