An engaging lesson presentation (74 slides) and associated worksheets that uses a combination of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within the Biology unit B6 (Inheritance, variation and evolution) of the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification (specification unit 4.6). The topics that are tested within the lesson include: Sexual and asexual reproduction Meiosis DNA and the genome Genetic inheritance and disorders Sex determination Variation Genetic engineering Resistant bacteria Classification of living organisms Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “From Numbers 2 LETTERS” and “This shouldn’t be too TAXing” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention

This is an engaging and fully-resourced revision lesson which uses a range of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to enable students to assess their understanding of the content within topic 2 (Cells and control) of the Edexcel GCSE Biology 9-1 specification. The specification points that are covered in this revision lesson include: Describe mitosis as part of the cell cycle, including the stages interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase and cytokinesis Describe the importance of mitosis in growth, repair and asexual reproduction Describe the division of a cell by mitosis as the production of two daughter cells, each with identical sets of chromosomes in the nucleus to the parent cell, and that this results in the formation of two genetically identical diploid body cells Explain the importance of cell differentiation in the development of specialised cells Discuss the potential benefits and risks associated with the use of stem cells in medicine Describe the structures and functions of the brain including the cerebellum, cerebral hemispheres and medulla oblongata Explain how the difficulties of accessing brain tissue inside the skull can be overcome by using CT scanning and PET scanning to investigate brain function Explain the structure and function of sensory receptors, sensory neurones, relay neurones in the CNS, motor neurones and synapses in the transmission of electrical impulses, including the axon, dendron, myelin sheath and the role of neurotransmitters Explain the structure and function of the eye as a sensory receptor including the role of the cornea, lens and iris Describe defects of the eye including cataracts, longsightedness and short-sightedness Explain how long-sightedness and short-sightedness can be corrected The students will thoroughly enjoy the range of activities, which include quiz competitions such as "Can I have a P please BOB” where they have to recognise the different phases of mitosis from pictures or descriptions. The activities will crucially enable the students to determine which areas of topic 2 will need their further attention. This lesson can be used as revision resource at the end of the topic or in the lead up to mocks or the actual GCSE exams.

This fully-resourced lesson describes genetic diversity as the number of genes in a population and explains how this is increased by polymorphic gene loci. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying differentiated resources have been primarily designed to cover the first part of point 4.4 of the AQA A-level Biology specification but also introduces inheritance and codominance so that students are prepared for these sub-topics when covering topic 7 in the following year. In order to understand that 2 or more alleles can be found at a gene loci, students need to be confident with genetic terminology, so the start of the lesson focuses on key terms including gene, locus, allele, recessive, genotype and phenotype. A number of these will have been met at GCSE, as well as during the earlier lessons in topic 4 when considering meiosis, so a quick quiz competition is used to check on their recall of the meanings of these terms. The CFTR gene is then used as an example to demonstrate how 2 alleles results in 2 different phenotypes and therefore genetic diversity. Moving forwards, students will discover that more than 2 alleles can be found at a locus and they are challenged to work out genotypes and phenotypes for a loci with 3 alleles (shell colour in snails) and 4 alleles (coat colour in rabbits). At this point, the students are introduced to codominance and again they are challenged to apply their understanding to a new situation by working out the number of phenotypes in the inheritance of blood groups. The lesson concludes with a brief consideration of the HLA gene loci, which is the most polymorphic loci in the human genome, and students are challenged to consider how this sheer number of alleles can affect the chances of tissue matches in organ transplantation.

An engaging lesson presentation (60 slides) and associated worksheets that uses a combination of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within unit B2 (Organisation) of the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification (specification point 4.2) The topics that are tested within the lesson include: Principles of organisation The human digestive system The heart and blood vessels Blood Coronary heart disease The effect of lifestyle on some non-communicable diseases Plant organ systems Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “SPOT the SUBSTANCE" and “Where’s LENNY” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention

This is a fully-resourced REVISION lesson that consists of an engaging PowerPoint (87 slides) and associated worksheets that challenge the students on their knowledge of the content of Topic 1 (Lifestyle, Health and Risk) of the Edexcel A-Level Biology A (Salters-Nuffield) specification. A wide range of activities have been written into the lesson to maintain motivation and these tasks include exam questions (with answers), understanding checks, differentiated tasks and quiz competitions. The lesson has been designed to include as much which of the content from topic 1, but the following specification points have been given particular attention: The differences between monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides, including glycogen and starch (amylose and amylopectin). Be able to relate the structures of monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides to their roles in providing and storing energy Know how monosaccharides join to form disaccharides (sucrose, lactose and maltose) and polysaccharides (glycogen and amylose) through condensation reactions forming glycosidic bonds, and how these can be split through hydrolysis reactions. Know how a triglyceride is synthesised by the formation of ester bonds during condensation reactions between glycerol and three fatty acids. Understand the course of events that leads to atherosclerosis Know how factors such as genetics, diet, age, gender, high blood pressure, smoking and inactivity increase the risk of cardiovascular disease Know the benefits and risks of treatments for CVD Understand the blood-clotting process and its role in CVD Understand how the structures of arteries and veins) relate to their functions. Understand the importance of water as a solvent in transport, including its dipole nature. This lesson can be used at numerous points over the duration of the course, as an end of topic revision aid, in the lead up to the mocks or in the lead up to the actual A-level exams.

This fully-resourced lesson describes the meaning of directional and stabilising selection and uses real-life examples to develop student understanding. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are part of the 3rd lesson in a series of 4 that have been designed to cover the details of topic 4.4 (genetic diversity and adaptation) of the AQA A-level biology specification. As stated in the specification, antibiotic resistance is used as the key example to explain directional selection whereas human baby birth weight explains stabilising selection. The lesson is filled with current understanding checks so any misunderstandings can be immediately addressed, and also prior knowledge checks, where students are expected to recall key details from lessons in this topic so they can make important links. The lesson concludes with a short quiz called “SELECT that word” (shown on the cover image) where students have to identify the types of selection from clues to reveal a key biological word.

This lesson focuses on the key terms associated with ecosystems and describes how populations are affected by a range of factors. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are part of the 1st lesson in a series of 4 lessons that cover the details of point 7.4 of the AQA A-level Biology specification As shown in the cover image, a modified version of the quiz competition BLOCKBUSTERS runs throughout the lesson and this introduces new terms as well as challenging students to recall key terms that were encountered in previous topics. These include population, ecosystems, competition, niche, abiotic factors and carrying capacity. Each time a term is met, time is taken to describe its meaning and to explain its relevance and context in this topic of populations in ecosystems. Exam-style questions are also used to challenge the students to apply their understanding and displayed mark schemes allow them to assess their progress. Prior knowledge checks interspersed within the lesson which check on topics such as the nitrogen cycle, adaptations and the biological classification of a species

A fun and engaging lesson presentation (33 slides) and associated worksheet that uses exam questions, with fully explained answers, quick tasks and competitions to allow students to assess their understanding of Module 3.1.2 (Transport in Animals). The students will enjoy the lesson whilst being able to recognise which areas of the specification need further attention. Competitions included in the lesson are “SPOT THE ERROR”, “Where’s Lenny” and “Crack the code”

This is a fully-resourced lesson that looks at the functional and structural differences between the transport tissues in a plant, the xylem and phloem. The lesson includes an engaging lesson presentation (41 slides), which includes numerous student-led tasks, progress checks and quick competitions and two question worksheets, one of which is a differentiated version to enable those students who are finding this topic difficult to still be able to access the learning. The lesson begins with the introduction of the two tissues as well as a brief introduction to the substances which they each carry. The next part of the lesson focuses on the xylem cells and the resulting xylem vessel, and key terms such as lignin are brought into the lesson so that students can understand how these cells are waterproofed, which causes them to decay and form hollow tubes. Having met a lot of information, students are challenged to act like an examiner to form a table based question to compare the xylem against the phloem where they have to come up with features which could be compared against. This table will form the backbone of the lesson and students will use it later in the lesson when they have to write summary passages about each of the tissues. Moving forwards, a quick competition is used to enable the students to meet the names of the cells that form the phloem tissue, the sieve tube elements and the companion cells. Students will see how they are involved in the functioning of the phloem and questions are posed which relate to other topics such as the involvement of mitochondria wherever active transport occurs. Progress checks like this are found at regular intervals throughout the lesson so that students can constantly assess their understanding. This lesson has been designed for GCSE students. If you are looking to teach about these tissues but to a higher standard, you could use my uploaded alternative called Xylem and Phloem (A-level)

This is a fully-resourced revision resource which has been designed to encourage students to evaluate their understanding of the content in TOPIC 4 of the AQA A-level Biology specification (Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms) . The resource includes an engaging PowerPoint (96 slides) and associated worksheets, some of which have been differentiated to allow those struggling with the content to access the work. The wide range of activities which includes exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions will motivate the students whilst they assess their knowledge and recognise those areas which require even further attention. The lesson has been designed to cover as many sub-topics as possible but the following have been given particular attention: Classification hierarchy DNA in prokaryotes and eukaryotes The binomial naming system Phylogeny Modern day classification using biological molecules Calculating biodiversity Selection pressures and types of selections Transcription Gene mutations Physiological, behavioural and anatomical adaptations Meiosis and variation Non-disjunction The mathematical element of this topic and the course is challenged throughout the lesson and helpful hints are regularly provided to help students to structure their answers. This resource can be used as a revision aid at the end of the topic, in the lead up to AS or A2 mocks or in the lead up to the actual terminal A-level exams.

An engaging lesson presentation which looks at the organs of the human endocrine system, the hormones they release and briefly considers some of their functions. This lesson has been designed for GCSE students but could be used with younger students at KS3 who are studying the different organ systems in the human body. The lesson begins by looking at the meaning of endo and crine so that students recognise that this is also known as the hormonal system and the hormones are always released directly into the blood. A number of quick competitions have been written into the lesson to maintain engagement and provide opportunities to check understanding in an alternative way to simple questions. This first of these games is called “Any sign of the ENDOCRINE”, where students are challenged to pick the endocrine gland out of a selection of three and then come to board to point to where it would be found on a body outline. The students have to label the diagram on the worksheet included in this lesson and then allocate hormones to 5 of the 6 glands. Time is taken to focus on the pituitary gland and three of the hormones that it releases in FSH, LH and TSH because these relate to the menstrual cycle and the thyroid gland. The final part of the lesson involves students being shown an acronym, HBGT, that they can use in longer answers to ensure that they mention the hormone, blood, the gland that releases the hormone and the target tissue.

This lesson describes how the immune system uses molecules on the surface of a cell to identify it, focusing on the identification of pathogens by their antigens. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources which are differentiated are part of the 1st lesson in the series of 7 that cover the content detailed in topic 2.4 of the AQA A-level Biology specification. As this is the first lesson in topic 2.4, it has been specifically planned to introduce a number of key concepts which include phagocytosis, T and B cells, antibodies and memory cells so that students are prepared for upcoming lessons. The lesson begins by challenging the students to use their knowledge of cells to recall the common internal components of a cell before they are informed that all cells also have molecules on their outer membrane. Students will recognise that these molecules are used by the immune system for identification before a quick quiz competition reveals that this allows toxins, abnormal body cells and pathogens to be identified. Moving forwards, the next part of the lesson focuses on the antigens that are found on the outside of a pathogen and links are made to upcoming lesson topics which include: phagocytosis following the identification of a pathogen antigen-presentation by macrophages and dendritic cells production of antibodies which are specific to the antigens the use of antigens in a vaccination program The final task challenges the students to describe and explain how antigen variability will affect disease and disease prevention and this task has been differentiated two ways to allow students of differing abilities to be challenged and supported.

This fully-resourced lesson describes how the eukaryotic cells of complex multicellular organisms become specialised for specific functions. The detailed and engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the 3rd part of point 2.1.1 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and also describes how these specialised cells are organised into tissues, organs and organ systems. The start of the lesson focuses on the difference in the SA/V ratio of an amoeba and a human in order to begin to explain why the process of differentiation is critical for multicellular organisms. Students will discover that a zygote is a stem cell which can express all of the genes in its genome and divide by mitosis. Time is then taken to introduce gene expression as this will need to be understood in the later topics of the course. Moving forwards, the lesson uses the process of haematopoiesis from haematopoietic stem cells to demonstrate how the red blood cell and neutrophil differ significantly in structure despite arising from the same cell along the same cell lineage. A series of exam-style questions will not only challenge their knowledge of structure but also their ability to apply this knowledge to unfamiliar situations. These differences in cell structure is further exemplified by the epithelial cells of the respiratory tract and students will understand why the shape and arrangement of these cells differ in the trachea and alveoli in line with function. The link between specialised cells and tissues is made at this point of the lesson with these examples of epithelium and students will also see how tissues are grouped into organs and then into organ systems. The remainder of the lesson focuses on specialised plant cells and the differing shapes and features of the palisade and spongy mesophyll cells and the guard cells are covered at length and in detail. Step by step guides will support the students so that they can recognise the importance of the structures and links are made to upcoming topics such as diffusion, active transport and osmosis so that students are prepared for these when covered in the future. This lesson has been written to continually tie in with the previous two lessons in this specification point which are uploaded under the titles of the structure of eukaryotic animal and plant cells.

This fully-resourced lesson describes the use of vaccinations to protect individuals and populations and the differences between active and passive immunity. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the fourth part of point 2.4 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and there is also a description and discussion on the concept of herd immunity. The previous lesson finished with a series of exam questions where students observed differences between the primary and secondary immune responses so the start of this lesson uses an imaginary game of TOP TRUMPS to challenge them on the depth of their understanding. This will act to remind them that a larger concentration of antibodies is produced in a quicker time in the secondary response. The importance of antibodies and the production of memory cells for the development of immunity is emphasised and this will be continually referenced as the lesson progresses. The students will learn that this response of the body to a pathogen that has entered the body through natural processes is natural active immunity. Moving forwards, time is taken to look at vaccinations as an example of artificial active immunity. Another series of questions focusing on the MMR vaccine will challenge the students to explain how the deliberate exposure to antigenic material activates the immune response and leads to the retention of memory cells. A quick quiz competition is used to introduce the variety of forms that the antigenic material can take along with examples of diseases that are vaccinated against using these methods. The eradication of smallpox is used to describe the concept of herd immunity and the students are given time to consider the scientific questions and concerns that arise when the use of this pathway is a possible option for a government. The remainder of the lesson looks at the different forms of passive immunity and describes the drawbacks in terms of the need for a full response if a pathogen is reencoutered.

This is a fully-resourced revision lesson that uses a combination of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to enable students to assess their understanding of the content found within Module 5.2.1 (Photosynthesis) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification. The sub-topics and specification points that are tested within the lesson include: The interrelationship between photosynthesis and respiration The structure of a chloroplast The importance of photosynthetic pigments in photosynthesis The light dependent stage of photosynthesis The fixation of carbon dioxide and the light independent stage of photosynthesis Factors affecting photosynthesis Students will be engaged through the numerous quiz rounds such as “Can you DEPEND on your knowledge” and “Photosynthesising the SAFE way” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which require their further attention during general revision or during the lead up to the actual A-level terminal exams

This 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 module 2.1.4 (Enzymes) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification. The resource includes a detailed and engaging Powerpoint (70 slides) and associated worksheets 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 role of enzymes as biological catalysts that lower the activation energy The lock and key theory and the induced fit hypotheses The mechanism of enzyme action to include the tertiary structure The effect of inhibitors on the rate of enzyme-controlled reactions The effect of pH on the rate of reaction Coenzymes and cofactors The idea of an optimum temperature and explaining the decrease in rate when temperatures increase or decrease Calculating the temperature coefficient In addition to these topics, some topics from other modules such as the PCR and precursor molecules are tested in order to challenge the students on their ability to make links between the modules.

This is a detailed, engaging and fully-resourced REVISION LESSON which allows students of all abilities to assess their understanding of the content in module 2.1.3 (Nucleotides and nucleic acids) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification. Considerable time has been taken to design the lesson to include a wide range of activities to motivate the students whilst they evaluate their knowledge of DNA, RNA and the roles of these nucleic acids in DNA replication and protein synthesis. Most of the tasks have been differentiated so that students of differing abilities can access the work and move forward as a result of the tasks at hand. This lesson has been planned to cover as much of the specification as possible but the following sub-topics have received particular attention: The structure of DNA Phosphorylated nucleotides DNA replication Transcription and translation Gene mutations and their affect on the primary structure of a polypeptide The structure of RNA In addition to a focus on the current topic, links are made throughout the lesson to other topics such as the journey of an extracellular protein following translation and the cell cycle. If you like the quality of this revision lesson, please look at the other uploaded revision lessons for this module and for this specification

This is a highly-detailed and fully-resourced lesson which covers the part of specification point 6.4.3 of the AQA A-level Biology specification which states that students should be able to describe the roles of the hypothalamus, posterior pituitary and ADH in osmoregulation. Students learnt about the principles of homeostasis and negative feedback in an earlier lesson, so this lesson acts to build on that knowledge and challenges them to apply their knowledge. A wide range of activities have been included in the lesson to maintain motivation and engagement whilst the understanding and prior knowledge checks will allow the students to assess their progress as well as challenge themselves to make links to other Biology topics. The lesson begins with a discussion about how the percentage of water in urine can and will change depending on the blood water potential. Students will quickly be introduced to osmoregulation and they will learn that the osmoreceptors and the osmoregulatory centre are found in the hypothalamus. A considerable amount of time is taken to study the cell signalling between the hypothalamus and the posterior pituitary gland by looking at the specialised neurones (neurosecretory cells). Links are made to the topics of neurones, nerve impulses and synapses and the students are challenged to recall the cell body, axon and vesicles. The main section of the lesson forms a detailed description of the body’s detection and response to a low blood water potential. The students are guided through this section as they are given 2 or 3 options for each stage and they have to use their knowledge to select the correct statement. The final task asks the students to write a detailed description for the opposite stimulus and this task is differentiated so those who need extra assistance can still access the work. This lesson has been written for students studying on the AQA A-level Biology course and ties in nicely with the other uploaded lessons which cover this specification point as well as the whole of topic 6.

This lesson describes the sequence of events that occur during the phagocytosis of pathogens and the subsequent destruction by lysozymes. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been primarily designed to cover the second part of point 2.4 of the AQA A-level Biology specification but includes an introduction to antigen-presentation so that the students are prepared for upcoming lessons on the cellular and humoral responses. At the start of the lesson, the students are challenged to recall that cytosis is a suffix associated with transport mechanisms and this introduces phagocytosis as a form of endocytosis which takes in pathogens and foreign particles. This emphasis on key terminology runs throughout the course of the lesson and students are encouraged to consider how the start or end of a word can be used to determine meaning. The process of phagocytosis is then split into 5 key steps and time is taken to discuss the role of opsonins as well as the fusion of lysosomes and the release of lysozymes. A series of application questions are used to challenge the students on their ability to make links to related topics including an understanding of how the hydrolysis of the peptidoglycan wall of a bacteria results in lysis. Students will be able to distinguish between neutrophils and monocytes from a diagram and at this point, the role of macrophages and dendritic cells as antigen-presenting cells is described so that it can be used in the next lesson. The lesson concludes with a brief introduction to lymphocytes so that initial links between phagocytosis and the specific immune responses are made.

An engaging lesson presentation (61 slides) and associated worksheets that uses a combination of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within unit B2 (Organisation) of the AQA GCSE Biology specification (specification point 4.2) The topics that are tested within the lesson include: Principles of organisation The human digestive system The heart and blood vessels Blood Coronary heart disease The effect of lifestyle on some non-communicable diseases Plant organ systems Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “SPOT the SUBSTANCE" and “Where’s LENNY” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention