I am a Science and Chemistry teacher focused on Cambridge IGCSE and AS/A. I am also heavily involved in the National Chemistry Olympiad program.
By way of background I have a PhD in inorganic chemistry and entered teaching after 13 years in the food industry.
I guess I am a bit old fashioned - I don't use twitter and I have no idea what instagram or Pinterest are......but I love my subject and I love working with students.
I am a Science and Chemistry teacher focused on Cambridge IGCSE and AS/A. I am also heavily involved in the National Chemistry Olympiad program.
By way of background I have a PhD in inorganic chemistry and entered teaching after 13 years in the food industry.
I guess I am a bit old fashioned - I don't use twitter and I have no idea what instagram or Pinterest are......but I love my subject and I love working with students.
This resource consists of some general REDOX notes, which outline how to balance REDOX equations and 2 double sided worksheets (and answers).
The exercises include oxidation number elucidation, balancing half equations and balancing full equations.
This resource would suit A2 students. It contains 4 pages of problems, which can either be printed on both sides and made into an 4-page booklet or used as two separate 2-page problem sheets.
The problems focus on the assignment of signals to the different hydrogen environments in 2-5 carbon organic aliphatic molecules. Some problems ask the student to distinguish between isomers based on the number and type of signals. The start of the worksheet asks students to decide how many signals they can expect based on symmetry arguments. In all cases students are asked to justify their assignments.
Other worksheets are currently being developed that will include aromatic systems and problems based on the combination of IR, Mass spec, 1H and 13C NMR spectra. If you find any mistakes please give me feedback and I will address and send you an updated version.
This resource consists of 3 worksheets: a 4-page and two 2-page worksheets (and answers). Students are asked to complete reaction schemes, draw and/or name molecules and short answer questions. The focus is on amides, esters and some of their organic reactions.
This resource would suit students doing AS, IB or organic chemistry to a high level.
This is the perfect topic to end the year on. It is fun and the students don't even realise there is a serious aspect to it: healthy eating, analysing food etc. You can adjust the depth and type of learning outcomes depending on the age group (eg. if it is an older group I always include a section on microbiology and we swab surfaces and check for cleanliness, learn about how factories manage food safety etc).
This topic encourages student-led learning and there is considerable enthusiasm in the classroom. You do not need to have an ice cream machine, although I did and there is often someone in the class who does have one). I have written up a rough guide on how the 1-2 weeks would go but I found that the students really enjoyed their own research and in some years this took longer than I originally had planned for.
This resource includes: notes for teacher, a base ice cream recipe, ice cream in a bag activity, taste testing template, energy calculation activity and some other ideas (eg poster design).
It is a lot of fun and will save you that painful end of year "now what do we do"?
This resources contains 5 pages of problems (2 double-sided wrk sheets) that include
* Alkanes: name and / or draw isomers
* Alkenes: naming and/or draw isomers, organic transformations and geometric isomer problems. In the latter case students are asked to work out how many isomers are possible for a compound with multiple double bonds).
This worksheets will suit students studying for AS or IB organic chemistry. they can be sued as 2 sided w/s or as separate w/s as starters. Answers are provided.
This resource consists of 4 worksheets (some double sided) and answers.
* The first two are starter activities and take about 10-15 minutes to complete.
* The elements-compounds-molecules and mixtures worksheet has a variety of exercises.
* The states of matter worksheet largely focuses on a number of short answer questions based on every day scenarios. There are also some diagrams to complete.
The resources target students who are in year 8-10 (13-15 years old) depending on curriculum.
This resource consists of 4 work sheets and answers. It would suit students aged 14-16 learning to balance word and symbol equations.
WS1 contains 20 word and symbol equations involving the reaction of metals with oxygen, chlorine, water or an acid.
WS2 contains 20 word and symbol equations involving reactions between metal salts (carbonates, hydroxides and oxides) and acids
WS3 requires the students to complete acid base word and symbol equations
WS4 requires symbol equations for reactions with metals.
Some of these resources appear elsewhere.
This test comprises about 45 marks worth of short answer questions (with answers).
The focus is on the periodic table, electron configuration, balancing simple word and symbol, equations, universal indicator colors and a few questions concerning the electrolysis of NaCl.
With all the best intentions in the world, mistakes do get made. Please tell me if there is an error and I will correct it and organise to send you a corrected copy.
There are 2 worksheets (and answers) as well as notes and worked examples (ws2). The resources would suit students aged about 14-17 years old depending on the course. WS2 is for more advanced students.
WS1 has 2 pages of questions where the student has to choose whether a reaction is either endothermic or exothermic, draw and label an energy profile. There are also some simple calculations to determine the amount of energy given off from a known mass of an organic compound.
WS2 contains notes, worked examples and 10 problems (and answers) focused on the equation Using q = mCΔT and Hess's law. The problems will be useful for students enrolled in Honors, AP or those who would like to sit the National Chemistry Olympiad competition. The problems are of straight forward to moderate difficulty.
With all the best intentions in the world, mistakes do get made. Please tell me if there is an error and I will correct it and organise to send you a corrected copy.
Key words: Hess's law, thermochemistry, enthalpy, heat, thermodynamics, calculations.
This resource contains 9 pages of detailed notes and worked examples as well as a 2 2-page worksheets that contains some straight forward to difficult (using a quadratic equation) pH calculations.
The detailed notes work though a variety of scenarios and some of the associated misconceptions. The notes would be useful for both new chemistry teachers and students.
The problems will be suitable for A level students or those wanting to trial for the National Chemistry Olympiad competition. Other problem worksheets re also available at Drogchem.
With all the best intentions in the world, mistakes do get made. Please tell me if there is an error and I will correct it and organise to send you a corrected copy.
Key words: buffer, acid, base, acidity constant, pH calculations.
This bundle has been updated (29 Sept 16) to include:
* a 13C nmr spectra assignment worksheet (14 spectra; 5 pages long) and answers to help prepare for the spectroscopy test (see below).
* a 1 hour 8-page test (or work sheet). There are 3 questions built up of multiple parts. Each requires the student to use information from Infra Red, Mass Spectrometry and C-13 NMR spectra to elucidate the different compounds. Answers are included.
Students are expected to give evidence to support their assignments.
This test would be useful for A-level students.
Note: This mark scheme is specific to the NZ National examination program and involves some holistic marking and grading rather than /100. The test takes about 1 hr and the focus is on the student being able to write full answers and justify their assignments. It is important that the user adjust this resource to fit with their own national assessment. Over the coming months further tests/work sheet versions will be developed, which will allow users to cut and match questions or be longer to meet end-user needs. The 3rd document consists only of answers (cf. the 2nd where the answers are built into the test/work sheet).
These activities were developed to help native Chinese students learn the English words for the elements of the periodic table. Our lessons are slower than in the typical timetabled class. I found that these worksheets helped the students gain confidence in the spoken and written word as well as learn about the periodic table. Over a 2 week period and many practical activities there was a significant increase in their communication and general engagement in the classroom.
This resource bundle includes a funworder where the student must find the element (and atomic number) based on the Chinese word; two worksheets which require the student to fill in the English word or the Chinese word and a cross word puzzle. Answers are included.
I am not a native Chinese speaker but have had the resources checked by a native speaking Chinese student. If there are any errors please get in touch and I will make the appropriate changes. I would also like feedback as I have a series of resources I will be publishing in the coming weeks. Your feedback will help direct my focus.
This worksheet has bond enthalpy and lattice energy calculations and would be suitable for A level students.
Key words: Hess’s law, bond enthalpy, Lattice energy, calculations.
This resource consists of 7 worksheets made largely of diagrams that require labeling (heart, lungs, endocrine, digestive and the eye), some questions that require short answers and a cross word.
This is that resource you struggle to find: some diagrams that can be labelled and then some questions to follow.
This resource would suit a range of students depending on the national curricula (eg. IGCSE).
This experiment gets students to compare pH titration data collected using different indicators. It shows the importance of choosing the correct indicator.
The experiment(s) are easily carried out in 50 minutes and students can do up to 8 titrations during the class. Data is reported back to the teacher and the results shared with the wider class.
Student feedback suggests this is a very useful practical and the repetitive nature of the experiment allows them to fine-tune their experimental skills.
The practical will be useful for those studying acid-base chemistry and buffer systems. Students enrolled in AS-A2 Cambridge or A level courses would find this practical beneficial.
Notes for the teacher are also included
Key words: buffer, acid-base, equivalence point, buffer zone, practical, pKa, indicators.
This resource consists of 8 worksheets (and answers) that focus on the key words that are used when describing plants: cells, leaves and flowers. There are two versions of each resource requiring either a Chinese word or an English word (usually 1-2 pages of words). There are also resources that require the student to label the diagram using English words.
The feedback from the classroom has been very positive and the resources are being reviewed for use in other schools.
If there are specific topics you would like please tell me as a number of other resources are currently under development and review.
This resource consists of 5 pages of terms and expressions in Chinese and English that relate to the human body. Separate version require filling in the Chinese or the English word.
Additional resources (and answers) specific to the heart, lungs, digestion, the hormone system such as as cross word puzzles, cloze style activities, diagram labeling are also given.
Although these resources have been checked by a native Chinese speaker mistakes do happen. Please get back to me if you find an error. The feedback from my international class has been positive and these notes help the students.
This resource will be useful for older Chinese students who have started an English speaking physics program. The material would suit students at AS or A level.
The resource includes 3 pages of key radioactivity words in both Chinese and English. These have been created into worksheets where the student puts in either the correct English or Chinese word. Room is made for the student to also write down definitions.
One worksheet asks the student to fill in the blanks for a list of words but it is also designed for them to read silently, aloud (eg in pairs or in front of the class). There is also a 15 minute starter focused on sub atomic particles.
This resource contains a number of worksheets and activities that will help Korean students learn Chemistry in an English school environment. It includes:
* 3 page dictionary of key English chemistry science words (both Korean and English). Parts of this list have been broken down into smaller themed lists to act as worksheets for the students (eg periodic table; acids and bases).
* A Korean period table
* Metals/non metals worksheets (with pictures to describe properties and a practical activity)
* Equipment worksheet
* A funworder requiring the student to find the English element
* Some cloze style activities
* A crossword and other starters.
Instruction sentences are also included.
These resources have been used for 12 months and adjusted based on feedback from the students. Please leave feedback on how they can be improved or if you find any mistakes.
This resource consists of 4 problems in which the student has to work out the % of different compounds in a mixture.
They are challenging and would suit mathematically strong students who are enrolled in Honors, AP or who want to compete in the National Chemistry Olympiad competition.