I teach general science and biology to 11-18 year olds and my focus in developing my resources has been to use co-operative learning techniques to engage pupils.
I teach general science and biology to 11-18 year olds and my focus in developing my resources has been to use co-operative learning techniques to engage pupils.
The lesson has a recall starter of stages of mitosis. It then shows an images of a newborn going back to an early embryo and fertilised egg. Students are then given a diagram (which is also on the slide) and asked to identify cells undergoing mitosis, cells which are all the same and cells which can become any cell in the human body. Answers are provided. IVF is then taught to explain how scientists can obtain embryonic stem cells for research. Students are taught how the properties of embryonic stem cells make these cells special. Students complete a worksheet where they use key terms to describe the stages in IVF
This lesson starts with recall of cells needed to make a baby then revisits the number of chromosomes in these cells. We question ‘how’ do these cells get made with a haploid number of chromosomes. We teach meiosis with a focus on the number of chromosomes. I have created animated slides with step by step questions that are posed which we answer as we teach the lesson. Students complete a set of recall questions and self assess their answers. All answers are included. They then complete a table comparing mitosis and meiosis. Students also self assess their answers. All worksheets and answers included.
The lesson begins with recall of the function of haemoglobin and introduces sickle cell red blood cells and their effect on the delivery of oxygen to body cells. The link is made between a mutation in a gene created the sickle cell allele using clear images. The following slides teach the inheritance of sickle cell disease. Students then complete a co operative learning activity called Sage and Scribe - instructions included on a slide. All worksheets and answers included for self assessment. At the end, students introduce key terms and their meanings. There is an activity assessing students recall of these key terms
The lesson begins with a recall activity of the key terms used in genetics. Answers are included. Images of Polydactyl are shown. the lesson recalls cells, chromosomes, genes and alleles and then genetic diagrams are used to show inheritance of the condition. Students complete genetic crosses independently and self assess against answers displayed. Students complete a co operative learning activity called Sage and Scribe - instructions and sheets included. Students self assess their responses. The lesson then moves on to why it is a 50% chance of having a boy or a girl and uses genetic diagram to explain inheritance. Students then complete a worksheet and self assess their
Five QWC Questions for the new specification for Biology based on AQA higher exam questions. Each question has a sheet containing descriptors which inform students of the question and the content required in their extended answer. The second sheet is a detailed markscheme. It is written to make marking quicker whilst providing detailed feedback to students. The teacher can use a highlighter on the markscheme to identify where relevant points have been made and to show where marks have been awarded. There is a level boundary sheet that I have produced so that marks can be converted to the new 1-9 levels.
Use the powerpoint to describe the task to your class. Students complete the corresponding worksheet. Then display the mark scheme on the powerpoint and students either self assess or peer asses their work using the markscheme. They can then use another coloured pen to show their improvements/ what they missed out. I have included two types of co-operative learning quizzes for your to use as revision prior to the activity. Rally quiz. Give each pair a card. They ask a question each - like a rally. Answers are included on the card. For fan and pick, students work in groups of 4. Student 1 fans the set of cards, student 2 selects a card and passes it to number 3 who reads the question. Student 4 answers. If it is wrong, 3 coaches. The students rotate responsibilities clockwise until all questions have been answered.
An engaging way for students to work in pairs to learn how enzymes work. I have included the rally quiz set of questions I use in class to assess learning following the activity, plus a summary sheet which can be set as homework at the end of the lesson.
This resources consists of 2 lessons worth of learning. It enables students to ‘see’ what is happening in enzyme reactions where substrate concentration is increased and then temperature is increased. Students will relate the graphs to what is happening at the enzyme level. There are lots of resources and activities in this pair of lessons. Enjoy!
This is a complete of set of 3-4 lessons enabling you to fully assess your pupil’s understanding of digestion. All activities are described in the powerpoints and there are lots of worksheets. Markschemes are included in the powerpoint itself. Enjoy!
A level lesson introducing the need for a circulatory system. This is something students find difficult to explain in words so I have linked it all to aerobic respiration and demand for oxygen and glucose and the removal of carbon dioxide. After the teacher explanation, students link key terms to explain the need for a transport system. They then self assess against a markscheme (provided in the presentation). The next activity asks students to apply their understanding to a question asking why spiders require a transport system. Again students self assess their answers against a model answer. Finally students revist surface area to volume ratio from GCSE. Activity and answers
This is an A level lesson. Students learn about open and closed circulatory systems and then practice comparing the circulatory systems of mammals to fish and also amphibians. The focus is on presenting students with diagrams and teaching them how to analyse the different systems and explain why each is effective for that particular organism. Students complete a worksheet to show their understanding and self assess via a mark scheme (included in the presentation). Finally students compare the effectiveness of a frog’s circulatory system to a mammal. Again students self asses their answers against a mark scheme (provided)
Single sided sheet of key biological terms from the course and their
definitions which relate to the article.
I have predicted questions and written a markscheme for each question. I have
identified the sentence in the article and the paragraph this content relates to. There are 9 pages of possible questions and detailed answers.
There are 3 sets of exam questions and markschemes along with examiners comments relating to Classification and phylogeny, natural selection and Hardy Weinberg. Students can mark responses in the examiners comments paper and develop their exam technique by comparing their marking to the examiners.
Three invaluable resources.
Double sided sheet of key biological terms from the course and their
definitions which relate to the article.
I have predicted questions and written a markscheme for each question. I have
identified the sentence in the article and the paragraph this content relates to.
A set of past exam questions and markschemes covering the topics which are
covered in the article.
There are 2 PowerPoints. First Ppt, students are asked to identify which organisms they believe have a transport system, from a slide containing images of organisms. The answers appear and then students are asked to consider what factors contribute to organisms needing a transport system. Students are asked to recall what substances are carried in the blood. Answers are revealed as images on the following slide. Students are directed to the need for glucose and oxygen (and removal of carbon dioxide). They are asked to recall the word equation for aerobic respiration (on whiteboards). Three images appear as clues as to why some organisms require a transport system. The following slides are used to explain the reasons why. Students then link key terms to explain why organisms need a transport system - larger organisms, more metabolically active organisms and those with a small surface area to volume ratio. Slides are used to teach students how to calculate surface area to volume ratio. Students then complete a set of questions and use the markscheme to self assess answers. All answer included. Know it, Show it included. Principles of practice used when planning the
The first slide asks students to recall why larger, more metabolically active organisms need a transport system (answers included). Students are then shown the circulatory system of a fish, a frog, a spider and a cricket and are introduced to open and closed circulatory systems. Students then compare the circulatory systems of the different mammal groups. There is a worksheet included and answer are all on the PowerPoint. Students then compare and contrast a frog’s circulatory system to that of a mammal. This is in the form of a Venn Diagram. Worksheet included and answers appear in the presentation.
The lesson is planned using Principles of Practice and starts with Know it, Show it slides. Students are asked to evaluate the effectiveness of a frog’s circulatory system. Students then self assess with a mark scheme which is displayed on a PowerPoint slide. Students recall the parts of the heart and the major blood vessels, from GCSE by labeling two worksheets. Students self assess. The answers animate in on the slide. Students are then show an A level diagram of the heart and are asked to identify features that they have not heard of before. Students are then given 2 mins to remember all the labels. The following slide has the image with labels hidden and the teacher can ask students to identify the parts (pose, pause, pounce, bounce) and the answers are revealed by the click of a button! Students then label a diagram of this heart. Students are asked if cardiac muscle also needs to respire and are guided to realise that the oxygen and glucose cannot be provided to heart cell via the insed of the heart. Students recall coronary arteries from GCSE. There is a looped video playing the lub dub sound and students are asked to identify the source of the sound. Teacher explains it is the heart valves closing and then shows images of the heart valves on the PowerPoint. Students are then given a worksheet to complete assessing all the content of the lesson. Answers animate on the slides on the presentation. All worksheets are in