I aim to create detailed lessons for KS3 and KS4 science lessons, simplifying content for both teachers and pupils. My lessons include a lot of pupil-centred tasks and modelling activities where appropriate to engage pupils in their learning. As an AQA examiner for the new GCSE trilogy and triple science course I include a lot of 'past paper' style questions in my lessons that match the type of questions students will be asked in examinations.
I aim to create detailed lessons for KS3 and KS4 science lessons, simplifying content for both teachers and pupils. My lessons include a lot of pupil-centred tasks and modelling activities where appropriate to engage pupils in their learning. As an AQA examiner for the new GCSE trilogy and triple science course I include a lot of 'past paper' style questions in my lessons that match the type of questions students will be asked in examinations.
A lesson designed around the AQA GCSE specification looking at how to calculate relative formula mass and how to balance symbol equations. The lesson would also be suitable for an able KS3 class.
The powerpoint features a lot of step-by-step worked examples and plenty of opportunity for student practice with questions that progress from simple to more complex examples alongside animated answers. Lesson features include:
A 10 question starter quiz based on previous AQA GCSE learning with animated answers (questions based on Topic 1 atomic structure content to assist with long term memory retrieval)
Slides explaining to students how to work out the number of different elements and atoms a chemical formula contains, followed by an independent task requiring students put this teaching into practice for a range of different chemical formulae. Answers have been included in the powerpoint to allow for student assessment.
Slides guiding pupils on how to work out the relative formula mass of a substance, incorporating 3 worked examples that contain step-by-step instructions with each stage of the calculation animated via a mouse click.
An independent task requiring students to calculate the relative formula mass for a range of different chemical formulae. Answers have been included in the powerpoint to allow for student assessment.
A slide explaining to students how to deduce an unknown element in a chemical formula when given the relative formula mass, alongside a step-by-step modelled example question and 3 additional practice questions for students to complete
Slides providing a clear method for pupils to follow when balancing symbol equations. To help pupils master the skill of balancing equations the powerpoint contains 5 worked examples progressing in difficulty, with each stage of the calculation process animated via a mouse click.
An independent differentiated task (based on ‘bronze, silver, gold’ medals) incorporating 24 balancing equations questions. Pupils can select which level of the task to work at dependent on their confidence with balancing equations
A lesson/ series of lessons looking at what is meant by the term ‘mole’, how to calculate the number of moles of a substance, how to rearrange the moles equation to calculate mass or Mr and how to find missing masses from balanced symbol equations using molar ratios. The powerpoint features a lot of step-by-step worked examples and plenty of opportunity for student practice with questions that progress from simple to more complex examples alongside animated answers. Lesson features include:
A 10 question starter quiz based on previous learning with animated answers (questions based on Topic 1, 2 and 3 to assist with long term memory retrieval)
Slides discussing the difference between mass and moles together with an analogy of comparing the term moles to other words used to represent amounts in society - what is meant by a dozen, a century etc.
A link to an engaging video comparing the number of atom to objects in our universe.
Slides discussing the link between moles, mass and Mr alongside questions involving calculating the moles, mass and Mr of a substance. Students are shown how to rearrange the moles equation. Following this worked examples for calculating moles, mass and Mr are then shared on a split board with practice questions next to the worked examples for students to complete. Answers for these questions are animated to allow for student self-assessment.
Slides guiding pupils on how to work out the missing mass of a substance using a balanced symbol equation. A method is shared with pupils to tackle these complex questions with 2 animated examples illustrating step-by-step how to follow the method. Numerous examples are then given for pupils to complete, initially using 1:1 ratios before looking at more complex ratios. All practice questions have full animated answers for student self-assessment
A review task containing 6 questions on calculating missing masses in chemical reactions with animated answers
A potential homework sheet with questions on calculating moles and rearranging the moles equation to calculate mass.
A lesson looking at the reactivity series, extraction of metals, displacement reactions and the extraction of aluminium using electrolysis
Lesson features include:
A starter consisting of basic recall questions from previous learning (structure of diamond, alloys, fullerenes, isotopes, properties of ionic compounds, covalent bonding diagrams, relative formula mass and moles)
Slides introducing the reactivity and displacement recation using an analogy with multiple practice questions
Slides with prompt questions explaining how th position of a metal in the reactivity series links to the method of extraction
Slides explaining what oxidation and reduction mean in terms of oxygen with practice questions identifying what is being oxidised/ reduced in reactions
An explanation of what spectator ions are and guided practice on how to write ionic equations
A recap of the process of electrolysis and labelling an electrolysis cell
An animated diagram of the electrolysis of aluminium oxide with prompt questions on the purpose of cryolite and why oxygen does not form at the positive electrode, together with practice exam-style questions on the topic and animated answers.
A series of exam-style questions and answers to assess student understanding on the topic
A double lesson/ series of lessons looking at neutralisation reactions, writing ionic formulae and the process of making crystals of a soluble salt (AQA required practical)
Lesson features include:
A starter consisting of basic recall questions from previous learning (extraction of metals, reduction/ oxidation, properties of ionic compounds, covalent bonding diagrams, relative formula mass and moles)
Slides introducing the pH scale, weak/ strong acids and alkalis and the difference between an alkali and a base with AfL question (alongside an animated answer)
Slides with guided practice on how to name salts and writing ionic formulae for salts.
Slides and an acompanying worksheet providing plenty of practice on writing equations for metal and acid, acid and alkali and acid and metal carbonate reactions
A step by step explanation of the stages involved in making crystals of a soluble salt, including a table for pupils to fill in explaining the reason for each stage in the practical
Practice exam-style questions with scaffolded support. The questions focus on describing the method used to make a soluble salt and explaining errors in methods.
Simple, easy to follow instructions for carrying out the soluble salt practical
A worksheet containing exam-style questions. Answers are included with the sheet to enable assessment of pupil progress
Review questions with animated answers
A series of lessons for the new AQA GCSE Topic 2 - bonding and structure. The bundle features lessons on:
Ions,ionic bonding and properties of ionic compounds
Covalent bonding and allotropes of carbon (diamond, graphite, graphene, fullerenes and nanotubes)
Nanoparticles
Metallic bonding and alloys
Polymers and states of matter
Each lesson features a 10 question starter quiz with animated answers, slides with step-by-step methods and examples, practice questions building in difficulty and exam-style review questions.
A lesson explaining the structure of polymers and properties of polymers, including a step-by-step method on drawing repeating units and explanation of the properties of thermosoftening and thermosetting polymers. The lesson also includes an explanation of the properties of solids, liquids and gases and a step-by-step method on how to predict the state of a substance when given the melting and boiling point.
The lesson features:
A starter consisting of 10 basic recall questions from previous learning with animated answers (ionic formula and properties of ionic compounds, covalent bonding diagrams, properties of simple covalent substances and graphite, properties of metals and alloys)
Slides introducing what a polymer is and how to draw repeating units
Practice questions on drawing repeating units with animated answers
A paired teaching activity on the difference between thermosoftening and thermosetting polymers
A discussion task to illicit prior knowledge on solids, liquids and gases
A summary table explaining the properties of solids, liquids and gases
Slides explaining how to predict the state of substances using number lines with two animated examples
Summary questions asking students to predict the state of substances using a data table containing melting and boiling points
A lesson describing the structure of metals, explaining the properties of metals in relation to the structure, explaining what an alloy is and examples of alloys and how their composition relates to their use.
The lesson features:
A starter consisting of 10 recall questions from previous learning with animated answers (graphene, ionic formula and ionic bonding diagrams, properties of ionic and covalent substances, structure of diamond, properties of graphite and uses of fullerenes)
A slide introducing metallic bonding with a comparison to ionic and covalent bonding
A series of slides explaining the structure and properties of metals, with prompts to help students explain the properties independently before viewing model answers that are animated on the powerpoint
An explanation for what an alloy is and why alloys are harder than pure metals
A table of specific alloys and their uses (linking to Topic 10 - using resources) that could be cut out for students to look at using a carousel activity
A host of short review questions on metals and alloys
A formative assessment task with success criteria included requiring pupils to link a series of statements written on visual hexagons to explain the properties of metals and compare this to ionic and covalent bonding
A series of lessons looking at the structure and properties of covalent structures. The lesson includes a step-by-step method for how to draw covalent bonding diagrams, the properties of simple covalent substances and the structure and properties of allotropes of carbon - diamond, graphite, graphene, nanotubes and fullerenes.
The lesson features:
A 10 question starter quiz with animated answers on previous learning (ions, ionic bonding, ionic formula, ionic properties, separating methods, group 1 reactions with water)
Slides introducing how to draw dot and cross diagrams with animated step-by-step examples and practice diagrams for students to complete
Slides explaining the structure of allotropes of carbon, with comparison slides asking students to think about the properties of diamond versus graphite (when shown their uses) and graphite versus graphene)
A slide asking pupils to ‘link the pictures’ together to explain the discovery and potential uses of graphene
A link to a video looking at the uses of graphene
Review question slides containing exam-style questions with animated answers throughout the powerpoint
A series of lessons covering the AQA Topic 1 - atomic structure unit. Each lesson features a 10 question starter with animated answers, interactive slides guiding pupils through concepts, links to videos and modelling suggestions together with many exam-style questions and answers to assess pupil progress. The lessons include the following topics:
Atomic structure
History of the atomic model
Groups on the periodic table (1, 7, 0 and transition metals)
Development of the periodic table
Separating techniques
Included in the bundle is a topic 1 revision sheet with questions/ prompts for students to complete
A double lesson looking at the role of Newlands and Mendeleev in the development of the periodic table, comparing early versions of the periodic table to the modern periodic table and explaining how the separating techniques of filtration, evaporation, distillation and chromatography work.
Lots of content in the lesson, including:
The lesson features:
A starter consisting of 10 basic recall questions from previous learning with animated answers (labelling the plum pudding model, electron configurations, isotopes, what the mass number tells you about an atom, displacement reactions, group 1 reactions with water, periodic table arrangement, atomic structure)
A printable sheet for students to make notes on comparing the 3 versions of the periodic table
Summary notes for the periodic tables created by Newlands and Mendeleev
A link to a video explaining how Mendeleev organised the elements in his periodic table
A series of exam style questions and animated answers testing students understanding of the different periodic tables
Slides explaining how the separation techniques of filtration, evaporation, distillation and chromatography work and accompanying worksheet for students to fill in (this could be done as a carousel activity)
Summary questions asking students to name the technique most suitable to separate a variety of mixtures
A double lesson/ series of lessons looking at the properties of groups 1, 7, 0 and transition metals. The lesson looks at the reactions of group 1/7 and how to explain their reactivity. The lesson features a wide range of questions to check on student understanding
Lesson features include:
A starter consisting of 10 basic recall questions from previous learning with animated answers (isotopes, structure of the atom, electron configurations, history of the atom)
A slide containing a table and animated answers that could be shared whilst demonstrating group 1 reactions with water/ watching a video
A series of slides prompting students to write word and symbol equations, together with a series of summary questions and exam-style questions
Slides guiding students through explaining reactivity of group 1 and 7 using a split board, allowing students to see model answers whilst answering a slightly different question
A slide introducing the concept of a displacement reaction using celebrity relationships
A host of questions on displacement reactions of group 7
A link to a video on transition metal properties and summary following the video
A comparison question of group 1 and transition metals
Question related to predicting boiling points of group 0
A worksheet with exam-style questions covering the properties of groups 1, 7 and transition metals
A series of lessons looking at the formation of ions, describing how ionic bonds are formed alongside drawing dot and cross diagrams, working out the formula of an ionic compound from a lattice diagram and the charges on the ions and properties of ionic compounds. The powerpoint features a lot of worked examples and plenty of opportunity for student practice with questions that progress from simple to more complex examples. Lesson features include:
A 10 question starter quiz based on previous learning with animated answers (questions based on Topic 1 - atomic structure)
Slides recapping prior learning on electron configurations leading to how metal and non-metal ions are formed with step-by-step scaffolding provided. Students complete questions based around drawing ions and describing how ions have formed based on the charge
Slides introducing how ionic compounds are formed with a discussion question of a dot and cross diagram. This has been animated to allow the teacher to talk through step-by-step what is taking place. There are more worked examples and numerous questions on drawing dot and cross diagrams are incorporated into the presentation
Slides guiding pupils on how to work out the ionic formula, looking at non-metal ions consisting of 1 element initially before progressing to non-metal ions involving two elements where brackets are used
A modelling task to build a 3D giant ionic lattice and opportunity to describe the structure with structured sentence starters provided
A link to an engaging video looking at melting salt to introduce properties of ionic compounds
A review task with success criteria summarising ions, ionic bonding diagrams and structure and properties of ionic compounds
Numerous review question slides with animated answers
A fully resourced lesson bundle for the AQA Topic 5 unit - Energy changes. Suitable for foundation and higher tier Triple candidates (content can easily be deleted for Trilogy)
The bundle features double lessons on:
Exothermic and endothermic reactions and bond energy calculations
Energy transfer in neutralisation required practical
Cells, batteries and fuel cells
The lessons feature informative, user-friendly slides, links to videos and suggestions of modelling tasks/ teaching activities, regular assessment questions throughout the powerpoints to check understanding with animated answers, word documents with exam-style questions and answers and a revision sheet for the entire topic.
A double lesson/ series of lessons explaining how a cell works, considering the variables that affect the potential difference produced by a cell, the difference between rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries, how hydrogen fuel cells work and the advantages/ disadvantages of using a fuel cell compared to batteries.
The lesson features:
A starter consisting of 10 basic recall questions from previous learning with animated answers (graphene, reactions of acids and metal carbonates, groups on the periodic table, diamond, covalent bonding diagrams, properties of small covalent molecules and energy transfer required practical)
A slide introducing the idea of a cell in an engaging context by asking students to think about how they would make an LED light up using a lemon, coin and piece of copper.
A series of slides explaining how chemical cells work and what a battery consists of
A suggested practical with instructions, results table and conclusion questions investigating how the reactivity difference between metal electrodes affects the voltage made in a cell
A host of short review questions with animated answers on the powerpoint to allow for assessment of pupil progress
A link to an engaging video looking at hydrogen powered cars and questions for pupils to subsequently answer from the video
An animated diagram explaining how a hydrogen fuel cell works, table detailing advantages/ disadvantages of hydrogen fuel cells and an evaluation question comparing rechargeable batteries to hydrogen fuel cells using a table of statements
A worksheet containing exam-style questions. Answers are featured on the powerpoint to allow for assessment of pupil progress
An A3 review sheet for the entire energy changes topic with questions/ diagrams for pupils to complete
A double lesson/ series of lessons looking at the energy transfer in neutralisation required practical. The lesson looks at the method involved in the required practical and how this might be adapted for a range of different chemical reactions, along with how to estimate the point of neutralisation from a graph of results
Lesson features include:
A starter consisting of 10 basic recall questions from previous learning with animated answers (properties of ionic compounds, isotopes, exothermic reactions, energy reaction profiles, history of the atom, ionic formula and conservation of mass )
A slide recapping the idea of exothermic reactions and energy reaction profile in an engaging context using a ‘sherbet lemon’ model
A series of slides prompting students to think about how to measure the energy transferred in a chemical reaction and the apparatus/ method used.
Slides guiding students through the required practical method, variables for the experiment, a ready-made results table to populate and instructions on how to plot and extrapolate data from the graph to calculate the exact point of neutralisation
A table with animated answers helping pupils to understand the range of chemical reactions the method could be used with and the variables that could be investigated for each
A host of short review questions looking at applying the required practical method to a different chemical reaction, analysing data and suggesting improvements to the apparatus used in the required practical
A worksheet containing exam-style questions. Answers are featured on the powerpoint to allow for assessment of pupil progress
A review sheet with prompt images that could be used as a short recap of the method used in the required practical in subsequent lessons
A double lesson/ series of lessons looking at exothermic and endothermic reactions, labelling and explaining energy profile diagrams and calculating the overall bond energy for reactions.
The lesson features:
A series of basic recall questions from previous learning (questions on calculating P, N, E, alloys, electrolysis, covalent bonding, formation of ions, giant covalent structures and extraction of metals)
An introduction to the terms endothermic and exothermic using images for students to decifer the meaning of the terms
An animated introduction to energy reaction profiles, explaining how to label the diagrams and the difference between endothermic and exothermic reaction profiles
Numerous review questions in the style of past-exam questions to allow for teacher assessment of progress - labelling reaction profiles, recognising a reaction profile as endo or exothermic, describing reactions as exothermic or endothermic from temperature change values
A step-by-step introduction into bond energy calculations to reduce cognitive overload - pupils are shown how to calculate bond energies for single structures including several practice examples before being shown a worked example of how to work out whether a reaction is exothermic or endothermic using a bond energy calculation.
Two ‘have a go’ bond energy calculations with animated answers to allow for student self-assessment.
A 4 page worksheet containing practice exam-style questions on calculating bond energies, drawing energy reaction profiles and explaining whether reactions are exothermic or endothermic. Answers are included in the worksheet
Lots to choose from here!
A double lesson/ series of lessons suitable for trilogy/ triple physics describing the structure of the atom, the role of scientists in the development of the atomic model and explaining what an isotope is. The lesson features:
A short recap quiz numbered 1-10 on naming parts of the atom, describing the charge/ mass of sub-atomic particles and their position in the atom (linking to Topic 1 - atomic structure in the Chemistry trilogy syllabus
An explanation for the definitions of mass and atomic number linking to students’ understanding of the relative masses of protons, neutrons and electrons
Practice questions on calculating P, N, E, describing the structure of atoms of particular elements from both images and chemical symbols and interpreting the mass/ atomic number for an atom from an image
An explanation for the meaning of the term ‘isotope’ linking to easter eggs and a scaffolded example of what an isotope is comparing element symbols for chlorine
Practice questions on describing the difference between isotopes from bot the chemical symbol and atomic structure diagrams
A description of the contributions/ experimental work from scientists in the development of the atomic model, paying particular focus to the plum pudding model and alpha particle scattering experiment
Discussion questions to help pupils visualise the abstract concept of the plum pudding model by comparing the plum pudding model to a bouncy ball
A suggested modelling activity (detailed in the slide notes) involving students acting out the alpha scattering experiment and suggestions for how to evaluate this with pupils
A worksheet containing a gap fill task and practice questions comparing the plum pudding model to the current nuclear model of the atom and explaining the findings of the alpha scattering experiment.
A timeline task for students to complete to show the role of scientists in the development of the model of the atom. The activity also has differentiated resources in the form of a cut and stick with model images and descriptions of scientists roles.
A double lesson / series of lessons comparing the processes of mitosis and meisosis, suitable for KS3 or a low/ middle ability KS4 class (lesson is tailored towards the new AQA GCSE scheme). The lesson features:
A ‘find someone who’ starter grid activity with 6 questions recapping cells (differences between animal, plant and bacterial cells, roles of cell organelles)
An introduction to the purpose of mitosis including a link to a video showing aphid cloning and an engaging hook into the lesson considering the replacement of skin cells using mitosis
An explanation for the stages of the cell cycle and mitosis using a diagram
Differentiated activities on the stages of mitosis (a simple ‘ordering the stages’ task, a table where pupils must order and draw an image to represent the stages of mitosis and a ‘true/ false’ review grid
Graphs showing the change in DNA content that students must link to the stages of mitosis and meiosis
Review questions on mitosis including a past paper question
An introduction to the purpose of meiosis using key terms that pupils must discuss and a discussion question
An explanation for the stages of meiosis using a diagram
A slide to compare the processes of mitosis and meiosis using images of each cell division
A comparison table of mitosis and meiosis with animated answers
A 6 mark question comparing mitosis and meiosis with animated markscheme
Review questions on the two processes
A lesson/ series of lessons recapping the process of electrolysis, understanding how to predict the products when molten ionic compounds are electrolysed and understanding how to apply the series of rules concerning the products of aqueous ionic solutions. The lesson features:
A question grid based on previous learning from topic 4 (extraction of metals, reactivity series, acid reactions, electrolysis)
Basic recap questions looking at the process of electrolysis and labelling an electrolysis cell
-Step-by-step simplified recall practice looking at what is formed at the positive and negative electrodes for molten ionic compounds
Summary slides that explain to students the rules for predicting the products of electrolysis at the positive and negative electrode if the ionic compound is dissolved in solution. This is accompanied by simplified recall practice looking at what is formed at the positive and negative electrodes so students gain confidence in applying the rules to any substance
A recap of how ions are produced.
Instructions for how to complete the required practical looking at the electrolysis of aqueous solutions, including a blank and completed results table for pupil self-assessment
Past paper review questions
A KS3/KS4 lesson on labelling and describing the difference between plant and animals cells, calculating the magnification of objects viewed under a microscope and rearranging the magnification equation to calculate image size/ actual size.
The lesson features:
A starter activity where students think about what processes all living things must do
A link to a video providing students with a catchy ‘rap’ about the names and parts of a cell
A worksheet that can be easily differentiated (currently has missing words) on labelling cells and describing their function
An extended writing task to describe the difference between plant and animal cells and explain why plant cells need additional organelles. The task comes with a model answer on the powerpoint to allow for peer/ self assessment
Fun introduction to magnification with a ‘guess the object’ game. Students are shown magnified images and must guess what the object is
Scaffolded step-by-step methods and questions for calculating magnification, image size and actual size. On the questions slide for each type of calculation there is a worked example to guide pupils/ for reference