Free preview · Senior 5 Biology · Laboratory activities
Senior 5 laboratory activities
12 units · 25 activities. In every unit, activity 1 is improvised (simple local materials) and activity 2 is conventional (school laboratory equipment): two different experiments. Unit 8 has a third activity on smoking risks. Below are 5 free pages; then get the whole level in one PDF.
- Title and aim of every experiment
- Required apparatus and safety notes
- A clear, labelled drawing of the set-up
- Step-by-step procedure and a results table to fill in
- Observation and conclusion
- Three questions per activity, with sample results and answers at the end of the unit
See all 25 activities of this level and what each one is about
- Unit 1: Interdependence between Organisms within their Environment
- 1.1 Improvised · A predator–prey simulation. To model how predator and prey populations affect each other over several generations.
- 1.2 Conventional · Intraspecific competition in seedlings. To investigate the effect of planting density on the growth of seedlings.
- Unit 2: Transport across the Cell Membrane
- 2.1 Improvised · Size and diffusion: indicator jelly cubes. To show how the surface area to volume ratio affects the rate of diffusion.
- 2.2 Conventional · Temperature and membrane permeability: beetroot discs. To investigate how temperature affects the permeability of cell membranes.
- Unit 3: Nucleic Acids and DNA Replication
- 3.1 Improvised · A paper-and-sweets model of DNA replication. To build a model of DNA and use it to show semi-conservative replication.
- 3.2 Conventional · Locating DNA and RNA in cells. To stain onion cells with methyl green–pyronin to show where DNA and RNA are found.
- Unit 4: Cell Divisions
- 4.1 Improvised · Crossing over with bead chromosomes. To model crossing over during meiosis and see how it produces recombinant chromosomes.
- 4.2 Conventional · Where in the root do cells divide?. To compare the mitotic index in different regions of a root tip.
- Unit 5: Protein Synthesis
- 5.1 Improvised · Decode the gene: a protein synthesis simulation. To simulate transcription and translation using cards and beads.
- 5.2 Conventional · Denaturing proteins. To investigate the effect of heat, acid and alcohol on the structure of a protein (egg albumen).
- Unit 6: Autotrophic Nutrition
- 6.1 Improvised · Light intensity and the rate of photosynthesis. To investigate how light intensity affects the rate of photosynthesis by counting bubbles from pond weed.
- 6.2 Conventional · Separating photosynthetic pigments by chromatography. To separate the pigments in a leaf by paper chromatography and calculate their Rf values.
- Unit 7: Transport in Plants
- 7.1 Improvised · Weighing transpiration. To compare the rate of water loss from leafy shoots in different conditions by weighing.
- 7.2 Conventional · Xylem and phloem in a longitudinal section. To identify xylem vessels, sieve tubes and companion cells in prepared sections.
- Unit 8: Gas Exchange in Animals and Smoking Related Risks
- 8.1 Improvised · Looking at fish gills. To examine the gills of a fish and relate their structure to gas exchange.
- 8.2 Conventional · Gas exchange surfaces under the microscope. To compare the structure of the lung (alveoli) and the leaf (spongy mesophyll) as gas exchange surfaces.
- 8.3 Conventional · Effect of tobacco extract on aphids. To show that tobacco contains a poisonous substance (nicotine) that dissolves in water, and to relate this to the risks of smoking.
- Unit 9: Excretion and Homeostasis
- 9.1 Improvised · Insulation and heat loss. To show how body coverings (fur, feathers, fat, clothing) reduce heat loss, as part of temperature control.
- 9.2 Conventional · Testing artificial urine samples. To test artificial urine samples for glucose, protein and pH and suggest possible medical conditions.
- Unit 10: Behaviour and Response in Mammals
- 10.1 Improvised · A choice chamber: how small animals respond. To investigate how woodlice (or termites) respond to light and humidity.
- 10.2 Conventional · Learning a new skill: mirror drawing. To investigate learning by measuring how performance improves with practice.
- Unit 11: Immune System, Vaccination and Antibiotics
- 11.1 Improvised · Antibodies and antigens: a shape-matching model. To model the specificity of antibodies for antigens using paper shapes.
- 11.2 Conventional · Testing antimicrobial substances. To compare the effect of antiseptics and natural extracts on bacterial growth using zones of inhibition.
- Unit 12: Genetics and Mutation
- 12.1 Improvised · Human traits in our class. To survey simple inherited traits in the class and estimate allele frequencies.
- 12.2 Conventional · Dihybrid ratios in maize cobs and the chi-squared test. To count the phenotypes in a dihybrid maize cob and test whether they fit a 9 : 3 : 3 : 1 ratio.
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