Revolting post ahead (or so Gary tells me 🙂 I have no filtering... ). Sensitive constitutions should exit ASAP. You have been warned. Learning about reproduction with five teenagers can be humorous, not to mention embarrassing...for them. I was adamant that I would teach this to them without all the embarrassed giggles one might expect…
Category: IGCSE Biology
Genetics: Cell division – Meiosis
We are currently working through the specification for an IGCSE in Biology. The following is copied straight from that specification and is all the information we need to know about meiosis: Understand that division of a cell by meiosis produces four cells, each with half the number of chromosomes, and that this results in the formation…
Genetics: Cell division – Mitosis
We are currently working through the specification for an IGCSE in Biology. The following is copied straight from that specification and is all the information we need to know about mitosis: Understand that division of a diploid cell by mitosis produces two cells which contain identical sets of chromosomes. Understand that mitosis occurs during growth, repair,…
Genetics: DNA Replication
We have looked quite extensively at the structure of DNA as well as carrying out a study on the scientists who first discovered its structure and making our own models: The next thing the children needed to know about was DNA replication. This would be fairly important for their cell division lessons on Mitosis and Meiosis…
Illustrating Mendelian Genetics: Mr and Mrs Apple-head and their Applettes
Breeding Mr and Mrs Apple-heads to create some Applettes Yesterday I posted about our Gregor Mendel scientist study. We finished up our study with a bit of fun, making our own father and mother Apple-heads. It was a really great way to check the children fully understood the new vocabulary: allele, phenotype, genotype, recessive, dominant,…
Scientist Study: Gregor Mendel – Simple Genetics
Who is Gregor Mendel? Gregor Mendel is regarded as the first ever geneticist. He overcame poverty and the death of his father, funded his own education and finally joined the abbot to continue with his studies. He spent much of his adult life trying to answer the following question: How do mothers and fathers -…
Genetics: Fingerprint Lab
Over the past week we have been learning about Mendelian genetics (or simple genetics). As a fun introduction we carried out a fingerprint lab. Why a Fingerprint Lab? I wanted to show the children that there is only one of them. This was quite important for the girls to see, given that they are twins…
IGCSE Biology: Genetics
Our biological science is based on the specification of Edexcel for their Biology IGCSE. My goal is to very gradually work through the specification with the hope of digging a little deeper than is required and letting the children follow areas of interest. I aim to make this study as hands on as possible and…
Biology: Genetics – DNA
We have just finished Microbe studies and together we have chosen to look at Inheritance and Genetics next. Again, I will be using the Edexcel IGCSE specification as guidance. Our studies will hopefully be in-depth and very hands on before we settle down to answering past exam papers to test how much the children understand.…
Biology : Extracting Your Own DNA
Actually this post will describe how to extract DNA from a banana, a tomato and from yourself. The method is similar for all three. Extracting DNA samples I gave the children the choice of extracting DNA from tomatoes, bananas or from themselves. It is very easy to do requiring nothing more than water, salt, surgical…
Scientist Study: Watson and Crick
Crick and Watson were 20th century scientists accredited (with help from Franklin and Wilkins) for discovering the structure of DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid), one of the most significant discoveries of that century. The three men were awarded a nobel prize for discovering the 'secret of life'. Franklin had died and so missed out, even though it…
IGCSE Biological Science – Microbes
Our biological science is based on the specification of Edexcel for their Biology IGCSE. My goal is to very gradually work through the specification with the hope of digging a little deeper than is required and letting the children follow areas of interest. I aim to make this study as hands on as possible and…