🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅 @KJF239 Twitter profile

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

Link to my blog on teaching A level biology

Home

My approach to teaching A level Biology

behindthebiologylessons.wordpress.com

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

So did everyone else know the adrenal glands are so named due to being ADjacent to the kidneys (RENAL)?? I feel this is something I should have known but didn’t!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

Year 13 Christmas homework….

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

For those teaching properties of water…

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

Inspired by @Dr_Castelino @brett_kingsbury & @MrGoodmanSTEM I've started a blog on my approach to A level Biology. So here's my first offering on teaching the Kidney. Never done anything like this before so I’d love to know what you think. @chatbiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

4 years

Look at this amazing art work produced as a thank you for teaching a GCSE student... wish I had their talent!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

What a lovely way to look at alleles @chatbiology

Mrs McDougall Welch

@jmcdougallwelch

3 years

Inheritance with puppies today. 🐶 #RISE

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

Checking common mistakes in Y12 nucleic acids

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

Anyone teaching mitosis at A level might be interested in this site: You can select a protein to view and watch its movements throughout mitosis @chatbiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

Since people were positive about the kidney post last week, I’ve written a second contribution to the 'how I teach...' blogs. Immunity at A level was a topic some people asked for so that's what you will find here... Hope you find it useful. #chatbiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

11 months

Changing how I do feedback after a topic test is working well. After marking I write Qs for students to answer (whether they got the original Q correct or not) to make them think about the Q in a different way/more deeply - means all are engaged in something meaningful.

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

4 years

Simple tip when marking assessments/exams is to have a blank paper next to you and to note down the common wrong answers/misconceptions etc for help in planning your next move #chatbiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

Blew their minds!! #GWITT

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

4 years

If it’s of any use to anyone here's a collection I’ve made from the Seneca science conference this morning via @wakelet

Seneca Science Conference resources

Resources Suggested from the Science conference 11.7.20

wakelet.com

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

A nice animation showing the 3D nature of the vesicles fusing to membrane

Slava Bobrov

@slava__bobrov

2 years

How brain cells communicate: #neuroscience

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

Managed to find some lovely spirals in our rhubarb xylem this morning #chatbiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

Meiosis model making session this afternoon! Use of Velcro means it will be easy to demonstrate crossing over and gamete formation (or that’s the plan!)

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

4 years

Putting my Christmas present to good use to welcome Y13 back tomorrow #cellcookies

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

A new addition to the properties of water lesson??? @chatbiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

4 years

Is it just me but every time I see CAG and TAG being talked about my first thought is of codons 🧬! #chatbiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

****New Blog Post**** My latest offering is how I approach the topic of nerves at A level. Would love to know what you think and as always hope everyone can find at least one thing to take away and try/think about. #chatbiology #Alevelbiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

This week I’ve written about teaching respiration at A level. The biochemical processes can be a mine field for students and this is my approach to it. Hope you find something to take away from it. #chatbiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

If you haven’t asked A level students to 'just write' about a topic I highly recommend it. Gave Y12 a list of key words for nucleic acids, 60 minutes & told them to show me what they know.

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

Bit of a ‘no goal’ task to start today’s lesson. What annotations could they add to this diagram? #chatbiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

Think my daughter has an opinion on my work-life balance

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

1 year

**********New Blog Post********** 💪🏻💪🏻How I teach skeletal muscles to Y13💪🏻💪🏻

Skeletal Muscles & Sliding Filament Theory

Myofibrils, myofilaments, myosin, sarcolemma, sarcoplasmic reticulum – it’s no wonder students look at us as if we are speaking an alien language! Muscles is a topic with a lot of new t…

behindthebiologylessons.wordpress.com

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

1 year

Our geotropism has worked!!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

5 years

Corona virus resource made for Y12 to allow some retrieval practice in context #ocrbiology #alevelbiology #biology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

6 months

Maths skills for biologists is a 12 page guide developed with the Field Studies Council and aimed at students and teachers of 16-19 Biology.

Opportunities for A-level students

Supporting A-levels students in developing their ecological careers

www.britishecologicalsociety.org

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

1 year

Random tubes of coloured water can only mean one thing…school brochure photographer is coming in to my lesson!!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

Currently reading this and would recommend it. Each chapter is a story of a discovery that changed the way we think and has questions at the end you could use in class. I’m really enjoying it. @chatbiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

4 years

Corona virus and vaccine snowflakes made by Y13. Some said mindful and relaxing, another said tedious! You can’t please them all!!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

7 months

Y12 doing the most satisfying practical!!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

***New Blog*** DNA replication, transcription & translation: Thanks to @MrsJMSeatonBurn for the translation model

DNA replication & protein synthesis

DNA replication

behindthebiologylessons.wordpress.com

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

You can’t beat a bit of Play Doh in Biology! Yr13 appreciated it this morning looking at synapse structure. Using play Doh means we can fuse the vesicle and pre synaptic membranes to show exocytosis easily.

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

11 months

Great muscle animation for A level

An animated guide to the human body : The muscle edition

An animated infographic explaining the molecular biology of muscle contraction.

tabletopwhale.com

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

There’s a niche market for PCR related thank you cards but it is needed!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

7 months

Rather pleased with the view we got today. Made my Y12 go ‘oooooh it looks like sequins!’

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

A site for finding electron micrographs of organelles

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

Bit of modelling of how to ‘say it better’. Asked students to read a sub par answer & to suggest improvements. #ALevelBiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

1 year

The mitosis gods were smiling on me today!!!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

***NEW BLOG POST*** A common request was for the Bohr shift so my latest post is on teaching the carriage of oxygen by haemoglobin at A level. As always I hope it is of use to people. Do let me know what you think.

Carriage of oxygen

The role of haemoglobin (Hb) in the mammalian circulatory system is complicated and, in my experience, something students don’t find easy to grasp. I think they come to this with quite a lot …

behindthebiologylessons.wordpress.com

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

***New Post*** The last in my mini series on teaching genetic technologies for A level Biology can be found here This post covers genetic engineering and replica plating and I hope you like it! #chatbiology #alevelbiology #ocrscience

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

1 year

Year 13 are in for a treat this afternoon!!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

4 years

Once a week, every week I get an email from the quietest lad in my Y11 class telling me what he's been upto, such as learning to iron trousers, and asks how my week has been. This lad NEVER spoke to me in class& it makes me smile every time I open his messages #lockdownsurprises

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

Asked Y13 today to tell me the story of an action potential from receptor to effector using this model today- great at eliciting misconceptions. Then moved on to 'what if….' scenarios to practise answering those exam 'Suggest…' questions.

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

Attempt two at graticules with Y12 was more successful I think!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

For anyone heading into the genetic technology topic with Y13 this is a great short video to show a real project involving genome sequencing in the UK. Sequencing All Life - YouTube ⁦ @chatbiology ⁩

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

This was very satisfying

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

🌿🌿🌿New Blog🌿🌿🌿 Having run @chatbiology for the week with a 'planty' theme my latest blog is on teaching Photosynthesis at A level. Do let me know what you think. As always this is just how I do it, but I’m always looking to improve!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

5 out of 6 potometers worked this morning! Remarkable! So happy they could see results and could think about how to make the process valid.

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

10 months

I reviewed this article for Science in School and it would be great for stretching students beyond the A level bio curriculum. Scroll down to the end for comprehension Q suggestions. #chatBiology Not junk after all: the importance of non-coding RNAs

Not just a blueprint for proteins: the importance of non-coding RNAs

According to the central dogma of molecular biology DNA is used as a template to create messenger RNA (mRNA), which in turn is translated into proteins that build the tissues in our bodies and carry...

www.scienceinschool.org

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

***New Blog Post*** A quick insight into how I teach mutations to Y13 @chatbiology

Mutations

This is one of my favourite topics to teach – so many strands of the course can be brought together and lots of modelling too! I will always start with a quick retrieval exercise of describin…

behindthebiologylessons.wordpress.com

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

A nice task for my day off has been writing out postcards for my Y13 class. I enjoyed trying to match up a suitable scientist & quote for each student.

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

For those teaching A level biology…..

Genomics Education

@genomicsedu

3 years

Epigenetics can cause serious complications to our health, including rare conditions like Prader-Willi syndrome. Learn about how and why in our new 10-minute Bitesize Genomics: #epigenetics #genomics #elearning #praderwilli

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

1 year

Gave Y12 a description of an antibody to see what structure they would create. Not bad!!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

Today we had a tea party with Y13. I was touched to receive a wonderful book made by 2 of them documenting all the practicals we'd done in Bio. Such a great memento of an extraordinary year.

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

Had a play with some plant practicals today for my own benefit… Managed to find some xylem in rhubarb and vascular bundles in celery

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

@xchmadhouse Squamous epithelial cells

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

4 years

Anyone teaching cardiac structure & valves this has a great view when you rotate the model to look from underneath... 3d Animated Realistic Human Heart Sketchfab @chatbiology

3d Animated Realistic Human Heart V1.0 - 3D model by Anatomy by...

Download Now! Buy from CGTrader Buy from Turbosquid Checkout the newer version of this model which is better animated and textured. I have been trying from a while to create a realistic 3d model of...

sketchfab.com

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

Biology Birthday presents!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

Built this up with Y12 to explain the M&S experiment. Much more successful than going through a pre-made diagram. Don’t judge me by my conical flasks though!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

11 months

This is a great summary of epigenetics…

Genomics Education

@genomicsedu

11 months

Ever wondered how our cells know what they should be doing with all that data in our #DNA ? Take ten to find out about the fascinating field of #epigenetics . #BitesizeGenomics

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

Some modelling with Y12 today to introduce translocation using @OrigamiCells model with some of my own additions!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

7 months

Making logs make sense!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

4 years

Anyone teaching tropisms.... The Mystery Of Why Sunflowers Turn To Follow The Sun — Solved - nice animation too. ⁦ @chatbiology ⁩

The Mystery Of Why Sunflowers Turn To Follow The Sun — Solved

Scientists have answered a burning question central to the charm of sunflowers: Why do young flowers move their blooms to always face the sun over the course of a day?

www.npr.org

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

4 years

New Tier 3 words Y13 heard in their lesson this morning: sarcomere, sarcolemma, sarcoplasmic reticulum, myosin, actin, tropomyosin, troponin, I band, A band, H zone, Z line, sliding filament theory, cross-bridge, power stroke. Never forget how bamboozling it can be! @chatbiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

4 years

Modelling action potentials today. Such a tricky topic to understand @chatbiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

***New Blog Post*** Something a bit different this time... An example of how I try to give students the chance to apply their knowledge to an unfamiliar context. #ChatBiology #ALevelBiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

Rainbows over Trent Bridge @thehundred

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

Bit of modelling this afternoon

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

4 years

🧬🧬🧬Successful DNA extraction today for Y12 🧬🧬🧬

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

6 months

Gene therapy I've made a resource for Y13 on gene therapy if anyone is in need of a synoptic literacy based activity:

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

Does anyone recognise their creation in this model for action potentials? I know someone kindly shared the resource with me and I’d like to credit whoever did so!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

4 years

This is going straight into my synapses lesson this week with Y13! Botswana: Mystery elephant deaths caused by cyanobacteria

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

@chatbiology what are your favourite adaptations to get students to research? Looking to extend beyond the polar bear and camel! I’m looking for plant, animal, insect, fish, fungi! Thanks for any suggestions.

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

The latest in my ideas of 'how to teach...' A level Biology is looking at heart structure and function. Hope you like it! #ALevelBiology

The Heart

3D illustration of Heart – Part of Human Organic. At A level the heart topic can be split into Anatomical structureBlood flow and valvesElectrical control Here you will find my approach to he…

behindthebiologylessons.wordpress.com

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

11 months

If you’re teaching about the brain at A level then I’d highly recommend this video from @WiringTheBrain I feel I’ve learned a lot from it thanks to the plasticity of my brain!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

4 years

Y12 Student: Miss do you think plants are jealous of our mitochondria? Me: 🤦🏼‍♀️ Cell structure recap next week I think!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

8 months

***New Blog Post*** My approach to teaching meiosis to Y12

Meiosis

If there’s ever a topic that confuses A level students it’s meiosis – so much terminology and so many steps to understand. This post will walk you through my approach to this topi…

behindthebiologylessons.wordpress.com

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

4 years

Why didn’t I know this before today?? So much time spent faffing with fonts size to get those last 2 lines onto one page. #savingpaper

Mike Tholfsen

@mtholfsen

4 years

This Micro Tip will show you how to shrink a 2 page Word document to fit into 1 page in a single click! 👉 #edtech #mieexpert #engchat

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

Monoclonal antibodies in the news… New sickle cell treatment given to first patients in England

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

10 months

Great lesson with Y12 @EastLeakeAC Using a model to recap our knowledge of protein synthesis and then the use of extremely similar sentences to tease out misconceptions and point out common mistakes seen in exams

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

If you are doing courtship behaviour then the peacock spider has to be worth a look. They’re the size of a grain of rice but amazing.

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

8 months

Grass plus @SAPS_News method gave amazing TLC results this afternoon for Y13.

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

***New Blog*** Teaching the Liver for A level Biology #ChatBiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

Yr13 made me feel very appreciated today. Love the anatomical card, beautiful flowers and the cakes were delicious.

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

Y12 had their first go at computer modelling using Mol* today as part of their PAG10 practical endorsement. Very impressed with their efforts at identifying bases and measuring H Bond lengths.

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

1 year

Look what a lovely 6th former made for me today! Just what I need!!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

What are people's starting point when doing cell cycle/mitosis at A level? How do you introduce it? @chatbiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

4 years

Quality Street Chi Square coming to Y13 this week. Looks an even distribution at the moment. Might have to help out by eating a few! @chatbiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

Another bit of genetic technology with Y13. You can find the activity here

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

1 year

Some successful zones of inhibition from Y12. Tea tree oil worked really well.

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

Hope everyone teaching plant hormones saw the nicotine plants on #GreenPlanet this evening. Perfect visuals to use in lessons.

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

6 months

Great modelling this morning

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

8 months

Tonight's Inside the Factory on BBC is all about Guinness. It’s covered starch hydrolysis, plant oils, growing microbes and anaerobic respiration so far! All presented in a context students might latch onto!

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

1 year

If you're teaching DNA sequencing at A level then this lecture could help with your own knowledge or show to students:

Frontiers in Natural Sciences: Dean’s Annual Lecture

Reading your DNA: What can it tell us? by Professor Sir Shankar Balasubramanian, Herchel Smith Professor of Medicinal Chemistry in the Department of Chemistr...

www.youtube.com

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

2 years

A level teachers…. Mutations ✔️ Autoimmune disease✔️ Easy to read ✔️ Lupus and the genome - Genomics Education Programme @chatbiology

Lupus and the genome - Genomics Education Programme

A groundbreaking study has shed light on how some people may inherit autoimmune conditions

www.genomicseducation.hee.nhs.uk

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

3 years

***New Post*** Part 3 of my mini series on teaching genetic technologies at A level can be found here Do let me know what you think and how you teach this topic. #ChatBiology

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🐅Kathy Freeston 🐅

@KJF239

6 months

It’s mock marking time - always happy to give advice!

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