Using the coronavirus genome in lessons
One of the amazing things about the outbreak of Coronavirus at the end of 2019 was the speed with which the Chinese authorities sequenced and published the whole genome of the virus. The genome can be...
May 2020 IA uploads - latest update
The IB has just decided that they will no longer hold the May 2020 examinations. With considerable consultation across the globe it was decided that this was the most responsible and ethical way forward...
Teaching about lungs using Coronavirus information
While it's important not to fuel anxiety about the current Coronavirus outbreak during Biology lessons, it can't be denied that the outbreak of this new virus, called Covid-19, catches student attention....
Use provocations - new year resolution
IB Biology students (HL) need to be able to draw and annotate diagrams of flowers and seeds. A teacher might bring in some flowers and run quite a descriptive lesson. Students label parts, copy diagrams...
Evolution debate links IB Biology concepts
In recent years a debate about standard evolutionary theory has taken place amongst Biologists. Any sign of disagreement among scientists can be interpreted as a weakness of the theory of evolution, when...
Guiding students from plagiarism to research
Sometimes a student will find an experiment online which is very similar to their own IA. They think this is a disaster, they are trying to find an original research questions for their investigation...
.png)
A fire breathing monster in the immune system?
A new therapy which strengthens the power of a patient’s immune system to attack tumours is curing people of cancer. It is an exciting and ingenious technique which links many areas of Biology which IB...
Biology is everywhere, can't you see it?
When students say that they don't have any idea what they would like to investigate for their Individual investigation, I'm surprised. "What do you mean? There is Biology everywhere you look, can't you...
Approaches to teaching Biology - ATL
I've thought for a while that one of the transferable benefits of students learning a musical instrument is the coaching they get in how to learn. Music teachers can achieve this with their students in...
Put down your highlighter!
Put down your highlighter. Make marginal notes or comments instead. How many of us see students highlighting key points but actually covering the whole page in fluorescent colour? When I see a student...