Amino Acids, Proteins and DNA — Interactive Lesson (Ages 14–16)

From beans and fish to the code inside every cell — the natural polymers that build life. This 22-slide interactive lesson on amino acids and proteins takes pupils from first ideas to exam-style explanations, with 12 self-marking activities and nothing to prepare beforehand.

Teaching Amino Acids, Proteins and DNA in GCSE Chemistry

Pupils identify the amine and carboxylic acid groups in amino acids, explain how peptide links form by condensation, and use the biuret test to detect protein. They describe DNA as a polymer of nucleotides with a double helix and apply base-pairing rules (A–T, C–G) to complete a strand.

What Pupils Will Learn

• Identify the two functional groups in an amino acid.
• Describe how amino acids join to form proteins.
• Use the biuret test to detect protein.
• Describe DNA as a polymer of nucleotides.
• Use base-pairing rules (A–T, C–G).

What’s Included

• 22-slide interactive lesson
• 12 self-marking activities: multiple-choice questions, true-or-false checks, sorting tasks, drag-and-drop categorising and fill-in-the-gap questions
• Step-by-step teaching cards that reveal one point at a time
• A written explanation task with a model answer for self-assessment

Why Teachers Love It

• No prep — open it on an interactive whiteboard, laptop or tablet
• Instant feedback explains every answer, right or wrong
• Examples from both Nigeria and the UK make the chemistry feel real
• Works for whole-class teaching, independent study or revision

Curriculum Alignment

Supports the organic chemistry content of UK GCSE Chemistry (AQA, Edexcel and OCR) and the Nigerian Senior Secondary Chemistry curriculum (SS2–SS3), including WAEC and NECO exam preparation.

Love this? You’ll love…

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• Plastics, Pollution and Sustainability — Interactive Lesson (Ages 14–16)

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FAQ

What year groups is this for? Year 11 and post-16 (ages 14–16), and SS2–SS3 in Nigeria.

Is it self-marking? Yes — all 12 activities give instant feedback.

Do pupils need to log in? No. The lesson runs in any modern web browser.

Can I use it for revision? Yes. Pupils can replay it as often as they like, and the results screen shows which questions to review before a test.