This resource provides an easy to use, simple and useful introduction to the differences between physical and chemical changes. The first slide can be used as a starter, to initiate discussion and inspire students to offer up ideas about the differences between physical and chemical changes. The second and third slides provide a useful visual that can be used to help explain the differences between physical and chemical changes. The resource also includes some fun, quick quizzes to help assess the class’s understanding of the differences between physical and chemical changes.

This simple to use and engaging resource provides a useful framework for a lesson on conduction, convection and radiation. Depending on how much time is available to you, I like to demonstrate conduction through particles by inviting my students to stand next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, vibrating slowly. I then “transfer energy” to one of the students, invting them to vibrate faster, knocking the students (particles) on either side of them, transferring the energy on. To help demonstrate convection, I use the potassium permanganate practical. I usually allow the students to carry out a practical on radiation during the following lesson.

This high quality and easy-to-use resource on ‘plant responses to the environment’ is specifically designed for students studying OCR A-Level Biology. It includes information about photoperiodism and phytochromes in plants. Students should begin by watching my video tutorial on this topic, which is freely available via my YouTube channel: BiologyWithNewhouse. I have included a link to the video tutorial in the activity sheet. Students should then use information from the video tutorial and the PowerPoint slides to help them complete the activity sheet. This can be done entirely independently, as a flip-learning exercise, or with teacher support.

This lesson covers OCR A Level Biology A - 2.1.2 § Inorganic Ions. This resource pack includes a PowerPoint, worksheet, and answer sheet.

This resource introduces prokaryotic cells. It describes and explains the features that enable prokaryotic cells to perform their functions.

This resources covers the structure and function of the kidney. It includes information about ultrafiltration and selective reabsorption, a series of activities for students to complete, useful diagrams and links to animations on the topic. It also covers how the volume of urine produced is controlled through negative feedback.

This resource introduces the menstrual cycle and the main hormones involved in regulating the cycle. It includes a fun snakes-and-ladders game to help students learn more about what happens at each stage of the cycle and encourages students to create their own summary resource.

This PowerPoint resource provides a useful visual aid for a lesson on the discovery and structure of DNA. It includes activities, questions and video links. I usually begin the lesson by inviting students to write down everything they already know about DNA in a black pen. I then introduce Watson and Crick, and the structure of DNA, using all the key terms on the slide. I then give my students minutes to answer the 6 mark question on the structure of DNA. Students then self-mark their answer using the mark scheme included in the PowerPoint, and show me on their fingers how many marks out of 6 they achieved for the question. If students have access to their own laptops I then invite students to watch a few of the video links that go into slightly greater detail about the structure of DNA. At the end of the lesson I ask the students to return to the list they made at the beginning of the lesson about everything they already knew about DNA. I invite the students to spend a couple of minutes adding to their list in a green pen with everything they now know about DNA.

This resource introduces the Darwin and Wallace, their research and the theory of evolution. Included within the resource are a few links to videos that I find useful for introducing the theory and also opens discussion on the relationship between the two scientists. It invites students to consider whether Darwin cheated Wallace out of his rightful place in history, a question that often leads to great class discussions.

This resource provides an easy-to-use visual aid and activities on the structure of the eye and structure of the camera. It explains how the eye works and how the pinhole camera works, before challenging students to answer the 6 mark question “Compare the eye and the camera”. The resource includes a mark scheme for this question as well as additional questions that could be answered through investigations with a pinhole camera.

This lesson guides students through the body’s three main lines of defence again disease. Students begin by considering and discussing what the immune system is and why it is useful. Students then look at the difference between physical and chemical barriers to infection before learning about the process of phagocytosis. Students are introduced the B and T cells, before creating an artistic piece about a pathogen trying to avoid each of the body’s defences.

PowerPoint, worksheet and model answer sheet covering OCR Biology A 2.1.5 Biological membranes © (i) factors affecting membrane structure and permeability

This resource encourages students to research the human genome project. It includes a series of questions to guide their research as well as answers to the questions.

This resource introduces diffusion and the factors that effect the rate of diffusion, in a fun and interactive way. The lesson includes a simple experiment to test how temperature effects the rate of diffusion.

This resource introduces osmosis, and how plant and animal cells are effected by hypotonic, hypertonic and isotonic solutions.

This resources revises the difference between plant and animal cells, introduces the main cell organelles, their structure and function, as well as the main differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

This resource introduces the water cycle, the key terms relating to the water cycle, and how polluted water effects the water cycle. The resource includes activities for the students to complete, for example students describe the journey of a water molecule from a river high in the mountains, through the atmosphere and eventually back to the starting point. The resource also includes an experiment that students could complete to investigating the effect of pollution (acid rain) on seed germination.

This resource explains the difference between pure and impure substances, challenges students to compare graphs of pure and impure substances, and explains what is happening at a particle level during heating. Students then complete a simple practical where they measure the temperature of a substance as they heat it and then use a graph of their results to conclude whether or not the substance was pure or impure.

This resource provides a useful visual aid for introducing and comparing the processes of meiosis and mitosis. The resource includes links to videos on the topic, questions for students to answer, and a true false quiz. One of the tasks instructs students to create a video, poster, or model on mitosis or meiosis. This activity could either be completed during lessons or as a homework.

This lesson begins with a ‘graph description’ activity and opportunity for students to make scientific predictions. Included in the first couple of slides are links to useful video resources for the topic. There is then an option of two different practical investigations. The first invites students to design an experiment testing how the gradient of a ramp effects the speed of the car, whilst the second asks how the height you drop the ball from effect the height of the bounce.