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.
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 people teaching the new Chemistry/ Combined Science GCSE (2016). Also for those of you requiring a straight forward and simple lesson on defining moles, calculating masses using number of moles and calculating number of moles using masses. 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 relative mass (assuming calculation of relative mass has already been taught - if not, check out my shop and find a full lesson there!), Learning objectives, class tasks with answers (all written in the ‘notes’ section of the powerpoint) and a plenary quiz 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. LOTS of questions included for LOTS of practice.
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’.
A great knowledge organiser all boiled down to one sheet.
My revision methods are quite simple in my lessons - 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 the tough put essential Chemistry Calculations plus some great examples of model calculation answers. This knowledge organiser has been made against the Edexcel specification but would easily be applicable to others. Each revision point has been written in accordance with the specification section to help students translate the specification points. The Knowledge Organiser is applicable to students sitting standard or higher tier papers.
Calculations included are…
calculating concentrations (in g/dm3 and mol/dm3)
calculating unknown concentrations using titration data
gas volume calculations starting with mass of a reactant
gas molar volume ratios
A lesson for early on in the Organic Chemistry topic of A-Level Chemistry, introducing the idea of functional groups and homologous series. Students will carry out an independent task to find out the functional groups from a given list plus the general formula and homologous series they belong to.
I have also included an exam question to assess understanding at the end of the lesson or to set as a homework for lesson follow up (answer included).
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.
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).
A set of cards which just need printing and snipping to provide a nice card sort activity.
Once the pros and cons have been sorted, this task could then be extended by asking students to rank effectiveness of the resource or perhaps rank how useful they might be if installed in the UK.
A great resource with lots of scope to be creative! (I’ve just saved you the time of creating all the cards!!)
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.
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 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.
Who? For those who are teaching GCSE Physics ‘Motion’, specifically ‘Stopping Distances’. This is a card sort for students to decide which factors fall into the ‘thinking distance’ pile and which the ‘braking distance’ pile.
What? This is a grid of different factors which students may discuss and decide whether they affect the thinking or braking (or both) distance of a vehicle. There will be plenty of opportunity to debate which are worse. This activity is flexible enough to become a ‘diamond 9’ type activity too.
How? Cards can be cut out and arranged or colour coded.
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!
This resource consists of various fact sheets summarising methods to help with the prevention of the spread of disease. It is accompanied by a table which students can use to organise and present the key information gathered. This task could be run as a ‘circus’ whereby students visit various stations to gather information. It could also used as a marketplace type activity during which pairs/groups of students are given one of the topics and need to orchestrate a 2 minute ‘teach back’ on their topic to the rest of the group.
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 great and simple revision game/resource which could be used anywhere within the cells, tissues and organs topic. The resource has a class set of questions which can be used to play switch-switch. Each student has a card (these will need to be printed off and cut up), asks another student the question on their card and waits for their response. If they’re correct brilliant, if not then the correct answer is shared. The other student then reciprocates and then the cards are swapped. In theory, if this activity runs for a few minutes, most students will see most of the cards.
A blank copy of the questions (no answers) could then be printed off and given out to see how many answers the students remember OR, a girls vs boys class competition could be set up.
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.
Key terms and definitions which could be made into…
card sort
match 'em up activity
cut and stick activity
etc.
Includes some diagrams too. Fully editable and aimed at KS3.
This is a simple and versatile resource which could be used in a number of ways! Resource consists of two documents containing ‘patient’ statements, detailing a list of symptoms for a disease plus a matching ‘doctor’ statement to diagnose the disease. This resource could be used as a…
'match ‘em up’
Loop game
Memory game
role play
…etc.
Statements are in Word and so editable.