A bonafide Science Teacher (of 13 years), and Head of Year, from Gloucestershire offering tried and tested resources to save you the time and energy when planning. There's no point reinventing the wheel!
Watch out for new resources to help you meet the demands of teaching the Science GCSE and Chemistry A-Level.
A bonafide Science Teacher (of 13 years), and Head of Year, from Gloucestershire offering tried and tested resources to save you the time and energy when planning. There's no point reinventing the wheel!
Watch out for new resources to help you meet the demands of teaching the Science GCSE and Chemistry A-Level.
How many times do we find ourselves trying to show our students how different chemistry equations link together?! Too many. Well here is an excellent, condensed summary of all the Chemistry calculations which involve moles. My students love this sheet (if that’s possible?!) as it brings it all together. This can be used with both Standard tier or Higher Tier students (it does include the Avogadro Constant, which is found in HT).
Equations included are…
Avogadro’s constant/moles/No. of particles
concentration/moles/volume
concentration/mass/volume
moles/mass/relative mass
Molar gas volume/moles/volume
I have also included conversion of dm3 into cm3 plus a couple of extra rules/definitions taken from th specification.
This worksheet has been made using the Edexcel Specification but could absolutely be used against other specifications (including A-Level).
For anyone trying to plan something creative to allow various science skills to be developed. This project/lesson has so much scope. At a push this could be done in a lesson and then perhaps for homework but it would work a lot better if a few of hours of time was given to make a good job of it!
The project would sit nicely anywhere within the year or would make a great end of term activity as it is a completely ‘stand alone’ topic. Perhaps you could use this in a STEM week or during Science week?
This bundle of resources contains powerpoints to guide through the project as well as teacher/technician notes, lesson plans, plus some suspect profiles to work out ‘whodunnit’. I have included a student worksheets to allow them to gather and record data and draw conclusions. Students will need to carry out practical activities as part of this project so only download if you have the capacity to set these up! Students will have to consider how to control various elements of the project/investigation and how to improve accuracy, repeatability, precision etc. They will then need to plot graphs of their results, draw observations from microscopes and carry out chemical food tests before drawing a final conclusion.
I love using this resource! It is fully editable but gives you a resource you can use straight away (you’ll just need to talk to your technicians about making some fake blood, urine and hair and fibre samples…).
This resource is a must have for Electrolysis revision, classwork or homework.
This resource is made up of two worksheets plus answers for both. Students must predict the ions which will be present during an electrolysis of various electrolytes and then decide which ions will be attracted to either electrode. It is supported by a great knowledge organiser which guides students through HOW to predict what will be formed.
Knowledge Organiser (written against the Edexcel Specification but easily applicable to others)r.
I’ve even included worked answers for the worksheets to save you the bother!
(Students may need access to a periodic table and/or a reactivity series which includes hydrogen).
SPEC IT, REVISE IT, TEST IT. If students know EXACTLY WHAT they need to revise (using the specification checklist) it makes for smarter revision. If they can TEST THEMSELVES to measure their understanding - even better!
This resource is a comprehensive but concise knowledge organiser covering Chemical Cells, Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Cells. This knowledge organiser has been made against the Edexcel specification but would easily be applicable to others. The Knowledge Organiser is applicable to students sitting standard or higher tier papers (studying Separate or Combined Science routes).
Each revision point has been written as a typical ‘stock exam answer’.
Who? For you lucky people teaching the new Chemistry/ Combined Science GCSE (2016). Also for those of you requiring a straight forward and simple lesson on Mendeleev and the development of the Periodic Table. This lesson has been made with reference to the new Edexcel Specification but could easily be applied to AQA, OCR etc.
What will you get? This is a whole lesson on one powerpoint. A starter puzzle to get students thinking about ‘sorting’, Learning objectives, worked examples with answers, class tasks with answers (all written in the ‘notes’ section of the powerpoint) and an exam style question to really make sure they have met the learning objectivve. This lesson is ready to go but still offers you flexibility to offer group work or peer teaching style tasks if you wish.
This lesson would also have room for the ‘Alkali Metals’ demonstration to be carried out but if this is not an option then I have embedded videos instead to offer a last minute alternative.
Everything you need is here as powerpoint slides and can be printed as ‘worksheets’ if needed.
A handful of terms relating to weathering which students can match up with their definitions. This activity is not too long and would make a good starter.
A simple starter for students to sort pictures of different products and group them as acids or alkalis.
Students could then be challenged to predict the pH of the products too.
Totally editable if you’re not a fan of cut and stick, this could be done as a simple ‘circle the acids’ etc task.
Who? For you lucky people teaching the new Chemistry/ Combined Science GCSE (2016). Also for those of you requiring a straightforward and simple lesson on atomic number, mass number plus how to use them to calculate numbers of the sub-atomic particles in an atom. This lesson has been made with reference to the new Edexcel Spec.
What? This is a whole lesson on one powerpoint. A starter/ diagnostic to see what your group know about the atom already. Learning objectives, worked examples with answers, class tasks with answers (all written in the ‘notes’ section of the powerpoint). This lesson is ready to go but still offers you flexibility to offer group work or peer teaching style tasks if you wish. Everything you need is here as powerpoint slides can be printed as ‘worksheets’ if needed.
Who? For people teaching the new Chemistry/ Combined Science GCSE (2016). Also for those of you requiring a straight forward and simple lesson on Electronic Configuration of atoms and how this links to the Periodic Table. This lesson has been made with reference to the new Edexcel Specification but could easily be applied to AQA, OCR etc.
What will you get? This is a whole lesson on one powerpoint. A starter task to get students thinking about what the periodic table tells us already, Learning objectives, worked examples with answers, class tasks with answers (all written in the ‘notes’ section of the powerpoint) a worksheet (attached) and an exam style question to really make sure they have met the learning objectives. This lesson is ready to go but still offers you flexibility in terms of delivery.
Everything you need is here as powerpoint slides which can be printed as ‘worksheets’ if needed.
The attached extra worksheet is already in my shop as a separate resource so in effect is a free resource to accompany the lesson.
This is a very simple KS3 Chemistry lesson to introduce the concept of reactivity and the reactivity series of metals.
Resource includes a very self explanatory powerpoint (including a technician list for ordering practical equipment), an introduction to the reactivity series plus a straight forward practical for students to deduce the order of reactivity of 4 metals to help fill in the gaps of the reactivity series they have been given. I have produced a practical hand out with a simple equipment list and method plus a pre-drawn table to help students get started straight away or feel free to get them designing their own if you wish. Finally students will need to write brief conclusions regarding their results and then move on to some higher order prediction making for other metals based on their results.
Download it, open it and it’s ready to go! (The only prep you’ll need to do is ordering your practical kit!)
Who? For all you people teaching the GCSE Chemistry or Combined Science - in particular any topics on atomic structure and electronic configuration.
What? This is a classic loop game which can be used at any point in a lesson. A starter/ diagnostic/ mini-plenary, revision etc
How? This can be printed off twice and the class split into two. Each student has a ‘row’ with an answer/end of sentence and a question/start of new sentence. Compete to see which group can complete their loop first!
Enjoy!
Who? For those teaching the new Chemistry/ Combined Science GCSE (2016). Also for those of you requiring a clear and simple worksheet for your students to complete on the first 20 elements of the periodic table.
What? This worksheet requires students to look up each element (from the top 20) in the periodic table to deduce how many electrons. They will then need to apply the 2, 8, 8 rule and away they go!
A couple of bonus questions at the end… (Answers are on included on the second sheet - all electronic configurations given to save you looking them up!)
Who? For students struggling to remember the difference between Ionic and Covalent bonding. An opportunity to be able to practise spotting whether a chemical is using Ionic or Covalent bonding. Including some simple rules to help remember.
What? A worksheet which can be used as a main activity or as a starter/ revision piece.
This resource has been made with the new GCSE Chemistry Specification (Edexcel) in mind.
Who? For those teaching the new Chemistry/ Combined Science GCSE (2016). Also for those of you requiring a clear and simple worksheet for your students to begin to independently derive simple ionic formulae. This activity will build confidence and reinforce understanding that charges must balance when creating ionic compounds.
What? This worksheet requires students to theoretically bond positive and negative ions together to generate simple formulae. (There is scope to extend this activity and introduce multi-element ions (there is one example in this activity with the OH ion). A selection of possible answers are provided on the second sheet of the resource.
This super resource will challenge your students plus help in preparing them for synoptic style questions. It is an activity which can be run in groups or individually depending on your group. It would make a great competition or equally as an exam style problem.
This will test students knowledge of qualitative tests as well as being able to read and interpret all spectra (HNMR, CNMR, Mass Spectrometry and Infrared Spectroscopy). Students will have to combine their skills to identify four unknowns given only qualitative test results and spectra. They will need to deduce the structure and name of the four unknowns with no help from you!
A full set of instructions plus all the answers/ solutions are included too, so you really don’t have to do ANY of the work!
This activity is tried and tested and well received! IT has been designed with the Edexcel Specification in mind but will apply to others. Enjoy! (Reviews welcome as I’d love to hear what your students thought).
Who? For you lucky people teaching the new Chemistry/ Combined Science GCSE (2016). Also for those of you requiring a straightforward and simple lesson on structure of the atom and how ideas on this have changed over time. Good bit of higher order thinking involved at points too with some nice evaluation of atomic models. This lesson has been made with reference to the new Edexcel Spec.
What? This is a whole lesson on one powerpoint. A starter/ diagnostic to see what your group know about the atom already. Learning objectives, worked examples with answers, class tasks with answers (differentiated up to challenge your more able), exam style challenge with with answers (all written in the ‘notes’ section of the powerpoint. This lesson is ready to go but still offers you flexibility to offer group work or peer teaching style tasks if you wish. Everything you need is here as powerpoint slides can be printed as ‘worksheets’ if needed.
Enjoy!
A 141 (!!!) slide powerpoint delivered as a Big Quiz covering TOPIC 1 content of the Edexcel Specification (though this can easily be used against other specifications). Topic 1 is split into sub-topics and so there are 6 rounds in total.
Round 1 - Atomic Structure
Round 2 - Periodic Table
Round 3 - Ionic Bonding
Round 4 - Covalent Bonding
Round 5 - Types of Substance
Round 6 - Calculations involving mass
Each question has been written using the specification and answers generated against mark schemes from exams.
Following each round of questions come a round of answers so students can peer mark or you can. Though one massive quiz, this resource could easily be used as a whole lesson, starters, to formatively assess after revision sessions - whatever you like!
Keep your eyes peeled for TOPIC 2 onwards…
A simple resource/worksheet to get students thinking about real life fire scenarios and how most appropriately to break the fire triangle to extinguish the fire.
Students are given four different fire scenarios. For each they need to draw the type of fire and then decide upon the best way of extinguishing it and then explain why.
A full lesson via a powerpoint presentation on the structure of the Earth.
This resource is ready to open up and teach or could easily be edited should you wish. Resources needed may simply require you to print off a couple of slides (of your choice) as work sheets although there is no need. There is also a scale drawing task which could be completed on graph paper of simply printed off directly from the powerpoint.
This lesson also includes… starter task/diagnostic, opportunity for class discussion/questioning or paired/group work/ a match them up task so all students will have key information about the structure of the Earth, and extended creative writing task and a plenary quiz. There are also clear lesson objectives (linking to the SOLO taxonomy if you are familiar with it (although this can easily be deleted if not - my current school is using it as a learning framework).
An amazing 3/4 lessons worth (depending on your group) of GCSE Chemistry/Combined Science resources.
Includes…
whole lesson powerpoints (each including starters, lesson objectives, class tasks with answers, and questions with answers written against the Edexcel Specification).
Bonus resources are…
a great knowledge organiser for students to keep in their notes (again written against the Edexcel Specification but easily applicable to AQA or OCR)
an Atomic Structure class loop game. Great for revision or at any point during this series of lessons.
This bundle will save you A LOT of planning time and result in some well resourced and easy to deliver lessons.
Enjoy!
