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).
This is a 1 hour lesson resource designed for a mid-ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science curriculum. They were studying the topic on the digestive system and enzymes.
This lesson focuses on the function of the liver.
In this lesson, students will practice:
Labelling the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, bile duct
Describing the functions of the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, bile duct
Describing the role of the bile in terms of neutralising stomach acid and emulsifying lipids
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 1 hour lesson designed for a mixed ability year 8 class.
This is the 5th lesson in “Chapter 1 - Health and Lifestyle” from Activate 2, Biology.
This lesson should be suitable to teach to any KS3 Biology class, even by those where Biology is not their specialism.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Explain why bacteria cannot live in the stomach
Describe the role of gut bacteria in the body
Explain what is meant by the term ‘probiotic’
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 revision placemat designed for KS3 sutdents based on nutrition.
This could also be suitable for lower ability KS4 students.
The revision placemat covers:
Which nutrients are found in which foods
The function of each nutrient in the body
Labelling the digestive system
The action of protease, lipase and amylase
Labelling the parts of an enzyme / Lock and key theory
Food tests
Effect of temperature on enzymes
A full lesson on bacterial diseases designed for a mixed ability year 9 class doing the AQA GCSE Biology specification.
This lesson contains:
A 5 in 5 style retrieval starter
An introduction into pathogens - what they are, the four types
A video on salmonella
A true or false quiz on salmonella
An open written task on salmonella with peer assessment
Direct instruction slides on gonorrhoea
Lightning cold call questions on gonorrhoea
An open task to design a fact sheet on gonorrhoea for a doctor’s office
Guided self assessment
A plenary task
A full 1 hour lesson resource on puberty for a KS3 Biology class.
This resource was originally designed for a mid-set year 7 class, girls only. However, this would be suitable to deliver to any KS3 class of any ability or gender.
This PowerPoint involves:
A “5 in 5” retrieval style starter
A group activity annotating an outline of a female’s body to show the changes that occur during puberty
An embedded video on the changes in males during puberty
Direct instruction on the effects of hormones on starting puberty
A multiple choice hand signal quiz
A ‘choose the word’ written task, with guided self assessment
A written true or false quiz to address misconceptions about puberty
A T-table task sorting changes in puberty into males only, females only, or both males and females
A homework task to write a response to an agony aunt letter
A written plenary task
A knowledge organiser based on the AQA GCSE Combined Science topic ‘Chemistry of the Atmosphere’.
This knowledge organiser covers:
Chemistry of the atmosphere - early atmosphere vs. current atmosphere. How did it change over time?
Greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect
Sulfur dioxide how it is formed and the problems it causes
Oxides of nitrogen how it is formed and the problems it causes
Carbon monoxide how it is formed and the problems it causes
Particulate carbon how it is formed and the problems it causes
Acid rain
An A3 knowledge organiser on the Organic Chemistry topic from the AQA GCSE Combined Science syllabus.
Also suitable for AQA GCSE Chemistry, although does not include the ‘more organic chemistry’ topic.
The knowledge organiser includes information on:
The structure and formula of alkanes
The structure and formula of alkenes
Tests for alkenes
Complete combustion of hydrocarbons
Incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons
Trends in the properties of hydrocarbons
Fractional distillation
Cracking
This resource was designed for a top set year 8 class studying an electricity topic.
This resource requires the following practical equipment:
One large rope for demo
Power packs
Crocodile clips
Wires
Bulbs
Ammeters
Resistors
This PowerPoint resource contains:
A “5 in 5” retrieval style starter on current, potential difference and insulators
A retrieval practice task on giving definitions for key terms (current, potential difference, ammeter, voltmeter, electrons)
Direct instruction on resistance with dual coding
A hand signals quiz to check for understanding
A simple ‘fill in the blanks’ task with delayed key word bank
A rope model demo for current and resistance
A discussion task about the model - what did each person represent?
A practical activity on the effect of resistors on current in a circuit (results table provided as print out)
A plenary task (writing a conclusion for the investigation)
A full 1-hour lesson resource designed for a mixed ability year 9 class studying the AQA GCSE Biology topic “Ecosystems”.
This lesson focuses on levels of organisation in an ecosystem.
This resource contains:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
A turn and talk task, with answer slide
Introduction slides on levels of organisation (dual coding, reduced cognitive load)
Checkpoints - Short written tasks in book to maintain engagement
Hand signal quizzes to check understanding (with answer slides)
Written task - matching key vocab to definitions (with answer slides)
Class discussion - link to levels of organisation in an organism
Embedded YouTube video from Amoeba sisters
Whiteboard quiz, with answer slides
Written plenary task
A full 1-hour lesson resource designed for a mid-ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science curriculum.
This resource focuses on introducing enzymes, specifically on the action of enzymes and lock and key theory.
This resource contains:
A ‘5 in 5’ retrieval-style starter
A lesson hook
An introduction task on what an enzyme is
Teacher input slides on enzyme action (active site, substrate, product)
Multiple choice hand signal quizzes
Student independent task, drawing and labelling enzyme-substrate complex (with answer slide)
Teacher model slides, naming the enzyme, substrate and product
Student independent task naming enzyme, substrates and products (with answer slide)
Guided class discussion about locks and keys, how they work
Teacher input slides on the lock and key theory, with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Guided class discussion, applying lock and key theory as to why protease can’t be used to break down starch
Student independent practice on lock and key theory (with optional scaffold, and answer slide)
Written plenary
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum in science.
This lesson is focused on contraception.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Name two methods of contraception (condoms, contraceptive pill)
Describe how each method of contraception works (barrier, contains hormones to prevent ovulation)
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each type of contraception
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
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum in science.
This lesson is focused on ‘Chemical Formulae’ from ‘Chapter 2: Elements, atoms, and compounds’ from Activate 1.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Name a familiar two-element chemical compound.
Determine the chemical formula of a compound, given the relative numbers of atoms of the elements in it.
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 1 hour lesson designed for a mixed ability year 7 class.
This is the 6th and penultimate lesson in “Chapter 2 - Reactions” from Activate 1, Chemistry. This lesson is on ‘conservation of mass’.
This lesson should be suitable to teach to any KS3 Chemistry class, even by those where chemistry is not their specialism.
This lesson (and all lessons in this unit) is designed to be interactive and engaging, with plenty of real world examples and independent tasks.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
State what the law of conservation of mass is
Explain why mass is conserved during a chemical reaction (no atoms are created or destroyed, only rearranged)
Use the conservation of mass to calculate the mass of a reactant or product
Balance simple formula equations
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
This unit of work contains four 1-hour lesson resources designed for a mixed ability year 7 class.
This unit follows "Chapter 4 - Space” from Activate 1, Physics.
However, it would be suitable for any KS3 curriculum studying physics.
This unit of work is designed to be engaging and interactive, with plenty of practical demonstrations and teacher models. There are a couple of class practicals too which come with risk assessments and full, chunked instructions.
The lessons are designed so that they can be delivered by any member of staff, regardless of whether chemistry is their specialism. They are also suitable for students working outside the classroom, e.g. in isolation.
The lessons should be delivered in this order:
The night sky
The Solar System
The Earth
The Moon
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
This resource is based on the AQA GCSE Combined Science syllabus, and was designed for a lower set year 9 group.
It is useful as a support sheet throughout the topic, or as a revision tool at the end of the unit.
The resource covers the structures and properties of:
Diamond
Graphite
Graphene
Buckminsterfullerene
Carbon nanotubes
A full 1 hour lesson on fungal diseases from the AQA GCSE Biology syllabus. Also suitable for AQA GCSE Combined Science.
This resource contains:
A 5 in 5 style retrieval starter
A lesson hook on parasitic fungi in ants
A hook / discussion on making links between athlete’s foot and mushrooms
Direct instruction on athlete’s foot - causes, methods of spread, prevention
A choice task ‘choose the difficulty’ - three deliberate practice questions on athlete’s foot (with answers)
Retrieval practice linking tobacco mosaic virus to photosynthesis topic
Direct instruction on rose black spot
Lightning questions on rose black spot
A practice exam-style question on rose black spot with guided peer assessment
A ‘question olympics’ game - retrieval from this topic
A plenary task
A full 1 hour lesson resource designed for a mixed ability year 12 class studying the OCR Biology A specification.
This is from the unit 4.2.2 Classification and Evolution, from the specification point i) “how evoluton in some species has implicatons for human populatons.”
This lesson resource contains:
A “5 in 5” style retrieval starter
A linked video on how MRSA evolved
Direct instruction on antibiotic resistance (dual coding, reduced cognitive load)
A linked video visually showing the evolution of antibiotic resistance
Checkpoints (MCQs from exams with answers)
A discussion on antiviral resistance in HIV
An application question on drug resistance in malaria from the CGP textbook (with guided self assessment)
An embedded video - a news report on pesticide resistance in bed bugs
A case study on DDT resistance in house flies, with a guided discussion
An exam-style question on pesticide resistance from the CGP textbook (with guided self assessment)
Suitable for a KS3 or KS4 science lesson on extinction.
A board game for 2-4 players.
Contains a playing board with rules and instructions.
You will need dice for each group, plus counters (I get mine to use pen lids or rubbers).
Students will pretend to be a species and try to make it to the finish square without going extinct!
Students will need to read the tiles on the board and respond accordingly.
Along the way, students should learn about some common causes of extinction, as well as about adaptation and natural selection.
A good extension or homework task is to ask students to design their own board game titled ‘extinction’.
This lesson was designed for a lower ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science syllabus.
This is a full 1 hour lesson which contains:
A 5-in-5 retrieval style starter
A discussion and video as a lesson hook
Direct instruction slides on selective breeding
Guided student discussions with feedback
A visual, step-by-step instruction of selectively breeding flowers
A ‘teacher model’ slide which models how to answer exam questions on selective breeding
Written exam questions (with scaffolds) for students to complete independently
A printout for students to respond to exam questions on
A written plenary task (exam question) with feedback
A bundle of lessons on the ‘classification and evolution’ topic, from the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification.
These lessons were specifically designed for a lower ability year 10 class, but would be suitable for any KS4 group with some minor tweaking.
All lessons include:
A 5-in-5 retrieval starter
A lesson hook and/or additional retrieval practice
Very clear direct instruction slides (low cognitive load, dual coding)
Checks for understanding (quizzes, hand signals, cold call questions)
Teacher modeling
Guided discussions
Independent tasks with modeled answers
Exam questions with mark schemes and/or modeled answers
A written plenary