This is a fully-resourced REVISION lesson that consists of an engaging PowerPoint (142 slides) and associated worksheets that challenge the students on their knowledge of topics B1 - B3 (Cell-level systems, Scaling up and Organism-level systems) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Combined Science specification and can be assessed on PAPER 1. A wide range of activities have been written into the lesson to maintain motivation and these tasks include exam questions (with answers), understanding checks, differentiated tasks and quiz competitions. The lesson has been designed to include as much which of the content which could be assessed on paper 1, but the following sub-topics have been given particular attention: Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells Structure of a bacterium The functions of the components of blood Specialised cells Active transport Osmosis Structure of DNA Mitosis and the cell cycle Functions of the organelles of animal and plant cells Electron microscopy Calculating size Surface area to volume ratio Arteries and veins Reflexes Hormones IVF The mathematic elements of the Combined Science specification are challenged throughout the resource. Due to the size of this resource, it is likely that it’ll be used over the course of a number of lessons and it is suitable for use as an end of topic revision aid, in the lead up to the mocks or in the lead up to the actual GCSE exams.

This is a fully-resourced revision lesson that uses a combination of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to enable students to assess their understanding of the content found within Topic 6 (Organisms respond to the changes in the internal and external environment) of the AQA A-level Biology specification. The sub-topics and specification points that are tested within the lesson include: Nerve impulses Synaptic transmission Skeletal muscles are stimulated to contract by nerves and act as effectors The principles of homeostasis and negative feedback Control of blood glucose concentration Students will be engaged through the numerous quiz rounds such as “Communicate the word” and “Only CONNECT” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which require their further attention during general revision or during the lead up to the actual A-level terminal exams

This detailed lesson describes how the Link reaction and the Krebs cycle, that take place in the matrix, result in the complete oxidation of pyruvate. The PowerPoint and the accompanying resource have been designed to cover points 5.3 (i) & (ii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and describes how these reactions result in carbon dioxide, reduced NAD (and FAD) and ATP The lesson begins with a challenge, where the students have to recall the details of glycolysis in order to form the word matrix. This introduces the key point that these two stages occur in this part of the mitochondria and time is taken to explain why the reactions occur in the matrix as opposed to the cytoplasm like glycolysis. Moving forwards, the Link reaction is covered in 5 detailed bullet points and students have to add the key information to these points using their prior knowledge as well as knowledge provided in terms of NAD. The students will recognise that this reaction occurs twice per molecule of glucose and a quick quiz competition is used to test their understanding of the numbers of the different products of this stage. This is just one of the range of methods that are used to check understanding and all answers are explained to allow students to assess their progress. The rest of the lesson focuses on the Krebs cycle. In line with the detail of the specification, students will understand how decarboxylation and dehydrogenation reactions result in the regeneration of the oxaloacetate It is estimated that it will take about 2 hours of A-level teaching time to cover the detail of the lesson and therefore the detail of the specification point 5.3

This lesson has been designed to cover the content in points 7.11 and 7.12 of the Edexcel GCSE Biology specification which states that students should be able to explain how thermoregulation takes place, with particular reference to the role of the skin. This resource contains an engaging PowerPoint and a differentiated worksheet, which together use a wide range of activities to motivate the students and to engage them in the content matter. The lesson begins by challenging the students to calculate a number from a series of biological based statements. This number is 37 which introduces the students to this temperature as the set-point at which homeostasis acts to maintain the body temperature. At this point of the lesson, a number of prior knowledge checks are used to challenge the students on their recall of the parts of a control system as well as challenging them to explain why temperatures above or below this set point can be problematic for body reactions. The main part of the lesson goes through the steps in the body’s detection and response to an increase in temperature and students will be introduced to the range of structures involved. Time is taken to focus on the role of the skin as an effector and key details about vasodilation and the production of sweat are discussed at length. The final task challenges the students to use all of the information from earlier in the lesson to write a detailed description of how the body detects and responds to a decrease in temperature. This lesson has been written for students studying on the Edexcel GCSE Biology course but is also suitable for older students who are studying thermoregulation and need to recall the key details.

This is a highly-detailed revision resource which has been designed to be used over a number of lessons and allows teachers to dip in and out of the material as fits to the requirements of their classes and students. The resource consists of an engaging and detailed powerpoint (133 slides) and worksheets which have been differentiated to allow students of differing abilities to be challenged and access the work. The lesson consists of a wide range of activities which will engage and motivate the students and includes exam questions, quiz competitions and quick tasks. The mathematical element of the course is challenged throughout the lesson The lesson has been designed to cover as many of the sub-topics within topics 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the AQA GCSE Biology specification, and will be covered in paper 1, but the following sub-topics have been given particular attention: Topic B1: Cell biology Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells Cell specialisation Organelles in animal and plant cells Osmosis Mitosis and the cell cycle Microscopy and calculating size Topic B2: Organisation The functions of the components of blood The heart and blood vessels CHD Topic B3: Infection and response Communicable diseases Monoclonal antibodies Topic B4: Bioenergetics Aerobic respiration and ATP Lactic acid This revision resource can be used in the lead up to mocks or the actual GCSE exams and due to its size, it could be repeatably used to ensure that students develop a deep understanding of these topics.

This fully-resourced lesson guides students through the use of the Hardy-Weinberg equations to determine the frequency of alleles and genotypes in a population. Both the detailed PowerPoint and differentiated practice questions on a worksheet have been designed to cover point 6.1.2 (f) of the OCR A-level Biology specification which states that students should be able to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and understanding of the use of the principle to calculate allele frequencies in populations. The lesson begins by looking at the two equations and ensuring that students understand the meaning of each of the terms. The recessive condition, cystic fibrosis, is used as an example so that students can start to apply their knowledge and assess whether they understand which genotypes go with which term. Moving forwards, a step-by-step guide is used to show students how to answer a question. Tips are given during the guide so that common misconceptions and mistakes are addressed immediately. The rest of the lesson gives students the opportunity to apply their knowledge to a set of 3 questions, which have been differentiated so that all abilities are able to access the work and be challenged.

A concise lesson presentation (19 slides) and associated worksheet (newspaper articles) that introduces students to the process of homeostasis in the human body and the three main factors (water potential, blood glucose, temperature) that are controlled by this system. The lesson begins by getting the students to work out a code to give them an exemplary definition for homeostasis. A newspaper article is used to get the students to recognise the three factors that are controlled. A quick competition is used to show the students the main parts of any homeostatic control system. This lesson is designed for GCSE students but could be used with both KS3 and A-level as a quick recap

This fully-resourced lesson describes the roles of the SAN, AVN, the bundle of His and Purkyne tissue in the coordination of the heartbeat. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 7.12 (i) & (ii) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and also describes the myogenic nature of cardiac muscle. The lesson begins with the introduction of the SAN as the natural pacemaker and then time is given to study each step of the conduction of the impulse as it spreads away from the myogenic tissue in a wave of excitation. The lesson has been written to make clear links to the cardiac cycle and the structure of the heart and students are challenged on their knowledge of this system from topic 1. Moving forwards, students are encouraged to consider why a delay would occur at the AVN and then they will learn that the impulse is conducted along the Bundle of His to the apex so that the contraction of the ventricles can happen from the bottom upwards. The structure of the cardiac muscle cells is discussed and the final task of the lesson challenges the students to describe the conducting tissue, with an emphasis on the use of key terminology

This lesson introduces monomers, polymers, condensation and hydrolysis reactions and chemical bonds to prepare students for the rest of topic 1 (biological molecules). The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheet cover point 1.1 of the AQA A-level Biology course, and as this is likely to be the very first lesson that the students encounter, the range of engaging tasks have been specifically designed to increase the likelihood of the key points and fundamentals being retained. Monomers were previously met at GCSE and so the beginning of the lesson focuses on the recall of the meaning of this key term before the first in a series of quiz rounds is used to introduce nucleotides, amino acids and monosaccharides as a few of the examples that will be met in this topic. Dipeptides and disaccharides are introduced as structures containing 2 amino acids or sugars respectively and this is used to initiate a discussion about how monomers need to be linked together even more times to make the larger chains known as polymers. At this point in the lesson, the students are given the definition of a condensation reaction and then challenged to identify where the molecule of water is eliminated from when two molecules of glucose join. A series of important prefixes and suffixes are then provided and students use these to predict the name of the reaction which has the opposite effect to a condensation reaction - a hydrolysis reaction. Links to upcoming lessons are made throughout the PowerPoint to encourage students to begin to recognise the importance of making connections between topics.

This detailed lesson describes the different levels of protein structure and focuses on the bonds that hold these molecules in shape. Both the engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point (i) as detailed in AS unit 1, topic 1 of the WJEC A-level Biology specification and makes continual links to previous lessons such as amino acids & peptide bonds as well as to upcoming lessons like enzymes and antibodies. The start of the lesson focuses on a gene as a sequence of bases that code for the amino acid sequence in a polypeptide and a step by step guide is used to demonstrate how the sequences of bases in a gene acts as a template to form a sequence of codons on a mRNA strand and how this is translated into a particular sequence of amino acids known as the primary structure. The students are then challenged to apply their understanding of this process by using three more gene sequences to work out three primary structures and recognise how different genes lead to different sequences. Moving forwards, students will learn how the order of amino acids in the primary structure determines the shape of the protein molecule, through its secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure and time is taken to consider the details of each of these. There is a particular focus on the different bonds that hold the 3D shape firmly in place and a quick quiz round then introduces the importance of this shape as exemplified by enzymes, antibodies and hormones. Students will see the differences between globular and fibrous protein and again biological examples are used to increase relevance. The lesson concludes with one final quiz round called STRUC by NUMBERS where the students have to use their understanding of the protein structures to calculate a numerical answer.

This lesson describes the meaning of positive feedback and explains how negative feedback control is involved in maintaining systems within narrow limits. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 7.16 (i) and (ii) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification but also provide introductory details for upcoming topics such as the importance of homeostasis during exercise and the depolarisation of a neurone. The normal ranges for blood glucose concentration, blood pH and body temperature are introduced at the start of the lesson to allow students to recognise that these aspects have to be maintained within narrow limits. A series of exam-style questions then challenge their recall of knowledge from topics 1 - 6 as they have to explain why it’s important that each of these aspects is maintained within these limits. The students were introduced to homeostasis at GCSE, so this process is revisited and discussed, so that students are prepared for an upcoming lesson on exercise, as well as for the next part of the lesson on negative feedback control. Students will learn how this form of control reverses the original change and biological examples are used to emphasise the importance of this system for restoring levels to the limits (and the optimum). The remainder of the lesson explains how positive feedback differs from negative feedback as it increases the original change and the role of oxytocin in birth and the movement of sodium ions into a neurone are used to exemplify the action of this control system.

This fully-resourced lesson looks at the structures of the sensory, relay and motor neurones and explains how the presence of a myelin sheath increases the speed of conduction of an impulse. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 8.1 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification which states that students should be able to apply their understanding of the structures and functions of sensory, relay and motor neurones as well as the differences between myelinated and unmyelinated neurones. This lesson also covers 8.2 (i) as the students will be able to see how conduction along a motor neurone stimulates effectors to respond to a stimulus. The PowerPoint has been designed to contain a wide range of activities that are interspersed between understanding and prior knowledge checks that allow the students to assess their progress on the current topics as well as challenge their ability to make links to topics from earlier in the modules. Quiz competitions like SAY WHAT YOU SEE are used to introduce key terms in a fun and memorable way. The students will be able to compare these neurones based on their function but also distinguish between them based on their structural features. Time is taken to look at the importance of the myelin sheath for the sensory and motor neurones. Students will be introduced to the need for the entry of ions to cause depolarisation and will learn that this is only possible at the nodes of Ranvier when there is a myelin sheath. Key terminology such as saltatory conduction is introduced and explained. The final task involves a comparison between the three neurones to check that the students have understood the structures and functions of the neurones. Throughout the lesson, links are made to related topics such the organisation of the nervous system and students will be given additional knowledge such as the differences between somatic and autonomic motor neurones.

This lesson describes the importance of homeostasis using negative feedback control and also describes the meaning of positive feedback. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to the content with point 9.1 of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and explains how this feedback control maintains systems within narrow limits but has also been planned to provide important details for upcoming topics such as osmoregulation, thermoregulation and the depolarisation of a neurone. The normal ranges for blood glucose concentration, blood pH and body temperature are introduced at the start of the lesson to allow students to recognise that these aspects have to be maintained within narrow limits. A series of exam-style questions then challenge their recall of knowledge from topics 1-8 to explain why it’s important that each of these aspects is maintained within these limits. The students were introduced to homeostasis at GCSE, so this process is revisited and discussed, to ensure that students are able to recall that this is the maintenance of a state of dynamic equilibrium. A quick quiz competition is used to reveal negative feedback as a key term and students will learn how this form of control reverses the original change and biological examples are used to emphasise the importance of this system for restoring levels to the limits (and the optimum). The remainder of the lesson explains how positive feedback differs from negative feedback as it increases the original change and the role of oxytocin in birth and the movement of sodium ions into a neurone are used to exemplify the action of this control system.

This lesson has been designed to cover the content of specification point 4.1.1.1 (Eukaryotes and prokaryotes) of the AQA GCSE Biology and Combined Science course. The understanding of this topic is fundamental to a lot of the later topics on the course so time has been taken to ensure that the key details are covered whilst engagement levels are kept high through the range of activities. The lesson begins by asking students to copy a diagram of a bacterial cell from memory before challenging them to recognise anything that is missing so they can discover the lack of the nucleus. Students are introduced to the idea of a prokaryotic cell before important questions are answered such as the fact that the cell still has DNA despite the absence of the nucleus. Key terms such as plasmid are introduced to the students through the use of quiz competitions in an effort to increase the likelihood of these words being remembered. Moving forwards, eukaryotic cells are considered and the common features of both of the cells are discussed and recalled. Finally, students are asked to compare both types of cells in terms of their size before being challenged on a range of mathematical skills in which they have to convert between the units of centimetres, millimetres, micrometres and nanometres.

This fully-resourced lesson describes the roles of adrenaline in the fight or flight response. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 7.14 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification At the start of the lesson, the students have to use the knowledge acquired in the most recent lessons on the function of the heart to reveal the key term medulla and this leads into the description of the structure of the adrenal glands in terms of this inner region. The main part of the lesson focuses on the range of physiological responses of the organs to the release of adrenaline. Beginning with glycogenolysis, the need for adrenaline to bind to adrenergic receptors is described, including the activation of cyclic AMP. A quiz competition is used to introduce other responses including lipolysis, vasodilation, bronchodilation and an increase in stroke volume. Links to previous topics are made throughout the lesson and students are challenged on their knowledge of heart structure, triglycerides and polysaccharides.

This is a fully-resourced lesson which uses exam-style questions, quiz competitions, quick tasks and discussion points to challenge students on their understanding of topics B5 - B7, that will assessed on PAPER 2. It has been specifically designed for students on the AQA GCSE Combined Science course who will be taking the FOUNDATION TIER examinations but is also suitable for students taking the higher tier who need to ensure that the fundamentals are known and understood. The lesson has been written to take place at a health clinics day at the local hospital so that the following sub-topics could be covered: Control of blood glucose concentration Diabetes type I and II The endocrine system The menstrual cycle Roles of the female and male reproductive hormones Sexual and asexual reproduction Meiosis and gametes Sex determination Contraception Evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria Genetic terminology Inheritance of genetic disorders The central nervous system A reflex arc Classification systems and the binomial naming system Structural adaptations Carbon cycle and climate change In order to maintain challenge whilst ensuring that all abilities can access the questions, the majority of the tasks have been differentiated and students can ask for extra support when they are unable to begin a question. Step-by-step guides have also been written into the lesson to walk students through some of the more difficult concepts such as genetic diagrams and interpreting the results and evolution by natural selection. Due to the extensiveness of this revision lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 3 teaching hours to complete the tasks and therefore this can be used at different points throughout the course as well as acting as a final revision before the PAPER 2 exam.

This lesson describes the light-independent reactions of photosynthesis as reduction of carbon dioxide using the products of the light-dependent reactions. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 5.8 (i) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters-Nuffield) specification and therefore describes carbon fixation in the Calvin cycle and the roles of GP, GALP, RuBP and RUBISCO). The lesson begins with an existing knowledge check where the students are challenged to recall the names of structures, substances and reactions from the light-dependent stage in order to reveal the abbreviations of the main 3 substances in the light-independent stage. This immediately introduces RuBP, GP and GALP and students are then shown how these substances fit into the cycle. The main section of the lesson focuses on the three phases of the Calvin cycle and time is taken to explore the key details of each phase and includes: The role of RUBISCO in carbon fixation The role of the products of the light-dependent stage, ATP and reduced NADP, in the reduction of GP to GALP The use of the majority of the GALP in the regeneration of RuBP A step-by-step guide, with selected questions for the class to consider together, is used to show how 6 turns of the cycle are needed to form the GALP that will then be used to synthesise 1 molecule of glucose. A series of exam-style questions are included at appropriate points of the lesson and this will introduce limiting factors as well as testing their ability to answer questions about this stage when presented with an unfamiliar scientific investigation. The mark schemes are included in the PowerPoint so students can assess their understanding and any misconceptions are immediately addressed. This lesson has been specifically written to tie in with the previous lessons on the structure of a chloroplast and the light-dependent reactions as well as the upcoming lesson on the products of the light-independent reactions.

This fully-resourced lesson describes the roles of antigens, antibodies, B cells and T cells in the body’s immune response. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover specification points 6.8 & 6.9 as detailed in the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification and includes descriptions of the involvement of plasma (effector) cells and macrophages as antigen-presenting cells. In the previous lesson on the non-specific responses, the students were introduced to macrophages and dendritic cells as antigen-presenting cells and the start of this lesson challenges their recall and understanding of this process. Time is taken to discuss how the contact between these cells and lymphocytes is critical for the initiation of the body’s (specific) immune response. Moving forwards, a quick quiz competition is used to introduce the names of the different T cells that result from differentiation. Their specific roles are described including an emphasis on the importance of the release of cytokines in cell signalling to activate other immune system cells. T memory cells are also introduced so that students can understand their role in immunological memory and active immunity as described in an upcoming lesson covering point 6.12. The next part of the lesson focuses on the B cells and describes how clonal selection and clonal expansion results in the formation of memory B cells and effector cells. A series of understanding and application questions are then used to introduce the structure of antibodies and to explain how the complementary shape of the variable region allows the antigen-antibody complex to be formed. The lesson concludes by emphasising that the pathogen will be overcome as a result of the combination of the actions of phagocytes, T killer cells and the antibodies released by the effector cells.

This lesson describes the principles of homeostasis and the differences between negative feedback and positive feedback. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 5.1.1 [c] of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and explains how this feedback control maintains systems within narrow limits but has also been planned to provide important details for upcoming topics such as osmoregulation, thermoregulation and the depolarisation of a neurone. The normal ranges for blood glucose concentration, blood pH and body temperature are introduced at the start of the lesson to allow students to recognise that these aspects have to be maintained within narrow limits. A series of exam-style questions then challenge their recall of knowledge from topics 1-8 to explain why it’s important that each of these aspects is maintained within these limits. The students were introduced to homeostasis at GCSE, so this process is revisited and discussed, to ensure that students are able to recall that this is the maintenance of a state of dynamic equilibrium. A quick quiz competition is used to reveal negative feedback as a key term and students will learn how this form of control reverses the original change and biological examples are used to emphasise the importance of this system for restoring levels to the limits (and the optimum). The remainder of the lesson explains how positive feedback differs from negative feedback as it increases the original change and the role of oxytocin in birth and the movement of sodium ions into a neurone are used to exemplify the action of this control system.

This fully-resourced lesson describes how genes can be switched on and off by DNA transcription factors, including hormones. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 7.16 as detailed in the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification but also links to topic 3 when the lac operon was described in relation to differential gene expression. This is one of the more difficult concepts in this A-level course and therefore key points are reiterated throughout this lesson to increase the likelihood of student understanding and to support them when trying to make links to actual biological examples in living organisms. There is a clear connection to transcription and translation as covered in topic 2, so the lesson begins by reminding students that in addition to the structural gene in a transcription unit, there is the promotor region where RNA polymerase binds. Students are introduced to the idea of transcription factors and will understand how these molecules can activate or repress transcription by enabling or preventing the binding of the enzyme. At this point, students are challenged on their current understanding with a series of questions about DELLA proteins so they can see how these molecules prevent the binding of RNA polymerase. Their remainder of the lesson looks at the ER receptor and students will learn that this factor is normally inactive due to an inhibitor being attached. This will then introduce oestrogen as the hormone which binds to the receptor, causing the inhibitor to be released and activating the factor. The main task then challenges them to order statements containing the detailed events that follow the binding of oestrogen. The lesson in topic 3 on gene expression which describes the lac operon has also been uploaded for free.