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 fully-resourced lesson looks at the series of small steps that form the Krebs cycle and focuses on the reactions which involve decarboxylation and dehydrogenation and the reduction of NAD and FAD. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resource have both been designed to cover points 12.2 (d) and (e) of the CIE International A-level Biology specification.
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 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
This lesson has been designed to tie in with the other uploaded lessons on glycolysis, the Link reaction and oxidative phosphorylation.
This lesson describes the similarities and differences between the xylem and phloem vessels and the sclerenchyma fibres. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 4.11 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification which states that students should be able to compare these tissues in terms of structure, position in the stem and function.
The lessons begins by challenging the students to identify the substances that a plant needs for the cellular reactions, where they are absorbed and where these reactions occur in a plant. The aim of this task is to get the students to recognise that water and mineral ions are absorbed in the roots and needed in the leaves whilst the products of photosynthesis are in the leaves and need to be used all over the plant. Students will be reminded that the xylem and phloem are part of the vascular system responsible for transporting these substances and then the rest of the lesson focuses on linking structure to function. A range of tasks which include discussion points, exam-style questions and quick quiz rounds are used to describe how lignification results in the xylem as a hollow tube of xylem cells to allow water to move as a complete column. They will also learn that the narrow diameter of this vessel allows capillary action to move water molecules up the sides of the vessel. The same process is used to enable students to understand how the structures of the companion cells allows assimilates to be loaded before being moved to the sieve tube elements through the plasmodesmata.
The final part of the lesson introduces the sclerenchyma tissue as part of the vascular bundle and along with the structure and function, the students will observe where this tissue is found in the stem in comparison to the xylem and phloem.
It is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 hours of A-level teaching time to cover the detail which has been written into this lesson
This lesson describes the structure and function of sensory and motor neurones as well as the role of intermediate neurones. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been planned to cover the content of point (3) of topic 15.1 of the CIE A-level Biology specification (for assessment in 2025 - 27) and also focuses on the organisation of the nervous system to support students with their understanding of upcoming content in this topic.
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 introduce the importance of the myelin sheath that is present in both neurones to allow saltatory conduction to occur.
This lesson describes how the expression of a gene mutation impairs the functioning of the gaseous and digestive systems in people with cystic fibrosis. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have primarily been designed to cover points 2.12 (ii) and 2.14 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification but also challenges the students on their knowledge of previously-covered topics including monohybrid inheritance, protein synthesis, genetic code and blood clotting as well as making links to the upcoming topics of loci, organisation of multicellular organisms and post-transcriptional changes.
The main focus of the lesson is the CFTR gene and the functions of the ion channel that is synthesised when this gene is expressed. As well as explaining that this channel allows chloride ions to flow across the apical membrane of the epithelial cells, time is taken to emphasise the importance of its inhibition on the ENaC, which prevents the flow of sodium ions back into the cells. A step by step guide is then used to describe the sequence of events that result in mucus which is motile and can be moved by the wafting action of the cilia in healthy individuals. This leads into the section of the lesson which considers the inheritance of cystic fibrosis in an autosomal recessive manner and then focuses on the change in the primary structure of the channel which results from one of over 1500 different gene mutations. Again, the students are guided through the events that lead to the depletion of the apical surface liquid and the cilia being unable to move the viscous mucus. Although the majority of the lesson is described with reference to the gaseous exchange system, the impaired functioning of the digestive system in terms of the blockage of the pancreas and liver secretions is considered and discussed and the students are challenged on their understanding through a range of exam-style questions.
All of the questions included in the lesson have mark schemes which are embedded into the PowerPoint and this allows the students to assess their progress.
Due to the detailed content of this lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 3 hours of allocated A-level teaching time to cover
This is a fully-resourced revision lesson that uses a combination of exam questions, understanding checks, quick differentiated tasks and quiz competitions to enable students to assess their understanding of the content found within Topic 3 (Voice of the Genome) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification.
The sub-topics and specification points that are tested within the lesson include:
Know the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells
Understand the role of the rER and the Golgi apparatus in protein transport within cells
Know the ultrastructure of prokaryotic cells
Be able to recognise the organelles of eukaryotic cells from EM images
Know that a locus is the location of a gene on a chromosome
Understand the linkage of genes on a chromosome and sex linkage
Understand the role of meiosis in ensuring genetic variation
Understand the role of mitosis and the cell cycle in producing identical daughter cells
Understand how gene expression is controlled
Understand how phenotype is the result of an interaction between genotype and the environment
Know how some phenotypes are affected by multiple alleles as well as the environment and how this shows continuous variation
Students will be engaged through the numerous quiz rounds such as “Is your knowledge of the Lac Operon LACKING” and “Can I have a P please Bob” 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 lesson describes the nature of the genetic code as near universal, non-overlapping and degenerate and relates this to the triplet code. The engaging lesson PowerPoint has been designed to cover point 2.11 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and clear links are made to protein synthesis and gene mutations which students will meet in the next lot of lessons.
At the start of the lesson, the students are challenged to use their knowledge of the bases in DNA and RNA to complete a definition which describes the genetic code as being near universal, non-overlapping and degenerate. Time is taken to explain how three bases on DNA (a triplet) and three bases on mRNA (a codon) encode for a single amino acid or a stop codon and this is the triplet code. A quick quiz competition is used to generate the number 20 so that the students can learn that there are 20 proteinogenic amino acids in the genetic code. This leads into a challenge, where they have to use their prior knowledge of DNA to calculate the number of different DNA triplets (64) and the mismatch in number is then discussed and related back to the lesson topic. Moving forwards, base substitutions and base deletions are briefly introduced so that they can see how although one substitution can change the primary structure, another will change the codon but not the encoded amino acid. The lesson concludes with a brief look at the non-overlapping nature of the code so that the impact of a base deletion (or insertion) can be understood when covered in greater detail in the lesson covering point 2.14
This lesson describes the mechanisms of ventilation and gas exchange in insects. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets are the part of the second lesson in a series of 2 lessons which have been designed to cover the details that are set out in point 3.1.1 (f) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification. The first lesson in this series describes ventilation and gas exchange in bony fish
In the previous lesson, the students were introduced to the different circulatory systems of mammals and bony fish and this knowledge is checked upon at the start of this lesson. This is relevant because the open circulatory system of an insect explains how oxygen is not transported in the blood but instead is absorbed from the body fluid that bathes the tissues. The next part of the lesson describes the structure of the spiracles, tracheae and tracheoles in the tracheal system and explains how this system is responsible for the delivery of oxygen to the open end of the tracheole for gas exchange with this fluid. As the tracheae are supported by chitin, which is similar in structure and function to cellulose and keratin respectively, a series of exam-style questions are used to challenge the students on their knowledge of those polymers from module 2.1.2 (biological molecules). As always, the mark scheme is embedded in the powerpoint so students can assess their understanding and progress. The final part of the lesson describes how squeezing of the tracheoles by the flight muscles and the changes in the volume of the thorax as a result of the movement of the wings are similar to mechanisms observed in mammals.
This fully-resourced lesson has been designed to cover the higher tier content of specification points 7.13 & 7.14 (Control of blood glucose concentration) as found in topic 7 of the Edexcel GCSE Biology & Combined Science specifications. This resource contains an engaging PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets, some of which have been differentiated so that students of different abilities can access the work.
The resource is filled with a wide range of activities, each of which has been designed to engage and motivate the students whilst ensuring that the key Biological content is covered in detail. The students will learn how blood glucose concentration is controlled by insulin and glucagon secretion and some time is taken to look at diabetes type I and II to make the link. Understanding checks are included throughout so that the students can assess their grasp of the content. In addition, previous knowledge checks make links to content from earlier topics such as the endocrine system and literacy checks ensure that the students can spell and recognise the key words, which is extremely important considering how many terms begin with the letter g in this homeostatic control system.
As stated at the top, this lesson has been designed for GCSE-aged students who are studying the Edexcel GCSE Biology or Combined Science courses, but it can be used with A-level students who need to go back over the key points before looking at the homeostatic control in more detail
This fully-resourced lesson explains how a combination of hydrostatic pressure and oncotic pressure results in the formation of tissue fluid in animals. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the final part of point 3.4.1 of the AQA A-level Biology specification
The lesson begins with an introduction to the arteriole and venule end of a capillary as these will need to be considered as separate entities when describing the formation of tissue fluid. A quick quiz competition introduces a value for the hydrostatic pressure at the arteriole end and students are challenged to first predict some parts of the blood will move out of the capillary as a result of the push from the hydrostatic pressure and this allows oncotic pressure to be initially explored. The main part of the lesson uses a step by step guide to describe how the net movement is outwards at the arteriole end before students will use this guidance to describe what happens at the venule end. In the concluding part of the lesson, students will come to recognise oedema as a condition where tissue fluid accumulates and they again are challenged to explain how this occurs before they finally learn how the fluid is returned to the circulatory system as lymph.
This fully-resourced lesson describes the roles of enzymes in catalysing both intracellular and extracellular reactions and the mechanism of enzyme action. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 2.1.4 (a, b & c) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and includes descriptions of Fischer’s lock and key hypothesis and Koshland’s induced-fit model as well as a focus on catalase and the digestive enzymes as intracellular and extracellular enzymes respectively.
The lesson has been specifically planned to tie in with module 2.1.2 where protein structure and globular proteins were covered. This prior knowledge is tested through a series of exam-style questions along with current understanding and mark schemes are included in the PowerPoint so that students can assess their answers.
Students will learn that enzymes are large globular proteins which contain an active site that consists of a small number of amino acids. Emil Fischer’s lock and key hypothesis is introduced to enable students to recognise that their specificity is the result of an active site that is complementary in shape to a single type of substrate. Time is taken to discuss key details such as the control of the shape of the active site by the tertiary structure of the protein. The induced-fit model is described so students can understand how the enzyme-susbtrate complex is stabilised and then students are challenged to order the sequence of events in an enzyme-controlled reaction.
The final part of the lesson focuses on intracellular and extracellular enzymes. The students are challenged on their recall of the roles of DNA helicase and polymerase in DNA replication before they are challenged on their ability to apply their knowledge and understanding to an unfamiliar situation with questions about catalase and its role in the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. The lesson concludes with one further set of exam-style questions that challenge their knowledge of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins from module 2.1.3 as they have to recognise some extracellular digestive enzymes from descriptions of their substrates.
This engaging and fully-resourced lesson looks at the myogenic nature of cardiac muscle and explores the roles of the SAN, AVN and Purkyne tissue (bundle of His) in the initiation and control of heart action. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.1.2 (g) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification.
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 3.1.2. 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
Due to the detailed nature of this lesson, it is estimated that it will take about 2 hours of A-level teaching time to cover the detail
This lesson describes how phosphate ions are cycled through rocks, water, soil and organisms, including the roles of saprobionts and mycorrhizae. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are part of the 2nd lesson in a series of 3 lessons which have been designed to cover the content of topic 5.4 (nutrient cycles) of the AQA A-level biology specification.
The lesson begins by challenging the students to use a single similarity and difference to recognise that DNA and ATP are being compared. A series of prior knowledge checks are then used to get them to recall that phosphate ions are found in the structure of these biological molecules, as well as in phospholipids. A selection of multiple-choice questions will challenge their knowledge of these molecules further. All answers are embedded into the PowerPoint to allow the students to assess their progress.
Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson focuses on the recycling of phosphorus, and includes details of weathering, assimilation, feeding, and decomposition. A quick quiz round is used to reveal the term, guano, and students will learn that this waste product of seabirds contains a high proportion of phosphate ions, and therefore can be used as a natural fertiliser, which links to the final lesson in this series.
The other two lessons in this series covering topic 5.4 are the nitrogen cycle and leaching and eutrophication.
This fully-resourced REVISION LESSON is detailed and engaging and covers the content of topic 18 (Biodiversity, classification and conservation) of the CIE International A-level Biology specification. This topic is often viewed as less interesting than other topics by the students but is well represented in the exams in terms of questions and so a lot of time has gone into the design to include a wide range of activities which will allow them to assess their knowledge whilst remaining motivated. All of the exam questions have full answers so students can identify any missed marks and most of the tasks are differentiated to allow students of differing abilities to access the work and remain challenged.
The lesson was planned to cover as much of the specification as possible but the following sub-topics have received particular attention:
The biological classification of a species
Using Simpsons Index of diversity to calculate the biodiversity of the habitat
The reasons to maintain biodiversity
Methods of protecting endangered species
The use of assisted reproduction in conservation
Different methods of sampling
The taxonomic hierarchy
The characteristic features of the domains and kingdoms
Links to the other topics of the specification are made throughout the lesson and there is also a mathematical focus to ensure that the students are comfortable when presented with the numerical challenges
Due to the extensiveness of this resource, it is likely to take at least 2 lessons to cover all of the activities
This engaging lesson uses the example of resistant bacteria to describe the principles of natural selection in the evolution of populations. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the second part of specification point 4.4 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and also introduces adaptations so that students are prepared for this topic in the upcoming lessons.
President Trump’s error ridden speech about antibiotics is used at the beginning of the lesson to remind students that this is a treatment for bacterial infections and not viruses as he stated. Moving forwards, 2 quick quiz competitions are used to introduce MRSA and then to get the students to recognise that they can use this abbreviation to remind them to use mutation, reproduce, selection (and survive) and allele in their descriptions of evolution through natural selection. The main task of the lesson challenges the students to form a description that explains how this strain of bacteria developed resistance to methicillin to enable them to see the principles of natural selection. This can then be used when describing how the anatomy of the modern-day giraffe has evolved over time. The final part of the lesson introduces adaptations and convergent evolution and also links to the need for modern classification techniques.
This revision lesson uses a 20 question multiple-choice assessment to challenge the students on their knowledge and understanding of biological molecules. The answers to the 20 questions are embedded into the accompanying PowerPoint and this resource also contains summative KEY POINTS as well as additional questions (and answers) to challenge topic 1 content that wasn’t directly covered by the multiple-choice questions. At the bottom of each answer slide, the relevant specification code is displayed to allow students to identify the exact parts of the specification which need further attention.
The lesson has been designed to be used with students once they finish topic 1, or in the lead up to mock or final A-level biology examinations.
This revision lesson has been designed to be used with students when they finish module 2.1.1 or in the lead up to mock or final examinations. It consists of a 10 question multiple-choice assessment and a PowerPoint which contains the answers, related key points and additional questions to challenge content not directly covered by the multiple-choice questions. As cell structure in module 2.1.1 tends to be the 1st topic covered on the OCR A-level biology A course, a deep and full understanding of the content is critical for understanding of later topics and therefore this lesson acts to identify any errors or misconceptions immediately.
This lesson describes the detailed structure of a skeletal muscle fibre and the structural and physiological differences between fast and slow twitch fibres. The engaging PowerPoint and acccompanying resources have been designed to cover points 7.10 (i) & (ii) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification.
The start of the lesson uses an identification key to emphasise that skeletal muscle differs from cardiac and smooth muscle due to its voluntary nature. It is important that key terminology is recognised so once myology has been revealed as the study of muscles, key structural terms like myofibril, myofilament and myosin can be introduced. Moving forwards, students will be shown the striated appearance of this muscle so they can recognise that some areas appear dark where both myofilaments are found and others as light as they only contain actin or myosin. A quiz competition is used to introduce the A band, I band and H zone and students then have to use the information given to label a diagram of the myofibril.
This part of the lesson has been specifically planned to prepare the students for the upcoming lesson which describes the contraction of skeletal muscles by the sliding filament mechanism
The rest of the lesson focuses on the structural and physiological differences between fast and slow twitch fibres and the following characteristics are covered:
Reliance on the aerobic or anaerobic pathways to generate ATP
Resistance to fatigue
mitochondrial density
capillary density
myoglobin content (and colour)
fibre diameter
phosphocreatine content
glycogen content
A wide variety of tasks are used to cover this content and include knowledge recall and application of knowledge exam-style questions with fully-displayed mark schemes as well as quick quiz competitions to maintain motivation and engagement.
This lesson describes glycolysis as the 1st stage of respiration and a source of triose phosphate, pyruvate, reduced NAD and ATP. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover topic 3 point (b) of A2 unit 3 as detailed in the WJEC A-level biology specification.
The lesson divides this multi-step reaction into 3 key parts, which are phosphorylation of glucose, the splitting into triose phosphate and then the oxidation of triose phosphate to produce pyruvate, reduced NAD and ATP. The difference between the gross and net gain of ATP from glycolysis is explained as well as the importance of the reduced NAD for the electron transport system or the conversion of pyruvate to lactate.
As shown in the cover image, there are plenty of understanding checks to allow students to assess progress, and this includes several quick quiz rounds.
This fully-resourced lesson describes the differences between resolution and magnification, with reference to light and electron microscopy and the engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the content of point 1.1 (d) of the CIE A-level Biology specification.
To promote engagement and focus throughout these 3 lessons in topic 1.1 (The microscope in cell studies), the PowerPoint includes an ongoing quiz competition and a score sheet is found within the resources to keep track of the cumulative scores. The quiz rounds found in this lesson will introduce the objective lens powers, the names of the parts of a light microscope and emphasise some of the other key terms such as resolution. The final round checks on their understanding of the different numbers that were mentioned in the lesson, namely the differing maximum magnifications and resolutions. Time is taken to explain the meaning of both of these microscopic terms so that students will understand their importance when looking at the cell structures in topic 1.2. By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to explain how a light microscope uses light to form an image and will understand how electrons transmitted through a specimen or across the surface will form an image with a TEM or a SEM respectively.
As detailed above, this lesson has been written to tie in with the previous lesson on measuring cells and units as well as the next lesson on calculating actual size.
