This engaging lesson introduces adaptations as either behavioural, structural or functional, and forges links to other topics including natural selection. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been planned to cover the content of point 7.1.4 of the AQA GCSE biology and combined science specification, and therefore also describes extremophiles. The lesson begins with a prior knowledge check of topic 6.4, as students must complete a KEY POINT to describe how evolution through natural selection gives rise to phenotypes best suited to their environment. This leads into the description of these phenotypes or features as adaptations. The 1st of several guided discussion periods provides students with the opportunity to consider how adaptations support an organism’s ability to survive. As shown in the cover image, a quick quiz is then used to reveal the three types of adaptations, and students are given support and tips to prevent common mistakes, such as confusion between functional and structural. An exam-style question involving Marram grass challenges students to categorise 6 adaptations as either behavioural, structural or functional, and then further questions link to knowledge about osmosis and stomata and transpiration. The key term, extremophile, is introduced through a quick quiz and students will consider why an environment or habitat might be deemed to be extreme. The final task of the lesson uses a species of bacteria living in volcanic geysers to challenge their understanding of the current topic of adaptations and extremophiles, as well as challenging knowledge from earlier topics including classification, the cell cycle and denaturation.

This engaging lesson introduces the classification system developed by Carl Linnaeus as well as the three-domain system developed by Carl Woese. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources (which contain exam-style questions) have been planned to cover the content of specification point 6.4 of the AQA GCSE biology and combined science specifications. The lesson begins with an introduction of the key term, population, and describes the biological meaning of this commonly-used word. The first of several prior knowledge checks then challenges the students on their knowledge of chromosome numbers in gametes following meiosis as well as zygotes and this introduces the hinny as the offspring of a horse and donkey. Students will learn that as the hinny is infertile, this explains why the horse and donkey are not members of the same species. The binomial name using the genus and species for a modern-day human is discussed before a quick quiz is then used to introduce the classification taxa that come above the genus. A series of 3 exam-style questions will challenge the students on their understanding of the 7 taxa and the naming system, and the answers are embedded into the PowerPoint to allow students to assess their work. The remainder of the lesson describes the three-domain system that was developed following improvements in scientific equipment such as microscopes.

This lesson describes the experimental methods using quadrats and transects to determine distribution and abundance of species in an ecosystem. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are part of the second lesson in a series of 2 lessons which have been planned to cover the content of specification point 7.2.1 (Levels of organisation) as described in the AQA GCSE biology and combined science specifications. The lesson begins by challenging the students to recognise the term “random” using four synonyms. This introduces quadrats as a piece of equipment that are fundamental to a random sampling method to determine abundance. The steps of the method are described and students are shown how the estimate population size using the mean and the area of the habitat. Time is taken to consider quadrats which do not have an area of 1 metre squared and the adjustments to the method which will be needed. A series of exam-style questions allow the students to assess their understanding and the mark schemes are embedded into the PowerPoint. The remainder of the lesson considers the use of transects in determining distribution and again a series of tasks, including prior knowledge checks, will allow the students to assess their progress. The first lesson in this series of 2 lessons describes the levels of organisation in an ecosystem and how feeding relationships can be represented in a food chain.

This lesson recaps on the cell cycle including mitosis and uses this to introduce meiosis as the type of cell division which forms gametes. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to challenge the students on their recall and understanding of the content of specification points 1.2.1 and 1.2.2, before covering the content of 6.1.2 as set out in the AQA GCSE biology and combined science specifications. The lesson begins with a challenge, where the students have to recognise that the connection between carbon, cell, water and menstrual, is that they are all biological cycles. This leads into the statement that the cell cycle can include mitosis or meiosis, and that a cell cycle occuring in the reproductive organs will include meiosis. The cell cycle including mitosis was covered in topic 1, so the first part of the lesson uses a range of activities to challenge the students on this cycle, ensuring that the events of the 1st stage (interphase), mitosis and the 3rd stage (cytokinesis) are recalled correctly. Moving forwards, students will learn that the cell cycle including meiosis also contains this 1st stage, where the DNA replicates and cell structures duplicate. An exam-style question challenges them to recognise why a diagram doesn’t represent mitosis, and therefore allows the students to learn that meiosis involves two sets of division and forms four genetically unidentical daughter cells, which are the gametes. The answers to all of the understanding checks and prior knowledge checks are embedded in the PowerPoints so students can assess their progress throughout.

This lesson provides opportunities for students to consider the impact of the selective breeding of food plants and domesticated animals. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been primarily designed to cover the content set out in point 6.2.3 of the AQA GCSE biology and combined science specifications, but also challenges students on previously-covered topics including sexual reproduction and inheritance. The lesson begins with a picture of a cow auction and the students are asked to suggest what the farmers might be considering before making a bid. This leads into the concept of selective breeding and students will understand that this process has been used for thousands of years. A step-by-step guide goes through the 5 simple steps to selective breeding, and opportunities are taken to challenge current understanding and prior knowledge through exam-style questions. The answers to all questions are embedded into the PowerPoint to allow students to assess their progress. The remainder of the lesson considers the issues with selective breeding, including the reduction in the size of the gene pool, and the health problems that are associated with animals that have been selectively bred for certain features.

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 fully-resourced lesson explores the contributions of chromosome mutations to genetic variation. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed and written to cover the part of point 6.1.2 (a) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification which states that students should be able to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and understanding of the contribution of genetic factors to phenotypic variation Over the course of the lesson, students will encounter a number of chromosome mutations and see the conditions which they cause. Time is taken to look at non-disjunction and how this can result in Down, Turner’s and Klinefelter’s syndromes. Students are guided through a description of the formation of gametes and zygotes with abnormal numbers of chromosomes before being challenged to describe the formation of a zygote with Turner’s syndrome. Moving forwards, translocation and polyploidy are also discussed. Progress checks are written into the lesson at regular intervals, that not only check the learning from this lesson but also from related topics (such as meiosis) and this enables the students to constantly assess their understanding.

This lesson explains the principles of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the PowerPoint has been designed to cover point 6.1.3 (d) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification A quick quiz competition is used to introduce the PCR abbreviation before students are encouraged to discuss the possible identity of the enzyme involved and to recall the action of this enzyme. Students will learn that this reaction involves cyclical heating and cooling to a range of temperatures so the next part of this lesson focuses on each temperature and specifically the reasons behind the choice. Time is taken to examine the key points in detail, such as why Taq polymerase has to be used as it is not denatured at the high temperature as well as the involvement of the primers. This process is closely linked to other techniques like electrophoresis which is covered in a later lesson and ties are continuously made throughout the lesson This process is mentioned in other uploaded lessons in this module such as electrophoresis and genetic engineering to allow students to understand how it is critical for DNA analysis

This lesson focuses on the nature of the genetic code in terms of being near universal, non-overlapping and degenerate and specifically focuses on this latter term to explain how a mutation may not result in a change to the sequence of amino acids. The PowerPoint has been designed to cover point 2.1.3 (f) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and there are clear links to gene mutations which students will meet in module 6. The lesson begins by introducing the terms near universal and non-overlapping in addition to degenerate. 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 module 6.

This is a fast-paced lesson which uses a range of tasks and quick competitions to compare the diagnosis, symptoms and treatment of Diabetes mellitus Type I and II. Students are continually challenged throughout the lesson to build and deepen their knowledge of these conditions and consider how they can be controlled through hormone injections or lifestyle changes. Clear links are made to related topics such as auto-immune diseases and the endocrine system and progress checks have been written into the lesson to allow students to assess their understanding of all of these topics. The final part of the lesson involves the students writing a letter to an individual who has type II, explaining how this diagnosis was done, giving details of the condition and recommending lifestyle changes. This task is differentiated so that students who are finding it difficult can still access the learning. This lesson has been written for A-level students. If you are looking for a lesson for younger students on this topic, then my other upload “Diabetes Type I and II” will be more suitable.

This is an informative lesson that builds on the knowledge that students gained at GCSE on the topic of inheritance to enable them to carry out genetic crosses for the inheritance of a single gene at A-level. The start of the lesson focuses on the terminology that is associated with this topic which has to be recognised and understood if students are going to be able to begin a cross. Time is taken to go over key points such as the genotypes and working out the different possible gametes that would be produced by meiosis. Students can save time by only showing the different gametes so assistance is given on this. As can be seen from the cover image, a step by step guide is used to go through a number of examples so that students can visualise how to set out their diagrams in order to maximise the marks gained. There are progress checks written into the lesson throughout so that assessment is constant. This lesson can be taught alongside another upload called “understanding genetic trees”

This engaging lesson looks at the role of haemoglobin in transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide and compares the dissociation curves for foetal and adult haemoglobin. The detailed PowerPoint has been designed to cover points 3.1.2 (i & j) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and includes references to the role of carbonic anhydrase and the formation of haemoglobinic acid and carbaminohaemoglobin. The lesson begins with a version of the quiz show Pointless to introduce haemotology as the study of the blood conditions. Students are told that haemoglobin has a quaternary structure and are challenged to use their prior knowledge of biological molecules to determine what this means for the protein. They will learn that each of the 4 polypeptide chains contains a haem group with an iron ion attached and that it is this group which has a high affinity for oxygen. Time is taken to discuss how this protein must be able to load (and unload) oxygen as well as transport the molecules to the respiring tissues. Students will plot the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve and the S-shaped curve is used to encourage discussions about the ease with which haemoglobin loads each molecule. At this point, foetal haemoglobin and its differing affinity of oxygen is introduced and students are challenged to predict whether this affinity will be higher or lower than adult haemoglobin and to represent this on their dissociation curve. The remainder of the lesson looks at the different ways that carbon dioxide is transported around the body that involve haemoglobin. Time is taken to look at the dissociation of carbonic acid into hydrogen ions so that students can understand how this will affect the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen in an upcoming lesson on the Bohr effect. It is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 hours of A-level teaching time to cover the detail of these two specification points as covered in this lesson

This lesson describes the active loading of assimilates like sucrose at the source and the translocation along the phloem to the sink. Both the detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.1.3 (f) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification. The lesson begins by challenging the students to recognise the key term translocation when it is partially revealed and then the rest of the lesson focuses on getting them to understand how this process involves the mass flow of assimilates down the hydrostatic pressure gradient from the source to the sink. It has been written to tie in with 3.1.3 (b) where the structure of the phloem tissue was initially introduced and the students are continually challenged on this prior knowledge. A step-by-step guide is used to describe how sucrose is loaded into the phloem at the source by the companion cells. Time is taken to discuss key details such as the proton pumping to create the proton gradient and the subsequent movement back into the cells by facilitated diffusion using co-transporter proteins. Students will learn that the hydrostatic pressure at the source is high, due to the presence of the water and sucrose as cell sap, and that this difference when compared to the lower pressure at the sink leads to the movement along the phloem. A number of quick quiz rounds are included in the lesson to maintain engagement and to introduce key terms and the lesson concludes with a game of SOURCE or SINK as students have to identify whether a particular plant structure is one or the other (or both)