Its here! 🎉🥳😊
Our official website!
You can find it at:
We've got resource links which we will keep updating with suggestions from all your awesome chat contributions!
We have some amazing blogs too! Come and check us out!
If you're interested in learning more about the history and development of CRISPR technology, as well as hearing Prof. Jennifer Doudna speak about it, watch the 'Human Nature' documentary on Netflix. I would also recommend students watch it too!
#chatbiology
Professor Jennifer Doudna, recently awarded the Nobel Prize for her work developing CRISPR gene-editing technology, gives her view on one of the biggest science stories of the decade
Potato osmosis practical tip: add food colouring to the solutions. Only potatoes in hypotonic solutions change colour. Students can then see the results, even before weighing the potatoes & they can analyse, even if they messed up the measurements.
@chatbiology
#STEMeducation
We know plasma membranes are fluid but did you know Reindeer hoof cell membranes have a higher proportion of unsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol than cells in their upper legs? Hooves experience much colder temp so this adaptation allows membrane fluidity at the lower temps.
As it's Women and Girls in Science Day on Thursday we thought some suggestions for inspiring role models would be a good theme for today.
A starting point could be Prof Sarah Gilbert: The woman who designed the Oxford vaccine
Do you have any suggestions?
Missing microscopy? 🔬
The Microscope Imaging Station run by the Exploratorium holds a huge volume of microscopy images/videos of various cell types, processes and more - with linked activities for students to complete. Very impressive!
Understanding size and scale is a common challenge in Biology (Science in general), especially when we delve into the microscopic.
How cool is this tool from the University of Utah?? Just slide away...
As biologists we have the majority of the new vocab in this foreign language and we know the barrier it can be to progressing in biology.
Really interesting way of looking at how we teach our "key words"
The A to Z of running an A-level Biology Journal Club.
- Over 10 seminal articles that are freely accessible
- Accompanying questions to dissect each paper
- Links to the curriculum
Time-lapse light microscopy footage of a Vampyrella lateritia trophozoite (round) moving along and feeding on cells forming a strand of Spirogyra algae (tubular).
Video: Dr Oliver Skibbe
If you are teaching organelles at A level.....
NIH scientists discover key pathway in lysosomes that coronaviruses use to exit cells | National Institutes of Health (NIH)
JOIN US on Tuesday 30th June at 8.30pm (and every week then on) to
#chatbiology
. Get the date into your diaries!!!!
LIKE and RETWEET to get lots of Biologists involved.
COMMENT to give us ideas for questions/topics you would like covered 😃
Good Morning everyone!! I hope you have a fab Saturday. Does anyone else LOVE researching the etymology of words in Biology? Love the cross curricular nature of exploring the roots and history of words. Anyone have any favourites? Here’s one I’m adding to planning
#chatbiology
Welcome everyone to
#chatbiology
! lovely to see you all! :) Our first question tonight is about free biology resources that you use.
Dont forget to use the
#chatbiology
when you reply!
Based on the poll earlier I thought it would be good to introduce some people to hinterland and some good resources to get started!
Comment below and share!
Hinterland is all the information and background we use to teach the core knowledge that students HAVE to know. /1
Thank you all so much! I know these will keep on going so we can have some great threads for new starters to come back and find!
Now I have your attention...
🥳🎉Next week the Chat Biology team will be launching our very own WEBSITE! Full of blogs and resources for you🥳🎉
A level
#Physics
An easy way to understand the inverse square law. Get a spray can 10cm away spray for 1 sec, move 20cm away spray 1 sec and repeat at 40 and 80cm. The circle get larger - same amount of paint, - measure the area.
#iteachphysics
Potato osmosis practical tip: add food colouring to the solutions. Only potatoes in hypotonic solutions change colour. Students can then see the results, even before weighing the potatoes & they can analyse, even if they messed up the measurements.
@chatbiology
#STEMeducation
We’re back on Tuesday at 8:30pm with a chat all about homeostasis and hormones! How do you build up the concepts through the Key stages? What makes some hormone topics triple science and others combined? Cell signalling at KS5, whys it so important and more! See you then!
Around 70,000 plant species have been used for medicine!
We talk about aspirin and digitalis for GCSE but don't forget coffee, nicotine, cocaine, quinine and many more!
These compounds in plants often act as pesticides to deter insects because they don't taste nice or poison!
We talked about transpiration and water on Monday...
The evaporation from a large oak or beech tree is ten to twenty-five gallons in twenty-four hours! Transpiration is so loud in large trees you can hear it! Also feel trunk size change from day/night!
I discovered
@BioRender
today. Great tool if you like to make your own diagrams for Higher/ Advanced Higher/ A-level/ GCSE Biology. Lots of templates and individual images which you can adapt to suit your lesson.
#chatbiology
#edutwitter
Did you know that everyday 'between one and five of your cells turns cancerous (estimate) and your immune system captures and kills them.'
Extract from 'The Body' by Bill Bryson.
What jaw-dropping facts about the *human body* do you share with students?
#chatbiology
Lovely blog! A great example of how to introduce respiration at KS3 - retrieval questions to make sure the students have the basics before introducing a new idea that combines them. Really essential process with deliberate choices to reduce misconceptions🙌🏻
Biology Teachers Assemble! (tomorrow 8:30pm)
The chat will be used to share any fabulous resources people have made to support with revision and teaching for the exams!
We want to create a bank of KS4 and 5 resources to support teachers over the next 1/2 term
#sharingiscaring
Planning retrieval practice for year 11 biologists.
Using last lesson, last week, last term, last year model. Incorporating
@PatriceBain1
metacognitive key to support and guide their independent retrieval.
⭕️ know from memory
⭐️ needed to check notes.
We hope everyone has had a fabulous Tuesday! Who is planning to join us to share in some creative biology chat this evening? Our theme for
#Chatbiology
this week is all about biology, art and creativity! We'd love to see you there at 8.30 ❤️🤞👍
Last week's
#chatbiology
on the biology of cold has got me thinking about the importance of contexts. What are the best exam Qs that use an unfamiliar context to really get students thinking? Here are 3 of my favourites featuring naked mole rats, blue ringed octopus and squid!
I am totally stealing this idea for that "wait time"! 😍 It will be like Only Connect!
Has anyone got any other "start of the lesson wait time" activities?
Did a word wall for my A-level biologists while we waited for the lesson to start, which they really enjoyed.
Make four groups of four words. Find the link in each group. Watch out for red herrings!
#ChatBiology
Hi everyone! We have three options for you to share:
1) Save directly in here 📁
2) Add the resource description and your handle/email to this spreadsheet so people can ask for copies
3) Comment with links below ⬇️
#sharingiscaring
No, this isn’t a buttload of lasagna. You’re observing the vascular tissue of a recently burned tree. This is how a tree carries water and minerals from its roots up to its leaves.
Here we go welcome to our first official chat!
Q1: What are the best websites for engaging students in independent learning and why?
Don't forget to use the
#chatbiology
in your replies!
This week we'd love to hear your thoughts on teaching evolution, natural selection and genetic technologies.
Do come & join us at Tues 25th Jan 8.30GMT to share your ideas and pick other bio teachers' brains!
Study detailing how 21 linked mutations changed crocodiles haemoglobin so that it slowly releases oxygen to tissues that need it which helps them stay underwater for such a long time!
Good for a contrast Bohr shift example or talk about mutations!
A-Level Biology teachers. Please find below 288 ppts I have collected over the years. This is my largest share I believe. Please let me know if any I have shared need to be removed and I will do so asap. Pls RT to other Biology teachers if useful! 🧬
How can giant trees survive in dry places?
We talk about xerophytic adaptations but do you mention the baobab tree?
It can store up to 120,000L of water in its swollen trunk, it's bark is shiny to help it reflect light + heat but also so spongy it can absorb water from the air!
Lovely for A level students who learn about both foetal haemoglobin but also gene editing - sadly the spec isn't quite new enough to include CRISPR but still worth discussing!
CRISPR gene editing has been used to treat an inherited genetic condition in humans for the first time.
Patients with severe sickle cell disease and beta thalassaemia both require regular blood transfusions.
@rowhoop
explains.
🎙️ 🎙️
Another awesome scientist for us to share with our students - a really great topic too lots of
#hinterland
around antibiotic resistance!
What models do you use to teach it? I know there are lots of different ones out there!
Know her name: Jane Hinton was the scientist who made it possible for us to culture bacteria and test for antibiotic resistance. She was also one of the first African American women to gain the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
Only recently come across the idea of two-tier MCQs and I absolutely love them for diagnostic questioning.
Does anyone else use them?
These are available as part of the BEST resources
#chatbiology
2020 has had plenty of low moments but the formation of
#chatbiology
has been a highlight. Thank you to all those who contribute in any way to this community; it’s wonderful to see biology educators helping & supporting each other.
It's
#WorldBeeDay2023
this week so we thought we would have a chat about all things insect related!
Come ready tonight at 8:30pm ⏰ to chat about how and where you use insects in the biology curriculum and maybe ideas for how we could include them more?
#chatbiology
In 24hrs time it will be our first official
#chatbiology
! 🥳
Set a reminder for 8:30 tomorrow so you can join us and share your best biology websites and maybe get a few recommendations in return to share with your school!
Finish your marking, put your PJs on & come and relax with us at 8:30 this evening. We'll be thinking ahead to Thursday's International Girls & Women in Science Day.
Around a year ago the WHO declared
#COVID19
a global pandemic. I’ve made a number of graphic explainers on some of the key pandemic topics since, all available to view and download here:
Hundreds of FREE diagnostic questions & response activities to probe students' misunderstandings. Progression toolkits to develop key concepts. Subject maps for curriculum planning. Developed from research evidence by
@UYSEG
@Salters_Inst
&
@STEMLearningUK
Merry Christmas Everyone! 🎄
Welcome to Day 1 of our 12 Days of Christmas Biology Blogs🎁
Our first blog comes from
@mrsjmasters
who has got some festive biology science club ideas.
Please check out the rest of her amazing blog as well!
#chatbiology
Don’t forget, the next live
#chatbiology
is tomorrow, Tuesday 7th July, 8:30pm! Our focus tomorrow is resources and practicals... especially books to help in teaching biology. So get those thinking caps on and look forward to seeing you there!
Hope you are all having a lovely bank holiday weekend and not using the extra day for too much marking! Our next chat is scheduled for 8:30pm Tuesday 4th May. Here is our topic!
A massive thank you to our blog contributors:
@brett_kingsbury
@CMooreAnderson
and an exclusive one for us for the launch from
@AhmedKhattabUK
!
A detailed walkthrough of direct instruction + visualizer to teach the heart + great use of MWB for feedback!
So with only a few weeks left of the holidays, some people are starting to plan for next term. How can we help? Are there any resources you are looking for? Any tips or hints? Let us know and we’ll try and help!
#helpabiologyteacher
#helpascienceteacher
Can you believe that
#chatbiology
is one today?!! What a year! We'd love to know how chatbiology has helped you since starting up a year ago so please feel free to share your stories below! We'd also love to hear what you've enjoyed the most since following us 👍👍
Like this pretty mixed culture we often have mixed ability Biology classes. Join us tomorrow (28th June) 8:30pm to discuss three questions relating to this.
#chatbiology
Always good to have a source for plant info!
Sometimes we forget the little things like can your students identify which one is xylem and which one is phloem in the bundle?
Our Plant Biology Basics episode with
@RosGleadow
is now live! It's the ultimate
#podcast
episode for those wanting to know more about how plants work - it goes deep but it's still approachable to the average gardener. Thanks so much Ros!
Are you planning on using
#COVID19
examples in your teaching? If so, how? It does link beautifully to multiple topics in the curriculum.
Some great visuals here for you to incorporate ⬇️
What??
"Photons of light have no colour, sound waves no sound, olfactory molecules no odour... they are invisible, weightless, subatomic particles of matter travelling through space. All the richness of life is created inside your head"
#chatbiology
GIF reactions 😀
Just discovered 'Build-A-Cell' - a drag/drop interactive game to teach students about organelles in various cell types. Friday evening and I have just spent the last hr playing it... Free to register!
@chatbiology
#chatbiology
#ffbteachers
#ffbbiology
#spookybiology
The slow loris - cute, right? But when threatened, the loris licks a toxin-producing brachial gland under its arm, facilitating a venomous bite!
Photo: Nature
🚨This is your 30 minute warning!🚨
The launch of the Chat Biology Website is happening tonight - please join us to support, retweet and check out our awesome blogs and resources. With an exclusive "how to" blog from
@AhmedKhattabUK
😊
We are going live at 8:30pm 🥳
thank you everyone for joining in this evening and do keep sharing! it's so great to support each other. We will hopefully collate all of these great little tidbits into 1 place so it will all be easier to find!
Request for tips on inclusive teaching:
A KS3 student is changing name and pronouns from she to he.
Teaching human reproduction soon and want to get things right to make him feel safe and included. Has anyone been in this position before? Particularly for referring to sex organs