This engaging lesson covers the biological classification of a species, phylogenetic classification and the use of the binomial naming system. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 4.5 of the AQA A-level Biology specification which is titled species and taxonomy. The lesson begins by looking at the meaning of a population in Biology so that the term species can be introduced. A hinny, which is the hybrid offspring of a horse and a donkey, is used to explain how these two organisms must be members of different species because they are unable to produce fertile offspring. Although the art of courting might be lost on humans in the modern world, the marabou stork is used as an example to show how courtship behaviour is an essential precursor to successful mating in most organisms. Students are encouraged to discuss other examples of courtship behaviour, such as the release of pheromones and birdsong, so that their knowledge and understanding is broad. Moving forwards, students will learn that species is the lowest taxon in the modern-day classification hierarchy. A quiz runs throughout the lesson and this particular round will engage the students whilst they learn the names of the other 7 taxa and the horse and the donkey from the earlier example are used to complete the hierarchy. Students will understand that the binomial naming system was introduced by Carl Linnaeus to provide a universal name for each species and they will be challenged to apply their knowledge by completing a hierarchy for a modern-day human, by spotting the correct name for an unfamiliar organism and finally by suggesting advantages of this system. The final part of the lesson briefly looks at how advances in genome sequencing and the comparison of common biological molecules has allowed the relationships between organisms to be clarified. This is a detailed lesson and it is estimated that it will take around 2 hours of A-level teaching time to cover the content and therefore this specification point.

This lesson is fully-resourced, engaging and detailed and explains how the Contact process is one of the 3 steps involved in making sulfuric acid. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources, which are differentiated, have been written to cover point C6.1(d) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Chemistry specification. The lesson begins with a challenge where students have to use the 1st letters of the answers to questions on previously covered topics to come up with the word CONTACT. At this point, the students are introduced to the contact process as the 2nd step in a 3 stage process to make sulfuric acid. The lesson goes through the details of each of the 3 steps but particular time is spent exploring the conditions needed for the contact process in step 2. Students are continuously tested on their knowledge of reversible reactions and the key concepts to do with equilibrium position and equilibrium yield are explained so they can understand how the conditions of 2 atmospheres and 450 degrees celsius are chosen. Again through a prior knowledge check of empirical formula, the students will be introduced to vanadium oxide as the catalyst. As well as exam-style questions with displayed answers to check on current understanding, there are discussion points as well as quick quiz competitions to introduce key terms and values in a memorable way.

This fully-resourced lesson explains how gel electrophoresis is used to analyse nucleic acids and proteins and explores its applications in forensic science and medical diagnosis. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been written to cover point 19.1 (d) of the CIE International A-level Biology specification As a whole lesson, each step of the genetic fingerprinting process is covered but with the main focus on gel electrophoresis within this process. Students will be introduced to STRs and will come to recognise their usefulness in human identification as a result of the variability between individuals. Moving forwards, the involvement of the PCR and restriction enzymes are discussed and students are challenged on their knowledge of this process and these substances as they were encountered in a previous lesson. The main section of the lesson focuses on the use of gel electrophoresis to separate DNA fragments (as well as proteins) and the key ideas of separation due to differences in base pair length or molecular mass are discussed and explained. As well as current understanding checks, an application question involving Huntington’s disease is used to challenge their ability to apply their knowledge of the process to an unfamiliar situation. The remainder of the lesson describes how the DNA is transferred to a membrane and hybridisation probes are used to create a pattern on the X-ray film. Time has been taken to make continuous links to the previous lessons in topic 19.1 as well as those from topic 6 where DNA, RNA and protein synthesis were introduced.

This is a fully-resourced lesson which uses exam-style questions, engaging quiz competitions, quick tasks and discussion points to challenge students on their understanding of the content of topics B1 - B4, that will assessed on PAPER 1. It has been specifically designed for students on the AQA GCSE Combined Science course who will be taking the FOUNDATION TIER examinations but is also suitable for students taking the higher tier who need to ensure that the key points of each of the sub-topics are embedded. The lesson has been written to take place in numerous shops that could be found on the high street to allow the following sub-topics to be covered: Eukaryotes and prokaryotes The prefixes of size and converting between units The cell structures of animal and plant cells Mitosis and the cell cycle Benign and malignant tumours The principles of organisation The structure of the heart and the circulatory system The features of the alveoli which enable efficient gas exchange CHD The risk factors of non-communicable diseases Pathogens as microorganisms that cause infectious diseases Bacterial, viral, fungal and protist diseases Vaccinations Temperature and photosynthesis Enzymes The digestive system The role of bile The functions of the components of blood In order to maintain challenge whilst ensuring that all abilities can access the questions, the majority of the tasks have been differentiated and students can ask for extra support when they are unable to begin a question. Step-by-step guides have also been written into the lesson to walk students through some of the more difficult concepts such as calculating percentage change Due to the extensiveness of this revision lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 3 teaching hours to complete the tasks and therefore this can be used at different points throughout the duration of the course as well as acting as a final revision before the PAPER 1 exam

This is a fully-resourced lesson which uses exam-style questions, quiz competitions, quick tasks and discussion points to challenge students on their understanding of the content in topics C1 - C4, that will assessed on PAPER 3. It has been specifically designed for students on the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science course who will be taking the FOUNDATION TIER examinations but is also suitable for students taking the higher tier who need to ensure that the fundamentals are known and understood. The lesson has been written to cover as many sub-topics as possible, but the following have been given particular attention: The relative mass and charge of protons, electrons and neutrons Using the Periodic table to calculate numbers of the sub-atomic particles Writing elements and compounds in chemical symbol equations Simple and giant covalent structures Explaining the difference in conductivity of graphite and diamond Drawing dot and cross diagrams for ionic compounds The transfer of electrons during the formation of an ionic bond Writing chemical formulae for ionic compounds Conservation of mass and balancing symbol equations Calculating the relative formula mass Electrolysis of molten salts and aqueous solutions Extraction of metals In order to maintain challenge whilst ensuring that all abilities can access the questions, the majority of the tasks have been differentiated and students can ask for extra support when they are unable to begin a question. Step-by-step guides have also been written into the lesson to walk students through some of the more difficult concepts such as drawing dot and cross diagrams, diamond and graphite and writing chemical formulae. Due to the extensiveness of this revision lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 3/4 teaching hours to complete the tasks and therefore this can be used at different points throughout the duration of the course as well as acting as a final revision before the PAPER 3 exam.

This fully-resourced lesson has been written to prepare students for the range of mathematical-based questions that they may face on the two OCR GCSE Chemistry papers. The lesson has been designed to contain a wide range of activities which includes 8 quiz competition rounds spread across the duration of the lesson to maintain engagement whilst the students assess their understanding. The mathematical skills covered in this lesson include: Calculating the number of sub-atomic particles in atoms and ions Writing chemical formulae for ionic compounds Identifying isotopes Using Avogadro’s constant to calculate the number of particles Calculating the relative formula mass Calculating amount in moles using the mass and the relative formula mass Balancing chemical symbol equations Calculating reacting masses Gas calculations using molar volume Calculating concentration of solutions Titration calculations Deducing the empirical formula Calculating energy changes in reactions Most of the resources have been differentiated two ways to allow students of differing abilities to access the work whilst still being challenged. In addition, step by step guides are used to demonstrate how to carry out some of the more difficult calculations such as the harder mole calculations and calculating masses in reactions This lesson could be used with higher ability students on the OCR GCSE Combined Science course by taking out the sections which are not applicable.

This detailed lesson describes how aerobic glycolysis, the Krebs cycle and the electron transport chain produce energy for sport and exercise. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resource have been designed to cover the 4th part of point A7 in UNIT 1 of the Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Sport and Exercise Science specification which states that students should understand how these stages produce energy as well as the role of the mitochondria. The lesson has been written to include a wide range of tasks which include exam-style questions and discussion points to check on understanding and quiz competitions to introduce key terms and values in a memorable way and to maintain engagement and motivation. There is a focus on the link between each stage and the next and the location in a cell where each one occurs. Due to the extensiveness of this lesson, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 teaching hours to cover the detail within this resource

This is a fully-resourced lesson which describes the relationship between cardiac output, stroke volume and heart rate and explains how they differ between rest and during exercise. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the 5th point in SECTION 9 of the CIE International A-level PE specification. The lesson begins by challenging the students to recognise that the left ventricle has the most muscular wall of all of the heart chambers. This allows the stroke volume to be introduced as the volume of blood ejected from the left ventricle each heart beat and then a quiz competition is used to introduce normative values for the stroke volume and the heart rate. Moving forwards, students will learn that the cardiac output is the product of the stroke volume and the heart rate. The main part of the lesson looks at the adaptation of the heart to aerobic training in the form of cardiac hypertrophy and then the students are challenged to work out how this would affect the stroke volume, the cardiac output and the resting heart rate. A number of tasks are used to get the students to explain why the resting heart rate decreases and to calculate the changes in cardiac output. One of the two tasks has been differentiated and this allows students of differing abilities to access the work.

This fully-resourced lesson describes how the heart rate is regulated during exercise by the cardiovascular centre in the medulla oblongata. The engaging and detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources, which are differentiated 3 ways, have been designed to cover the final specification point of the “Cardiovascular system during exercise” topic in unit 1.1.b of the OCR A-level PE specification. This lesson begins with a prior knowledge check where students have to identify and correct any errors in a passage about the conduction system of the heart which was covered in an earlier lesson in topic 1.1.b. This allows the SAN to be recalled as this structure plays an important role as the effector in this regulatory system. Moving forwards, the three key parts of a regulatory system are introduced as the next part of the lesson will specifically look at the range of sensory receptors, the regulatory centre and the effector. A quick quiz round is used to introduce a range of stimuli so that students can understand how chemoreceptors, proprioceptors and baroreceptors generate electrical impulses to be conducted along a neurone to the brain. Another quick quiz introduces the medulla oblongata as the location of the cardiovascular centre. The communication between this centre and the SAN through the autonomic nervous system can be poorly understood so detailed explanations are provided and the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions are compared. The final task challenges the students to demonstrate and apply their understanding by writing a detailed description of the regulation and this task has been differentiated three ways to allow differing abilities to access the work

This detailed lesson introduces ATP as the body’s energy store and energy currency and introduces PC, glycogen and fat are sources for energy transfer to re-synthesise ATP during exercise. The engaging PowerPoint has been designed to cover the “Energy transfer in the body” section of topic 1.1.6 as detailed in the AQA A-level PE specification. The lesson begins by challenging the students to recognise that the link between muscle contraction, active transport and the conduction of electrical impulses is the need for energy. A number of quick quiz competitions are used throughout the lesson to maintain engagement and to introduce key terms and values and the first quiz round will result in the students meeting adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP). Time is taken to describe the structure of this energy store and to explain how it will be broken down into ADP and a phosphate and that this mechanism results in the release of energy for muscle contraction. Importantly, students will learn that the ATP stored in muscles will only allow for the first few seconds of contraction and therefore if exercise and contraction are to continue, the ATP will need to be re-synthesised. The main part of the lesson explores how phosphocreatine and glycogen are sources of energy transfer in the anaerobic systems and glucose and fats are sources for the aerobic system. Key details about each of these sources are provided and explained and links are made to upcoming lessons on the energy systems. The final round of the quiz, which is called “What’s your SOURCE?” acts a final understanding check as the teams of students have to recognise one of the 4 energy sources based on a description. This lesson has been specifically written to tie in with the next lessons on the anaerobic and aerobic energy systems.

This fully-resourced lesson looks at the detailed structure of a muscle fibre, and focuses on the proteins, bands and zones that are found in the myofibril. The engaging PowerPoint and acccompanying resource have been designed to cover the third part of point E2 in UNIT 2 of the Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Sport and Exercise Science specification. The lesson begins with an imaginary question from the quiz show POINTLESS, where students have to recognise a range of fields of study. This will reveal myology as the study of muscles so that key terms like myofibril and myosin can be introduced. Moving forwards, students will be shown the striated appearance of this muscle so they can recognise that some areas appear dark where both myofilaments are found and others as light as they only contain actin or myosin. A quiz competition is used to introduce the A band, I band and H zone and students then have to use the information given to label a diagram of the myofibril. The final task challenges the students to use their knowledge of the sliding filament theory to recognise which of these bands or zones narrow or stay the same length when muscle is contracted.

This fully-resourced lesson describes how the different properties of water make this biological molecule incredibly important in Biology. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover point 1.7 of the AQA A-level Biology specification. Hydrolysis reactions have been a recurring theme throughout topic 1, so the start of this lesson challenges the students to recognise the definition when only a single word is shown: water. Students will also recall the meaning of a condensation reaction. Moving forwards, the rest of the lesson focuses on the relationship between the structure and properties of water, beginning with its role as an important solvent. The lesson has been specifically written to make links to future topics and this is exemplified by the transport of water along the xylem in plants. A quick quiz round is used to introduce cohesion and tension so students can understand how the column of water is able to move along this vascular tissue without interruption. The next section focuses on the high latent heat of vaporisation and heat capacity of water and these properties are put into biological context using thermoregulation and the maintenance of a stable environment for aquatic animals. The lesson finishes with an explanation of the polar nature of water, a particularly important property that needs to be well understood for a number of upcoming topics, such as cell membranes.

This detailed and fully-resourced lesson describes the relationship between the structure and function of glycogen and starch. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover the fourth part of points 1.12 & 1.13 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification and clear links are also made to the previous lessons in this topic where the monosaccharides and disaccharides were introduced. The lesson begins with the CARBOHYDRATE WALL where students have to use their prior knowledge to collect the 9 carbohydrates on show into 3 groups. This results in glycogen, starch and cellulose being grouped together as polysaccharides and the structure and roles of the first two are covered over the course of the lesson. Students will learn how key structural features like the 1 - 4 and 1 - 6 glycosidic bonds and the hydrogen bonds dictate whether the polysaccharide chain is branched or unbranched and also allows for spiralling. Following the description of the structure of glycogen, students are challenged to design an exam question in the form of a comparison table so that it can be completed as the lesson progresses and they learn more about starch. This includes a split in the starch section of the table so that the differing structures and properties of amylose and amylopectin can be considered. The importance of the compact structure for storage is discussed as well as the branched chains of amylopectin acting as quick source of energy when it is needed. The lesson concludes with a question and answer section that guides the students when answering a question about the importance of the lower solubility of the polysaccharides when compared to the monosaccharides.

This fully-resourced lesson describes the modes of action of the T and B lymphocytes in the immune response. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover point 2.4 of the CIE A-level Biology specification and the structure of antibodies and the roles of memory cells is also briefly introduced. Antigen presentation was introduced at the end of the previous lesson so the task at the start of this lesson challenges students to recognise the name of this process and then they have to spot the errors in the passage that describes the details of this event. This reminds them that contact between the APC and T lymphocytes is necessary to elicit a response which they will come to recognise as the cellular response. A series of quick quiz rounds reveals key terms in a memorable way and one that is introduced is helper T cells. Time is then taken to describe the importance of cell signalling for an effective response and students will learn how the release of chemicals by these cells activates other aspects of the response. The role of the killer T cells is also described before an exam-style question is used to check on their understanding at this point of the lesson. This leads into the section of the lesson that deals with the humoral response and students will understand how this involves the antibodies that are produced by the plasma cells that are the result of clonal selection and expansion. The remainder of the lesson focuses on the role of the antibodies and the attachment of phagocytes to opsonins.

This fully-resourced lesson describes the events of the cell cycle so that students can understand how the genetic material behaves in interphase, mitosis and cytokinesis. The detailed PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification points 2.3 (i), (ii) and (iii) as detailed in the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification. Depending upon the exam board taken at GCSE, the knowledge and understanding of mitosis and the cell cycle will differ considerably between students and there may be a number of misconceptions. This was considered at all points during the planning of the lesson and to address existing errors, key points are emphasised throughout. The cell cycle is introduced at the start of the lesson and the quantity of DNA inside the parent cell is described as diploid and as 2n. A quiz competition has been written into the lesson and this runs throughout, challenging the students to identify the quantity of DNA in the cell (in terms of n) at different points of the cycle. Moving forwards, the first real focus is interphase and the importance of DNA replication is explained so that students can initially recognise that there are pairs of identical sister chromatids and then can understand how they are separated later in the cycle. The main part of the lesson focuses on prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase and describes how the chromosomes behave in these stages. An exam style question will check on their knowledge of the organelles from 2.1 and this acts to remind them that centrioles are responsible for the production of the spindle apparatus, Students will understand how the cytoplasmic division that occurs in cytokinesis results in the production of genetically identical daughter cells. This leads into a series of understanding and application questions where students have to identify the various roles of mitosis in living organisms as well as tackling a Maths in a Biology context question. The lesson concludes with a final round of MITOSIS SNAP where they only shout out this word when a match is seen between the name of a phase, an event and a picture

This fully-resourced lesson describes how mutations, the events of meiosis and random fertilisation result in genetic variation. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been primarily designed to cover points 8.1 (i) & (ii) of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification but also includes activities to challenge the students on previous concepts in topics 1 and 2. The students begin the lesson by having to identify phenotype and species from their respective definitions so that a discussion can be encouraged where they will recognise that phenotypic variation within a species is due to both genetic and environmental factors although this lesson only focuses on the genetic aspect. A range of activities, which include exam-style questions and quick quiz rounds, are used to challenge the students on their knowledge and understanding of substitution mutations, deletions, insertions, the genetic code, crossing over and independent assortment. Moving forwards, the concept of multiple alleles is introduced and students will learn how the presence of more than 2 alleles at a locus increases the number of phenotypic variants. The final section of the lesson focuses on the production of haploid gametes by meiosis and discusses how the random fertilisation of these gametes during sexual reproduction further increases variation.

This fully-resourced lesson describes how natural selection leads to behavioural, anatomical and physiological adaptations. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover specification points 4.3 & 4.4 of the Pearson Edexcel A-level Biology A specification President Trump’s error ridden speech about antibiotics is used at the beginning of the lesson to remind students that this is a treatment for bacterial infections and not viruses as he stated. Moving forwards, 2 quick quiz competitions are used to introduce MRSA and then to get the students to recognise that they can use this abbreviation to remind them to use mutation, reproduce, selection (and survive) and allele in their descriptions of evolution through natural selection. The main task of the lesson challenges the students to form a description that explains how this strain of bacteria developed resistance to methicillin to enable them to see the principles of natural selection. This can then be used when describing how the anatomy of the modern-day giraffe has evolved over time. The concept of convergent evolution is introduced and links are made to the need for modern classification techniques as this is covered later in topic 4. Moving forwards, students will understand how natural selection leads to adaptations and a quick quiz competition introduces the different types of adaptation and a series of tasks are used to ensure that the students can distinguish between anatomical, behavioural and physiological adaptations. The Marram grass is used to test their understanding further, before a step by step guide describes how the lignified cells prevent a loss of turgidity. Moving forwards, the students are challenged to explain how the other adaptations of this grass help it to survive in its environment. A series of exam-style questions on the Mangrove family will challenge them to make links to other topics such as osmosis and the mark schemes are displayed to allow them to assess their understanding. The final part of the lesson focuses on the adaptations of the anteater but this time links are made to the upcoming topic of taxonomy so that students are prepared for this lesson on species and classification hierarchy. Due to the extensiveness of this lesson and the detail contained within the resources, it is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 hours of allocated A-level teaching time to deliver this lesson.

This fully-resourced lesson describes the relationship between the structure, properties and functions of triglycerides in living organisms. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying worksheets have been designed to cover the first part of point (f) as detailed in AS unit 1, topic 1 of the WJEC A-level Biology specification and links are also made to related future topics such as the importance of the myelin sheath for the conduction of an electrical impulse which is covered in A2. The lesson begins with a focus on the basic structure and roles of lipids, including the elements that are found in this biological molecule and some of the places in living organisms where they are found. Moving forwards, the students are challenged to recall the structure of the carbohydrates from earlier in topic 1 so that the structure of a triglyceride can be introduced. Students will learn that this macromolecule is formed from one glycerol molecule and three fatty acids and have to use their understanding of condensation reactions to draw the final structure. Time is taken to look at the difference in structure and properties of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and students will be able to identify one from the other when presented with a molecular formula. The final part of the lesson explores how the various properties of a triglyceride mean that it has numerous roles in organisms including that of an energy store and source and as an insulator of heat and electricity.

This fully-resourced lesson describes how respiration in the absence of oxygen produces a limited yield of ATP and results in lactate or ethanol formation. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying differentiated resources have been designed to cover all of the specification points under point 5.5 of the Edexcel A-level Biology B specification and explains how pyruvate must be converted to lactate or ethanol using the hydrogen atoms released from reduced NAD to reoxidise this coenzyme to allow glycolysis to continue. The lesson begins with a focus on the coenzyme, NAD, and students are challenged to recall details of its role in the oxidation of glycerate-3-phosphate. Students will recall that oxidative phosphorylation in aerobic respiration allows these coenzymes to be reoxidised and therefore recognise that another metabolic pathway has to operate when there is no oxygen available. Time is taken to go through the details of the lactate and ethanol fermentation pathways and students are encouraged to discuss the conversions before applying their knowledge to complete diagrams and passages about the pathways. Understanding checks in a range of forms are used to enable the students to assess their progress whilst prior knowledge checks allow them to recognise the links to earlier topics. This lesson has been written to tie in with the other uploaded lessons on glycolysis and the stages of aerobic respiration as detailed in points 5.1 - 5.5.