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 detailed lesson describes how the ventilation rate is controlled by the ventilation centre in the medulla oblongata. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover the second part of point 7.13 (ii) in unit 5 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification.
The previous lesson described the control of heart rate so this lesson has been written to tie in with this and to use this knowledge to further the students understanding of the control of ventilation rate. The lesson begins with a focus on the muscles involved in ventilation, specifically the diaphragm and external intercostal muscles, so that students can understand how their contraction results in an increase in the volume of the thoracic cavity. Boyle’s law is briefly introduced to allow students to recognise the relationship between volume and pressure so that the movement of air with the pressure gradient can be described. Time is then taken to consider the importance of inhalation and an exam-style question challenges the students to explain that a constant supply of oxygen to the alveoli is needed to maintain a steep concentration gradient with the surrounding capillaries. The students are then tasked with writing a description of exhalation at rest using the description of inhalation as their guide. The rest of the lesson focuses on the mechanisms involved in increasing the rate and depth of breathing during exercise. Students will use their knowledge of the control of heart rate to recall that chemoreceptors detect changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide and blood pH and that the medulla oblongata processes the sensory information that it receives before coordinating a response. The final task challenges them to use the information provided in this lesson and the previous one to order 10 detailed descriptions so they can form a complete passage about this control system
This bundle of 4 lessons covers the content of module 5.1.1 of the OCR A-level Biology A specification, titled communication and homeostasis. As this module tends to be one of the first to be taught in the second year of the course, it’s extremely important that links are made to upcoming topics as well as challenging the students on their prior knowledge of modules 2 - 4. This is achieved through a wide range of tasks, that include exam-style questions, differentiated tasks and guided discussion periods. Quick quiz competitions are also used to introduce key terms and values in a fun and memorable way.
The following specification points are covered by the 4 lesson PowerPoints and accompanying resources included in this bundle:
The communication between cells by cell signalling
The principles of homeostasis
The differences between negative and positive feedback
The physiological and behavioural responses involved in temperature control in endotherms and ectotherms
As detailed above, these lessons have been specifically planned to tie in with the other parts of module 5, including neuronal communication, hormonal communication and animal and plant responses.
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons in this bundle, then download the principles of homeostasis and temperature control in ectotherms lessons as these have been uploaded for free
This lesson describes the main stages of meiosis, focusing on the events which contribute to genetic variation and explains its significance in life cycles. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 2.1.6 (f) & (g) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and includes description of crossing over, independent assortment, independent segregation and the production of haploid gametes
In order to understand how the events of meiosis like crossing over and independent assortment and independent segregation can lead to variation, students need to be clear in their understanding that DNA replication in interphase results in homologous chromosomes as pairs of sister chromatids. Therefore the beginning of the lesson focuses on the chromosomes in the parent cell and this first part of the cycle and students will be introduced to non-sister chromatids and the fact that they may contain different alleles which is important for the exchange that occurs during crossing over. Time is taken to go through this event in prophase I in a step by step guide so that the students can recognise that the result can be new combinations of alleles that were not present in the parent cell. Moving forwards, the lesson explores how the independent assortment and segregation of chromosomes and chromatids during metaphase I and II and anaphase I and II respectively results in genetically different gametes. The key events of all of the 8 phases are described and there is a focus on key terminology to ensure that students are able to describe genetic structures in the correct context. The final part of the lesson looks at the use of a mathematical expression to calculate the possible combinations of alleles in gametes as well as in a zygote following the random fertilisation of haploid gametes. Understanding and prior knowledge checks are interspersed throughout the lesson as well as a series of exam-style questions which challenge the students to apply their knowledge to potentially unfamiliar situations.
This lesson has been specifically planned to lead on from the previous two lessons on the cell cycle and the main stages of mitosis and constant references are made throughout to encourage students to make links and also to highlight the differences between the two types of nuclear division
Photosynthesis and respiration are two of the most commonly assessed topics in A-level exams but are often poorly understood by students. These 9 lessons have been intricately planned to contain a wide range of activities that will engage and motivate the students whilst covering the key detail to try to deepen their understanding and includes exam-style questions so they are fully prepared for these assessments.
The following specification points in topics 5 and 7 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification are covered by these lessons:
Understand the overall reaction of photosynthesis
Understand the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis including the role of these electrons in generating ATP, reducing NADP in photophosphorylation and producing oxygen through photolysis of water
Understand the light-independent reactions as reduction of carbon dioxide using the products of the light-dependent reactions
Know that the products are simple sugars that are used by plants, animals and other organisms in respiration and the synthesis of new biological molecules
Understand the structure of chloroplasts in relation to their role in photosynthesis
Understand the overall reaction of aerobic respiration
Understand that respiration is a many-stepped process with each step controlled and catalysed by a specific intracellular enzyme
Understand the roles of glycolysis in aerobic and anaerobic respiration
Understand the role of the link reaction and the Krebs cycle in the complete oxidation of glucose and formation of carbon dioxide, ATP, reduced NAD and reduced FAD
Understand how ATP is synthesised by oxidative phosphorylation
Understand what happens to lactate after a period of anaerobic respiration in animals
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons in this bundle then download the light independent reactions, the link reaction and Krebs cycle and the fate of lactate lessons as these have been shared for free
This lesson describes the relationship between the size of an organism or structure and its surface to volume ratio. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover point 3.1 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and also have been specifically planned to prepare the students for the upcoming lessons in topic 3 on gas exchange and absorption in the ileum.
The students are likely to have been introduced to the ratio at GCSE, but understanding of its relevance tends to be mixed. Therefore, real life examples are included throughout the lesson that emphasise the importance of the surface area to volume ratio in order to increase this relevance. A lot of students worry about the maths calculations that are associated with this topic so a step by step guide is included at the start of the lesson that walks them through the calculation of the surface area, the volume and then the ratio. Through worked examples and understanding checks, SA/V ratios are calculated for cubes of increasing side length and living organisms of different size. These comparative values will enable the students to conclude that the larger the organism or structure, the lower the surface area to volume ratio. A differentiated task is then used to challenge the students to explain the relationship between the ratio and the metabolic demands of an organism and this leads into the next part of the lesson, where the adaptations of larger organisms to increase the ratio at their exchange surfaces is covered. The students will calculate the SA/V ratio of a human alveolus (using the surface area and volume formulae for a sphere) and will see the significant increase that results from the folding of the membranes. This is further demonstrated by the villi and the microvilli on the enterocytes that form the epithelial lining of these folds in the ileum. The final part of the lesson introduces Fick’s law of diffusion so that students are reminded that the steepness of a concentration gradient and the thickness of a membrane also affect the rate of diffusion.
This lesson bundle contains 16 lessons which have been designed to cover the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification points which focus on the structure of DNA and RNA, their roles in replication and protein synthesis, and genetics and inheritance. The lesson PowerPoints are highly detailed, and along with their accompanying worksheets, they have been planned at length to contain a wide range of engaging tasks which cover the following A-level Biology content found in topics 2, 3 and 6 of the course:
2.9 (i): Know the basic structure of mononucleotides (deoxyribose or ribose linked to a phosphate and a base, including thymine, uracil, adenine, cytosine or guanine) and the structures of DNA and RNA (polynucleotides composed of mononucleotides linked by condensation reactions to form phosphodiester bonds)
2.9 (ii): Know how complementary base pairing and the hydrogen bonding between two complementary strands are involved in the formation of the DNA double helix
2.10 (i): Understand the process of DNA replication, including the role of DNA polymerase
2.11: Understand the nature of the genetic code
2.12: Know that a gene is a sequence of bases on a DNA molecule that codes for a sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain
2.13 (i): understand the process of protein synthesis (transcription and translation), including the role of RNA polymerase, translation, messenger RNA, transfer RNA, ribosomes and the role of start and stop codons
2.13 (ii): Understand the roles of the DNA template (antisense) strand in transcription, codons on messenger RNA and anticodons on transfer RNA
2.14 (i): Understand how errors in DNA replication can give rise to mutations (substitution, insertion and deletion of bases)
2.14 (ii): Know that some mutations will give rise to cancer or genetic disorders, but that many mutations will have no observable effect
2.15 (i): Know the meaning of the terms: gene, allele, genotype, phenotype, recessive, dominant, codominance, homozygote and heterozygote
2.15 (ii): Understand patterns of inheritance, including the interpretation of genetic pedigree diagrams, in the context of monohybrid inheritance
2.15 (iii): Understand sex linkage on the X chromosome, including red-green colour blindness in humans
2.16: Understand how the expression of a gene mutation in people with cystic fibrosis impairs the functioning of the gaseous exchange, digestive and reproductive systems
2.17 (i): Understand the uses of genetic screening, including the identification of carriers, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and prenatal testing, including amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling
2.17 (ii): Understand the implications of prenatal genetic screening
3.9 (i): Know that a locus is the location of genes on a chromosome
3.9 (ii): Understand the linkage of genes on a chromosome
3.18: Understand how cells become specialised through differential gene expression, producing active mRNA, leading to the synthesis of proteins which, in turn, control cell processes or determine cell structure in animals and plants
3.19: Understand how one gene can give rise to more than one protein through posttranscriptional changes to messenger RNA (mRNA).
3.20 (i): Phenotype is an interaction between genotype and the environment
3.21: Understand how some phenotypes are affected by multiple alleles for the same gene at many loci (polygenic inheritance) as well as the environment and how this can give rise to phenotypes that show continuous variation
6.17: Know how DNA can be amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
This lesson describes the structure of the chromosome, including DNA, histone proteins, chromatids, centromeres and telomeres. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been primarily designed to cover point 5.1 (a) of the CIE A-level Biology specification but has been specifically planned to provides links to the upcoming topics of the cell cycle, mitosis, meiosis and DNA replication.
The lesson begins with a prior knowledge check, where the students have to recall why the DNA in prokaryotic cells is described as being naked. This re-introduces histone proteins, and then time is taken to describe that the wrapping of DNA molecules around these proteins forms the linear chromosomes in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. A series of 7 exam-style questions are used throughout the lesson and challenge the students to apply their knowledge and understanding to unfamiliar situations and challenge their knowledge of topics 1 and 2 (cell structure and biological molecules). The mark schemes for all of these questions are embedded into the PowerPoint to allow the students to assess their progress. Moving forwards, a quiz competition is used to introduce the terms diploid, chromatid and centromere and the S phase of interphase in a fun and memorable way. Students will learn that the duplication of chromosomes results in pairs of identical sister chromatids that are joined by a centromere. The importance of the splitting of the centromere in mitosis is explained and then the students are challenged to explain why the non-sister chromatids are involved in crossing over, when variation is needed. The final part of the lesson considers the repetitive nucleotide sequences found on the end of chromosomes that are known as telomeres and students will gain an initial understanding about their structure so they are prepared for the upcoming lesson on their significance
This lesson describes the movement of water from the root to the leaf and includes the transpiration stream and the cohesion-tension theory. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point (n) of topic 3 in AS unit 2 of the WJEC A-level Biology specification
This lesson has been written to follow on from a previous lesson, which finished with the description of the transport of the water and mineral ions from the endodermis to the xylem. Students are immediately challenged to use this knowledge to understand root pressure and the movement by mass flow down the pressure gradient. Moving forwards, time is taken to study the details of transpiration pull and the interaction between cohesion, tension and adhesion in capillary action is explained. Understanding is constantly checked through a range of tasks and prior knowledge checks are also written into the lesson to challenge the students to make links to previously covered topics such as the structure of the transport tissues. The final part of the lesson considers the journey of water through the leaf and ultimately out of the stomata in transpiration. A step by step guide using questions to discuss and answer as a class is used to support the students before the final task challenges them to summarise this movement out of the leaf.
This fully-resourced lesson describes the movement of molecules by active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis, which are all active process that require ATP. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover the second part of point 2.1.5 (d) [i] of the OCR A-level Biology A specification. The first part of this specification point, concerning simple and facilitated diffusion, was covered in the previous lesson.
The start of the lesson challenges the students to use their prior knowledge of biological molecules to come up with the abbreviation ATP. Students were introduced to this molecule in module 2.1.3, so a series of prior knowledge questions are used to check on their recall of the structure and properties of ATP. Students are also reminded that the hydrolysis of ATP can be coupled to energy-requiring reactions within the cell and the rest of the lesson focuses on the use of this energy input for active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis. Students are challenged to answer a series of questions which compare active transport against the forms of passive transport and to use data from a bar chart to support this form of transport. In answering these questions they will discover that carrier proteins are specific to certain molecules and time is taken to look at the exact mechanism of these transmembrane proteins. A quick quiz round introduces endocytosis and the students will see how vesicles are involved along with the energy source of ATP to move large substances in or out of the cell. The lesson concludes with a link to a future topic as the students are shown how exocytosis is involved in a synapse.
This fully-resourced lesson distinguishes between active and passive, natural and artificial immunity and explains how vaccinations can be used to control disease. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 11.2 (d) of the CIE A-level Biology specification and there is also a description and discussion on the concept of herd immunity.
In topic 11.1, students were introduced to the primary and secondary immune responses so the start of this lesson uses an imaginary game of TOP TRUMPS to challenge them on the depth of their understanding. This will act to remind them that a larger concentration of antibodies is produced in a quicker time in the secondary response. The importance of antibodies and the production of memory cells for the development of immunity is emphasised and this will be continually referenced as the lesson progresses. The students will learn that this response of the body to a pathogen that has entered the body through natural processes is natural active immunity. Moving forwards, time is taken to look at vaccinations as an example of artificial active immunity. Another series of questions focusing on the MMR vaccine will challenge the students to explain how the deliberate exposure to antigenic material activates the immune response and leads to the retention of memory cells. A quick quiz competition is used to introduce the variety of forms that the antigenic material can take along with examples of diseases that are vaccinated against using these methods. The eradication of smallpox is used to describe the concept of herd immunity and the students are given time to consider the scientific questions and concerns that arise when the use of this pathway is a possible option for a government. The remainder of the lesson looks at the different forms of passive immunity and describes the drawbacks in terms of the need for a full response if a pathogen is re-encountered
This fully-resourced lesson describes genetic biodiversity as the number of genes in a population and considers how it can be assessed. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying differentiated resources have been primarily designed to cover point 4.2.1 (e) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification but also introduces inheritance and codominance so that students are prepared for these genetic topics when they are covered in module 6.1.2
In order to understand that 2 or more alleles can be found at a gene loci, students need to be confident with genetic terminology. Therefore the start of the lesson focuses on key terms including gene, locus, allele, recessive, genotype and phenotype. A number of these will have been met at GCSE, as well as during the earlier lessons in module 2.1.3 when considering meiosis, so a quick quiz competition is used to check on their recall of the meanings of these terms. The CFTR gene is then used as an example to demonstrate how 2 alleles results in 2 different phenotypes and therefore genetic diversity. Moving forwards, students will discover that more than 2 alleles can be found at a locus and they are challenged to work out genotypes and phenotypes for a loci with 3 alleles (shell colour in snails) and 4 alleles (coat colour in rabbits). Two calculations are provided to the students that can calculate the % of loci with more than one allele and the proportion of polymorphic gene loci. At this point, the students are introduced to codominance and again they are challenged to apply their understanding to a new situation by working out the number of phenotypes in the inheritance of blood groups. The lesson concludes with a brief consideration of the HLA gene loci, which is the most polymorphic loci in the human genome, and students are challenged to consider how this sheer number of alleles can affect the chances of tissue matches in organ transplantation
This lesson bundle contains 9 lesson PowerPoints and their accompanying resources which have been intricately planned to deliver the detailed content of topic 6 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification and to make links to the 5 previously covered topics. In addition to the detailed content, each lesson contains exam-style questions with mark schemes embedded into the PowerPoint, differentiated tasks, guided discussion points and quick quiz competitions to introduce key terms and values in a fun and memorable way.
The following specification points are covered by the lessons in this bundle:
DNA can be amplified using the PCR
Comparing the structure of bacteria and viruses
Understand how Mycobacterium tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus infact human cells
The non-specific responses of the body to infection
The roles of antigens and antibodies in the body’s immune response
The differences in the roles of the B and T cells in the body’s immune response
Understand how one gene can give rise to more than one protein
The development of immunity
The major routes that pathogens may take when entering the body
The role of barriers in protecting the body from infection
The difference between bacteriostatic and bactericidal antibiotics
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons in this bundle, then download the immune response and post-transcriptional changes lessons as these have been uploaded for free
This fully-resourced lesson guides students through the construction of genetic crosses and pedigree diagrams for the inheritance of a single gene. The clear PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 8.2 (ii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and includes the inheritance of multiple allele characteristics as well as those that demonstrate codominance.
In order to minimise the likelihood of errors and misconceptions, step by step guides have been included throughout the lesson to support the students with the following:
Writing parent genotypes
Working out the different gametes that are made following meiosis
Interpreting Punnett crosses to work out phenotypic ratios
Students can often find pedigree trees the most difficult to interpret and to explain so exemplar answers are used as well as differentiated worksheets provided to support those students who need extra assistance.
This lesson bundle contains 17 detailed and fully-resourced lessons which cover the following specification points in topic 3 of the AQA A-level Biology specification:
Topic 3.1
The relationship between the size of an organism or structure and its surface area to volume ratio
The development of systems in larger organisms as adaptations that facilitate exchange as this ratio reduces
Topic 3.2
Adaptations of gas exchange surfaces as shown by gas exchange in single-celled organisms, insects, bony fish and the leaves of dicotyledonous plants
The gross structure of the human gas exchange system
The essential features of the alveolar epithelium as a surface over which gas exchange takes place
The mechanism of breathing to include the role of the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles
Topic 3.3
During digestion, large molecules are hydrolysed to smaller molecules
Digestion in mammals by amylases, disaccharidases, lipase, endopeptidases, exopeptidases and dipeptidases
Mechanisms for the absorption of the products of digestion by cells lining the ileum of mammals
Topic 3.4.1
The structure and role of haemoglobin in the loading, transport and unloading of oxygen
The effects of carbon dioxide concentration on the dissociation of oxyhaemoglobin
The general pattern of blood circulation in a mammal
The gross structure of the human heart
Pressure and volume changes and valve movements during the cardiac cycle
The structure of the arteries, arterioles and veins
The formation of tissue fluid and its return to the circulatory system
Topic 3.4.2
Xylem as the tissue that transports water
The cohesion-tension theory of water transport
Phloem as the tissue that transports organic substances in plants
The mass flow hypothesis for the mechanism of translocation in plants
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons included in this bundle, then download the following lessons which have been uploaded for free
Alveolar epithelium
Absorption in the ileum
Arteries, arterioles and veins
Formation of tissue fluid
Translocation
This fully-resourced looks at the phenomenon known as the Bohr effect and describes and explains how an increased carbon dioxide concentration effects the dissociation of adult oxyhaemoglobin. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 8.1 (g) of the CIE International A-level Biology specification and continually ties in with the previous lesson on the role of haemoglobin in carrying oxygen.
The lesson begins with a terminology check to ensure that the students can use the terms affinity, oxyhaemoglobin and dissociation. In line with this, they are challenged to draw the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve and are reminded that this shows how oxygen associates with haemoglobin but how it dissociates at low partial pressures. Moving forwards, a quick quiz is used to introduce Christian Bohr and the students are given some initial details of his described effect. This leads into a series of discussions where the outcome is the understanding that an increased concentration of carbon dioxide decreases the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen. The students will learn that this reduction in affinity is a result of a decrease in the pH of the cell cytoplasm which alters the tertiary structure of the haemoglobin. Opportunities are taken at this point to challenge students on their prior knowledge of protein structures as well as the bonds in the tertiary structure. The lesson finishes with a series of questions where the understanding and application skills are tested as students have to explain the benefit of the Bohr effect for an exercising individual.
An engaging lesson presentation (30 slides) that looks at the different methods that are used to treat cardiovascular diseases. The lesson begins by looking at the surgical procedure of heart bypass before exploring the use of stents to widen a partially blocked artery. Links are made back to previous knowledge when discussing valves and students are challenged to explain why a faulty valve must be replaced. The rest of the lesson focusses on treating CVD with medicines such as statins and antiplatelets and students will learn the side-effects associated with these drugs.
This lesson has been designed for GCSE students but is suitable for all ages
An engaging lesson presentation (61 slides) and associated worksheets that uses a combination of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within unit B2 (Organisation) of the AQA GCSE Biology specification (specification point 4.2)
The topics that are tested within the lesson include:
Principles of organisation
The human digestive system
The heart and blood vessels
Blood
Coronary heart disease
The effect of lifestyle on some non-communicable diseases
Plant organ systems
Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “SPOT the SUBSTANCE" and “Where’s LENNY” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention
A fully resourced lesson which uses a combination of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to enable students to assess their understanding of the topics found within module 5.2 (Excretion as an example of homeostatic control) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification.
The following topics are tested within the lesson:
Excretion
The structure of the liver
Liver function
Kidney structure
Kidney function
Osmoregulation
Kidney failure
Students will be engaged through the various activities whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention.
A resourced lesson which uses a concise lesson presentation (18 slides) and a differentiated diagram to guide students through the method of blood clotting. This lesson has been designed for students studying GCSE (14 - 16 year olds in the UK) and this is reflected in the appropriate detail where only the involvement of fibrin needs to be known. Students are shown how blood clotting is a cascade effect where one event leads on to the next.
An informative lesson presentation (20 slides) and associated worksheet that looks at how negative feedback loops act as a final control in homeostatic mechanisms. This is a topic which is poorly understood by students at both GCSE and even A-level, so whilst designing this lesson, the focus was on a few key points and applying it to a range of actual examples. Students will see how a negative feedback loop is used in the control of adrenaline release and temperature regulation and they will also be shown what would happen if this loop didn’t exist. Students are then challenged to apply their knowledge by putting the order of the regulation of metabolic rate into the correct order. The final part of the lesson briefly looks at how positive feedback loops also exist by using the example of the release of oxytocin during birth.
This lesson has primarily been designed for GCSE students but is suitable for A-level Biology students too.
