4th Sep '25

Schemes of Work

B2
- B2.1
  - Lesson 01 - How does the nervous system work? Lesson Plan Lesson Title
    - The nervous system enables humans to react to their surroundings and to coordinate their behaviour.
      - Suggested Activity:
        Group practical:
        Investigate the factors affecting response rate
        Equipment Required:
        Data loggers
        Reaction time sensors
    - Be able to explain how the structure of the nervous system is adapted to its functions.
    - All control systems include:a) cells called receptors, which detect stimuli (changes in the environment), b) coordination centres (such as the brain, spinal cord and pancreas) that receive and process information from receptors, c) effectors, muscles or glands, which bring about responses which restore optimum levels.
    - These automatic control systems may involve nervous responses or chemical responses.
    - Be able to explain that homeostasis is the regulation of the internal conditions of a cell or organism to maintain optimum conditions for function in response to internal and external changes.
    - Homeostasis maintains optimal conditions for enzyme action and all cell functions.
      - Suggested Activity:
        Demo:
        Ask one student to put one hand into the cold and another in the warm water for two minutes.
        Student to then put both hands into the room temperature water together and describe what they experience.
        Student should feel that one hand stays hot/cold for a while despite being in the same temperature water.
        Equipment Required:
        Three large bowls: one warm water, one room temperature and one ice water.
    - In the human body, these include control of: a) blood glucose concentration. B) body temperature. C) water levels.
  - Lesson 02 - How does a body respond to a stimulus? Lesson Plan Lesson Title
    - Information from receptors passes along cells (neurones) as electrical impulses to the central nervous system (CNS).
    - The CNS is the brain and spinal cord.
    - The CNS coordinates the response of effectors which may be muscles contracting or glands secreting hormones.
      - Suggested Activity:
        The Reaction Time Test
        https://www.justpark.com/creative/reaction-time-test/
    - Stimulus --> Receptor --> Coordinator --> Effector --> Response
      - Suggested Activity:
        Student model of the CNS.
        Equipment Required:
        Large neurone posters.
    - Be able to explain how the various structures in a reflex arc including the sensory neurone, synapse, relay neurone and motor neurone relate to their function.
    - Students should understand why reflex actions are important.
    - Reflex actions are automatic and rapid; they do not involve the conscious part of the brain.
      - Suggested Activity:
        Demo:
        Students blow into each others faces - How fast do your eyes close?
    - Be able to extract and interpret data from graphs, charts and tables, about the functioning of the nervous system.
    - Be able to translate information about reaction times between numerical and graphical forms.
  - Lesson 03 - Required Practical: Reaction Time Planning Lesson Plan Lesson Title
    - Required Practical - Reaction Time (AT skills 1,3,4)
      - Suggested Activity:
        GCSE Biology required practical activity: Reaction Time
        Equipment Required:
        Metre rules
        Stop-clocks
  - Lesson 04 - How is the endocrine system different to the nervous system? Lesson Plan Lesson Title
    - The endocrine system is composed of glands which secrete chemicals called hormones directly into the bloodstream.
    - Students should be able to identify the position of the following on a diagram of the human body:
      Pituitary gland, Pancreas, Thyroid, Adrenal Gland, Ovary and Testes.
      - Suggested Activity:
        Label a diagram of the organs in the endocrine system.
        Equipment Required:
        Human body diagram
    - The blood carries the hormone to a target organ, where it produces an effect.
    - Compared to the nervous system the effects are slower, but act for longer.
    - The pituitary gland in the brain is a "master gland" which secretes several hormones into the blood in response to body conditions.
    - These hormones in turn act on other glands to stimulate other hormones to be released to bring about effects.
    - Students should be able to describe the principles of hormonal coordination and control by the human endocrine system.
    - Students should be able to explain the roles of thyroxine and adrenaline in the body (HT only)
    - Adrenaline is produced by the adrenal glands in times of fear or stress. It increases the heart rate and boosts the delivery of oxygen and glucose to the brain and muscles, preparing the body for "flight or fight". (HT only)
    - Thyroxine from the thyroid gland stimulates the basal metabolic rate. It plays an important role in growth and development. (HT only)
    - Thyroxine levels are controlled by negative feedback. Interpret and explain simple diagrams of negative feedback control. (HT only)
  - Lesson 05 - How is the optimum blood glucose level maintained? Lesson Plan Lesson Title
    - Blood glucose concentration is monitored and controlled by the pancreas
      - Suggested Activity:
        Draw life size model of a person to show control of blood glucose
        Equipment Required:
        Plain wall paper
        marker pens
    - If the blood glucose concentration is too high, the pancreas produces the hormone insulin that causes glucose to move from the blood into the cells.
    - In the liver and muscle cells excess glucose is converted to glycogen for storage.
    - When insulin is released it causes the liver to convert more glucose into glycogen.
    - Type 1 diabetes is a disorder in which the pancreas fails to produce sufficient insulin. It is characterised by uncontrolled high blood glucose levels and is normally treated with insulin injections.
    - In Type 2 diabetes the body cells no longer respond to insulin produced by the pancreas. A carbohydrate controlled diet and an exercise regime are common treatments.
      - Suggested Activity:
        Demo:
        How doctors used to diagnose diabetes by tasting fake urine.
        Confirm results with Benedict’s solution.
        Evaluate the methods.
        Equipment Required:
        Weak urine samples with and without glucose
        Benedict’s solution
        kettles
        testtubes
        pipett
        10ml cylinders
    - Obesity is a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes.
    - Students should be able to compare Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and explain how they can be treated.
      - Suggested Activity:
        GF/EW: How has treatment of diabetes developed over time? include use of human insulin produced by bacteria, current research into pancreas cell transplants and stem cell research.
    - Students should be able to extract information and interpret data from graphs that show the effect of insulin in blood glucose levels in both people with diabetes and people without diabetes.
    - (HT only) If the blood glucose concentration is too low, the pancreas produces the hormone glucagon that causes glycogen to be converted into glucose and released into the blood.
    - (HT only) Glucagon interacts with insulin in a negative feedback cycle to control blood glucose (sugar) levels in the body.
  - Lesson 06 - How is the water balance maintained in the body? Lesson Plan Lesson Title
    - Students should be able to explain the effect on cells of osmotic changes in body fluids
    - (HT only) Students should be able to describe the effect of ADH on the permeability of the kidney tubules.
    - Water leaves the body via the lungs during exhalation.
    - (HT only) The water level in the body is controlled by the hormone ADH which acts on the kidney tubules.
    - Water, ions and urea are lost from the skin in sweat.
    - (HT only) ADH is released by the pituitary gland when the blood is too concentrated and it causes more water to be reabsorbed back into the blood from the kidney tubules. This is controlled by negative feedback.
      - Suggested Activity:
        Use the ABPI activities (see resources) to explain the negative feedback mechanism involved in control of water concentration in the blood.
        https://www.abpischools.org.uk/topic/homeostasis-kidneys/
    - There is no control over water, ion or urea loss by the lungs or skin.
    - People who suffer from kidney failure may be treated by organ transplant or by using kidney dialysis. Students should know the basic principles of dialysis.
      - Suggested Activity:
        GF/EW: Discuss a moral dilemma – research cost of dialysis and transplants. Discuss considerations in terms of cost as to how kidney patients should be treated – lifetime dialysis, transplant, shortage of kidneys, buying kidneys from healthy people and prioritising lists for surgery. Produce arguments for and against the options.
    - Excess water, ions and urea are removed via the kidneys in the urine.
    - If body cells lose or gain too much water by osmosis they do not function efficiently
    - (HT only) The digestion of proteins from the diet results in excess amino acids which need to be excreted safely. In the liver these amino acids are deaminated to form ammonia. Ammonia is toxic and so it is immediately converted to urea for safe excretion.
    - Students should be able to describe the function of kidneys in maintaining the water balance of the body.
    - The kidneys produce urine by filtration of the blood and selective reabsorption of useful substances such as glucose, some ions and water.
    - Knowledge of other parts of the urinary system, the structure of the kidney and the structure of a nephron is not required.
    - Students should be able to translate tables and bar charts of glucose, ions and urea before and after filtration.
  - Lesson 07 - How does the brain control human response? Lesson Plan Lesson Title
    - The brain controls complex behaviour. It is made of billions of interconnected neurones and has different regions that carry out different functions.
    - Students should be able to identify the cerebral cortex, cerebellum and medulla on a diagram of the brain, and describe their functions
    - (HT only) Students should be able to explain some of the difficulties of investigating brain function and treating brain damage and disease.
    - (HT only) Neuroscientists have been able to map the regions of the brain to particular functions by studying patients with brain damage, electrically stimulating different parts of the brain and using MRI scanning techniques.
    - (HT only) The complexity and delicacy of the brain makes investigating and treating brain disorders very difficult.
  - Lesson 08 - How does the eye work? Lesson Plan Lesson Title
    - Students should be able to relate the structures of the eye to their functions. This includes accommodation to focus on near or distant objects.
    - Another adaptation is to dim light - The eye is a sense organ containing receptors sensitive to light intensity and colour.
    - Students should be able to identify the following structures on a diagram of the eye and explain how their structure is related to their function: ? retina
      ? optic nerve
      ? sclera
      ? cornea
      ? iris
      ? ciliary muscles
      ? suspensory ligaments.
    - Accommodation is the process of changing the shape of the lens to focus on near or distant objects.
    - To focus on a near object: ???? the ciliary muscles contract ?? the suspensory ligaments loosen ???? the lens is then thicker and refracts light rays strongly. To focus on a distant object:
      ? the ciliary muscles relax
      ? the suspensory ligaments are pulled tight
      ? the lens is then pulled thin and only slightly refracts light rays.
    - Two common defects of the eyes are myopia (short sightedness) and hyperopia (long sightedness) in which rays of light do not focus on the retina. ???
    - Generally these defects are treated with spectacle lenses which refract the light rays so that they do focus on the retina.
    - New technologies now include hard and soft contact lenses, laser surgery to change the shape of the cornea and a replacement lens in the eye.
    - Students should be able to interpret ray diagrams, showing these two common defects of the eye and demonstrate how spectacle lenses correct them.
  - Lesson 09 - How is body temperature controlled? Lesson Plan Lesson Title
    - Body temperature is monitored and controlled by the thermoregulatory centre in the brain. The thermoregulatory centre contains receptors sensitive to the temperature of the blood.
    - The skin contains receptors which detect changes in temperature and send impulses to the brain.
    - If the body temperature is too high, blood vessels dilate (vasodilation) and sweat is produced from the sweat glands.
    - Both these mechanisms cause a transfer of energy from the skin to the environment.
    - If the body temperature is too low, blood vessels constrict (vasoconstriction), sweating stops and skeletal muscles contract (shiver).
    - (HT only) Students should be able to explain how these mechanisms lower or raise body temperature in a given context.
      - Suggested Activity:
        Group Practical:
        Investigate the effect of sweating on the rate of cooling using a model - tubes of hot water wrapped in wet and dry paper towels.
        Plot cooling curves and make conclusions.
        Equipment Required:
        Boiling tubes
        Paper towels
        Elastic bands
        Thermometers
        Pipettes
        Timers,
        kettles