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 all of the material a teacher would need to teach a 3-4 week topic on this most delightful of topics: the Periodic table. Most of the focus is on the PT trends, how it can be used to predict a property of an element or charge on an ion. The activities have been tried in my class over the past few years and the students feedback and improved grades suggest they add value. My bug bear as a Chemist is that the PT is often taught as "first 20 by rote" with little time spent showing students how they can use the PT to help answer questions or solve problems.
The topic covers subatomic particles, electron configuration, formation of ions, compounds/molecules, reactions of group 1 and 2 metals with group 6 and 7 non-metals and the tests for H2, O2 and CO2.
Resources include worksheets, cloze activities, starters, projects, identifying equipment activity and short tests. The “notes for teachers” outlines how I teach this subject for both low and higher ability students along with ideas of the projects I set the students. Some documents contain more than 1 worksheet or activity and some worksheets are 2 pages long.
Additional slides have been included on balancing equations if the class is stronger. Either use them in this course or save for the following year.
Some of this material appears in other resources at Drogchem's shop (eg balancing equations and funworders).
Thank you to everyone that bought this resource. If you get a spare 2 minutes could you leave some feedback? It is the only way I will know whether it meets your needs or what I might need to do to develop it further.
This resource focuses on laboratory equipment found in a typical school. There are four worksheets.
The first bundle relates to laboratory equipment that is typically used in schools. The student either provides the English word or the Chinese word. Pictures are given on each worksheet. The answers are also provided.
The second bundle relates to words we typically use to describe what we observe in an experiment. It includes terms that are important for drawing and describing graphs.
The feedback from the classroom has been very positive and some colleagues from other schools have asked to use these resources for their Chinese 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 worksheet (and answers) contains 8 empirical formula problems and answers.
It would suit students aged 16-18 yrs and those in Cambridge IGCSE or AS courses.
Key words: calculations, molecular formula, empirical formula,
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 would suit students who want to progress in the Honors program.
This resource has a set of notes with worked examples to explain how to determine Lewis structures, molecular shapes and formal charges.
The accompanying worksheets (and answers) use these skills to predict shapes and reason the bond angles. Some problems are based on the comparison of two molecules. ws2 problems are more difficult than ws1 and would suit students who are doing A level chemistry and who want to be challenged or are interested in competing in the National Chemistry Olympiad competition.
This resource has combined material from 3 previously available resources. If you find any mistakes please make contact with me and I will correct and send an updated version.
There are two worksheets (with worked answers) and notes in this resource. WS1 focuses on word equations and limits reaction to those of oxides, hydroxides and carbonates. Notes are also provided. The intention is for students to get used to the idea of always writing down the salt and that water is the other product.
WS2 asks students to balance the symbol equations. The equations are limited to acids reacting with oxides, carbonates and hydroxides. Both worksheets are also part of a larger resource called "Chemistry: balancing equations involving metals and their salts".
This resource will suit students learning about balancing equations for the first time.
With all the best intentions in the world, mistakes do get made. Please tell me if there is an error and I will correct it and organise to send you a corrected copy.
This test is about 1 hours long. It includes questions about calculating oxidation number, observations and balancing half and full REDOX equations. Answers are included.
This test would be useful for students doing IGCSE and AS chemistry.
With all the best intentions in the world, mistakes do get made. Please tell me if there is an error and I will correct it and organise to send you a corrected copy.
This resource contains two fun-worders based around the first 20 elements of the periodic table.
In the first fun-worder, the student has to find the element. Each element succeeds its atomic number (find the name and you find the atomic number). The 2nd fun-worder has both the proton number (before the word) and the atomic mass (after the word). The student then fills in the periodic table grid (supplied) in the correct order.
Other shorter activities are included: match symbols and names, and electron configuration practice.
The students love these activities and it can take a good 45 minutes to complete. It is fun and builds familiarity with the PT.
This resource consists of 7 pages of REDOX problems involving all or some of the following tasks: drawing a cell diagram, balancing equations and calculating the EMF of the cell in question.
The worksheets will suit students enrolled in IB or A level Chemistry or preparing for a national Chemistry Olympiad competition. Answers are provided as well as general REDOX notes.
Key words: REDOX, Chemistry Olympiad, EMF, calculations, cell diagrams, Latimer diagrams.
9Feb18: notes and some worksheet answers reworded.
This resource contains 5 simple experiments that have been successfully used in the laboratory for students aged from 11-15 years of age.
The aim, through simple experiments, is to encourage safe working with chemicals and familiarity with equipment.
One experiment is based on the use of plastic burettes where students are asked to work out which solution is the strongest (most concentrated). The use of burettes adds the 'wow' factor for budding young Scientists. They will talk about it for weeks to come.
The experiments are based around color change with common acids and bases and Universal Indicator. A short set of instructions explaining how to make a home made indicator is also included.
The "effect f dilution...." resource helps the students link dilution to colour change of UI. The students like this one because it allows them to practice dilutions and observe colour change.
This work sheet has a series of unknowns (a-o) that are either a reagent or a product.
The reactions are limited to oxidation, reduction, nucleophilic substitution, chlorination, cyanation and addition reactions.
The worksheet will suit students enrolled in Honors, AP or with an interest in the National Chemistry Olympiad competition.
Answers are included.
This resource consists of two experiments.
The first is the permanganate - oxalic acid titration to standardise the permanagate.
The second uses the permanganate solution to determine the concentration o f a solution of unknown concentration of Fe(II).
These practicals would suit students in year 11-13 who have experience with titrations and REDOX chemistry. The resource has the template for data collation built into it.
The resource is 4 pages long.
With all the best intentions in the world, mistakes do get made. Please tell me if there is an error and I will correct it and organise to send you a corrected copy.
Key words: titration, oxalic acid, permanganate, iron, calculations, practical
This experiment gets students to compare pH titration data collected using different indicators. It shows the importance of choosing the correct indicator.
The experiment(s) are easily carried out in 50 minutes and students can do up to 8 titrations during the class. Data is reported back to the teacher and the results shared with the wider class.
Student feedback suggests this is a very useful practical and the repetitive nature of the experiment allows them to fine-tune their experimental skills.
The practical will be useful for those studying acid-base chemistry and buffer systems. Students enrolled in Honors and AP courses would find this practical beneficial.
Notes for the teacher are also included
Key words: buffer, acid-base, equivalence point, buffer zone, practical, pKa, indicators.
This resource consists of three double-sided works sheets with over 45 questions and worked answers. Each problem requires students to either calculate the number of moles, mass, molecular mass or % composition.
This resource would suit those learning to use n = m/M for the first time.
With all the best intentions in the world, mistakes do get made. Please tell me if there is an error and I will correct it and organise to send you a corrected copy.