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Outstanding GCSE and A level chemistry resources

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Having taught GCSE and A level chemistry for 6 years and being an examiner I have developed a solid understanding of what makes a lesson outstanding and seek to share this with other teachers.

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Having taught GCSE and A level chemistry for 6 years and being an examiner I have developed a solid understanding of what makes a lesson outstanding and seek to share this with other teachers.
Alternatives to fossil fuels GCSE - includes combustion, balancing equations, 6 mark exam question
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Alternatives to fossil fuels GCSE - includes combustion, balancing equations, 6 mark exam question

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This is a thoroughly differentiated chemistry lesson that has been designed for the new 2016 specification for AQA. This specification does not require students to know biodiesel but does require students to know hydrogen and combustion. The lesson starts with a hydrogen balloon demo. Please take when doing this. Students can ignite the balloon if they use a lit split on the end of a metre ruler and stand back. They put the lit splint underneath the balloon which explodes. There is an alternative settler wordsearch for hyperactive classes that need to calm down at the start of the lesson. Students then write a disadvantage and advantage of using hydrogen as an alternative to petrol on post it notes and stick these on the whiteboard (one student per bench can do this - collecting the others from their bench). Students then write down the advantages and disadvantages of different fuels and write an answer to a 6 mark exam question where they compare the fuels and justify which one is best. They peer mark their answers using a student friendly marking grid. Finally students balance combustion symbol equations. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Student friendly marking grid - great for AFL, marking 6 mark questions and demonstrating progress
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Student friendly marking grid - great for AFL, marking 6 mark questions and demonstrating progress

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This is a student friendly marking grid that was designed following a staff CPD session that I attended where an art teacher related how she provided students with specific pre-written assessment points that were numbered to reduce copying out. There are 6 marking points. I make the first 3 easier points for weaker students to meet and the last 3 more challenging points to stretch the students and provide evidence of progress. The grid can then be copied to a word document and printed two grids to one A4 page. An example lesson is provided (alternatives to fossil fuels) to see how this can be used in lesson. The students reply to their EBI in their books. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Halogens GCSE - includes properties, forming ions, astatine predictions, electronegativity
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Halogens GCSE - includes properties, forming ions, astatine predictions, electronegativity

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This lesson has been designed for the 2016 GCSE AQA specification for the 4.1 atomic structure scheme of work. The lesson is thoroughly differentiated for higher and lower ability and includes a fun sodium reacting with chlorine demo. It is recommended that the Royal Society of Chemistry practical guidelines are followed - a link to these are included in the PowerPoint. The demo MUST be carried out in a fume cupboard as chlorine gas is extremely toxic. It is suggested that the sodium is heated on a brick rather than a deflagrating spoon then an inverted bell jar of chlorine gas is placed on top. This is because the chlorine gas reacts with the iron from the deflagrating spoon. The lesson starts with a recap of atomic structure (required prior learning) then moves on to the demo and then a discussion of how atoms react to form ions. Students then consider the properties of the halogens and carry out a task where they predict the properties of astatine using line graphs that they draw then present their work. A student friendly assessment grid is provided for students to peer mark their work. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Transition metals GCSE - includes role play,  kinesthetic, data sheet analysis, 6 mark question
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Transition metals GCSE - includes role play, kinesthetic, data sheet analysis, 6 mark question

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This GCSE chemistry lesson on transitions metals has been designed to meet the AQA 2016 specification and is part of the 4.1 atomic structure scheme of work. The lesson starts with a recap of the order of the reactivity series and asks students to put lithium and rubidium in this series using prior knowledge from reactions of the alkali metals (required prior learning). Students are then introduced to the key question for the lesson - this is revisited at the end. Students then watch a 4 minute video about the SR71 Blackbird (YouTube link is on the slide). This is the worlds fastest jet powered plane that is no longer used by the American military and flew at speeds of up to mach 3.2. Students then write on post it notes three properties that metals used to make this plane should have. If they struggle they could choose 3 properties from the data sheet. These are put on the whiteboard with their names on the notes and one student comes to the front to read out 3 post it notes. The teacher could compare the reactivity of iron filings and potassium with water (RSC practical link is included and can also be found online). Students then answer a few questions that require analysis of the data sheet. This is an important exam skill. They then use these answers to write an extended 6 mark question and then peer mark this using the student friendly marking grid. There is an optional 4 person role play task included in a separate PowerPoint for longer lessons or classes that are good with group work. The lesson menu can be printed and used with weaker students. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Biological polymers - GCSE chemistry
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Biological polymers - GCSE chemistry

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This GCSE chemistry lesson has been designed for the 2016 specification for AQA. The lesson begins with a recap of addition and condensation polymers. It then moves on to covering the key biochemical points that students need to know for GCSE chemistry and deliberately leaves out GCSE biology content. The lesson then moves on to students comparing the strength of their own bioplastics from the previous lesson with nylon. If students make the bioplastics in this lesson then allow at least 2 days for the bioplastic to dry before testing it. The lesson concludes with students analysing their data. Please rate this resource leave feedback.
Crude oil GCSE - lesson 1 of organic chemistry - includes data skills, plus and minus of crude oil
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Crude oil GCSE - lesson 1 of organic chemistry - includes data skills, plus and minus of crude oil

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This GCSE chemistry lesson forms the first lesson in 4.7 organic chemistry in the updated 2016 specification for the exam board AQA. It can also be used with other GCSE exam boards. The lesson starts with students considering whether they agree or disagree with 3 statements about the future use of petrol. The students are then introduced to how crude oil is made and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using crude oil. The students could cut the statements out and sort them or colour code them. The final task is where students calculate the temperature increase of water when it is heated by different fuels using data that is provided. More able students are given a formula that is used to calculate the energy increase in Joules then divide by the number of grams of fuel used to calculate the energy increase in Joules per gram. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Ions and ionic formulae GCSE - includes charges on ions, how ions form and ionic formulae
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Ions and ionic formulae GCSE - includes charges on ions, how ions form and ionic formulae

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This is a lesson written for the AQA 2016 chemistry specification that covers the following: the three types of bonding, the reaction of sodium chlorine demo, how to work out the charge on an ion by comparing the number of protons and electrons, why ions form (stable octet) and how to work out the formula on an ionic compound using a method that I have created called 'WiSC'. The lesson concludes with a differentiated plenary. Please take the time to carefully look through this presentation before the lesson as there a lot of animations that carefully sequence different concepts. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
A level carbonyl oxidation lesson applied to scents
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A level carbonyl oxidation lesson applied to scents

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This is a lesson designed as part of the Edexcel A2 unit 4 scheme of work on carbonyl compounds. In this lesson students can carry out a practical (grade C) to compare the oxidation of primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols. The oxidation and distillation of a primary alcohol is demonstrated. Students then develop their understanding (grade B) by considering which type of oxidant would be best to oxidise geraniol (rose scent) to germinal (lemon scent). Geraniol could be used in the demo. The grade A task is writing organic redox half equations. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Mass spectrometry for A level Chemistry
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Mass spectrometry for A level Chemistry

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This is a thorough set of structured resources on mass spectrometry . The starter is a fun Just a Minute literacy activity that recaps GCSE understanding of mass spectrometry. There is then a highly structured series of slides that discuss how bond enthalpy (bond strength) data can be used to determine which bonds in a molecule will break. Slide 14 (bond enthalpy data) can be printed as a handout for the students to use for the grade C task. The grade B/A task is where students identify molecules from their mass spectrometry spectra. The mass spectra to be identified can be laminated and students can annotate the laminates using whiteboard pens. The answers and a markscheme is provided on the PowerPoint. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Alcohols GCSE - includes dot and cross digram, fermentation vs hydration, displayed formulae
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Alcohols GCSE - includes dot and cross digram, fermentation vs hydration, displayed formulae

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This is a thoroughly differentiated GSCE chemistry lesson on alcohols for the 2016 GCSE chemistry specification. It forms part of the AQA organic chemistry scheme of work, topic 4.7. The lesson starts with students recapping prior learning on molecular formulae. Students are then introduced to the idea that the substance in alcohol is ethanol and that there are 2 main ways of making ethanol. They write word and symbol equations for these 2 methods. More able students draw the displayed formula and dot and cross diagram of ethanol (2016 specification requirement) whilst weaker students complete the equations activity. Students then compare the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods of making ethanol. The lesson concludes with an exam question plenary. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Structure of the atom GCSE - includes isotopes and electron shells
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Structure of the atom GCSE - includes isotopes and electron shells

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This forms part of the chemistry scheme of work for the new 2016 specification. The homework task is set in advance so that students can mark their homework as a starter activity. There is an optional starter activity to show students as they walk in which is a recap of what atoms and elements are. The video is the worlds smallest video created by IBM. It shows atoms of an element moving around - the key point being that atoms of a particular element are identical. The first activity looks at understanding how to work out the number of subatomic particles. Students are then introduced to the concept of isotopes. The next activity looks at electron shells the more able students are introduced to ions. The lesson finishes with an exam question plenary. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Relative formula mass and relative atomic mass GCSE tarsia
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Relative formula mass and relative atomic mass GCSE tarsia

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This is a fun GCSE chemistry tarsia for revision of calculating relative formula mass. There are 16 triangles with 18 pairs of questions and answers that make a parallelogram. I suggest that the A4 tarsia is printed on card and then the outline is cut out. Students can then quickly cut out the individual triangles. Included are the following topics: relative atomic mass of atoms and isotopes (isotopes are limited to isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen) and relative formula mass of different compounds. The 'fjsw' file can be opened and modified with tarsia software. The software is free to download but there is not currently a version for Mac computers.
Balancing equations tarsia
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Balancing equations tarsia

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This is a fun GCSE Chemistry tarsia for revision of balancing equations. There are 16 triangles with 18 pairs of questions and answers that make an equilateral triangle. I suggest that the A4 tarsia is printed on card and then the outline is cut out. Students can then quickly cut out the individual triangles. Included are the following topics: reaction with oxygen, why we need to balance equations, a variety of balanced and unbalanced equations and number of atoms. The 'fjsw' file can be opened and modified with tarsia software. The software is free to download but there is not currently a version for Mac computers.
Gas Laws Senior High School Chemistry
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Gas Laws Senior High School Chemistry

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This is a Senior High School Chemistry lesson that covers the ideal gas law. There are clear Assessment For Learning tasks for the middle of the lesson (grade C) and end of the lesson (grade B and grade A). It is suggested that the lesson before this lesson a homework is set to research conversions and the Kelvin temperature scale. Slides 23 and 24 may be printed per student for students to peer assess each others work. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Constructing Born Haber cycles - Senior High School Chemistry
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Constructing Born Haber cycles - Senior High School Chemistry

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This is a Senior High School Chemistry lesson on constructing Born Haber cycles in order to calculate lattice enthalpy for ionic compounds. Students do not calculate lattice enthalpies in this lesson but rather consider using a diamond nine how various factors affect how exothermic the lattice enthalpy value is. I suggest printing the diamond nine on slide 23 and using it as a kinesthetic activity. Please rate this resource and leave feedback
Infrared spectroscopy Senior High School Chemistry
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Infrared spectroscopy Senior High School Chemistry

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This is a Senior High School Chemistry infrared spectroscopy. Expected prior learning is functional groups and how to draw organic molecules such as carboxylic acids. Students could write on the laminated sheets using whiteboard pens. The lesson provides extensive differentiation. The IR data used is from the NIST Chemistry WebBook. Both of these resources are referenced at the beginning of the lesson. A data sheet needs to be provided as this is a lesson that uses the Chemistry data book provided by the exam board.
Fuel cells - includes combining fuel cell half equations - Senior High School Chemistry
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Fuel cells - includes combining fuel cell half equations - Senior High School Chemistry

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This is a lesson for Senior High School Chemistry on fuel cells. It begins with getting students to consider whether hydrogen would be a good source of energy to power cars for the future. Required learning from previous lessons is electrode potentials and half cells. The hydrogen balloon demo could be shown at the start to get students to appreciate that a lot of energy is released in a short amount of time from a small amount of fuel. Hydrogen produces the most amount of energy per gram for any chemical fuel. Students then draw a diagram to show how the standard electrode potential of an oxygen half cell could be determined - i.e. use a H+ reference electrode in one beaker and connect using a salt bridge to another beaker with O2- ions and O2 gas being bubbled through and using platinum as the electrode. Students then learn that O2 gas is reduced in the presence of H2O (i.e. bubbled through water) to OH- ions not O2- ions. This forms the basis of the hydrogen fuel cell where oxygen is bubbled in to one beaker with a platinum (or carbon) electrode, hydrogen is bubbled into another beaker with a platinum (or carbon) electrode and a salt bridge is attached between the beakers. Students could carry out this practical in pairs by using balloons filled with hydrogen and oxygen and allowing the gases to escape under water in the 250ml beakers. Filter paper soaked in sodium hydroxide could act as the salt bridge. Students then compare different types of fuel cell and write overall equations. There is a 5 mark exam question that can be used as an end of lesson plenary or homework. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.