I've been a science teacher with a biology specialism for over 5 years now and have always loved creating fun and innovative lessons and resources that not only measure pupils progress but ensure that pupils are engaged with their learning. All resources are made from scratch with lots of time spent on them to perfect them for my pupils. Enjoy :)
I've been a science teacher with a biology specialism for over 5 years now and have always loved creating fun and innovative lessons and resources that not only measure pupils progress but ensure that pupils are engaged with their learning. All resources are made from scratch with lots of time spent on them to perfect them for my pupils. Enjoy :)
An interactive lesson on plant diseases that focuses on independent learning via the use of QR codes and the internet. This lesson covers the three types of pathogens that cause Ash Dieback, Tobacco Mosaic Virus and Crown Gall Disease as seen in the OCR spec. Pupils are encouraged to learn as much as they can about the three disease via my fact sheets (see slides) that have QR codes which link to the Royal Horticultural Society website as well as videos about the diseases on You Tube. All tasks have hyperlinks to Online Stopwatch where I like to use the bomb timer to keep pupils focused.
Starter: What d o these plants have in common...they all have diseases!
Main 1 - Carousel - (Bronze task) Pupils complete carousel activity to complete the plant disease information sheets using QR codes that link to the Royal Horticultural Society website as well as videos about the disease on You Tube.
Main 2 - Science in Society (Silver task) - Pupils scan the QR code that links to the BBC News website with a video and article about Ash Dieback and why it can not be eradicated. Lower ability pupils watch the video and higher ability skim/scan the article to answer the question.
Main 3 - (Gold task) - Simple gap fill on plants' physical defenses towards disease.
Plenary - Kahoot quiz - you will need to register with Kahoot before doing this but it's free. Pupils use their phones to take part in the interactive quiz on plant diseases.
https://getkahoot.com/
This lesson was designed with my lower ability class in mind whilst trying to push my higher pupils. It can be adapted for top set classes as well. Everything you need is on the slides and can be printed out easily.
I hope you like it :)
Pupils learn about real life examples of diffusion, concentration gradients, rates of diffusion and factors that affect it. Once pupils have answered all questions and completed concentration gradient diagrams they take part in a circus activity with real life examples of diffusion including; diffusion through breathing, digestion, nervous impulses across the placenta and in plants. Pupils place all information on diffusion worksheet (also attached) very fun and active lesson promoting independent learning. Used with set 1 and 2 pupils.
Pupils look at the differences between cells, tissues, organs and organ systems. They look at real life examples of of how organisms are made up. They complete the "how cells make up bodies" gap fill task and then go on to look at how plant cells make up tissues and organs. Finally, pupils compete to see which side of the class can name all of the organ systems in the body first.
Complete B2 unit, designed for AQA exam board. All lessons have fully differentiated learning objectives, used with set 1, 2 & 3 pupils. All lessons include fun, creative and hands on methods for teaching B2, including the following; circus activities, running games, specialised cell speed dating, X-Men genetics, sunflower plotting games, BBC Learning Zone Class clips, biological songs from Mr Parr and many opportunities for independent learning. These lessons also include past exam questions to further the most able pupils, as well as easier tasks for lower ability pupils. The presentations are really easy to follow for all teachers and nice and colourful for low ability pupils.
Lesson topics include:
Animal cells and plant cells
Bacteria and yeast cells
Specialised cells (speed dating lesson)
Diffusion
Tissues, organs and organ systems
Photosynthesis and its limiting factors
How plants use glucose
Making the most of photosynthesis
Organisms in their environment
Proteins, catalysts and enzymes and the factors affecting enzymes
Enzymes in digestion and speeding up digestion
Making use of enzymes and high tech enzymes
Aerobic and Anaerobic respiration
Effects of exercise on the body
Mitosis, cell differentiation and cell division
Meiosis and sexual reproduction
Stem cells
From Mendel to DNA
Inheritance in action and inherited conditions in humans
Fossils, extinction and evolution
Many hours went into creating these fun packed lessons, they are my pride and joy and I hope your pupils enjoy them just as much as mine did.
Great resource for revision, I used these revision mats as homework to direct pupil learning, we would then go through the answers in class. Also a great way to keep them focused with approaching exams. Can be used across all levels, with all mats including key words for each topic and WWW/EBI assessment box.
Topics covered include the following:
Keeping Healthy
Coordination and Control
Medicine and Drugs
Adaptation for Survival
Energy in Biomass
Variation
Reproduction and New Technologies
Evolution
Pupils look at the differences between plant and animal cells in greater detail, drawing on their knowledge from year 7.
They are given the structure and function of all organelles.
Once pupils have completed a labelling activity of both types of cell they complete a comparison task to reinforce learning of the different organelles that exist in each type of cell.
Extension task: Low ability pupils are asked to complete a Venn diagram to solidify knowledge.
High ability pupils are given past exam question: ‘A plant cell is more advanced than an animal cell because it has more structures.’
Plenary consist of pupils taking part in class quiz of animal and plant cells.
New key words for this lesson include: organelles, mitochondria and ribosomes.
Pupils learn about the use of glucose in plants, they also look at the following and are given past exam questions to extend their learning on each topic;
Respiration in plants
The use of glucose in plants
Why plants need to respire
The presents of starch and where it is found in a plant.
After pupils have answered all of these these questions they complete the Glucose running game! Fact sheets about glucose are dotted around the classroom and pupils have 20 minutes (I tell them 20, but give them 30 minutes, depending on ability) to answer 16 questions.
Pupils can also split in pairs to do this and the team that wins gains house points or wins a golden onion.
I have used this with top set pupils and it goes down a treat, this can also be adapted to lower ability classes :)
In this lesson pupils look at factors that are important to organisms surviving. After pupils are aware of the conditions needed to survive they start to look at quadrats.
Quadrats are introduced by pupils completing the "How many Daisies" task, where they are given 30 seconds to count the number of daisies on the interactive whiteboard, most pupils get this wrong but it helps to introduce quadrats and how they work.
Pupils then complete past exam questions on quadrats. After this they look at bluebell abundance and ways to work this out via sampling techniques and estimating populations. This then leads on the probability and the mention of different equipment scientists might use in ecology such as; pooters, pitfall traps, nets and small mammal traps.
This lesson works well with top set groups but still provides basic definitions that are easy for pupils to understand.
In this lesson pupils use the knowledge gained from the previous lesson on enzymes and apply it to enzymes in digestion. The main bulk of the lesson consists of an information circus activity; pupils go around the classroom to different islands to find information about how and where enzymes exist in the digestive system. They use this information to complete their information grid (in the presentation).
Once pupils have completed the circus task (independent learning task) they peer assess their work and move on to looking how molecules are absorbed in the small intestine and the relation this has to enzymes.
They then look at factors such as speeding up digestion and the pH of the gut whilst assessing misconceptions of surface area (fats) with digestion.
Pupils have past exam questions throughout the activity. A nice lesson to get them up and moving around. Works really well with top set pupils and can be adapted for lower sets too :)
This power point can be used over the course of two lessons. Pupils look at the following:
Structure and function of a leaf - using the attached worksheet
Definition of photosynthesis
How photosynthesis works
Factors that effect the rate of photosynthesis
Used with set one and two pupils but can be adapted for all levels
This lesson covers everything pupils need to know with an introduction to enzymes, Pupils cover the following;
Enzyme structure and function
The importance of enzymes
Lock and key hypothesis (builder and breaker enzymes)
The effect of temperature and pH on enzymes.
Pupils answer past exam questions on enzyme structure and function, complete lock and key diagrams and explain these. Answer past exam questions on the effect of temp and pH on enzymes. Finally, they create and enzyme cartoon and complete a think, pair, share activity with the rest of the class using You Tube videos which explain builder and breaker enzymes (this is hyperlinked into the powerpoint)
One of my favourite lessons :) Enjoy!!
I created this lesson to fill a 45 minute interview lesson a couple of years ago, although this can easily be rolled out to an hour long lesson. The lesson consists of defining natural selection, explaining Darwin's theory of selection. There are two booklets that can be used, one for high ability and one for low ability pupils who state which level they would like to achieve by the end of the lesson.
Darwin's Finches Task:
This consists of creating four of the Galapagos Island's on four different tables. Pupils use the clues about what the finches eat and the size of their beaks to work out which finch lives on which island. For low ability I also use props such as clothes pegs (to represent one of the beaks) and Haribo gummy bears (to represent worms)
Natural Selection Statement Puzzle:
Once pupils have worked out the correct island, we put natural selection statements in the correct order looking at Lamarck's flawed theory of evolution with giraffes.
Zombie Apocalypse:
As an extension activity pupils complete the Zombie Apocalypse task, deciding on who will survive, the Spider people or the Homer Simpsons? A task based on their physical traits.
Pupils can then self assess their progress and their are past exam questions in the presentation for the higher ability students too.
Enjoy....oh and this lesson got me the job :)
Pupils learn about all different kinds of specialised cells, they complete a circus activity to collect information on sperm cells, ovums, fat cells and cone cells. Once the work has been completed and progress assessed they then are split into groups and complete a specialised cell speed dating game spending 5 minutes with each date. At the end of the date they complete a summary quiz and rate their dates with regards to the information they have provided :) Very fun lesson for all levels.
In this lesson pupils are introduced to how enzymes are used within industry. By using videos at the start of the lesson and ice breaker questions including "Why is the centre of a Rolo gooey?" they slowly start to recognise how we come across enzymes in our daily lives.
Most of the work done in this lesson is completed on the "Uses of enzymes work Mat", whereby pupils complete a info circus activity around the room to find information on protease, carbohydrase, lipase, isomerase, lactase and their advantages and disadvantages.
Pupils also complete the gap fill activity on the sheet as well as the concerned letter from a parent about protease being in her child's food.
The extension task consists of pupils designing their own investigation to test for the presence of pepsin and to see how it helps to pre-digest proteins.
Usually used with top set, but easily adapted for lower ability classes too.
Great resource for revision, I used these revision mats as homework to direct pupil learning, we would then go through the answers in revision lessons. Also a great way to keep them focused with approaching exams. Can be used across all levels, with all mats including key words for each topic and WWW/EBI assessment box.
Topics covered include the following:
Exchange of Materials
Transporting Materials
Keeping Internal Conditions Constant
How Humans Can Effect The Environment
Great resource for revision, I used these revision mats as homework to direct pupil learning, we would then go through the answers in revision lessons. Also a great way to keep them focused with approaching exams. Can be used across all levels, with all mats including key words for each topic and WWW/EBI assessment box.
Topics covered include the following:
Cells
How Plants Produce Food
Energy Flows
Enzymes
Homeostasis
Inheritance
In this lesson, pupils look at how photosynthesis can be manipulated t create large crop yields. Pupils look at poly tunnels and hydroponics in detail and compare the advantages and disadvantages of the two. They answer past exam questions on both factors.
Design a greenhouse:
Pupils then take part in an independent learning task whereby they become experts on their chosen factor that effects photosynthesis. They then meet up with one person from each team "the experts" on their own factors. They then get into groups to create posters designing their ideal greenhouse.
Once they have designed their own greenhouse, pupils peer assess the designs on the posters and write the groups a feedback love letter with an essential WWW and EBI. Pupils also have prompt cards and sheets to help with the designing of the post cards.
I have found that the prompt cards work better for less confident pupils or pupils of a lower ability.
Highly successful lesson :)
Full lesson on the structure and function of bacteria and yeast cells. Pupils assess the structure and functions of both types of cells using attached worksheet. Pupils complete the lesson and assess their knowledge using a running activity.
Complete B1 unit, designed for AQA exam board. All lessons have fully differentiated learning objectives, used with set 1, 2 & 3 pupils. All lessons include fun, creative and hands on methods for teaching B1, including the following; circus activities, debates, communication based tasks, running games, debates, videos, BBC Learning Zone Class clips and many opportunities for independent learning. These lessons also include past exam questions to further the most able pupils, as well as easier tasks for lower ability pupils. The presentations are really easy to follow for all teachers and nice and colourful for low ability pupils.
Lessons included in this bundle:
Diet and Exercise
Obesity and Health Issues
Diet, Exercise and BMI
Cholesterol
Not Enough Food (Malnutrition)
Pathogens
Natural Defences
Semmelweiss
Drugs and MRSA
Vaccinations and MMR
The Nervous System
Hormonal Control
The Menstrual Cycle
Controlling Fertility
Plant Hormones
Drug Development
How Effective are Medicines?
Drugs - Legal and Illegal
Adaptations
Adaptations in Animals
Adaptations in Plants
Competition in Animals
Measuring Environmental Change
Competition in Plants
Pyramids of Number and Biomass
Energy Transfers
Decay
The Carbon Cycle
Inheritance
Types of Reproduction (Mitosis)
Genetic and Environmental Differences
Cloning
Adult Cell Cloning
Genetic Engineering
Theories of Evolution