Blood glucose homeostasis is a classic concept for teaching about feedback loops that drive stability. But, like all of biology, there are so many new structures and technical terms students may not see the wood…
Surface area to volume ratio is a fundamental concept that keeps appearing throughout biology. It’s best to get it right the first time. Many times, however, students end up memorising ↑SA is good and ↓SA…
Experimental design is an uncontroversial component of science curricula. It helps students learn methodology, how to spot flaws in arguments, and, partly, how scientists create knowledge. Yet, much of what we teachers see in experimental…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Stock and flow models lend themselves to most concepts in biology, but population ecology is an iconic case, and a good place to begin. The model reflects Malthus’ original ideas, those that influenced Darwin. In…