A-Level Biology Revision Guide For AQA

Previously published... • Maths and Calculator skills for Science Students March 2016 • Maths (The Chemistry bits) for GCSE Science May 2016 • Science revision Guide April 2017 • Maths Revision Guide April 2017 • Summer Start for A-Level Chemistry May 2017 • Atoms, Electrons, Structure and Bonding Workbook June 2017 • GCSE Maths Grade 7, 8 and 9 Revision Questions September 2017 • 75 long answer questions for GCSE science April 2018 • Stepping Further; a comprehensive guide to applying to university July 2018 • Organic Chemistry Notebook August 2018 • AQA GCSE Combined Science Required Practicals Exam Practice Workbook • AQA GCSE Biology Required Practicals Exam Practice Workbook February 2019 • AQA GCSE Chemistry Required Practicals Exam Practice Workbook February 2019 • AQA GCSE Physics Required Practicals Exam Practice Workbook February 2019 • Coming soon… • Complete Maths workbook • Organic Chemistry Workbook • Maths for A-Level Chemistry • Maths (The Physics bits) for GCSE Combined Science • Maths (The Physics bits) for GCSE Triple Science • Summer Start for A-Level Physics • Summer Start for A-Level Biology Chances are if you want a maths/science book I’ve written it or I am writing it. For full book listings, visit www.PrimroseK and follow @primrose_kitten First published 2018 Copyright; Primrose Kitten © Image credits, Images by Lemberg Vector studio, by Macrovector, used under license from S. Pixabay. Acknowledgments Thank you to my husband for putting up with my spending every night writing this and for correcting all of my SPG mistakes. To my sons for being the inspiration behind Primrose Kitten. Table of Content Revision Techniques 4 Revision Timetable 5 Planning Tips 5 Weekday 6 Weekend 7 Exam command words 8 Glossary of exam command words 9 How to answer long-answer questions 9 Exam dates 10 Maths Skills for Biology Students 12 Biology 14 Five most common mistakes in a biology exam 14 Topic Guide 15 Required Biology practical experiments 16 1 – Biological molecules 17 Knowledge Checklist 17 2 – Cells 22 Knowledge Checklist 22 3 – Organisms exchange substances with their environment 28 Knowledge Checklist 28 4 – Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms 33 Knowledge Checklist 33 5 – Energy transfers in and between organisms 37 Knowledge Checklist 37 6 – Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments 42 Knowledge Checklist 42 7 – Genetics, populations, evolution and ecosystems 49 Knowledge Checklist 49 8 – The control of gene expression 55 Knowledge Checklist 55 Revision Techniques • Why do you need to revise effectively? Revision techniques #1 • When should I start revising? Revision Techniques #2 • How to find your motivation and stay motivated. Revision Techniques #3 • 5 easy and effective ways to revise and study. Revision Techniques #4 • Flashcards. Revision Techniques #5 • Using past exam papers to study. Revision Techniques #6 • Colour - The easiest way to make study interesting. Revision Techniques #7 • How to revise for the new specification maths exams. Revision Techniques #8 • How to fill MASSIVE gaps in your knowledge. Revision Techniques #9 • How to best use your revision guide. Revision Techniques #10 • How best to use your revision guide, part 2. Revision techniques #11 • The easiest way to improve your grades, which you're going to hate!! Revision Techniques #12 • Study timetable. Revision techniques #13 • Study Timetable - Plan with Me. Revision Techniques #13 • Another easy way to improve your grades, which you're going to hate!! Revision Techniques #14 • Study Space. Revision Techniques #15 Don’t believe me? – here are some more links to help you. The science of revision: nine ways pupils can revise for exams more effectively. The Guardian. Bradley Busch Psychologist @Inner_drive Tuesday 19 April 2016 Ditch the highlighter and teach a friend. Psychology shows us a lot about how to improve our memory and avoid distractions – here are some dos and don’ts Revision Timetable Planning Tips 1. Write your timetable in pencil (or make a version on the computer), so you can change things around if necessary. 2. Start by thinking about what activities you can’t miss (dinner, clubs or TV programs) and put these into your timetable. 3. Plan in when you need to do your homework to get it in on time 4. On top of your homework time, aim for a minimum of 2 extra hours on a weekday and 4 hours each day over the weekend. 5. Plan to revise for 1 hour per subject each week (this is in addition to homework) fill in the table below to help you work out how much time you need to spend on revision 6. Fill in the timetable spreading out the subjects (e.g., don’t do a whole day of Maths, do a bit each day) put contrasting subjects next to each other, to give your brain a break (e.g., English and Physics) 7. Stick to the timetable; it will help ensure you cover each subject and spread out your revision. Weekday Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 4.00 - 4.25 5-minute break 4.30 – 4.55 5-minute break 5.00 – 5.25 5-minute break 5.30 – 5.55 5-minute break 6.00 – 6.25 5-minute break 6.30 – 6.55 5-minute break 7.00 – 7.25 5-minute break 7.30 – 7.55 5-minute break 8.00 – 8.25 5-minute break 8.30 – 9.00 Weekend Time Saturday Time Sunday 5-minute break 5-minute break 5-minute break 5-minute break 5-minute break 5-minute break Exam command words Command words are words in exam questions that give you clues on what the examiners are looking for. Depending on the command word, your answer to a question will be very different. There are four main ones you’ll come across; give, describe, explain and evaluate. Give what is in the picture. For this answer, you simply need to state using one or two words what is in the picture A dress Describe what is in the picture. For this answer, you need to tell the examiners what it looks like or recall an event or process An orange halter neck dress with a pale band around the waist. Explain what is in the picture. For this answer, you need to give reasons why something is the way it is The dress is a summer dress, so it has a halter neck, it is from the 1950s and shows the style at the time. Evaluate what is in the picture. Here you need to give good points, bad points, your opinion and justify your opinion • This dress is good because it is made from a light fabric so will be cool in summer • This dress is bad because the colour is too bright • Overall, I think this is a good dress… • … because it is well suited to the purpose of being a summer dress. Glossary of exam command words Calculate/ Determine - use maths to work out the answer Choose - circle the answer from the selection Compare - what the similarities and differences are Complete - fill in the gaps - pay attention to any given words, some may be used more than once some not at all Define - what does the word mean? Describe - what it looks like, or recall an event or process Design/ Plan – something Draw - a scientific diagram, not an arty sketch Estimate - give a sensible guess Evaluate - give good points, bad points your option and justify your opinion Explain - give reasons why something is the way it is Give/Name - a short answer Identify/Label - name a part Justify – give an answer and support it with a reason Measure - you might need to get your ruler out for this one Plan - write a method, don’t forget your variables, controls and risk assessment Plot - mark points on a graph using an x Predict/suggest - what do you think is going to happen, you may need to use information from the question and knowledge from class Show - give evidence and come to a conclusion Sketch - a rough drawing, a graph doesn’t always need number labels on the axis, but it must be an accurate representation How to answer long-answer questions 1. Identify the command word; this tells you what the examiners are looking for. This is generally describe, explain or evaluate. 2. Go back over the question and use different colour highlighter pens to pick out key bits of information. 3. Plan the structure of your question. Table, paragraphs, diagram. 4. Write your answer 5. Check your answer fully answers the question, make sure is it balanced and cover all the points asked for in the question. 6. Check your spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Exam dates Dates might be changed by AQA Exam Duration of exam 2019 exam dates AS Paper 1 1hr30 21 May 2019 PM AS Paper 2 1hr30 24 May 2019 AM A level Paper 1 2hrs 6 June 2019 AM A level Paper 2 2hrs 13 June 2019 AM A level Paper 3 2hrs 17 June 2019 AM Papers: There is no higher, foundation, doubles or triples paper in A-level. There is only one paper for all students. If you take papers at the end of AS and again at A-Level, you will take a total of 5 papers. You do not HAVE to take the ones at the end of AS (as they do not count towards the A-Level mark), but they will help to get you ready for what is to come and give you an indication of the level at which you are working. General prediction is that you will get 1 grade less in A-level than in AS unless you work really really hard. If you take the papers at the end of AS and then drop Biology, at least you will have an AS-Level grade in Biology. AS Papers: • Paper 1: Content and practical work from Topics 1-4. 1hr30mins; 75 marks, 50% of AS grade. 65 marks of short answer questions; 10 marks of long comprehension questions. • Paper 2: Content and practical work from Topics 1-4. 1hr30mins; 75 marks, 50% of AS grade. 65 marks of short answer questions; 10 marks of long comprehension questions. A level Papers: • Paper 1: Content and practical work from Topics 1-4. 2hrs; 91 marks, 35% of A level grade. 76 marks a mix of long and short answer questions; 15 marks of extended response question. • Paper 2: Content and practical work from Topics 5-8. 2hrs; 91 marks, 35% of A level grade. 76 marks a mix of long and short answer questions; 15 marks of extended response question. • Paper 3: Content and practical work from Topics 1-8. 2hrs; 78 marks, 30% of A level grade. 38 marks of structured questions including practical techniques; 15 marks of analysing experimental data; 25 marks of an essay (with two possible topics given). Maths Skills for Biology Students Maths pops up in every exam; and you need some basic skills from GCSE to apply to the maths required in A level. Remember: A level Biology does not have to be taken with Maths, so GCSE- level Maths skills are all you need for A Level Biology with just a few extra skills/methods that are taught at A Level. The Maths only takes up 10% of your whole exam, so a few basic skills will get you through it. A workbook containing some of the maths skills you’ll need is available from my website or from here Specification statement These are the bits the exam board wants you to know, make sure you can do all of these… Self-assessment First review 4-7 months before exam Second review 1-2 months before exam Final review Week before exam I can rearrange equations          I can solve algebraic expressions          I can give numbers to a set number of significant figures          I can write numbers in standard form          I can use ratios, fractions and percentage          I can calculate a mean and understand what to do with anomalous results          I can use the symbols , , , ,