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Outstanding GCSE and A level chemistry resources

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Having taught GCSE and A level chemistry for 6 years and being an examiner I have developed a solid understanding of what makes a lesson outstanding and seek to share this with other teachers.

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Having taught GCSE and A level chemistry for 6 years and being an examiner I have developed a solid understanding of what makes a lesson outstanding and seek to share this with other teachers.
Hydrocarbon graded interactive questions Socrative
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Hydrocarbon graded interactive questions Socrative

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This is a Socrative quiz that can be imported using the code SOC-12169475. Copy this code and paste it in the 'import quiz&' section of your Socrative room. All 12 questions are graded and given a topic. There are a variety of short answer, multiple answer and pictorial questions. Questions cover fractional distillation, polymers, alkenes, alkanes and what a hydrocarbon is. Results from the quiz can be downloaded and analysed providing for outstanding Assessment For Learning. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Infrared spectroscopy AS level chemistry
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Infrared spectroscopy AS level chemistry

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This is a lesson graded C to A on infrared spectroscopy. Expected prior learning is functional groups and how to draw organic molecules such as carboxylic acids. Students could write on the laminated sheets using whiteboard pens. The lesson provides extensive differentiation. The starter is a crossword created using a program on The Teachers Corner and IR data used is from the NIST Chemistry WebBook. Both of these resources are referenced at the beginning of the lesson. A data sheet needs to be provided as this is a lesson that uses the Edexcel GCE Chemistry data book. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
REDOX lesson 2 - Disproportionation reactions - AS Chemistry
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REDOX lesson 2 - Disproportionation reactions - AS Chemistry

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This is a lesson on using oxidation numbers to determine if a reaction is a redox reaction, disproportionation reaction or symproportionation reaction (opposite of disproportionation). Symproportionation is included to develop understanding and is not required by AS Chemistry specifications. The starter is the engaging visual elephant toothpaste demo. Answers on slide 17 are colour coded and animated. I have another lesson on TES where students calculate oxidation numbers. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Solutions practical and solubility - covers calculating a mean, drawing a bar graph
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Solutions practical and solubility - covers calculating a mean, drawing a bar graph

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This is a lesson on solubility where students carry out an independent practical to find a method for dissolving a sugar cube the fastest. Equipment could include a pestle and mortar, water bath, sugar cube, distilled water, tap water, thermometer, stop watch, beaker and measuring cylinder. Higher ability groups could design their own investigation and choose their equipment. Discuss what factors affect solubility. Students then compare the solubility of different solutes by drawing a bar graph of mean solubility values. Higher ability students may exclude anomalies when calculating the mean. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Enthalpy change of combustion - predicting using bond enthalpies and practical
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Enthalpy change of combustion - predicting using bond enthalpies and practical

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This is a lesson in the third lesson in a scheme of work on energetics for the first year of A level chemistry. Students use bond enthalpy data (required learning) to predict the enthalpy of combustion of methanol, ethanol and propan-1-ol. Please check that you have these chemicals available for practical use. Students carry out a calorimetry practical and then calculate the enthalpy change of combustion (covered in a lesson on Q = mc delta T - see my other resources). It is suggested that each pair of students use a different chemical and carry out repeat experiments in order to work out an average value. Different groups then share their results. Students compare their theoretical values with actual values and come up with reasons as to why these values differ. Praise may given to groups that take care to reduce error in their experimentation and produce actual values that are close to the predicted values. There are homework questions that can be e-mailed to the students as a PowerPoint. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Haber process GCSE tarsia
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Haber process GCSE tarsia

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This is a fun yet challenging GCSE Chemistry tarsia for revision of the Haber process for the higher paper. There are 16 triangles with 18 pairs of questions and answers that make an equilateral triangle. I suggest that the A4 tarsia is printed on card and then the outline is cut out. Students can then quickly cut out the individual triangles. Included are the following topics: formula of ammonia, catalyst used, conditions used, feedstocks, reversible reactions, equilibrium, endothermic, exothermic, yield and rate of reaction. The 'fjsw' file can be opened and modified with tarsia software. The tarsia software is free to download but there is not currently a version for Mac computers.
Properties of crude oil GCSE - oil viscosity independent practical
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Properties of crude oil GCSE - oil viscosity independent practical

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This lesson forms the second lesson in the AQA 2016 specification 4.7 organic chemistry scheme of work and comes after lesson 1 crude oil. The lesson is designed to develop independent practical skills - something that is often developed at Key Stage 3 when there is more curriculum time but is missed out at GCSE in order to cover all of the subject content needed for the exams. The lesson begins with considering the properties that a good fuel should have. It is worth pointing out to students that these are the main properties of hydrocarbons. Alkanes and alkenes are covered later in this scheme of work so reference is not made to them in this lesson. Students then read two sources and choose one of them to write a summary on their method sheet. They then carry out a risk assessment of the method that they have chosen. The practical that they do is using a pipette with a small hole in the side - these need to be prepared in advance by the technicians. Students put the pipette in the oil and then cover the hole as they lift up the pipette. They then open the hole (move the finger of the way) and time how long it takes for the oil to move from 3m to 1ml. The lesson finishes with an exam plenary question (markscheme is provided). It is suggested that water baths are used to heat the jars or beakers of vegetable oil. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Entropy lesson - A level chemistry - outstanding
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Entropy lesson - A level chemistry - outstanding

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This is a lesson on entropy for A level chemistry that has been thoroughly planned and resourced. The lesson starts by getting students to classify reactions as endothermic or exothermic. This is required knowledge so please read through these before the lesson and make sure that students have covered this content. This starter activity could be printed and laminated to be used as a card sort. The concept of entropy is introduced along with the first and second laws of thermodynamics. A stack of Jenga bricks or a stack of cards could be used to illustrate that disorder is a more likely arrangement (gases) than order (solid). The custard powder combustion demo is used to illustrate that entropy changes in the system help predict whether a reaction is spontaneous (whether it happens). Details of how to carry this out can be found online at the RSC wiki and other websites. Students then are introduced to the three formulae needed and complete a worksheet that I have created where they calculate entropy of a system, entropy of the surroundings and total entropy. This is used to predict whether the reactions happen (i.e. whether there is a positive value). Note that balanced equations have not been provided and students at this level should be capable of writing these and sharing them with the class. Markschemes are provided for the entropy calculations. The lesson ends with a comparison of the importance of entropy and enthalpy. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Key Stage 3 and lower school Chemistry revision
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Key Stage 3 and lower school Chemistry revision

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This is a comprehensive set of information worksheets for revising Key Stage 3 and lower school Chemistry. It covers these topics: atoms and elements, periodic table, compounds, metals and non-metals, mixtures, solutions, acids and alkalis, physical changes, chemical changes, filtration, distillation, chromatography, structure of the Earth, composition of the atmosphere and the rock cycle. There is a simplified version of the periodic table that I have created. The pages are scaled to fit A4 paper.
Middle school Chemistry comprehensive revision worksheets
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Middle school Chemistry comprehensive revision worksheets

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This is a comprehensive set of information worksheets for revising Middle school Chemistry. It covers these topics: atoms and elements, periodic table, compounds, metals and non-metals, mixtures, solutions, acids and alkalis, physical changes, chemical changes, filtration, distillation, chromatography, structure of the Earth, composition of the atmosphere and the rock cycle. There is a simplified version of the periodic table that I have created. The pages are scaled to fit A4 paper.
Socrative quiz - GCSE - Types of bonding - high ability - 35 marks
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Socrative quiz - GCSE - Types of bonding - high ability - 35 marks

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In this lesson plan you will find the SOC codes to import our quiz and our short answer task to your Socrative room. These great revision activities that you can use with the whole class as starters, plenaries, or to consolidate learning. Topics include: covalent bonding, metallic bonding, ionic bonding, allotropes of carbon
Socrative quiz - precipitates KS3
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Socrative quiz - precipitates KS3

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In this lesson plan you will find the SOC codes to import our quiz and our short answer task to your Socrative room. These great revision activities that you can use with the whole class as starters, plenaries, or to consolidate learning.
Chemistry science club for KS4 and A level - Ethanol as an alternative fuel source
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Chemistry science club for KS4 and A level - Ethanol as an alternative fuel source

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This is a planned lesson sequence for delivering an 18 lesson science club for older students. They investigate ethanol as an alternative fuel source to petrol. The lessons cover: the ethanol rocket demo, making ethanol by fermentation from sucrose (sugar) then filtration and distillation, making ethanol from glucose produced by cellulase digestion of cellulose (mashed up filter paper) then filtration and distillation. basic titration, advanced titration of ethanol to calculate concentration, calorimetry, comparison of the different methods of ethanol production. Links to RSC practicals are provided for all of the demo and practicals and a total of 8 risk assessments have been written for all of the practicals with links to CLEAPPS. Calorimetry lessons are available from my other resources. Please rate these resources and leave feedback.
Conservation of mass, formula mass and percentage composition GCSE Chemistry
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Conservation of mass, formula mass and percentage composition GCSE Chemistry

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This is a thoroughly differentiated lesson that begins by introducing students to conservation of mass and why this law makes sense. This is then related to balancing equations and there is the opportunity for students to practice this skill. Students then calculate the formula mass of the compounds around the room. More able students have some percentage mass questions to work through. Answers are provided for all questions. The lesson finishes with GCSE exam questions. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Equilibrium A level chemistry - rate and yield
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Equilibrium A level chemistry - rate and yield

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This lesson forms part of an AS chemistry equilibrium scheme of work and follows on from two lessons on equilibrium reactions and writing expressions for Kc. The lesson starts with a recap of Kc. Students then learn how to work out the units for Kc. Please note that from experience I have found that weaker students (grade C downwards) struggle with this so please take a lot of time to check that students feel comfortable and confident. A GSCE indices questions worksheet has been provided to support weaker students. The lesson then moves on to explaining the compromise conditions used to make ammonia in the Haber process. I show the Daniel D Dulek TED talk video here. It is absolutely excellent and stretches the students. Video questions are provided. The lesson concludes with students calculating Kc. The video is YouTube embedded so please download this video before the lesson as many schools do not allow staff access to YouTube from a school computer. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Atomic structure introduction - High School Chemistry - covers elements, compounds and formulae
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Atomic structure introduction - High School Chemistry - covers elements, compounds and formulae

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This is is an introductory lesson on atomic structure for High School Chemistry that begins with a fun film characters elements starter. There is then a discussion on how elements are made in supernovae. Students then consider rules for naming compounds and how to write formulae. They then then write the formulae for 12 substances. The challenge is to write empirical formulae. The lesson concludes with a consideration of how some of the chemicals are harmful to fish such as Nemo. Titanium dioxide in suntan cream causes water and oxygen in seawater to react to form hydrogen peroxide that is toixc to fish. Answers are included.
Carbonyl reduction - Senior High School Chemistry
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Carbonyl reduction - Senior High School Chemistry

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These are thoroughly differentiated resources designed for a Senior High School Chemistry lesson on reduction of carbonyl compounds. Objectives are framed as learning questions and graded C to A. There are clear AFL plenaries using mark schemes. There is a graded Who Wants to be a Millionaire quiz for an end plenary. The starter is an engaging scents demo using butanal (pleasant) and butanoic acid (rancid butter). Pace and student effort is the key to delivering an outstanding lesson using these resources. Mark schemes can be printed.