I am a Science and Chemistry teacher focused on Cambridge IGCSE and AS/A. I am also heavily involved in the National Chemistry Olympiad program.
By way of background I have a PhD in inorganic chemistry and entered teaching after 13 years in the food industry.
I guess I am a bit old fashioned - I don't use twitter and I have no idea what instagram or Pinterest are......but I love my subject and I love working with students.
I am a Science and Chemistry teacher focused on Cambridge IGCSE and AS/A. I am also heavily involved in the National Chemistry Olympiad program.
By way of background I have a PhD in inorganic chemistry and entered teaching after 13 years in the food industry.
I guess I am a bit old fashioned - I don't use twitter and I have no idea what instagram or Pinterest are......but I love my subject and I love working with students.
This resource consists of some general REDOX notes, which outline how to balance REDOX equations and 2 double sided worksheets (and answers).
The exercises include oxidation number elucidation, balancing half equations and balancing full equations.
This resource consists of two 4-page worksheets (and answers).
The first w/s asks the student to interpret some series or parallel circuit diagrams and calculate either I, V, R or P.
The second w/s starts with some simple calculations but finishes with short-answer questions in which the student needs to reason (rather than reach for the calculator) an answer. It encourages students to write WHY rather than just supply a simple number.
15 August 2016: an error has been found in one of the problems in the "......diagrams and calculations" ws answers. This has now been corrected.
This resource would suit A2 students. It contains 4 pages of problems, which can either be printed on both sides and made into an 4-page booklet or used as two separate 2-page problem sheets.
The problems focus on the assignment of signals to the different hydrogen environments in 2-5 carbon organic aliphatic molecules. Some problems ask the student to distinguish between isomers based on the number and type of signals. The start of the worksheet asks students to decide how many signals they can expect based on symmetry arguments. In all cases students are asked to justify their assignments.
Other worksheets are currently being developed that will include aromatic systems and problems based on the combination of IR, Mass spec, 1H and 13C NMR spectra. If you find any mistakes please give me feedback and I will address and send you an updated version.
This resource consists of
* 2 worksheets with 3 pages of science terms we use to discuss and describe aspects of ecology. The student is asked to either fill in the correct English word or Chinese word when the opposite word is given.
* A crossword (and answers) that uses some of the English words in the above worksheets
* A worksheet in English with missing words that the student must fill in (answers are provided).
My students tell me they enjoy using these resources because they can use them as references afterwards rather than gluing in their book and forgetting about them. The students also enjoy drawing pictures to help them learn these words.
If you find any mistakes please contact me. The Chinese words have been checked by a native speaker though he is does not have a science background.
This resource contains material that would suit a Chinese student learning English language as a second language. The focus is on aspects of astronomy, namely: phases of the moon, seasons, tides and the relationship between the sun and Earth, and the Earth and the moon . It contains
* A 3 page list of key astronomy terms requiring English or Chinese words filled in,
* Cloze activities (w/s 3 pages contains 5 cloze activities with pictures )
* A word finder.
This bundle of resources contains material that will help a native Chinese student manage the new language and subject material that will likely appear in a geology lesson. It includes word lists in Chinese and English that need to accompanying word in the other language, cloze activities, a test and a diagram to label.
This resource contains key words that Tongan students will need to learn if they are to manage science lessons in physics and laboratory practical sessions.
TESOL teachers will note that direct word for word translations are not easy and often multiple words are needed to explain a concept. I have used a Tongan teacher to help me with the translations. A key strategy I use is to ask the students to draw diagrams to help them explain what they mean.
Thank you to all those who have bought this resource. Please leave feedback as it helps me better align the material to student needs.
This resource bundle (85) combines material from multiple resources focused on Science for Chinese students learning English as a second language. The purpose of the bundle is to provide material for teachers who have native Chinese speakers in their class. The students are regularly put into other subjects (eg Science) as part of the experience yet often with limited material that targets both language and content knowledge.
This material has been trialed on 20 students over 12 months and refined over the year. This bundle includes material in biology, physics, chemistry and astronomy. Specifically,
* A list of translated general science question phrases typically asked in worksheets and exams
* A list of useful describing words when filling out worksheets and exams
* Chemistry: translated list of words (fill in Chinese or English versions), works sheets covering periodic tale, electron configuration, acid/base, PT trends, fun worders, cross word puzzles, cloze-style activities, short answer questions, True/False activities, 15-20 minute tests, PT, who am I activities and a metal-non metal practical activity.
* Biology: translated list of words (fill in Chinese or English versions), anatomy diagrams for labeling, plants/flower diagrams for labeling, short answer questions, ecology x-wrds, poster activity, classification activity.
* Physics: translated list of words (fill in Chinese or English versions), light and sound x-word, graph w/s, calculation w/s, forces w/s, pressure w/s and power w/s, mechanics w/s
* Astronomy: translated list of words (fill in Chinese or English versions), short answer questions, word finder.
Admittedly, there is slightly more chemistry resources than physics. The students told me that chemistry and biology (and the associated terms) were their biggest issue. Please leave me feedback to let me know what and how I can improve the bundle or tell me of material you are searching for.
This resource consists of 3 worksheets: a 4-page and two 2-page worksheets (and answers). Students are asked to complete reaction schemes, draw and/or name molecules and short answer questions. The focus is on amides, esters and some of their organic reactions.
This resource would suit students doing AS, IB or organic chemistry to a high level.
This is the perfect topic to end the year on. It is fun and the students don't even realise there is a serious aspect to it: healthy eating, analysing food etc. You can adjust the depth and type of learning outcomes depending on the age group (eg. if it is an older group I always include a section on microbiology and we swab surfaces and check for cleanliness, learn about how factories manage food safety etc).
This topic encourages student-led learning and there is considerable enthusiasm in the classroom. You do not need to have an ice cream machine, although I did and there is often someone in the class who does have one). I have written up a rough guide on how the 1-2 weeks would go but I found that the students really enjoyed their own research and in some years this took longer than I originally had planned for.
This resource includes: notes for teacher, a base ice cream recipe, ice cream in a bag activity, taste testing template, energy calculation activity and some other ideas (eg poster design).
It is a lot of fun and will save you that painful end of year "now what do we do"?
This resource consists of a diagram that needs to be labeled and a 1 page cloze-style work sheet to help reinforce the terms in the diagram. Answers are provided.
A series of 10 questions (and answers) on rocks and volcanoes are also provided in a separate w/s that can be used to start a lesson off or for peer-testing.
This resource consists of the list of key words used in Astronomy lessons (15-17 years old).
Tongan students often come to Australia or New Zealand for further education but do not have support outside the TESOL class in terms of key Science words. Would you believe there is no word for spring tide? It requires a lengthy description. It is examples like this one which help illustrate why Tongan students often struggle in the English dominated classroom.
Some cloze-style problems and a word finder are also included.
Topics include tides, seasons and phases of the moon.
This resource would help NZ students who are studying the Internal assessment AS 90954.
This resource consists of 5 pages worth of problems containing spectra for 14 compounds. Typically, a molecular formula is given along with 3-4 spectra and the student is then expected to reason using the number of peaks and the signal position which spectra belongs with which structural isomer.
This resource would suit students doing A2 or other advanced Chemistry courses.
All attempts have been made to ensure the answers are correct. Please get in touch with me if you find an error and I will address it and send you an updated version.
This resource focuses on the scientific words used in a typical physics class. There are multiple lists that are missing either the English of the Korean word. The lists include electricity, lab equipment, light and sound and typical physics words. Some worksheets focus on calculations and speaking/describing activities.
These will be useful for Korean students studying abroad as international students or for teachers in Korea who wish to teach their students the English words typically used in a physics lesson.
More problem based worksheets will be added to this resource in the next few weeks.
The feedback from the classroom has been very positive and some colleagues from other schools have asked to use these resources for their Korean International students.
If there are specific topics you would like please tell me as it is likely they are currently being developed / or used.
This resource consists of a series of w/s with themed problems (and answers). There are 20 pages worth of material (2-4 page w/s) as well as the CIE learning objectives (2016) and the accompanying ppt slides (69 slides).
Problems include naming and drawing compounds, writing mechanisms (SN1 and SN2), elucidating reaction schemes, geometric isomers, unknowns and definitions etc.
updated 9 Nov (pptn was missing)
This resource consists of 4 worksheets (13 pages of problems in total). The problems require students to write balanced equations (some are redox) and use calculations to solve the problem.
The problems would suit AS and A2 students or those wanting to compete in National Chemistry Olympiad competitions.
(18 Jan2018 post script: an additional 2 w/s have been added that focus only on waters of crystallisation).
This resource consists of 2 worksheets and answers.
It covers definitions, short answer questions and calculations (solubility products, solubility, common ion effect). These w/s would suit students doing Cambridge A2, IB and other higher order chemistry courses.
(some typos were removed 12 May 2019). Please leave feedback about whether this material meets your needs or if you find any mistakes.
This resource consists of two worksheets.
The first work sheet is based on a series of unknowns (a-o) that are either a reagent or a product (about 30-50 min. to complete depending on ability of student). The reactions are limited to oxidation, reduction, nucleophilic substitution, chlorination, cyanation and addition reactions. The worksheet will suit students A-level chemistry or with an interest in the National Chemistry Olympiad competition.
The second worksheet (ws3) is 3 pages long and has 24 questions requiring either structures, short answers or descriptions for answers. Answers are included.
This resource consists of a 4 page problem booklet (and answers); a very brief set of notes is at the start of the booklet. The problems include some short answer questions (eg relating to Boyle's or Dalton's laws) and some calculations.
The booklet would suit students doing AS or IB chemistry courses.
This resources contains 5 pages of problems (2 double-sided wrk sheets) that include
* Alkanes: name and / or draw isomers
* Alkenes: naming and/or draw isomers, organic transformations and geometric isomer problems. In the latter case students are asked to work out how many isomers are possible for a compound with multiple double bonds).
This worksheets will suit students studying for AS or IB organic chemistry. they can be sued as 2 sided w/s or as separate w/s as starters. Answers are provided.