This is a detailed and engaging lesson that looks at how molecules move between areas of differing concentrations by diffusion and then explores how this occurs across cell membranes and focuses on the alveoli. The lesson begins by using a step by step format to write the definition for diffusion so that key terms such as concentration gradient are understood. Students will be introduced to this as a passive process so that they can understand how active transport differs when this is met in another lesson. Progress checks are written into the lesson at regular intervals so that students can assess their understanding against a displayed answer. Moving forwards, the lesson focuses on diffusion across cell membranes and uses the example of the exchange surface of the alveoli and blood capillaries to explore the different features which act to increase the rate of diffusion. The final part of the lesson briefly looks at how the villi in the small intestine increase the rate of diffusion. This lesson has been written for GCSE aged students. If you’re looking for a lesson on this topic but for older students, then my alternative upload “Simple diffusion” will be more suitable

This fully-resourced REVISION lesson is detailed and engaging and uses a range of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to allow students to assess their understanding of the content within topic 7 (Radioactivity and particles) of the Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics 9-1 specification (4PH1) for first assessment in June 2019. The specification points that are covered in this revision lesson include: Describe energy transfers involving energy stores Use the principle of conservation of energy Know and use the relationship between efficiency, useful energy output and total energy output Describe how thermal energy transfer may take place by conduction, convection and radiation Explain ways of reducing unwanted energy transfer, such as insulation Know and use the relationship between work done, force and distance moved in the direction of the force Know and use the relationship between gravitational potential energy, mass, gravitational field strength and height Know and use the relationship between kinetic energy, mass and speed Understand how conservation of energy produces a link between gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy and work Use the relationship between power, work done (energy transferred) and time taken Describe the energy transfers involved in generating electricity using water, wind, geothermal resources, solar, fossil fuels and nuclear power The students will thoroughly enjoy the range of activities, which include quiz competitions such as “The TRANSFER MARKET” where they have to compete to be the 1st to identify the type of energy transfer shown whilst all the time evaluating and assessing which areas of this topic will need their further attention. This lesson can be used as revision resource at the end of the topic or in the lead up to mocks or the actual International GCSE exams

An informative lesson that looks at how energy is lost at each stage of a food chain and how this affects the biomass of consumers. This lesson has been written for GCSE students but could be used with A-level students who are revisiting this ecology topic. The lesson begins by posing a question to the students about why herbivores tend to be raised for food rather than carnivores to see how they would tackle it at this early stage. This exact question is revisited at the end of the lesson once learning has occurred so that students can monitor their own progress. Time is taken to look back at pyramids of biomass and food chains so that students are reminded of key terminology such as trophic level and also recognise that the biomass decreases at each level. A number of quick competitions have been written into the lesson to maintain engagement but also to introduce key terms and numbers (like 10%) in a different way. The main part of the lesson looks at how the energy is lost by organisms that leads to the decrease in biomass and links are made to related topics such as respiration and homeostasis.

This fully-resourced lesson explores the inheritance of genetic characteristics that involve multiple alleles and codominant alleles. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and differentiated worksheets have been designed to cover the part of point 6.1.2 (b[i]) which states that students should be able to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and understanding of genetic diagrams to show patterns of inheritance including multiple and codominant alleles. The main part of the lesson uses the inheritance of the ABO blood groups to demonstrate how the three alleles that are found at the locus on chromosome 9 and the codominance of the A and B alleles affects the phenotypes. Students are guided through the construction of the different genotypes and how to interpret the resulting phenotype. They are challenged to use a partially completed pedigree tree to determine the blood group for some of the family members and to explain how they came to their answer. To further challenge their ability to apply their knowledge, a series of questions about multiple alleles and codominance in animals that are not humans are used. The final part of the lesson makes a link back to module 4 and the correlation between a high proportion of polymorphic gene loci and an increase in genetic diversity. Students will be expected to make links between module 4 and 6 as part of papers 2 and 3, so this demonstrates how exam questions can do just that

This lesson describes the active loading of assimilates like sucrose at the source and the translocation along the phloem to the sink. Both the detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.1.3 (f) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification. The lesson begins by challenging the students to recognise the key term translocation when it is partially revealed and then the rest of the lesson focuses on getting them to understand how this process involves the mass flow of assimilates down the hydrostatic pressure gradient from the source to the sink. It has been written to tie in with 3.1.3 (b) where the structure of the phloem tissue was initially introduced and the students are continually challenged on this prior knowledge. A step-by-step guide is used to describe how sucrose is loaded into the phloem at the source by the companion cells. Time is taken to discuss key details such as the proton pumping to create the proton gradient and the subsequent movement back into the cells by facilitated diffusion using co-transporter proteins. Students will learn that the hydrostatic pressure at the source is high, due to the presence of the water and sucrose as cell sap, and that this difference when compared to the lower pressure at the sink leads to the movement along the phloem. A number of quick quiz rounds are included in the lesson to maintain engagement and to introduce key terms and the lesson concludes with a game of SOURCE or SINK as students have to identify whether a particular plant structure is one or the other (or both)

An engaging lesson presentation (34), accompanied by a summary worksheet, which together explore the factors which change the rate of transpiration and focuses on the explanation behind each factor. The lesson begins by introducing the term, transpiration, and linking this to the structure of a leaf to ensure that students know that water is lost as water vapour out of the stomata. Students are provided with an analogy of plants being like clothes on a washing line to challenge them to come up with some of the factors involved. Time is taken to look specifically at humidity as this is a factor which is commonly misunderstood. Moving forwards, students are challenged to draw sketch graphs to predict whether increasing each of these factors will increase the rate of transpiration or decrease it. A series of questions to lead to answers is used to show the students how to explain the effect of increasing the light intensity. The remainder of the lesson looks at a potometer and how it can be used to calculate the rate. The mathematical skills of the students are challenged during a range of tasks and then linked back to the Science so they can recognise which features of plants will help to reduce water loss. Progress checks are written into this lesson at regular intervals to allow students to assess their understanding and a number of quick competitions act to maintain engagement. This lesson has been written for GCSE students but is suitable for A-level students who are studying the plants topic

A short, concise lesson presentation (25 slides) that explores the key evidence that is used to support the Big Bang Theory. This lesson has been written for GCSE students with the focus on the fine details which they need to be able to understand in order to successfully answer exam questions on this topic. The lesson begins with a fun slide which challenges their mathematical skills to work out a number of years and spot that a dingbat represents the Big Bang. This leads students into the key details of the theory and includes when it was believed to have happened. The rest of the lesson focuses on two main pieces of evidence, namely red shift and CMBR. Students are guided through these topics and related topics such as the Doppler effect are revisited. The final part of the lesson uses a quick competition to get students to recognise the names of alternative theories and a set homework challenges them to add details in terms of evidence to support each of steady state and creationism.

This concise lesson presentation (20 slides) guides students through the effect of changing pressure on the position of the equilibrium. The key skill to this topic involves recalling the rule of increasing pressure and being able to recognise how many moles are on each side of the reaction. For this reason, time is taken to remind the students of the meaning of the mole numbers in a reaction and working through an example together so they can see which side will be favoured. The final part of the lesson involves a game called “The PRESSURE is on” where students are in a race against the clock to balance an equation and then work out which way the equilibrium will shift when either the pressure is increased or decreased. This lesson has been written for GCSE students.

This lesson looks at the homologous series of alcohols, focusing on the properties that they share and guiding students through naming and drawing displayed formula to represent them. It has been designed for GCSE students and time is taken to embed a few selected key details as dictated by the exam board specification. The lesson begins with students meeting the formula for ethanol. This substance will provide the backbone to their understanding as they are guided through drawing the displayed formula so they can visualise how it is done and use to draw diagrams for the others. Students are shown how the general formula for the alkanes and alkenes can be worked out and then challenged to use this to work out the general formula for the alcohols. There is a brief look at the reactions with oxygen and the products that can be made depending upon whether sufficient oxygen is available or not.

This is an engaging lesson that looks at a range of condensation polymers that are formed by condensation reactions. The lesson includes a detailed lesson presentation (51 slides) and accompanying worksheets which contain a differentiated task. The lesson begins by providing the students with a definition of a condensation reaction and challenging them to predict the identity of the smaller molecule. Moving forwards, students will learn that as well as water being a product, the larger molecule is known as a condensation polymer. Time is taken to look at a range of condensation polymers throughout the course of the lesson, and this includes both natural and artificial examples. Students are shown how to draw block diagrams to visualise how the functional groups react and then once water is removed, they are able to see the group that remains and joins the parts together. Students are shown how to name the ester formed according to the carboxylic acid and alcohol involved. The final part of the lesson involves a summary quiz called “It’s time to take the POLYGRAPH” where they have to read a number of passages about condensation polymers and decide which ones are telling lies and which are the truth. This lesson has been written for GCSE students

A fully-resourced lesson, which includes a lesson presentation (49 slides) and associated worksheets and guides students through the topic of extracting metals. The main focus of the lesson is the extracting of the metals (from their oxides) that fall below carbon in the reactivity series. Students will see how the metal oxides are reduced in order to form the required metal. Some time is taken to briefly look at the extraction of aluminium from aluminium oxide but if a lesson on the extraction of a particular metal is sought, then please look at my additional resources which cover iron and aluminium in greater detail. This lesson has been designed for GCSE students (14 - 16 year olds in the UK)

A fully resourced lesson that includes a lesson presentation (31 slides) and a related newspaper story to allow the students to compare the structure and properties of two allotropes of carbon, diamond and graphite. Students are guided through the structures and then challenged to work out how this relates to their respective properties. Time is taken to focus on the comparison between the two in terms of their ability to conduct electricity. A step by step answer is used to explain why diamond cannot conduct electricity so that students can use this when forming their answer for graphite. This lesson has been designed primarily for GCSE students (14 - 16 year olds) where questions comparing these two substances are common but it is suitable for use with younger students too.

A resourced lesson which looks at calculating acceleration using the (v-u)/t equation. This lesson includes an engaging lesson presentation (26 slides) and a worksheet of questions that can be used for homework or during the lesson. The lesson begins by looking at the actual meaning of acceleration, ensuring that students understand it is a rate and therefore recognise the units as a result. A number of engaging activities are included in the lesson, such as the ACCELERATION OLYMPICS, to maintain motivation. Students are shown how to rearrange the equation to make velocity or time the subject and then challenged to apply these in a series of questions. Deceleration is briefly mentioned at the end of the lesson. This lesson has been primarily designed for students studying GCSE (14 - 16 year olds in the UK) but it is suitable for students at KS3 too.

A thought-provoking lesson presentation (34 slides) that looks at each of the stages in the development of drugs and considers the potential issues that arise at each of the stages. The lesson begins by ensuring that the students know the scientific definition of a drug and then they will be told how much is spent by the NHS alone each year on medicinal drugs so they can recognise the importance of this topic. Moving forwards, each stage in the development is considered in the appropriate detail. Students are challenged to consider some stages from both a scientific angle and a business angle so they can understand why certain animals are chosen for the testing. Key terms such as placebo and double blind trial are introduced and discussion time is written into the lesson so that insightful questions can be posed by all. There are regular progress checks throughout the lesson to allow the students to check on their understanding. This lesson has been written for GCSE students but could be used with KS3 students who might be carrying out research or a project on the topic of drugs.

A fully-resourced lesson which guides students through drawing, writing and recognising the electronic configurations of atoms and ions. The lesson includes an engaging lesson presentation (33 slides), an associated worksheet and a competition worksheet. The lesson begins by introducing the students to the number of electrons that can be held on the first three electron shells. They are then shown how to draw an electronic configuration and write this in brackets form. Students are given the opportunity to apply this knowledge by drawing the configuration of first 20 elements of the Periodic Table. Moving forwards, students are guided to enable them to discover how the electron configuration is linked to the position of an atom in the Periodic Table. The remainder of the lesson focuses on ions and how the configuration of these substances can be recognised. Some time is taken to explain how ions are formed from atoms and the lesson finishes with a competition which challenges students to identify atoms or ions from their configurations to form a word. There are regular progress checks throughout the lesson to allow the students to check on their understanding and a range of quiz competitions to maintain engagement. This lesson has been written for GCSE students but could be used with younger students, especially the initial part of the lesson on atoms and the link to the Periodic Table