Complete “Ready to go” lesson with no adapting necessary!
New for AAQ Pearson Medical Science BTEC from Sept 2025 Specification
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This lesson is part 2/4 of 4 lessons that cover the entire content of Unit 3 Learning Aim C/Task 3.

Layout of the lesson
•What is growth medium, why is it important and the difference in liquid broth and solid agar
•What is the difference between selective vs differential growth medium with reference to the example in the specification (MacConkey agar, mannitol salt agar, potato dextrose agar, blood agar)
•What is the difference between repeatable and reproducible experiments linked to the importance of writing reproducible methods with reminders of what content should be included to make it reproducible
•Students prepare their own growth medium using a rough method. Students will write up their own reproducible methods.
•What is inoculation and how can it be achieved through streak plates, lawn spreads, slant tubes, stab cultures, pour plates and broth cultures. Students will also discuss how these methods can be used to isolate a pure culture of microorganisms from an impure culture
•What are serial dilutions and why are they used. This includes a class discussion where students consider how serial dilutions can be achieved. Students will then conduct their own serial dilutions to achieve a diluted culture that can be used in inoculation
•Students are given a list of equipment which they will use to create their own methods for inoculating agar plates through the streaking, lawn spread and pour plates methods. Students also need to write a risk assessment at this time. Both risk assessment and methods need to be scrutinised and checked by the teacher before allowing students to inoculate plates - look out for aseptic techniques and appropriate disposal

PRINTING REQUIREMENTS - Streak plate templates (6 to a page) + you may wish to print the risk assessment guidance slide so that students can write their risk assessments and methods simultaneously from the equipment list projected
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This lesson follows my usual style and contains:
•Recall starter to build retention of previously learned content
•Clear levelled learning objectives and outcomes
•Clear and modern layout utilising GIFS and Youtube
• Variety of tasks and plenaries with self assessment to assess progress
• ANSWERS INCLUDED!

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