b8 health and disease
4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.
Lesson Overview
Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA
Learning Objectives
- Explain the key ideas of b8 health and disease
- Apply b8 health and disease to exam-style questions
- Develop independent study skills
- Build cross-topic connections
Prerequisites
- Read the revision notes for b8 health and disease first (GCSE Revise summary)
- Key vocab to pre-teach: Health
- Basic skills: reading the summary notes and answering the practice questions there
Materials & Equipment
- Exercise book, coloured pens
- Scientific calculator
- Ruler
- Printed revision notes (link below)
- Internet for videos (see Resources)
Lesson 1: Introduction: b8 health and disease
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Quick Recall
Write down everything you already know about b8 health and disease. Then check against the key terms: Health. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: Health.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: Health.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: b8 health and disease. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Combined Science (Trilogy) because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: b8 health and disease. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Combined Science (Trilogy) because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look
Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: Define the term "health." (1 mark)
Plenary (5 minutes)
Check Out
Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about b8 health and disease.
Lesson 2: Core Concepts: b8 health and disease
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Review Previous Lesson
Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on b8 health and disease. Check them against the notes below.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Health: is a state of physical and mental wellbeing, not just the absence of disease. Diseases can be communicable (can be passed between individuals) or non-communicable (cannot be passed on). Risk factors increase the likelihood of developing a non-communicable disease.
| Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Can be passed on? | Yes - from person to person | No - cannot be passed between people |
| Cause | Pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protists) | Lifestyle factors, genetics, environmental factors |
| Duration | Usually short-term (though some can be chronic) | Usually long-term or lifelong |
| Examples | Flu, COVID-19, measles, malaria, HIV | Cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, asthma |
| Treatment | Antibiotics (bacteria), vaccines (prevention), antivirals | Lifestyle changes, medication, surgery |
| Smoking | Lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, COPD | Carcinogens in tobacco smoke damage DNA in lung cells, leading to cancer; chemicals damage blood vessels and increase blood pressure |
| Obesity | Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some cancers | Excess body fat causes insulin resistance; increases blood pressure and cholesterol; fat cells can produce hormones that promote cell division |
| Alcohol | Liver disease, liver cancer, cardiovascular disease | Alcohol damages liver cells causing cirrhosis; is a carcinogen; raises blood pressure |
Practice (10 minutes)
Q: Define the term "health." (1 mark)
Answer: Health is a state of physical and mental wellbeing, not just the absence of disease or infirmity.
Plenary (5 minutes)
Explain Back
Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.
Lesson 3: Application: b8 health and disease
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Quick Recall
Recall the key terms: Health. Define each in one sentence.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.
Q1: Define the term "health." (1 mark)
Answer: Health is a state of physical and mental wellbeing, not just the absence of disease or infirmity.
Q2: Explain the difference between a communicable disease and a non-communicable disease. Give one example of each. (3 marks)
Answer: A communicable disease can be passed from person to person and is caused by pathogens (e.g. flu, caused by a virus). A non-communicable disease cannot be passed between people and is caused by lifestyle or genetic factors (e.g. cancer or type 2 diabetes).
Q3: Explain the difference between a benign tumour and a malignant tumour. (3 marks)
Answer: A benign tumour stays in one place, does not spread to other parts of the body, and is usually contained within a fibrous capsule. A malignant tumour can spread to other parts of the body through the blood or lymph (metastasis), is not contained by a capsule, and is cancer - it is life-threatening if untreated.
Q4: A study finds that people who eat more ice cream have higher rates of sunburn. Does ice cream cause sunburn? Explain your answer using the terms "correlation" and "causation." (3 marks)
Answer: No, this is a correlation, not causation. Eating ice cream does not cause sunburn. The link is likely due to a confounding factor: both ice cream consumption and sunburn increase during hot, sunny weather. The actual cause of sunburn is UV exposure from the sun, not ice cream. This example shows that correlation does not prove causation.
Q5: Describe two ways in which diseases can interact with each other. Use examples. (4 marks)
Answer: 1) Immune system interactions: HIV weakens the immune system by destroying white blood cells, making the person more vulnerable to other communicable diseases (e.g. tuberculosis) that a healthy immune system would fight off. 2) Physical and mental health interactions: A person with a long-term physical illness (e.g. cancer) is more likely to develop depression. Depression can then affect physical health by causing poor diet, lack of exercise and weakened immune response, creating a cycle of worsening health.
Q6: Explain how obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. (4 marks)
Answer: Obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes because excess body fat causes cells to become resistant to insulin, meaning the body cannot properly control blood sugar levels. The pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to overcome this resistance, leading to type 2 diabetes. Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease because excess body fat raises blood pressure and increases blood cholesterol levels, leading to fatty deposits building up in arteries (atherosclerosis). This narrows the arteries, reducing blood flow to the heart muscle and increasing the risk of heart attacks.
Plenary (5 minutes)
Error Review
Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.
Lesson 4: Exam Practice: b8 health and disease
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Command Words
Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).
Main Content (35 minutes)
Extended Answer
Extended question: Extended Answer 6 marks: Explain the difference between correlation and causation using smoking and lung cancer as an example. <div class="
Correlation means two variables are linked — when one changes, the other changes too. Causation means one variable directly causes the other. A correlation does not prove causation — there could be a confounding factor. In the case of smoking and lung cancer, there is a strong correlation: as smoking rates increase, lung cancer rates increase. However, correlation alone does not prove that smoking causes lung cancer. Scientists established causation through additional evidence: they identified carcinogens in tobacco smoke that directly damage DNA in lung cells; they showed that the more a person smokes, the greater their risk (a dose-response relationship); they found that stopping smoking reduces risk; and they demonstrated the biological mechanism by which carcinogens cause mutations leading to uncontrolled cell division. This combination of epidemiological correlation and biological evidence proves causation, not just correlation. Mark scheme: 1 mark for defining correlation; 1 mark for defining causation; 1 mark for explaining that correlation ≠ causation; 1 mark for the smoking–cancer correlation; 1 mark for additional evidence needed (carcinogens/mechanism); 1 mark for conclu
Exam Tips: The WHO definition of health includes "physical, mental and social wellbeing" - learn all three parts | Never say a risk factor "causes" a disease - say it "increases the risk of" or "is linked to" the disease | For causation vs correlation, always explain that correlation does NOT prove causation and suggest a possible confounding factor | Benign = stays in one place; malignant = spreads (metastasis) - this is the key difference examiners look for | When asked about cancer, mention uncontrolled cell division AND the formation of tumours | For disease interactions, the HIV/immune system example is the most common one on exams | Lifestyle factors are choices you CAN change; genetic and age fa
Common Errors: Watch Out! 1. Wrong: Risk factors always cause the disease Correct: A risk factor increases the probability of a disease — it is a correlation, not necessarily causation 2. Wrong: Non-communicable diseases cannot be prevented Correct: Many non-communicable diseases can be reduced by lifestyle changes — e.g. stopping smoking reduces lung cancer risk, exercise reduces cardiovascular disease risk
AO3 - Reasoning & Interpretation: Analysis and Evaluation A study found that countries with higher chocolate consumption have more Nobel Prize winners per capita. (a) Is this a correlation or causation? Explain. (b) Suggest a confounding factor that could explain this link. Answers: (a) This is a correlation — the data shows a statistical link but does not prove chocolate causes Nobel Prizes. (b) Confounding factor: wealthier countries can afford more chocolate AND have better education/research funding, which leads to more Nobel Prizes. The real driver is national wealth, not chocolate.
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
- Synoptic links: explain how b8 health and disease connects to another Combined Science (Trilogy) topic you have studied
- Real-world: research one real-world use or example of b8 health and disease
- Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in b8 health and disease?"
Plenary (5 minutes)
Assessment Criteria
- Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
- Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
- Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2
Homework & Consolidation
- Consolidation: Re-answer any Lesson 3 practice questions answered incorrectly (20 mins)
- Retrieval: Write flashcards for the key terms: Health (10 mins)
- Exam practice: One past-paper question on b8 health and disease from the board websites (15 mins)
- Extension: Explain b8 health and disease to someone else in your own words (10 mins)