GCE Getting Started - Edexcel
AS and A Level
Biology A
(Salters-Nuffield)
AS scheme of work (Concept)
PEARSON EDEXCEL AS BIOLOGY A
Scheme of Work – AS Biology A (Concept)
This is an example and may be adapted.
|Week |Topic |Content of lessons |Teaching suggestions |Spec. reference |Student Book pages |
|2 |Lifestyle, Health and Risk|Know how monosaccharides join to form disaccharides (sucrose, lactose and maltose) and|Use immobilised lactase to show hydrolysis |1.3, 1.4 | |
| | |polysaccharides (glycogen and amylose) through condensation reactions forming |of the disaccharide lactose into the | | |
| | |glycosidic bonds, and how these can be split through hydrolysis reactions. |monosaccharides glucose and galactose. | | |
| | |Know how a triglyceride is synthesised by the formation of ester bonds during |Use model beads or paper shapes to | | |
| | |condensation reactions between glycerol and three fatty acids. |construct lipids. | | |
| | |Know the differences between saturated and unsaturated lipids. | | | |
|3 |Lifestyle, Health and Risk|Understand why many animals have a heart and circulation (mass transport to overcome |Dissect sheep heart. |1.1, 1.4 | |
| | |limitations of diffusion in meeting the requirements of organisms). |Show animations of heart action. | | |
| | |Know the cardiac cycle (atrial systole, ventricular systole and cardiac diastole) and |Look at a model heart. | | |
| | |relate the structure and operation of the mammalian heart, including the major blood |Show major blood vessels on model body. | | |
| | |vessels, to its function. | | | |
| | |Know how the relationship between heart structure and function can be investigated | | | |
| | |practically. | | | |
|4 |Lifestyle, Health and Risk|Understand how the structures of blood vessels (capillaries, arteries and veins) |Look at prepared slides showing an artery |1.3, 1.6, 1.17 | |
| | |relate to their functions. |and a vein. | | |
| | |CORE PRACTICAL 1: Investigate the effect of caffeine on heart rate in daphnia. |Demonstrate elastic recoil by suspending a | | |
| | |Discuss the potential ethical issues regarding the use of invertebrates in research. |ring of artery and vein from a hook on a | | |
| | |Understand the blood-clotting process (thromboplastin release, conversion of |clamp stand and record the length with a | | |
| | |prothrombin to thrombin and fibrinogen to fibrin) and its role in cardiovascular |10 g mass attached to the free end. | | |
| | |disease (CVD). |CORE PRACTICAL 1: Hold a debate on ethics. | | |
| | | |Look at prepared microscope slides showing | | |
| | | |blood cells, including platelets. | | |
|5 |Lifestyle, Health and Risk|Understand the course of events that leads to atherosclerosis (endothelial |Use ECG traces to calculate heart rate. |1.5, 1.7, 1.18 | |
| | |dysfunction, inflammatory response, plaque formation, raised blood pressure |Look at research linking factors to CVD and| | |
| | |Know how factors such as genetic, diet, age, gender, high blood pressure, smoking and |its treatments. | | |
| | |inactivity increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). | | | |
| | |Know the benefits and risks of treatments for cardiovascular disease (CVD) | | | |
| | |(antihypertensives, statins, anticoagulants and platelet inhibitors). | | | |
|6 |Lifestyle, Health and Risk|Be able to analyse and interpret data on the possible significance for health of blood|Analyse data from research on blood |1.15, 1.16 | |
| | |cholesterol levels and levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) and low-density |cholesterol and CVD. | | |
| | |lipoproteins (LDLs). |Plot correlations between cholesterol | | |
| | |Know the evidence for a causal relationship between blood cholesterol levels (total |levels and CVD. | | |
| | |cholesterol and LDL cholesterol) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). |Calculate coefficients. | | |
| | |Understand how people use scientific knowledge about the effects of diet including |Plan a health campaign using information on| | |
| | |obesity indicators body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio, exercise and smoking to |lifestyle factors and coronary heart | | |
| | |reduce their risk of coronary heart disease. |disease. | | |
|7 |Lifestyle, Health and Risk|CORE PRACTICAL 2: Investigate the vitamin C content of food and drink. |CORE PRACTICAL 2: Look at evidence, |1.8, 1.11 | |
| | |Be able to analyse and interpret quantitative data on illness and mortality rates to |including causality versus correlations, of| | |
| | |determine health risks (including distinguishing between correlation and causation and|research into weight gain and loss and | | |
| | |recognising conflicting evidence). |health risks. | | |
| | |Be able to analyse data on energy budgets and diet. |Debate and devise a plan to improve the | | |
| | |Understand the consequences of energy imbalance, including weight loss, weight gain, |health of the nation. | | |
| | |and development of obesity. | | | |
|8 |Lifestyle, Health and Risk|Be able to evaluate the design of studies used to determine health risk factors |Look at some original research using |1.9, 1.10 | |
| | |including sample selection and sample size used to collect data that is both valid and|different designs and debate their | | |
| | |reliable. |validity. | | |
| | |Understand why people’s perceptions of risks are often different from the actual risks|Class discussion of risk perception and | | |
| | |including underestimating and overestimating the risks due to diet and other lifestyle|possible factors. | | |
| | |factors in the development of heart disease. | | | |
|9 |Genes and Health |Know the structure and properties of cell membranes. |Use plasticine to make membrane models. |2.2, 2.3, 2.4 | |
| | |Understand how models such as the fluid mosaic model of cell membranes are |Show animations of cell membrane structure.| | |
| | |interpretations of data used to develop scientific explanations of the structure and |Simple demonstrations of osmosis using | | |
| | |properties of cell membranes. |potatoes and visking tubing. | | |
| | |Understand what is meant by osmosis in terms of the movement of free water molecules |Animations of active transport and | | |
| | |through a partially permeable membrane (consideration of water potential is not |diffusion. | | |
| | |required). |Simple demonstrations of passive transport | | |
| | |Understand what is meant by passive transport(diffusion, facilitated diffusion), |e.g. potassium permanganate crystals in | | |
| | |active transport (including the role of ATP as an immediate source of energy), |water. | | |
| | |endocytosis and exocytosis. | | | |
| | |Understand the involvement of carrier and channel proteins in membrane transport. | | | |
|10 |Genes and Health |Know the properties of gas exchange surfaces in living organisms (large surface area |Calculate SA to V ratio for different sized|2.1 | |
| | |to volume ratio, thickness of surface, difference in concentration). |cubes. Use different cube sizes of potato | | |
| | |Understand how the rate of diffusion is dependent on these properties and can be |to find out how SA:VOL ratio affects | | |
| | |calculated using Fick’s Law of Diffusion. |percentage water uptake. | | |
| | |Understand how the structure of the mammalian lung is adapted for rapid gaseous |Calculate using Fick’s Law of Diffusion. | | |
| | |exchange. |Examine a mammalian lung to show anatomy. | | |
| | |CORE PRACTICAL 3: Investigate membrane structure, including the effect of alcohol |Show animations of gas exchange at lung | | |
| | |concentration or temperature on membrane permeability. |surface. | | |
|11 |Genes and Health |Know the basic structure of an amino acid (structures of specific amino acids are not |Use atomic models to illustrate amino and |2.9 | |
| | |required). |carboxylic acid groups and some basic R | | |
| | |Understand the formation of polypeptides and proteins (amino acid monomers linked by |groups; show peptide bonds and formation of| | |
| | |peptide bonds in condensation reactions). |dipeptides. | | |
| | |Understand the significance of a protein’s primary structure in determining its |Demonstrate protein structures using wire. | | |
| | |three-dimensional structure and properties (globular and fibrous proteins and the | | | |
| | |types of bonds involved in its three-dimensional structure). | | | |
| | |Know the molecular structure of a globular protein and a fibrous protein and | | | |
| | |understand how their structures relate to their functions (including haemoglobin and | | | |
| | |collagen). | | | |
|12 |Genes and Health |Understand the mechanism of action and the specificity of enzymes in terms of their |Demonstrate “lock and key” using cardboard |2.10 | |
| | |three-dimensional structure. |models and animations. | | |
| | |Understand that enzymes are biological catalysts that reduce activation energy. |All students should carry out the core | | |
| | |Know that there are intracellular enzymes catalysing reactions inside cells and |practicals. | | |
| | |extracellular enzymes produced by cells catalysing reactions outside of cells. | | | |
| | |CORE PRACTICAL 4: Investigate the effect of enzyme and substrate concentrations on the| | | |
| | |initial rates of reactions. | | | |
|13 |Genes and Health |Know the basic structure of mononucleotides (deoxyribose or ribose linked to a |Use cardboard models of basic units of DNA |2.5, 2.11 | |
| | |phosphate and a base, including thymine, uracil, cytosine, adenine or guanine) and the|and RNA to show structure. | | |
| | |structures of DNA and RNA (polynucleotides composed of mononucleotides linked through |Display animations showing DNA structure | | |
| | |condensation reactions). |and replication. | | |
| | |Know how complementary base pairing and the hydrogen bonding between two complementary|Use historical evidence from DNA research | | |
| | |strands are involved in the formation of the DNA double helix. |including Meselson and Stahl’s classic | | |
| | |Describe DNA replication (including the role of DNA polymerase) and how Meselson and |experiment to formulate conclusion as to | | |
| | |Stahl’s classic experiment provided new data which supported the accepted theory of |structure and replication of DNA. | | |
| | |replication of DNA and refuted competing theories. | | | |
| | |Understand the process of DNA replication, including the role of DNA polymerase. | | | |
| | |Understand how Meselson and Stahl’s classic experiment provided new data that | | | |
| | |supported the accepted theory of replication of DNA and refuted competing theories. | | | |
|14 |Genes and Health |Understand the process of protein synthesis (transcription) including the role of RNA |Calculate the number of products/words |2.6, 2.7, 2.8 | |
| | |polymerase, translation, messenger RNA, transfer RNA, ribosomes and the role of start |possible with 1,2,3,4 bases/letters and | | |
| | |and stop codons. |relate to the number of amino acids that | | |
| | |Understand the roles of the DNA template (antisense) strand in transcription, codons |exist. | | |
| | |on messenger RNA and anticodons on transfer RNA. |Examine evidence from the discovery of DNA | | |
| | |Understand the nature of the genetic code (triplet code, non-overlapping and |structure in the 1950s. | | |
| | |degenerate). |Students produce PowerPoints or animations | | |
| | |Know that a gene is a sequence of bases on a DNA molecule that codes for a sequence of|of protein synthesis. | | |
| | |amino acids in a polypeptide chain. | | | |
|15 |Genes and Health |Understand how errors in DNA replication can give rise to mutations. |Discuss examples of errors in DNA and |2.12, 2.13 | |
| | |Understand how cystic fibrosis results from one of a number of possible gene |resultant problems, including cystic | | |
| | |mutations. |fibrosis. | | |
| | |Know the meaning of the terms: gene, allele, genotype, phenotype, recessive, dominant,|Create glossary of terms. | | |
| | |incomplete dominance, homozygote and heterozygote. |Discuss genetic pedigrees such as the royal| | |
| | |Understand patterns of inheritance, including the interpretation of genetic pedigree |family and haemophilia. | | |
| | |diagrams, in the context of monohybrid inheritance. |Discuss examples of monohybrid inheritance.| | |
|16 |Genes and Health |Understand how the expression of a gene mutation in people with cystic fibrosis |Examine case studies of cystic fibrosis |2.14, 2.15, 2.16 | |
| | |impairs the functioning of the gaseous exchange, digestive and reproductive systems. |sufferers. | | |
| | |Understand the uses of genetic screening, including the identification of carriers, |Debate ethical implications of prenatal | | |
| | |pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and prenatal testing, including amniocentesis|screening etc. | | |
| | |and chorionic villus sampling. | | | |
| | |Understand the implications of prenatal genetic screening. | | | |
| | |Be able to identify and discuss the social and ethical issues related to genetic | | | |
| | |screening from a range of ethical viewpoints. | | | |
|17 |Genes and Health |Recap and consolidation of Topic 2. | | | |
|18 |Voice of the Genome |Know that all living organisms are made of cells, sharing some common features. |Use plasticine and other modelling |3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, | |
| | |Know the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells, including nucleus, nucleolus, ribosomes, |materials to make different cell types. |3.5 | |
| | |rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, centrioles, lysosomes, and Golgi|Examine EM images of cells showing | | |
| | |apparatus. |different organelles. | | |
| | |Understand the role of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) and the Golgi apparatus | | | |
| | |in protein transport within cells, including their role in the formation of | | | |
| | |extracellular enzymes. | | | |
| | |Know the ultrastructure of prokaryotic cells, including cell wall, capsule, plasmid, | | | |
| | |flagellum, pili, ribosomes, mesosomes and circular DNA. | | | |
| | |Be able to recognise the organelles in 3.2 from electron microscope (EM) images. | | | |
|19 |Voice of the Genome |Understand the role of mitosis and the cell cycle in producing identical daughter |Use PowerPoint/animations/ |3.10, 3.13 | |
| | |cells for growth and asexual reproduction. |models/pipe cleaners in student | | |
| | |Understand why the cells of multicellular organisms are organised into tissues, |presentations of mitosis. | | |
| | |tissues into organs and organs into systems. |All students should carry out the core | | |
| | |CORE PRACTICAL 5: Understand how to prepare and stain a root tip squash to observe the|practicals. | | |
| | |stages of mitosis. | | | |
|20 |Voice of the Genome |Understand how mammalian gametes are specialised for their functions (including the |Show animations of fertilisation. |3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9 | |
| | |acrosome in sperm and the zona pellucida in the egg). |Use PowerPoint/animations/ | | |
| | |Know the process of fertilisation in mammals, including the acrosome reaction, the |models/pipe cleaners in student | | |
| | |cortical reaction and the fusion of nuclei. |presentations of meiosis. | | |
| | |Know that a locus (loci) is the location of genes on a chromosome. | | | |
| | |Understand the linkage of genes on a chromosome and sex linkage. | | | |
| | |Understand the role of meiosis in ensuring genetic variation through the production of| | | |
| | |non-identical gametes as a consequence of independent assortment of chromosomes and | | | |
| | |crossing over of alleles between chromatids (details of the stages of meiosis are not | | | |
| | |required). | | | |
|21 |Voice of the Genome |Understand what is meant by the terms ‘stem cell, pluripotency and totipotency’. |Use a table to compare pluripotency and |3.11, 3.12 | |
| | |Be able to discuss the way society uses scientific knowledge to make decisions about |totipotency. | | |
| | |the use of stem cells in medical therapies. |Debate use of stem cells in medical | | |
| | |Understand how cells become specialised through differential gene expression, |therapies. | | |
| | |producing active mRNA leading to synthesis of proteins, which in turn control cell | | | |
| | |processes or determine cell structure in animals and plants including lac operon. | | | |
|22 |Voice of the Genome |Understand how phenotype is the result of an interaction between genotype and the |Look at case studies of phenotypes being |3.14, 3.15 | |
| | |environment. |affected by the environment. | | |
| | |Know how epigenetic changes (including DNA methylation and histone modification) can |Show examples of multi allelic inheritance.| | |
| | |modify the activation of certain genes. | | | |
| | |Understand how epigenetic changes can be passed on following cell division. | | | |
| | |Understand how some phenotypes are affected by multiple alleles for the same gene at | | | |
| | |many loci (polygenic inheritance) as well as the environment and how this can give | | | |
| | |rise to phenotypes that show continuous variation. | | | |
|23 |Voice of the Genome |Recap and consolidation of Topic 3. | | | |
|24 |Biodiversity and Natural |Know the ultrastructure of plant cells (cell walls, chloroplasts, amyloplasts, |Use prepared slides of plant tissues and |4.7, 4.8, 4.9 | |
| |Resources |vacuole, tonoplast, plasmodesmata, pits and middle lamella) and be able to compare it |electron microscope (EM) images of plant | | |
| | |with animal cells. |tissue to show different plant organelles. | | |
| | |Be able to recognise the organelles in 4.7 from electron microscope (EM) images. |Show diagrams of structure of cellulose vs | | |
| | |Understand the structure and function of the polysaccharides starch and cellulose, |starch illustrate structure related to | | |
| | |including the role of hydrogen bonds between β-glucose molecules in the formation of |function. | | |
| | |cellulose microfibrils. | | | |
|25 |Biodiversity and Natural |Understand how the arrangement of cellulose microfibrils and secondary thickening in |Use prepared slides of plant tissue to show|4.10, 4.11 | |
| |Resources |plant cell walls contributes to the physical properties of xylem vessels and |xylem and phloem etc. Examine different | | |
| | |sclerenchyma fibres in plant fibres that can be exploited by humans. |aged sections through plant stems. | | |
| | |Know the similarities and differences between the structures, position in the stem and|Illustrate dendrochronology using different| | |
| | |function of sclerenchyma fibres (support), xylem vessels (support and transport of |aged stems of trees etc. | | |
| | |water and mineral ions) and phloem (translocation of organic solutes). |All students should carry out the core | | |
| | |CORE PRACTICAL 6: Identify sclerenchyma fibres, phloem sieve tubes and xylem vessels |practicals. | | |
| | |and their location within stems through a light microscope. | | | |
| | |CORE PRACTICAL 8: Determine the tensile strength of plant fibres practically. | | | |
|26 |Biodiversity and Natural |Understand the importance of water and inorganic ions (nitrate, calcium ions and |Research and presentations by students on |4.12, 4.15 | |
| |Resources |magnesium ions) to plants. |the use of plant-based products. | | |
| | |Understand how the uses of plant fibres and starch may contribute to sustainability, |All students should carry out the core | | |
| | |including plant-based products to replace oil-based plastics. |practicals. | | |
| | |CORE PRACTICAL 7: Understand how to investigate plant mineral deficiencies | | | |
| | |practically. | | | |
|27 |Biodiversity and Natural |Understand the development of drug testing from historic to contemporary protocols, |Look at historical descriptions of drug |4.13, 4.14 | |
| |Resources |including William Withering’s digitalis soup, double blind trials, placebo, |testing, including William Withering’s | | |
| | |three-phased testing. |work. | | |
| | |Understand the conditions required for bacterial growth. |All students should carry out the core | | |
| | |CORE PRACTICAL 9: Investigate the antimicrobial properties of plants, including |practicals. | | |
| | |aseptic techniques for the safe handling of bacteria. | | | |
|28 |Biodiversity and Natural |Know that over time the variety of life has become extensive but is now being |Examine historical studies of life on |4.1, 4.2 | |
| |Resources |threatened by human activity. |earth. | | |
| | |Understand the terms biodiversity and endemism. |Use data to calculate the heterozygosity | | |
| | |Know how biodiversity can be measured within a habitat using species richness and |index and Simpson’s index. | | |
| | |within a species using genetic diversity by calculating the heterozygosity index (H): | | | |
| | |[pic] | | | |
| | |Know how biodiversity can be compared in different habitats using Simpson’s diversity | | | |
| | |index (D): | | | |
| | |[pic] | | | |
|29 |Biodiversity and Natural |Understand the concept of niche and be able to discuss examples of adaptation of |Look at examples of niche e.g. bird feeding|4.3, 4.4, 4.5 | |
| |Resources |organisms to their environment (behavioural, physiological and anatomical). |behaviours and beak types. | | |
| | |Understand how natural selection can lead to adaptation and evolution. |Calculate using data and the Hardy-Weinberg| | |
| | |Understand how the Hardy-Weinberg equation can be used to see whether a change in |equation. | | |
| | |allele frequency is occurring in a population over time. |Examine case studies of isolation and | | |
| | |Understand that reproductive isolation can lead to accumulation of different genetic |speciation. | | |
| | |information in populations potentially leading to the formation of new species. | | | |
|30 |Biodiversity and Natural |Understand that classification is a means of organising the variety of life based on |Discuss examples of classification on the |4.6, 4.16 | |
| |Resources |relationships between organisms using differences and similarities in phenotypes and |basis of genotype and phenotype. | | |
| | |in genotypes, and is built around the species concept. |Debate/discuss the three domain approach to| | |
| | |Understand the process and importance of critical evaluation of new data by the |classification. | | |
| | |scientific community, which leads to new taxonomic groupings, including the three |Visit a zoo or seed bank to explore | | |
| | |domains of life based on molecular phylogeny, which are Bacteria, Archaea, Eukaryota. |breeding programmes. | | |
| | |Be able to evaluate the methods used by zoos and seed banks in the conservation of | | | |
| | |endangered species and their genetic diversity, including scientific research, captive| | | |
| | |breeding programmes, reintroduction programmes and education. | | | |
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