A Level Biology: Interesting article on scientific studies

This article from Science, debating current research revealing links between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and viruses, does a good job of highlighting how the scientific community self-regulates. It discusses research protocols such as sample selection and demographics, faults such as contamination and bias linked to commercial interests. I think it makes a good up to date discussion of how scientific studies are carried out and the need to produce clear and detailed articles. It is an easy read too and I highly recommend it:

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Attacked Again

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IGCSE Biology: Food chains, webs and pyramids worksheets

Worksheets designed to encourage students to work through pages 234 – 243 of the Biology for IGCSE (Mary Jones second edition). These are easily adaptable to be used with any textbook and are written in Word. I use them as holiday or cover work.

Worksheets:

organisms-in-their-environment-1

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Alcohol lesson plan and website for IGCSE or PSHE students

This site, by Bristol university, provided an information site for teenagers regarding alcohol. It allows students to calculate their alcohol intake, explore the effects and to complete a quiz. It also provides teacher resources.

Lesson Plan:

I have used it in my lessons before combined with an  activity highlighting the problem with estimating volume of drink. I have a mixture of coloured water to indicate red wine and clear water to indiocate vodka. I then ask the students to pour out a measure into tumblers or the large style wine glasses. Once done I inform them of the volume that is considered one unit for wine (125ml) and vodka (25ml). I then ask the students to pour out their measures into a measuring cylinder and ask them to compare what they poured to the correct volume. I often do a survey here of all the students (could graph results etc.). I then mention that the % alcohol content that is assumed for each calculation (9% for wine and 40% for spirits) is often actually higher. I hand out some sample wine bottles, and beer bottles/cans (EMPTY OF COURSE) for the students to survey the alcohol content. Again students could create survey, graphs and calculate actual unit content of the sample “drinks” they poured.

I either then do a class activity looking at the unit calculator in the site and we discuss what they consider a normal amount they might drink at a party (for older students naturally). Alternatively students could use the site to complete a research activity and calculate their own unit intake.

ALCOHOL AND YOU

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IGCSE Biology Classification of animal kingdom video

This video is directed at IGCSE Cambridge Biology and revises the groups students need to study for the animal kingdom. It is only 5 minutes long and revises the key external features of each group.

The link to the screencast version is here (might be useful for whiteboards): 2009-05-13_0116
The file is quite large so be patient as it may take a short while to load. Also apologies for background noise, my laptop has a very noisy fan (as well as being held together with sellotape because I dropped the laptop when rushing to my next lesson).

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Excellent biology resources for genetics, DNA to protein and cells

I would like to recommend this site form the University if Utah This site provides resources, activities and lesson plans that are entirely appropriate for A Level and is certainly worth exploring or directing your students to (they like the mouse party activity in particular).

Learn.Genetics

Examples of activities found on the site are:

Online activities:

Build a DNA molecule

Transcribe and translate a gene

cells and scale

Mouse Party (how drugs affect the brain)(worksheet available in the resources list mentioned below).

PCR virtual lab (A2) and Gel Elecrophoresis

There is also loads of information on topics such as knockout mice, epigenetics, cloning etc. Some of these might be useful resources for possible coursework essays.

In addition there is a sister site teach.genetics which has a  long list of lesson plans and worksheets that are of an appropriate level. I personally like the activity on risk (the risk continuum), which helps make a potentially dull topic in AS a little more active. There is a lot here, including some fun lab ideas plus support material for the HSW section of the course, and is well worth browsing.

I have added quite a few of the online activities into my Moodle coursepage (such as the transcribe a gene activity). I have also found it very useful when students have afternoon free lessons but just want to surf the net…at least they can surf the learn.genetics site in a productive way.

Enjoy!

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