Sixth Form Colleges

Here you can find all the materials we have developed for sixth-form students and teachers, including classroom activities and experiments to try at home.

Our activities may be suitable for different age groups depending on student ability - you may also like to have a look at out our video pages. We'd love to hear how you and your students get on with our resources - please email pictures and comments to pe@babraham.ac.uk or link to our Twitter feed @BabrahamInst

The Epigenetics Escape Room

An illustration of a small collection of animal cells. Next to this is a close up image of DNA, showing the double helix structure and the four base pairs A, C, G and T.

Literally meaning “on top of genetics”, epigenetic marks are chemical tags added to DNA, or to histones (the proteins around which DNA is organised).  These tags control whether DNA is activated or silenced. 

In this online “escape room” individual students, groups or the whole class together have to solve epigenetic themed puzzles to complete their research and publish their paper. Videos featuring Institute staff guide you through each puzzle.

Link: Epigenetics Escape Room

Downloads:
Lesson Plan (Word)
Presentation (PowerPoint)
Information Sheet (Word)
Clues (Word)
Answers (Word)
Staff Profiles (pdf)

Healthy Ageing Research - Ethics Workshops - Priorities

Germinal centres
This lesson will introduce students to the principles of healthy ageing research, and the corresponding ethical consequences, such as those on the economy, and retirement age, that are currently being addressed. Students will discuss the areas of healthy ageing research carried out at the Babraham Institute and decide which areas they think are most relevant and important.
Downloads:
Lesson plan (Word)
Presentation (PowerPoint)
Research cards (pdf)
Worksheet (Word)
Fact sheet (Word)
The Ageing Process and Health postnote (pdf)

Heathy Ageing Research - Ethics Workshops - Future Scenarios

Ageing
This lesson will introduce students to the principles of healthy ageing research, and the corresponding ethical consequences, such as those on the economy, and retirement age, that are currently being addressed. Students will discuss the socio-economic implications of a series of hypothetical future research scenarios.
Downloads:
Lesson plan (Word)
Presentation (PowerPoint)
Future scenario cards (Word)
Worksheet (Word)
Fact sheet (Word)
The Ageing Process and Health post note (pdf)

Epigenetics - Making Your Mark

Making Your Mark board
This lesson will introduce students to the concept of epigenetics - how reversible modifications to DNA can control access to genetic information. The practical activity explains a sequencing technique called Chromatin ImmunoPrecipitaiton Sequencing (ChIP-Seq), and a software package called Seqmonk, which is used to analyse the data.
Downloads:
Lesson plan (Word)
Presentation (PowerPoint)
Brochure (pdf)
Fact sheet (Word)
Game board (pdf)
Game board instructions (Word)
DNA strip (PowerPoint)

Epigenetics - Challenge Project

Sophianum DNA model
This lesson will introduce students to the concept of science communication & public engagement. Using epigenetics as an example, students will have an opportunity to try and translate what they’re learnt and develop a resource that can be used to help teach others about the topic of epigenetics.
Downloads:
Lesson plan (Word)
Presentation (PowerPoint)
Challenge sheet (Word)
Fact sheet (Word)

If you have any comments or suggestions on content or layout please email us at pe@babraham.ac.uk