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 gross structure of the human gas exchange system and the functions of the structural components like goblet cells. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 9.1 (a & c) of the CIE A-level Biology specification and has been specifically planned to prepare students for an upcoming lesson where the gas exchange between the alveoli and the blood is described.
The lesson is filled with a range of activities such as guided discussion periods, exam-style questions (with markschemes) and quiz competitions and these run alongside the slides containing the detailed A-level Biology content to cover the following features:
The incomplete rings of cartilage, ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium and goblet cells in the trachea
The narrowing airways of the primary, secondary and tertiary bronchi
The elastic fibres and smooth muscle in the terminal and respiratory bronchioles
The pleural cavity and fluid of the lungs
When describing the production of mucus by the goblet cells in the trachea, time is taken to consider cystic fibrosis and the inheritance of this autosomal recessive disorder. Students will be supported in working out genotypes from a pedigree tree to prepare them for topic 16 (Inherited change)
This lesson describes the process of gas exchange between air in the alveoli and the blood. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheet have been designed to cover point 9.1 (d) of the CIE A-level Biology specification
Gas exchange at the alveoli is a topic that was covered at GCSE so this lesson has been written to challenge the recall of that knowledge and to build on it.
The main focus of the lesson 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.
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 part of the lesson considers the mechanism of ventilation
This lesson describes why a disease would be deemed to be an autoimmune disease and describes the mechanisms involved in a few examples. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been primarily designed to cover point 4.1.1 (k) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification, but this lesson can also be used to revise the content of modules 2 and 3 and the previous lessons in 4.1.1 through the range of activities included
The lesson begins with a challenge, where the students have to recognise diseases from descriptions and use the first letters of their names to form the term, autoimmune. In doing so, the students will immediately learn that rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, type I diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis and myasthenia gravis are all examples of autoimmune diseases. The next part of the lesson focuses on the mechanism of these diseases where the immune system cells do not recognise the antigens (self-antigens) on the outside of the healthy cells, and therefore treats them as foreign antigens, resulting in the production of autoantibodies against proteins on these healthy cells and tissues. Key details of the autoimmune diseases stated above and lupus are described and links to previously covered topics as well as to future topics such as the nervous system are made. The students will be challenged by numerous exam-style questions, all of which have mark schemes embedded into the PowerPoint to allow for immediate assessment of progress.
This lesson describes the differences between the primary and secondary responses and describes how the structure of antibodies is related to function. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification points 4.1.1 (g), (h) and (i) as detailed in the OCR A-level Biology A specification and emphasises the importance of memory cells.
As memory B cells differentiate into plasma cells that produce antibodies when a specific antigen is re-encountered, it was decided to link the immune responses and antibodies together in one lesson. The lesson begins by checking on the students incoming knowledge to ensure that they recognise that B cells differentiate into plasma cells and memory cells. This was introduced in a previous lesson on the specific immune response and students must be confident in their understanding if the development of immunity is to be understood. A couple of quick quiz competitions are then used to introduce key terms so that the structure of antibodies in terms of polypeptide chains, variable and constant regions and hinge regions are met. Time is taken to focus on the variable region and to explain how the specificity of this for a particular antigen allows neutralisation and agglutination to take place. The remainder of the lesson focuses on the differences between the primary and secondary immune responses and a series of exam-style questions will enable students to understand that the quicker production of a greater concentration of these antibodies in the secondary response is due to the retention of memory cells.
Every one of the lessons included in this bundle is detailed, engaging and fully-resourced, and has been written to cover the content as detailed in topic 4 of the AQA A-level Biology specification. The wide range of activities will maintain engagement whilst supporting the explanations of the content to allow the students to build a deep understanding of genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms.
The following 17 lessons covering the 7 sub-topics are included in this bundle:
4.1: DNA, genes and chromosomes
DNA in prokaryotes and eukaryotes
Genes
4.2: DNA and protein synthesis
Genome, proteome and the structure of RNA
Transcription and splicing
Translation
4.3: Genetic diversity can arise as a result of mutation or during meiosis
The genetic code
Gene mutations
Chromosome mutations
Meiosis
4.4: Genetic diversity and adaptation
Genetic diversity
Natural selection
Directional and stabilising selection
Adaptations
4.5: Species and taxonomy
Species and taxonomy
4.6: Biodiversity within a community
Biodiversity within a community
Calculating an index of diversity
The balance between conservation and farming
4.7: Investigating diversity
Investigating diversity
Interpreting mean values and the standard deviation
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons in this bundle, then download the DNA in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, structure of RNA, gene mutations, natural selection and standard deviation lessons as these have been uploaded for free
This bundle contains 13 detailed lesson PowerPoints, which together with their accompanying resources, have been planned to include a wide variety of tasks that will engage and motivate the students whilst covering the content of topic 3 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification. The voice of the genome topic content includes key biological concepts such as eukaryotic cells, cell division and genetics and the following specification points are covered by these lessons:
All living organisms are made of cells, sharing common features
The ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells and the role of the organelles
The role of the rER and the Golgi body in protein transport
The relationship between the features of the mammalian gametes and their functions
The loci is the location of a gene on a chromosome
The linkage of genes on a chromosome and sex linkage
The role of meiosis in ensuring genetic variation
The role of mitosis and the cell cycle
The meaning of the terms stem cell, pluripotency and totipotency
The decisions about the use of stem cells in medical therapies
The specialisation of cells through differential gene expression
Understand how the cells of multicellular organisms are organised into tissues, tissues into organs and organs into systems
Phenotype is the interaction between genotype and the environment
Epigenetic changes can modify the activation of certain genes
Some phenotypes are affected by multiple alleles for the same gene at many loci as well as the environment and this gives rise to continuous variation
If you would like to sample the quality of lessons in this bundle, then download the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells, mitosis and the cell cycle and gene expression lessons as these have been uploaded for free
A series of 5 exam questions that challenge students to work out the actual size of a section as seen under a microscope or the magnification. These questions will test their ability to convert between measurements and give answers in micrometers. These questions are suitable for GCSE and A-level students
All 9 of the lessons included in this bundle are fully resourced and have been designed to cover the detailed content of module 5.2.2 (Respiration) of the OCR A-Level Biology A specification.
The following specification points are covered by this bundle of lessons:
The need for cellular respiration
The structure of the mitochondrion
The process and site of glycolysis
The link reaction and its site in the cell
The process and site of the Krebs cycle
The importance of coenzymes in cellular respiration
The process and site of oxidative phosphorylation
The chemiosmotic theory
The process of anaerobic respiration in eukaryotes
The difference in the relative energy values of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins
The use and interpretation of the respiratory quotient
All of the lessons are detailed and engaging and contain regular progress checks so that students can assess their understanding of the current topic as well as prior knowledge checks to enable links between topics and modules to be seen
It is estimated that these lessons will cover in excess of a month’s A-level Biology teaching time
This is a fully-resourced lesson that covers the details of specification point 5.1.2 (e) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification which states that students should be able to demonstrate and apply an understanding of the effects of kidney failure and its potential treatments. This lesson consists of an engaging PowerPoint (55 slides) and associated differentiated worksheets that look at the diagnosis of a number of different kidney-related conditions and the potential treatments for kidney failure. This lesson is designed to get the students to take on the numerous roles of a doctor who works in the renal ward which include testing, diagnosis and treatment. Having obtained measurements by GFR and results by taking urine samples, hey are challenged to use their knowledge of the function of the kidney to study urine samples (and the accompanying GP’s notes) to diagnose one of four conditions. They then have to write a letter to the patient to explain how they made this diagnosis, again focusing on their knowledge of the structure and functions of the Bowman’s capsule and PCT. The rest of the lesson focuses on haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and kidney transplant. There are regular progress checks throughout the lesson so that students can assess their understanding and there are a number of homework activities included in the lesson.
This lesson is designed for A-level students who are studying the OCR A-level Biology specification and ties in nicely with the other uploaded lessons on this organ which include the structure and function of the nephron, ultrafiltration, selective reabsorption and osmoregulation.
An engaging lesson presentation (42 slides) and associated worksheet that uses a combination of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and a quiz competition to help the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within the Chemistry unit C5 (Energy changes) of the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification (specification point C5.5). The lesson includes useful hints and tips to encourage success in assessments. For example, students are shown how to use the energy change in a chemical reaction to work out if it is an endothermic or exothermic reaction.
The topics that are tested within the lesson include:
Endothermic and exothermic reactions
Reaction profiles
Calculating energy changes in reactions
Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including a summary round called “E NUMBERS” which requires them to use all of their knowledge to work out the type of reactions that are shown.
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 6.3.1 (Ecosystems) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification.
The topics tested within this lesson include:
Ecosystems
Transfer of biomass
Recycling within ecosystems
Succession
Studying ecosystems
Student will enjoy the range of tasks and quiz rounds whilst crucially being able to recognise any areas which require further attention
A fully-resourced lesson which looks at the chemical reaction that is aerobic respiration and ensures that students can apply their knowledge to application questions which challenge them to make links to related topics. The lesson includes a practical-based lesson presentation (19 slides) and associated worksheets containing differentiated questions.
The aim of the beginning of the lesson involves getting students to understand the term, concentration, so that they are able to use it accurately in their descriptions. This is a term which is commonly wrongly used by students. Moving forwards, students will carry out a practical to collect valid results so that they can apply their knowledge of concentration to explain a trend. Certain practical skills are challenged during the lesson such as the drawing of a results table to display the results. A worksheet containing questions on the practical is differentiated so that students who need assistance are still able to access the learning.
This lesson has been designed for GCSE students but can be used with KS3 students who are learning about chemical reactions.
A fully-resourced lesson which explores how the composition of different alloys is related to their properties and their uses. The lesson includes an engaging and informative lesson presentation (38 slides) and an associated differentiated worksheet.
The lesson begins by challenging the students to use their Chemistry knowledge of numbers to come up with the letters of the word alloy. Students are introduced to the definition of this key term and then use a wordsearch to find both the names of the alloys but also the metals that are found in these mixtures. The main aim of this lesson is to get students to understand why alloys are chosen for jobs rather than pure metals and there is a focus on atoms and their arrangement. Students are challenged to use the example of copper and brass to complete a summary passage which is differentiated so that those who need more assistance are still able to access the work. The remainder of the lesson focuses on steel and solder, again exploring how their different features are related to how they are used in modern day life. Progress checks have been written into the lesson at regular intervals to allow the students to check their understanding and a range of quick quiz competitions will aid engagement.
This lesson has been designed for GCSE students but could be used with KS3 students who are looking at mixtures within the atoms and elements topic.
This bundle of 7 lessons covers the majority of the content in the sub-topic C6.2 (Organic Chemistry) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Chemistry specification. The topics covered within these lessons include:
Alkanes
Alkenes
Alcohols
Carboxylic acids
Alkanes from crude oil
Cracking oil fractions
Biological polymers
All of these lesson presentations and accompanying resources are detailed and engaging and contain regular progress checks to allow the students to constantly assess their understanding.
This lesson has been designed for GCSE students and looks at the key details of two methods that are used to make ethanol, fermentation and the hydration of ethene. Some students may believe that the sole use of ethanol is for alcoholic drinks so the first part of the lesson uses a quick competition to introduce some additional uses. There are a number of these competitions that run during the lesson, in order to maintain engagement but also to introduce key terms and check on understanding in alternative forms. The details of each of the reactions are discussed and related topics are tested through questions and tasks, such as the students being challenged to write symbol equations and adding state symbols and to remember the identification test for carbon dioxide. The final part of the lesson plays one final competition, which is a battle between all of the students to spot which of the two reactions is being described by a clue.
This bundle of 8 revision lessons uses a range of activities that include exam questions (with clearly explained answers), differentiated tasks and quiz competitions to engage students whilst they are revising the following topics that are found on the AQA GCSE Physics specification:
Topic 1: Energy
Topic 2: Electricity
Topic 3: Particle model of matter
Topic 4: Atomic structure
Topic 5: Forces
Topic 6: Waves
Topic 7: Magnetism and electromagnetism
Topic 8: Space Physics
These lessons can be used for revision at the end of the topic or in the lead up to the mocks or actual GCSE exams so that students can assess the areas of the specification which need their further attention
If you want to see the quality of the lessons, download the topic 1 and 5 lessons as these are free
An engaging lesson presentation (63 slides) and associated worksheets that uses a combination of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within the Biology unit B7 (Ecology) of the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification (specification unit B4.7).
The topics that are tested within the lesson include:
Communities
Abiotic factors
Biotic factors
Levels of organisation
Recycling materials
Deforestation
Global warming
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
A fully-resourced lesson which has been designed for GCSE students and includes an engaging lesson presentation and associated worksheets. This lesson looks at the three limiting factors of photosynthesis, focusing on the graphs that they produce and ensures that students can explain why temperature is a factor.
This lesson begins by introducing the students to the definition of a limiting factor. They are challenged to recognise that it would be photosynthesis which is limited by carbon dioxide concentration and light intensity. The third factor, temperature, is not introduced until later in the lesson so that students are given thinking time to consider what it might be. Having been presented with two sets of data, students are asked to draw sketch graphs to represent the trend. The limiting factors on the light intensity graph are taught to the students so they can use this when working out the limiting factors on the carbon dioxide graph. The remainder of the lesson focuses on temperature and more specifically why a change in this factor would cause a change in the rate of photosynthesis because of enzymes. The student’s knowledge of that topic is tested alongside. Progress checks have been written into the lesson at regular intervals so that students can constantly assess their understanding.
This bundle of 7 lessons covers the majority of content in Topic B4(Community-level systems) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Biology specification. The topics covered within these lessons include:
Ecosystems
Abiotic and biotic factors
Competition and interdependence
Efficiency of biomass transfer
The Carbon cycle
The Nitrogen cycle
Decomposers
All of these lesson presentations and accompanying resources are detailed and engaging and contain regular progress checks to allow the students to constantly assess their understanding.
This is a fully-resourced revision lesson that uses a combination of exam questions, understanding checks, quick differentiated tasks and quiz competitions to enable students to assess their understanding of the content found within Topic 5 (On the wild side) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification.
The sub-topics and specification points that are tested within the lesson include:
Be able to describe how to carry out a study on the ecology of a habitat
Understand the stages of succession
Understand the overall reaction of photosynthesis
Understand the structure of chloroplasts in relation to their role in photosynthesis
Understand the relationship between NPP, GPP and respiration
Understand the effect of temperature on enzyme activity and its impact on plants and animals and microorganisms
Know how the temperature coefficient Q10 quantifies the rate of an enzyme-catalysed reaction
Understand how knowledge of the carbon cycle can be applied to methods to reduce atmopsheric levels of carbon dioxide
A number of the tasks have been differentiated to allow all abilities of student to access the work and there is a big emphasis on the mathematical skills that can be tested in this topic. Students will be engaged through the numerous quiz rounds such as “Can you DEPEND on your knowledge” and “From NUMBERS 2 LETTERS” 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
