I am a secondary science teacher from Plymouth, United Kingdom. I have a passion for designing interactive, engaging and well scaffolded resources that are inclusive for all pupils. I teach all years, from years 7-13. I teach KS3 Activate (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy (Biology and Chemistry), AQA GCSE Biology, AQA GCSE Chemistry, and A Level Biology (OCR A).
I am a secondary science teacher from Plymouth, United Kingdom. I have a passion for designing interactive, engaging and well scaffolded resources that are inclusive for all pupils. I teach all years, from years 7-13. I teach KS3 Activate (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy (Biology and Chemistry), AQA GCSE Biology, AQA GCSE Chemistry, and A Level Biology (OCR A).
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum.
This lesson is focused on “flowers and pollination”.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Label the reproductive organs in a flower
Identify which parts of a flower are male or female
Describe the function of each of the reproductive organs in a flower
Describe the adaptations of wind-pollinated and insect-pollinated flowers
Compare the structures of wind-pollinated and insect-pollinated flowers
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This is a full 1 hour lesson resource designed for a mid-ability year 9 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification.
This class were at the end of the “Quantitative Chemistry” topic, on the spec point “chemical measurements”.
However, this should be suitable for any GCSE class studying errors and uncertainty.
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
Recall the terms systematic error, random error, zero error and parallax error and explain what they mean
Identify which type of error is shown from an example
Know what ‘uncertainty’ means
Calculate uncertainty from a range of results about a mean
This lesson is designed to be teachable by a non subject specialist, with all answers and content on the slides. The intention of each slide is made very clear.
This lesson contains a range of concrete examples, including a model where students will need to use stopwatches.
The mathematical section of this lesson is presented in an “I do, we do, you do” manner with scaffolded examples.
Exam questions are included with mark schemes, and plenty of AFL is planned and included.
This lesson includes a printable worksheet, with answers.
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A color-coded worksheet to help students work through word equations for neutralisation reactions.
Really useful to help lower ability or KS3 classes visualise where the products of neutralisation reactions come from.
Includes a worked example and answer key.
A full 1 hour lesson designed for a mixed ability year 7 class.
This is the 3rd lesson in “Chapter 1 - Particles and their behaviour” from Activate 1, Chemistry.
This lesson is on ‘density’ from pages 82 and 83.
This lesson should be suitable to teach to any KS3 Chemistry class, even by those where chemistry is not their specialism.
This lesson (and all lessons in this unit) is designed to be interactive and engaging, with plenty of real world examples and independent tasks.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Explain what is meant by the terms ‘density’, ‘mass’ and ‘volume’
Explain why some solids have different densities
Explain why the same substance has different densities in different states
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A full 1 hour lesson designed for a mixed ability year 8 class.
This is the 9th lesson in “Chapter 1 - Electricity and Magnetism” from Activate 2, Physics.
This lesson should be suitable to teach to any KS3 Physics class, even by those where physics is not their specialism.
This lesson contains a class practical where students investigate the effect that increasing the potential difference on a power pack has on the number of paperclips that can be picked up by a simple electromagnet.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Describe the magnetic field around a single wire with current flowing through it
Describe how to make an electromagnet
Describe how to increase the strength of an electromagnet
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A full hour lesson designed for year 7 as part of an ‘introduction to science’ unit, teaching key science skills to new students in KS3.
This full hour lesson resource contains:
A ‘5 in 5’ style retrieval starter recapping key concepts from primary school, lab safety, and scientific apparatus
A retrieval practice slide checking students’ prior knowledge on reading scales (measuring cylinders, thermometers) - includes an answer slide
A health and safety slide
Practical activity making measurements of volume, temperature, length and mass - with printout of method and results tables
A written plenary task
A colour coded worksheet with ramped questions designed to teach students to independently write word equations for reactions between a metal and oxygen.
Designed for a KS3 lower ability class, but could be suitable the whole way up to year 11.
Contains an example and 12 questions for students to attempt.
Contains answers.
This is a 1 hour lesson resource designed for a lower ability year 11 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science Biology topic ‘Homeostasis’.
This lesson focuses on the structure of the nervous system:
Nerves vs. neurones
The function of a neurone
Central nervous system and peripheral nervous system
Labelling a neurone
Stimulus, receptor, effector, response
My lesson resources are always designed to contain the following:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This is a 1 hour lesson resource designed for a mixed ability year 11 class studying the AQA GCSE Biology topic ‘Homeostasis’.
This lesson focuses on thermoregulation, and the mechanisms of controlling body temperature by homeostasis.
My lesson resources always contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
From topic 2.1.4 Enzymes, spec point:
c) the effects of pH, temperature, enzyme concentration and substrate concentration on enzyme activity
My lesson resources always contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
From topic 2.1.4 Enzymes, spec points:
a) the role of enzymes in catalysing reactions that affect metabolism at a cellular and whole organism level
b) the role of enzymes in catalysing both intracellular and extracellular reactions, with catalase and amylase as examples
My lesson resources always contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This is a 1 hour lesson resource designed for a mid-ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science curriculum. They were studying the topic on the digestive system and enzymes.
This lesson focuses on the function of the liver.
In this lesson, students will practice:
Labelling the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, bile duct
Describing the functions of the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, bile duct
Describing the role of the bile in terms of neutralising stomach acid and emulsifying lipids
My lesson resources always contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A complete topic, containing six full 1-hour lessons based on the OCR A Biology specification.
These lessons cover the unit 2.1.4 Enzymes (not the PAGs, only theory lessons).
The lessons should be delivered in this order:
Role of enzymes
Mechanism of enzyme action
Effect of temperature / pH on enzyme activity
Effect of substrate concentration on enzyme activity
Coenzymes, cofactors and inhibitors
End-product-inhibition
All of the lesson resources in this bundle contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
An entire unit designed for a mixed ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Chemistry topic of Electrolysis.
This unit contains the following:
Full 1 hour lesson introducing the process of electrolysis
Full 1 hour lesson on electrolysis of molten ionic compounds (predicting the product at each electrode)
Full 1 hour lesson on electrolysis of aqueous solutions (predicting the product at each electrode)
Full 1 hour lesson on extracting aluminium using electrolysis
Full1 hour lesson guiding the required practical on electrolysis, with worksheet provided
Full 1 hour lesson on writing half equations for electrolysis
Revision placemat for students to complete on electrolysis
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum.
This lesson is focused on specialised animal cells.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Identify four specialised animal cells from diagrams (red blood cell, sperm cell, egg cell, nerve cell)
Describe the function of four specialised animal cells (red blood cell, sperm cell, egg cell, nerve cell)
Describe the basic adaptations of two specialised animal cells, and link their adaptations to their functions (red blood cell and sperm cell)
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum.
This lesson is focused on using a light microscope.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Label a light microscope (eyepiece lens, objective lenses, fine focus knob, coarse focus knob, stage)
Use a light microscope to view prepared slides
Describe how to increase the resolution and magnification of an image using a light microscope
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum.
This lesson is focused on specialised plant cells.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Identify two specialised plant cells from diagrams (root hair cell and palisade / leaf cell)
Describe the function of two specialised plant cells (root hair cell and palisade / leaf cell)
Describe the basic adaptations of two specialised plant cells, and link their adaptations to their functions (root hair cell and palisade / leaf cell)
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum.
This lesson is focused on the structure of plant cells.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Label a plant cell (cell membrane, cytoplasm, mitochondria, nucleus, cell wall, chloroplast, permanent vacuole)
Describe the function of each of the above organelles
All of my lessons contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum.
This lesson is focused on the structure of animal cells.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Label an animal cell (cell membrane, cytoplasm, mitochondria, nucleus)
Describe the function of each of the above organelles
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum.
This lesson is focused on unicellular organisms.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Name two unicellular organisms (amoeba and euglena)
Describe the basic structures found in unicellular organisms (amoeba and euglena) and their functions
Compare the structures of euglena to the structures found in animal cells and plant cells
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task