A Catalyst article looking at the evidence for evolution and which considers the ongoing conflict between scientists and creationists. The work of Charles Darwin is central to the article which summarises his theory of natural selection and also covers creation myths and creationists.

This article is from...

From Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS), this practical activity was developed for Scottish Highers specifications, but the protocol can equally well be used for other specifications. 

Students prepare and stain roots, and then examine them to establish the frequency of mycorrhizae. 

The...

This teaching guide provides a range of ideas and resources for teaching about exchange surfaces at A level. Curriculum links include gas exchange, surface area, ventilation, diffusion gradients, spirometer, partial pressure gradient

Although produced to support the teaching of OCR AS and A Level Biology A...

Produced by the Wellcome Trust, this issue of the Big Picture looks at the physiology and sociology of exercise and movement.

For humans, movement is for more than just basic survival. They move for fun, to compete and to be healthy. This resource looks at the biological systems that keep humans moving and...

A Catalyst article looking at the benefits of exercise and how it affects bone structure and hence physical fitness. Furthermore, obesity in Britain is on the rise and so the population is encouraged to do regular exercise, not only for cardiovascular and respiratory health, but also for general well-being. But...

The ‘Experimenting with Industry’ series was published in the mid-1980s when it presented industry-related science practicals for schools. It was developed as part of a 'teachers into industry' project organised by The Association for Science Education (ASE) on behalf...

Produced by the Citizen Science project, this teacher guidance summarises ideas on how to run successful discussions and debates within the secondary classroom. Examples illustrate how a range of techniques, such as TV chat show formats, can be used successfully.

These materials will help teachers to:...

This Catalyst article describes discovering hydrothermal vents at ocean sea-beds. Hydrothermal vents form along mid-ocean ridges. A mid-ocean ridge is where the Earth’s tectonic plates are moving apart, usually at a rate of about 6 to 18 centimetres a year. The presence of hydrothermal vents had been predicted by...

This article from Catalyst investigates how cells transfer packets of control hormones from one cell to another using subcellular packages called exosomes. The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2014, Volume 25, Issue 2.

Catalyst...

Fat is essential. In these articles we get to grips with the world of fats and lipids to find out what they do, not just inside us and other organisms but also understand our dependence on fats and relationship with the world around us.

Published by the Wellcome Trust, the 'Big Picture' explores issues around biology and medicine.

Fat is a word that carries a lot of weight, conjuring up topics as diverse as obesity, hibernating animals, and what we eat and how we cook it. This issue of the Big Picture looks at the fats and lipids to find...

A Catalyst article about what happens as plants grow. During their growth, plants remove compounds of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from soil which need to be replaced to maintain the soil’s fertility. For centuries farmers have used organic manures, crop rotation or ploughed in specially grown crops; today...

This resource supports the teaching of instrumental analysis, including gas chromatography - mass spectrometry  (GS-MS) time of flight mass spectrometry, using the context of archaeology. This is done by relating the use of solvents, chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques to discoveries from the study of...

This article from Catalyst focuses on dengue fever. Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease found in tropical areas and its range is spreading. The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2014, Volume 25, Issue 2.

Catalyst is a...