As part of our ongoing response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we recommend this highly structured series of 2-hour tutorials covering all areas of the GCSE syllabuses. These tutorials span the 9 consecutive fortnights leading up to the May/June examination period. In the first round of tutorials (January-February), the focus is on reviewing all three syllabuses in their entireity; this will take 6 weeks and will clearly identify what has been taught or omitted and what needs to be learnt or revised over the coming weeks.A Post-Covid GCSE Reality Check.
Revision progress is checked in the second round (February-March) of tutorials by tackling selected questions from past papers from different exam boards. As well as highlighting the expected errors and misunderstandings, the student's exam technique is brought into review. The variety of questions covered ensures that unfamiliar formats can be answered well: a well-prepared student should expect the unexpected.
The final round (April-May) of tutorials extends the second with the addition of questions covering the required practicals, data handling and interpretation of experimental results. Depending on how many of the 28 required practicals have been done at school, some of these tutorials may be conducted in the laboratory.
The use of a structured revision timetable in this way is very beneficial to the student: it is our confirmed experience that revision should be started as soon as possible after the Christmas break.
This series is designed to complement school-based activities by raising topics that students would like their teachers to revise while there is still time to do so. In addition, these tutorials will be found invaluable for the home-ed student; our advice is that they are started at the beginning of the GCSE years: we have found that getting 'on top of' the syllabus early leads to much better exam performance.
These are introductory tutorials for the GCSE student; each tutorial (apart from the first) can be adequately covered in a single session; they are designed with the 6-mark extended answers in mind. A-level biology or IB students are additionally advised to have a look at our Biochemistry workshops and our Journal Club tutorials for more advanced coverage of this GCSE module.
DNA makes RNA makes Protein!
(Double tutorial required) An introduction to the 'Central Dogma' of molecular biology. Nomenclature and terminology; cell structure, compartmentalization and organelles; cell division, mitosis, binary fission and budding; DNA structure, genes, alleles, mutation; RNA structures and functions; proteins, primary and tertiary structure.
How do Enzymes Work?
Protein synthesis and degradation; enzymes and structural proteins; specificity; rates of reaction and catalysis; amylase, pepsin, catalase, lipase; optima and denaturation.
How do Antibodies Work?
Basic immunology; innate and specific immunity; T and B lymphocytes; phagocytes and APCs; vaccination; monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies.
How do Plasmids Work?
DNA structure in prokayotes and eukaryotes; antibiotics and resistance; recombinant DNA and genetic engineering; cloning.
How do Viruses Work? (Advanced, optional)
An introduction to virology using HIV-1 as an (atypical)
example.
Viruses as obligate intracellular parasites; retroviruses and cancer; reverse transcription and cDNA; integration; CD4 and CD8 T cells; Th1 and Th2 responses; hypervariability and vaccine development.
