LAUNCH · Edexcel GCSE Biology 1BI0 Foundation · Paper 1 · Topic 1 · Week 3
| Key word | What it means |
|---|---|
| microscope | An instrument that makes very small things look much bigger. |
| magnification | How many times bigger the image is than the real object. |
| resolution | The smallest gap that can still be seen as two separate things. |
| eyepiece lens | The lens you look through, usually ×10. |
| objective lens | The lens near the slide; you choose ×4, ×10 or ×40. |
Session plan: 40-minute session: Arrival 3; overview 1; I Do 1 4; We Do 1 4; I Do 2 3; We Do 2 4; independent work 15; feedback and next step 3; exit 3. Title orientation is untimed. The optional two-minute evidence check sits inside independent time. Keep extra practice available; use the core question, a contrasting example and a recheck before extending.
Name: ____________________ Tier ringed by adult: ◆ Supported ▲ Standard ★ Stretch Date:
I can describe how a light microscope magnifies cells, and why resolution matters as well as magnification.
From the word bank, label the lens you look through and the lens near the slide.
Name the two lenses on a microscope and say which one you look through.
Name the two lenses, and work out the total magnification of a ×10 eyepiece with a ×40 objective.
Magnifies to about ×1500 → ______________________________
Reaches far higher magnification → ______________________________
Better resolution, finer detail → ______________________________
Uses two glass lenses and light → ______________________________
Found in most school labs → ______________________________
Makes the image bigger but no clearer → ______________________________
A light microscope uses two lenses and light to magnify cells to about ×1500. An electron microscope gives both higher magnification and better resolution, so it shows much finer detail.
You run the loop, not me. Focus the slide, then DRAW what you actually see in a circle — not what the textbook shows — and label it with the total magnification you used. The drawing plus the magnification is the evidence. Say the sentence as you write it: 'I used a total magnification of ____ and I could see ____.'
microscope, magnification, resolution, eyepiece lens, objective lens
You run the loop, not me. Focus the slide, then DRAW what you actually see in a circle — not what the textbook shows — and label it with the total magnification you used. The drawing plus the magnification is the evidence. Say the sentence as you write it: 'I used a total magnification of ____ and I could see ____.'
microscope, magnification, resolution, eyepiece lens, objective lens
You run the loop, not me. Focus the slide, then DRAW what you actually see in a circle — not what the textbook shows — and label it with the total magnification you used. The drawing plus the magnification is the evidence. Say the sentence as you write it: 'I used a total magnification of ____ and I could see ____.'
microscope, magnification, resolution, eyepiece lens, objective lens
Task: Label a microscope diagram from the word bank, then write which lens you look through and what magnification does.
Task: Label the microscope, calculate three total magnifications, and write one sentence on the difference between magnification and resolution.
Task: Label the microscope, calculate the magnifications, and explain why an electron microscope shows detail a light microscope cannot, using the word resolution.
What is the difference between magnification and resolution?
Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Biology 1BI0 (Foundation, grades 1–5); GCSE Combined Science 1SC0 F where appropriate; AQA UAS science units
Records what was observed, and at which level of independence.
| Pupil | ____________________ |
| Lesson | Discover: Cells Under the Microscope — LAUNCH Science · Week 3 |
| Date | ____________________ |
Observed in this lesson
☐ Named the eyepiece and objective lenses.
☐ Distinguished magnification from resolution.
☐ Produced a labelled drawing with the magnification recorded.
Assessor comment
Ring the tier the pupil actually worked at
| ◆ Supported | ▲ Standard | ★ Stretch |
Assessor name ______________ Role ____________ Signature ______________ Date ________
Space: Close focus and queueing for the microscope can be a lot. You can be the one who records and draws while a partner focuses — the drawing is the assessed part.
Voice: If your image will not come clear, say so — blurry might mean you have run past the resolution, and that is worth knowing.
Audience: Your labelled drawing goes into your Topic 1 folder and is revisited at W7.
Influence: The class decides which specimen slide we all look at next lesson.
Closing the loop: this one ends on paper — your own hand, or your words scribed by an adult. Saying it aloud starts the loop; writing it is what closes it. Pass is always allowed.
What I said, and what it changed:
Keep with your portfolio.
| Pupil name: | Date: |
| WWW (What Went Well): | |
| EBI (Even Better If): | |
| Level worked at: Supported / Standard / Stretch | Evidence filed: Yes / Not yet |
| Pupil response — my next step: | |