An activity aimed at A-Level Biology students. This activity involves a series of statements that can be given to a class at the start of a lesson with the instruction that they draw the phosphorous cycle based on this information. Students should initially do this in pairs but can then be teamed up in larger groups to show, discuss and explain their own diagrammatic interpretations of the phosphorus cycle. Finally, the whole class can be brought together to discuss the best way of joining these statements together into an agreed phosphorous cycle. Key words: Phosphorous, cycle, ATP, NADP, weathering, phosphates, fertilisers, glycolysis, kinase, phosphorylation

A worksheet that provides a matching exercise for key definitions related to ecology (e.g. population, community, ecosystem, niche, etc). Useful as a plenary task once this topic has been covered, which provides students with a written record of what each term means. Key words: Ecology, ecosystem, population, niche, community, competition, intraspecific, interspecific, habitat, environment

A worksheet aimed at advanced level biology students, this resource focuses on the mechanism of action of agonists and antagonists. The worksheet includes a diagram and explanation of how agonists and antagonists work, followed by some examples of common drugs and chemicals that can act as agonists or antagonists of the autonomic nervous system. A diagram of the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system is included and is required for the final page of the worksheet - a series of questions that asks students to predict the effect of various drugs and poisons (e.g. beta blockers, muscarine, atropine, etc). This is a good activity for making the link between theory and practice; most students really enjoy being able to predict the action of a drug from a simple understanding of its mechanism. A second, shorter worksheet is also included on the same topic which could be used as a revision activity once the key concepts have been taught. Key words: agonist, anatgonist, sympathetic, parasympathetic, sympathetic, autonomic, muscarine, beta blockers, atropine, noradrenaline, acetylcholine, sarin

A resource aimed at GCSE (14-16 year old) biology students, this worksheet provides a labelling task for animal and plant cells as viewed down the light microscope along with mix and match task relating to the function of each organelle. The task also includes some extension questions on the nature of mitochondria for students to research (perhaps as a homework exercise). The resource is tailored to the Hodder AQA 9-1 Biology textbook but the page references in the worksheet could easily be adapted to any other textbook reference.

A worksheet aimed at biology students aged 14-18 years, this resource provides a series of prompts and questions to help students plan an investigation into osmosis. The practical investigation is a classic one involving potato chips and different concentrations of sucrose solution - the worksheet asks students to consider the variables involved, the range and concentrations of sucrose solution required and then asks students to produce a written plan based on these considerations.

A resource aimed at advanced biology students, this worksheet provides a written schedule for the extraction of chlorophyll from leaves followed by analysis via chromatography. Rf values for various pigments are included in a reference table (including chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, phaeophytin, xanthophyll and carotene); students can attach their chromatograms to the worksheet, calculate Rf values for each pigment and identify using the reference table. This is a good practical exercise to cover at the start of a topic on photosynthesis, and emphasises the fact that various pigments are responsible for harnessing light energy during the light dependent reactions. Key words: Light dependent, chlorophyll, Rf value, chromatography, chromatogram, solvent front, extraction, leaf, phaeophytin, xanthophyll, carotene, absorption spectra, action spectrum

Worksheet starter task to recap the basics of amino acid structure

This guidance sheet is for use in lesson as an introduction to muscles and the features of synovial joints. The dissection is broken up into several different tasks, each of which have follow up/extension questions that encourage students to make cross links with other topics. Muscles, bone, cartilage, ligaments and tendons are all covered in this activity.

A worksheet aimed at advanced biology students who are studying a topic on gene technology and the role of restriction endonucleases. The worksheet consists of task where students are required to choose the most appropriate restriction enzyme to cut out a gene from a piece of DNA. Students are given four different examples of restriction enzymes, together with information about the recognition sequence for each enzyme. Using this information, students must then select the most appropriate enzyme to cut out the gene. Key words: restriction endonuclease, gene, recognition sequence

A worksheet aimed at advanced biology students, this resource consists of eight questions that focus on both multiple alleles and codominance. The examples chosen include fur colour in cats, hair colour in cattle and the appearance of the (fictional) American Bigfoot! A good resource to use as either a starter or plenary exercise to test understanding of either codominance or multiple alleles and phenotypic ratios. Key words: genetics, phenotype, codominance, multiple alleles, monohybrid

A resource aimed at GCSE or A-Level biology, physical education or applied science students, this worksheet provides a series of instructions to investigate the effect of exercise on blood pressure, heart rate and cardiac output. The worksheet includes a weblink to an online metronome for students to standardise their rate of exercise (e.g. squats)and also provides a graphic to gauge whether blood pressure is optimal or above normal. Key words: blood pressure, sphygmomanometer, exercise, heart rate, cardiac output, recovery

This worksheet is aimed at either GCSE or A-Level students studying microbiology. The worksheet is an ideal lesson starter to use following preparation and incubation of agar plates that have been inoculated with bacteria (from unpasteurised milk in this example, but easily adaptable for any other source of bacteria). The worksheet introduces the idea of binary fission and the concept of a visible colony being made of many thousands of individual bacterial cells. The worksheet also includes an activity on counting bacterial colonies and estimating numbers based on dilutions that would set students up well for a subsequent lesson where they did this activity using their own agar plates. Key words: Agar, bacteria, colony, estimate, milk, pasteurisation, binary fission

A worksheet that is aimed at A-Level Biology students, providing data from an investigation into the effect of caffeine on the heart rate of Daphnia. Students are required to use the 95% confidence limits and standard error test to determine whether the results are statistically significant or not. Key words: Statistics, Daphnia, heart rate, caffeine, 95% confidence limits, standard error, standard deviation, significance, null hypothesis

A resource aimed at advanced biology students, this worksheet requires students to interpret the British Royal Family pedigree chart and explain the inheritance of haemophilia from Queen Victoria (thought to be where the mutation first arose) onwards. Keywords: pedigree, chart, genetics, haemophilia, gene, allele, mutation, probablility

An unusual resource that brings history and science together with an activity that introduces the concept of carbon-14 radioactive dating of archeological remains. The task provides an introduction to radioactive dating, followed by questions whereby students are required to calculate percentage reduction of carbon-14 . Finally, students can then calculate the approximate year when Richard III died based on the half life of carbon-14.

A resource aimed at GCSE (14-16 year old) biology students, this resource consists of a series of instructions for four food test investigations (testing for a reducing sugar, protein, starch and fat), each of which can be printed out and positioned at various locations/work stations in a laboratory. The resource also contains a worksheet for students to fill in as they complete each investigation - students should test a known sample of a food substance first in order to see for themselves the positive result/colour change before then testing an unknown mixture.

A comprehensive six page worksheet aimed at advanced biology students, this resource deals with all the major aspects of how a nerve impulse originates and is propagated along a neurone. The worksheets include diagrams that show the different open and closed positions of sodium and potassium channels with space for students to show their own positions of the relevant ions (this is with reference to an online animation - weblink included on the worksheet). The worksheet also has a labelling exercise for the classic action potential graph as well as details on saltatory conductance and factors affecting speed of impulse transmission. Key words: nerve, neurone, depolarisation, repolarisation, refractory period, action potential, resting potential, sodium, potassium, diffusion, ATP, ATPase pump

This resource consists of two worksheets, each of which contains a task on identifying structures associated with the lungs and thorax, followed by a table which requires students to identify the key events that occur during ventilation. Each worksheet contains slightly different terminology, making one more suitable for A-Level and one more suitable for GCSE. The worksheets can be used as a starter or plenary task to recap student's knowledge. Key words: Intercostal, lungs, pressure, Boyle's law, diaphragm, ribs, contract, relax, trachea, cartilage, alveoli, bronchus, bronchi

A resource aimed at advanced level biology students, this worksheet leads students through an area that often causes difficulty - interpreting evidence for the Calvin Cycle. The worksheet looks at the classic experiment performed by Melvin Calvin that provided evidence for the sequence of events that occurs in cyclic photophosphorlyation or the light-independent reactions of photosynthesis. The worksheet introduces the idea of radioactive tracers and asks students to predict the effect of switching lights off or reducing carbon dioxide levels. Graphs are shown recording the levels of RuBP and GP in response to these changes. Answers to each question are provided on the second page of this worksheet Key words: Light independent reaction, cyclic photophosphorylation, ATP, RNADP, glycerate - 3- phosphate, triose phosphate, ribulose bisphosphate, ribulose phosphate, light dependent reaction, calvin cycle

An activity aimed at A-Level Biology students. This activity involves a series of statements that can be given to a class at the start of a lesson with the instruction that they draw the nitrogen cycle based on this information. Students should initially do this in pairs but can then be teamed up in larger groups to show, discuss and explain their own diagrammatic interpretations of the nitrogen cycle. Finally, the whole class can be brought together to discuss the best way of joining these statements together into an agreed nitrogen cycle. Key words: Nitrogen, cycle, ammonification, nitrification, denitrification, saprobiont, decay, symbiotic, rhizobium, azotobacter, decomposition, photosynthesis, respiration, combustion, fossilisation, assimilation, feeding, herbivore, carnivore, carbonate