This detailed lesson describes how the structure of collagen and haemoglobin are related to their function. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying worksheet have been designed to cover specification point 1.3 (v) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B course and also introduces fibrous and globular proteins as a result. The first part of the lesson looks at the structure of haemoglobin, and describes how the presence of an iron-containing haem group on the outside of the 4 polypeptide chains explains its ability to form oxyhaemoglobin. Moving forwards, the importance of the solubility of this protein is considered and related to the direction that the hydrophobic R groups point. At this point of the lesson, the students are challenged to construct a comparison table which can be filled in as the lesson progresses and as they are given more details of collagen. The section of the lesson concerning collagen begins with the introduction of its function in the artery wall so that students can recognise how fibrous proteins have roles associated with mechanical strength. Time is taken to discuss their solubility as well as the presence of repetitive amino acid sequences. The remainder of the lesson considers four more proteins and the final task challenges the students to use their completed table to write a summary passage comparing globular and fibrous proteins.

This lesson describes how the structure of the mammalian lung is adapted for rapid gaseous exchange. The engaging PowerPoint has been designed to cover point 2.1 (iii) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and focuses on the essential features of the alveolar epithelium as well as the mechanism of ventilation to maintain a steep concentration gradient for the simple diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Gas exchange at the alveoli is a topic that was covered at GCSE and considered during the previous lessons in topic 2.1 so this lesson has been written to challenge the recall of that knowledge and to build on it. The main focus of the first half of the lesson is the type of epithelium found lining the alveoli and students will discover that a single layer of flattened cells known as simple, squamous epithelium acts to reduce the diffusion distance. The following features of the alveolar epithelium are also covered: Surface area Moist lining Production of surfactant The maintenance of a steep concentration gradient is the role of the respiratory system and the next part of the lesson focuses on the diaphragm and intercostal muscles. As the mechanism of inhalation is a cascade of events, the details of this process are covered in a step by step format using bullet points. At each step, time is taken to discuss the key details which includes an introduction to Boyle’s law that reveals the inverse relationship between volume and pressure. It is crucial that students are able to describe how the actions of the diaphragm, external intercostal muscles and ribcage result in an increased volume of the thoracic cavity and a subsequent decrease in the pressure, which is below the pressure outside of the body. At this point, their recall of the structures of the mammalian gas exchange system is tested, to ensure that they can describe the pathway the air takes on moving into the lungs.

This lesson describes the structure and function of the sensory and motor neurones. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are part of the 4th lesson in a series of 17 lessons that cover the details of the brain and neuropsychology topic of the AQA GCSE Psychology specification. This lesson focuses on the functions and the structural similarities and differences between a sensory and motor neurone. Students will be introduced to key structures like the cell body, axon and dendrites and learn how they differ in these two peripheral nervous system neurones. They will also learn about the myelin sheath and will be challenged to use a data table to recognise that myelinated neurones conduct impulses faster than unmyelinated neurones. There is a brief explanation about the jumping action of the impulse between the nodes of Ranvier to enable this faster conduction. This topic of the brain and neuropsychology has proved particularly difficult for the students in recent years, so I have taken time to analyse the lesson sequencing. There’s a lot of content to absorb and to understand before moving onto the next part, so I’ve tried to ensure that cross topics links and prior knowledge checks run throughout the lessons. I have organised the lessons to run through the biology content first before moving onto the psychology parts as shown by the 17 lessons below: #1 Organisation of the nervous system #2 The structure and function of the cerebral lobes #3 The cerebellum #4 The structure and function of the sensory and motor neurones #5 The relay neurones #6 Synaptic transmission #7 Excitation and inhibition at the synapse #8 The somatic nervous system #9 The autonomic nervous system #10 The fight or flight response #11 James-Lange theory of emotion #12 James-Lange theory of emotion part 2 #13 Penfield’s study of the interpretative index #14 Hebb’s theory of learning and neuronal growth #15 An introduction to neuropsychology #16 Brain scanning techniques #17 Tulving’s gold memory study

This lesson acts as an introduction to part b of module 6.1.2 of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and focuses on 16 key genetic terms. In this module, students are expected to be able to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and understanding of genetic diagrams and phenotypic ratios to show patterns of inheritance and this is only possible with a clear understanding of the genetic terminology that will be used in related exam questions. As some of these terms were met at GCSE, this fully-resourced lesson has been designed to include a wide range of activities that build on this prior knowledge and provide clear explanations as to their meanings as well as numerous examples of their use in both questions and exemplary answers. The main task provides the students with an opportunity to apply their understanding by recognising a dominance hierarchy in a multiple alleles characteristic and then calculating a phenotypic ratio when given a completed genetic diagram. Other tasks include prior knowledge checks, discussion points to encourage students to consider the implementation of the genetic terms and quiz competitions to introduce new terms, maintain engagement and act as an understanding check. The 16 terms are genome, gene, chromosome, gene locus, homologous chromosomes, alleles, dominant, recessive, genotype, codominance, multiple alleles, autosomes, sex chromosomes, phenotype, homozygous and heterozygous

This lesson describes how molecules move across the cell membrane by the transport mechanisms of (simple) diffusion and facilitated diffusion. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are the first lesson in a series of 4 lessons which have been designed to cover the detail of point [c] in unit 1, topic 3 of the WJEC A-level Biology specification and the factors that increase the rate of diffusion are covered along with the limitations imposed by the phospholipid bilayer and the role of channel and carrier proteins. The structure and properties of cell membranes were described in the lesson covering point (a) of this topic, so this lesson has been written to include continual references to the content of that lesson. This enables links to be made between the movement across a cell membrane with the concentration gradient, the parts of the membrane that are involved and any features that may increase the rate at which the molecules move. A series of questions about the alveoli are used to demonstrate how a large surface area, a short diffusion distance and the maintenance of a steep concentration gradient will increase the rate of simple diffusion. One of two quick quiz rounds is then used to introduce temperature and size of molecule as two further factors that can affect simple diffusion. The remainder of the lesson focuses on facilitated diffusion and describes how transmembrane proteins are needed to move small, polar or large molecules from a high concentration to a lower concentration across a partially permeable membrane

This detailed lesson uses haemoglobin and collagen as examples to describe the structure, properties and functions of globular and fibrous proteins. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying worksheet have been designed to cover point 2.9 (iv) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification and focuses on the shape, solubility and function of these two types of protein. The first part of the lesson looks at the structure of haemoglobin, and describes how the presence of an iron-containing haem group on the outside of the 4 polypeptide chains explains its ability to form oxyhaemoglobin. Moving forwards, the importance of the solubility of this protein is considered and related to the direction that the hydrophobic R groups point. At this point of the lesson, the students are challenged to construct a comparison table which can be filled in as the lesson progresses and as they are given more details of collagen. The section of the lesson concerning collagen begins with the introduction of its function in the artery wall so that students can recognise how fibrous proteins have roles associated with mechanical strength. Time is taken to discuss their solubility as well as the presence of repetitive amino acid sequences. The remainder of the lesson considers four more proteins and the final task challenges the students to use their completed table to write a summary passage comparing globular and fibrous proteins.

This fully-resourced lesson describes how it’s possible for 1 gene to give rise to multiple proteins as a result of post-transcriptional changes to mRNA. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been primarily designed to cover point 6.10 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification but also checks on the students knowledge and understanding of the lac operon as covered in topic 3. The lesson begins with a knowledge recall as the students have to recognise the definition of a gene as a sequence of bases on a DNA molecule that codes for a sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain. This description was introduced in topic 2 and the aim of the start of the lesson is to introduce the fact that despite this definition, most of the nuclear DNA in eukaryotes doesn’t actually code for proteins. A quick quiz competition is then used to introduce exons as the coding regions within a gene before students are challenged to predict the name of the non-coding regions and then to suggest a function for these introns. At this point, the students will complete a task that acts as a prior knowledge check where they have to identify the 6 errors in the descriptive passage about the lac operon and its role in the regulation of gene expression in prokaryotes. Moving forwards, pre-mRNA as a primary transcript is introduced and students will learn that this isn’t the mature strand that moves off to the ribosome for translation. Instead, a process called splicing takes place where the introns are removed and the remaining exons are joined together. Another quick quiz round leads to an answer of 20000 and students will learn that this is the number of protein-coding genes in the human genome. Importantly, the students are then told that the number of proteins that are synthesised is much higher than this value and a class discussion period encourages them to come up with biological suggestions for this discrepancy between the two numbers. The lesson concludes with a series of understanding and application questions where students will learn that alternative splicing enables a gene to produce more than a single protein and that this natural phenomenon greatly increases biodiversity.

This lesson describes how the nervous system allows effectors to respond to stimuli and also describes hormonal control in animals. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been primarily designed to cover points 8.2 & 8.13 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification but it can also be used as a revision lesson as there are numerous prior knowledge checks of muscle contraction, protein structure and the control of gene expression. The lesson begins by challenging the students to recall that a control system contains sensory receptors, a coordination centre and effectors. Sensory receptors are covered in detail later in the topic when some key examples are considered as well as those in the retina, but time is taken now to describe how these structures act like transducers, converting one form of energy into electrical energy and the Pacinian corpuscle is used as an example. The students will learn that the communication between the receptors and the coordination centre and the effectors is by cell signalling and that the effectors can be muscles which contract or glands that release chemicals. The next part of the lesson looks at the differing responses from the nervous and hormonal systems and discusses how this can be governed by the need for a rapid response or more of a long term effect. In terms of nervous control, the students are challenged on their recall of the sliding filament theory of muscle contraction as covered in topic 7. Moving forwards, the students will learn that hormones can be either peptide or steroid hormones and their action at a target cell differs based on their form. Students are tested on their knowledge of protein structure by a series of exam-style questions on insulin and glucagon. They are reminded that steroid hormones can pass directly through the cell membrane and their knowledge of the control of gene expression by transcription factors is tested through a task involving oestrogen and the ER receptor. The lesson concludes by reminding students that the control of heart rate, as covered in topic 7, is a coordinated response that involves both nervous and hormonal control.

This revision resource has been designed to include a range of activities such as exam questions, understanding checks and quiz competitions which will motivate the students whilst they assess their understanding of the content found in topic 1.4 (Circulatory system in humans) of the WJEC GCSE Biology specification. The resource includes a detailed and engaging Powerpoint (58 slides) and associated worksheets, some of which have been differentiated to allow all abilities of students to access the work. The range of activities have been designed to cover as much of the content as possible but the following sub-topics have been given particular attention: The structure of a phagocyte and a red blood cell The functions of the plasma and the platelets The structure of arteries and veins and how this relates to their function The role of coronary arteries in supplying oxygenated blood to the heart cells The risk factors and treatments for cardiovascular diseases The structure of the heart and the pathway of blood through the double circulatory system

This detailed and engaging lesson has been written to challenge the students on their recall and application of the 21 equations which they have to know for the Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics exams. The lesson is designed to not only check that they know these equations but also on their ability to rearrange formulae when required and to convert between units. The main task of the lesson consists of 12 exam-style questions which challenge 14 of these recall equations and then an engaging quiz competition and class discussions are used to identify the other 7. Students are guided throughout the lesson in the use of the mathematical skills and are shown examples to aid their progress. This lesson has been designed to tie in with the other 8 uploaded revision lessons which cover the content of the 8 topics on the specification.

This lesson describes how the products of the light-independent reactions of photosynthesis are used by plants, animals and other organisms. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been primarily designed to cover point 5.4 (ii) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification concerning the uses of GP and GALP but as the lesson makes continual references to biological molecules, it can act as a revision tool for a lot of the content of topic 1 and 2. The previous lesson described the light-independent reactions and this lesson builds on that understanding to demonstrate how the intermediates of the cycle, GP and GALP, are used. The start of the lesson challenges the students to identify two errors in a diagram of the cycle so that they can recall that most of the GALP molecules are used in the regeneration of ribulose bisphosphate. A quiz version of Pointless runs throughout the lesson and this is used to challenge the students to recall a biological molecule from its description. Once each molecule has been revealed, time is taken to go through the details of the formation and synthesis of this molecule from GALP or from GP in the case of fatty and amino acids. The following molecules are considered in detail during this lesson: glucose (and fructose and galactose) sucrose starch and cellulose glycerol and fatty acids amino acids nucleic acids A range of activities are used to challenge their prior knowledge of these molecules and mark schemes are always displayed for the exam-style questions to allow the students to assess their understanding. As detailed above, this lesson has been specifically written to tie in with the earlier lessons in this topic on the structure of the chloroplast and the light-dependent and light-independent reactions of photosynthesis

This lesson describes how the critical evaluation of new data by the scientific community leads to new taxonomic groupings, like the three domains of life. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 4.14 (ii) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and focuses on the introduction of the three-domain system following Carl Woese’s detailed study of the ribosomal RNA gene. The lesson begins with an introduction of Woese and goes on to describe how he is most famous for his definition of the Archaea as a new domain of life. Students were introduced to domains and the other classification taxa in a previous lesson, so their recall of this knowledge is continually tested and built upon as details are added. Students will discover the key differences between Archaea and Bacteria that led to the splitting of the prokaryotae kingdom and the addition of this higher classification rank. Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson describes how molecular phylogeny uses other molecules and that these are compared between species for classification purposes. One of these is a protein called cytochrome which is involved in respiration and can be compared in terms of primary structure to determine relationships. At this point in the lesson, the students are also tested on their knowledge of the nature of the genetic code (as covered in topic 2) and have to explain how mutations to DNA can also be used for comparative purposes.

This lesson describes how the action of the radial and circular muscles of the iris causes the pupil to dilate or contract. The PowerPoint has been designed to cover point 8.6 (ii) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and includes key details such as the innervation of the smooth muscles by divisions of the autonomic nervous system. Students will learn how: the contraction of the radial muscles pulls the iris radially and enlarges the pupil, allowing more light to enter when an individual is in a room with dim light and that this contraction is the result of the conduction of an electrical impulse along a sympathetic motor neurone. the contraction of the circular muscles constricts the pupil to reduce the light that enters the eye, in order to prevent damage to the photosensitive cells in the retina. This is the result of innervation by an impulse conducted along a parasympathetic neurone

This fully-resourced lesson guides students through the principles of monohybrid inheritance, focusing on the importance of alleles. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points (a & b) in topic 3 of A2 unit 4 of the WJEC A-level Biology specification and includes the inheritance of alleles that demonstrate codominance. In order to minimise the likelihood of errors and misconceptions, step by step guides have been included throughout the lesson to support the students with the following: Writing parent genotypes Working out the different gametes that are made following meiosis Interpreting Punnett crosses to work out phenotypic ratios Students can often find pedigree trees the most difficult to interpret and to explain so exemplar answers are used as well as differentiated worksheets provided to support those students who need extra assistance

This 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, engaging quiz competitions, quick tasks and discussion points to challenge students on their understanding of topics C1 & C6 - C8, that will assessed on PAPER 4. It has been specifically designed for students on the Edexcel 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 key ideas are known and understood. The lesson has been written to cover as many specification points as possible but the following sub-topics have been given particular attention: Hydrocarbons The homologous series of alkanes Empirical formula Covalent dot and cross diagrams Fractional distillation of crude oil The properties of the different fractions The complete combustion of a hydrocarbon Changes in the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere Deforestation Changes in the Earth’s atmosphere Polluting gases The formation of acid rain Detecting oxygen and chlorine The properties of the halogens Metals vs non-metals The reaction of alkali metals with water Explaining the pattern of reactivity of the alkali metals The collision theory Endothermic and exothermic reactions 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 the changes in the Earth’s atmosphere and explaining the reactivity of the alkali metals in terms of electronic configurations. 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 duration of the course as well as acting as a final revision before the PAPER 4 exam.

This fully-resourced lesson describes the reactions of the light independent stage of photosynthesis that takes place in the chloroplast stroma. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 5.7 (iv, v & vi) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and lengthy planning has ensured that links are continually made to the previous lesson on the light-dependent stage so that students can understand how the products of that stage are essential for the Calvin cycle 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 stage as well as upcoming lessons on the synthesis of organic molecules from GALP and limiting factors

This detailed lesson describes how water can be moved through plant cells by the apoplastic and symplastic pathways. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover point 4.7 (ii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and includes a description of the movement from the endodermis to the xylem to tie in with the following lesson on the cohesion-tension model. The lesson begins by looking at the specialised features of the root hair cell to allow students to understand how these epidermal cells absorb water and mineral ions from the soil. Moving forwards, students are introduced to key terminology such as epidermis and root cortex before time is taken to look at the different pathways that water and minerals use to transverse across the cortex. Discussion points are included throughout the lesson to encourage the students to think about each topic in depth and challenges them to think about important questions such as why the apoplastic pathway is needed for the water carrying the ions. Students will be introduced to the Casparian strip and will learn how this layer of cells blocks the apoplastic pathway. A step by step method using class questions and considered answers is used to guide them through the different steps and to support them when writing the detailed description.

This fully-resourced lesson describes the relationship between the structure of monosaccharides and their roles in living organisms. The detailed and engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the second part of points 1.12 & 1.13 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification and looks at alpha-glucose, galactose, fructose, deoxyribose and ribose. The lesson begins with a made-up round of the quiz show POINTLESS, where students have to try to identify four answers to do with carbohydrates. In doing so, they will learn or recall that these molecules are made from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, that they are a source of energy which can sometimes be rightly or wrongly associated with obesity and that the names of the three main groups is derived from the Greek word sakkharon. Using the molecular formula of glucose as a guide, students will be given the general formula for the monosaccharides and will learn that deoxyribose is an exception to the rule that the number of carbon and oxygen atoms are equal. Moving forwards, students have to study the displayed formula of glucose for two minutes without being able to note anything down before they are challenged to recreate what they saw in a test of their observational skills. At this point of the lesson, the idea of numbering the carbons is introduced so that the different glycosidic bonds can be understood in an upcoming lesson as well as the recognition of the different isomers of glucose. The difference between alpha and beta-glucose is provided but students do not need to consider the beta form until topic 4. The remainder of the lesson focuses on the roles of the monosaccharides and the final task involves a series of application questions where the students are challenged to suggest why ribose could be considered important for active transport and muscle contraction

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.