These are the 6 specialised cells identified in the AQA Trilogy specification. Work sheet contains pictures and names just add functions. Differentiate by asking some students to identify the adaptations that help the cells carry out those functions.

This uses an AQA exam question. I broke this question down to explain how I would go about answering it. I always say how important it is to study the information at the beginning of a question before you read any part of the question itself. I show slide 1 then I get students to divide a page in their exercise book into 4 quarters and draw a quick sketch diagram of each cell with room below to write. Then I get them to identify the parts of each cell and also what each cell is missing. Then we discuss what each cell is and identify the reasons for each answer. Working through the next 5 slides adding to their notes if they miss any important points. Lastly I go through the questions themselves on the last slide. Parts 1.1 and 1.2 will already have been identified but there may still be discussion around the reasons used. Part 1.3 may need revision of the terms eukaryote and prokaryote before the answer can be found. Part 1.4 uses the equation for magnification. Encourage students to use calculators to check their answers. (Calculators are allowed in science exams so why not use them as it is so easy to make silly mistakes under the pressure of exams.) May need to revise relative sizes of millimetres and micrometres.

Written for GCSE AQA Trilogy Biology paper 1 Higher. Useful in a mixed ability class for the students who will be doing higher paper. All information is on the work sheet so higher students should be able to work through this on their own or with little teacher input. Need to have completed work on photosynthesis and limiting factors. Mark scheme included.

This is a graph drawing task with irregular time intervals. I find it best to do this at the start of a lesson on Human population growth. This leads on to discussions about waste management and pollution. If you ‘google’ world population you get a counter showing changing population in ‘real’ time. I have this running on my screen throughout the lesson. Note down number at the start and end of lesson to get a feel for the scale of this.

I always found that students struggle to draw predator/prey sketch graphs. So this is a half done graph for them to complete. The worksheet has 2 identical pages so that you can print 2 pages on one to give A5 worksheets if you need to. The powerpoint also includes a pyramid of biomass. I haven’t included this on the worksheet because it is good practise to be able to draw the levels correctly using a sharp pencil and ruler!

This is a worksheet (slide 1) and a series of stimulus pictures. Make up a story to suit your class. They need to know that the species is peafowl; males are peacocks; females are peahens; offspring are peachicks. The peacocks ‘strut their stuff’ in order to gain the attention of the peahens. Then the peahen is soley responsible for bringing up the chicks. Students then write their own version on the storyboard ws. Credit should be given for correct use of scientific key words.

Written for AQA Trilogy but would suit any GCSE or KS3. Slide 1 - Learning framework Slide 2 - starter sentences Slide 3 - Key words for this lesson. Can be printed off for those that need the spellings. More able students can use it as the basis for a mind map. Slide 4 - looks at a food chain Slide 5 - series of food chains forming a web, can print this slide off so that students can add arrows and labels Slides 6 - builds up the web Slide 7 - contains a link to short video identifying predators and prey Slide 8 - link to BBC animation showing ladybirds and aphids Slide 9 - shows a typical predator/prey graph to use as a visual aid for teaching.

Print as 2 to 1 page to get 2xA5 copies or print as is which will give you 2xA4 copies. You can change the heading to suit any purpose. With this heading I get students to draw onto the body all the ways they can think off for pathogens to enter the body. Inevitably some will draw penises (of varying sizes) onto their body. Rather than making a big deal of it, embrace it! Responses like, “Excellent I can see that your body is male. How do pathogens enter a penis?” This usually stumps those trying to shock their female teachers. It can also be a lead into a useful conversation about sexually transmitted infections STI’s.

Written for AQA Trilogy but would suit any GCSE. Slide 1 - Learning framework Slide 2 - Key words for this lesson. Can be printed off for those that need the spellings. More able students can use it as the basis for a mind map. Slide 3 - details of decay Slides 4-6 - stimulus photos for discussion Slide 7 - conditions needed for decay Slide 8 - carbon cycle diagram Slide 9 - link to activity Slides 10-11 - four multiple choice questions Slides 12-22 - True or false questions Slide 23 - two 1mark questions. Worksheet with a 6mark question can be printed A4 or A5 by printing 2 to a page.

This is a useful standby for when you plan to go outside to do quadrats, then you can’t because it is raining! Or the daisies you were planning to count have just been mowed half an hour before you planned to go outside. Both these scenarios have happened to me. Having said that it is a useful way of teaching how to carry out random sampling even on a nice day! I’m always amazed how near to the real answer the sampling gets. The answer is 250 worms.

Written for AQA Trilogy but would suit any GCSE. Slide 1 - Learning framework Slide 2 - Key words for this lesson. Can be printed off for those that need the spellings. More able students can use it as the basis for a mind map. Slide 3 - diagram of water cycle Slide 4 - description of water cycle Slide 5 - a different diagram of water cycle Slide 6 - description of main processes Slide 7 - two multiple choice questions Slide 8 - a 2mark question

This is my mindmap of the AQA Biology GCSE specification Section 7 Ecology. I did it for myself when the new spec. 9-1 levels came out. It was my way of identifying how this spec. was structured. It can also be used for the Biology section of Trilogy, although the numbers may not match, the headings will. If a section is in higher tier only it is labelled with (H) and if it is only on the Biology and not the Trilogy it is labelled with (B). Although I did this primarily for myself, some of my colleagues are also using them and when I left my folder open on the desk I found students asking me for copies. I do not claim that they would suit everyone but if you have that sort of need for a complete overview, in a non-linear format, it might suit you. I have some students using it as a tick list, others highlighting the sections they want to cover for revision. I have even offered it at the start of a topic to certain students. Some would be frightened off by it, so you have to be selective. Each mindmap also contains the keywords and their definitions that now need to be learned in the relevant section. There is also a free resource that is a summary of the whole Biology specification.

Worksheet could be used a t KS3 or low ability KS4. Top table just requires ticks in the appropriate boxes or differentiate by getting some students to give examples of cells as well. The bottom table needs functions added. There is a second sheet with 3 copies of the functions so that you can differentiate for those students needing the extra support.

This is my mindmap of the AQA Biology GCSE specification Section 2 Organisation. I did it for myself when the new spec. 9-1 levels came out. It was my way of identifying how this spec. was structured. It can also be used for the Biology section of Trilogy, although the numbers may not match, the headings will. If a section is in higher tier only it is labelled with (H) and if it is only on the Biology and not the Trilogy it is labelled with (B). Although I did this primarily for myself, some of my colleagues are also using them and when I left my folder open on the desk I found students asking me for copies. I do not claim that they would suit everyone but if you have that sort of need for a complete overview, in a non-linear format, it might suit you. I have some students using it as a tick list, others highlighting the sections they want to cover for revision. I have even offered it at the start of a topic to certain students. Some would be frightened off by it, so you have to be selective. Each mindmap also contains the keywords and their definitions that now need to be learned in the relevant section. There is also a free resource that is a summary of the whole Biology specification.

This is my mindmap of the AQA Biology GCSE specification Section 1 Cell Biology. I did it for myself when the new spec. 9-1 levels came out. It was my way of identifying how this spec. was structured. It can also be used for the Biology section of Trilogy, although the numbers may not match, the headings will. If a section is in higher tier only it is labelled with (H) and if it is only on the Biology and not the Trilogy it is labelled with (B). Although I did this primarily for myself, some of my colleagues are also using them and when I left my folder open on the desk I found students asking me for copies. I do not claim that they would suit everyone but if you have that sort of need for a complete overview, in a non-linear format, it might suit you. I have some students using it as a tick list, others highlighting the sections they want to cover for revision. I have even offered it at the start of a topic to certain students. Some would be frightened off by it, so you have to be selective. Each mindmap also contains the keywords and their definitions that now need to be learned in the relevant section. There is also a free resource that is a summary of the whole Biology specification.

This is my mindmap of the AQA Biology GCSE specification Section 3 Infection and Response. I did it for myself when the new spec. 9-1 levels came out. It was my way of identifying how this spec. was structured. It can also be used for the Biology section of Trilogy, although the numbers may not match, the headings will. If a section is in higher tier only it is labelled with (H) and if it is only on the Biology and not the Trilogy it is labelled with (B). Although I did this primarily for myself, some of my colleagues are also using them and when I left my folder open on the desk I found students asking me for copies. I do not claim that they would suit everyone but if you have that sort of need for a complete overview, in a non-linear format, it might suit you. I have some students using it as a tick list, others highlighting the sections they want to cover for revision. I have even offered it at the start of a topic to certain students. Some would be frightened off by it, so you have to be selective. Each mindmap also contains the keywords and their definitions that now need to be learned in the relevant section. There is also a free resource that is a summary of the whole Biology specification.

This is my mindmap of the AQA Biology GCSE specification Section 4 Bioenergetics - Respiration and Photosynthesis. I did it for myself when the new spec. 9-1 levels came out. It was my way of identifying how this spec. was structured. It can also be used for the Biology section of Trilogy, although the numbers may not match, the headings will. If a section is in higher tier only it is labelled with (H) and if it is only on the Biology and not the Trilogy it is labelled with (B). Although I did this primarily for myself, some of my colleagues are also using them and when I left my folder open on the desk I found students asking me for copies. I do not claim that they would suit everyone but if you have that sort of need for a complete overview, in a non-linear format, it might suit you. I have some students using it as a tick list, others highlighting the sections they want to cover for revision. I have even offered it at the start of a topic to certain students. Some would be frightened off by it, so you have to be selective. Each mindmap also contains the keywords and their definitions that now need to be learned in the relevant section. There is also a free resource that is a summary of the whole Biology specification.

This is my mindmap of the AQA Biology GCSE specification Section 5 Homeostasis. I did it for myself when the new spec. 9-1 levels came out. It was my way of identifying how this spec. was structured. It can also be used for the Biology section of Trilogy, although the numbers may not match, the headings will. If a section is in higher tier only it is labelled with (H) and if it is only on the Biology and not the Trilogy it is labelled with (B). Although I did this primarily for myself, some of my colleagues are also using them and when I left my folder open on the desk I found students asking me for copies. I do not claim that they would suit everyone but if you have that sort of need for a complete overview, in a non-linear format, it might suit you. I have some students using it as a tick list, others highlighting the sections they want to cover for revision. I have even offered it at the start of a topic to certain students. Some would be frightened off by it, so you have to be selective. Each mindmap also contains the keywords and their definitions that now need to be learned in the relevant section. There is also a free resource that is a summary of the whole Biology specification.

This is my mindmap of the AQA Biology GCSE specification Section 6 Inheritance, Variation and Evolution. I did it for myself when the new spec. 9-1 levels came out. It was my way of identifying how this spec. was structured. It can also be used for the Biology section of Trilogy, although the numbers may not match, the headings will. If a section is in higher tier only it is labelled with (H) and if it is only on the Biology and not the Trilogy it is labelled with (B). Although I did this primarily for myself, some of my colleagues are also using them and when I left my folder open on the desk I found students asking me for copies. I do not claim that they would suit everyone but if you have that sort of need for a complete overview, in a non-linear format, it might suit you. I have some students using it as a tick list, others highlighting the sections they want to cover for revision. I have even offered it at the start of a topic to certain students. Some would be frightened off by it, so you have to be selective. Each mindmap also contains the keywords and their definitions that now need to be learned in the relevant section. There is also a free resource that is a summary of the whole Biology specification.

(Directed Activity Relating to Text) Would suit anyone studying cells. Could be used to assess prior knowledge at the start of a topic on cells with older students or as a plenary activity to assess learning at the end of a cells topic. I have given you an answer sheet for yourself (in case you couldn’t find all 20 errors). Two differentiated worksheets. The one with red words (errors) is the less demanding sheet. On the other one you have to find the errors first before you can correct them. Best not to give different sheets to students sitting next to each other.