I have made this resource for my school’s alternative curriculum facility at the request of our Deputy Headteacher. They wanted a unit of work for students who had been sent out of lessons for a longer period of time which was separate from work being covered in class, as managing the former system was getting tricky. I decided to make a Working Scientifically resources which could be completed independently, but that would also double as a revision resources for students or a teaching resource for lesson time. The workbook covers: Introduction (which incorporates a skills checklist and the list of the AQA Required Practical Activities) Key Words Identifying Variables Hypotheses and Predictions Apparatus and Techniques Methods Risk Assessments Tables of Results Types of Data, Graphs and Charts Presenting Data Evaluation Peer Review Referencing Conclusions I hope that you will find this resources useful. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for improving the workbook! :)

These resources are suitable for GCSE AQA (9-1) Combined Science (Biology) with GCSE Biology practicals highlighted in grey. Answers are also provided on a separate sheet for each discipline. Where did this come from? We noticed through our gap analyses that students were struggling with the GCSE Required Practicals. However, they had just sat a number of exams so we wanted to plan a revision session which was a little bit more fun. The feedback we have received has been quite positive. What did we do? We ran a ‘Required Practical Challenge’ session for each half of our Year 11 cohort (during one of their timetabled double lessons) based in our school’s Main Hall. There we divided them up into groups and shared the plan for the afternoon. (Schedule on information document provided). What did each section of the session involve? Challenge – students were directed in groups to three labs, each containing the equipment for all of the Required Practicals for each discipline. They had to enter each lab as a group and decide 1) which Required Practical had been omitted, and 2) which piece of equipment had not been provided for each of the Required Practicals which were present. The sheets provided for the students also had this missing piece of apparatus missing. A3 Sheet – the sheet mentioned above also included a task for students to complete relating to each Required Practical. These tasks were selected to involve knowledge recall and application, scientific literacy, mathematical skills and working scientifically skills. Students were given some time and support to complete these tasks. Working Scientifically Skills – we used some brilliant resources from TES (https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/science-exam-skills-graphs-tables-diagrams-formulae-11330817) and supported students whilst they tackled these tasks. Resources created by @NortonPhysics

Agenda, PowerPoint and recources for a joint departmental CPD session for your mathematics and science departments. Explore the new Maths in Science requirements for GCSE as well as problem solving skills, in order to benefit both departments.