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 bundle of 8 revision lessons have been designed to include a range of exam questions (with explained answers), differentiated tasks and quiz competitions to enable students to assess their understanding of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification content.
The 8 topics that are covered in the specification are included in this bundle and are:
Topic 1: Lifestyle, Health and Risk
Topic 2: Genes and Health
Topic 3: Voice of the Genome
Topic 4: Biodiversity and natural resources
Topic 5: On the wild side
Topic 6: Infection, immunity and forensics
Topic 7: Run for your life
Topic 8: Grey matter
Students will enjoy the range of activities, which provide a much needed alternative to their other revision methods, and these lessons can be used throughout the duration of the course, as an end of topic revision lesson or in the lead up to mocks or the actual A-level terminal exams
This REVISION resource has been designed to motivate and engage students whilst they are challenged on their knowledge of the content in topics C1-C5 of the AQA GCSE Chemistry specification which can be assessed on PAPER 1. This is fully-resourced and contains a detailed PowerPoint (208 slides) and accompanying worksheets, some of which have been differentiated.
The resource was written with the aim of covering as many of the sub-topics in C1-C5 as possible, but the following ones have been given a particular focus:
The chemical properties of the Group 1, 7 and 0 elements
The structure of atoms and ions
The properties of ionic compounds
Drawing dot and cross diagrams to represent ionic compounds
Extracting metals using carbon
REDOX reactions
Electrolysis of molten salts and solutions
Neutralisation reactions
Writing balanced chemical symbol equations
Simple and giant covalent structures
Diamond and graphite
Calculating the relative formula mass
Moles and Avogadro’s constant
Calculating the mass in reactions
Molar volume (Gas calculations)
Concentration of solutions
The organisation of the Periodic Table
Due to the extensiveness of this resource, it is likely to be used over the course of a number of lessons with a particular class and this allows the teacher to focus in on any sub-topics which are identified as needing more time.
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
This is an engaging REVISION lesson which uses a range of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to enable students to assess their understanding of the content within topic 2 (Electricity) of the AQA GCSE Physics (8463) specification.
The specification points that are covered in this revision lesson include:
Standard circuit diagram symbols
Current, resistance and potential difference
Resistors
Series and parallel circuits
Direct and alternating potential difference
Mains electricity
Power
Static charge
The students will thoroughly enjoy the range of activities, which include quiz competitions such as “GRAFT over these GRAPHS” where they have to compete to be the 1st to recognise one of the graphs associated with the resistors 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 GCSE exams
This is a fully-resourced revision resource which has been designed to encourage students to evaluate their understanding of the content in TOPIC 4 of the AQA A-level Biology specification (Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms) . The resource includes an engaging PowerPoint (96 slides) and associated worksheets, some of which have been differentiated to allow those struggling with the content to access the work.
The wide range of activities which includes exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions will motivate the students whilst they assess their knowledge and recognise those areas which require even further attention. The lesson has been designed to cover as many sub-topics as possible but the following have been given particular attention:
Classification hierarchy
DNA in prokaryotes and eukaryotes
The binomial naming system
Phylogeny
Modern day classification using biological molecules
Calculating biodiversity
Selection pressures and types of selections
Transcription
Gene mutations
Physiological, behavioural and anatomical adaptations
Meiosis and variation
Non-disjunction
The mathematical element of this topic and the course is challenged throughout the lesson and helpful hints are regularly provided to help students to structure their answers. This resource can be used as a revision aid at the end of the topic, in the lead up to AS or A2 mocks or in the lead up to the actual terminal A-level exams.
A concise lesson presentation (20 slides) that looks at how the collision theory is related to the rate of reaction. This is a short lesson that would be taught at the beginning of the topic that looks at the rate of reaction and the factors that affect the rate. Students are challenged with a quick competition that gets them to recognise keywords which are involved in the collision theory. Some time is then taken to focus on "activation energy" and how this is shown on a reaction profile. Finally, students will use their keywords to form a clear definition for the collision theory which includes its link to the rate of reaction so this can be used in the upcoming lessons
This lesson has ultimately been designed for GCSE students but can be used with all age groups as an introduction to the topic
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.
This is a fully-resourced lesson which includes an engaging and detailed lesson presentation and differentiated worksheets that together guide students through the key details of endothermic and exothermic reactions. This lesson has been designed for GCSE students but could be used with students entering this topic at A-level who are looking for a recap on the key details.
This lesson focuses on a few critical areas of these reactions and those which are often poorly understood. For example, considerable time is taken to ensure that students understand how energy is taken in to break bonds in a reaction and given out when bonds are formed. From this basis, they learn to compare the amount of energy taken in with the amount given out and ultimately determine whether it is an endothermic or exothermic reaction. The format of the lesson is that students are guided through the combustion of methane as an exothermic reaction and shown how to draw reaction profiles and calculate energy changes using the bond energies to prove it is that type of reaction. Having worked with the teacher and each other on this reaction, students are then challenged to bring their skills together to describe, explain and represent an endothermic reaction. If students feel that they will need some assistance on this task, the worksheet has been differentiated so they can still access the learning. There are a number of quick competitions written into the lesson to maintain engagement and also progress checks are found at regular intervals so students can constantly assess their understanding. The lesson finishes with a final game called The E factor which tests the students knowledge from across the whole lesson.
An informative lesson presentation (37 slides) and associated question worksheet which looks at the key properties of alpha, beta and gamma radiation. Students are given key pieces of information during the lesson and are then challenged to use their knowledge of related topics such as atomic structure and waves to complete the information table about the types of radiation. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to compare the types of radiation on form, charge, relative mass, penetrating power and equation symbols. Progress checks have been written into the lesson at regular intervals so that students can constantly assess their understanding.
This lesson has been written for GCSE students (14 - 16 year olds in the UK).
A fully-resourced lesson that includes a lesson presentation (20 slides) and a differentiated worksheet. The lesson uses a step-by-step method to guide students through the process of writing net ionic equations. Students will learn the meaning of a spectator ion and be able to identify them within an equation so that they can be removed when writing the final net ionic equation. The lesson focuses on writing these equations for neutralisation and precipitation reactions, with the former being a very common question in assessments.
This lesson has been written for GCSE students (14 - 16 year olds)
This detailed lesson has been planned to cover the 1st part of specification point 6.4.3 of the AQA A-level Biology specification which states that students should be able to describe the detailed structure of the nephron and understand its role in ultrafiltration, selective reabsorption and osmoregulation. The lesson was designed at the same time as the other lessons in this topic on ultrafiltration, selective reabsorption and osmoregulation so that a common theme runs throughout and students can build up their knowledge gradually in order to develop a deep understanding of this organ.
Students will come to recognise the renal cortex and renal medulla as the two regions of the kidney and learn the parts of the nephron which are found in each of these regions. Time is taken to look at the vascular supply of this organ and specifically to explain how the renal artery divides into the afferent arterioles which carry blood towards the glomerulus and the efferent arterioles which carry the blood away. The main task of the lesson challenges the students to relate structure to function. Having been introduced to the names of each of the parts of the nephron, they have to use the details of the structures found at these parts to match the function. For example, they have to make the connection between the microvilli in the PCT as a sign that this part is involved in selective reabsorption.
This lesson has been designed for students studying on the AQA A-level Biology course
This lesson bundle contains 6 fully-resourced lessons which have been designed to engage and motivate the students whilst covering the detailed content of topic 3 (Enzymes) in the CIE A-level Biology specification. These globular proteins catalyse biological reactions throughout living organisms so a deep understanding of this topic is important for all of the other 18 topics in this course.
The wide range of activities that are included within the lesson PowerPoints and accompanying resources will cover the following specification points:
Enzymes are globular proteins that catalyse reactions
The mode of action of enzymes
The lock and key hypothesis and the induced-fit model
The effect of temperature on the rate of an enzyme-catalysed reaction
The effect of pH on the rate of an enzyme-catalysed reaction
The effect of enzyme and substrate concentration on the rate of an enzyme-catalysed reaction
The effect of inhibitor concentration on the rate of an enzyme-catalysed reaction
The effect of competitive and non-competitive inhibitors on enzyme activity
Immobilising an enzyme in alginate
All 4 of the lessons included in this bundle are highly-detailed to enable students to understand the sequence of events that occur during the body’s response to infection. Hours of planning have gone into the lesson PowerPoints and accompanying resources to ensure that the wide variety of tasks motivate and engage the students whilst challenging them to answer exam-style questions that cover the following specification points in topic 6.7 of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification:
The mode of action of macrophages, neutrophils and lymphocytes
The development of the humoral immune response
The development of the cell-mediated response
The role of T and B memory cells in the secondary immune response
Immunity can be natural, artificial, active or passive
Vaccination can be used in the control of disease and the development of herd immunity
This can be a difficult topic for students to grasp, so time is taken to go over the key details to ensure that these are emphasised and retained
Normally the first topic to be taught in the second year of the AQA A-level Biology course, topic 5 contains some very important biological processes which include photosynthesis, respiration and energy transfer between organisms. All 17 lessons included in this bundle are highly detailed and have been planned at length to ensure that students remain motivated and engaged whilst being constantly challenged on their current understanding. Links to previously-covered topics are also made throughout the lessons.
The following specification points are covered in these lessons:
TOPIC 5.1
The light-dependent reaction of photosynthesis
The use of reduced NADP and ATP from the light-dependent reaction in the light-independent reaction
The light-independent reaction of photosynthesis
Environmental factors that limit the rate of photosynthesis
TOPIC 5.2
Respiration produces ATP
Glycolysis as the first stage of aerobic and anaerobic respiration
The conversion of pyruvate to lactate or ethanol in the anaerobic pathways
The link reaction and the Krebs cycle
Synthesis of ATP by oxidative phosphorylation
Other respiratory substrates
TOPIC 5.3
Gross primary production and net primary production
The net production of consumers
Farming practices designed to increase the efficiency of energy transfer
TOPIC 5.4
The role of microorganisms in the nitrogen cycle
The phosphorus cycle, including the role of saprobionts and mycorrrhizae
The use of artificial and natural fertilisers
The environmental issues arising from the use of fertilisers including leaching and eutrophication.
If you would like to sample the quality of the lessons in this bundle, then download the chloroplast structure, anaerobic respiration, oxidative phosphorylation, GPP and phosphorus cycle lessons as these have been uploaded for free
This lesson describes the principles of cell fractionation and ultracentrifugation as used to separate cell components. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources are part of the final lesson in a series of 4 lessons which have been planned to cover the details of point 2.1.3 of the AQA A-level biology specification.
This lesson begins by informing the students that several of the key terms in this lesson, including the lesson title, end in -ation, and therefore they have to use the clues to work out that the 1st one is cell fractionation. A quiz round like this runs throughout the lesson, introducing homogenisation, filtration and ultracentrifugation in a memorable way. Time is taken to explain each of the processes in detail, and where possible, links are made to previously covered content as well as content that will be met in future lessons. For example, students will learn that the solution must be kept ice-cold and isotonic, and they are challenged to recognise that the low temperature is to reduce the activity of potentially damaging enzymes, before being told that there will be no net movement of water by osmosis because of the isotonic solution. The answers to all understanding and prior knowledge checks are embedded into the PowerPoint to allow students to assess their progress. When explaining the process of ultracentrifugation, the students are given an opportunity to predict which of 6 listed organelles will be found in the 1st pellet because it is the heaviest, right down to the lightest organelle. The lesson finishes with several exam-style questions to check that they’ve understood this separation technique and have a strong knowledge of cells and their organelles.
This lesson has been planned to continously link with the other lessons in topic 2.1 (Cell structure).
This lesson guides students through the use of the chi-squared test to determine the significance of the difference between observed and expected results. It is fully-resourced with a detailed PowerPoint and differentiated task worksheets that have been designed to cover the part of point 7.1 of the AQA A-level Biology specification which states that students should be able to use the test to compare the goodness of fit between the observed phenotypic ratios and expected ratios.
The lesson has been written to include a step-by-step guide that demonstrates how to carry out the test in small sections. At each step, time is taken to explain any parts which could cause confusion and helpful hints are provided to increase the likelihood of success in exam questions on this topic. Students will understand how to use the phenotypic ratio to calculate the expected numbers and then how to find the critical value in order to compare it against the chi-squared value. A worked example is used to show the working which will be required to access the marks and then the main task challenges the students to apply their knowledge to a series of questions of increasing difficulty.
This is the final lesson of topic 7.1 (inheritance) and links are made throughout the lesson to earlier parts of this topic such as dihybrid inheritance as well as to earlier topics such as meiosis.
This lesson describes how to obtain and use sampling results to calculate an estimate for the population size of a sessile, slow-moving or motile organism. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets are part of the second lesson in a series of 4 lessons that have been designed to cover the content of topic 7.4 (Populations in ecosystems) of the AQA A-level Biology specification and includes descriptions of the use of randomly placed quadrats, quadrats along a belt transect and the mark-release-recapture method.
As you can see from the image, step by step guides are included in the lesson that walk the students through each stage of the calculations and these are followed by opportunities to challenge their understanding by answering exam-style questions. Mark schemes for the 7 questions that are answered over the course of the lesson are embedded into the PowerPoint and this allows the students to assess their progress. When considering the mark-release-recapture method, the assumptions that are made and the precautions that need to be taken are considered and the students are challenged to link the changes in the numbers of rabbits to the topic of stabilising selection.
An informative and engaging lesson (46 slides) that looks at the topic of immobilised enzymes and focusses on ensuring that students understand this topic around three main ideas. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to explain why immobilised enzymes are used, describe the different methods by which they are produced and describe some of their uses in biotechnology. Time is taken throughout the lesson to make sure that students understand the disadvantages associated with this process and that they are able to explain the specific limitations of each method.
This lesson has been designed for students studying A-level Biology
An engaging lesson presentation and associated worksheet that looks at the use of antibiotics to treat bacterial infections and the raises the issue of the potential over-use of these substances. The lesson begins by getting the students to recognise the difference between three key terms that begin with anti (antibiotics, antivirals, antiseptics). Students will be introduced to the idea that antibiotics are specific to a small range of bacteria and therefore the correct one has to be selected before being prescribed. Moving forwards, students will meet the idea of the zone of inhibition and will understand how the size of this zone can be used as an indicator to the effectiveness of the treatment. Students are shown how to calculate the size of the zone and then are tested on their ability to apply this mathemetical knowledge. Finally, time is taken to look at the links to the topic of natural selection to explain how some bacteria are resistant to certain antibiotics. There are regular progress checks throughout the lesson so that students can assess their understanding.
This lesson has been designed for GCSE students but could be used as an introduction with A-level Biology students who are about to begin the topic of immunity.
This engaging lesson looks at the structure of the quaternary protein, haemoglobin, and describes its role with red blood cells in the transport of oxygen. The PowerPoint has been designed to cover the first part of point 3.4.1 of the AQA A-level Biology specification and explains how the cooperative nature of binding results in a loading of each molecule with 4 oxygen molecules and describes how it is unloaded at the respiring cells too.
The lesson begins with a version of the quiz show Pointless to introduce haemotology as the study of the blood conditions. Students are told that haemoglobin has a quaternary structure and are challenged to use their prior knowledge of biological molecules to determine what this means for the protein. They will learn that each of the 4 polypeptide chains contains a haem group with an iron ion attached and that it is this group which has a high affinity for oxygen. Time is taken to discuss how this protein must be able to load (and unload) oxygen as well as transport the molecules to the respiring tissues. Students will plot the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve and the S-shaped curve is used to encourage discussions about the ease with which haemoglobin loads each molecule. Students will learn that a conformational change upon binding of the first oxygen leads to it being easier to bind future oxygens and that this is known as cooperative binding.
This lesson has been written to tie in with the other uploaded lesson on the Bohr effect.
