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
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
A colour coded worksheet with ramped questions designed to teach students to independently write word equations for reactions between a metal and oxygen.
Designed for a KS3 lower ability class, but could be suitable the whole way up to year 11.
Contains an example and 12 questions for students to attempt.
Contains answers.
A full 1 hour lesson based on the Biology Required Practical 6 from AQA GCSE Combined Science (reaction times). Also suitable for students studying AQA GCSE Biology.
This resource was designed for a lower ability year 11 class, but could easily be adapted for other year groups or abilities.
This resource includes:
A fully guided PowerPoint, with chunked practical instructions
A student worksheet with practical instructions, results tables, and application questions
A conversion table for reaction times
The PowerPoint includes:
A ‘5-in-5’ retrieval-style starter
A lesson hook - an online reaction time game
Chunked practical instructions (slow practical) with use of colour coding and dual coding / imagery for ease of understanding
Models (e.g. a model results table showing how to find an anomaly)
Application questions
Model answers
A written plenary (an exam question, with a scaffold, a mark scheme, and a model answer)
A full 1 hour lesson designed for a lower attaining year 11 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science syllabus, from spec point 5.1.1.5 - Size and mass of atoms.
This lesson is focused around:
Students recalling the radius of an atom, and radius of the nucleus
Students being able to write in standard form
Students determining the mass number of an element using the periodic table
This lesson includes:
A retrieval “5 in 5” starter
Interesting lesson hooks with exciting facts
Plenty of models to help students understand the scale of an atom
An embedded video explaining the size of an atom
Worked examples
‘Checkpoints’ such as multiple choice questions
Independent practice tasks with answer slides
Exam practise with mark schemes
A written plenary
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
A GCSE lesson on drawing electron structures. Also contains a recap on atomic structure and the charge / mass of each subatomic particle.
Contains videos live modelling drawing electron structures for:
Lithium
Carbon
Magnesium
Boron
Sodium
Fluorine
Aluminium
Neon
This lesson resource was designed for a bottom set year 9 class with a large number of SEND students, so is heavily scaffolded.
The PowerPoint resource also contains:
A “5 in 5” style retrieval practice starter
A recap on subatomic particles, their charges and mass
A hand signal quiz on subatomic particles
A quick reteach and task on atomic number and mass number
Teacher models using videos on the electron structures of lithium, carbon and magnesium
A student activity drawing the electron structures of boron, sodium, fluorine, aluminium, and neon
Live videos for students to check and correct their drawings
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
A revision placemat overviewing a topic on acids and alkalis, designed for a top set year 8 class.
Could be used for a lower ability KS4 class.
The revision placemat is double sided, with trickier content on the back e.g. symbol equations - could be printed single sided if needed.
Topics covered:
Examples of acids and alkalis
pH scale
Use of universal indicator and litmus paper
Neutralisation reactions
Word equations for neutralisation reactions
Matching acids to their sources (from food and drink)
Balanced symbol equations for neutralisation reactions
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 revision placemat designed for a higher ability year 7 class based on using and interpreting periodic tables.
It could be used for a lower ability KS4 class.
The resource contains two different versions, a ‘challenge’ sheet and a ‘support’ sheet. There are only slight differences between the two. These words can be removed if you do not wish the student to know which sheet they are receiving.
The placemat contains:
Identifying the key groups in the periodic table (e.g. alkali metals, halogens, noble gases, transition metals)
Identifying groups and periods in the periodic table
Using the periodic table to find an element’s chemical symbol, mass number and atomic number
Defining key terms that describe an element’s property, e.g. conductive, malleable, brittle
The organisation of the periodic table
Using an element’s melting point and boiling point to determine its state at room temperature
History of the periodic table (Newlands and Mendeleev)
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.
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
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
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 PowerPoint presentation (1 hour) designed for a higher ability year 8 class.
Mainly focuses on the different adaptations of wind-pollinated vs. insect-pollinated flowers.
Resource also contains a differentiated reading comprehension task on fertilisation in flowers.
This resource contains:
5-in-5 style retrieval starter
Lesson hook
Class discussion on pollen grains
Embedded video on insect pollination
Direct instruction slides on insect pollination / wind pollination
A 5-question quiz as a CFU
An independent writing task comparing insect and wind pollination, with model paragraphs for self assessment
A reading comprehension task - differentiated (colour coded or not)
Comprehension questions based on reading task - differentiated (colour coded or not) - followed by answers.
A plenary task
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 1 hour lesson covers the following topics:
Causes of extinction
Evidence for extinction
The fossil record
The formation of fossils
This is designed with the GCSE AQA Combined Science specification in mind (and includes exam questions from this syllabus), but this should be fairly transferable.
This resource is a fully planned lesson with engaging lesson hooks, an embedded video, exam questions and scaffolded mark schemes, multiple choice quizzes, and a board game for students to play as a group.
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
A slide on expectations in science lessons
An activity spotting lab safety issues from an image, with answers (can be printed if preferred)
An embedded music video
An introduction into hazard symbols
A hand signal quiz on hazard symbols
An independent task on hazard symbols, with answer slide
A written 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