The nephron is a tricky concept for many students, but it doesn’t have to be. In this post, I explain how I’ve taught it recently, without any slides, to 16-year-olds. See how I introduce stock…

Oxygen dissociation curves are difficult for students. I often find that difficulty comes from trying to visualise the mechanism through a graph. In this post, I’ll show you how I’ve built a model of the…

The role of individual organisms is vital to understanding ecosystem functions. Yet, the organism and how it goes about its life are often left in the background. Abstract energy flows, and nutrient cycles take the…

The nervous system is a great topic for exploring who we are and what we can do. It’s also great for explaining experience. But to do that, it needs to be given meaning, and that…

The lac operon is a classic of genetics and is common in biology curricula. Yet, students can sometimes find it difficult. I want to show you how I’ve taught it using a stock and flow…

In this post, I explain how I’ve taught enzyme kinetics without slides or worksheets to 14-year-olds. This lesson followed another on enzyme structure and function. Enzymes are abstract, invisible entities that appear to do work….

Here’s how I taught about enzymes recently with students 14–16 through models and conversation. What are enzymes? For students, that’s a strange word. So, firstly, we’d better have a look. My favourite animation is one…

If you’re teaching Mendelian genetics, monogenic disorders are on the cards. But which ones are good examples? The IB has once again decided on PKU (phenylketonuria). In this post, I’ll show you how I teach…

The relationship between photosynthesis and respiration (within an individual plant) isn’t easy for students. Often, I find, they’ve been shown the respiration equation so many times that they’ve memorised it, yet still don’t fully grasp…

The peppered moth of industrial England (and the Galapagos finches on Daphne Major during the 1976 drought) are common examples used in teaching natural selection. What unites them is their method: observational work. John Endler’s…

When I first saw stock and flow diagrams, I knew they were immensely useful in the biology classroom. Yet, it took a few years of trial and error until I found a powerful way to…

The nitrogen cycle is one of my favourite lessons. There’s so much to connect to: history and everyday life. But, students need a clear model to understand what’s going on, lest it be abstract and…