I am a secondary science teacher from Plymouth, United Kingdom. I mainly teach Biology and Chemistry and 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 the following curriculums:
- KS3 Activate
- AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy (Biology and Chemistry)
- AQA GCSE Biology
- AQA GCSE Chemistry
- OCR A, A Level Biology
I am a secondary science teacher from Plymouth, United Kingdom. I mainly teach Biology and Chemistry and 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 the following curriculums:
- KS3 Activate
- AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy (Biology and Chemistry)
- AQA GCSE Biology
- AQA GCSE Chemistry
- OCR A, A Level Biology
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
Revision placemat designed to review topic 4.1.1 from AQA Combined Science, Biology paper 1.
This topic is on cell biology and microscopy.
This revision placemat covers:
Labelling animal and plant cells
Matching organelles to their functions
Magnification calculations
Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
Examples of tissues, organs and organ systems in animals and plants
Specialised cells and their adaptations
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
Designed from the A Level Biology topic ‘Neuronal Communication’ (4.3) from the OCR Biology A specification.
It could also be used for students studying the AQA specification.
The loop cards will need to be cut out.
This is a loop card game - shuffle the cards and randomly distribute them to different students in the room.
Have one student read out their definition.
The student whose key word matches their definition should shout out the word, then read their definition.
Time how long it takes to loop back to the original student.
Can they beat their time next time?
A series of 8 full 1-hour lessons designed as an introduction unit for year 7s in science.
This resource includes the following lessons, which should be delivered in the order below:
Lab safety
Scientific apparatus
Measuring
Using Bunsen burners
Writing a scientific method
Drawing results tables
Drawing line graphs
Planning an investigation
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
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’.
Designed for students studying the AQA GCSE Chemistry syllabus, although also suitable for AQA GCSE Combined Science students.
This is an A3 Knowledge Organiser which details the following:
How to read a periodic table
What a ‘group’ tells us in the periodic table
Atomic structure
Position of alkali metals, halogens, noble gases and transition metals in the periodic table
Trends in reactivity of alkali metals
Trends in reactivity of halogens
Why noble gases are inert
Physical and chemical properties of transition metals
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
A game of ‘grudge ball’ designed for a KS3 revision lesson on electricity and magnetism. A multiple choice quiz style game with a twist.
The topics included in this revision quiz are:
Circuit symbols
The role of each component in a circuit
Current, including rules for current in series and parallel circuits
Potential difference
Resistance
Static electricity
Magnetism
Electromagnets
Rules:
There are 7 teams.
Every team starts with 6 points.
Each team takes in turns answering a multiple choice question.
A correct answer is worth 2 points.
A correct answer means a team member can try to land the ball in the basket.
A goal is worth 1 extra point.
With their points, students can choose to:
Add points to their score
Deduct the points from another team
A mixture of both
A full 1 hour lesson on food chains designed for a higher ability year 7 class.
This could be taught to any KS3 class, of any ability, with minor tweaks.
This lesson contains:
A 5-in-5 retrieval style starter
An embedded video clip from Zootopia
A retrieval practice from primary school - matching key terms e.g. predator/prey to their definitions
A directed student discussion on food chains
Direct instruction slides on food chains
Checkpoints
Student independent tasks writing simple food chains
Direct instruction on trophic levels
A true or false quiz on food chains and trophic levels
An independent task with a printable worksheet - drawing a food chain and naming the trophic levels
A whiteboard quiz
A written plenary task
A full 1-hour lesson designed for a mixed ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Chemistry topic ‘Electrolysis’. This lesson introduces the topic ‘electrolysis’ and focuses on the process of electrolysis.
This PowerPoint resource includes:
A ‘5-in-5’ retrieval-style starter
A recap of ionic bonding, featuring a ‘choose the word’ written task
Guided class discussions
Multiple choice hand signal quizzes to check for understanding, with answers
Teacher models, including animations
Mnemonic devices to help students remember the names of the ions and electrodes
A printed diagram for students to label of an electrolysis cell
A “fill in the blanks” style task for students to complete
Answer slides
A written plenary task, matching up key definitions from the lesson
A knowledge organiser designed for a year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science topic on digestion and enzymes.
This knowledge organiser contains:
Diagram of the human digestive system
Function of each digestive organ
Model for enzyme action
Lock and key theory for enzyme action
Effect of temperature on enzymes (graph and explanations)
Effect of pH on enzymes (graph and explanations)
Digestive enzymes (amylase, protease, lipase) with diagrams
Food tests (iodine, Benedict’s, Biuret, Sudan III)
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 the human digestive system, specifically labelling the organs in the digestive system and describing the function of each organ in the digestive system.
This resource contains:
A ‘5 in 5’ retrieval-style starter
A lesson hook
A retrieval practice - can students draw the organs in the correct place on the human body outline?
Teacher input slides - location of organs in digestive system
Check for understanding slides - cold call
Deliberate practice slide on labeling digestive system (worksheet include), with answer slide
Teacher input slides - function of organs
Multiple choice hand signals quizzes
Deliberate Practice slide - students match the function to the organ, with answer slides
Written plenary
A full 1-hour lesson resource designed for a mid-ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science curriculum.
This is a theory lesson that focuses on the effects of temperature and pH on enzyme activity.
This resource contains:
A ‘5 in 5’ retrieval-style starter
A retrieval practice hand signals quiz, focusing on identifying enzymes, the active site, substrate and product
Teacher input slides - story tellling “Goldlilocks and the three enzymes” to introduce the effect of temperature on enzymes
A guided class discussion
Student deliberate practice slides - explaining the graph on temperature and enzyme action, with optional scaffold slide, and answer slide
Teacher input slides on pH and enzymes (dual coding, reduced cognitive load)
Written multiple choice quiz
Student independent task, three levels of challenge
Answer slide
Written plenary (exam question, with key word bank), and answer slide
A full 1-hour lesson resource designed for a mid-ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science curriculum.
This is a practical lesson on conducting food tests.
This resource contains:
A ‘5 in 5’ retrieval-style starter
A lesson hook - linking to real word applications
A health and safety / risk assessment slide
A results table
Practical instruction slides to print, for carousel practical
Model answer slide
Checkpoint - short exam questions to go through as a class, with answers
Multiple choice hand signal quizzes
Deliberate Practice - extended response exam question, with answer slide
Written plenary with answer slide
This is a 1 hour lesson resource designed for a mixed ability year 11 class studying the AQA GCSE Biology topic ‘Homeostasis’.
This lesson focuses on thermoregulation, and the mechanisms of controlling body temperature by homeostasis.
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
These lessons were designed for a higher ability year 11 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science syllabus.
This resource includes two PowerPoints, each one hour, guiding students through the Required Practical on osmosis in potatoes.
The first PowerPoint guides students through completing the practical.
The second PowerPoint is a theory-based lesson, which gets students to think about what happened and why. It also talks them through writing a conclusion, analysing their data etc.
A complete topic, containing six full 1-hour lessons based on the AQA GCSE Chemistry specification. Also suitable for the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification.
These lessons were designed for a mixed ability year 10 class studying single science Chemistry.
These lessons cover the specficiation points 4.4.3 Electrolysis from the unit 4.4 Chemical Changes.
The lessons should be delivered in this order:
Electrolysis introduction
Electrolysis of molten ionic compounds
Electrolysis of aqueous solutions
Extracting aluminium using electrolysis
Half equations in electrolysis
Electrolysis required practical
A revision placemat and knowledge organiser are also included.
All of my lessons 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.
This lesson is focused on ‘movement of substances’ (diffusion).
From this lesson, students should be able to describe the process of diffusion, using specific examples.
Students should also be able to name two substances that diffuse into cells (oxygen and glucose) and two substances that diffuse out of cells (carbon dioxide and water).
This lesson includes a demonstration of skittles in water.
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