This practical offers a fun way of measuring the rate of photosynthesis, using a green alga immobilised in alginate beads. The beads are placed in a Hydrogencarbonate indicator, which changes colour with pH. As the alga respire and photosynthesise, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the indicator solution changes, with very visible results. These ‘algal balls’ make it easy to standardise the amount of photosynthetic tissue in any investigation, allowing students to compare a number of factors.

In this practical experiment, the rate of photosynthesis is measured by counting the number of bubbles rising from the cut end of a piece of Cabomba pondweed. Cabomba caroliniana is no longer available to purchase in the UK. Please see the SAPS website for guidance on achieving good results with other species of pondweed.

In this activity, for the new biology GCSEs, students act as detectives, piecing together information from the sources provided to identify common plant diseases, including the type of pathogen causing it, ways in which the disease is spread, and how to stop the spread. The activity will help students to demonstrate the following learning outcomes at KS4: • describe common plant diseases • explain how these communicable plant disease are spread. Ideas about communicable diseases in plants are included in the updated programmes of study for Key Stage 4 science published in December 2014. These ideas will be included in GCSE Science courses from 2016 (for first assessment in summer 2018).

This is one of the 12 practical investigations that students studying A level Biology 2015 specifications for England are required to complete. In this practical, students will prepare and observe dividing cells from the meristems of actively growing garlic root tips. In this improved and simplified protocol, toluidine blue is used to stain the DNA in the meristem cells, instead of the more traditionally-used acetic orcein. This resource includes full teaching and technical notes, preparation sheets and protocols for the students, plus a Powerpoint for use in class.

In this resource, students investigate the antibacterial properties of plants. Their investigation is placed in the context of a case study of Prof Julian Ma who specialises in ‘pharming’ – the production of medicines by plants. Students read the case study and watch the video about Julian's medical research, and then carry out a practical using the disc diffusion method, testing various plants to see if they make chemicals which have antimicrobial properties.

Throughout human civilisation plants have provided a rich source of drugs. Today, many of the active compounds in these folk remedies have been purified & synthesised to provide effective treatments. This resource uses the popular ‘Trumps’ game format to provide a fun and informative way for students to learn about pharmaceuticals. Each of the 25 cards includes the drug name, source plant name and photo, the drug’s structure, molecular weight, toxicity and cost. Resource developed by teacher Dr Sarah McLusky funded by a SAPS Associate Award.

GCSE science students need to understand that plant oils can be extracted by both crushing and pressing plant material and by the more complex process of steam distillation. This resource describes a simple technique that can be run as a demonstration or as a class practical to extract a plant oil. There are also a couple of quick demonstrations based on plant oils and instructions for a student activity to show that nuts contain oils. This resource can also be found on the SAPS website. This resource was developed by Lynn Nickerson of Didcot Girls School, funded by a SAPS Associate Award.

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a stand-alone qualification that can be taken alongside A-levels or vocational qualifications, giving students the opportunity to study a topic that they have a particular interest in. Higher education institutions recognise that the EPQ helps to develop independent learning, critical thinking and team working skills that will be important for study at university. This collection of 10 activities is designed to support students in developing the key skills they need to carry out a successful EPQ. The activities use examples from the Plant Science Futures website, and so are broadly focused on science and social sciences. However, the majority of skills developed (writing a bibliography, avoiding plagiarism) will be of relevance to students planning an EPQ with a humanities focus. The resource forms a set of templates for skills development activities that can be adapted by teachers for a range of purposes. They can, for example, be used alongside a Level 3 science course to improve students’ study skills. EPQ skills development activities • Activity 1: Developing initial project ideas • Activity 2: Deciding on a suitable question or issue to investigate • Activity 3: Planning your project • Activity 4: Choosing relevant scientific articles for your research • Activity 5: Researching using the internet • Activity 6: Producing a Bibliography • Activity 7: Presenting the data • Activity 8: Graphs and charts • Activity 9: Demonstrating the assessment criteria • Activity 10: Communicating and evaluating your project Developed by Dr Angela Hall, educational consultant and curriculum developer For the most up to date version visit the SAPS website.

In this practical, students use a potometer to measure the rate of transpiration. The design given here allows students to record both the change in mass and the volume of water taken up. For more information see the SAPS website.

This new resource supports the use of practicals across various A-level biology 2015 specifications for England (OCR, AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas). This experiment allows students to go from the plant on the desk, to observing a stained specimen under the microscope in less than 4 minutes (as shown in the images above). The viewed specimen clearly shows the location of vascular bundles and the xylem, phloem and sclerenchyma or collenchyma. The use of the stain toluidine blue provides a colour difference between lignified and non-lignified cell walls, clearly highlighting specialised cells and one adaptation they have. This experiment provides a quick and eye-catching way to teach about the vascular tissue in plants and the structure of plant stems. It provides students with the opportunity to develop (and demonstrate) their scientific drawing skills as well as their use of a light microscope and eye-piece graticule. Materials include: Tested materials to support the A-level practical endorsement (CPAC) Support materials for teachers and technicians Student worksheet to help provide evidence for meeting the practical skills requirements Student revision materials to help prepare for exams For the most up to date version visit the SAPS website.

In this resource, students carry out a ‘cauliflower cloning’ and tissue culture practical to investigate totipotency in plants. The practical is placed in the context of a STEM careers case study, to give students a broader understanding of the underlying science.

This new resource supports the use of practicals across various new 2015 A-level biology specifications (OCR, AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas). This simple potometer allows students to work individually or in pairs to measure the rate of transpiration of a plant specimen within a one hour lesson. Assembled using low cost parts the apparatus offers an affordable potometer for all your students, giving them a chance to record water loss at regular intervals and an opportunity to investigate the effect of different abiotic factors on the rate of transpiration. These resources and this practical allow students to develop their understanding of water transport through plants and factors that affect the rate of diffusion. There is also the opportunity to develop graph drawing skills as well as the ability to calculate rates of change. It provides students with the opportunity to develop (and demonstrate) their skills of taking quantitative measurements as well as their ability to consider variables that need to be controlled. Through the suggested questioning in the teacher support materials or the student worksheet students can be encouraged to explore the implications of their findings to real life situations. Materials include: Tested materials to support the A-level practical endorsement (CPAC) Support materials for teachers and technicians Student worksheet to help provide evidence for meeting the practical skills requirements Student revision materials to help prepare for exams For the most up to date version visit the SAPS website.

Cloning cauliflowers in the school lab is a popular way to look at tissue culture and totipotency, but the techniques have not always been reliable in the past. This updated protocol, based on research by the Micropropagation Unit at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is a much more reliable way to clone your cauliflowers in schools and colleges. Also available from the SAPS website.

In this resource, carry out an investigation into the presence of vitamin C, an antioxidant, in the different parts of different plants. This is put in the context of Dr Jess Chu, a young scientist researching Malaysian rainforest plants to see if they have any antioxidant, anti-cancer or antibacterial properties. Students learn about how a scientist goes about her research, compare their investigations with Jess's, and discuss the similarities and differences.

‘Revising A-level Biology: Plants ‘r’ mint’ is an innovative revision resource, designed to encourage synoptic thinking and to develop a broader understanding of biology in A2 students. Each of the four student revision packs brings together a range of topics in animal, human and plant biology, centred on a common theme. The revision packs are intended to stretch and challenge students. In particular, they demonstrate that plants and animals are interdependent organisms, whose biological properties affect each other. From the effects of menthol on smokers, to mutation and its effects on evolution, this resource will challenge students to make links between topics, and develop their ability to apply existing knowledge in new contexts. The resource is designed to be used in conjunction with a student’s own ‘study organism’ - a mint cutting taken by the student, and grown on by them over the course of the academic year. Having a study organism of this kind plays a valuable role in helping students relate the biological topics they covered to a real world example. However, the resource can be used without a study organism. The revision packs can be used as a full programme over the course of the year, or as individual revision activities. This resource will also make a useful revision exercise for students to work through independently. Specification links are given for OCR Biology, but the revision materials will be useful for other exam boards. ‘Revising A-level Biology: Plants ‘r’ mint’ contains the following Introduction sheet: Why mint? Revision pack 1: Cell membranes; biological molecules; nerves; communication; hormones. Revision pack 2: Exchange surfaces and breathing; health & disease; excretion; photosynthesis; transport in plants; respiration. Revision pack 3: Transport in plants and cellular control; meiosis and variation; cellular control; evolution. Revision pack 4: Classification; meiosis and variation; diet and food production; classification; cloning; biotechnology; gene technology. Revision pack 5: Maintaining biodiversity and populations; cell structure and cell membranes; diet, food production and ecosystems; plant responses; animal behaviour; animal responses. Creating your study organism: taking mint cuttings. Plants ‘r’ mint was written and researched by Dr Richard Spencer, funded by a SAPS Associate Award, and exhibited at Science on Stage, Poland, 2013 See more about this resource on the SAPS website.

A resource putting hayfever and asthma into a wider context of both plant and human biology, suitable for use at both KS2 and KS3. Pupils look in detail at how plants use pollen to reproduce, including growing pollen tubes and investigating the pollen in honey. Pupils then think about how we breathe, and model how our lungs work. The resource concludes by putting the two topics together, encouraging pupils to think in more detail about allergies and hayfever.

This new resource supports the use of practicals across various new 2015 A-level biology specifications (OCR, AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas). Students conduct Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) individually or in pairs to separate and identify the photosynthetic pigments from plant material within half an hour. This simple method has been designed to produce good separation of photosynthetic pigments using solvents that are suitable for use in a school biology laboratory. By using grass from a school lawn or playing field, students can see the variety of different molecules that can be separated from a plant that they are all very familiar with. These resources and this practical allow students to develop their understanding of photosynthetic pigments and how chromatography separates molecules. By taking simple distance measurements from the chromatogram for calculating Rf values, this practical provides a good opportunity to introduce the concept of percentage error. It provides students with the opportunity to develop (and demonstrate) their skills of taking quantitative measurements as well as their ability to consider variables that need to be controlled. Through the suggested questioning in the teacher support materials (or the student worksheet) students can be encouraged to explore the molecular properties of the pigments and how this relates to their separation by chromatography. Students could also explore the occurrence of pigments in different plant (or animal) material either by designing their own experiments or through research online. Materials include: Tested materials to support the A-level practical endorsement (CPAC) Support materials for teachers and technicians Student worksheet to help provide evidence for meeting the practical skills requirements Student revision materials to help prepare for exams For the most up-to-date version, visit the SAPS website.

If you're teaching the structure and function of xylem and phloem, microscopes offer a great way in. Did you know that carnations are an excellent way see the spirals of lignin? Under a x10 magnification, the lignin is easily visible if you take a small scrape from the stem. There's no need to stain your slide, so this is quick, cheap and easy to do. You can then use the carnations to look at transport systems further.

In this investigation, students learn about carrying out a fair test, by running a blind trial of organic and non-organic herbs to see if they can identify any differences in taste. The investigation is put into a STEM careers context through an initial case study of James Seymour, a scientist who works as a Product Manager for a company growing herbs for major shops and supermarkets. This resource includes teachers' notes, case study, students&' worksheet & technical notes for the practical.

An improved protocol for investigating starch production in leaves. This uses leaf discs rather than the classic ‘whole leaf’ approach, which supports replication and direct comparison of different experimental treatments of the discs. The experiment allows for some common misconceptions to be discovered and addressed. This resource is from Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS)

3 short, simple but enjoyable practicals to get students thinking about tropisms. Students ‘plant’ a petri dish of seeds and stick it to the classroom wall to grow. They then predict how gravitropism and phototropism will affect the seedlings’ growth. For more information go to the SAPS website.