An engaging lesson presentation (68 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 B4 (Bioenergetics) of the AQA GCSE Biology specification (specification unit B4.4). The topics that are tested within the lesson include: Photosynthesis reaction Rate of photosynthesis Uses of glucose from photosynthesis Aerobic respiration Anaerobic respiration Response to exercise Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “Take a STEP back” and “Shine a LIGHT on the errors” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention

A fully-resourced lesson which looks at the structure of the human heart and its associated vessels and ensures that students know the journey which blood takes through this organ. The lesson includes an engaging lesson presentation (25 slides), a diagram to label and a worksheet to summarise the journey. The lesson begins with a bit of fun as students see the script to part of an episode from Friends. Students will recognise the alternative definition of the heart and ultimately recall that the function of this organ is to pump blood around the body. Moving forwards, the main task of the lesson involves labelling the four chambers and the blood vessels which bring blood towards and away from the heart. Students are given useful hints along the way to enable them to discover the answers rather than simply being given a finished diagram. Time is taken to look at the valves and discuss their function so that students can understand this role when they encounter them in veins. The lesson concludes with one final task that challenges the students to detail the journey of blood through the heart. There are regular progress checks throughout the lesson to allow the students to check on their understanding. As always, the lesson finishes with a slide containing advanced terminology so that students who have aspirations to take A-level Biology can extend and deepen their knowledge

This fully-resourced lesson focuses on the role of meiosis in ensuring genetic variation through the production of non-identical gametes. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover point 3.9 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology (Salters Nuffield) specification which states that students should be able to describe how crossing over and independent assortment result in genetically unidentical daughter cells. In order to understand how the events of meiosis like crossing over and random 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 segregation of chromosomes and chromatids during anaphase I and II results in genetically different gametes. 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 questions which challenge the students to apply their knowledge to potentially unfamiliar situations.

This fully-resourced lesson describes how phenotype is the result of an interaction between genotype and the environment and can be affected by multiple alleles at many gene loci. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been primarily designed to cover points 3.14 (i) & 3.15 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification but also includes activities to challenge the students on previous concepts in topics 3 and 2. The students begin the lesson by having to identify phenotype and species from their respective definitions so that a discussion can be encouraged where they will recognise that phenotypic variation within a species is due to both genetic and environmental factors. The main part of the the lesson focuses on these genetic factors, and describes how mutation and the events of meiosis contribute to this variation. A range of activities, which include exam-style questions and quick quiz rounds, are used to challenge the students on their knowledge and understanding of substitution mutations, deletions, insertions, the genetic code, crossing over and independent assortment. Moving forwards, the concept of multiple alleles is introduced and students will learn how the presence of more than 2 alleles at a locus increases the number of phenotypic variants. Another quick quiz round is used to introduce polygenic inheritance and the link is made between this inheritance of genes at a number of loci as an example of continuous variation. The final part of the lesson describes a few examples where environmental factors affect phenotype, such as chlorosis in plants. As this is the final lesson in topic 3, the numerous activities can be used for revision purposes and to show the links between different biological topics.

This lesson explains the effects of temperature increases on enzyme activity and describes how to calculate the temperature coefficient. The PowerPoint and the accompanying resource are part of the second lesson in a series of 3, which cover the content detailed in point 2.1.4 (d) [i] of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and this lesson has been specifically planned to tie in with an earlier lesson covering 2.1.4 (a, b & c) where the roles and mechanism of action of enzymes were introduced. The lesson begins by challenging the students to recognise optimum as a key term from its 6 synonyms that are shown on the board. Time is taken to ensure that the students understand that the optimum temperature is the temperature at which the most enzyme-product complexes are produced per second and therefore the temperature at which the rate of an enzyme-controlled reaction works at its maximum. The optimum temperatures of DNA polymerase in humans and in a thermophilic bacteria and RUBISCO in a tomato plant are used to demonstrate how different enzymes have different optimum temperatures and the roles of the latter two in the PCR and photosynthesis are briefly described to prepare students for these lessons in modules 6 and 5. Moving forwards, the next part of the lesson focuses on enzyme activity at temperatures below the optimum and at temperatures above the optimum. Students will understand that increasing the temperature increases the kinetic energy of the enzyme and substrate molecules, and this increases the likelihood of successful collisions and the production of enzyme-substrate and enzyme-product complexes. When considering the effect of increasing the temperature above the optimum, continual references are made to the previous lesson and the control of the shape of the active site by the tertiary structure. Students will be able to describe how the hydrogen and ionic bonds in the tertiary structure are broken by the vibrations associated with higher temperatures and are challenged to complete the graph to show how the rate of reaction decreases to 0 when the enzyme has denatured. The final part of the lesson introduces the Q10 temperature coefficient and students are challenged to apply this formula to calculate the value for a chemical reaction and a metabolic reaction to determine that enzyme-catalysed reactions have higher rates of reaction Please note that this lesson has been designed specifically to explain the relationship between the change in temperature and the rate of enzyme activity in a reaction and not the practical skills that is part of a lesson covering specification point 2.1.4 (d) [ii]

This engaging lesson explains why coenzymes, cofactors and prosthetic groups are needed in some enzyme-controlled reactions. The PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been primarily designed to cover point 2.1.4 (e) of the OCR A-level Biology specification but can also be used as a revision lesson for the roles of ions as was covered back in module 2.1.2. The lesson begins with an introduction of the description of a cofactor and students will learn that some are permanently bound to the enzyme whilst others only form temporary associations. A quick quiz competition runs over the course of the lesson and is used to introduce prosthetic groups, mineral ion cofactors and organic coenzymes and zinc ions with carbonic anhydrase, chloride ions with amylase and NAD are used as examples of each type. The lesson has been planned to make links to related topics such as cations, anions, transport of carbon dioxide and respiration which will test students on their prior knowledge as well as prepare them for these topics in modules 3 and 5.

This lesson describes the relationship between the specialised structural features of the mammalian gametes and their functions. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.6 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification and includes descriptions of the acrosome in the head of the sperm and the zona pellucida in the egg The lessons at the start of topic 3 (Voice of the genome) described the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells, so this knowledge is referenced throughout the lesson and the students are challenged on their recall and understanding through a range of prior knowledge checks. For example, two of the exam-style questions that are included in the resources challenge the students to explain why a sperm cell is classified as an eukaryotic cell and to recognise the centrioles and the nucleus from structural descriptions. Along with the mitochondria, time is then taken to discuss and to describe the role of these organelles in relation to the function of the sperm cell. When considering the role of the haploid nucleus, links are made to the upcoming topic of meiosis and the events that contribute to variation. The importance of the enzymes that are found inside the acrosome is emphasised and this leads into the second half of the lesson where the layers surrouding the plasma membrane of the egg cell (corona radiata and zona pellucida) are examined The final part of this lesson has been specifically planned to prepare the students for the next lesson in topic 3, where the acrosome reaction, cortical reaction and the fusion of nuclei that are involved in fertilisation are described

This lesson describes the role of the rER and the Golgi apparatus in the formation of proteins, the transport within cells and their secretion. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.3 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification and also includes key details about the role of the cytoskeleton in the transport of the vesicles that contain the protein between the organelles and the membrane. The lesson begins with the introduction of the cytoskeleton and explains how this network of protein structures transverses across the cytoplasm and is fundamental to the transport of molecules between organelles. The lesson has been planned to closely tie in with the previous lesson on the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells and students are challenged on their knowledge of the function of the organelles involved in protein formation (and modification) through a series of exam-style questions. By comparing their answers against the mark scheme embedded in the PowerPoint, students will be able to assess their understanding of the following: Transcription in the nucleus to form an mRNA strand and the exit of this nucleic acid through the nuclear pore Translation at the ribosomes on the surface of the rER to assemble the protein Transport of the vesicles containing the protein to the Golgi apparatus Modification of the protein at the Golgi apparatus Formation of the Golgi vesicle and its transport to the cell membrane for exocytosis Time is taken to discuss the finer details of this process such as the arrival of the vesicle at the cis face and the transport away from the trans face and the requirement of ATP for the transport of the vesicles along the microtubule track and exocytosis. The remainder of the lesson uses a series of exam-style questions about digestive enzymes (extracellular proteins) to challenge the students on their recall of the structure of starch and proteins

This detailed lesson describes the structure and properties of the cell membrane, focusing on the phospholipid bilayer, cholesterol and membrane proteins. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the details of point 2.2 (i) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and clear links are made to Singer and Nicholson’s fluid mosaic model which is covered in the following lesson Students met triglycerides in topic 1 and so a quick quiz competition at the start of the lesson challenges their recall of the structure of these lipids so that they can recognise the similarities and differences to the structure of phospholipids. Time is taken to look at the differing properties of the phosphate head and the fatty acid tails in terms of water and the class is challenged to work out how the phospholipids must be arranged when there’s an aqueous solution on the inside and outside of the cell. This introduces the bilayer arrangement, with the hydrophilic phosphate heads protruding outwards into the aqueous solutions on the inside and the outside of the cell. In a link to some upcoming lessons on the transport mechanisms, the students will learn that only small, non-polar molecules can move by simple diffusion and that this is through the tails of the bilayer. This introduces the need for transmembrane proteins to allow large or polar molecules to move into the cell by facilitated diffusion and active transport. Proteins that act as receptors as also introduced and an opportunity is taken to make a link to an upcoming topic so that students can understand how hormones or drugs will bind to target cells in this way. Moving forwards, the structure of cholesterol is covered and students will learn that this hydrophobic molecule sits in the middle of the tails and therefore acts to regulate membrane fluidity. The final part of the lesson challenges the students to apply their newly-acquired knowledge to a series of questions where they have to explain why proteins may have moved when two cells are fused and to suggest why there is a larger proportion of these proteins in the inner mitochondrial membrane than the outer membrane.

This lesson describes the differences between the primary and secondary responses and describes how the structure of antibodies is related to function. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification points 4.1.1 (g), (h) and (i) as detailed in the OCR A-level Biology A specification and emphasises the importance of memory cells. As memory B cells differentiate into plasma cells that produce antibodies when a specific antigen is re-encountered, it was decided to link the immune responses and antibodies together in one lesson. The lesson begins by checking on the students incoming knowledge to ensure that they recognise that B cells differentiate into plasma cells and memory cells. This was introduced in a previous lesson on the specific immune response and students must be confident in their understanding if the development of immunity is to be understood. A couple of quick quiz competitions are then used to introduce key terms so that the structure of antibodies in terms of polypeptide chains, variable and constant regions and hinge regions are met. Time is taken to focus on the variable region and to explain how the specificity of this for a particular antigen allows neutralisation and agglutination to take place. The remainder of the lesson focuses on the differences between the primary and secondary immune responses and a series of exam-style questions will enable students to understand that the quicker production of a greater concentration of these antibodies in the secondary response is due to the retention of memory cells.

This fully-resourced lesson looks at the process and site of the Krebs cycle and explains the importance of decarboxylation, dehydrogenation, the reduction of NAD and FAD and substrate level phosphorylation. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resource have both been designed to cover point 5.2.2 (e) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and includes the formation of citrate from the acetyl group of acetyl CoA and oxaloacetate and the regeneration of this four carbon molecule. The lesson begins with a version of the Impossible game where students have to spot the connection between 8 of the 9 terms and will ultimately learn that this next stage is called the Krebs cycle. The main part of the lesson challenges the students to use descriptions of the main steps of the cycle to continue their diagram of the oxidation-reduction reactions. Students are continually exposed to key terminology such as decarboxylation and dehydrogenation and they will learn where carbon dioxide is lost and reduced NAD and FAD are generated. They will also recognise that ATP is synthesised by substrate level phosphorylation. The final task challenges them to apply their knowledge of the cycle to work out the numbers of the different products and to calculate the number of ATP that must be produced in the next stage if the theoretical yield of 32ATP is to be achieved. This lesson has been designed to tie in with the other uploaded lessons on glycolysis, anaerobic respiration, the Link reaction, oxidative phosphorylation and respiratory substrates

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

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

This is a fully-resourced lesson that covers the details of specification point 5.1.2 (e) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification which states that students should be able to demonstrate and apply an understanding of the effects of kidney failure and its potential treatments. This lesson consists of an engaging PowerPoint (55 slides) and associated differentiated worksheets that look at the diagnosis of a number of different kidney-related conditions and the potential treatments for kidney failure. This lesson is designed to get the students to take on the numerous roles of a doctor who works in the renal ward which include testing, diagnosis and treatment. Having obtained measurements by GFR and results by taking urine samples, hey are challenged to use their knowledge of the function of the kidney to study urine samples (and the accompanying GP’s notes) to diagnose one of four conditions. They then have to write a letter to the patient to explain how they made this diagnosis, again focusing on their knowledge of the structure and functions of the Bowman’s capsule and PCT. The rest of the lesson focuses on haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and kidney transplant. There are regular progress checks throughout the lesson so that students can assess their understanding and there are a number of homework activities included in the lesson. This lesson is designed for A-level students who are studying the OCR A-level Biology specification and ties in nicely with the other uploaded lessons on this organ which include the structure and function of the nephron, ultrafiltration, selective reabsorption and osmoregulation.

This is an engaging lesson that looks at how vaccinations are used in medicine and considers how the introduction of these preventative measures has reduced the incidence of disease. The lesson begins by introducing vaccinations as the deliberate exposure to antigenic material and then reminds students of the meaning of the term, antigen, so that they understand how this will elicit the desired immune response. Lots of opportunities for discussion have been written into the lesson so that key points such as how the vaccination is altered so that isn’t harmful and how memory cells work can be discussed amongst students before being clarified by the teacher and the lesson content. Moving forwards, students will be given some figures on child mortality rate in 1900 and 2000. They are shown how to manipulate this data in order to work out the percentage change. Students are then challenged to use these skills when comparing the children that were vaccinated for whooping cough in 1968 and 1995 and to make a link between vaccinations and mortality rates. These mathematical skills are being tested more and more in Biology so this guidance will help students to understand how to manipulate data when required. Progress checks have been written into the lesson at regular intervals so that students can constantly assess their understanding. This lesson has been designed for GCSE aged students. If you’re looking for a lesson on this same topic but for older students at A-level, then my upload “Vaccinations (A-level)” will be more suitable

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 B5 (Genes, inheritance and selection) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Biology specification The topics that are tested within the lesson include: Sexual and asexual reproduction Meiosis Dominant and recessive alleles Genetic crosses The history of genetics Natural selection Classification systems Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “Number CRAZY" and “Which Scientist is hidden?” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention

A resourced lesson which looks at three of the main components of blood and ensures that students can relate their features to their function. The lesson includes an engaging lesson presentation (31 slides) and an associated worksheet The lesson begins by challenging the students to recognise blood from a description of some of its contents. This will enable students to identify some of the substances like hormones and urea that are carried in the plasma. Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson takes a format where the students have to act as recruitment consultants. They have been given 3 job roles to fill and once they have decided on the right candidates for the job, they need to be able to explain why these have been chosen. Students will go study the red and white blood cells and platelets, focusing on how their different specialised features enable them to effectively carry out their respective functions. Students will be able to compare the cells in terms of size, number of nuclei and ultimately explain why they have their features. There are regular progress checks throughout the lesson to allow the students to check on their understanding. This lesson has been designed for GCSE students but is perfectly suitable to be used with KS3 students who are studying the circulatory system

This fully-resourced lesson explores the inheritance of genetic characteristics that involve multiple alleles and codominant alleles. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and differentiated worksheets have been designed to cover the part of point 6.1.2 (b[i]) which states that students should be able to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and understanding of genetic diagrams to show patterns of inheritance including multiple and codominant alleles. The main part of the lesson uses the inheritance of the ABO blood groups to demonstrate how the three alleles that are found at the locus on chromosome 9 and the codominance of the A and B alleles affects the phenotypes. Students are guided through the construction of the different genotypes and how to interpret the resulting phenotype. They are challenged to use a partially completed pedigree tree to determine the blood group for some of the family members and to explain how they came to their answer. To further challenge their ability to apply their knowledge, a series of questions about multiple alleles and codominance in animals that are not humans are used. The final part of the lesson makes a link back to module 4 and the correlation between a high proportion of polymorphic gene loci and an increase in genetic diversity. Students will be expected to make links between module 4 and 6 as part of papers 2 and 3, so this demonstrates how exam questions can do just that

This engaging lesson describes the relationship between the structure and properties of a phopholipid and explains the link to its role in membranes. The PowerPoint has been designed to cover the second part of point 1.3 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and includes constant references to the previous lesson on triglycerides. The role of a phospholipid in a cell membrane provides the backbone to the whole lesson. A quick quiz round called FAMILY AFFAIR, challenges the students to use their knowledge of the structure of a triglyceride to identify the shared features in a phospholipid. This then allows the differences to be introduced, such as the presence of a phosphate group in place of the third fatty acid. Moving forwards, the students will learn that the two fatty acid tails are hydrophobic whilst the phosphate head is hydrophilic which leads into a key discussion point where the class has to consider how it is possible for the phospholipids to be arranged when both the inside and outside of a cell is an aqueous solution. The outcome of the discussion is the introduction of the bilayer which is critical for the lesson in topic 2 on the fluid mosaic model. The final part of the lesson explains how both facilitated diffusion and active transport mean that proteins are found floating in the cell membrane and this also helps to briefly prepare the students for upcoming topic 2 lessons.

A fully-resourced lesson which looks at how decomposers are involved with the process of decay. The lesson includes an engaging and detailed lesson presentation (31 slides) and an associated differentiated worksheets. The lesson begins by displaying the definitions for decomposers and detritivores and challenging students to use their bingo cards to see if they can work out the words which are being described. Students will learn how these two types of organisms work together to break down matter. Moving forwards, a worked example is used to guide students through how to calculate the rate of decay from a range of different data types. Students will be challenged to act like a travel agent for decomposers to come up with the different conditions that they require. Finally, they have to bring all of the new-found knowledge together to answer a range of summary questions. These questions are differentiated two ways so that differing abilities can access the work. 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 (14 - 16 year olds in the UK)