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 explains how negative feedback control maintains systems within narrow limits and uses biological examples to describe the meaning of positive feedback. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 7.11 (i) and (ii) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification but have been planned to provide important details for upcoming topics such as the importance of homeostasis during exercise and the depolarisation of a neurone.
The normal ranges for blood glucose concentration, blood pH and body temperature are introduced at the start of the lesson to allow students to recognise that these aspects have to be maintained within narrow limits. A series of exam-style questions then challenge their recall of knowledge from topics 1 - 6 as well as earlier in topic 7 to explain why it’s important that each of these aspects is maintained within these limits. The students were introduced to homeostasis at GCSE, so this process is revisited and discussed, so that students are prepared for an upcoming lesson on exercise, as well as for the next part of the lesson on negative feedback control. Students will learn how this form of control reverses the original change and biological examples are used to emphasise the importance of this system for restoring levels to the limits (and the optimum). The remainder of the lesson explains how positive feedback differs from negative feedback as it increases the original change and the role of oxytocin in birth and the movement of sodium ions into a neurone are used to exemplify the action of this control system.
This lesson describes the classification system, focusing on the biological classification of a species and the 7 taxa found above this lowest taxon. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover point 4.6 (i) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification and also describes the binomial naming system which uses the genus and species. The lesson also contains links to upcoming lessons where molecular phylogeny is described and the three-domain system is covered in greater detail with a focus on the results of Carl Woese’s rRNA study
The lesson begins by looking at the meaning of a population in Biology so that the term species can be introduced. A hinny, which is the hybrid offspring of a horse and a donkey, is used to explain how these two organisms must be members of different species because they are unable to produce fertile offspring. Moving forwards, students will learn that classification is a means of organising the variety of life based on relationships between organisms using differences and similarities in phenotypes and in genotypes and is built around the species concept and that in the modern-day classification hierarchy, species is the lowest taxon. A quiz runs throughout the lesson and this particular round will engage the students whilst they learn (or recall) the names of the other 7 taxa and the horse and the donkey from the earlier example are used to complete the hierarchy. Students will understand that the binomial naming system was introduced by Carl Linnaeus to provide a universal name for each species and they will be challenged to apply their knowledge by completing a hierarchy for a modern-day human, by spotting the correct name for an unfamiliar organism and finally by suggesting advantages of this system.
Classification and evolution is a topic that students can find difficult, which may be for a number of reasons that include a lack of engagement during lessons or because these topics are taught quickly as exams approach at the end of year 12. However, a clear understanding is critical, as assessment questions on the content of this module are common and are often worth a significant number of marks. In line with this, the planning of each of the 7 lessons in this bundle has focused on the inclusion of a wide range of tasks that will engage and motivate the students whilst covering the following points as detailed in module 4.2.2 of the OCR A-level Biology A specification:
The biological classification of species
The taxonomic hierarchy
The binomial system of naming species and the advantages of such a system
The features used to classify organisms into the five kingdoms
The evidence that has led to new classification systems, such as the three domains of life
The different types of variation
Using standard deviation to measure the spread of a set of data
Using the Student’s t-test to compare means of data values of two populations
Using the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient to consider the relationship of the data
The different types of adaptations of organisms to their environment
The mechanism by which natural selection can affect the characteristics of a population over time
How evolution in some species has implications for human populations
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons included in this bundle, then download the following lessons as these have been uploaded for free:
Taxonomic hierarchy and the binomial naming system
Adaptations & natural selection
This lesson describes classification as a means of organising the variety of life based on relationships between organisms. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover point 4.14 (i) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and focuses on the classification hierarchy where species is the lowest taxon but also describes the binomial naming system which uses the genus and species. The lesson also contains links to the next lesson where molecular phylogeny is described and the three-domain system is covered in greater detail with a focus on the results of Carl Woese’s rRNA study
The lesson begins by looking at the meaning of a population in Biology so that the term species can be introduced. A hinny, which is the hybrid offspring of a horse and a donkey, is used to explain how these two organisms must be members of different species because they are unable to produce fertile offspring. Moving forwards, students will learn that classification is a means of organising the variety of life based on relationships between organisms using differences and similarities in phenotypes and in genotypes and is built around the species concept and that in the modern-day classification hierarchy, species is the lowest taxon. A quiz runs throughout the lesson and this particular round will engage the students whilst they learn (or recall) the names of the other 7 taxa and the horse and the donkey from the earlier example are used to complete the hierarchy. Students will understand that the binomial naming system was introduced by Carl Linnaeus to provide a universal name for each species and they will be challenged to apply their knowledge by completing a hierarchy for a modern-day human, by spotting the correct name for an unfamiliar organism and finally by suggesting advantages of this system.
This lesson describes the evidence that led to the three-domain model of classification as an alternative to the five-kingdom model. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.1 (vii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and focuses on Carl Woese’s detailed study of the ribosomal RNA gene and the need for this evidence to be validated by the scientific community
The lesson begins with an introduction of Woese and goes on to describe how he is most famous for his definition of the Archaea as a new domain of life. Students were introduced to domains and the other classification taxa in a lesson at the start of this topic, so their recall of this knowledge is continually tested and built upon as details are added. Students will discover the key differences between Archaea and Bacteria that led to the splitting of the prokaryotae kingdom and the addition of this higher classification rank and will understand that it wasn’t until 13 years after the discovery that it was adopted. Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson describes how molecular phylogeny uses other molecules that can be compared between species for classification purposes. One of these is a protein called cytochrome which is involved in respiration and can be compared in terms of primary structure to determine relationships. At this point in the lesson, the students are also tested on their knowledge of the nature of the genetic code (as covered in topic 1) and have to explain how mutations to DNA can also be used for comparative purposes.
All of the 9 lessons that are included in this bundle are highly detailed and are fully-resourced. The lesson PowerPoints and their accompanying worksheets contain a wide range of tasks that will engage and motivate the students whilst covering the following specification points as set out in topic 4 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification:
The structure and ultrastructure of plant cells
The function of the organelles in plant cells
The structure and function of starch and cellulose
The similarities and differences between the structures, position and functions of sclerenchyma, xylem and phloem
Understand that classification is a means of organising the variety of life based on relationships between organisms
New taxonomic groupings
The meaning of the terms biodiversity and endemism
Know how biodiversity can be measured within a habitat and within a species
Comparing biodiversity between habitats using the index of diversity
The adaptations of organisms to their environment
Use of the Hardy-Weinberg equation
Changes in allele frequency are the result of mutation and natural selection
Evaluate the methods used by zoos and seed banks in the conservation of endangered species and their genetic diversity
If you would like to sample the quality of lessons in this bundle then download the cellulose & starch and modern-day classification lessons as these have been uploaded for free
This lesson explains that biodiversity is considered at three levels and describes how the Simpson’s Index of Diversity is used to calculate the biodiversity within a habitat. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 18.1 (a, b & f) of the CIE A-level Biology specification and also covers the meaning of ecosystems and niche as well as some other important ecological terms that are related such as abiotic factors and population.
A quiz competition called BIOLOGICAL TERMINOLOGY SNAP runs throughout the lesson and has been included to engage the students whilst challenging them to recognise key terms from their definitions. This quiz will introduce species, ecosystems, biodiversity, endemic, heterozygote, distribution and natural selection and each of these terms is put into context once introduced. A series of exam-style questions to challenge the students to explain how the distribution of fish is affected by abiotic factors in an ecosystem. Once biodiversity is revealed through the quiz competition, the students will learn that they need to consider biodiversity within a habitat, within a species and within different habitats so that they can be compared. The rest of the lesson uses step by step guides, discussion points and selected tasks to demonstrate how to determine species richness and the Simpson’s index of diversity. The heterozygosity index is also introduced as a means to consider genetic variation. Students are challenged with a range of exam-style questions where they have to apply their knowledge and all mark schemes are displayed and clearly explained within the PowerPoint to allow students to assess their understanding and address any misconceptions if they arise
This is a detailed lesson with a lot of tasks (some of which are differentiated), so it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 hours of allocated A-level teaching time to cover all of the content
This lesson describes the characteristic features of the three domains and explains why viruses are not included in this classification. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been primarily designed to cover points 18.2 (b) & 18.2 (d) of the CIE A-level Biology specification but also contains tasks that challenge the students on their knowledge of taxonomic hierarchy from this topic and the features of virus from topic 1.
The lesson begins with an introduction of the microbiologist Carl Woese and goes on to describe how he is most famous for his definition of the Archaea as a new domain of life. Students were introduced to domains and the other classification taxa in the last lesson, so their recall of this knowledge is continually tested and built upon as details are added. Students will discover the key differences between Archaea and Bacteria that led to the splitting of the prokaryotae kingdom and the addition of this higher classification rank and will understand that it wasn’t until 13 years after the discovery that it was adopted. Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson explains why viruses are not included in this classification and outlines how they are classified, according to the ICTV, through the type of nucleic acid they contain and whether this is single-stranded or double-stranded
This lesson bundle contains 3 lessons which have been intricately planned to build on the knowledge acquired in the previous lesson and in earlier topics of the course to allow students to gain a deep understanding of classification. The lesson PowerPoints and accompanying resources contain a wide range of tasks which will engage and motivate the students whilst all of the content of topic 18.2 of the CIE A-level Biology specification is covered as detailed below:
Describe the classification of species into the taxonomic hierarchy of domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species
The characteristic features of the three domains
The characteristic features of the kingdoms
The classification of viruses, separate to the three-domain model of classification of cellular organisms
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons in this bundle, then download the “features of the kingdoms” lesson as this has been shared for free
The detailed content, exam-style questions, guided discussion points and quiz competitions that are found in each of the 16 paid lessons that are included in this bundle (as well as the 5 free lessons which are named at the bottom) cover the following specification points in module 4 of the OCR A-level Biology A specification:
Module 4.1.1
The different types of pathogen that can cause communicable diseases in plants and animals
The means of transmission of animal and plant communicable pathogens
The primary non-specific defences against pathogens in animals
The structure and mode of action of phagocytes
The structure, different roles and modes of action of B and T lymphocytes in the specific immune response
The primary and secondary immune responses
The structure and general functions of antibodies
An outline of the action of opsonins, agglutinins and anti-toxins
The differences between active and passive immunity, and between natural and artificial immunity
Autoimmune diseases
The principles of vaccination
Module 4.2.1
How biodiversity can be considered at different levels
The random and non-random sampling strategies that are carried out to measure the biodiversity of a habitat
How to measure species richness and species evenness
The use and interpretation of Simpson’s Index of Diversity
How genetic biodiversity may be assessed
The ecological, economic and aesthetic reasons for maintaining biodiversity
In situ and ex situ methods of maintaining biodiversity
International and local conservation agreements made to protect species and habitats
4.2.2
The biological classification of species
The binomial system of naming species and the advantage of such a system
The features used to classify organisms into the five kingdoms
The evidence that has led to new classification systems
The different types of variation
Using the standard deviation to measure the spread of a set of data
Using the Student’s t-test to compare means of data values of two populations
Using the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient to consider the relationship of the data
The different types of adaptations to their environment
The mechanism by which natural selection can affect the characteristics of a population over time
How evolution in some species has an impact on human populations
If you would like to get an idea of the quality of the lessons that are included in this bundle, then download the following five OCR A lessons which have been uploaded for free:
Immunity & vaccinations
Reasons for maintaining biodiversity
Taxonomic hierarchy and the binomial naming system
Adaptations and natural selection
Transmission of animal and plant pathogens
This bundle contains 8 detailed and engaging lessons, and together they cover a lot of the key content of topic 17 in the CIE A-level Biology specification. Selection and evolution are key processes in Biology but are not always well understood or well explained by students. With this in mind, these lessons have been designed to support students in making links between the different concepts.
The following specification points are covered by these lessons:
The differences between continuous and discontinuous variation
Using the t-test to compare the variation of two different populations
The importance of genetic variation in selection
Natural selection
Environmental factors can act as stabilising, disruptive and directional forces in natural selection
Selection, the founder effect and genetic drift affect allele frequencies in populations
Using the Hardy-Weinberg principle
The molecular evidence that reveals similarities between closely related organisms
Allopatric and sympatric speciation
If you would like to sample the quality of lessons in this bundle then download the following lessons as these have been shared for free
continuous and discontinuous variation
molecule evidence and evolution
This lesson describes the relationship between the specialised structural features of the mammalian gametes and their functions. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.6 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification and includes descriptions of the acrosome in the head of the sperm and the zona pellucida in the egg
The lessons at the start of topic 3 (Voice of the genome) described the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells, so this knowledge is referenced throughout the lesson and the students are challenged on their recall and understanding through a range of prior knowledge checks. For example, two of the exam-style questions that are included in the resources challenge the students to explain why a sperm cell is classified as an eukaryotic cell and to recognise the centrioles and the nucleus from structural descriptions. Along with the mitochondria, time is then taken to discuss and to describe the role of these organelles in relation to the function of the sperm cell. When considering the role of the haploid nucleus, links are made to the upcoming topic of meiosis and the events that contribute to variation. The importance of the enzymes that are found inside the acrosome is emphasised and this leads into the second half of the lesson where the layers surrouding the plasma membrane of the egg cell (corona radiata and zona pellucida) are examined
The final part of this lesson has been specifically planned to prepare the students for the next lesson in topic 3, where the acrosome reaction, cortical reaction and the fusion of nuclei that are involved in fertilisation are described
This lesson introduces the three-domain system and describes some of the biochemical methods used in classification to overcome the problems of morphological convergence. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points [c] and [e] in AS unit 2, topic 1 of the WJEC A-level Biology specification
The lesson begins with an introduction of Carl Woese and goes on to describe how he is most famous for his definition of the Archaea as a new domain of life. Students were introduced to domains and the other classification taxa in a previous lesson, so their recall of this knowledge is continually tested and built upon as details are added. Students will discover the key differences between Archaea and Bacteria that led to the splitting of the prokaryotae kingdom and the addition of this higher classification rank. Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson considers other molecules that can be compared between species for classification purposes and the primary structure of cytochrome is described and discussed. At this point in the lesson, the students are also tested on their knowledge of the nature of the genetic code and have to explain how mutations to DNA can also be used for comparative purposes. The use of DNA genetic fingerprinting is briefly introduced and this is described in greater detail in a future lesson about assessing biodiversity at a molecular level
This lesson describes the adaptations of gas exchange surfaces in single-celled organisms, insects, bony fish and dicotyledonous plants. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets are part of the first lesson in a series of 6 lessons that have been designed to cover the detail of point 3.2 (Gas exchange) of the AQA A-level Biology specification.
The lesson has been intricately planned to challenge the students on their understanding of the surface area to volume ratio (as covered in the previous lesson) and to make direct links to upcoming lessons on gas exchange and transport systems in humans. The lesson begins by explaining that single-celled organisms are able to diffuse oxygen and carbon dioxide across their body surface but that as organisms increase in size and their SA/V ratio decreases, they need adaptations at their gas exchange surfaces to be able to obtain the oxygen to meet their metabolic demands. This leads into the next part of the lesson which describes the roles of the following structures in insects and bony fish:
spiracles, tracheae, tracheoles and tracheole fluid
operculum, gill arch, gill filaments and lamellae
The next task challenges the students to use their knowledge of topics 1 and 2 to come up with the letters that form the key term, countercurrent flow. This is a key element of the lesson and tends to be a principle that is poorly understood, so extra time is taken to explain the importance of this mechanism. Students are shown two diagrams, where one contains a countercurrent system and the other has the two fluids flowing in the same direction, and this is designed to support them in recognising that this type of system ensures that the concentration of oxygen is always higher in the oxygenated water than in the blood in the lamellae.
The final part of the lesson describes the role of the stomata and the mesophyll cells in the gas exchange of a dicotyledonous plant. Students will learn that guard cells contain chloroplasts which generate ATP and then they are challenged to order a series of statements to form a description of the events that result in the opening of the stomata. The differing structures of the spongy mesophyll and palisade mesophyll cells are then considered before the students are challenged to explain how carbon dioxide moves through the leaf after entering via the stomata and then how water vapour and oxygen leave. Clear links are made to the loss of water vapour by transpiration so students are prepared for the lessons covering this biological process later in topic 3.
This bundle contains 4 lessons which cover the following content that’s set out in topic 3.2 (Gas exchange) of the AQA A-level Biology specification:
Adaptations of gas exchange surfaces as shown by the gas exchange in single-celled organisms, insects, bony fish and the leaves of dicotyledonous plants
The gross structure of the human gas exchange system
The essential features of the alveolar epithelium as a surface over which gas exchange takes place
The mechanism of breathing
All of the lessons are detailed and have been intricately planned to contain a wide range of tasks that will challenge the students on their understanding of the current topic as well as their recall of knowledge from previously-covered topics. In this way, the students are encouraged to make links between biological processes in different topics so they are prepared for assessment questions which do just that.
Lessons covering topics 3.1, 3.3 and 3.4 are also uploaded
This lesson describes how the surfaces in insects, fish and mammals are adapted for gas exchange. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover the detail of point 4.3 (i) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification.
The lesson has been intricately planned to challenge the students on their understanding of the surface area to volume ratio (as covered in topic 4.1) and to make direct links to upcoming lessons on the transport systems in humans. The lesson begins by explaining that single-celled organisms are able to diffuse oxygen and carbon dioxide across their body surface but that as organisms increase in size and their SA/V ratio decreases, they need adaptations at their gas exchange surfaces to be able to obtain the oxygen to meet their metabolic demands. This leads into the next part of the lesson which describes the roles of the following structures in insects and bony fish:
spiracles, tracheae, tracheoles and tracheole fluid
operculum, gill arch, gill filaments and lamellae
The next task challenges the students to use their knowledge of topics 1, 2 and 3 to come up with the letters that form the key term, countercurrent flow. This is a key element of the lesson and tends to be a principle that is poorly understood, so extra time is taken to explain the importance of this mechanism. Students are shown two diagrams, where one contains a countercurrent system and the other has the two fluids flowing in the same direction, and this is designed to support them in recognising that this type of system ensures that the concentration of oxygen is always higher in the oxygenated water than in the blood in the lamellae.
As the alveoli as a structure of gas exchange was introduced at GCSE, this final part of the lesson has been written to challenge the recall of that knowledge and to build on it.
The main focus is the type of epithelium found lining the alveoli and students will discover that a single layer of flattened cells known as simple, squamous epithelium acts to reduce the diffusion distance. Again, students will have met this in a lesson in topic 2 on specialised cells (and tissues) so a number of prior knowledge checks are used alongside current understanding checks.
The following features of the alveolar epithelium are also covered:
Surface area
Moist lining
Production of surfactant
The maintenance of a steep concentration gradient
As a constant ventilation supply is critical for the maintenance of the steep concentration gradient, the final task considers the mechanism of ventilation
This lesson bundle contains 5 lesson PowerPoints and together with their accompanying worksheets, they will engage and motivate the students whilst covering the following specification points in module 3.1.1 (Exchange surfaces) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification:
The need for specialised exchange surfaces
The features of an efficient exchange surface
The structures and functions of the components of the mammalian gaseous exchange system
The mechanism of ventilation in mammals
The mechanisms of ventilation and gas exchange in bony fish and insects
Found interspersed within the detailed A-level Biology content in the slides are current understanding and prior knowledge checks and these are followed by displayed mark schemes to allow students to assess their progress. There are also differentiated tasks, guided discussion periods and quiz competitions that introduce key values and terms in a fun and memorable way
If you would like to see the quality of lessons included in this bundle, then download the mammalian gaseous exchange system and ventilation and gas exchange in insects lessons as these have been uploaded for free
This lesson describes how the cells of multicellular organisms are organised into tissues, tissues into organs and organs into systems. The detailed and engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.13 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification and focuses on the levels of organisation in humans and plants
The lesson begins by using 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 are challenged to remember how the shape and arrangement of these cells differ in the trachea and alveoli in relation to their function. The link between specialised cells and tissues is made at this point of the lesson so students are reminded that a tissue is a group of cells that work together to perform a specific function or set of functions. Moving forwards, a quick quiz competition will challenge the students to recognise the liver, kidney, spinal cord and pancreas from a brief functional description and this leads into a series of questions that links back to topics 1 and 2 and earlier in topic 3 where blood clotting, proteins, osmosis, organelles, methods of transport, carbohydrates and enzymes were originally covered. These prior knowledge checks are found throughout the lesson, along with current understanding checks, and all of the mark schemes are embedded into the PowerPoint to allow students to assess their progress. In terms of organ systems, a quick task challenges them to recognise 8 of the 11 that are found in humans from descriptions and this leaves them to identify the gaseous exchange, digestive and reproductive systems as the remaining 3. This leads into a section about cystic fibrosis as this genetic disorder impairs the functioning of these systems.
The remainder of the lesson focuses on specialised plant cells and the differing shapes and features of the palisade and spongy cells in the mesophyll layer and the guard cells are covered at length and in detail. The cells found in the xylem and phloem tissue are also discussed.
This lesson describes the levels of organisation, including the aggregation of cells into tissues, tissues into organs and organs into organ systems. The detailed and engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point (d) of AS unit 1, topic 2 of the WJEC A-level Biology specification and focuses on the levels of organisation in humans and plants. Please note that the lesson does not contain prepared slides of tissue as this is covered in a later lesson.
The lesson begins by using 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 are challenged to remember how the shape and arrangement of these cells differ in the trachea and alveoli in relation to their function. The link between specialised cells and tissues is made at this point of the lesson so students are reminded that a tissue is a group of cells that work together to perform a specific function or set of functions. Moving forwards, a quick quiz competition will challenge the students to recognise the liver, kidney, spinal cord and pancreas from a brief functional description and this leads into a series of questions that links back to topics 1 and earlier in topic 2 where proteins, organelles and carbohydrates were originally covered. These prior knowledge checks are found throughout the lesson, along with current understanding checks, and all of the mark schemes are embedded into the PowerPoint to allow students to assess their progress. In terms of organ systems, a quick task challenges them to recognise 8 of the 11 that are found in humans from descriptions and this leaves them to identify the gaseous exchange, digestive and reproductive systems as the remaining 3.
The remainder of the lesson focuses on specialised plant cells and the differing shapes and features of the palisade and spongy cells in the mesophyll layer and the guard cells are covered at length and in detail. The cells found in the xylem and phloem tissue are also discussed.
This lesson describes the structure and functions of the organelles that are found in eukaryotic cells. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point (a) in AS Unit 1, topic 2 of the WJEC A-level Biology specification
As cells are the building blocks of living organisms, it makes sense that they would be heavily involved in all 6 modules in the OCR course and intricate planning has ensured that links to the lessons earlier in AS unit 1 are made as well as to the upcoming topics in the other units.
The lesson uses a wide range of activities, that include exam-style questions, class discussion points and quick quiz competitions, to maintain motivation and engagement whilst describing the relationship between the structure and function of the following organelles:
nucleus
nucleolus
centrioles
ribosomes
rough endoplasmic reticulum
Golgi body
lysosomes
smooth endoplasmic reticulum
mitochondria
cell surface membrane
vacuole
chloroplasts
plasmodesmata
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 go through all of the tasks
