I am a secondary school & A-level Science teacher, specialising in Biology. I am also an experienced AQA GCSE Biology Examiner. My resources contain a mix of Biology, Chemistry and Physics lessons aimed at meeting specification points for the new AQA Trilogy GCSE course and KS3 Activate course.
All of my lessons include at least one opportunity for self-assessment, a range of activities to suit students of all abilities, a set of differentiated starter questions and a plenary.
I am a secondary school & A-level Science teacher, specialising in Biology. I am also an experienced AQA GCSE Biology Examiner. My resources contain a mix of Biology, Chemistry and Physics lessons aimed at meeting specification points for the new AQA Trilogy GCSE course and KS3 Activate course.
All of my lessons include at least one opportunity for self-assessment, a range of activities to suit students of all abilities, a set of differentiated starter questions and a plenary.
This bundle of resources contains 13 lessons which meet all learning outcomes within the ‘Cell-level systems’ unit for the NEW OCR Gateway Biology specification.
Lessons include:
Plant and animal cells
Prokaryotic cells
Light microscopy
Electron microscopy
DNA
Transcription & Translation
Enzymes & Enzyme Reactions
Aerobic Respiration
Anaerobic Respiration
Photosynthesis
Products of Photosynthesis
Factors affecting Photosynthesis
Interaction of Limiting Factors
The lessons contain a mix of differentiated activities, progress checks, extra challenge questions and exam questions plus more than one opportunity, per lesson, for self/peer red-pen assessment of tasks.
This bundle of resources contains 12 lessons which meet all learning outcomes within the ‘Scaling Up’ unit for the NEW OCR Gateway Biology specification.
Lessons include:
Diffusion
Osmosis
Active Transport
Mitosis
Cell differentiation
Stem Cells
Exchange & Transport
The Circulatory System
The Heart & Blood
Transport Systems in Plants
The Transpiration Stream
Factors affecting Transpiration
The lessons contain a mix of differentiated activities, progress checks, extra challenge questions and exam questions plus more than one opportunity, per lesson, for self/peer red-pen assessment of tasks.
This bundle of resources contains 12 lessons which meet all learning outcomes within the ‘Organisation’ unit for the NEW AQA Biology Specification.
1. Principles of organisation
2. Enzymes
3. The human digestive system
4. Digestive enzymes
5. The heart
6. The blood
7. Blood vessels
8. Helping the heart
9. Breathing & gas exchange
10. Plant tissues & organs
11. Transport in plants
12. Evaporation & transpiration
The lessons contain a mix of differentiated activities, mid-lesson progress checks, extra challenge tasks, 6-mark exam questions and more than one opportunity, per lesson, for self/peer red-pen assessment of tasks.
This bundle of resources contains 12 lessons which meet all learning outcomes within the 'Inheritance, Variation & Evolution’ unit for the NEW AQA Biology Specification.
Lessons include:
Types of reproduction
Variation
Meiosis
Selective Breeding
Genetic Engineering
Inherited Disorders
Gene Expression & Inheritance
DNA & Protein Synthesis
Ethics of gene technologies
Evolution by natural selection
Evidence of evolution
Evolution of antibiotic resistant bacteria
Evolution & Extinction
The lessons contain a mix of differentiated activities, progress checks, extra challenge questions and exam questions plus more than one opportunity, per lesson, for self/peer red-pen assessment of tasks.
This resources is designed for the OCR Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘B3 - Organism-Level Systems’ scheme of work.
This lesson starts by pupils watching a video about the organs and hormones involved in the menstrual cycle, during which time they will need to answer questions on their worksheet. This work can then be red-pen assessed once they have finished.
Pupils are then shown a set of diagrams which goes through the steps involved in the menstrual cycle, using the diagrams pupils are asked to discuss in pairs what they think is happening. After a short class discussion pupils will be given the series of diagrams and a set of jumbled statements, they will need to match the statements to the correct diagram to accurately describe what is happening in the menstrual cycle. For higher ability pupils you may want to just give them a set of key words for them to write their own statements below the diagrams.
To summarise the role of each of the hormones in the menstrual cycle the next activity is a table and a set of key words, pupils need to fill in the blanks using the key words to correctly describe the role of each hormone. This can be assessed using the answers provided in the PowerPoint presentation.
The next activity is a true or false activity on what pupils have learnt about this lesson, the plenary activity is a past-paper question on the hormone levels during pregnancy. The mark scheme for both these activities is provided for pupils to red-pen their work.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This resources is designed for the OCR Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘B3 - Organism-Level Systems’ scheme of work.
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA Trilogy Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘Homeostasis’ SoW.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA Trilogy specifications for Biology, Chemistry and Physics please see my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
The lesson starts by recapping on the role of negative feedback systems in homoeostasis, pupils will need to complete a flow diagram to demonstrate how a negative feedback system works. This can be completed in their books and marked using the answers provided.
The next part of the lesson focuses on thyroxine and adrenaline, pupils are reminded of the roles of each of these hormones and they will then be given some extra information (provided) using which they will need to answers some questions on the topic. Detailed answers are provided for these questions so that pupils can check their work by either peer or self-assessment.
The next activity is a ‘who am I?’ task, pupils will have covered a range of hormones by this point and will now be given a set of descriptions about different hormones, they can discuss with their partners and try to identify the names of each of them. Once completed this work can be assessed.
The final task is an exam question about hormones, with the mark scheme provided.
The plenary task is for pupils to write a text message to a friend describing what they have learnt in the lesson today!
This resources is designed for the OCR Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘B3 - Organism-Level Systems’ scheme of work.
This lesson begins by pupils being provided with the aim of the investigation plus an equipment list, pupils will need to use this to decide what the independent, dependent and control variables of the practical may be. The next slide runs through some of the important details of the practical, using this pupils will then need to write a step-by-step method summarising how they are planning to conduct their investigation, they can work in groups to plan this but must complete their own worksheet.
Next, pupil will conduct the experiment to measure the effect of a distraction on student volunteers reaction time. Results should be collected using the worksheet provided, once they have collected their raw data they can use this (as well as the calculation provided) to work out the reaction time for each volunteer in each trial, and a mean can be calculated.
Once the second table of results on the calculated reaction times have been filled in pupils can complete their graph of results, this can then be used to write a conclusion using prompt questions provided on the plenary slide of the PowerPoint presentation.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This resources is designed for the OCR Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘B3 - Organism-Level Systems’ scheme of work.
Pupils will start the lessons by considering why a reflex action is important to living organisms and asking pupils to consider any examples they can think of. After revealing the importance of reflex actions and come examples, the slides then move on to look at the pathway an electrical impulse takes along a reflex arc. Pupils will delve a little deeper into this by watching a video, during which they can answer questions. Once this has been completed they can self-assess their work using the answers provided. This process can also be summarised using a copy and complete exercise.
Next, the lesson focuses on synapse, a diagram of a synapse is shown with key details labelled, there is also a link to an animation that can be shown to demonstrate what occurs at the gap between neurons. After this has been demonstrated pupils are then asked to complete some tasks to show their understanding of what occurs at a synapse.
The next activity involved a set of statements which are muddled up, pupils need to put them into the correct order to correctly describe the steps involved with a reflex arc. Once this has been completed pupils can assess their work using the model answer provided.
The final activity is a past-paper question which can be printed for pupils or they can complete in their own books, this needs to be self or peer assessed once complete.
The plenary task is for pupils to pick a task - either to summarise the work from the lesson using a list of key words or for pupils to come up with questions for the list of answers that are provided.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This resources is designed for the OCR Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘B3 - Organism-Level Systems’ scheme of work.
The lesson begins with a recap on the difference between a stimulus and a receptor and asks students to think>pair>share what the function of photoreceptors might be and where they are found.
Pupils are then shown a diagram of an eye, pupils are asked to consider (from a list of structures provided) which labels might go where, they can discuss in pairs and annotate their own diagram if they know for sure. Pupils can then assess their own work when the answers are revealed on the next slide. Pupils must now learn the functions of each of these structures, they will each be given a slip of information about the function of one part of the eye and they should walk around the room and share their information to complete the table in their books. This task can be self-assessed using the answers provided.
The next part of the lesson focuses on the pupil reflex, firstly a practical is undertaken whereby pupils block out light from the room and then observe what happens to their partners pupils when they bring a torch to the side of their partners eye. This leads into a description of the pupils reflex, including the role of the circular and radial muscles. Pupils will need to summarise this information by copying and completing the sentences into their book, which can be self-assessed once completed.
The last activity is looking at how light is focused on the retina by the lens, pupils are shown a diagram of how this works. After being given a verbal description they are asked to firstly copy the diagram complete with labels and explain how light is focused on the retina using a list of key words that are provided.
The plenary task is an exam question on what the students have learnt this lesson, pupils should complete this in silence in their books and then red-pen their work using the mark scheme provided once they have finished.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking :)
This resources is designed for the OCR Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘B3 - Organism-Level Systems’ scheme of work.
This lesson begins by looking an organism - a cat- and asking pupils to think about the types of stimulus the cat might respond to in it’s environment, plus which organs it needs to sense these stimuli. Pupils will brainstorm their ideas and then self-assess their work once the answers are revealed, additionally they will answer an exam question on this topic.
Next, pupils focus on the effectors and their role in the nervous system. Pupils will be provided with a description of the role of muscles and glands as effectors and will then need to complete an exam question to assess their knowledge, mark scheme provided for either peer or self-assessment.
The next part of the lesson will focus on neurons, firstly a diagram of a neuron cell is shown and pupils need to think about how this cell is similar and different to a normal animal cell. Pupils may discuss this in pairs and try and come up with an answer before the mark scheme is revealed. Sensory and motor neurons are now introduced via an animation, pupils can look at the pathway the electrical impulse travels as it moved around the nervous system. Pupils will use this to then copy and complete a summary to describe this process, when completed this can be self-assessed.
The final activity is for pupils to copy and complete a table to sum up the main functions of each part the human nervous system either by using a card sort or by putting the statements on the board. This can then be peer or self-assessed when complete
The plenary activity is for pupils to summarise the 5 main key words they have learnt that lesson.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thank you!
This resources is designed for the OCR Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘B3 - Organism-Level Systems’ scheme of work.
This lesson begins with a recap on the structures and function of the endocrine system, it then moves on to look at the positions of the different glands involved in the endocrine system. Pupils are shown an image of a human body (also can be given as a worksheet) and should discuss in pairs which glands fall into which position on the diagram. After the answers have been revealed, and are then assessed, pupils will now need to discuss the function of each of the glands. From a list of descriptions, pupils should try and match the name of the gland to the hormone it produces, this work can then be self-assessed.
In the next activity pupils are required to draw a table and then in groups/per table they are given a set of cards which they then need to sort into the correct spaces on their table to summarise the main role of the hormones secreted by 5 glands - the pituitary, the thyroid, the pancreas, the ovaries and the testes. This work can then be assessed using the answers provided.
Pupils can then complete a ‘silent 5’ set of questions on the topic they have covered so far, they should try and complete the questions on their own but for lower ability groups they may want to try discuss in pairs before answering.
The final activity is an exam paper question on hormone levels, once completed pupils can use the mark scheme to mark their own work.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This resources is designed for the OCR Biology GCSE, particularly the ‘B3 - Organism-Level Systems’ scheme of work.
The lesson begins with an overview of the function of the four main lobes of the brain, pupils will be given cards of information which they need to use to complete a table on these functions.
Pupils will then be introduced to further structures which they are required to know the functions of: medulla, cerebellum, hypothalamus and cerebral cortex. Pupils will need to use posters to complete a worksheet where they label a diagram of the brain and outline the roles of each of these structures. Following this is a card sort where pupils can assess their understanding of what they have just learnt.
The next part of the lesson focuses on how scientists and doctors have gained evidence for the structure and function of the brain. Firstly students will watch a video and answers questions on Phineas Gage, which can be self-assessed once complete. This will then go on to describe the role of electrical brain stimulation and MRI scans in providing knowledge about the brain. This is assessed with a copy and complete summary sentence task and finally the plenary is a 6-mark exam question.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)