Christian Moore Anderson
Biology teaching resources (11-18)
I don't have slide decks to share as I teach by drawing diagrams . Most of the resources here are curricular plans, question banks, or...
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Christian Moore Anderson
4 days ago4 min read
How I teach the role of fungi in ecosystems as autonomous organisms
The role of individual organisms is vital to understanding ecosystem functions. Often, the organism—and how it goes about its life—is...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Nov 14 min read
How I teach the meaning of the nervous system using variation theory
The nervous system is a great topic for exploring who we are and what we can do. It's also great for explaining experience. But to do...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Oct 255 min read
How I teach enzymes with a stock and flow model
What are enzymes? For students that's a strange word. So, firstly, we'd better have a look. To do so, my favourite animation is one of...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Oct 125 min read
How I teach the lac operon with a model and variation theory
The lac operon is a classic of genetics and is common in biology curricula. Yet, students can sometimes find it difficult. I want to show...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Oct 45 min read
How I teach the monogenic disorder PKU with a model and some history of eugenics
If you're teaching Mendelian genetics, monogenic disorders are on the cards. But which ones are good examples? The IB has once again...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Sep 205 min read
How I teach the relationship between photosynthesis & respiration in plants
The relationship between photosynthesis and respiration—within an individual plant—isn't easy for students. Often I find, they've been...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Sep 73 min read
How I teach natural selection exemplified in Endler's experiments
The peppered moth of industrial England—and the Galapagos finches on Daphne Major during the 1976 drought—are common examples used for...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Aug 156 min read
Should management mandate precise teaching activities? Probably not.
Often, people seem to discuss schools as centres for optimising students' learning and teachers' teaching. However, I want to share a...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Aug 112 min read
Difference Maker: Enacting Systems Theory in Biology Teaching
Free first chapter here . Laying down a new path in biology teaching , this book explains how to enact a learning environment where...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Jun 15 min read
How I teach the nitrogen cycle with a system dynamics model
Teaching the nitrogen cycle is one of my favourite lessons. There's so much to connect to: history and everyday life. But, students also...
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Christian Moore Anderson
May 144 min read
What's the purpose of rehearsal (during lessons)?
Recently the idea of "rehearsal" has appeared in UK-based educational blogs. But there appears to be confusion. What's it for? Here are...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Feb 124 min read
Evidence-based educational movements are actually games
Around 2012ish, a new movement rode into the UK (school) educational scene. It came with the banner of "evidence-based", to counter the...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Jan 234 min read
How I teach the meaning of (statistical) p-values using variation theory
A principle of variation theory is identifying the aspect you really want students to discern, and then varying it. Importantly, when you...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Jan 142 min read
Helping students develop study skills: a simple model.
Advising students how to study is complex. Learning is messy, with ups and downs. Sudden insights may punctuate periods of seemingly...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Nov 4, 20234 min read
How I teach thermoregulation with a stock and flow model
How to teach mammalian thermoregulation with a system dynamics model.
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Christian Moore Anderson
Oct 28, 20233 min read
How I teach osmosis with a stock and flow model
How to help students understand osmosis by building a stock and flow diagram with them.
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Christian Moore Anderson
Sep 21, 20235 min read
What the variation theory (of learning) is and isn't. A brief introduction.
Many people who have brief encounters with variation theory come away with the idea that it is about employing examples and non-examples...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Sep 8, 20238 min read
How I co-construct a stock and flow model with students: Population size
After reading about stock and flow diagrams in my book, many people have asked for more details about how I actually go about building...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Aug 29, 20233 min read
Why endothermy should be an explicit part of the biology curriculum
During my training year I had to teach a Year 8 class (12 year-olds) the physics topic of heat. I began with a common question for the...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Aug 25, 20236 min read
My thoughts on the new IB Biology syllabus—plus some free resources
Summer is ending and the new syllabus is rolling out. I just spent a few months developing my resources for the entire course and I want...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Aug 7, 20238 min read
The ups & downs of my experience with retrieval practice
For years I've toiled with quiz questions in my biology courses (AKA core questions). I've used quiz questions as starter quizzes, to...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Jun 19, 20232 min read
Subject Knowledge: Great books for biology teachers
There is only one short cut to improving subject knowledge—reading great books. In this post I compile a selection of the books that have...
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Christian Moore Anderson
Apr 28, 20234 min read
How I introduce the digestive system
Where should a topic on the digestive system begin, let's say, for a GCSE class (ages 14-16)? Should it be with the general structure of...
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