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 ecological, economic and aesthetic reasons for maintaining biodiversity. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are filled with real-life biological examples and have been designed to cover point 4.2.1 (g) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification.
Many hours of research have gone into the planning of the lesson so that interesting examples are included to increase the relevance of the multitude of reasons to maintain biodiversity. These include the gray wolves and beavers of Yellowstone National Park and the Za boabab in the Madagascar rainforests as examples of keystone species. Students will learn that these species have a disproportionate effect on their environment relative to their abundance and exam-style questions and guided discussion periods are used to challenge them to explain their effect on other species in the habitat. The OCR exams have a heavy mathematical content and this is reflected in this lesson as students are challenged to complete a range of calculations to manipulate data to support their biological-based answers. All of the exam questions that are included throughout the lesson have mark schemes embedded into the PowerPoint to allow the students to assess their progress. Moving fowards, the economic ans aesthetic reasons to maintain biodiversity are considered, and there is a focus on the soil depletion that occurs when a continuous monoculture is used. The 1 Billion tree scheme that began in New Zealand in 2018 is introduced and the reasons that some groups of people are objecting to what they consider to be a pine monoculture are discussed. Students will recognise that the clear felling of the trees dramatically changes the landscape and that the increased runoff that results can have catastrophic affects for both aquatic life and for humans with floods.
A number of quiz competitions are included in the lesson to introduce key terms in a fun and memorable way and some of the worksheets have been differentiated to allow students of differing abilities to access the work
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 the structure of the chromosome, including DNA, histone proteins, chromatids, centromeres and telomeres. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been primarily designed to cover point 5.1 (a) of the CIE A-level Biology specification but has been specifically planned to provides links to the upcoming topics of the cell cycle, mitosis, meiosis and DNA replication.
The lesson begins with a prior knowledge check, where the students have to recall why the DNA in prokaryotic cells is described as being naked. This re-introduces histone proteins, and then time is taken to describe that the wrapping of DNA molecules around these proteins forms the linear chromosomes in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. A series of 7 exam-style questions are used throughout the lesson and challenge the students to apply their knowledge and understanding to unfamiliar situations and challenge their knowledge of topics 1 and 2 (cell structure and biological molecules). The mark schemes for all of these questions are embedded into the PowerPoint to allow the students to assess their progress. Moving forwards, a quiz competition is used to introduce the terms diploid, chromatid and centromere and the S phase of interphase in a fun and memorable way. Students will learn that the duplication of chromosomes results in pairs of identical sister chromatids that are joined by a centromere. The importance of the splitting of the centromere in mitosis is explained and then the students are challenged to explain why the non-sister chromatids are involved in crossing over, when variation is needed. The final part of the lesson considers the repetitive nucleotide sequences found on the end of chromosomes that are known as telomeres and students will gain an initial understanding about their structure so they are prepared for the upcoming lesson on their significance
This lesson bundle contains 16 lessons which have been designed to cover the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification points which focus on the structure of DNA and RNA, their roles in replication and protein synthesis, and genetics and inheritance. The lesson PowerPoints are highly detailed, and along with their accompanying worksheets, they have been planned at length to contain a wide range of engaging tasks which cover the following A-level Biology content found in topics 2, 3 and 6 of the course:
2.9 (i): Know the basic structure of mononucleotides (deoxyribose or ribose linked to a phosphate and a base, including thymine, uracil, adenine, cytosine or guanine) and the structures of DNA and RNA (polynucleotides composed of mononucleotides linked by condensation reactions to form phosphodiester bonds)
2.9 (ii): Know how complementary base pairing and the hydrogen bonding between two complementary strands are involved in the formation of the DNA double helix
2.10 (i): Understand the process of DNA replication, including the role of DNA polymerase
2.11: Understand the nature of the genetic code
2.12: Know that a gene is a sequence of bases on a DNA molecule that codes for a sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain
2.13 (i): understand the process of protein synthesis (transcription and translation), including the role of RNA polymerase, translation, messenger RNA, transfer RNA, ribosomes and the role of start and stop codons
2.13 (ii): Understand the roles of the DNA template (antisense) strand in transcription, codons on messenger RNA and anticodons on transfer RNA
2.14 (i): Understand how errors in DNA replication can give rise to mutations (substitution, insertion and deletion of bases)
2.14 (ii): Know that some mutations will give rise to cancer or genetic disorders, but that many mutations will have no observable effect
2.15 (i): Know the meaning of the terms: gene, allele, genotype, phenotype, recessive, dominant, codominance, homozygote and heterozygote
2.15 (ii): Understand patterns of inheritance, including the interpretation of genetic pedigree diagrams, in the context of monohybrid inheritance
2.15 (iii): Understand sex linkage on the X chromosome, including red-green colour blindness in humans
2.16: Understand how the expression of a gene mutation in people with cystic fibrosis impairs the functioning of the gaseous exchange, digestive and reproductive systems
2.17 (i): Understand the uses of genetic screening, including the identification of carriers, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and prenatal testing, including amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling
2.17 (ii): Understand the implications of prenatal genetic screening
3.9 (i): Know that a locus is the location of genes on a chromosome
3.9 (ii): Understand the linkage of genes on a chromosome
3.18: Understand how cells become specialised through differential gene expression, producing active mRNA, leading to the synthesis of proteins which, in turn, control cell processes or determine cell structure in animals and plants
3.19: Understand how one gene can give rise to more than one protein through posttranscriptional changes to messenger RNA (mRNA).
3.20 (i): Phenotype is an interaction between genotype and the environment
3.21: Understand how some phenotypes are affected by multiple alleles for the same gene at many loci (polygenic inheritance) as well as the environment and how this can give rise to phenotypes that show continuous variation
6.17: Know how DNA can be amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
This lesson bundle contains 9 lessons which have been designed to cover the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification points which focus on the structure and function of the biological molecules, including water, carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. The lesson PowerPoints are highly detailed, and along with their accompanying worksheets, they have been planned at length to contain a wide range of engaging tasks which cover the following A-level Biology content that’s found in topics 1, 2 and 4 of the course:
1.1: Understand the importance of water as a solvent in transport, including its dipole nature
1.2 (i): Know the difference between monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides, including glycogen and starch (amylose and amylopectin)
1.2 (ii): Be able to relate the structures of monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides to their roles in providing and storing energy
1.4: Know how monosaccharides join to form disaccharides (sucrose, lactose and maltose) and polysaccharides (glycogen and amylose) through condensation reactions forming glycosidic bonds, and how these can be split through hydrolysis reactions
1.5 (i): Know how a triglyceride is synthesised by the formation of ester bonds
during condensation reactions between glycerol and three fatty acids.
1.5 (ii): Know the differences between saturated and unsaturated lipids
2.6 (i): Know the basic structure of an amino acid
2.6 (ii): Understand the formation of polypeptides and proteins (amino acid
monomers linked by peptide bonds in condensation reactions)
2.6 (iii): Understand the significance of a protein’s primary structure in determining its three-dimensional structure and properties (globular and fibrous proteins and the types of bonds involved in its three-dimensional structure)
4.3: Understand the structure and function of the polysaccharides starch and
cellulose, including the role of hydrogen bonds between β-glucose molecules in
the formation of cellulose microfibrils
This lesson bundle contains 6 lessons which have been designed to cover the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification points which focus on the structure of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells and the functions of their components. The lesson PowerPoints are highly detailed, and along with the accompanying worksheets, they have been planned at length to contain a wide range of engaging tasks which cover the following A-level Biology content found in topics 2, 3 and 4 of the course:
2.2 (i): Know the structure and function of cell membranes
3.1: Know that all living organisms are made of cells, sharing some common features
3.2: Understand how the cells of multicellular organisms are organised into tissues, tissues into organs and organs into systems
3.3: Know the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells, including nucleus, nucleolus, ribosomes, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, centrioles, lysosomes, and Golgi apparatus
3.4: Understand the role of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) and the Golgi apparatus in protein transport within cells, including their role in the formation of extracellular enzymes
3.5: Know the ultrastructure of prokaryotic cells, including cell wall, capsule, plasmid, flagellum, pili, ribosomes, mesosomes and circular DNA
3.11: Understand how mammalian gametes are specialised for their functions (including the acrosome in sperm and the zona pellucida in the egg)
4.1 (i): Know the ultrastructure of plant cells (cell walls, chloroplasts, amyloplasts, vacuole, tonoplast, plasmodesmata, pits and middle lamella) and be able to compare it with animal cells
4.1 (ii): understand the function of the structures listed in (i)
This lesson bundle contains 16 lessons which have been designed to cover the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification points which focus on the structure of DNA and RNA, their roles in replication and protein synthesis, and genetics and inheritance. The lesson PowerPoints are highly detailed, and along with their accompanying worksheets, they have been planned at length to contain a wide range of engaging tasks which cover the following A-level Biology content found in topics 2, 3 and 6 of the course:
2.5 (i): Know the basic structure of mononucleotides (deoxyribose or ribose linked to a phosphate and a base, including thymine, uracil, cytosine, adenine or guanine) and the structures of DNA and RNA (polynucleotides composed of mononucleotides linked through condensation reactions)
2.5 (ii): Know how complementary base pairing and the hydrogen bonding between two complementary strands are involved in the formation of the DNA double helix
2.6 (i): Understand the process of protein synthesis (transcription) including the role of RNA polymerase, translation, messenger RNA, transfer RNA, ribosomes and the role of start and stop codons
2.6 (ii): Understand the roles of the DNA template (antisense) strand in transcription, codons on messenger RNA and anticodons on transfer RNA
2.7: Understand the nature of the genetic code
2.8: Know that a gene is a sequence of bases on a DNA molecule that codes for a sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain
2.11 (i): Understand the process of DNA replication, including the role of DNA polymerase
2.12 (i): Understand how errors in DNA replication can give rise to mutations
2.12 (ii): Understand how cystic fibrosis results from one of a number of possible gene mutations
2.13 (i): Know the meaning of the terms: gene, allele, genotype, phenotype, recessive, dominant, incomplete dominance, homozygote and heterozygote
2.13 (ii): Understand patterns of inheritance, including the interpretation of genetic pedigree diagrams, in the context of monohybrid inheritance
2.14: Understand how the expression of a gene mutation in people with cystic fibrosis impairs the functioning of the gaseous exchange, digestive and reproductive systems
2.15 (i): Understand the uses of genetic screening, including the identification of carriers, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and prenatal testing, including amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling
2.15 (ii): Understand the implications of prenatal genetic screening
3.8 (i): The loci is a location of genes on a chromosome
3.8 (ii): The linkage of genes on a chromosome and sex linkage
3.12: Understand how cells become specialised through differential gene expression, producing active mRNA leading to synthesis of proteins, which in turn control cell processes or determine cell structure in animals and plants, including the lac operon
3.14 (i): Phenotype is an interaction between genotype and the environment
3.15: Understand how some phenotypes are affected by multiple alleles for the same gene at many loci (polygenic inheritance) as well as the environment and how this can give rise to phenotypes that show continuous variation
6.4: Know how DNA can be amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
6.10: Understand how one gene can give rise to more than one protein through posttranscriptional changes to messenger RNA (mRNA).
This lesson bundle contains 10 lessons which have been designed to cover the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification points which focus on the structure and function of the biological molecules, including water, carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. The lesson PowerPoints are highly detailed, and along with their accompanying worksheets, they have been planned at length to contain a wide range of engaging tasks which cover the following A-level Biology content that’s found in topics 1, 2 and 4 of the course:
1.2: Understand the importance of water as a solvent in transport, including its dipole nature
1.12 (i): Know the difference between monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides, including glycogen and starch (amylose and amylopectin)
1.12 (ii): Be able to relate the structures of monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides to their roles in providing and storing energy
1.13: Know how monosaccharides join to form disaccharides (sucrose, lactose and maltose) and polysaccharides (glycogen and amylose) through condensation reactions forming glycosidic bonds, and how these can be split through hydrolysis reactions
1.14 (i): Know how a triglyceride is synthesised by the formation of ester bonds
during condensation reactions between glycerol and three fatty acids.
1.14 (ii): Know the differences between saturated and unsaturated lipids
2.9 (i): Know the basic structure of an amino acid
2.9 (ii): Understand the formation of polypeptides and proteins (amino acid
monomers linked by peptide bonds in condensation reactions)
2.9 (iii): Understand the significance of a protein’s primary structure in determining
its three-dimensional structure and properties (globular and fibrous proteins
and the types of bonds involved in its three-dimensional structure)
2.10 (iv): Know the molecular structure of a globular protein and a fibrous protein and
understand how their structures relate to their functions (including
haemoglobin and collagen)
4.9: Understand the structure and function of the polysaccharides starch and
cellulose, including the role of hydrogen bonds between β-glucose molecules in
the formation of cellulose microfibrils
This lesson bundle contains 7 lessons which have been designed to cover the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification points which focus on the structure of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells and the functions of their components. The lesson PowerPoints are highly detailed, and along with the accompanying worksheets, they have been planned at length to contain a wide range of engaging tasks which cover the following A-level Biology content found in topics 2, 3 and 4 of the course:
2.2 (i): Know the structure and function of cell membranes
3.1: Know that all living organisms are made of cells, sharing some common features
3.2: Know the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells, including nucleus, nucleolus, ribosomes, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, centrioles, lysosomes, and Golgi apparatus
3.3: Understand the role of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) and the Golgi apparatus in protein transport within cells, including their role in the formation of extracellular enzymes
3.4: Know the ultrastructure of prokaryotic cells, including cell wall, capsule, plasmid, flagellum, pili, ribosomes, mesosomes and circular DNA
3.6: Understand how mammalian gametes are specialised for their functions (including the acrosome in sperm and the zona pellucida in the egg)
3.13: Understand how the cells of multicellular organisms are organised into tissues, tissues into organs and organs into systems
4.7: Know the ultrastructure of plant cells (cell walls, chloroplasts, amyloplasts, vacuole, tonoplast, plasmodesmata, pits and middle lamella) and be able to compare it with animal cells.
This lesson describes the role of the rER and the Golgi apparatus in the formation of proteins, the transport within cells and their secretion. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.3 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification and also includes key details about the role of the cytoskeleton in the transport of the vesicles that contain the protein between the organelles and the membrane.
The lesson begins with the introduction of the cytoskeleton and explains how this network of protein structures transverses across the cytoplasm and is fundamental to the transport of molecules between organelles. The lesson has been planned to closely tie in with the previous lesson on the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells and students are challenged on their knowledge of the function of the organelles involved in protein formation (and modification) through a series of exam-style questions. By comparing their answers against the mark scheme embedded in the PowerPoint, students will be able to assess their understanding of the following:
Transcription in the nucleus to form an mRNA strand and the exit of this nucleic acid through the nuclear pore
Translation at the ribosomes on the surface of the rER to assemble the protein
Transport of the vesicles containing the protein to the Golgi apparatus
Modification of the protein at the Golgi apparatus
Formation of the Golgi vesicle and its transport to the cell membrane for exocytosis
Time is taken to discuss the finer details of this process such as the arrival of the vesicle at the cis face and the transport away from the trans face and the requirement of ATP for the transport of the vesicles along the microtubule track and exocytosis.
The remainder of the lesson uses a series of exam-style questions about digestive enzymes (extracellular proteins) to challenge the students on their recall of the structure of starch and proteins
This lesson describes the role of the rER and the Golgi apparatus in the formation of proteins, the transport within cells and their secretion. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 3.4 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and also includes key details about the role of the cytoskeleton in the transport of the vesicles that contain the protein between the organelles and the membrane.
The lesson begins with the introduction of the cytoskeleton and explains how this network of protein structures transverses across the cytoplasm and is fundamental to the transport of molecules between organelles. The lesson has been planned to closely tie in with the previous lesson on the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells and students are challenged on their knowledge of the function of the organelles involved in protein formation (and modification) through a series of exam-style questions. By comparing their answers against the mark scheme embedded in the PowerPoint, students will be able to assess their understanding of the following:
Transcription in the nucleus to form an mRNA strand and the exit of this nucleic acid through the nuclear pore
Translation at the ribosomes on the surface of the rER to assemble the protein
Transport of the vesicles containing the protein to the Golgi apparatus
Modification of the protein at the Golgi apparatus
Formation of the Golgi vesicle and its transport to the cell membrane for exocytosis
Time is taken to discuss the finer details of this process such as the arrival of the vesicle at the cis face and the transport away from the trans face and the requirement of ATP for the transport of the vesicles along the microtubule track and exocytosis.
The remainder of the lesson uses a series of exam-style questions about digestive enzymes (extracellular proteins) to challenge the students on their recall of the structure of starch and proteins
This fully-resourced lesson describes the meaning of the terms stem cell, pluripotency, totipotency, morula and blastocyst. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover points 3.17 (i) and (ii) of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification and contains discussions about the decisions that the scientific community have to make about the use of stem cells in medical therapies.
The lesson begins with a knowledge recall of the structure of eukaryotic cells and the students have to use the first letters of each of the four answers to reveal the key term, stem cell. Time is then taken to consider the meaning of cellular differentiation, and this leads into the key idea that not all stem cells are equal when it comes to the number of cell types that they have the potential to differentiate into. A quick quiz round introduces the five degrees of potency, and then the students are challenged to use their understanding of terminology to place totipotency, pluripotency, multipotency, oligopotency and unipotency in the correct places on the potency continuum. Although the latter three do not have to be specifically known based on the content of specification point 3.17 (i), an understanding of their meaning was deemed helpful when planning the lesson as it should assist with the retention of knowledge about totipotency and pluripotency. These two highest degrees of potency are the main focus of the lesson, and key details are emphasised such as the ability of totipotent cells to differentiate into any extra-embroyonic cell, which the pluripotent cells are unable to do. The morula, and inner cell mass and trophoblast of the blastocyst are then introduced and used to demonstrate these differences in potency. The final part of the lesson discusses the decisions that the scientific community have to make about the use of embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells and also foetal stem cells which allows for a link to chorionic villus sampling from topic 2.
There is also a Maths in a Biology context question included in the lesson (when introducing the morula) to ensure that students continue to be prepared for the numerous calculations that they will have to tackle in the terminal exams. This resource has been differentiated two ways to allow students of differing abilities to access the work
This fully-resourced lesson describes the meaning of the terms stem cell, pluripotency and totipotency. The PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover points 3.11 (i) and (ii) of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification and therefore this lesson also contains discussion periods where the topic is the decisions that the scientific community have to make about the use of stem cells in medical therapies.
The lesson begins with a knowledge recall of the structure of eukaryotic cells and the students have to use the first letters of each of the four answers to reveal the key term, stem cell. Time is then taken to consider the meaning of cellular differentiation, and this leads into the key idea that not all stem cells are equal when it comes to the number of cell types that they have the potential to differentiate into. A quick quiz round introduces the five degrees of potency, and then the students are challenged to use their understanding of terminology to place totipotency, pluripotency, multipotency, oligopotency and unipotency in the correct places on the potency continuum. Although the latter three do not have to be specifically known based on the content of specification point 3.11 (i), an understanding of their meaning was deemed helpful when planning the lesson as it should assist with the retention of knowledge about totipotency and pluripotency. These two highest degrees of potency are the main focus of the lesson, and key details are emphasised such as the ability of totipotent cells to differentiate into any extra-embroyonic cell, which the pluripotent cells are unable to do. The morula, and inner cell mass and trophoblast of the blastocyst are used to demonstrate these differences in potency. The final part of the lesson discusses the decisions that the scientific community have to make about the use of embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells and also foetal stem cells which allows for a link to chorionic villus sampling from topic 2.
There is also a Maths in a Biology context question included in the lesson (when introducing the morula) to ensure that students continue to be prepared for the numerous calculations that they will have to tackle in the terminal exams. This resource has been differentiated two ways to allow students of differing abilities to access the work
This lesson describes the uses and implications of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling. The lesson PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been primarily designed to cover point 2.15 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A (Salters Nuffield) specification but regular links are made to the earlier content of topics 1 & 2, and their knowledge of topics including the heart and circulation, monohybrid inheritance and cystic fibrosis are tested.
The lesson begins by challenging them to use this prior knowledge of topic 2 to identify the letters in the abbreviations PGD and CVS. The involvement of IVF to obtain the embryos (or oocytes) is then discussed and a series of exam-style questions are used to get them to understand how this method screens embryos prior to implantation, so that those identified as having genetic diseases or being carriers are not inserted into the female’s uterus. Mark schemes for all of the questions included in this lesson are embedded into the PowerPoint so students can constantly assess their progress.
Moving forwards, Down syndrome (trisomy 21) is used as an example of a chromosomal abnormality that can be tested for using CVS or amniocentesis. Time is taken to describe the key details of both of these procedures so students have a clear understanding of the implications and the invasiveness to the female being tested. The link between amniocentesis and an increased risk of miscarriage is considered and the results of a 2006 study are used to challenge them on their data skills.
This lesson describes the uses and implications of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling. The lesson PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been primarily designed to cover point 2.17 of the Edexcel International A-level Biology specification but there are regular checks of their knowledge of the content of topic 2, where topics including monohybrid inheritance and cystic fibrosis are tested.
The lesson begins by challenging them to use this prior knowledge of topic 2 to identify the letters in the abbreviations PGD and CVS. The involvement of IVF to obtain the embryos (or oocytes) is then discussed and a series of exam-style questions are used to get them to understand how this method screens embryos prior to implantation, so that those identified as having genetic diseases or being carriers are not inserted into the female’s uterus. Mark schemes for all of the questions included in this lesson are embedded into the PowerPoint so students can constantly assess their progress.
Moving forwards, Down syndrome (trisomy 21) is used as an example of a chromosomal abnormality that can be tested for using CVS or amniocentesis. Time is taken to describe the key details of both of these procedures so students have a clear understanding of the implications and the invasiveness to the female being tested. The link between amniocentesis and an increased risk of miscarriage is considered and the results of a 2006 study are used to challenge them on their data skills.
This lesson bundle contains 4 lessons which are highly detailed and engaging. Hours of planning has gone into these lessons to ensure that the wide range of activities cover the following specification points in AS unit 1, topic 2 (Cell structure and organisation) of the WJEC A-level Biology specification:
The structure and function of the organelles found in animal and plant eukaryotic cells
The structure of prokaryotic cells and viruses
The levels of organisation, including the aggregation of cells into tissues, tissues into organs, and organs into organ systems
As well as covering the detailed A-level content, the guided discussion points, differentiated tasks and quiz competitions will engage and motivate the students.
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
This engaging lesson describes the structures of virus particles and explains why viruses are described as acellular and non-living. The PowerPoint and accompanying resource are part of the second lesson in a series of 2 lessons which have been designed to cover the detail of specification point (b) in AS unit 1, topic 2 of the WJEC A-level Biology specification
Details of the COVID-19 epidemic are included in the lesson to increase relevance and to help students to understand this biological topic in greater depth. They will understand that the lack of cell structures results in an acellular classification and the fact that it is unable to reproduce without a host is one of the additional reasons that renders it as non-living. The main focus of the lesson is the nucleic acid, the capsid and the attachment proteins that are present in these microorganisms and time is taken to explain how these structures are involved in the infection of a host cell. The lipid membrane is also introduced and links are made to the previous lessons on eukaryotic cells. The final section uses a version of BBC 1’s POINTLESS to introduce a number of viral diseases in animals and the use of a glycoprotein by HIV to attach to helper T cells is briefly introduced so students are prepared for the immunology option if taken
This lesson describes the structure of a prokaryotic cell including the nucleoid, plasmid, 70S ribosomes and cell wall. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources are part of the first lesson in a series of 2 lessons which have been designed to cover the details in specification point (b) in AS unit 1, topic 2 of the WJEC A-level Biology specification. This lesson has been specifically designed to be taught after the lesson on the structure of eukaryotic cells, specification point (a), so that comparisons can be drawn.
A clear understanding of terminology is important for A-level Biology so this lesson begins with a challenge, where the students have to come up with a 3-letter prefix that they believe will translate as before or in front of . This leads into the discovery of the meaning of prokaryote as before nucleus which acts to remind students that these types of cell lack this cell structure. Links to the previous lessons on the eukaryotic cells are made throughout the lesson and at this particular point, the students are asked to work out why the DNA would be described as naked and to state where it will be found in the cell. Moving forwards, the students will discover that these cells also lack membrane bound organelles and a quick quiz competition challenges them to identify the specific structure that is absent from just a single word. In addition to the naked DNA, students will learn that there are also ribosomes in the cytoplasm and will discover that these are smaller than those found in the cytoplasm of an eukaryotic cell (but the same size as those in chloroplasts and mitochondria). The remainder of the lesson focuses on the composition of the cell wall, the additional features of prokaryotic cells such as plasmids and there is also the introduction of binary fission as the mechanism by which these organisms reproduce so that students can recognise that prokaryotic cells do not contain centrioles
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.
