A Science teacher by trade, I've also been known to be found teaching Maths and PE! However, strange as it may seem, my real love is designing resources that can be used by other teachers to maximise the experience of the students. I am constantly thinking of new ways to engage a student with a topic and try to implement that in the design of the lessons.
A Science teacher by trade, I've also been known to be found teaching Maths and PE! However, strange as it may seem, my real love is designing resources that can be used by other teachers to maximise the experience of the students. I am constantly thinking of new ways to engage a student with a topic and try to implement that in the design of the lessons.
This lesson describes the ring structure of alpha and beta glucose and uses these two monomers as examples of monosaccharides when introducing disaccharides and polysaccharides as well as polymers and macromolecules. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheet have been designed to cover specification points 2.2 (a) & (b) of the CIE International A-level Biology course, and condensation and hydrolysis reactions are also introduced and their importance for biological molecules emphasised.
Monomers were previously met at GCSE and so the beginning of the lesson focuses on the recall of the meaning of this key term. A made-up version of the quiz show POINTLESS gives the students the opportunity to discuss and to identify four answers to do with carbohydrates. In doing so, they will learn or recall that these molecules are made from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, that they are a source of energy which can sometimes be rightly or wrongly associated with obesity and that the names of the three main groups is derived from the Greek word sakkharon. This introduces the monosaccharides as the simplest sugars before the first in a series of quiz rounds is used to introduce fructose, ribose and importantly glucose as a few examples. Using the molecular formula of glucose as a guide, students will be given the general formula for the monosaccharides and will learn that deoxyribose is an exception to the rule that the number of carbon and oxygen atoms are equal. In the next task, students have to study the displayed formula of glucose for two minutes without being able to note anything down before they are challenged to recreate what they saw in a test of their observational skills. The difference between alpha and beta-glucose is provided and students are again challenged to draw a molecule of glucose, this time for the beta form. Moving forwards, students will learn that disaccharides are formed from two monosaccharides and this is used to initiate a discussion about how monomers need to be linked together even more times to make the larger chains known as polymers. The final section of the lesson looks at the roles of condensation and hydrolysis reactions in this formation of larger molecules as well as in the break down of larger molecules into smaller molecules.
The biological molecules sub-module is incredibly important, not just because it is found near to the start of the course, but also because of its detailed content which must be well understood to promote success with most of the other OCR A-level Biology A modules. Many hours of intricate planning have gone into the design of all of the 13 lessons that are included in this bundle to ensure that the content is covered in detail, understanding is constantly checked and misconceptions addressed and that engagement is high. This is achieved through the wide variety of tasks in the PowerPoints and accompanying worksheets which include exam-style questions with clear answers, discussion points, differentiated tasks and quick quiz competitions.
The following specification points are covered by the lessons within this bundle:
The relationship between the properties of water and its roles for living organisms
The concept of monomers and polymers and the importance of condensation and hydrolysis reactions
The chemical elements that make up biological molecules
The ring structure and properties of glucose and structure of ribose
The synthesis and breakdown of a disaccharide and a polysaccharide
The relationship between the structures, properties and functions of starch, glycogen and cellulose
The structure of a triglyceride and a phospholipid as macromolecules
The synthesis and breakdown of triglycerides
The relationship between the properties and functions of triglycerides, phospholipids and cholesterol
The general structure of an amino acid
The synthesis and breakdown of dipeptides and polypeptides
The levels of protein structure
The structure and function of globular proteins
The properties and functions of fibrous proteins
The key inorganic ions that are involved in biological processes
How to carry out and interpret the results of the chemical tests for proteins, reducing and non-reducing sugars, starch and lipids
Due to the detail of each of these lessons, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 6 weeks of allocated teaching time to cover the content.
If you would like to see the quality of the lessons, download the properties of water, glucose & ribose, amino acids and dipeptides and polypeptides lessons as these have been shared for free
This lesson describes the formation of dipeptides & polypeptides and the different levels of protein structure with reference to specific examples in living organisms. Both the engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification points 2.1.2 (l) & (m) of the OCR A-level Biology A course and make continual links to previous lessons such as amino acids as well as to upcoming lessons like antibodies.
The start of the lesson focuses on the formation of a peptide bond during a condensation reaction so that students can understand how a dipeptide is formed and therefore how a polypeptide forms when multiple reactions occur.
The main part of the lesson describes the different levels of protein structure. A step by step guide is used to demonstrate how the sequences of bases in a gene acts as a template to form a sequence of codons on a mRNA strand and how this is translated into a particular sequence of amino acids known as the primary structure. The students are then challenged to apply their understanding of this process by using three more gene sequences to work out three primary structures and recognise how different genes lead to different sequences. Moving forwards, students will learn how the order of amino acids in the primary structure determines the shape of the protein molecule, through its secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure and time is taken to consider the details of each of these. There is a particular focus on the different bonds that hold the 3D shape firmly in place and a quick quiz round then introduces the importance of this shape as exemplified by enzymes, antibodies and hormones. Students will see the differences between globular and fibrous protein and again biological examples are used to increase relevance. The lesson concludes with one final quiz round called STRUC by NUMBERS where the students have to use their understanding of the protein structures to calculate a numerical answer.
This lesson describes the general structure of the 20 amino acids found in proteins and makes clear links to related topics such as genes. The PowerPoint has been designed to cover specification point 2.1.2 (k) of the OCR A-level Biology A course and provides a clear introduction to the following lesson on the formation of dipeptides and polypeptides.
The lesson begins with a prior knowledge check, where the students have to use the 1st letters of 4 answers to uncover a key term. This 4-letter key term is gene and the lesson begins with this word because it is important for students to understand that these sequences of bases on DNA determine the specific sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide. Moving forwards, students are given discussion time to work out that there are 64 different DNA triplets and will learn that these encode for the 20 amino acids that are common to all organisms. The main task of the lesson is an observational one, where students are given time to study the displayed formula of 4 amino acids. They are not allowed to draw anything during this time but will be challenged with 3 multiple choice questions at the end. This task has been designed to allow the students to visualise how the 20 amino acids share common features in an amine and an acid group. A quick quiz round introduces the R group and time is taken to explain how the structure of this side chain is the only structural difference. Students will be introduced to the existence of hydrophobic, hydrophilic, acidic and basic R groups so that they are able to apply this knowledge in future lessons where structure and shape is considered. Some time is also given to look at cysteine in greater detail due to the presence of sulfur atoms and once again a link is made to disulfide bridges for upcoming lessons. The lesson concludes with one more quiz round called LINK TO THE FUTURE where the students will see the roles played by amino acids in the later part of the course such as translation and in the formation of dipeptides.
This fully-resourced lesson describes the relationship between the structure and function of globular proteins, specifically focusing on haemoglobin, insulin and pepsin. The detailed and engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been primarily designed to cover specification point 2.1.2 (n) of the OCR A-level Biology A course but due to the detailed coverage of haemoglobin, the start of this lesson could also be used when teaching lessons that cover specification points 3.1.2 (i) and (j).
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to describe that the interactions of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic R groups results in a spherical shape that is soluble in water and be able to explain the importance of this property with reference to the individual functions of these three globular proteins. They will also be able to name key individual details for each protein, such as haemoglobin being a conjugated protein, insulin being linked by numerous disulfide bridges and pepsin’s low number of basic R groups meaning it is stable in the acidic environment of the stomach.
Extra time has gone into the planning of this lesson to ensure that links are continuously made to previous topics such as amino acids and the levels of protein structure as well as to upcoming topics like the control of blood glucose concentration that is covered in module 5.1.4.
This engaging lesson describes the relationship between the structure, properties and functions of a phopholipid and cholesterol. The PowerPoint has been written as the second lesson in a series of two that cover specification points 2.1.2 (h), (i) & (j) of the OCR A-level Biology A course and there is a particular focus on their roles in membranes to link to module 2.1.5.
In the previous lesson, the students met triglycerides and a quick quiz round called FAMILY AFFAIR is used at the start of the lesson to challenge the students on their knowledge of the structure of this macromolecule to identify the shared features in a phospholipid. This then allows the differences to be introduced, such as the presence of a phosphate group in place of the third fatty acid. Moving forwards, the students will learn that the two fatty acid tails are hydrophobic whilst the phosphate head is hydrophilic which leads into a key discussion point where the class has to consider how it is possible for the phospholipids to be arranged when both the inside and outside of a cell is an aqueous solution. The outcome of the discussion is the introduction of the bilayer which is critical for the lesson in module 2.1.5 on the fluid mosaic model. Students are briefly introduced to facilitated diffusion and reminded of active transport so they can recognise that proteins will be found in the membrane to allow for movement of large or polar molecules. The remainder of the lesson focuses on cholesterol, beginning with the structure. The hydrophobic nature of this molecule is then considered and discussed so that they can understand its role in the regulation of membrane fluidity. That just leaves one final quiz round which identifies vitamin D, testosterone and oestrogen as three substances that are formed from cholesterol
This fully-resourced lesson describes the relationship between the structure, properties and functions of triglycerides in living organisms. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to be the first lesson in a series of two that cover specification points 2.1.2 (h), (i) & (j) of the OCR A-level Biology A course and the lesson contains numerous references to relevant future topics such as the importance of the myelin sheath for the conduction of an electrical impulse.
The lesson begins with a focus on the basic structure and roles of lipids, including the elements that are found in this biological molecule and some of the places in living organisms where they are found. Moving forwards, the students are challenged to recall the structure of the carbohydrates from earlier in the sub-module so that the structure of a triglyceride can be introduced. Students will learn that this macromolecule is formed from one glycerol molecule and three fatty acids and have to use their understanding of condensation reactions to draw the final structure. Time is taken to look at the difference in structure and properties of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and students will be able to identify one from the other when presented with a molecular formula. The final part of the lesson explores how the various properties of a triglyceride mean that it has numerous roles in organisms including that of an energy store and source and as an insulator of heat and electricity.
This detailed and fully-resourced lesson describes the relationship between the structure, properties and functions of glycogen, starch and cellulose. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification points 2.1.2 (f) & (g) of the OCR A-level Biology A course and continual links are also made to the previous lessons in this topic where the monosaccharides and disaccharides were introduced.
The lesson begins with the CARBOHYDRATE WALL where students have to use their prior knowledge to collect the 9 carbohydrates on show into 3 groups. This results in glycogen, starch and cellulose being grouped together as polysaccharides and the structure, properties and functions of these large carbohydrates are covered over the course of the lesson. Students will learn how key structural features like the 1 - 4 and 1 - 6 glycosidic bonds and the hydrogen bonds dictate whether the polysaccharide chain is branched or unbranched and also dictate whether the chain spirals or not. Following the description of the structure of glycogen, students are challenged to design an exam question in the form of a comparison table so that it can be completed as the lesson progresses and they learn more about starch and cellulose. This includes a split in the starch section of the table so that the differing structures and properties of amylose and amylopectin can be considered. The importance of the compact structure for storage is discussed as well as the branched chains of amylopectin acting as quick source of energy when it is needed. In the final part of the lesson, time is taken to focus on the hydrogen bonds between rotated glucose molecules on the same chain and between different chains and to explain how the formation of cellulose microfibrils and macrofibrils provides plant cells with the additional strength needed to support the whole plant.
Due to the detail included in this lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 hours of allocated teaching time to complete
This lesson describes how disaccharides like maltose, sucrose and lactose are formed from the condensation of two monosaccharides and can also be broken down by hydrolysis reactions. The PowerPoint and accompanying question sheet have been designed to cover specification point 2.1.2 (e) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification but also makes repeated links to the previous lesson on monosaccharides when considering the different components of these three disaccharides.
The first section of the lesson focuses on a prefix and a suffix so that the students can recognise that the names of the common disaccharides end in -ose. In line with this, a quick quiz round is used to introduce maltose, sucrose and lactose before students are challenged on their prior knowledge as they have to describe how condensation reactions and the formation of glycosidic bonds were involved in the synthesis of each one. The main task of the lesson again challenges the students to recall details of a previous lesson as they have to identify the monomers of each disaccharide when presented with the displayed formula. Time is taken to show how their knowledge of these simple sugars will be important in later topics such as extracellular enzymes, translocation in the phloem and the Lac Operon in cellular control. The lesson finishes with two exam-style questions where students have to demonstrate and apply their newly acquired knowledge when presented with unfamiliar disaccharides
This fully-resourced lesson describes the structure and properties of the two isomers of glucose and ribose as examples of monosaccharides. The detailed and engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification point 2.1.2 (d) of the OCR A-level Biology A course and also looks at galactose, fructose and deoxyribose.
The lesson begins with a made-up round of the quiz show POINTLESS, where students have to try to identify four answers to do with carbohydrates. In doing so, they will learn or recall that these molecules are made from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, that they are a source of energy which can sometimes be rightly or wrongly associated with obesity and that the names of the three main groups is derived from the Greek word sakkharon. Using the molecular formula of glucose as a guide, students will be given the general formula for the monosaccharides and will learn that deoxyribose is an exception to the rule that the number of carbon and oxygen atoms are equal. Moving forwards, students have to study the displayed formula of glucose for two minutes without being able to note anything down before they are challenged to recreate what they saw in a test of their observational skills. At this point of the lesson, the idea of numbering the carbons is introduced so that the different glycosidic bonds can be understood in an upcoming lesson as well as the recognition of the different isomers of glucose. The difference between alpha and beta-glucose is provided and students are again challenged to draw a molecule of glucose, this time for the beta form. The remainder of the lesson focuses on the roles of the 6 monosaccharides which includes a series of understanding and application questions where the students are challenged to describe the role of ribose in RNA and to suggest why ribose could be considered to be an important molecule for active transport and muscle contraction.
This lesson introduces the concept of monomers and polymers and emphasises the importance of condensation and hydrolysis reactions for biological molecules. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheet have been designed to cover specification point 2.1.2 (b) of the OCR A-level Biology A course, and as this is likely to be one of the very first lessons that the students encounter, the range of engaging tasks have been specifically designed to increase the likelihood of the key points and fundamentals being retained.
Monomers were previously met at GCSE and so the beginning of the lesson focuses on the recall of the meaning of this key term before the first in a series of quiz rounds is used to introduce nucleotides, amino acids and monosaccharides as a few of the examples that will be met in this topic. Dipeptides and disaccharides are introduced as structures containing 2 amino acids or sugars respectively and this is used to initiate a discussion about how monomers need to be linked together even more times to make the larger chains known as polymers. At this point in the lesson, the students are challenged to recall the definition of a condensation reaction from the previous lesson on water and are then challenged to identify where the molecule of water is eliminated from when two molecules of glucose join. A series of important prefixes and suffixes are then provided and students use these to remind themselves of the details of a hydrolysis reaction.
Links to upcoming lessons are made throughout the PowerPoint to encourage students to begin to recognise the importance of making connections between topics.
This detailed lesson describes the relationship between the structure, properties and roles of water for living organisms. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover the details of specification point 2.1.2 (a) of the OCR A-level Biology A course and has been specifically designed to ensure that each role is illustrated using an example in prokaryotes or eukaryotes.
As this is the first lesson in the biological molecules sub-module (2.1.2), which is a topic that students tend to find difficult or potentially less engaging, the planning has centred around the inclusion of a wide variety of tasks to cover the content whilst maintaining motivation and engagement. These tasks include current understanding and prior knowledge checks, discussion points and quick quiz competitions to introduce key terms and values in a memorable way. The start of the lesson considers the structure of water molecules, focusing on the covalent and hydrogen bonds, and the dipole nature of this molecule. Time is taken to emphasise the importance of these bonds and this property for the numerous roles of water and then over the remainder of the lesson, the following properties are described and discussed and linked to real-life examples:
As a solvent to act as a transport medium in blood plasma
Molecules are attracted by cohesive forces to enable transport in the xylem
High latent heat of vaporisation for thermoregulation
High specific heat capacity for the maintenance of a stable environment
Peak density in the liquid form allowing ice to float
The final part of the lesson introduces condensation and hydrolysis reactions and students will learn that a clear understanding of these reactions is fundamental as they will reappear throughout the module in the synthesis and breakdown of biological molecules.
Some of the key biological topics are covered in topic 2 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) course and include the transport of materials across cell membranes, DNA structure and replication, protein synthesis and monohybrid inheritance. In line with this, many hours of intricate planning have gone into the design of all of the 19 lessons that are included in this bundle to ensure that the content is covered in detail, understanding is constantly checked to immediately address misconceptions and that engagement is high. This is achieved through the wide variety of tasks in the PowerPoints and accompanying worksheets which include exam-style questions with clear answers, discussion points, differentiated tasks and quick quiz competitions.
The following specification points are covered by the lessons within this bundle:
The properties of gas exchange surfaces in living organisms
Understand how the rate of diffusion is dependent on these properties and can be used in the calculation of the rate of diffusion by Fick’s law
Adaptations of the mammalian lung for rapid gaseous exchange
Structure and properties of cell membranes
Simple and facilitated diffusion as methods of passive transport
The involvement of ATP and carrier proteins in active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis
The basic structure of mononucleotides
The structures of DNA and RNA
The process of protein synthesis
The roles of the template strand, mRNA and tRNA
The nature of the genetic code
A gene is a sequence of bases on DNA that codes for the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide
The basic structure of an amino acid
The formation of polypeptides and proteins
The primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure of proteins
Globular and fibrous proteins using haemoglobin and collagen as examples
The mechanism of action and the specificity of enzymes
Enzymes are biological catalysts that reduce activation energy
The process of DNA replication
Errors in DNA replication can give rise to mutations
The meaning of key genetic terms
Patterns of inheritance, in the context of monohybrid inheritance
Understand how the expression of a gene mutation in people with cystic fibrosis impairs the functioning of the gaseous exchange, digestive and reproductive systems
Understand the uses and implications of genetic screening and prenatal testing
Due to the detail included in each of these lessons, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 months of allocated teaching time to cover the content.
If you would like to see the quality of the lessons, download the gas exchange surfaces, cell membranes, transcription, globular and fibrous proteins, monohybrid inheritance and cystic fibrosis lessons as these have been shared for free
This fully-resourced lesson guides students through the interpretation of genetic pedigree diagrams for the inheritance of a single gene. The clear PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 2.13 (ii) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification and includes the inheritance of multiple allele characteristics as well as those that demonstrate codominance.
In order to minimise the likelihood of errors and misconceptions, step by step guides have been included throughout the lesson to support the students with the following:
Writing parent genotypes
Working out the different gametes that are made following meiosis
Interpreting Punnett crosses to work out phenotypic ratios
Students can often find pedigree trees the most difficult to interpret and to explain so exemplar answers are used as well as differentiated worksheets provided to support those students who need extra assistance.
This fully-resourced lesson describes the key steps in the process of DNA replication, including the role of DNA polymerase. Both the detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 2.11 (i) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification and this lesson also explains why this replication is known as semi-conservative in order to prepare the students for the following lesson on Meselson and Stahl’s experiment.
The main focus of this lesson is the role of DNA polymerase in the formation of the growing nucleotide strands but the students will also learn that the hydrogen bonds between nucleotide bases are broken by DNA helicase and that DNA ligase joins the nucleic acid fragments. Time is taken to explain key details, such as the assembly of strands in the 5’-to-3’ direction, so that the continuous manner in which the leading strand is synthesised can be compared against that of the lagging strand. The students are constantly challenged to make links to previous topics such as DNA structure and hydrolysis reactions through a range of exam questions and answers are displayed so that any misconceptions are quickly addressed. The main task of the lesson asks the students to use the information provided in the lesson to order the sequence of events in DNA replication before discussing how the presence of a conserved strand and a newly built strand in each new DNA molecule shows that it is semi-conservative.
This detailed lesson uses haemoglobin and collagen as examples to describe the structure, properties and functions of globular and fibrous proteins. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying worksheet have been designed to cover point 2.9 (iv) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification and focuses on the shape, solubility and function of these two types of protein.
The first part of the lesson looks at the structure of haemoglobin, and describes how the presence of an iron-containing haem group on the outside of the 4 polypeptide chains explains its ability to form oxyhaemoglobin. Moving forwards, the importance of the solubility of this protein is considered and related to the direction that the hydrophobic R groups point. At this point of the lesson, the students are challenged to construct a comparison table which can be filled in as the lesson progresses and as they are given more details of collagen. The section of the lesson concerning collagen begins with the introduction of its function in the artery wall so that students can recognise how fibrous proteins have roles associated with mechanical strength. Time is taken to discuss their solubility as well as the presence of repetitive amino acid sequences. The remainder of the lesson considers four more proteins and the final task challenges the students to use their completed table to write a summary passage comparing globular and fibrous proteins.
This detailed lesson describes the formation of polypeptides as well as the different levels of protein structures and links this to function. Both the engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 2.9 (ii) & (iii) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification but also makes specific reference to genes and therefore covers the details of point 2.8 too.
The start of the lesson focuses on the formation of a peptide bond during a condensation reaction so that students can understand how a dipeptide is formed and therefore how a polypeptide forms when multiple reactions occur.
The main part of the lesson describes the different levels of protein structure. A step by step guide is used to demonstrate how the sequences of bases in a gene acts as a template to form a sequence of codons on a mRNA strand and how this is translated into a particular sequence of amino acids known as the primary structure. The students are then challenged to apply their understanding of this process by using three more gene sequences to work out three primary structures and recognise how different genes lead to different sequences. Moving forwards, students will learn how the order of amino acids in the primary structure determines the shape of the protein molecule, through its secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure and time is taken to consider the details of each of these. There is a particular focus on the different bonds that hold the 3D shape firmly in place and a quick quiz round then introduces the importance of this shape as exemplified by enzymes, antibodies and hormones. The lesson concludes with one final task where the students have to identify three errors in a passage about the hydrolysis of a dipeptide or polypeptide.
This concise lesson describes the basic structure of an amino acid and introduces them as the monomers of polypeptides. The engaging PowerPoint has been designed to cover point 2.9 (i) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification and has been specifically written to lead into the next lesson on dipeptides and polypeptides.
The lesson begins with a prior knowledge check, where the students have to use the 1st letters of 4 answers to uncover a key term. This 4-letter key term is gene and the lesson begins with this word because it is important for students to understand that these sequences of bases on DNA determine the specific sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide as detailed in specification point 2.8. Moving forwards, the students are given discussion time to work out that there are 64 different DNA triplets and will learn that these encode for the 20 amino acids that are common to all organisms. The main task of the lesson is an observational one, where students are given time to study the displayed formula of 4 amino acids. They are not allowed to draw anything during this time but will be challenged with 3 multiple choice questions at the end. This task has been designed to allow the students to visualise how the 20 amino acids share common features in an amine and an acid group. A quick quiz round introduces the R group and time is taken to explain how the structure of this side chain is the only structural difference, before cysteine is considered in greater detail due to the presence of sulfur atoms. Students are briefly introduced to disulfide bridges so they will recognise how particular bonds form between the R groups in the tertiary structure which is covered in the next lesson. The lesson concludes with one more quiz round called LINK TO THE FUTURE where the students will see the roles played by amino acids in the later part of the course such as translation and dipeptides.
This detailed lesson describes the process of translation and the roles of the mRNA, tRNA, rRNA and amino acids during this second stage of protein synthesis. Both the PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the second part of points 2.5 (i) & (ii) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification and contains constant links to the previous lessons in this topic on transcription and the structure of DNA and RNA.
Translation is a topic which is often poorly understood and so this lesson has been written to support the students in answering the different types of questions by knowing and including the details of the key structures involved. The lesson begins by challenging the students to consider why it is so important that the amino acids are assembled in the correct order during the formation of the chain. Moving forwards, a quick quiz round called “LOST IN TRANSLATION” is used to check on their prior knowledge of the mRNA strand, the tRNA molecules and the ribosomes. The next task involves a very detailed description of translation that has been divided into 14 statements which the students have to put into the correct order. By giving them a passage that consists of this considerable detail, they can pick out the important parts to use in the next task where they have to answer shorter questions worth between 3 and 4 marks. These types of questions are common in the assessments and by building up through the lesson, their confidence to answer this type should increase. The final two tasks of the lesson involve another quiz, where the teams compete to transcribe and translate in the quickest time before using all that they have absorbed to answer some questions which involve the genetic code and the mRNA codon table
