Observation
Observe and compare
What you can see in each specimen, kept apart from what it means.
Compare two specimensSkills
Short drills on single parts of a biology practical. Each card says which practicals use it.
14 skills to practise0 of 14 practised
Drawing
Draw and label clearly
Clean outlines, the right proportions, and label lines that reach their part.
Fix a drawingMagnification
Work with size and scale
Magnification, image size and actual size, and reading a scale bar.
Work out sizesExperimental design
Make a fair comparison
The control, the one thing changed, and repeats that make a test fair.
Fix an experimentResults
Record and interpret results
Results tables, percentage change, and a conclusion the numbers support.
Finish a results tableMicroscope technique
Bring a specimen into view
Low power first, the stage raised while watching from the side, then the fine knob.
Focus a slideSlide preparation
Prepare a clear slide
Lowering the coverslip slowly with a needle so no air is trapped.
Lower a coverslipSpecimen handling
Handle and section specimens
Cutting a thin section and finding the vascular bundles with a hand lens.
Cut a sectionEcological sampling
Sample and count in the field
Counting a plant in a quadrat, and which sampling method suits which question.
Count a quadratIdentification
Identify and classify specimens
Naming a specimen from the features a key asks about, and saying which feature decided it.
Use a keyAdaptation
Explain structure and function
What a feature you can see does for the organism, or where it lives.
Explain a featureChemical tests
Report food tests
Test, observation and inference in their own columns, with the colour named.
Report a food testGraphs
Plot and interpret a graph
Plotting your own results, a sensible scale, and saying what the trend shows.
Plot a graphEvaluation
Evaluate methods and precautions
Odd results, the method’s weak points, and the error each precaution stops.
Check a methodNext, do a full practical or try WAEC-style practice.