Here’s a guided worksheet to help mid-lower ability students with calculating Rf values for the chromatography practical.
It can be a good idea to use this sheet whilst students are waiting for their results to develop during the practical or can be a stand alone worksheet.
Here’s a lesson I use to introduce students to the theory of neutralisation and also the method used to make soluble salts.
The lesson involves the following learning stages:
Linked starter questions & answers
Theory of naming salts
Task on naming salts (+ extension task)
Video link covering the method of making soluble salts
Practice exam question & markscheme
This lesson pairs well with my practical worksheet: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/making-soluble-salts-rp-9-1-aqa-12608889
Here’s complete lesson on the electrolysis of aqueous solutions. It fits in well with the AQA required practical and includes the following:
Retrieval questions & answers
Key terms activity with answers
Think/Pair/Share task
Worked example on the outcomes of aqueous solutions
Practical looking at four aqueous solutions
Mini whiteboard check plenary
This lesson works well when combined with my Electrolysis RP worksheet: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/electrolysis-rp-aqa-9-1-12623495
Teaching students to predict and explain the outcome of a change to a system at equilibrium is always tricky. So here’s a helpsheet that I use with students to guide them through the process.
The double sided sheet includes:
Step-by-Step guides to determining answers.
Model answers
A tool to visualise the change to the system
Explanations of changes to temperature, pressure & concentration.
Here’s a lesson that acts as a suitable introduction to titrations. The lesson covers:
Titration method
Equipment
End points
Indicators
Method for a practical
Follow up questions for the practical
The lesson is based around an RSC practical and provides several opportunities for think-pair-share work or targeted questioning.
Feedback is always appreciated!
This worksheet is made to guide students through a practical that makes soluble Copper sulfate salts from Copper oxide & Sulfuric acid.
This is designed for a lower ability group and includes key concepts that link with the AQA Trilogy Specification.
Here’s complete lesson that introduces students to the key details of reversible reactions. It fits in well with the AQA curriculum and also covers the hydration of anhydrous copper sulfate as an example.
Retrieval questions & answers
Key terms activity with answers
Detailed explanation of reversible reaction
Mini whiteboard check of key principles
Case study and questions
Exam question plenary
Feedback is always appreciated :)
This helpsheet can be used to support KS3 or KS4 scientists in setting up and completing a lab report for an investigation. It contains guidance to each key part of a lab report and allows students to mark these off as they go along!
The resource helps students with the following steps:
Introduction
Aim
Hypothesis
Method
Tables for results
Graphs for results
Discussion & Conclusion
Students always find predicting the products of electrolysis with aqueous solutions quite tricky - so I made this helpsheet to support my students until they were able to remember the rules themselves!
Here’s an interactive resource that helps students to get to grips with the key differences and similarities between the Group 1 elements.
The task allows students to research and compile information on Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Rubidium & Caesium. They can use this information to play against each other by comparing the boiling points, mass numbers, atomic numbers, reactivity and electron configuration of each element.
The resource includes instructions and also extension questions for students that finish early.
Here are some mind maps to help prepare students for their Chemistry Paper 1 exam. The key points are based on the specified content released by AQA, so all topics are relevant to the 2022 exam.
Each topic has statements to guide students in their writing and also have some visual prompts littered throughout. Higher content has been identified.
These are best used when printed as A3 sheets so that students can add as much detail as possible. Included are a set of mind maps for separate chemistry students and a set for combined science students.
Here’s a worksheet that can be used as an introduction or summary to the ‘Factors affecting rates of reaction ’ required practical for combined or separate Chemistry courses. This resource is designed for the AQA 9-1 GCSE but is also compatible with other courses.
The sheet includes sections on:
Background information on factors affecting reaction rates.
Key definitions needed for high mark answers.
Balancing equation & State symbol practice
Extended writing question on method design.
The resource also has QR codes that can be scanned to take students to useful web pages or videos that will help them with the sheet.
Answers are also included as a separate sheet.
Here’s a boomark that can be given to students at the start of each year to help them with their unit conversions.
It’s a quick and easy way to help students to get used to looking for unit conversions in exam questions & also getting them used to quick conversions.
The boomark covers:
Units of length & distance
Units of volume
Units of mass
Here’s an activity that can be used to summarise the names and differences between Alkanes & Alkenes. This works well as a lesson activity or as a revision activity.
Students should cut out each domino.
Rearrange them so that the end of one leads into the start of another.
Check their answers with you (answer sheet included in the resource)
Stick the correct order into their book.
Each domino also has a number on it so that a correct sequence can be written down, a process that doesn’t involve any cutting or sticking. This is useful approach for students that prioritise cutting/sticking over the actual activity.
Here’s a worksheet that can be used as an introduction or summary to the Energy changes required practical for combined or separate chemistry courses.
The sheet covers:
Background informationn
Key terms
Energy level diagrams
The method
Exam style questions
The resource also has QR codes that can be scanned to take students to useful webpages or videos that will help them with the sheet.
The tests and results for identifying Cations (and later Anions) are one of the hardest topics for students to remember - partly because there are so many different results! I find that the more practice students get the better.
Here’s a resource that can be used when learning or revising the tests, symbols and results. There are three different worksheets included to help differentiate with your classes. I’ve also added in some extension questions based on previous exam questions from AQA. There’s an additional sheet with the correct tests to support teachers that may be teaching out of specialism.
Feedback is always appreciated!
Here’s a really useful summary resource that can be used to help students learn the tests for different ions and also the positive results of each test. I used this in my classroom to help prepare students for a 6-mark extended question on ion testing and it really helped them to remember the details of the more difficult tests.
This resource includes a foldable sheet with different tabs for each test and an inner, central, section for students to colour in the positive results of flame tests & precipitate tests. I’ve also added extension tasks that can be used to push higher attaining students. Answers are also included.
Feedback is always appreciated :)
Here’s complete lesson on titration calculations. It fits in well with the AQA required practical and includes the following:
Starter questions & answers
A step-by-step worked through example
Practice questions & answers
Exam style practice question
Calculation based plenary.
This lesson would work well with my required practical worksheet:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/acid-base-titration-rp-9-1-aqa-12619799
Here’s an interactive resource that helps students to get to grips with the key differences and similarities between the Group 7 elements.
The task allows students to research and compile information on Fluorine, Chlorine, Iodine, Bromine and Astatine. They can use this information to play against each other by comparing the boiling points, mass numbers, atomic numbers, reactivity and electron configuration of each element.
The resource includes instructions and also extension questions for students that finish early.
I always find teaching nanoparticles quite tricky, as students often don’t engage with the topic. Whilst searching for activities, I stumbled across a fantastic video that won best short film at the Scinema Science festival in 2010.
This worksheet is designed to accompany the video and can be used as a task within the classroom or as an independent homework task. There’s an answer sheet included and also a section for students to write their answers.
*I would suggest asking students to use headphones (if possible) whilst watching the video.