AS Biology revision strategies

Follow these activities and you will improve your performance in Units 1 and 2. You will need: o A highlighter pen o Your textbook & notes o Unit 1 and 2 specification content o Unit 1 and 2 past papers These approaches to revision should help to improve your: o use of biological terminology. o understanding of core concepts. o ability to achieve higher marks on longer answer exam questions. Date & time Tasks Using your copy of the Unit 1 specification content, highlight all of the key terms. There will be 50 or more. On a computer create a table with 2 columns that lists all of these terms in the left hand column. Insert subtitles for each topic. Using the glossary at the back of your textbook, type out definitions for each term in the right hand column. You may need to look up some in the chapters of the text book. For any terms you do not recall, find the relevant pages and read about them until you are familiar with their use. Save this table, and now create and save 2 further versions: one with the definitions deleted, and one with the terms deleted. Repeat these tasks using your Unit 2 specification content. Test yourself on the key words and definitions using the latter 2 sheets at various times during your revision programme. Draw all of the biochemistry molecules, and show how condensation and hydrolysis works. Use key terms! Draw and annotate diagrams to show how enzymes work. Use key terms! Draw and annotate an animal cell, a plant cell and a cholera cell. Use key terms! Draw diagrams to explain the processes of diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis and active transport. Use key terms! Learn Ficks law. Then construct a table with sections for each of the three aspects of Ficks Law, and list examples of how various organisms are adapted for these. Draw a short section of a DNA molecule to show the pairing of the nucleotide bases. Draw and annotate diagrams to show DNA replication. Use key terms! Create a flow chart to show the stages of mitosis. Then draw a flow chart to show the life cycle of an organism that involves production of gametes by meiosis then fertilisation. Annotate using key terms! Attempt the Unit 1 paper, using as many of the key terms as possible; you could allow yourself to refer to the key word list, but not the definitions. Then, mark your paper using the mark-scheme. Highlight any key words in the mark-scheme and compare these to your key word list. Pay close attention to your errors and to the mark points you missed on the longer answer questions. Make a list of the areas of the specification that you found most difficult. Use this to create a prioritised revision schedule for Unit 1. This will extend into the Summer term. Attempt the Unit 2 paper; you could allow yourself to refer to the key word list, but not the definitions. Make a list of the areas of the specification that you found most difficult. Use this to create a prioritised revision schedule for Unit 2. This will extend into the Summer term. When revising, read through the relevant pages of your textbook and your notes on each topic. Make revision notes, and ensure they include your key terms. Highlight these terms as you go along. Also, use strategies such as key word lists, annotated diagrams, flow charts, summary tables etc.