This is an engaging and informative lesson that looks at the group of unsaturated hydrocarbons known as the alkenes and focuses on a few properties, their displayed and chemical formulae and identification. This lesson has been designed for GCSE students and works nicely with the “alkanes” lesson as students can use learning from both lessons. The lesson begins by ensuring that students recognise a key difference between the alkenes and the alkanes in terms of the carbon-carbon bond. This shows them that there is no such substance as methane. They are guided through the rules of drawing alkenes, with examples of ethene and propene used so that they can then apply this technique to draw butene. Working together with the teacher, they will be able to write the general formula that connects this group of substances. The rest of the lesson focuses on the term unsaturated and how this affects them in terms of the identification test with bromine water as well reactions with hydrogen. The lesson finishes by getting students to recognise a use of ethene in making the alcohol, ethanol.

This is a fully-resourced lesson that looks at how the atomic number and electron configuration of an atom can be used to place an element in the Periodic Table. This lesson has primarily been designed for GCSE-aged students but can be used with younger students who are studying the Table and know about electron configurations. The lesson begins by looking at the atomic number and ensuring that students recall how this number can be used to identify the number of protons (and electrons) in an atom. Time is taken to link to Dmitri Mendeleev and how he used the atomic number in his original formatting. Moving forwards, students will be challenged to write the electron configurations for a number of atoms from group 2 and then to identify the connection between the number of electrons in the outer shell and the group number. Again, time is taken to make links to other related topics such as the alkali metals, halogens and noble gases and how their chemical properties are similar based on this outer shell number. Students will discover how the period number is linked to the number of occupied shells. The remainder of the lesson uses two understanding checks to challenge the students to bring together their knowledge to place an element in the correct place in a blank Periodic Table when given information about the atomic number or electron configuration.

This is an engaging lesson that looks at a range of condensation polymers that are formed by condensation reactions. The lesson includes a detailed lesson presentation (51 slides) and accompanying worksheets which contain a differentiated task. The lesson begins by providing the students with a definition of a condensation reaction and challenging them to predict the identity of the smaller molecule. Moving forwards, students will learn that as well as water being a product, the larger molecule is known as a condensation polymer. Time is taken to look at a range of condensation polymers throughout the course of the lesson, and this includes both natural and artificial examples. Students are shown how to draw block diagrams to visualise how the functional groups react and then once water is removed, they are able to see the group that remains and joins the parts together. Students are shown how to name the ester formed according to the carboxylic acid and alcohol involved. The final part of the lesson involves a summary quiz called “It’s time to take the POLYGRAPH” where they have to read a number of passages about condensation polymers and decide which ones are telling lies and which are the truth. This lesson has been written for GCSE students

A fully resourced lesson which includes an informative lesson presentation (25 slides) and an associated worksheet that show students how to give answers to a certain number of significant figures. The answers to questions in Science are often required to be given in significant figures and this lesson guides students through this process, including the rules of rounding that must be applied for success to be likely. This lesson has been designed for GCSE students but is suitable for KS3

A fully-resourced lesson which includes a lesson presentation (24 slides) and a worksheet which is differentiated so that students can judge their understanding of the topic of writing half equations for electrolysis and access the work accordingly. The lesson uses worked examples and helpful hints to show the students how to write half equations at both the cathode and anode. Time is taken to remind students about the rules at the electrodes when the electrolyte is in solution so that they can work out the products before writing the equations. This lesson has been designed for GCSE students (14 - 16 years old in the UK) but could be used with older students.

A fully-resourced lesson, which includes a lesson presentation (49 slides) and associated worksheets and guides students through the topic of extracting metals. The main focus of the lesson is the extracting of the metals (from their oxides) that fall below carbon in the reactivity series. Students will see how the metal oxides are reduced in order to form the required metal. Some time is taken to briefly look at the extraction of aluminium from aluminium oxide but if a lesson on the extraction of a particular metal is sought, then please look at my additional resources which cover iron and aluminium in greater detail. This lesson has been designed for GCSE students (14 - 16 year olds in the UK)

A fully-resourced lesson that includes a lesson presentation (20 slides) and a differentiated worksheet. The lesson uses a step-by-step method to guide students through the process of writing net ionic equations. Students will learn the meaning of a spectator ion and be able to identify them within an equation so that they can be removed when writing the final net ionic equation. The lesson focuses on writing these equations for neutralisation and precipitation reactions, with the former being a very common question in assessments. This lesson has been written for GCSE students (14 - 16 year olds)

An engaging lesson which looks at the properties of the Transition metals of the Periodic Table and ultimately compares these properties against other metals, such as the Alkali metals. Through the use of a range of motivating tasks and quiz competitions, students will learn that the transition metals form coloured compounds, have a number of ion charges, act as catalysts and are harder, stronger but less reactive than group 1. This lesson has been written for GCSE students (14 - 16 year olds) but is suitable for younger students who are looking at the patterns and trends in the Periodic Table

A fully resourced lesson that includes a lesson presentation (31 slides) and a related newspaper story to allow the students to compare the structure and properties of two allotropes of carbon, diamond and graphite. Students are guided through the structures and then challenged to work out how this relates to their respective properties. Time is taken to focus on the comparison between the two in terms of their ability to conduct electricity. A step by step answer is used to explain why diamond cannot conduct electricity so that students can use this when forming their answer for graphite. This lesson has been designed primarily for GCSE students (14 - 16 year olds) where questions comparing these two substances are common but it is suitable for use with younger students too.

A fully-resourced lesson which guides students through the method involved in calculating the empirical formula and includes a concise, clear lesson presentation (21 slides) and practice questions. Students are given a template to use as they are introduced to the questions and then encouraged to work without it as the lesson progresses. The students are shown how empirical formula questions can be made more difficult and hints are given so that students are able to tackle them and access all of the marks available. This lesson has been designed for GCSE students (14 - 16 year olds in the UK)

A fully-resourced lesson that teaches students how to calculate the concentration of a solution in the units grams per decimetres cubed and mol per decimetre cubed. The lesson includes a concise but detailed lesson presentation (20 slides) and a set of differentiated questions. The lesson begins by introducing students to volumes in decimetres cubed and time is taken to ensure that students are able to convert to this measurement. Moving forwards, students are guided through how to calculate the concentration in both units through the use of worked examples. Differentiated questions are available so that all abilities can access the work. This lesson has been written for GCSE students (14 - 16 year olds in the UK) but could be used with students who are beginning their A level Chemistry studies

A resourced lesson which guides students through the method of writing word equations for a range of different chemical reactions. The lesson includes an engaging and informative lesson presentation (33 slides) and an associated worksheet containing questions. The lesson begins by reminding students of the form which word equations take, with the reactants chemically changing into the products. Moving forwards, time is taken to show students how to work out the name of a compound that contains either 2 or 3 elements. This moves nicely into the reaction of acids and how to name the salt that is produced. Students are shown the general formula for the reactions of acids with a metal, a metal carbonate and a metal oxide or hydroxide so that they can form word equations for each of these reactions in the progress check task. The final section of the lesson introduces reversible reactions to the students and shows them the symbol that is used in these word equations to replace the arrow. There are regular progress checks throughout the lesson to allow the students to check on their understanding and thorough explanations of the required answers. This lesson has been written for GCSE students but is perfectly suitable for KS3 students too.