Whilst students play top trumps with these well designed cards (supplied in word and pdf format), they will learn much about molecular structure and formulae as well as finding out about how living organisms use the molecules. A great starter activity, students enjoy the game and learn a lot along the way.

A very visual way of appreciating the carbon cycle and a great introduction to climate change. This board game shows carbon atoms cycling around the natural environment. It moves around the 3 main stores (plants, animals and the atmosphere) according the the roll of a dice, but overall stays in balance. However, when the game is repeated (by skewing the number of atoms that move for one number on the dice) the cycle goes out of balance. There is a sheet for students to record the movement of the atoms and notes for the teacher as well as Word and pdf versions of the board which can be printed onto A4 card of laminated.

Here are details of a practical investigation into the role of salt in preserving food that is simple to carry out and doesn't require much equipment. The results are quick and easy to analyse. To follow up there is a worksheet probing further into salt and human health where students calculate how much of the recommended daily intake is contained in various foods.

A lesson on the important difference between cause and correlation. The teacher notes give details of examples where there is a strong correlation but no causal link, examples which can be hard to think of on the spot! The presentation is based around air pollution and helps students to understand the key ideas. It can be followed up with the worksheet which includes many examples. For each example students sort the three options given into correlation, cause or no link

This role play is designed to help students more fully understand the body's normal response to sugar and the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes

A teacher demo is used to introduce some student practical work comparing, by measuring mass, the amount of sugar in different soft drinks. Students will need to draw up a calibration curve and the practical work will help to develop their ability to use a burette accurately.

"......I do and I understand". This role play is designed to help students really understand the circulatory system and how it works. As they move the oxygen and carbon dioxide around the different parts of the heart and body, students take the route taken by blood cells and learn by doing. To accompany the activity there is a suite of worksheets: - cut and stick boxes to put in the correct order - a simple worksheet to colour - a worksheet to label and add arrows to - a more difficult sheet where information about artificial valves is sorted and matched

These resources are all based around BMI with an emphasis on data and handling. This is a sensitive subject and there are some teacher note to suggest how best to manage students as they measure their own BMI . There is a worksheet for students to record their findings along with some follow up work where they measure the BMI of some famous people - all fictitious data!

Here are instructions and resources for four different hands-on activities that model how a synapse works. All are designed to help students think through the process and develop their understanding of how a synapse works. Choose the activity most appropriate for your students or give them a free choice. Also included in this package is a cut and stick worksheet to reinforce the effects of drugs on synapses.

This interactive activity encourages students to discuss similarities and differences between the nervous system and endocrine system. A number of statements are provided for students who then stand in the correct place of the Venn diagram. Also provided are two different worksheets comparing the two systems, choose which is most appropriate for your students.

This introduction to the senses is a good introduction to the topic for keystage 3 students and also suitable for foundation students at keystage 4. There are instructions for a series of demonstrations and mini-practicals to investigate the human senses that are not easy to carry out but they are fun and thought provoking. Also in this package are student instructions for practical work to test the sensitivity of the skin along with a results table for them to record their findings.

This is a hands on activity to help students consolidate and fully understand these important ideas. Students pass around pictures of 9 different types of cell and then complete the grid on the student sheet to show which of the genes listed will be switched on in that cell type. There is also a plenary activity designed to reveal any student misconceptions along with some teacher notes, with a link to a great animation which will explain the concept clearly to non-specialists

These three resources are intended to help students be clear about the differences between the two types of cell division. The Venn diagram activity should promote thinking and discussion and will allow teachers to spot misconceptions. There is also a colouring in worksheet where students identify the types of cells in each division and a simple fill in the gaps sheet. These would also be good revision tools

Here you'll find a colour- in worksheet which summaries photosynthesis along with a cut and stick poster that summaries respiration. Both activities are designed to promote thinking and understanding whilst still being enjoyable to complete. The suite is completed by a teacher led activity comparing the two processes that students have to add labels to.

There are three worksheets here all designed to promote thinking and understanding rather than rote learning and copying.

After a discussion about what constitutes a species, students study pictures of ladybirds and record their observations. They decide how many different species of ladybirds they think there are. They then classify each of the pictures again using an ID chart and compare their findings.

This activity models selective breeding in cows. Following simple genetic rules, a herd of cows (in picture form!) are change from being a mixture of colours to all being brown. Students then use the selective breeding rules to produce their own selective breeding example. This is followed up by identifying the differences between selective breeding in dogs and natural selection in giraffes. The activity was written with foundation students in mind but it works just as well with more able students.

Here are some activities most suitable for foundation students. The role play where the student playing the doctor has to decide on the most suitable treatment for a variety of patients. There are also two worksheets that examine antibiotic resistance, the second of which is built around data handling.

This is a suite of activities aimed mainly at foundation students. Spilt your class into teams and print a copy of the challenge for each team. The team that can put the statements into the correct order first win! Follow up by telling the story of Edward Jenner with this fun, interactive activity to do whilst showing the painting. Finally, there's a presentation that prompts students to think analytically about the data that's presented to them using the MMR and autism case study

Here's a teacher led demonstration to help clarify cloning to students. It's accompanied by a fun, non-threatening starter and a students worksheet about gene therapy.