Ms Parsons and I enjoying a Biology practical at Wakehurst Place
Ms Parsons and I are so glad you have decided to take Biology A-Level and are really excited to see you in September.
I start the course studying Cell Structure and Ms Parsons will start with Biological Molecules. These topics will nicely build on your understanding from GCSE, and also provide a solid foundation on which to build.
Below I have attached the summer work which you should hand to me (or email to me) in September. I have also added good books to read, websites to visit and magazines to look at. Some of these you have to pay for, and I do not expect you to commit to these if you don't want to.
If you are thinking about medicine, last year I ran a medical introductory course. On this page there are also recommended books and TV shows (more dedicated to medicine), and I am happy to send you the materials if you think they would be useful.
If you have any questions then please contact me at: g.winter@brightongirls.gdst.net
Have a great summer.
Mr G. Winter and Ms A. Parsons
Summer Work
- Complete the tasks from page 7 to page 20.
- Bring in the sheets in September
Recommended websites
- Cells Alive.
- Animations, images and interactive activities about cell biology.
- DNA Interactive.
- Video footage and animations that bring our understanding of DNA replication and expression to life.
- Learn.Genetics.
- Animations and interactive activities that bring genetics, biological sciences and health to life.
- BBC Science and Environment news.
- Keep up to date with science and environment news as it happens
- BBC Health news.
- This provides breaking news from the world of human health
- TED talks
- The best Biological ideas from the TED conferences.
Books
Here is a small selection.
- The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being, Alice Roberts. Alice Roberts combines embryology, genetics, anatomy, evolution and zoology to tell the incredible story of the human body
- The Epigenetics Revolution, Nessa Carey. A fascinating introduction to epigenetics. If you enjoy this, follow up with Seed to Seed (see below).
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot. How one woman’s cancer cells changed the medical world forever, and because a multi-million dollar industry.
- Bad Science, Ben Goldacre. Looking objectively at popular science reporting.
- The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan. A very different approach to science writing, Michael Pollan turns our normal perspective on its head to consider how plants manipulate humans.
- Almost Like A Whale, Steve Jones. Using contemporary science to update Charles Darwin’s “The Origin of the Species”.
- Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution, Holly Tucker. The dramatic history of blood transfusions, from 17th century France onwards.
- Calculus Diaries, Jennifer Ouellette. A non-mathematician finds out how maths can help you tackle anything – even a zombie apocalypse.
- Life Ascending, Nick Lane. Where does DNA come from? How did the eye evolve? A reconstruction of evolutionary history through ten of its greatest landmarks.
- Genome, Matt Ridley. 23 human chromosomes in 23 chapters.
- The Energy of Life, Guy Brown. Introduction to the cutting-edge science of Bioenergetics
Magazines
- The Big Picture
- This is a free magazine produced by the Wellcome Trust. It is written for post 16 Biology students and explores the innovations and implications of cutting edge biomedical science.
- This magazine is written specifically for students of A level Biology and first year Biological Sciences undergraduates. It is highly readable and bridges the gap between your text books and scientific journals. There is a charge for subscribing to the magazine
- This is a weekly science magazine that keeps you up to date with what’s new in science. If you wish to become a subscriber, you will have to pay, but (I think) our school library already subscribes.