Biology
Key Stage 5
What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?
- Research potential career paths in medicine, health care, agriculture, horticulture, animal care. Useful websites are:
- Volunteer with taster days and KS3 Science Club to develop skills in communication and interpretation.
- Visit local nature reserves and conservation efforts to develop skills in observing and classifying. Useful websites are:
- Take part in Biology competitions – for example: www.ukbiologycompetitions.org
What wider reading can be completed to support the curriculum?
- Nature and New Scientist magazines.
- The Chemistry of Life - Steven Jones.
- Language of the Genes and Almost Like a Whale - Steven Jones.
- Genome - Matt Ridley.
- The Wisdom of the Genes - Christopher Wills.
- Darwin's Dangerous Idea - Daniel Dennett.
- The Selfish Gene and The Extended Phenotype - Richard Dawkins.
- Virolution - Frank Ryan.
- Life Ascending - Nick Lane.
- The Revenge of Gaia - James Lovelock.
- 50 Genetic Ideas You Really Need to Know - Mark Henderson.
- Zoobiquity - Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and Kathryn Bowers.
- Creation: The Origin of Life - Adam Rutherford.
- New A Level Biology: Year 1 & AS Complete Revision Guide & Practice with online Edition (OCR Biology 2017).
- New A Level Biology: Year 1 & AS Complete Revision & Practice with Online Edition.
- CGP Biology Revision Guide - OCR B.
- Maths Skills for A level Biology - OXFORD.
Lectures and Public Events:
- The Linnean Society - www.linnean.org/meetings-and-events/podcasts-of-events
- Royal Society of Biology - www.rsb.org.uk/students and www.rsb.org.uk/education/teaching-resources/secondary-schools
What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?
www.arkive.org
www.ted.com
www.thenakedscientists.com
Use of Afternoon Biology resources available on the VLE
www.nuffieldfoundation.org/practical-biology
www.youtube.com/user/Kurzgesagt
www.youtube.com/user/thehealthcaretriage
www.youtube.com/user/Kurzgesagt
www.youtube.com
www.kerboodle.com
www.tollbaracademy.co.uk/about-vlebooks
How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?
- Encourage your son or daughter to research university websites for potential career paths.
- Encourage your son or daughter to engaged in enrichment pursuits involving the subject – for instance, taking part in the maritime survey 'Beachwatch'.
- Encourage your son or daughter to visit local nature reserves, conservation areas, and botanical gardens.
- Encourage your son or daughter to keep up to date on developments in Biology in the news and engage you in conversation about these.
- Attend regular parents' evenings with teachers.
- Purchase the relevant revision guides.