I am a secondary science teacher from Plymouth, United Kingdom. I have a passion for designing interactive, engaging and well scaffolded resources that are inclusive for all pupils. I teach all years, from years 7-13. I teach KS3 Activate (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy (Biology and Chemistry), AQA GCSE Biology, AQA GCSE Chemistry, and A Level Biology (OCR A).
I am a secondary science teacher from Plymouth, United Kingdom. I have a passion for designing interactive, engaging and well scaffolded resources that are inclusive for all pupils. I teach all years, from years 7-13. I teach KS3 Activate (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy (Biology and Chemistry), AQA GCSE Biology, AQA GCSE Chemistry, and A Level Biology (OCR A).
A revision mat for a KS3 class studying electricity and magnetism.
This revision placemat is designed for a top set year 8 class.
This revision placemat covers:
Circuit symbols
The role of each component in a circuit
The rules for current in series and parallel circuits
Potential difference
Drawing voltmeters in parallel
Resistance
Static electricity in terms of electrons / distribution of charge
Magnetism - attraction and repulsion
Magnetic fields
Electromagnetism (what is it, how can the strength be changed, what are the uses)
A full hour lesson designed for year 7 as part of an ‘introduction to science’ unit, teaching key science skills to new students in KS3.
This full hour lesson resource contains:
A ‘5 in 5’ style retrieval starter recapping key concepts from primary school, lab safety, scientific apparatus, measuring, Bunsen burners, writing methods, drawing tables
A lesson hook - funny graphs showing that correlation does not equal causation
A guided student discussion - name the different types of graph and chart
Direct instruction on categoric vs. discrete data
A checkpoint task on categoric vs. discrete data - which is which?
A fill in the blanks task, with answers
direct instruction - rules for drawing a graph
Spot the mistakes task in various graphs
Guided teacher model (visualiser required) - students draw graph along with teacher
Independent task - students draw their own line graph from a results table
A written plenary task
A full 1-hour lesson designed for a mixed ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Chemistry topic on “Electrolysis”.
This lesson focuses on the electrolysis of aqueous solutions, with a specific focus on identifying the products formed at each electrode.
This PowerPoint includes:
A ‘5-in-5’ retrieval-style starter
A retrieval practice task recapping the reactivity series (with varying levels of difficulty / scaffold to choose from)
Guided class discussions
Introduction slides outlining the rules at each electrode
Teacher model slides to practice naming the product at each electrode
Hand signal quizzes with answers, to check pupils’ understanding
Table for students to copy and complete, practising naming the products at each electrode (varying levels of scaffold to choose from)
Exam Questions for students to practise, with varying levels of scaffold to choose from
Answer slides
A game of ‘splat’ for students to play as a plenary task
A color-coded worksheet to help students work through word equations for neutralisation reactions.
Really useful to help lower ability or KS3 classes visualise where the products of neutralisation reactions come from.
Includes a worked example and answer key.
This is a full 1 hour lesson resource designed for a mid-ability year 9 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification.
This class were at the end of the “Quantitative Chemistry” topic, on the spec point “chemical measurements”.
However, this should be suitable for any GCSE class studying errors and uncertainty.
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
Recall the terms systematic error, random error, zero error and parallax error and explain what they mean
Identify which type of error is shown from an example
Know what ‘uncertainty’ means
Calculate uncertainty from a range of results about a mean
This lesson is designed to be teachable by a non subject specialist, with all answers and content on the slides. The intention of each slide is made very clear.
This lesson contains a range of concrete examples, including a model where students will need to use stopwatches.
The mathematical section of this lesson is presented in an “I do, we do, you do” manner with scaffolded examples.
Exam questions are included with mark schemes, and plenty of AFL is planned and included.
This lesson includes a printable worksheet, with answers.
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A full hour lesson designed for year 7 as part of an ‘introduction to science’ unit, teaching key science skills to new students in KS3.
This full hour lesson resource contains:
A ‘5 in 5’ style retrieval starter recapping key concepts from primary school, plus questions on lab safety
An embedded animated video showing and naming key scientific apparatus in the lab
A scavenger hunt activity, for students to find key practical equipment in the science lab
Introduction slides on 2D drawings of apparatus
Whiteboard quiz on naming / drawing apparatus, with answers
An independent task on drawing apparatus, with answers
A written plenary task
This resource was designed for a higher ability year 7 class to revise our recent topic on reproduction.
It could be used for a lower ability KS4 group.
There are two different versions of this resource with slight variations - one is more open and challenging, the other is more scaffolded. These have been clearly identified for you.
The areas covered in this revision placemat are:
Labeling the male reproductive system
Labeling the female reproductive system
The function of each of the key reproductive organs
Identifying the changes during puberty that occur in males and females
The stages of the menstrual cycle
Fertilisation
A brief overview of pregnancy and childbirth
From topic 2.1.4 Enzymes, spec point:
d) i) the effects of pH, temperature, enzyme concentration and substrate concentration on enzyme activity, to include reference to the temperature coefficient.
My lesson resources always contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A full hour lesson designed for year 7 as part of an ‘introduction to science’ unit, teaching key science skills to new students in KS3.
This full hour lesson resource contains:
A ‘5 in 5’ style retrieval starter recapping key concepts from primary school, lab safety, scientific apparatus, measuring, Bunsen burners
A lesson hook - writing instructions for an alien to draw a stick man (guidance for teachers included)
A task on reproducibility - students follow instructions for drawing a house
Direct instruction on what makes a good scientific method
Independent task - writing instructions for making a cup of tea
Practical demo - teacher follows students’ instructions and makes cups of tea
Peer assessment slide
An independent task - students write a method for a scientific investigation
A written plenary task
A colour-coded worksheet to scaffold writing word equations for displacement reactions.
The worksheet contains a description of displacement reactions, a reactivity series for reference, an example of a completed word equation, and 15 questions for students to attempt ramped in difficulty.
Eventually students should work up to writing word equations for displacement reactions without needing the colour coding.
This revision place mat was designed for a lower ability year 11 group studying the topic ‘homeostasis’.
This resources covers the following topics from AQA GCSE Combined Science:
Structure of a neurone
Reflex arc
Ruler drop test method for reaction time
Endocrine system - matching hormones to glands
Blood glucose control (foundation tier only, no glucagon)
Diabetes (type 1 vs. type 2)
A revision placemat designed for a lower ability year 10 class for the ‘electrolysis’ topic.
It is well scaffolded.
The placemat covers:
Labelling cathode, anode, cations, anions, electrolytes
Reactivity series
The general process of electrolysis
Predicting the products of electrolysis of molten ionic compounds
The general rules for the electrolysis of aqueous solutions
Predicting the products of electrolysis of aqueous solutions
A full hour lesson designed for year 7 as part of an ‘introduction to science’ unit, teaching key science skills to new students in KS3.
This full hour lesson resource contains:
A ‘5 in 5’ style retrieval starter recapping key concepts from primary school, lab safety, and scientific apparatus
A retrieval practice slide checking students’ prior knowledge on reading scales (measuring cylinders, thermometers) - includes an answer slide
A health and safety slide
Practical activity making measurements of volume, temperature, length and mass - with printout of method and results tables
A written plenary task
This is a full 1 hour lesson designed for a mixed ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Biology syllabus.
This lesson covers the definition of a species, and the theory of speciation.
This lesson PowerPoint contains:
A “5-in-5” retrieval-style starter
A lesson hook
Direct instruction slides (dual coding, reduced cognitive load)
An embedded youtube video on speciation
Guided class discussions
Regular checks for understanding (hand signals, true/false quizzes etc.)
A guided teacher model of the theory of speciation
An independent task for students (cut and stick flow chart / story board on speciation)
An exam question with mark scheme included
Worksheets included for the flow chart and exam question.
A full 1 hour lesson designed for a low ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science syllabus.
This is a theory lesson, so suitable for teaching random sampling with quadrats in the winter months!
This lesson focuses on the method of random sampling, as well as the calculations.
This resource includes:
A ‘5 in 5’ retrieval-style starter
A careers link (ecological consultant)
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
An embedded video
An animated teacher model, helping students to visualise the method
Model results
A teacher model on calculating a mean / estimations, with answer slides
Exam question on random sampling method, with optional scaffold, and answer slide
Exam questions on calculations, with answer slides
Written plenary
A resource containing:
Five A3 information sheets on giant covalent molecules / allotropes of carbon (diamond, graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes, Buckminsterfullerene)
A structured template for an A4 fact sheet for students to fill in
This resource works great for SEND classes that benefit from movement around the room. This is a great reading comprehension task and trains students to seek relevant information from chunks of text.
This resource was designed for a low ability year 9 class as end of unit revision.
This lesson was designed for a lower ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification.
This lesson covers the Linnaean classification system, the binomial naming system, and the three-domain system of classification.
This is a full 1 hour lesson which contains:
A 5-in-5 retrieval style starter
A lesson hook
Direct instruction slides on classification
An embedded video (catchy song!)
Guided student discussions
Plenty of checkpoints (e.g. multiple choice hand signal questions)
Visual teacher-led models
Student written tasks
Exam questions with scaffolds, and modeled answers
A written plenary
A full 1 hour lesson resource designed for a mixed ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Chemistry specification.
This lesson is from the ‘electrolysis’ topic and guides students through the Required Practical on electrolysis.
This resource contains a guided PowerPoint (inc. a health and safety slide), and a student method sheet with a results table and application questions. The slide contains answers to the application questions.
My lesson resources always contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A PowerPoint lesson resource on the structure and properties of graphene and fullerenes (Buckminsterfullerene and carbon nanotubes).
This resource was a designed for a bottom set year 9 class, so is highly scaffolded. Scaffolds can be removed to suit all sets / abilities.
This resource contains:
A “5 in 5” retrieval style starter on giant covalent molecules and bonding
Direct instruction on graphene
A series of checkpoints (multipe choice quizzes, cold call questions, quick written tasks) based on short exam questions on graphene
An independent written exam question on the properties of graphene, with optional scaffold
Guided self assessment / model answers
An embedded video on buckyballs
Direct instruction slides on fullerenes (Buckminsterfullerene and carbon nanotubes)
A series of checkpoints (multipe choice quizzes, cold call questions, quick written tasks) based on short exam questions on fullerenes
An independent written exam question on the properties of fullerenes, with optional scaffold
Guided self assessment / model answers
A plenary task (6 mark exam question with answers)
This is a full 1 hour lesson resource on static electricity. This was originally designed for a top set year 8 class.
This lesson involves practical demonstrations and activities.
The following equipment will be needed:
A comb and a tap (for demo)
Balloons (for demo)
Empty can (for demo)
Plastic rods, cloth and small pieces of paper (for class practical)
The PowerPoint contains:
A “5 in 5” retrieval style starter based on the electricity topic, with answers
Retrieval practice on the structure of an atom and subatomic particles
A practical demo bending water using a comb
Direct instruction on static electricity (using comb and water as an example)
A hand signals ‘thumbs up’ true or false quiz
A practical demo making hair stand up using a balloon
A practical demo making an empty can roll using a balloon
A guided conservation on why this happens
A deliberate practice written task on static electricity, with guided self assessment
A class practical on picking up paper using static electricity
A deliberate practice written task on this practical, with guided self assessment
A plenary task