Year 12 into 13 Summer Learning – Biology

Congratulations on finishing Year 12! You’ve made such a huge amount of progress in the past year and we

are so proud of your efforts.

It is essential that all your skills and knowledge are up to date as we tackle the toughest parts of your

course after the summer. Doing this independent learning will ensure you are completely ready for Year

13.

We will expect this to be submitted online by the end of the first week back in Year 13. Make sure it

reflects your very best efforts.

There are seven tasks in this pack – you may choose to complete one each week of the summer holiday.

Look at the approximate time guide to help you to manage the tasks. The more organised you have been

during Year 12, the less time you will need to spend on some of these tasks.

Summer Learning Overview: The Magnificent Seven!

Task (Ctrl + click to jump to section)

Approximate time guide Completed? (✓)

TASK 1: Year 12 Learning Consolidation and Folder

Organisation Variable: 4 hours +

TASK 2: Lab Book Update and Practical Exam Questions Variable: 3 hours +

TASK 3: Practice AS Paper

3 hours (to complete) +

1 hour (to mark) + 1

hour reflection

TASK 4: Essay Paragraph Practice 1.5 hours

TASK 5: Scientific Literacy and Review Variable: 3 hours +

TASK 6: Practice A-level Paper 1

2 hours (to complete) +

0.5 hour (to mark) + 0.5

hour (reflection)

TASK 7: Year 13 Pre-learning 4 hours

TASK 1: Year 12 Learning Consolidation and Folder Organisation

It is essential you use the summer to consolidate the learning from Year 12.

• Ensure your folder is in order with all notes, exam questions and assessments in the relevant sections, with

folder dividers in place between topics

• Use the index of your textbook as a guide to the sequence of lessons. You should have notes on every single

page of the textbook. This is especially important if your attendance in Year 12 has been less than 100%

• Complete the end-of-chapter textbook exam questions. The answers of these are stored here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1di1RcT17A5a8ZFDwQauwO5PsdTn3zhgo?usp=sharing (log in using

your INA email address on Google Chrome)

• You should use the topic checklists on Google Drive to ensure your notes cover all the relevant points:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15WuyszwDDePPiVpH9BX30hxLOqxTAqIv?usp=sharing

• Use the A-level specification to tick off all the points you feel confident on and revise the ones you don’t.

https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/as-and-a-level/biology-7401-7402/subject-content

Tick off the topics as you finish your notes and organisation

Textbook

Section Topic

Spec Topic

Tick (✓) when notes are

complete

Tick (✓) when end-of-

Chapter practice questions are complete

1 Biological molecules 1

2 Nucleic acids

3 Cell structure

2

4 Transport across cell membranes

5 Recognition and the immune

system

6 Exchange 3

7 Mass transport

8 DNA, genes and protein synthesis

4

9 Genetic diversity

10 Biodiversity

13 Energy and ecosystems* 5

14 Response and Stimuli* 6

*these sections were studied during lockdown. Ensure these are fully complete

Additional web resources:

For notes there are many websites that are useful. There may also be useful apps available for your phone, with

multiple-choice quizzes and other revision that can be done on the move. Check any resources you use are suitable

for the AQA course.

https://www.thebiotutor.com/

https://www.physicsandmathstutor.com/biology-revision/a-level-aqa/

https://studywise.co.uk/a-level-revision/biology/

https://spolem.co.uk/

Revision videos:

There are many revision videos on You Tube but always check them against your textbook and, again, make it clear

in your search that you are looking for AQA. Two good ones are linked below.

Khan Academy: https://www.youtube.com/user/khanacademy

Tailored Tutors:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INRjpWo7MOE&list=PL41HBQMUThQxmp1dt3aauH6h1D0oeRaO2

TASK 2: Lab Book Update and Practical Exam Questions

To be practically endorsed with your qualification, you must evidence completion of all the required practicals. Use

this checklist to ensure your lab book is fully up to date with the ones we have completed so far. The shaded boxes

do not have to be completed for the practicals indicated – see this document for guidance:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LILEQCNdE6JnU9Bm7MFJiUwhfDAg4Etp/view?usp=sharing. If you are missing any

part of any practical below, address this now, ready for the new school year.

Throughout your exam papers, there will be questions assessing your understanding of the required practicals.

Complete and then mark with green pen the exam questions in the following Google Drive folder

(https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yQZLysbtaGTlul9qALfHFI4AVrqW1HOg?usp=sharing) and tick (✓) these off

as complete in the table below. Be prepared to glue completed exam questions in your lab books.

Practical name

Introduction and method (CPAC 1a, 2a, 2b, 2d)

Risk assess-ment (CPAC 3a, 3b)

Results: raw and processed

data as tables/graphs etc. (CPAC 4a,

4b)

Discussion and

evaluation (CPAC 5a)

References in Harvard

style (CPAC 5b)

Completed CPAC

sheet after practical

Completed/marked exam

questions

1. Investigation into the effect of a named variable on the rate of an enzyme-controlled reaction

2. Identify the stages of mitosis in these stained squashes and calculation of a mitotic index

3. Production of a dilution series to produce a calibration curve with which to identify the water potential of plant tissue

4. Investigation into the effect of a named variable on the permeability of cell-surface membranes

5. Dissection of animal or plant gas exchange or mass transport system or of organ within such a system

6. Use of aseptic techniques to investigate the effect of antimicrobial substances on microbial growth

General lab book check:

□ Dates on every page □ Dates and titles/subtitles underlined

□ All pages numbered □ All drawings/diagrams/tables titled and referenced

□ Contents page updated □ Guidance and tracking sheets glued in at front of lab book

TASK 3: Practice AS Papers

Given how important exam practice is, you should complete as many AS practice exam papers as you can but as a

minimum, you must do complete the June 2016 AS papers and mark your papers. They will only assess topics 1-4 but

are a great way to test yourself, especially with skills and required practical knowledge.

This link contains additional guide material and specimen assessments as well as the specification for your course.

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/as-and-a-level/biology-7401-7402

Link to paper (2016) Tick (✓) when

exam complete Mark scheme

Tick (✓) when

exam marked MARK

https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/sample-

papers-and-mark-

schemes/2016/june/AQA-74011-QP-

JUN16.PDF

https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/sample-

papers-and-mark-

schemes/2016/june/AQA-74012-QP-

JUN16.PDF

https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/sample-

papers-and-mark-

schemes/2016/june/AQA-74012-QP-

JUN16.PDF

https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/sample-

papers-and-mark-

schemes/2016/june/AQA-74012-W-MS-

JUN16.PDF

Grade boundaries out of 150 total: A 88; B 77; C 66; D 55; E 45 (you can’t get an A* on AS papers. When you do your

final A-level exams, it’s three papers out of a total of 260 marks).

What grade did you achieve?

How I feel about my mark:

Initial reflection. Use this space to reflect on your performance from your practice AS exams.

Strength – what I did well in the test (topics, skills, types of questions, etc.)

Target – what are your gaps? What do need to work on (topics, skills, types of questions, etc.)

Action – Progress task – what will you do to improve your grade?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Read the examiners’ reports for these specific papers. These papers were sat by actual students with your level of

knowledge/study four years ago.

Link Tick (✓) when read

https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/sample-papers-and-mark-schemes/2016/june/AQA-74011-WRE-JUN16.PDF

https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/sample-papers-and-mark-schemes/2016/june/AQA-74012R-WRE-JUN16.PDF

• What did you think about the examiners’ reports?

• Now that you’ve seen more detail, do you think you gave yourself too many marks?

• Did you make the same errors the examiners describe many students making? Why do you think that is?

• Give details of areas you must be careful of next time you are answering exam questions

• What are the main areas of difference between GCSE and A-Level exams?

• What tips do you have for a new Year 12 student about how to do well in A-Level biology?

TASK 4: Essay Paragraph Practice

The last question of A-level Paper 3 is a 25-mark synoptic essay. You must write 5-6 paragraphs about example that

bets illustrate the theme of the essay. The theme will be a brought area that covers content from many areas of the

spec, both Year 12 and Year 13.

Each paragraph needs to include recall of facts and description of content (AO1) and application/linking of this to the

question (AO2). Try to balance these aspects roughly 50:50 in each paragraph.

In the new specification, lots of essay questions ask about the importance of a biological process or feature. Say for

example the question asks about the importance of biological membranes. The examiners expect you to explain role

of membranes in processes – not just stating processes that involve membranes.

Below are 2 example topic themes (or questions). Write 2 paragraphs for each of these themes (in other terms, this

would be two-fifths of a full essay). Each paragraph should represent an example that illustrates the theme from the

Biology you have studied.

Ensure you split each paragraph to include AO1 an AO2 content. E.g. if the question theme is the importance of

membranes, you could choose to write about their role in digestion and co-transport, taking care to describe the role

of membranes (AO1) and explain their importance (AO2) in each of these areas.

Theme 1

The importance of diffusion

Area 1:

AO1

AO2

Area 2:

AO1

AO2

Theme 2

The importance of interactions between cells and between organisms

Area 1:

AO1

AO2

Area 2:

AO1

AO2

TASK 5: Scientific Literacy and Review

In the essay section of Paper 3, you can only score 25 if you demonstrate beyond specification knowledge “For top

marks in the band, the answer shows evidence of reading beyond specification requirements”. You are going to

choose a resource, like a book or podcast to study to start widening your knowledge. After reading, watching or

listening, you will write a 1-2 page review of it.

There are many reasons to widen your range of scientific reading: off-spec information for the essay question;

develop your scientific literacy and enhance knowledge of biological contexts that may come up in the exam.

Examples of book titles you may choose: Selfish Gene (classic book by Richard Dawkins about the importance of

genes), The Vital Question (Nick Lane explaining how chemistry becomes biology), The Man Who Mistook His Wife

For A Hat (collection of short tales from the career of a psychologist showing the strange power of the mind),

Sapiens (a very popular history of mankind), Bad Science (how science can be misrepresented both by the media and

scientists), Do No Harm (stories from a surgeon’s career), Why We Sleep (informative guide to everything sleep-

related) and Behave (a psychology-based guide to people’s reactions).

Podcasts include: In Our Time by BBC Radio 4 (experts discuss a different topic each week – some of them biology-

related), This Podcast Will Kill You (the causes, symptoms and history of a disease is examined each episode) and

Guardian Science Weekly (science stories in the news are discussed).

You may also choose an online lecture. Gresham College has put together a host of lectures suitable for Sixth Form

students (https://www.gresham.ac.uk/schools). Another great place to go to hear directly from world-renowned

subject experts is Ted (https://www.ted.com/). You can filter for Science talks and see over a thousand options.

Chosen resource: ___________________________________________________________________________

Review:

• What is the book/podcast about?

• Why is the piece relevant today?

• What moral/social/ethical issues does the piece raise?

• Does this relate in any way to your A-level Biology learning?

• What is your personal opinion on the piece? Do you agree with all the conclusions?

• What are the unanswered questions the piece raises? What is the future of the subject?

TASK 6: Practice A-level Paper 1

Now that you have completed topics 1-4, you can now attempt, and mark, a full A-level Paper 1 exam. Again, only

topics 1-4 are assessed, but this will allow you to see the standard of question at A-level.

Link to paper (2018) Tick (✓) when

exam complete Mark scheme

Tick (✓) when

exam marked MARK

https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/sample-

papers-and-mark-

schemes/2018/june/AQA-74021-

QP-JUN18.PDF

https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/sample-

papers-and-mark-

schemes/2018/june/AQA-74021-W-

MS-JUN18.PDF

How I feel about my mark:

Initial reflection. Use this space to reflect on your performance from your practice A-level paper 1.

Strength – what I did well in the test (topics, skills, types of questions, etc.)

Target – what are your gaps? What do need to work on (topics, skills, types of questions, etc.)

Action – Progress task – what will you do to improve your grade?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Read the examiners’ report for this specific paper.

Link Tick (✓) when read

https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/sample-papers-and-mark-schemes/2018/june/AQA-74021-WRE-

JUN18.PDF

• What did you think about the examiners’ reports?

• Now that you’ve seen more detail, do you think you gave yourself too many marks?

• Did you make the same errors the examiners describe many students making? Why do you think that is?

• Give details of areas you must be careful of next time you are answering exam questions

• What are the main areas of difference between AS and A-level exam papers?

TASK 7: Year 13 Pre-learning

To help get a head-start on the content for Year 13, it’s important to complete pre-learning for this. Rather than

completing notes as we have done before, use the Cornell note-taking method (Cornell notes). More information is

here: https://medium.goodnotes.com/study-with-ease-the-best-way-to-take-notes-2749a3e8297b and in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErSjc1PEGKE. Further guidance on how to use the method is shown below.

Complete notes in this way for the below topic areas – one A4 page on each section. As part of the column on the

left, add any questions you need to ask in the lessons.

Textbook

Ref. Title

Spec Topic

Tick (✓) when notes are

complete

Tick (✓) summary

questions are complete

12.1 Glycolysis 5

12.2 Link reaction and Krebs cycle

15.1 Neurons and Nervous Conduction

6

15.2 The nerve impulse

15.3 Passage of an action potential