I am a secondary school & A-level Science teacher, specialising in Biology. I am also an experienced AQA GCSE Biology Examiner. My resources contain a mix of Biology, Chemistry and Physics lessons aimed at meeting specification points for the new AQA Trilogy GCSE course and KS3 Activate course.
All of my lessons include at least one opportunity for self-assessment, a range of activities to suit students of all abilities, a set of differentiated starter questions and a plenary.
I am a secondary school & A-level Science teacher, specialising in Biology. I am also an experienced AQA GCSE Biology Examiner. My resources contain a mix of Biology, Chemistry and Physics lessons aimed at meeting specification points for the new AQA Trilogy GCSE course and KS3 Activate course.
All of my lessons include at least one opportunity for self-assessment, a range of activities to suit students of all abilities, a set of differentiated starter questions and a plenary.
This lesson is designed for the NEW OCR GCSE (Gateway) Biology ‘Cell-level systems’ SoW.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW GCSE specifications for Biology, Chemistry and Physics please see my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
This lesson begins with an introduction of the process of aerobic respiration including the word equations that pupils will need to learn. Next is a video, pupils will need to answer questions whilst watching the video, once it is finished they can self-assess their work using the mark scheme provided.
Pupils are then introduced to the idea that aerobic respiration is exothermic and look specifically at the ultra-structure of the cell and which parts are important for respiration, this activity is a match up activity that pupils can complete and then mark.
A mid-plenary is a true or false task and the final activity is a levelled worksheet pupils will complete using information cards on how animal and plant organisms use the energy released by respiration. Once finished they can self-assess using the mark scheme on the PowerPoint slides.
Pupils have a choice of two activities to complete for their plenary - either an anagram challenge or a summary sentence using a list of key words.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation.
Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA AS-level Biology course, particularly the ‘Cells’ module.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA A-level Biology course please visit my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
A-Level lesson format: I teach in more of a lecture style compared to GCSE. In the majority of my A-level lessons the beginning portion of the lesson is mainly teacher-led, where students are expected to take notes onto a handout/in their books. This is then mixed in with student-led activities, as well as questions and exam prep.
You will find some of my slides have blank spaces for you to add more detail/descriptions/explanations. If you look at the ‘Notes’ section underneath each of these slides, you will find additional content which you can add in as you teach!
This lesson begins with a starter discussion to review materials from the ‘biological molecules’ module.
Students are then asked to begin thinking about types of cell by having a ‘think > pair > share’ discussion to define eukaryotic cells and their features. They can compare their answers to the diagram on the next slide which outlines of the main features of eukaryotic cells.
The first task of this lesson is for students to fill in their worksheet using information cards about each organelle. Students should synthesise the information, not just copy it into their worksheet. The worksheet and information cards are available at the end of the slideshow.
Using their mini whiteboards students are then guided to identify some photomicrographs from scanning and transmission electron microscopes. They should identify if the photomicrograph was taken by a scanning or transmission electron microscope, and bonus points if they can name the organelle!
Students are then given another worksheet task to fill in the blanks and can self-assess using the following slide.
The plenary task is to write a tweet about what they’ve learned!
All resources are included. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA AS-level Biology course, particularly the ‘Cells’ module.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA A-level Biology course please visit my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
A-Level lesson format: I teach in more of a lecture style compared to GCSE. In the majority of my A-level lessons the beginning portion of the lesson is mainly teacher-led, where students are expected to take notes onto a handout/in their books. This is then mixed in with student-led activities, as well as questions and exam prep.
You will find some of my slides have blank spaces for you to add more detail/descriptions/explanations. If you look at the ‘Notes’ section underneath each of these slides, you will find additional content which you can add in as you teach!
This lesson on diffusion begins with a starter discussion to remind students of the functions of the proteins in the cell membrane and the ‘fluid-mosaic’ model.
Students will then ‘think > pair > share’ to discuss what sorts of substances cells import/export across the cell membrane. They should also examine why the cells import/export these substances. Answers are on the slide for self-assessment.
Diffusion is then laid out in two diagrams to explain the passive nature of diffusion. Students should use these diagrams to inform the next ‘think>pair>share’ and discuss with a partner what factors might affect the rate of diffusion.
Students are then introduced to facilitated diffusion, and the proteins required. They should take detailed notes on the features and functions of channel proteins and carrier proteins.
Another form of facilitated diffusion is then introduced, in which the carrier protein picks up molecules of a matching shape, rather than changing its own shape.
To quick check student understanding, they are asked three questions to answer in their books regarding the two forms of facilitated diffusion in comparison to simple diffusion, answers are provided on the next slide for self-assessment.
Students will then complete an exam-style question, as always, a marking scheme is available for self-assessment.
The plenary is a WhatsApp message task for students to draft a message to a friend, telling them what they’ve learned this lesson.
All resources are included. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA AS-level Biology course, particularly the ‘Organisms & their Environment’ module.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA A-level Biology course please visit my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
A-Level lesson format: I teach in more of a lecture style compared to GCSE. In the majority of my A-level lessons the beginning portion of the lesson is mainly teacher-led, where students are expected to take notes onto a handout/in their books. This is then mixed in with student-led activities, as well as questions and exam prep.
You will find some of my slides have blank spaces for you to add more detail/descriptions/explanations. If you look at the ‘Notes’ section underneath each of these slides, you will find additional content which you can add in as you teach!
This lesson on the human gas exchange system begins with a review of gas exchange in plant leaves and insects, and the adaptations each have made in order to reduce water loss.
The first task is to fill in the blanks in a paragraph describing gas exchange in mammals, particularly humans. Answers are on the following slide for self-assessment.
Students are then introduced, slide by slide, to the features of human’s gas exchange system including the nasal cavity, trachea, bronchus, bronchioles and alveoli. Each slide has a diagram, description of the feature, and explanation of its role in gas exchange.
The next task is to list the features of the efficient gas-exchange system in humans, at the epithelium of the alveoli. The adaptations of the alveoli are then expanded upon over the next few slides. Students will use the included worksheet to describe the on the ways which surface area, a permeable barrier, a thin barrier and maintenance of diffusion gradient make for efficient gas exchange.
The plenary for this lesson is an anagram challenge! Students can uptake an extra challenge and define each unscrambled word as well.
All resources are included. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA AS-level Biology course, particularly the ‘Cells’ module.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA A-level Biology course please visit my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
A-Level lesson format: I teach in more of a lecture style compared to GCSE. In the majority of my A-level lessons the beginning portion of the lesson is mainly teacher-led, where students are expected to take notes onto a handout/in their books. This is then mixed in with student-led activities, as well as questions and exam prep.
You will find some of my slides have blank spaces for you to add more detail/descriptions/explanations. If you look at the ‘Notes’ section underneath each of these slides, you will find additional content which you can add in as you teach!
This lesson on prokaryotic cells and viruses begins with a starter discussion regarding the tissue of the stomach, and the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
Students should then work to fill in a table to recap the organelles of eukaryotic cells and their functions, in their notes.
The following slides introduce students to the features and content of prokaryotic cells, with a little memory test to help them label cell contents. Students can then self-assess against the slide before they move on to the next task where they will match cell structures to their role in the cell.
The next task is a ‘think>pair>share’ to compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Student partners can then work together to compare and contrast on a worksheet table and self-access.
Moving on to viruses! Students are asked to think and discuss the structure and function of viruses. They will also be asked to determine their confidence level for each of the outcome of the lesson by highlighting, in order to check their understanding.
In order to learn about cell division in prokaryotic cells students are then asked to use an animation to help them draw a simple diagram of binary fission in their books. They are then asked to watch a short video explaining the rate of division and then calculate the rate of division for each hour for eight hours.
Another video is included to help students complete a ‘fill in the blank’ passage about the replication of viruses, they can self-assess their passage on the following slide.
A past-paper question is also included for students to check their understanding of the lesson, they can then self or partner-assess their work.
As a plenary task, students should complete three sentences in their books describing what they have learned, what they already knew, and what they might like to learn more about.
All resources are included. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA AS-level Biology course, particularly the ‘Cells’ module.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA A-level Biology course please visit my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
A-Level lesson format: I teach in more of a lecture style compared to GCSE. In the majority of my A-level lessons the beginning portion of the lesson is mainly teacher-led, where students are expected to take notes onto a handout/in their books. This is then mixed in with student-led activities, as well as questions and exam prep.
You will find some of my slides have blank spaces for you to add more detail/descriptions/explanations. If you look at the ‘Notes’ section underneath each of these slides, you will find additional content which you can add in as you teach!
This lesson on humoral immunity & antibodies begins with a starter discussion to get students to describe the role of cytotoxic t-cells, and the role of lysosomes during phagocytosis. They should also discuss the fate of cloned t-cells during a cell-mediated immune response.
Humoral immunity is defined first, and students are asked to consider why the term humoral is used. Then, students will fill in gaps on their worksheet as humoral immunity is further explained. There are extra notes below the slide, and the answers will appear for self-assessment.
The next slide sets out a diagram of humoral immunity, then students are asked to arrange the process by sequencing sentences, then self-assess.
In pairs, students will then be given information on either plasma cells or memory cells and teach each other about the cell they’ve been assigned. Each student should complete descriptions of both types in their books.
Students are then asked to consider why lymphocytes don not attack their own cells and taught the significance of lymphocytes development in the foetus.
The next task is to sort information cards into categories; cell-mediated, humoral, or both. They can self-assess this task to the following slide.
Students are then introduced to the structure of antibodies. They will watch a video, and answer seven questions, including a diagram. They can self-assess to the slide before considering how antibodies lead to the destruction pathogens. Students are also asked to consider why it is important that antibodies have two antigen binding sites.
The plenary is to spend a full minute discussing with a partner what they have learned from this lesson.
All resources are included. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA AS-level Biology course, particularly the ‘Cells’ module.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA A-level Biology course please visit my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
A-Level lesson format: I teach in more of a lecture style compared to GCSE. In the majority of my A-level lessons the beginning portion of the lesson is mainly teacher-led, where students are expected to take notes onto a handout/in their books. This is then mixed in with student-led activities, as well as questions and exam prep.
You will find some of my slides have blank spaces for you to add more detail/descriptions/explanations. If you look at the ‘Notes’ section underneath each of these slides, you will find additional content which you can add in as you teach!
This lesson on the human immunodeficiency virus begins with a starter discussion on immunity and vaccination. Students should discuss the features of a successful vaccination program, and why vaccination cannot often eliminate a disease.
Students are then introduced to the structure of HIV and its function as a retrovirus. To explain the infection process students will watch a short video while answering questions in their books. Answers are available on the following slide for self-assessment.
The next task is a worksheet for students to label and correctly describe each stage of HIV infection and replication. They can self-asses to the next slide.
Students will then discuss the process by which HIV causes the symptoms of AIDS. The following slides explain the function of antibiotics and explain why these are not suitable for treating viruses.
In order to introduce the ELISA test, students will watch two short animations and answer questions in their books. Answers are on the following slide for self-assessment. They should take thorough notes in their book, on two diagrams of indirect and direct ELISA.
The plenary is to write a tweet demonstrating their learning, including #keywords!
All resources are included. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA AS-level Biology course, particularly the ‘Biological Molecules’ module.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA A-level Biology course please visit my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
A-Level lesson format: I teach in more of a lecture style compared to GCSE. In the majority of my A-level lessons the beginning portion of the lesson is mainly teacher-led, where students are expected to take notes onto a handout/in their books. This is then mixed in with student-led activities, as well as questions and exam prep.
You will find some of my slides have blank spaces for you to add more detail/descriptions/explanations. If you look at the ‘Notes’ section underneath each of these slides, you will find additional content which you can add in as you teach!
This lesson begins with an introduction to lipids, including a description of the structure of lipids as well as the importance and roles of lipids in the human body.
Students are then introduced (or reminded if taking A-level Chemistry) of the full displayed chemical formula and shorthand formula of a fatty acid, the example given is butanoic acid. Students are now shown the displayed chemical formula of glycerol next to the fatty acid formula, and are asked to use their mino whiteboards to show how a condensation reaction could occur between the two molecules.
Once students have had a go, the answers are revealed and students can note down the chemical structure of the triglyceride molecule which results.
Students are now shown the difference between a saturated and unsaturated fatty acid, the next activity involves students reading information posters about saturated fats, unsaturated fats, cholesterol and phospholipids. They will need to use these information posters to complete a worksheet.
Lastly, students will be shown the foot test for lipids and then be given a set of exam questions on this topic. This will then be self-assessed using the mark scheme provided. The plenary question requires students to describe the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats.
All resources are included. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA AS-level Biology course, particularly the ‘Organisms & their Environment’ module.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA A-level Biology course please visit my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
A-Level lesson format: I teach in more of a lecture style compared to GCSE. In the majority of my A-level lessons the beginning portion of the lesson is mainly teacher-led, where students are expected to take notes onto a handout/in their books. This is then mixed in with student-led activities, as well as questions and exam prep.
You will find some of my slides have blank spaces for you to add more detail/descriptions/explanations. If you look at the ‘Notes’ section underneath each of these slides, you will find additional content which you can add in as you teach!
This lesson in exchange systems begins by asking students to think of example of exchange systems and the substances which would need to be exchanged. The next slide demonstrates the differences in exchange process for single and multicellular organisms. Notes are available under the slide for discussion.
Using the pictures on the slides, students will then identify some examples of substances that need to be interchanged between a living organism and its environment. Those images are then ordered specifically on the next slide to demonstrate SA and body size. If multicellular organisms relied on diffusion, they would die, so they have evolved in other ways!
Students should identify these evolved features in their next task. They will fill a table out to explain how each feature functions to help organisms exchange the substances they need. They should be able to identify why multicellular organisms need specialised exchange surfaces or systems.
The next slides explain Fick’s Law and define important terms before asking students to calculate the surface area of cells. Answers for self-assessment are on the following slide.
Students will then complete lab task CP8 to engage with the effect of SA:V ratio on the rate of diffusion. Materials and method are explained on the slides.
Exam-style summary questions are included to consolidate the lab task with lecture notes, and answers for self-assessment are on the following slide.
As a plenary, students will spend 60 seconds speaking with the person next to them about what they learned from the lesson over all.
All resources are included. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This is a lesson which meets specification points within the OCR Gateway Science - B1 -Cell-Level Systems SoW.
The lesson begins with a recap on the genetic structures found within an organism, students will need to order the organisms in terms of size. Students can then self-assess their work, using the answers provided.
Next, students are taught about the structure of DNA, using detailed diagrams. Children will have a few minutes to study the structure of a DNA nucleotide, it will then be covered up and they will need to try and recreate the diagram, including key words. This task can then be self-assessed.
Students will now be shown a video, which outlines the way in which nucleotides are bound together by complimentary base-pairing. Whilst watching the video, students will need to answer a set of questions. The answers to this video are on the next slide, so students can either self-assess or peer-assess their work.
The last task is a ‘quick check’ activity, which includes some summary questions on the topic of this lesson.
All resources are included, please review with any feedback :)
This is a lesson designed to meet specification points for the new OCR GCSE (Gateway) Biology 'Cell-level lsystems’ scheme of work.
The lesson begins by pupils being introduced to the term ‘photosynthesis’ and then being asked to consider the raw materials that plants need in order for photosynthesis to occur. Pupils are then given three minutes to write down everything they have learnt about photosynthesis so far, with an extension task to write the word equation for the reaction.
In the next part of the lesson pupils are introduced to the word equations and are challenged to write a balanced symbol equation for this reaction.
Mid-lesson plenary involves a set of exam-questions (total marks = 9 marks) which they can complete in silence and then peer or self-assess using the mark scheme provided.
Pupils are then introduced to the concept of endothermic and exothermic reactions, they are given the definition for an endothermic reaction and are then asked to ‘think, pair, share’ with a partner about what an exothermic reaction might be and whether photosynthesis is endothermic or exothermic. After 5 minutes, pupils are given the answers and they can mark their work.
The final activity is for pupils to think about the structure of the leaf, and how it is adapted for its function of photosynthesis. Students will watch a video about these various adaptations, and will need to answer a set of questions whilst watching. This task can then be self-assessed using the answers provided in the PowerPoint presentation.
Pupils can choose their plenary activity - either writing quiz questions on the topic of the lesson or summarising what they learnt by writing a twitter message along with #keywords.
All resources are included in the PowerPoint presentation, thank you for purchasing :)
This is a homeschool pack designed for the GCSE Biology course, specifically the ‘B1.1 Cells’ unit of work.
For more lessons & homeschool packs designed for KS3 and KS4, please visit my shop at: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience.
This comprehensive pack contains nine pages of information, to meet all learning objectives within the GCSE Biology ‘Cells’ unit of work. This is followed by five pages of questions, differentiated to suit a range of abilities, as well as a detailed mark scheme for students/parents to mark and correct answers.
The pack covers the following topics:
Animal & Plant Cells
Eukaryotic & Prokaryotic Cells
Specialised Cells
Chromosomes & Mitosis
Diffusion
Osmosis
Active Transport
Exchanging Materials
Thanks for looking :), if you have any questions please email me at swift.education.uk@gmail.com.
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA AS-level Biology course, particularly the ‘Biological Molecules’ module.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA A-level Biology course please visit my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
A-Level lesson format: I teach in more of a lecture style compared to GCSE. In the majority of my A-level lessons the beginning portion of the lesson is mainly teacher-led, where students are expected to take notes onto a handout/in their books. This is then mixed in with student-led activities, as well as questions and exam prep.
You will find some of my slides have blank spaces for you to add more detail/descriptions/explanations. If you look at the ‘Notes’ section underneath each of these slides, you will find additional content which you can add in as you teach!
This lesson begins with a starter discussion to review the enzymes needed for DNA replication and the process of DNA replication itself. Students are then asked to make a list in their books of all of the biological processes that require energy.
Students are then taught to think of ATP as an ‘energy currency’ and on the following slide asked to define the parts of the structure of ATP before reviewing ATP’s function. Students should use the ‘ATP handout’ to take notes.
The next task asks students to answer a few questions on their mini whiteboards and discuss with a partner how ATP releases energy. Answers for self-assessment are on the next slide.
The following slides explain the synthesis, roles, and properties of ATP. You will find further details for these slides in the ‘notes’ section under each slide. Students are then encouraged to ‘think > pair > share’ some ideas of why ATP’s properties might be useful to the role of ATP in cells. Answers for self-assessment are on the following slide.
Students are then given an activity task to demonstrate knowledge of energy-requiring processes. Each student will be given a description of a process, these can be found at the end of the slideshow, there are five processes in total. Students should then work in small groups to teach each other the different processes and produce a table to represent what they’ve learned.
After completing the lecture and tasks students are given four summary questions to answer in their books and self or partner-assess. Students should then make note of the summary slide before concluding the lesson.
All resources are included. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA AS-level Biology course, particularly the ‘Cells’ module.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA A-level Biology course please visit my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
A-Level lesson format: I teach in more of a lecture style compared to GCSE. In the majority of my A-level lessons the beginning portion of the lesson is mainly teacher-led, where students are expected to take notes onto a handout/in their books. This is then mixed in with student-led activities, as well as questions and exam prep.
You will find some of my slides have blank spaces for you to add more detail/descriptions/explanations. If you look at the ‘Notes’ section underneath each of these slides, you will find additional content which you can add in as you teach!
This lesson begins with a review of total magnification and cell fractionation before defining the two main advantages of the electron microscope.
The following slides offer detailed notes on the parts of the electron microscope and their functions. Students will then fill in a table in their books using information notes which have been posted around the room. A self-assessment slide follows!
Students are then introduced to SEM and TEM and encouraged to compare the two before practising through a mini-whiteboard activity!
To consolidate the lesson, students will complete an exam-style question and self-assess to the following slide.
The plenary task is a series of answers for students to write the questions for.
All resources are included. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This a revision lesson aimed at AQA B1 Core Science topics on nervous and hormonal control.
Pupils begin the lesson looking at the differences between nervous and hormonal control and assessing their current knowledge on the topics by looking at a set of learning objectives and marking them green, amber or red. Students then go on to complete a revision worksheet on the topic areas and will then re-assess their ability to meet the learning objectives, hopefully showing progress! The page numbers to help the students complete the work are on the sheet, these page numbers are specific to the green Science A text books for the AQA course.
Pupils will finish the lesson by completing a past-paper question and peer-assessing their work.
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA AS-level Biology course, particularly the ‘Biological Molecules’ module.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA A-level Biology course please visit my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
A-Level lesson format: I teach in more of a lecture style compared to GCSE. In the majority of my A-level lessons the beginning portion of the lesson is mainly teacher-led, where students are expected to take notes onto a handout/in their books. This is then mixed in with student-led activities, as well as questions and exam prep.
You will find some of my slides have blank spaces for you to add more detail/descriptions/explanations. If you look at the ‘Notes’ section underneath each of these slides, you will find additional content which you can add in as you teach!
This lesson begins with a ‘Carbohydrates’ true or false activity, students can answer these questions on their mini whiteboards. This will give you an understanding of knowledge attained at GCSE level on this topic.
Students are then introduced to the differences between monosaccharides and discaccharides, and provided with examples of sugars in each of these categories. Students are also introduced to the differences between hydrolysis and condensation reactions, they can have a go at drawing examples of these reactions using the mini whiteboards. After this section of the lesson, students will sort statements into two columns - either describing a condensation or a hydrolysis reaction.
Students are also introduced to the three polysaccharides - starch, glycogen and cellulose - but we will cover these carbohydrates in more details in another lesson.
Students are shown the test for reducing and non-reducing sugars, they need to be able describe the steps involved with both these food tests, as well as state the positive result for each test.
The last part of the lesson focuses on assessment, students will firstly answer a set of questions about what they have learned this lesson. This task can then be self-assessed using the mark scheme provided. Lastly, students will complete an exam question on this topic, which they can then swap with their partner to peer-assess.
The plenary task requires students to summarise what they have learned in 3 facts, 3 key words and with 1 question posed to their peers.
All resources are included. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA AS-level Biology course, particularly the ‘Biological Molecules’ module.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA A-level Biology course please visit my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
A-Level lesson format: I teach in more of a lecture style compared to GCSE. In the majority of my A-level lessons the beginning portion of the lesson is mainly teacher-led, where students are expected to take notes onto a handout/in their books. This is then mixed in with student-led activities, as well as questions and exam prep.
You will find some of my slides have blank spaces for you to add more detail/descriptions/explanations. If you look at the ‘Notes’ section underneath each of these slides, you will find additional content which you can add in as you teach!
This lesson begins with a brief introduction to the three main polysaccharides that students need to know about at A-level Biology level - starch, glycogen and cellulose. Students will then complete a ‘Prior Knowledge’ quiz so you can gain an understanding of their depth of knowledge around this topic area, this task can be self-assessed using the mark scheme once complete. I would also probably collect in the quizzes, so I can ascertain the level different students are working at.
Students will now divide into 6 groups, each group will study either starch, glycogen or cellulose. Students will be given an information poster on either of these polysaccharides, and will need to answer a set of questions (provided on the PowerPoint slide). Once complete, students will then share their answers with a group which studied a different polysaccharide, and will need to complete a summary table to assess the similarities and differences between all three. This task can be self-assessed using the mark scheme provided.
Lastly, students will need to learn the test for starch - the steps as well as the colours shown for a negative/positive result. They can take notes on this test in their books.
The plenary task requires students to write a twitter message to demonstrate what they have learned today, including #keywords.
All resources are included. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA AS-level Biology course, particularly the ‘Biological Molecules’ module.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA A-level Biology course please visit my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
A-Level lesson format: I teach in more of a lecture style compared to GCSE. In the majority of my A-level lessons the beginning portion of the lesson is mainly teacher-led, where students are expected to take notes onto a handout/in their books. This is then mixed in with student-led activities, as well as questions and exam prep.
You will find some of my slides have blank spaces for you to add more detail/descriptions/explanations. If you look at the ‘Notes’ section underneath each of these slides, you will find additional content which you can add in as you teach!
This lesson begins with an introduction to enzymes and a starter discussion to review the structure of amino acids and the quaternary structure of proteins.
Students will then watch a short video and work independently to answer review questions from the video. The following slide offers brief answers to these questions so that students may self-assess.
The lesson then progresses through a series of lecture style slides explaining enzyme involvement in chemical reactions, the structure of enzymes, and the two models of enzyme action.
Following these slides, students have an opportunity to work in pairs to teach each other the two enzyme action models. The information for each student in their pairs is provided as the last slide in the lesson. Students should take notes on both models in their books and are encouraged to sketch a ‘cartoon strip’ style diagram as an extra challenge.
Students are then asked to practise two exam style questions, worth 7 marks and 2 marks respectively. The slide following these questions offers a marking scheme so students may self-assess. After a short discussion on these two questions, students are tasked with a third exam question on enzyme action. This exam style question is attached as an additional resource for students to fill in the blank spaces as a worksheet which requires students to define important terms related to enzyme action.
As a plenary task to complete the lesson and check understanding, students are asked to complete one of four sentences in their books.
All resources are included. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA AS-level Biology course, particularly the ‘Biological Molecules’ module.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA A-level Biology course please visit my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
A-Level lesson format: I teach in more of a lecture style compared to GCSE. In the majority of my A-level lessons the beginning portion of the lesson is mainly teacher-led, where students are expected to take notes onto a handout/in their books. This is then mixed in with student-led activities, as well as questions and exam prep.
You will find some of my slides have blank spaces for you to add more detail/descriptions/explanations. If you look at the ‘Notes’ section underneath each of these slides, you will find additional content which you can add in as you teach!
This lesson begins with a starter to encourage discussion about the differences between the induced fit and lock and key models of enzyme action. Students are also asked to explain how temperature and pH balance affect enzyme action.
The following slide briefly reviews enzyme-controlled reactions then asks students to use their mini whiteboards to write down four factors that might affect successful collision. Students can self-assess with the answers on the slide.
Students are then taught to measure enzyme-catalysed reactions; in the notes I encourage you to ask students for examples and what the measurable changes are.
Students can then use the slide to work through the ‘fill in the blank style’ paragraph using a graph as a guide to understand enzyme-catalysed reaction. On the board where everyone can see you should write - substrate - product (H202 -> h2 + 02). The following slide includes answers so students may self-assess or check their answers with a partner.
The slides then work through a few more graphs to explain the effects of temperature and pH on enzyme action. The slides are lecture style, but you can see in my mores a few suggestions for discussion questions and further lecture material. Following these slides students are encouraged to graph on their own or perhaps as a large group.
Students are then given the opportunity to answer two graph style questions in their books and then self-assess.
Next the class will watch a video about measuring the rate of reaction at fixed points of time. After the video, students should answer four questions in their books and discuss the answers as a class. The next few slides build upon these questions and students are asked to practise calculating reaction rates on their own before self-assessing.
The plenary requires students to solve seven anagrams in their books, then write an original sentence with each word.
Each task or graph from the full lesson can be found on slides 22-27.
All resources are included. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA AS-level Biology course, particularly the ‘Cells’ module.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA A-level Biology course please visit my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
A-Level lesson format: I teach in more of a lecture style compared to GCSE. In the majority of my A-level lessons the beginning portion of the lesson is mainly teacher-led, where students are expected to take notes onto a handout/in their books. This is then mixed in with student-led activities, as well as questions and exam prep.
You will find some of my slides have blank spaces for you to add more detail/descriptions/explanations. If you look at the ‘Notes’ section underneath each of these slides, you will find additional content which you can add in as you teach!
This lesson on the plasma membrane begins with a quick discussion about the function of the cell surface membrane and the phospholipid bilayer. It also asks student to apply their knowledge to skin cells and solar radiation.
This discussion continues by asking students about the cell surface membrane and directs them to a worksheet task to identify cell membrane molecules. Students should watch a short video and make notes on this same worksheet as they listen.
To follow up on this introduction there are a few lecture slides to explain phospholipids, proteins, cholesterol, glycolipids and glycoproteins. Extra notes on each can be found below the slides.
Students will then view an animation of the fluid mosaic model as whole and label a diagram accordingly. They can self-asses to the following slide. Another video is attached to help explain why the model is called a “fluid mosaic” model which students should also summarise on their worksheet.
To synthesise their learning the students will work on a group task to build a 3D model using the “build a membrane” worksheet. When they have finished, they can practise once more through a true/false activity!
The next task is to answer the questions on the cell membrane worksheet, they may self-assess to the mark scheme on the following slide.
Not all cell membranes have the same composition, students should think>pair>share to discuss why this might be. Suggested answers are on the following slide.
The plenary task is a fun anagram challenge to reveal key terms from the lesson, as an extra challenge they can define each term as well!
All resources are included. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)