Lesson plans:
Chapter 7 Cell function and energy
Overview
Pages 2–27
Recommended
SAMPLE
• 7.2 Biological energy transformations
• Science understanding
• Explain how ATP allows energy from catabolic reactions to be used in anabolic reactions.
• 7.3 Aerobic respiration
• Science understanding
• Describe the process of aerobic respiration, identifying the location in the cell and net inputs and outputs of - glycolysis
- Krebs cycle and electron transfer chain
- the overall reaction (C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + 36–38 ATP).
60 minutes
• 7.3 Practical: Investigating respiration
SAMPLE
• 7.4 Anaerobic cellular respiration
• Science understanding
• Describe the process of aerobic respiration, identifying the location in the cell and net inputs and outputs of - glycolysis
- Krebs cycle and electron transfer chain
- the overall reaction (C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + 36–38 ATP).
• Compare aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
• Science understanding
• Compare aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
60 minutes
60 minutes
Biology 2025 v1.0 General senior syllabus links
Unit 1 Topic 3: Cellular energy, gas exchange and plant physiology
Science understanding
• Distinguish between catabolism and anabolism.
• Explain how ATP allows energy from catabolic reactions to be used in anabolic reactions.
• Describe the process of aerobic respiration, identifying the location in the cell and net inputs and outputs of - glycolysis
- Krebs cycle and electron transfer chain
- the overall reaction (C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + 36–38 ATP).
• Compare aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
Unit objectives
1. Describe ideas and findings about cells as the basis of life, exchange of nutrients and wastes, and cellular energy and gas exchange.
2. Apply understanding of cells as the basis of life, exchange of nutrients and wastes and cellular energy and gas exchange.
3. Analyse data about cells as the basis of life, exchange of nutrients and wastes, and cellular energy and gas exchange.
4. Interpret evidence about cells as the basis of life, exchange of nutrients and wastes, and cellular energy and gas exchange.
SAMPLE
5. Evaluate processes, claims and conclusions about cells as the basis of life, exchange of nutrients and wastes and cellular energy and gas exchange.
6. Investigate phenomena associated with cells as the basis of life, exchange of nutrients and wastes, and cellular energy and gas exchange.
Supporting resources (available via Oxford Digital)
• Module 7 Prior knowledge quiz
• Lab technician notes and risk assessments
• Videos
Things to know before teaching Chapter 7 Cell function and energy
Prior knowledge
This module builds on knowledge and skills gained from Module 2 Cell structure and Module 4 The chemicals of life. To assess prior knowledge, ask students to complete the Module 7 Prior knowledge quiz before they start the module. This will help them identify gaps in their understanding and address them before engaging with more complex content.
It might be helpful to review the following:
1. The structure and function of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells and their organelles
2. Fundamentals of chemical reactions
3. Types of organic compounds found in living things (for example carbohydrates, proteins)
4. The role of enzymes in chemical reactions
General teaching tips
Many of the concepts in this module benefit off support through visual media, it is recommended to support teaching through use of video and diagrammatic representations of processes. It is also recommended to use class time for completing practicals, activities and working on formulas. Assign sections for reading as homework. See also the general teaching tips from Chapter 1 if you haven’t done so already. By now students should have realised that the modules in the student book are ‘chunked’ into small, understandable increments (Lessons 7.1, 7.2 and so on). These help the teacher see natural breaks in the content. This enables students to reflect on the ideas presented by way of the Check your learning questions. This halt to new content at strategic points permits students to have time to think about what they have just experienced.
SAMPLE
Lesson 7.3: Aerobic respiration
Pages 8–14
Total time: 60 minutes
Learning intentions and success criteria
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to do the following:
LEARNING INTENTION
Understand aerobic respiration
Understand the stages of aerobic respiration including glycolysis, the Krebs cycle and the electron transfer chain including their location in the cell and net inputs and outputs.
Learning
intentions
SUCCESS CRITERIA
SAMPLE
• I can describe the process of aerobic respiration
• I can identify the location in the cell and net inputs and outputs of - glycolysis
- Krebs cycle and electron transfer chain
- the overall reaction (C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + 36–38 ATP).
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
• understand aerobic respiration
• understand the stages of aerobic respiration including glycolysis, the Krebs cycle and the electron transfer chain including their location in the cell and net inputs and output.
Success
criteria
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
• describe the process of aerobic respiration
• identify the location in the cell and net inputs and outputs of - glycolysis
- Krebs cycle and electron transfer chain
- the overall reaction (C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + 36–38 ATP).
Biology 2025 General Senior Syllabus links
• Unit 1: Cells and multicellular organisms
• Topic 3: Cellular energy, gas exchange and plant physiology
• Science understanding
Describe the process of aerobic respiration, identifying the location in the cell and net inputs and outputs of - glycolysis - Krebs cycle and electron transfer chain - the overall reaction (C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + 36–38 ATP).
T
eacher considerations
SAMPLE
• Recommended total teaching time for Lesson 7.3 is 60 minutes. Students may require an additional 30 minutes to complete homework tasks.
• This lesson will build off concepts covered in Lessons 7.1 and 7.2. Students should have a good foundation of knowledge about anabolic and catabolic reactions.
• Activity 3 “Modelling aerobic respiration” will require poster paper and supplies such as glue sticks or glue tack, coloured markers and scissors which will need to be prepared in advance before starting the lesson.
Classroom activities
ACTIVITY NAME TIME DESCRIPTION
Started activity:
Lesson overview
Activity 7.3A:
What do you remember about chemical reactions?
5 minutes Teacher considerations:
• Display the learning intentions and success criteria for the lesson.
Instructions for students:
• Read through the learning intentions and success criteria of the lesson.
• Make sure you understand what each cognitive verb means.
10 minutes Teacher considerations:
SAMPLE
• On the whiteboard, draw or project, the balanced chemical equation for cellular respiration which is C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + 36–38 ATP.
• The reactants are glucose and oxygen, products are carbon dioxide, water and ATP. Energy transformations include the chemical energy stored in glucose being converted into chemical energy stored in ATP.
• Once students have finished identifying products, reactants and energy transformations get instruct them to discuss what the main purpose of this reaction might be (based off ATP generation) and what situations might trigger this reaction.
• You might like to guide students who would benefit from additional support to read through the “Feeling unsure?” section and students who would benefit from extension to complete the “Dig deeper” activity.
YOU’LL NEED
Oxford Digital
• Learning intentions and success criteria
Instructions for students:
• Consider the equation shown on the board.
• Identify the reactants, products, and energy transformations that have occurred.
Feeling unsure?
• Remember from junior science that:
Reactants are the substances that start a chemical reaction, they are found on the left side of a reaction arrow.
SAMPLE
Products are the substances that are formed from the chemical reaction, they are found on the right side of a reaction arrow.
Dig deeper
• Recall from Lesson 7.1 the difference between a catabolic and anabolic reaction. Justify whether this reaction would be considered anabolic or catabolic.
Activity 7.3B: Aerobic respiration video 10 minutes Teacher considerations:
• Project and play the “Aerobic respiration” to students.
• You might wish to pause the video at points to highlight where glycolysis, the Krebs cycle and the electron transfer chain are taking place in the cell.
• After students have watched the video, instruct them to complete the questions related to the video.
Instructions for students:
• Complete the multiple-choice questions related to the video.
Oxford Digital • https://www.clickview .net/secondary/videos/ 5579113/aerobicrespiration
Activity 7.3C:
Modelling aerobic respiration
30 minutes Teacher considerations:
• Divide students into pairs or groups of three and provide them with the materials needed to model the stages of aerobic respiration on a large poster.
• Write what students will need to include in different stages of their diagrams for example:
Glycolysis: Glucose, ATP, ADP, NAD+, NADH, pyruvate
Acetyl-coA formation: pyruvate, coenzyme A, NAD+, acetyl-coA, CO2, NADH
Krebs cycle: acetyl-coA, NAD, FAD, ADP, coenzyme A, CO2, NADH, FADH2, ATP
Electron transfer chain: O2, NADH, FADH, ADP, H2O, NAD, FAD, ATP
SAMPLE
• Once students have completed their posters check the accuracy of their model of aerobic respiration. You may like to display these posters around the classroom.
Instructions for students:
• Draw a large cell on your poster paper, make sure to leave enough space to show what is occurring in different sites of the cell.
• In your groups you assign members different stages of aerobic respiration to figure out what needs to be included and how you can best show what occurs at different stages in your poster.
• Draw/add in the processes to your cell and label the inputs, outputs, and location in the cell for each stage.
• Once the teacher has checked your poster you may wish to take a photo of your poster to include in your notes so you have access to your model when revising aerobic respiration.
Feeling unsure?
• Look up models of aerobic respiration in the cell to help you determine how you might present the different stages on your poster.
Dig deeper
• Discuss how aerobic respiration would be affected if the cell did not have enough free oxygen.
• Pens
• Poster paper
• Post-It Notes
• Glue-tack or glue sticks
• Markers
• Scissors
Review and consolidate 5 minutes
• Run through the key ideas with students. You can do this as a class discussion or provide students with a question that they must answer as an exit ticket. The following dot points may help in summarising the lesson:
→ Cellular respiration is the process of changing glucose into a usable form of energy: it can be summarised by the reaction: C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + 36–38 ATP.
Oxford Digital
• Practical 7.3
Investigating respiration
• Practical 7.3 Risk assessment
Additional activities
Homework 30 minutes
→ Aerobic cellular respiration takes place in the presence of oxygen. It has four stages: glycolysis, acetyl-CoA formation, Krebs cycle and the electron transfer chain.
→ Glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm, all other aerobic respiration stages take place in the mitochondria.
• It is a good idea to assign reading the practical activity linked to this lesson for homework if you plan on completing it with students. It will help save class time as students will be able to come into the lesson with some idea of what they will be doing along with the risks involved in experimental work.
SAMPLE
Instructions for students
• Complete the Skill drill and Check your learning activities in Lesson 7.3.
• Read through Practical 7.3 and make sure you have a rough idea of what you will be doing. Read through the risk assessment for each practical.