A Science teacher by trade, I've also been known to be found teaching Maths and PE! However, strange as it may seem, my real love is designing resources that can be used by other teachers to maximise the experience of the students. I am constantly thinking of new ways to engage a student with a topic and try to implement that in the design of the lessons.
A Science teacher by trade, I've also been known to be found teaching Maths and PE! However, strange as it may seem, my real love is designing resources that can be used by other teachers to maximise the experience of the students. I am constantly thinking of new ways to engage a student with a topic and try to implement that in the design of the lessons.
An engaging lesson presentation (37 slides) which gets students to test their practical skills by carrying out the four identification tests for oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and chlorine. The lesson begins by using a competition called “Guess the gas” where students have to used clues to identify the four colourless gases which will be used in the lesson. Moving forwards, students will meet the pieces of equipment that will be used in these tests. Practical instructions for each of the tests are included in the lesson so that students can produce the gas and then carry out the test. There are regular progress checks throughout the lesson so that students can assess their understanding.
This lesson is suitable for both KS3 and GCSE students
A fully-resourced lesson which looks at the saturated hydrocarbons known as the alkanes and focuses on their structure and reactions. The lesson includes an engaging lesson presentation (38 slides) and an associated worksheet which is differentiated.
The lesson begins with the introduction of the name of this group and then a step-by-step guide is used to show students how to draw the displayed formula. Once the first four have been drawn, students are shown how to calculate the general formula for the alkenes and then challenged to do the same for the alkanes. Moving forwards, students will meet the key term, saturated, and time is taken to ensure that the meaning of this word is understood in the context of this lesson. Once they have been introduced to bromine water, students are challenged to work out what will happen when this substance is added to an alkane and they have to explain their answer. The remainder of the lesson looks at the complete and incomplete combustion of the alkanes, focusing on the different products of these reactions and specifically the problems associated with carbon monoxide.
There are regular progress checks throughout the lesson to allow the students to check on their understanding.
An informative lesson presentation (24 slides), accompanied by a set of differentiated question worksheets, which together guide students through calculating energy changes in reactions and then challenges them to apply their new-found knowledge. The lesson begins by asking the students to complete a sentence which details how energy is taken in to break bonds in the reactants and given out when bonds are formed in the products. The bond energy table is then introduced so that students understand how it will be used in questions. Moving forwards, a step by step guide is used to calculate the energy change value for two reactions and students are shown how to interpret the positive or negative result as endothermic or exothermic respectively. The remainder of the lesson asks the students to apply what they have learnt to calculate the energy change for two more reactions. This question worksheet is differentiated two ways so that students who need extra assistance can still access the work.
This lesson has been designed for GCSE students
This bundle of 4 lessons covers the majority of the content in Topic C1g (Covalent bonding) of the Edexcel iGCSE Chemistry specification. The topics and specification points covered within these lessons include:
Know that covalent bonding involves the sharing of electrons
Be able to draw dot and cross diagrams for a range of structures involving covalent bonds
Describe the structure of simple covalent substances and relate this to their properties
Explain why substances with giant covalent structures are solids with high melting and boiling points
Explain how the structures of diamond, graphite and buckminsterfullerene affects their physical properties
All of these lesson presentations and accompanying resources are detailed and engaging and contain regular progress checks to allow the students to constantly assess their understanding.
This bundle of 6 engaging and motivating lesson presentations and associated worksheets uses a combination of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to test the students on their knowledge of the key topics of the Chemistry modules of OCR Gateway A GCSE Combined Science specification. The knowledge of the following modules can be assessed using these lessons:
C1: Particles
C2: Elements, compounds and mixtures
C3: Chemical reactions
C4: Predicting and identifying reactions and products
C5: Monitoring and controlling chemical reactions
C6: Global challenges
A fully resourced lesson presentation (60 slides) and associated worksheets that uses a combination of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within unit C2 (Elements, compounds and mixtures) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Combined Science specification.
Relative formula mass
Empirical formula
Pure and impure substances
Filtration and crystallisation
Distillation
Chromatography
Electronic structure
Forming ions
Simple molecules
Giant covalent structures
Carbon
Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “Take the HOTSEAT” and “SEPARATE the fact from the fiction” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention
An engaging lesson presentation (48 slides) and associated worksheets that uses a combination of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within unit C1 (Particles) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Combined Science specification.
The topics that are tested within the lesson include:
Introducing particles
Chemical and physical changes
Atomic structure
Isotopes
Developing the atomic model
Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “SPOT the SCIENTIST” and “Order, Order” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention
An engaging lesson presentation (77 slides) and associated worksheets that uses a combination of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within unit C3 (Chemical reactions) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Chemistry specification.
The topics that are tested within the lesson include:
Formulae of elements and molecules
Formulae of ionic compounds
Conservation of mass
Chemical equations
Half equations
The mole
Exothermic and endothermic reactions
The pH scale
Hydrogen ions and pH
Electrolysis of molten salts
Electrolysis of solutions
Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “E Numbers” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention
An engaging lesson presentation (44 slides) and associated worksheets that uses a combination of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within module C1 (Particles) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Chemistry specification.
The topics that are tested within the lesson include:
Introducing particles
Chemical and physical changes
Atomic structure
Isotopes
Developing the atomic model
Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “Order, Order” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention
This bundle of 8 engaging and motivating lesson presentations and associated worksheets have been designed to encourage students to assess their knowledge of the CHEMISTRY topics of the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification.
The lessons use a range of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to cover the content in the following topics:
Topic C1: Atomic structure and the periodic table
Topic C2: Bonding, structure and properties of matter
Topic C3: Quantitative chemistry
Topic C4: Chemical changes
Topic C5: Energy changes
Topic C6: The rate and extent of chemical change
Topic C7: Organic chemistry
Topic C8: Chemical analysis
An engaging lesson presentation (64 slides) and associated worksheets that uses a combination of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within TOPIC 8 (Chemical analysis) of the AQA GCSE Chemistry specification (specification point C4.8)
The topics that are tested within the lesson include:
Pure substances
Chromatography
Identification of common gases
Identification of ions
Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “Take the CHROMATOGRAPHY hotseat” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention
This is a fully-resourced revision lesson that uses a combination of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within Topic C4 (Organic chemistry) of the Edexcel iGCSE Chemistry specification which has its’ first assessment in 2019.
The topics that are tested within the lesson include:
Crude oil
Alkanes
Alkenes
Alcohols
Carboxylic acids
Polymers
Students will be engaged through the numerous quiz rounds whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which require their further attention during general revision or during the lead up to the actual assessment.
This is a fully-resourced revision lesson that uses a combination of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the sub-topics found within Topic C5 (Separate chemistry 1) of the Edexcel GCSE Chemistry specification.
The sub-topics and specification points that are tested within the lesson include:
Recall the typical properties of the transition metals
Explain why converting pure metals into alloys often increases the strength of the product
Calculate the concentration of solutions in mol per decimetre cubed
Know the apparatus involved in an acid-alkali titration
Carry out simple titration calculations
Recall and calculate the atom economy
Describe the molar volume, at RTP, and use to calculate the volumes of gases
Recall how a hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell is used to produce a voltage and water is the only product
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of fuel cells
Students will be engaged through the numerous quiz rounds whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which require their further attention during general revision or during the lead up to the actual GCSE terminal exams
This is an engaging revision lesson which uses a range of exam questions, understanding checks, differentiated tasks and quiz competitions to enable students to assess their understanding of the content within topic 1 (Key concepts in Chemistry) of the Edexcel GCSE Chemistry specification. Topic 1 is assessed in both papers 1 and 2, and therefore this lesson has been written in the detail that means it is likely to be used over the course of a number of lessons.
The specification points that are covered in this revision lesson include:
ATOMIC STRUCTURE
Explain why atoms contain equal numbers of protons and electrons
Recall the meaning of the term mass number of an atom
Describe atoms of a given element as having the same number of protons in the nucleus and that this number is unique to that element
Describe isotopes as different atoms of the same element containing the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei
Calculate the numbers of protons, neutrons and electrons in atoms given the atomic number and mass number
Calculate the relative atomic mass of an element from the relative masses and abundances of its isotopes
IONIC BONDING
Explain how ionic bonds are formed by the transfer of electrons between atoms
Recall that an ion is an atom or group of atoms with a positive or negative charge
Calculate the numbers of protons, neutrons and electrons in simple ions given the atomic number and mass number
Explain the formation of ions in ionic compounds from their atoms, limited to compounds of elements in groups 1, 2, 6 and 7
Deduce the formulae of ionic compounds (including oxides, hydroxides, halides, nitrates, carbonates and sulfates) given the formulae of the constituent ions
COVALENT BONDING
Explain how a covalent bond is formed when a pair of electrons is shared between two atoms
Explain the formation of simple molecular, covalent substances, using dot and cross diagrams
TYPES OF SUBSTANCE
Explain the properties of typical covalent, simple molecular compounds
Recall that graphite and diamond are different forms of carbon and that they are examples of giant covalent substances
Describe the structures of graphite and diamond
Explain the properties of metals, including malleability and the ability to conduct electricity
CALCULATIONS INVOLVING MASSES
Calculate relative formula mass given relative atomic masses
Calculate masses of reactants and products from balanced equations, given the mass of one substance
The students will thoroughly enjoy the range of activities, which includes a quiz competition called “POLLUTE THE AIR…WITH THE ANSWER” where they have to compete to be the 1st to recognise a pollutant gas from a series of clues whilst crucially being able to recognise the areas of this topic which need their further attention. This lesson can be used as revision resource at the end of the topic or in the lead up to mocks or the actual GCSE exams
This REVISION resource has been designed to motivate and engage students whilst they are challenged on their knowledge of the content in topics C6-C10 of the AQA Trilogy GCSE Combined Science specification which can be assessed on PAPER 4. This is fully-resourced and contains a detailed PowerPoint (118 slides) and accompanying worksheets, some of which have been differentiated.
The resource was written with the aim of covering as many C6-C10 sub-topics as possible, but the following ones have received particular focus:
Pure substances in Science
Chromatography
Detecting gases
Reversible reactions
Changing conditions and the position of the equilibrium
Factors affecting the rate of a chemical reaction
The structure of the alkanes
Complete combustion of the alkanes
Cracking and the alkenes
Fractional distillation of crude oil
This resource can be used in combination with the PAPER 3 revision resource which covers the content in Chemistry topics C1 - C5 as well as the other AQA GCSE Combined Science REVISION lessons which I’ve uploaded
An engaging lesson presentation (49 slides) and associated worksheets that uses a combination of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within unit C5 (Monitoring and controlling chemical reactions) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Combined Science specification.
The topics that are tested within the lesson include:
Concentration of solution
Rate of reaction
Factors affecting the rate of reaction
Reversible reactions
Equilibrium position
Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “Under PRESSURE” and “Number CRAZY” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention
A fully resourced lesson presentation (53 slides) and associated worksheet that uses a combination of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and a quiz competition to help the students to assess their understanding of the topics found within TOPIC 5 (Energy changes) of the AQA GCSE Chemistry specification (specification point C4.5). The lesson includes useful hints and tips to encourage success in assessments. For example, students are shown how to use the energy change in a chemical reaction to work out if it is an endothermic or exothermic reaction.
The topics that are tested within the lesson include:
Endothermic and exothermic reactions
Reaction profiles
Calculating energy changes in reactions
Fuel cells
Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including a summary round called “E NUMBERS” which requires them to use all of their knowledge to work out the type of reactions that are shown.
This is a fully-resourced revision lesson that uses a combination of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the sub-topics found within Topic C1 (Key concepts in chemistry) of the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science specification.
The sub-topics and specification points that are tested within the lesson include:
Describe how the model of the atom has changed over time with the discovery of the subatomic particles
Describe the structure of an atom and know that atoms contain the same number of protons as electrons
Calculate the number of protons, electrons and neutrons when given the atomic and mass number
Identify elements as metals or non-metals
Predict the electron configuration of the first 20 elements
Explain how ionic bonds are formed by the transfer of electrons
Explain the structure of an ionic compound as an ionic lattice
Explain how a covalent bond is formed
Be able to draw dot and cross diagrams for simple covalent structures
Describe the structure and properties of graphite and diamond
Calculate the relative formula mass
Explain the law of the conservation of mass
Calculate the concentration of a solution
Recall Avogadro’s constant and use in mole calculations
Students will be engaged through the numerous quiz rounds whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which require their further attention during general revision or during the lead up to the actual GCSE terminal exams
This is a fully-resourced revision lesson that uses a combination of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the sub-topics found within Topic C7 (Rates of reaction and energy changes) of the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science specification.
The sub-topics and specification points that are tested within the lesson include:
Explain the effects on rates of reaction of changes in temperature, concentration and pressure
Be able to define a catalyst and explain how this reduces the activation energy
Describe an endothermic and exothermic reactions
Calculate the energy change in a reaction
Draw reaction profiles for endothermic and exothermic reactions, identifying activation energy
Students will be engaged through the numerous quiz rounds whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which require their further attention during general revision or during the lead up to the actual GCSE terminal exams
This is a fully-resourced revision lesson that uses a combination of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to help the students to assess their understanding of the sub-topics found within Topic C8 (Fuels and Earth Science) of the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science specification.
The sub-topics and specification points that are tested within the lesson include:
The separation of crude oil into simpler, more useful mixtures by fractional distillation
The differing properties of the fractions
The complete and incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons
The chemical process of cracking
The Earth’s early atmosphere
Human activity and climate change
The composition of today’s atmosphere
Students will be engaged through the numerous quiz rounds whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which require their further attention during general revision or during the lead up to the actual GCSE terminal exams