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Simon Porter's Shop

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(based on 1286 reviews)

Simon has been teaching Physics for over 27 years in British state schools and international school around the world. He specializes in International Baccalaureate, A level and IGCSE. He is now head of the secondary school at the British School of Tashkent, a Nord Anglia school and in August he will become International Principal of NAS Guangzhou Panyu. He is a regular contributor to the Times Educational Supplement and is one of their "Subject geniuses" for Science.

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Simon has been teaching Physics for over 27 years in British state schools and international school around the world. He specializes in International Baccalaureate, A level and IGCSE. He is now head of the secondary school at the British School of Tashkent, a Nord Anglia school and in August he will become International Principal of NAS Guangzhou Panyu. He is a regular contributor to the Times Educational Supplement and is one of their "Subject geniuses" for Science.
Expansion presentation and worksheet
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Expansion presentation and worksheet

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This presentation is to accompany and explain the "standard" demos for this topic. i.e. ball and ring, breaking bar, liquid in flask with tube (thermometer), gas trapped in flask and tube etc. This is then followed by a worksheet where they have to describe various uses problems with expansion/contraction in everyday situations.
Latent heat presentation and question sheet
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Latent heat presentation and question sheet

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Presentation plus latent heat question sheet. The practical referred to in the presentation is the cooling of molten wax in hot water. I like to put the wax in a boiling tube in the beaker of hot water and take the temperature of the wax and the water as they cool to emphasise that the wax stops cooling when it reaches its melting point. This then leads into a discussion of latent heat followed by example calculations etc.
Specific heat capacity
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Specific heat capacity

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Lesson PowerPoint, worksheet and practical sheet. Written for IGCSE but suitable for GCSE and even A level. In the practical they can compare their results with the actual results and discuss why their results for the SHC is larger than the accepted value.
Evaporation and boiling
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Evaporation and boiling

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Lesson PowerPoint and worksheet on the difference between evaporation and boiling and the factors which affect the rate of evaporation.
Kinetic and gravitational energy presentation and worksheets
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Kinetic and gravitational energy presentation and worksheets

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Suitable for KS3 and KS4. PowerPoint presentation with worksheets on using the formula for GPE and KE. I have a running joke in my lessons about my dislike of dogs - hence the dog falling from the aeroplane! Please feel free to change for a cat/politician/Biology teacher.........
Heat transfer worksheets
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Heat transfer worksheets

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Set of 4 straightforward worksheets with notes and questions testing their understanding of conduction, convection and radiation. Best done after the "standard" demonstrations. The "Convection stops!" worksheet is a "What if....?" scenario where students have to think about what would happen if convection didn't happen and fill in a mock newspaper front page. This could be adapted for conduction and radiation too.
Gravity, mass and weight
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Gravity, mass and weight

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The "True of false" opening activity is a great way to assess their understanding before the lesson starts. Emphasise throughout the lesson that gravity is a force between ALL objects (many students have been taught lower down the school that gravity is only what pulls them to the earth). The work sheet should give a good assessment of the understanding of the lesson. The last two questions will really stretch their (and maybe their teacher's!) understanding.
"Following instructions" activity
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"Following instructions" activity

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I used this as a competition whilst working at a school in Peru/ Can be used as an introduction to writing a scientific method or just as a fun little competition at the end of term etc. Students have to do exactly what the instructions say using a piece of paper.
Draw the sentence - Lithium and fluorine
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Draw the sentence - Lithium and fluorine

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I use this technique a lot. Students have to convert the 8 sentences into diagrams - hence "Draw the sentence". This is a great assessment exercise and is linked to my TES article at http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6112077 This is an easier one as both have equal but opposite charge - slightly harder examples have also been uploaded.
Sound multiple-choice questions
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Sound multiple-choice questions

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To be used as a useful summary after students have looked at the speed of sound in different substance. The multiple-choice format is useful for those of you preparing for these style exams (Cambridge IGCSE). The 'write your own' multiple choice questions at the end are surprisingly difficult to do, and are an excellent link to sentence structure/grammar etc.
Seasons practical
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Seasons practical

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Students investigate length of day in Summer/Winter. Each group of students need a light source and access to a globe (blow up ones will do). The instructions are quite hard to follow for some kids - perhaps groups could be organised by attainment and the teacher could assist the lower group.
'Amazing Mug trick' homework example
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'Amazing Mug trick' homework example

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A good homework is ask them to do a simple practical at home for their parents. Obviously you have to be careful here – I use the Amazing Mug trick to demonstrate refraction for year 8s. Put a coin in the bottom far side of a mug and move your head so the coin is just out of view. Pouring water in causes the coin to appear as if by magic. Students have to demonstrate this to parents/siblings who sign a slip in their books to prove that it was done! This type of homework can also use internet simulations as the second worksheet shows.
Car investigation
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Car investigation

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These are PowerPoints and sheets I use in lessons and will need some adaption to your classes. Most lessons start with a "Do now" that students do as they enter. I should mention that there are running jokes about my dislike of dogs (sorry!).
reviewing lesson for reflection and refraction
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reviewing lesson for reflection and refraction

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Please give me feedback if you have time. These are PowerPoints and sheets on reflection and refraction. I use in lessons and they may need some adaption to your classes. Most lessons start with a "Do now" that students do as they enter. I shou
"Falling" (terminal velocity etc.)
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"Falling" (terminal velocity etc.)

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Year 9 or GCSE. PowerPoint discusses terminal velocity and falling without air resistance and there is an investigation (with investigation write-up template) at the end. I should mention that there are running jokes about my dislike of dogs (sorry!).
Hooke's law
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Hooke's law

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Two comprehensive lessons with practical sheets and presentations. Hooke's law for GCSE/IGCSE with calculation of spring constant and as an extension finding the spring constant for two springs in series and parallel.