This is a fully-resourced lesson that has been written for GCSE students and focuses on the meaning of the term, potential difference, and guides students through using this factor in calculations. A range of student-led tasks will challenge the students to recognise how a voltmeter needs to be set up to measure the potential difference and then gets them to use the readings to calculate other factors. Their mathematical skills will be tested throughout and students will be asked to analyse their answers and study a series circuit to learn the key rule about potential difference in these types of circuits. Progress checks have been written into the lesson at regular intervals so students are constantly assessing their understanding.

This is a fun and engaging lesson that uses a range of quick competitions and tasks to ensure that the students recognisethe electrical symbols for the essential components and can describe the functions for each of these. Competitions such as SNAP and SAY WHAT YOU SEE will introduce the students to the components and their symbols. This lesson has been written for GCSE students and looks to build on what they should know from KS3 - however, it could be used with higher ability students at that level.

This is an engaging and informative lesson that looks at the wires inside a UK plug and considers their role in terms of the supply of mains electricity. The safety features of the plug, such as the fuse, are also discussed so that students can understand how a particular fuse is chosen. As the cover image shows, the lesson begins by challenging the students to use their knowledge of all three of the Sciences to come up with the three names of the wires. Some students will know that these are the wires in a UK plug but some wont. Key terminology such as three-core cable is used throughout, as well as a running theme with the colours, so that students become accustomed to identifying a particular wire by its plastic insulation. Through a range of tasks which encourage student discovery and educated predictions, the students will learn the functions of each of the wires as well as their potential difference. The fuse is introduced to the students and links are made to the electrical circuits topic by considering the resistance of the wire inside the fuse and challenging them to use the electrical power equation to calculate a current and choose an appropriate fuse for that plug. The aim of the lesson is to get students to absorb information as the lesson progresses in order to eventually label a black and white diagram of the plug. The last part of the lesson looks at two-core cables and then relates this back to the importance of the earth wire in a UK plug. This lesson has been written for GCSE aged students but is suitable for use with younger students who are learning about this topic.

This is a fully-resourced lesson that looks at the different parts of the National Grid, specifically focusing on the roles of the step-up and step-down transformers. The lesson includes an informative lesson presentation (25 slides) and a calculations worksheet which challenges the students to apply their mathematical skills to work out why the potential difference is increased and decreased by the transformers. Time has been taken to make links to related topics such as electrical circuits as well as the conservation of energy. Students will recognise that a high current would have led to a lot energy being dissipated to a thermal energy store if step-up transformers weren’t involved and also that decreasing the potential difference before it enters the homes as mains electricity is important to reduce the risk of electrocution. A number of quick competitions are used to introduce key terms or to check on understanding such as ORDER, ORDER which is shown on the cover image where students have to recognise when the parts of the National Grid are finally shown in the correct order. This lesson has been designed for GCSE aged students.

This is a fully-resourced lesson that looks at the reflection of light waves and uses a series of practical based tasks to discover the rules of reflection as well as introducing the critical angle. In addition, students will encounter how total internal reflection can be used in medicine in endoscopy and will be challenged to carry out a task where they act as a doctor to explain to a patient how the procedure works. The lesson contains a variety of tasks, progress checks to check on understanding and a few quick competitions, which introduce key terms. For example, the cover image shows one of these competitions called REFLECT THE WORD where students have to work out the key term - the normal in this case. The understanding of key terminology such as the normal is important so that students can construct ray diagrams in this lesson and in associated topics such as refraction. This lesson has been designed for GCSE aged students but could be used with younger students who are looking to go into this topic in greater depth than perhaps would normally be encountered at their level

This is a fully-resourced lesson that uses a variety of tasks and quick competitions to look at what happens to sound waves when they hit a boundary and how these properties are utilised for numerous functions and appliances. This lesson includes an engaging and informative lesson presentation (32 slides) and a worksheet which is differentiated two ways to enable students who are finding the topic difficult a chance to access the learning. The lesson begins by looking at how sound waves can be reflected and how this is commonly known as an echo. Students are challenged to use a provided equation to calculate a distance by using the time that the echo of a shout takes to be heard in the Grand Canyon. Moving forwards, students will see how this idea of reflection can be used with ultrasound in the imaging of the foetus. At this stage, as the cover image shows, students are challenged to complete a doctor’s letter to an expectant mother who is concerned about the ultrasound procedure. Assistance is given in the form of a differentiated worksheet for those who find it difficult. Moving forwards, students will learn that sound waves can be refracted at a boundary, just as light waves can. Working with the teacher, they will use key terms to build up an exemplar definition to explain how this refraction occurs. This lesson has been designed for GCSE aged students.

This is a detailed lesson which looks at the topic of reaction times and guides students through calculating a reaction time using the results of the well known ruler-drop test. In addition, students will see how reaction times can be applied in athletics but also in the calculation of the thinking distance for drivers. The lesson includes an engaging lesson presentation (32 slides) and a student task worksheet. The lesson begins by introducing the key term, reaction time, and teaching students that the average reaction time is 0.2 seconds. Moving forwards, a step by step guide is used to show the students how to take the value for distance travelled by a ruler in the drop test and use the equations of motion and change in velocity equation to calculate the reaction time. There is a large mathematical element to the lesson which challenges the students ability to rearrange formula, convert between units and leave answers to a specified number of significant figures. The answers and methods in obtaining these are always displayed at the end of each task so that the students can assess their understanding and recognise where errors were made if any were. Students will have to follow the provided method to obtain 5 results in the ruler drop test and ultimately find out their own reaction time. The remainder of the lesson looks at how the thinking distance at different speeds can be calculated. This lesson has been written for GCSE students due to the high maths content but could be used with younger students of high ability.

This is a fully-resourced lesson that looks at the role of transformers in the National Grid, explains why they increase or decrease potential difference and then uses the given equation to calculate potential difference or the number of turns on the primary or secondary coil. This lesson includes an informative lesson presentation (25 slides) and two question worksheets. The lesson begins by introducing the devices that are transformers and showing the students that there are two types, step-up and step-down. Students will learn that step-up transformers increase the potential difference and step-down transformers decrease the potential difference. Moving forwards, a series of calculations are used to get the students to understand why these changes in potential difference occur. Students are guided through this section so that they are able to complete a summary passage about the roles of these devices. They will then be shown the equation connecting potential difference and number of turns which they do not need to recall but have to apply. Again, a worked example is used to visualise how workings should be set out before students are challenged to answer two sets of questions, the second of which involves the use of a second equation. Progress checks like these are found at regular intervals throughout the lesson so that students can assess their understanding. This lesson has been written for GCSE students

This is a fully-resourced revision lesson that uses a combination of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to enable students to assess their understanding of the content found within topic 5 (Waves in matter) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Physics specification. The sub-topics and specification points that are tested within the lesson include: Recall and apply the equation to calculate wave speed using frequency and wavelength Describe wave motion in terms of amplitude, frequency, wavelength and period Define wavelength and frequency and be able to describe and apply the relationship between these and the wave velocity Describe differences between transverse and longitudinal waves Describe reflection and transmission of waves at material interface Understand how waves are used in ultrasound and SONAR Be able to describe how a ripple tank can be used to measure the speed of a wave The electromagnetic spectrum Use ray diagrams to show refraction This revision lesson has been designed to include the wide variety of mathematical skills that are tested in the Physics exam papers including rearranging formula, converting to S.I. units and calculating using standard form. Students will be engaged through the numerous quiz rounds whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which require their further attention during general revision or during the lead up to the actual GCSE terminal exams