Edexcel IAL Biology Core Practical 3: a 13-page editable work pack on beetroot membrane permeability, with full method, data analysis and exam questions.

A complete student work pack for the beetroot practical in Edexcel International AS Biology (Topic 2), built around one big question: why does beetroot “bleed” when you boil it, but not when you wash it? This is a standalone 13-page work pack; there is no slide deck.

WHAT’S INCLUDED
• 13-page student work pack in Word, fully editable
• Full method for the temperature investigation, with equipment and safety
• Mock data for the ethanol investigation, so the alcohol part can still be examined
• 16 marks of exam practice, plus 30 marks of analysis questions across the practical

SPECIFICATION COVERAGE (Edexcel International AS Biology, Topic 2)
2.3 Core Practical 3: Investigate membrane properties, including the effect of alcohol and temperature on membrane permeability

WHAT’S IN THE PACK
• Overview: specification point, learning outcomes, exam focus and the most common error
• Key vocabulary, from betalain and tonoplast to absorbance and percentage transmission
• Activate: how temperature and ethanol damage phospholipids and membrane proteins, with an equipment diagram
• Planning: hypothesis, variables, a control-variable table and a risk assessment
• Method: 11 numbered steps from cork borer to colorimeter, plus “Why is this step done?”
• Results table (three repeats, eight temperatures) and a graph with range bars and a skills checklist
• Analysing your results: six questions (14 marks) on trend, explanation, repeatability and precision
• Mock ethanol data: anomaly, means, graph, percentage increase, dilution and safety (16 marks)
• Consolidate: the big question and a final prediction combining ethanol and temperature
• Exam practice: multiple choice, interpreting data and evaluating a flawed method

WHY TEACHERS LIKE IT
• Targets mark-losing errors: “the heat melts the membrane”, “the cells die”, and mixing up absorbance and transmission
• Builds required practical skills: control variables, anomalies, range bars and evaluating methods
• Covers temperature and alcohol, even if you only run one in class
• Clear key vocabulary and structured tables, supportive for EAL learners

Part of the Ready Set Science Edexcel IAL Biology series, written by a Head of Science with 20 years’ experience teaching Biology.