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Journal of Biological Education,
Volume 41, No.1, Winter 2006
Reviewed by: John Mynett
BIOZONE Student Resource and Activity Manuals
for AS and year A2 Biology 2006
Advanced Biology AS or A2 Student Resource and Activity Manual.
Designed to meet the specification requirements for OCR, AQA and Edexcel, the 2006 edition of the BIOZONE Student Resource and Activity Manual has now been updated and includes content that is suitable for Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology (SNAB). It retains however it's student centered approach and is a valuable educational resource.
BIOZONE produce two versions of their student manual - aimed at AS and A2 students. These are supported with two separate model answer booklets and a Teacher Resource CD-ROM. The books themselves are something of a fusion between a traditional textbook and a pupil workbook - with questions and spaces for students to write in their answers. At the beginning of each chapter is a valuable section that summarises the key learning objectives. These are numbered and linked to the separate examination board requirements. Topic specific textbooks, internet resources and periodical references are then highlighted (the teacher CD-ROM includes further software and video resource lists). The manual even goes as far as detailing the relevant page numbers from each textbook! The remainder of the chapter is split between basic biological knowledge with well labeled diagrams followed by student activities. The biological content, although accurate, may not be sufficiently detailed to cover all examination board specifications and a backup 'traditional' textbook is required. The student activities such as building DNA models and cut and stick classification tasks. All questions have answers that can be found in the separate model answer booklets (these can be made available to students on a need-to-know basis!). In order to carry out some of the activities, pages from the manual must be removed, and to allow this all of the pages are perforated. This also means that pages that are not relevant can be easily removed or pages reorganized and filed alongside the student manual.
Overall the AS and A2 BIOZONE Student Manuals are a valuable resource that some students find particularly useful. The use of this book in the classroom does require a different style of teaching, but the layout of the books leads inevitably to an enriched learning experience for the students. The language used is clear and accessible with relevant and well labeled diagrams throughout the books. The student discount price of £10.95 per book for what is effectively a disposable resource (strict photocopying rules apply) may seem a bit steep, but in the long run it has to be a worthwhile investment.(2007 editions are now available.)
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