A fully resourced revision lesson which uses a range of exam questions (with explained answers), quick tasks and quiz competitions to enable the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within module 5.1.4 (Hormonal communication) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification. The topics tested within this lesson include: Endocrine communication Adrenal glands The pancreas and the release of insulin Regulating blood glucose Diabetes Student will enjoy the range of tasks and quiz rounds whilst crucially being able to recognise any areas which require further attention

This is a highly detailed and engaging lesson that covers the detail of specification point 5.1.1 © of the OCR A-level Biology A specification which states that students should be able to demonstrate and apply an understanding of the generation and transmission of nerve impulses in mammals. This topic is commonly assessed in the terminal exams so a lot of time has been taken to design this resource to include a wide range of activities that motivate the students whilst ensuring that the content is covered in the depth of detail that will allow them to have a real understanding. Interspersed within the activities are understanding checks and prior knowledge checks to enable the students to not only assess their progress against the current topic but also to challenge themselves on the links to earlier topics such as methods of movements across cell membranes and saltatory conduction. There are also a number of quiz competitions which are used to introduce key terms and values in a fun and memorable way and discussion points to encourage the students to consider why a particular process or mechanism occurs. Over the course of the lesson, the students will learn and discover how the movement of ions across the membrane causes the membrane potential to change. They will see how the resting potential is maintained through the use of the sodium/potassium pump and potassium ion leakage. There is a real focus on depolarisation to allow students to understand how generator potentials can combine and if the resulting depolarisation then exceeds the threshold potential, a full depolarisation will occur. At this point in the lesson students will discover how the all or nothing response explains that action potentials have the same magnitude and that instead a stronger stimulus is linked to an increase in the frequency of the transmission. The rest of the lesson challenges the students to apply their knowledge to explain how repolarisation and hyperpolarisation result and to suggest advantages of the refractory period for nerve cells. This lesson has been designed for students studying the OCR A-level Biology course and ties in nicely with other uploaded lessons on mammalian sensory receptors and the structures and functions of the neurones.

This fully-resourced lesson has been designed to cover the specification point about co-dominance (and blood groups) as detailed in the supplement section of topic 17 (inheritance) of the CIE IGCSE Biology specification. As specified in this point, students will learn how this inheritance of the ABO blood group system demonstrates co-dominance (and also multiple alleles). A potentially difficult topic, time has been taken to include guidance sections where students are walked through the interpretation of the different genotypes to find out the phenotypes as well as constructing genetic diagrams and calculating blood groups from pedigree trees. There is a real focus on genetic terminology such as allele, locus, genotype and phenotype so that the understanding is deep and students can use this if they choose to further their studies at A-level. This lesson has been designed for GCSE-aged students studying the CIE IGCSE Biology course but is also suitable for older students who are learning about codominance and multiple alleles at A-level

An engaging lesson presentation (65 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 B1 (Cell-level systems) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Biology specification The topics that are tested within the lesson include: Plant and animal cells Bacterial cells Light and electron microscopy DNA Transcription and translation Enzymes Photosynthesis Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “Shine a LIGHT on any errors" whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention

This clear and concise lesson explains how the inheritance of two or more genes that have loci on the same chromosome demonstrates autosomal linkage. The engaging PowerPoint and associated resource have been designed to cover the part of point 16.2 (b) of the CIE International A-level Biology specification which states that students should be able to use genetic diagrams to solve problems that involve autosomal linkage. This is a topic which can cause confusion for students so time was taken in the design to split the concept into small chunks. There is a clear focus on how the number of original phenotypes and recombinants can be used to determine linkage and suggest how the loci of the two genes compare. Important links to other topics such as crossing over in meiosis are made to enable students to understand how the random formation of the chiasma determines whether new phenotypes will be seen in the offspring or not. Linkage is an important cause of variation and the difference between observed and expected results and this is emphasised on a number of occasions. The main task of the lesson acts as an understanding check where students are challenged to analyse a set of results involving the inheritance of the ABO blood group gene and the nail-patella syndrome gene to determine whether they have loci on the same chromosome and if so, how close their loci would appear to be.

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 Topic 6 (Immunity, infection and forensics) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification. The sub-topics and specification points that are tested within the lesson include: Know how DNA profiling is used for identification and determining genetic relationships Know how DNA can be amplified using the PCR Know the structure of a virus Understand how HIV infects human cells, causing a sequence of symptoms that may result in death Understand the non-specific responses of the body to infection Understand the roles of antigens and antibodies in the body’s immune response Understand the differences between the roles of B cells and T cells Understand how one gene can give rise to more than one protein through post-transcriptional changes Understand the difference between bacteriostatic and bactericidal antibiotics Students will be engaged through the numerous quiz rounds such as “FROM NUMBERS 2 LETTERS” and “Make sure you are very SPECIFIC” 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 fully-resourced lesson has been designed to cover the content found in specification point 5.1 (Homeostasis) of topic 5 of the AQA GCSE Biology & Combined Science specifications. This resource contains an engaging and detailed PowerPoint (45 slides) and accompanying worksheets The lesson begins by challenging the student’s literacy skills as they are asked to recognise the key term, optimum, from 6 of its’ synonyms. Moving forwards, a range of quiz competitions are used to introduce the term homeostasis and to provide a definition for this key process. Students are given a newspaper article about water and blood glucose so they can recognise 2 conditions which are controlled in the human body. The next part of the lesson looks at the importance of maintaining the levels of water and glucose by considering the medical problems that could arise if they move away from the optimum levels. Students will learn that body temperature is also controlled and links are made to earlier knowledge as they have to explain why an increase in temperature above the set point would be an issue because of the denaturation of enzymes. The rest of the lesson looks at the three parts that are included in all control systems before a final quiz round introduces the receptors, coordination centre and effectors in the control of body temperature. As stated at the top, this lesson has been designed for GCSE-aged students who are studying the AQA GCSE Biology or Combined Science course, but it can be used with A-level students who need to go back over the key points before looking at the process in more detail

This fully-resourced lesson describes the relationship between the structure and function of the structures that are found in eukaryotic cells. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying exam-question worksheets (which are all differentiated) have been designed to cover the first part of specification point 2.1.1 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and focuses on those structures found in animal cells. The additional structures, which are found in plant cells, are described in the next lesson uploaded under the title “Structure of eukaryotic (plant) cells”. As cells are the building blocks of living organisms, it makes sense that they would be heavily involved in all of the 8 topics in the AQA course and intricate planning has ensured that these links to previously covered topics as well as upcoming ones are made throughout the lesson. A wide range of activities, that include exam-style questions, class discussion points and quick quiz competitions, will maintain motivation and engagement whilst covering the finer details of the following structures: nucleus nucleolus ribosomes rough endoplasmic reticulum Golgi apparatus lysosomes smooth endoplasmic reticulum mitochondria cell surface membrane As mentioned above, all of the worksheets have been differentiated to support students of differing abilities whilst maintaining challenge Due to the detail that is included in this lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 3 hours of allocated A-level teaching time to cover the work

An engaging lesson presentation (79 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 Topic 9 (Ecosystems and material cycles) of the EDEXCEL GCSE Biology specification The topics that are tested within the lesson include: Levels of organisation Communities Interdependence in a community Determining the number of organisms in a given area Biomass and the transfer of energy between trophic levels Recycling materials Deforestation Global warming Decomposition and the rate of decay Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “Number CRAZY" whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention

This lesson describes how to calculate the mean and standard deviation of collected data and describes how these values may be interpreted. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets are part of the second lesson in a series of 2 lessons which have been designed to cover point 4.7 (Investigating diversity) of the AQA A-level Biology specification. It is important to note that the students will not be required to calculate the standard deviation in written papers but that they do need to understand how these values are obtained and what they could indicate. The lesson begins with an introduction of the standard deviation as a measure of the spread around the mean. The students will learn that interpreting the data is a critical requirement of this A-level course and this initial portion of the lesson considers how the spread of the data around the mean can lead to differing suggestions about reliability. A step by step guide walks the students through each stage of the calculation of the standard deviation, which includes the calculation of the mean, and they will complete a worked example with the class. A quick quiz round introduces the values of 68 and 95 in a fun way to encourage the students to remember that if the focus of the data shows a normal distribution, 68% of the observations are within +/- one standard deviation and 95% are within 2 standard deviations. The final task challenges the students to apply their knowledge to data about the birth weights of humans at a UK hospital on one day in 2020.

This is a fully-resourced lesson that covers the content of specification point 6.3 of the AQA A-level Biology specification which states that students should understand how skeletal muscles are stimulated to contract by nerves and act as effectors. The wide range of activities included in the lesson will engage and motivate the students whilst the understanding and previous knowledge checks will not only allow them to assess their progress but also challenge them to make links to other Biology topics. The following content is covered in detail in this lesson: The ultrastructure of a myofibril The roles of actin and myosin in myofibril contraction The need for calcium ions and ATP in myofibril contraction The roles of calcium ions and tropomyosin in cross-bridge formation The roles of ATP and phosphocreatine in muscle contraction This lesson has been designed for students studying the AQA A-level Biology course and ties in nicely with the other uploaded lessons from topic 6 such as synapses and NMJs and nerve impulses

This fully-resourced lesson describes the roles of antigens, antibodies, B cells and T cells in the body’s immune response. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover specification points 6.8 & 6.9 as detailed in the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification and includes descriptions of the involvement of plasma (effector) cells and macrophages as antigen-presenting cells. In the previous lesson on the non-specific responses, the students were introduced to macrophages and dendritic cells as antigen-presenting cells and the start of this lesson challenges their recall and understanding of this process. Time is taken to discuss how the contact between these cells and lymphocytes is critical for the initiation of the body’s (specific) immune response. Moving forwards, a quick quiz competition is used to introduce the names of the different T cells that result from differentiation. Their specific roles are described including an emphasis on the importance of the release of cytokines in cell signalling to activate other immune system cells. T memory cells are also introduced so that students can understand their role in immunological memory and active immunity as described in an upcoming lesson covering point 6.12. The next part of the lesson focuses on the B cells and describes how clonal selection and clonal expansion results in the formation of memory B cells and effector cells. A series of understanding and application questions are then used to introduce the structure of antibodies and to explain how the complementary shape of the variable region allows the antigen-antibody complex to be formed. The lesson concludes by emphasising that the pathogen will be overcome as a result of the combination of the actions of phagocytes, T killer cells and the antibodies released by the effector cells.

This engaging revision lesson has been designed to guide students through the numerous elements of the OCR A-level Biology A specification which challenge their mathematical skills. A good performance in these MATHS IN BIOLOGY questions across the three assessment papers can prove the difference between a number of grades and this resource provides the students with support and plenty of opportunities to apply their understanding. Both the provided and recall formulae are covered in this lesson and students can assess their progress against the displayed mark schemes with detailed explanations in order to identify any areas which require further attention. The following mathematical skills and formulae are covered during this revision lesson: Hardy-Weinberg principle Chi-squared test Calculating magnification Converting between units of size Standard deviation Mean Estimating populations using sampling results Genetic diversity (polymorphic gene loci) Simpson’s Index of Diversity Percentages Percentage change Cardiac output Respiratory quotient Retention factor The majority of the tasks are differentiated two ways, to allow students of differing abilities to access the work and the different quiz rounds such as “YOU DO THE MATH” and “Fill the VOID” will maintain engagement over the duration of this extensive lesson. It is estimated that this lesson will take in excess of 2 hours teaching time to cover and can be used at different points of the course when these skills need to be tested and honed.

A fully-resourced lesson which explores how the release of thyroxine from the thyroid gland regulates the metabolic rate and how a negative feedback loop is used as the final control. This lesson includes an engaging and detailed presentation (19 slides), a crossword and an understanding check task. The lesson begins by challenging the students knowledge of the endocrine system to get them to come up with the letters that form the name, “thyroid gland”. Students will be reminded that this gland releases thyroxine which is involved with the regulation of the metabolic rate. Students will learn that in order for the thyroid gland to release this hormone, it has to be stimulated by TSH from the pituitary gland which in turn was controlled by the hypothalamus. At this point, the students are challenged to put the order of the control mechanism in the right order on their worksheet. This leads them to the word negative which links to how a negative feedback loop is used as the final act in the mechanism. This lesson is designed for GCSE students but is suitable for A-level students too who need to know about this endocrine gland and also negative feedback

This fully-resourced lesson explores how genetic and environmental factors cause phenotypic variation. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover the first part of point 7.3 of the AQA A-level Biology specification which states that students should be able to describe how mutations and meiosis both contribute to genetic variation Students are challenged at the start of the lesson to recognise the terms phenotype and species from their definitions in order to begin a discussion on the causes of the phenotypic variation within a species. Moving forwards, students will recall that mutations are the primary source of genetic variation and time is taken to look at the effect of gene and chromosome mutations. Just like the majority of parts of this specification point, gene mutations were covered earlier in topic 4 so these tasks act as a prior knowledge check as students have to recognise the different types of gene mutations and explain their effects on the primary structure with reference to the genetic code. These prior knowledge checks are found throughout the lesson and challenge the knowledge of other topics that include photosynthesis, meiosis and inorganic ions. The karyotype of an individual who has Down syndrome is used to introduce chromosome mutations and students will be introduced to the different types, with a focus on non-disjunction. The key events of meiosis that produce variation (crossing over and independent assortment) are explored and students will be given a mathematical formula to use to calculate the number of chromosome combinations in gametes and in the resulting zygote. The final part of the lesson looks at chlorosis and how an environmental factor can prevent the express of a gene.

This detailed lesson explores how a range of methods are used to produce fragments of DNA as part of the recombinant DNA technology process. Both the engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been written to cover the first part of point 8.4.1 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and also provides information that will prove useful for the other lessons in this sub-topic on the polymerase chain reaction and using transformed host cells. The lesson begins with a definition of recombinant DNA technology so that students can begin to understand how this process involves the transfer of DNA fragments from one species to another. Links are made to the genetic code and transcription and translation mechanisms, which were met in topic 4, in order to explain how the transferred gene can be translated in the transgenic organism. Moving forwards, the method involving reverse transcriptase and DNA polymerase is introduced and their knowledge of the structure of the polynucleotides and the roles of enzymes is challenged through questions and discussion points. Restriction enzymes are then introduced and time is taken to look at the structure of a restriction site as well as the production of sticky ends due to the staggered cut on the DNA. A series of exam-style questions with displayed mark schemes are used to allow the students to assess their current understanding. The final part of the lesson looks at the production of synthetic genes of any sequence using gene machines and a series of application questions are used to push the students to consider how this advance in technology could be utilised. As well as understanding and prior knowledge checks, quick quiz competitions are used throughout the lesson to introduce key terms such as cDNA and EcoR1 in a memorable way.

This is a fully-resourced REVISION lesson that consists of an engaging PowerPoint (142 slides) and associated worksheets that challenge the students on their knowledge of topics B1 - B3 (Cell-level systems, Scaling up and Organism-level systems) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Combined Science specification and can be assessed on PAPER 1. 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 which could be assessed on paper 1, but the following sub-topics have been given particular attention: Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells Structure of a bacterium The functions of the components of blood Specialised cells Active transport Osmosis Structure of DNA Mitosis and the cell cycle Functions of the organelles of animal and plant cells Electron microscopy Calculating size Surface area to volume ratio Arteries and veins Reflexes Hormones IVF The mathematic elements of the Combined Science specification are challenged throughout the resource. Due to the size of this resource, it is likely that it’ll be used over the course of a number of lessons and it is suitable for use as an end of topic revision aid, in the lead up to the mocks or in the lead up to the actual GCSE exams.

This fully-resourced lesson explains how a combination of hydrostatic pressure and oncotic pressure results in the formation of tissue fluid from plasma. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.1.2 (d) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification and includes a section on the differences between blood, tissue fluid and lymph The lesson begins with an introduction to the arteriole and venule end of a capillary as these will need to be considered as separate entities when describing the formation of tissue fluid. A quick quiz competition introduces a value for the hydrostatic pressure at the arteriole end and students are challenged to first predict some parts of the blood will move out of the capillary as a result of the push from the hydrostatic pressure and this allows oncotic pressure to be initially explored. The main part of the lesson uses a step by step guide to describe how the net movement is outwards at the arteriole end before students will use this guidance to describe what happens at the venule end. In the concluding part of the lesson, students will come to recognise oedema as a condition where tissue fluid accumulates and they again are challenged to explain how this occurs before they finally learn how the fluid is returned to the circulatory system as lymph This lesson has been written to tie in with the other uploaded lessons from module 3.1.2 (Transport in animals)

This is a highly detailed, engaging and fully-resourced lesson that covers the detail of the 2nd part of specification point 5.1.2 (b) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification which states that students should be able to demonstrate and apply an understanding of the functions of the mammalian liver. The liver performs a large number of metabolic functions and the majority of them are covered within this lesson. However, the lesson focuses on the following three roles: The formation of urea by deamination and the ornithine cycle The storage of glycogen The detoxification of alcohol As well as covering the detail of the current topic, numerous opportunities are taken to make links to other topics and to check on the students prior knowledge. Previous knowledge check questions on biological molecules, coenzymes and the structure of the liver are found dispersed within the understanding checks and quick quiz competitions are used to introduce key terms and values in a fun and a memorable way. This lesson has been designed for students on the OCR A-level Biology A course and ties in well with the other uploaded lessons on module 5.1.2 about the structure and function of the kidney

This detailed and engaging lesson supports students with their revision in the build up to their PAPER 1 (Biological processes) mocks or final assessment. The wide range of tasks and activities will challenge them on their knowledge of modules 1, 2, 3 and 5 of the OCR A-level biology A specification, allowing them to identify any areas which require further attention before the examinations. Included in the range of tasks are exam-style questions and understanding checks and all answers are embedded into the PowerPoint. There are quiz rounds to maintain engagement and to encourage healthy competition, as well as guided discussion periods to provide opportunities for students to support each other. The following content is directly covered by this revision lesson: The nature of the genetic code Globular and fibrous proteins Protein structure The role of the heart valves in the cardiac cycle The conduction system of the heart The autonomic control of heart rate The mitotic cell cycle DNA replication The events of meiosis that contribute to genetic variation The structure of starch and cellulose The light-dependent and light-independent reactions of photosynthesis The ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells Calculating the size of an object under the optical microscope Saltatory conduction The structure and function of sensory and motor neurones Depolarisation and the initiation of an action potential Many of the tasks have been differentiated to maintain challenge whilst providing access to all. This is an extensive lesson with many tasks so it is estimated that it will take over 3 hours of teaching time if covered in full, but teachers may choose to use sections to focus on a specific topic. If you and your students enjoy this lesson and find it beneficial, a revision challenging the content of modules 1, 2, 4 & 6 as assessed in PAPER 2 (Biological diversity) has also been uploaded.