'If you keep trying the same old things, you'll keep getting the same old results'. Imaginative teaching ideas help stimulate students and improve student retention. I don't claim to be an expert but I hope that some of my ideas will help other teachers.
'If you keep trying the same old things, you'll keep getting the same old results'. Imaginative teaching ideas help stimulate students and improve student retention. I don't claim to be an expert but I hope that some of my ideas will help other teachers.
This resource is designed to help students understand how elements in the periodic table are arranged. Students need to understand that the periodic table is a way of organizing all known elements based on their properties. Elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic number, and elements in the same column, or group, have similar chemical behaviors. The periodic table also helps students predict how elements might interact, showing trends in properties like reactivity and atomic size across periods and groups. This resource contains 3 separate activities with an instruction sheet outlining how to use this resource:
Understanding electron structures
Students need to understand that electrons are arranged in specific energy levels, or shells, around the nucleus of an atom. Each shell can hold a certain number of electrons: the first shell can hold up to 2 electrons, the second can hold up to 8, and so on. These arrangements determine an element’s chemical properties, as electrons in the outermost shell, or valence electrons, are the ones involved in chemical reactions. With low ability students in a small class, you can use the blank electron structure sheets showing the element symbol and empty electron shells, and as a class you can use counters to show the electron structures of the atoms. With higher ability classes, you can either give pairs of student’s electron structures to fill in or put the blank electron structures around the sides of the room that they fill in then bring to the middle of the room to be used centrally.
Constructing the periodic table activities
Once you’ve got a full set of 20 electron structures you can get down to helping students construct a periodic table. There are a number of easy steps that you can follow to help them put a periodic table together. Also, if you don’t want students to do this as a full class, I have used small packs of element with electron structure cards that students can use in pairs.
If you are doing this as a large modelling activity, you can add on labels showing students the names of groups and periods. You’ll then have the opportunity to ask students loads of questions about the electron structure of atoms and what we can tell about elements based on where they have been placed in the periodic table.
This resource is a lesson focused on improving students exam technique when answering questions on water treatment. This resource includes:
1: A power point to lead students through the lesson
2: 4 slides on how to generally improve Science exam technique
3: A question on water filters
4: A question on desalination
5: Questions on water treatment
6: A data analysis question on sewage
7: A question on sewage treatment
8: A set of questions for students to work through during the lesson
9: A version of the power point for students to use
This lesson is designed to take 1 hour. After taking to students generally about exam technique the lesson has been designed to go through content, get students to complete exam style questions then go through the answers with students which are integrated into the power point.
This resource can be used with individual classes or if you have a hall free to use, for intervention sessions with large groups of students. The structure of the lesson has been designed to enable students to work at a fast pace and reflect on their own progress throughout as well as giving the teacher the opportunity to spot any gaps in students knowledge
Thanks for looking
This resource is a lesson focused on improving students exam technique when answering questions on Chemistry practicals. For each required practical there is an explanation of how to carry it out, a long answer question looking at getting students to write methods, a diagram / model to help students write a method and an answer to each question. This resource includes:
1: A power point to lead students through the lesson
2: 4 slides on how to generally improve Science exam technique
3: A slide on key vocabulary to do with practicals
4: A questions looking at endo and exothermic reaction practicals
5: A questions looking at the density required practical
6: A questions looking at chromatography practicals
7: A questions looking at rate of reaction practicals
8: A set of questions for students to work through during the lesson
9: A version of the power point for students to use
This lesson is designed to take 1 hour. After taking to students generally about exam technique the lesson has been designed to go through content, get students to complete exam style questions then go through the answers with students which are integrated into the power point.
This resource can be used with individual classes or if you have a hall free to use, for intervention sessions with large groups of students. The structure of the lesson has been designed to enable students to work at a fast pace and reflect on their own progress throughout as well as giving the teacher the opportunity to spot any gaps in students knowledge
Thanks for looking
This resource is a lesson focused on improving students exam technique when answering questions on group 1, 7 & 0 elements. This resource includes:
1: A power point to lead students through the lesson
2: 4 slides on how to generally improve Science exam technique
3: Questions on group 1 elements
4: Questions on group 7 elements
5: A question on group 0 elements
6: A set of questions for students to work through during the lesson
7: A version of the power point for students to use
This lesson is designed to take 1 hour. After taking to students generally about exam technique the lesson has been designed to go through content, get students to complete exam style questions then go through the answers with students which are integrated into the power point.
This resource can be used with individual classes or if you have a hall free to use, for intervention sessions with large groups of students. The structure of the lesson has been designed to enable students to work at a fast pace and reflect on their own progress throughout as well as giving the teacher the opportunity to spot any gaps in students knowledge
Thanks for looking
This resource is a lesson focused on improving students exam technique when answering questions on bonding. This resource includes:
1: A power point to lead students through the lesson
2: 4 slides on how to generally improve Science exam technique
3: A question on atomic structure
4: A questions looking simple ionic bonding
5: A question looking at covalent bonding
6: A question on giant ionic bonding
7: A question on simple covalent molecules
8: A question on giant covalent molecules
9: A question on graphite
10: A question on diamond
11: A question on metallic bonding
12: A set of questions for students to work through during the lesson
13: A version of the power point for students to use
This lesson is designed to take 1 hour. After taking to students generally about exam technique the lesson has been designed to go through content, get students to complete exam style questions then go through the answers with students which are integrated into the power point.
This resource can be used with individual classes or if you have a hall free to use, for intervention sessions with large groups of students. The structure of the lesson has been designed to enable students to work at a fast pace and reflect on their own progress throughout as well as giving the teacher the opportunity to spot any gaps in students knowledge
Thanks for looking
This resource contains over 80 activities for GCSE Science coving areas of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Most of the activities are designed to help improve students literacy by having sections within them which force students to engage with a piece of key information then answer a a range of questions on it building in complexity.
Activities also contain a high level of duel coding, incorporating bespoke diagrams which are designed to help students to engage with the text in the activity. There are also a range of opportunities for students to identify and use key words.
Over the lock down and periods of home schooling these activities have proved to improve student progress and improve their literacy skills when engaging with Science.
Thanks for looking
Any feedback in the review section would also be appreciated
This resource is a lesson with activities covering the properties and effects of atmospheric pollutants content in the 2015 AQA Chemistry specification. This resource includes:
1: A power point to lead students through the lesson
2: A key information starter game
3: A air pollution spag activity
4: A long answer question analysis activity
5: A group work task
6: A 6 mark assessment question
7: A set of notes for students to use
8: A version of the lesson that can be used just from the front of the room
9: A link to a bespoke video that goes through the lesson that can be used for remote learning
Thanks for looking
This resource is a lesson with activities covering the alloys content in the 2015 AQA Chemistry specification. This resource includes:
1: A power point to lead students through the lesson
2: A key information starter game
3: A sheet for students to work through
4: A 6 mark assessment question
5: A group work activity
6: A set of notes for students to use
7: A version of the lesson that can be used just from the front of the room
8: A link to a bespoke video that goes through the lesson that can be used for remote learning
Thanks for looking
This resource is a lesson with activities covering the reactions of alkenes content in the 2015 AQA Chemistry specification. This resource includes:
1: A power point with activities to lead students through the lesson
2: An alkene key information starter game
3: Activities looking at the reactions with water, bromine and hydrogen
4: A 6 mark assessment question on addition polymerisation of alkenes
5: A sheet for students to work through
6: A set of notes for students to use
7: A version of the lesson that can be used just from the front of the room
8: A link to a bespoke video that goes through the lesson that can be used for remote learning
Thanks for looking
This resource is a lesson with activities covering the carboxylic acids content in the 2015 AQA Chemistry specification. This resource includes:
1: A power point with activities to lead students through the lesson
2: A exam question answer analysis starter activity
3: Activities going through the properties & strength of carboxylic acids
4: A how esters are produced activity
5: A question sheet for students to work through
6: A method for investigating the reaction of carboxylic acid and calcium carbonate
7: A 6 mark assessment question
8: A set of notes for students to use
9: A version of the lesson that can be used just from the front of the room
10: A link to a bespoke video that goes through the lesson that can be used for remote learning
This resource is a lesson with activities covering the factors affecting rate of reaction section of the 2015 AQA Chemistry specification. This resource includes:
1: A power point with activities to lead students through the lesson
2: A starter game looking at key words used in practical investigations
3: Activities looking at the affect of surface area, temperature, catalysts and concentration on rate of reaction
4: A question for students to work through for homework
5: A 6 mark assessment question
6: A set of notes for students to use
7: A version of the lesson that can be used just from the front of the room
8: A link to a bespoke video that goes through the lesson that can be used for remote learning
This resource is a lesson with activities covering the global warming content of the 2015 AQA Chemistry specification. This resource includes:
1: A power point to lead students through the lesson
2: A 6 mark question starter activity
3: A global warming graph activity
4: A how global warming is caused activity
5: A suggested model activity
6: A 6 mark plenary question
7: A student sheet for them to work through during the lesson
8: A set of notes for students to use
9: A version of the lesson that can be used just from the front of the room
10: A link to a bespoke video that goes through the lesson that can be used for remote learning
Thanks for looking
This resource is a lesson with activities covering the testing for ions content in the 2015 AQA Chemistry specification. This resource includes:
1: A power point to lead students through the lesson
2: Explanations how to test for metal ions, sulphates, halides, carbonates & carry out flame tests
3: A sheet for students to fill out
4: A starter game based on experimental command words
5: Quick practice exam style questions
6: A work out what is in a mixture activity
7: A key information annotation activity
8: A 6 mark assessment question
9: A set of notes for students to use
10: A version of the lesson that can be used just from the front of the room
11: A link to a bespoke video that goes through the lesson that can be used for remote learning
Thanks for looking
This resource is a lesson with activities covering the reacting acids & metals content in the 2015 AQA Chemistry specification. This resource includes:
1: A power point to lead students through the lesson
2: A sheet for students to work through during the lesson
3: A command word starter game
4: A reactivity series activity
5: A equation activity
6: A practical design activity
7: A group presentation activity
8: A graph analysis activity
9: A 6 mark assessment question
Thanks for looking
This resource is a lesson with activities covering the ceramics, polymers and composites content in the 2015 AQA Chemistry specification. This resource includes:
1: A power point to lead students through the lesson
2: A sheet for students to fill out during the lesson
3: A key information starter game
4: A composite information hunt
5: A composite presentation activity
6: A polymers literacy activity
7: A polymer properties activity
8: A ceramic properties activity
9: A 6 mark assessment question
Thanks for looking
This resource is a lesson with activities covering the extraction of metals content in the 2015 AQA Chemistry specification. This resource includes:
1: A power point to lead students through the lesson
2: A question analysis starter activity
3: A reactivity series activity
4: A copper smelting activity
5: A iron extraction activity
6: A group presentation activity
7: A 6 mark assessment question
8: A copper extraction student sheet
Thanks for looking
This resource is a lesson and activities covering the conservation of mass content in the 2015 AQA Chemistry specification. This resource includes:
1: A power point to lead students through the lesson
2: A sheet for students to work through during the lesson]
3: A starter game to re-enforce that mass can not be lost in a reaction
4: A calculating mass of products and reactants activity
5: A balancing equations activity
6: A conservation of mass using RFM activity
7: 50 extra conservation of mass questions
8: A set of notes for students to use
9: A version of the lesson that can be used just from the front of the room
10: A link to a bespoke video that goes through the lesson that can be used for remote learning
Thanks for looking
This resource is a lesson with activities covering the reactivity series content of the 2015 AQA Chemistry specification. This resource includes:
1: A power point to lead students through the lesson
2: A starter game based on practical command words
3: A reaction of metals with water activity
4: A reaction of metals with acid activity
5: A reactivity series practical design activity
6: A group presentation activity
7: A sheet for students to fill out during a reactivity series investigation
8: A 6 mark assessment question
Thanks for looking
This resource is a lesson and activities covering the acid rain content in the 2015 AQA Chemistry specification. This resource includes:
1: A power point to lead students through the lesson
2: A sheet for students to fill in
3: A burning fuels starter activity
4: A formation of acid rain activity
5: A problems caused by acid rain activity
6: A 6 mark assessment activity
7: A group presentation activity
8: A slide that can be used for flipped learning
9: A set of notes for students to use
10: A version of the lesson that can be used just from the front of the room
11: A link to a bespoke video that goes through the lesson that can be used for remote learning
Thanks for looking
This resource is a lesson with activities covering the catalysts content of the 2015 AQA Chemistry specification. This resource includes:
1: A power point to lead students through the lesson
2: A command word starter game
3: A catalyst graph activity
4: A catalyst method analysis activity
5: A catalyst method construction activity
6: A group presentation activity
7: A 6 mark assessment question
8: A homework activity
Thanks for looking