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 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

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

Biology students often struggle to calculate rates of reaction from graphs. This worksheet provides an explanation of how to calculate rates of reaction from graphs followed by two practice examples. This is a useful worksheet to use as preparation for any practical investigation that will require this skill with data analysis.

A worksheet with method and subsequent questions (including a higher ability challenge question) on the effect of lipase and bile salts on the breakdown of fat present in milk. A good practical activity for GCSE and A-Level students alike, which demonstrates the impact of bile as an emulsifying agent. Key words: phenolpthalein, milk, ph, bile, fat, triglyceride, temperature, lipase

A resource aimed at GCSE biology students, this worksheet provides a brief review of basic key terms (e.g. antibody, antigen, phagocyte, lymphocyte) followed by more open ended and challenging questions that require students to fully explain the principles of active immunity in their own words. Key words: active, immunity, phagocyte, lymphocyte, vaccination, antibody, antigen

This is a personal learning checklist (PLC) tailored for the second year of the new AQA Biology Advanced Level specification. This is an excel spreadsheet with five worksheets in total, each one covering specification references: 3.5 Energy transfers 3.6 Organisms respond to change 3.7 Genetics & ecosystems 3.8 Control of gene expression 6.1-6.5 Mathematical requirements Each worksheet contains the full list of statements/learning outcomes taken directly from the specification, along with a grid for students to RAG rate their confidence as well as space to write notes and set targets. The worksheets have been formatted to allow easy printing of each worksheet. Each worksheet can be printed and collated with others to form a full checklist for the entire year. Students could also be emailed this PLC and complete using a computer - the final worksheet collates information from the self -analysis carried out on previous pages and presents an overall percentage score for the level of confidence in each topic plus an indication of whether a student is 'secure' in that topic area. This is an essential resource for anyone teaching the new biology advanced level specification. Key words: personal learning checklist (PLC), self assessment, targets, AQA, biology

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.

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 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

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

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

A worksheet aimed at advanced biology students, this resource focuses on the mechanism of action of second messengers (using cAMP as an example), activated by an initial hormone. The worksheet contains several questions that lead students through a logical series of key points - a weblink is also included for students to research their answers further. Key words: cAMP, second messenger, adenylate cyclase, hormone, adrenaline, ATP, AMP, response, endocrine