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.
A concise, fast-paced lesson that looks at the orbits of both natural and artifical satellites. The lesson has been written to build on the student’s knowledge of space from KS3 and add key details such as the gravitational pull between the different celestial objects. Students will learn how the speed of the orbiting object and the gravitational pull ensure that the object remains in orbit and consider what would happen should the speed change. Students are briefly introduced to a number of orbits of artificial satellites as well as the uses.
This lesson has been designed for GCSE students
This lesson has been written for GCSE students and aims to ensure that they can explain in detail why light changes direction due to refraction. The key to the explanation is the use of the correct terms in context so the start of the lesson challenges the students to come up with the key words of light, bend, normal, density and speed when given a range of clues. The next part of the lesson works with the students to bring these key terms together to form a definition of refraction. Moving forwards, the relationship between density of a medium and the speed of light through that medium is discussed so that there is a clear understanding of why light bends one way or the other. The next task uses the definition to apply to a practical situation to draw a diagram of light moving from air to glass. The final part of the lesson involves a range of practicals so this topic can be explored further.
A fully-resourced lesson which focuses on using the kinetic energy equation to calculate energy, mass and speed. The lesson includes a lesson presentation (23 slides) which guides students through the range of calculations and accompanying worksheets which are differentiated. The lesson begins with the students being drip fed the equation so they are clear on the different factors involved. They are challenged to predict whether increasing the mass or increasing the speed will have a greater effect on the kinetic energy before testing their mathematical skills to get results to support their prediction. Moving forwards, students are shown how to rearrange the equation to make the mass the subject of the formula so they can use their skills when asked to calculate the speed. The final task of the lesson brings all of the learning together to tackle a set of questions of increasing difficulty. These questions have been differentiated so that students who need extra assistance can still access the learning.
This lesson has been written for GCSE students
This bundle of 14 lessons covers the majority of the content in Topic P2 (Forces) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Combined Science specification. The topics covered within these lessons include:
Speed and velocity
Acceleration
Distance and velocity-time graphs
Contact and non-contact forces
Free body diagrams
Resultant forces
Terminal velocity
Momentum
Conservation of momentum
Mass, weight and gravitational field strength
Gravitational potential and kinetic energy
Work done and power
Hooke’s Law
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. It is estimated that this bundle would cover over 6 week’s worth of lessons.
This bundle of 12 lessons covers the majority of the content in Topic C3 (Physical chemistry) of the Edexcel iGCSE Chemistry specification. The sub-topics and specification points covered within these lessons include:
[a] Energetics
Know that chemical reactions can be endothermic or exothermic reactions
Calculate the heat energy change using the expression involving specific heat capacity
Draw energy level diagrams to represent endothermic and exothermic reactions
Use bond energies to calculate the enthalpy change
[b] Rates of reaction
Describe experiments to investigate the effect of changing surface area, concentration, temperature and the addition of a catalyst on the rate of reaction
Describe and explain the effects of changing surface area, concentration and temperature on a rate of reaction with reference to the collision theory
Know the definition of a catalyst and understand how it reduces the activation energy of a chemical reaction
Draw and explain reaction profile diagrams
[c] Reversible reactions and equilibria
Know that some reactions are reversible
Know the characteristics of a reaction at dynamic equilibrium
Know the effect of changing either the temperature of pressure on the position of the equilibrium
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.
An engaging lesson presentation (30 slides) that looks at electric current and ensures that students know the key details about this factor in preparation for their GCSE studies. The lesson begins by forming a definition for this electrical term and then as the lesson progresses, this definition is broken so that each element is understood. Students will be introduced to the difference between electron flow and conventional current. Time is taken to ensure that students understand that an ammeter must be set up in series. The remainder of the lesson will focus on the mathematical calculations which include current and important skills such as converting between units is covered.]
As stated above, this lesson has been designed primarily for those students taking their GCSE exams (14 - 16 year olds in the UK) but is suitable for younger students too.
A fully-resourced lesson that looks at the details of the electrical topic of resistance that students need to know for GCSE. The lesson includes a lesson presentation (21 slides) and associated worksheets. The lesson begins by looking at the meaning of resistance and focuses on the connection between resistance and current. Moving forwards, net resistance in series and parallel circuits is introduced and explained.
A fully-resourced lesson which looks at speed and velocity as scalar and vector quantities and then guides students through a range of questions which challenge them to calculate both of these forms of motion. The lesson includes an engaging lesson presentation (44 slides) and differentiated worksheets containing questions.
The lesson begins by introducing the terms magnitude and direction so that students can learn how scalar and vector quantities differ. Students will learn that speed is a scalar quantity and velocity is a vector quantity and then be questioned through a crossroads scenario to understand how speed can stay the same but as soon as an object changes direction, the velocity changes. Moving forwards, the students are given the equation to calculate speed and a few simple questions are worked through before they have to do a series of their own questions to find the average speeds for walking, running and cycling. A pair of more difficult speed questions are then attempted which challenge the students to convert from metres per seconds to miles per hour and to calculate the speed of a bicycle by calculating the distance travelled by the sensor on the wheel. This task is differentiated so that students who need some assistance will still be able to access the work. A quiz competition is then used to introduce students to the range of equations which contain velocity and then having been given them, they have to rearrange the formula to make velocity the subject and apply to some further questions. The final task of the lesson brings all the work together in one final competition where students have to use their new-found knowledge of speed and velocity to get TEAM POINTS. Progress checks have been written into the lesson at regular intervals to allow the students to check their understanding and any misconceptions to be addressed immediately.
This lesson has been written for GCSE students and links between the other topics on the curriculum but could be used with KS3 students who are finding the topic of speed too simple and are needing a challenge
This revision lesson challenges students to explain the results of an osmosis investigation and to calculate accelerations using 2 equations. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to check on the understanding of these two topics as detailed in the AQA GCSE biology, physics and combined specifications.
The lesson contains a range of tasks including worked examples, exam questions and quizzes which will remind students that water molecules move across partially permeable membranes by osmosis and how changes in the mass of a potato can be used to compare water concentrations in the potato and solution. Students will also recall that acceleration can be calculated from velocity-time graphs using change in velocity/time as well as through the use of F=ma.
This lesson explains that velocity is speed in a stated direction and then describes how to use the distance and time to calculate speed. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to cover points 2.5 & 2.6 of the Edexcel GCSE Physics & Combined Science specifications.
The lesson begins with a prior knowledge check, where the students are challenged to use their understanding of the last lesson on scalar and vector quantities to complete a definition about velocity. This vector quantity is involved in the calculation of acceleration, momentum and in an equation of motion and this is briefly introduced to the students. Moving forwards, they are challenged to recall the equation to calculate speed that should have been met at KS3 as well as in Maths. The remainder of the lesson focuses on the use of this equation as well as rearrangements to change the subject. A series of step by step guides are used to model the workings required in these calculations and then the students have to apply their understanding to a series of exam questions. Mark schemes for each of the questions are embedded in the PowerPoint and the question worksheet has been differentiated two ways to provide assistance to students who are finding it difficult.
This lesson describes the key difference between scalar and vector quantities and introduces examples of physical factors that fit into each group. The PowerPoint has been designed to cover points 2.1 - 2.4 of the Edexcel GCSE Physics and Combined Science specifications.
The lesson begins with an introduction of the fact that some quantities are scalar and some are vector. A quick competition is used to introduce the key term, magnitude, and students will learn that scalar quantities such as speed have a size but are missing something else. A guided discussion period then challenges them to consider what that missing element might be, and this leads into the completion of the scalar definition. The next task then challenges the students to use this completed definition to write a similar one for a vector quantity. They will learn that velocity is a vector due to its magnitude and specific direction and then a series of exam questions are used to challenge their current understanding in terms of changes in speed and velocity at a crossroads. The mark scheme for each of the questions is embedded into the PowerPoint.
The remainder of the lesson uses another competition to introduce acceleration, momentum, energy, force, mass and weight as scalar or vector quantities and the students are challenged one final time as they have to explain why weight is an example of a vector quantity.
This lesson has been written to act as a revision tool for students at the completion of topic 2 of the Pearson Edexcel GCSE Physics specification or in the lead up to mock or terminal exams. This motion and forces topic is extensive and the engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to include a wide range of activities to allow the students to assess their understanding and to recognise any areas which need extra attention. This specification is heavy in mathematical content and so a lot of opportunities are presented for a range of skills to be tested and the PowerPoint guides students through the application of these requirements such as rearranging the formula and converting between units.
The following specification points have received a particular focus in this lesson:
Factors affecting thinking and braking distance
Calculating the distance travelled from the area under the velocity-time graph
Recalling and using the equations to calculate acceleration, force, speed, weight and momentum
Calculating uniform acceleration from a velocity-time graph
Resultant force and constant velocity
Forces and velocity as vector quantities
Circular motion
The difference between mass and weight
The law of the conservation of momentum
A number of quick quiz rounds, such as FILL THE VOID and WEIGHT A MINUTE, are used to maintain engagement and motivation and to challenge the students on their recall of important points.
It is estimated that it will take in excess of 2 hours of GCSE teaching time to cover the detail included in this lesson
An informative lesson presentation (30 slides) that ensures that students know the meaning of the independent, dependent and control variables in an investigation and are able to identify them. Students are challenged to use their definitions to spot the independent and dependent variable from an investigation title. Moving forwards, they are shown how they can use tables and graphs to identify them. The rest of the lesson focuses on the control variables and how these have to be controlled to produce valid results
This lesson is suitable for students of all ages studying Science as it is such a key skill
A detailed lesson presentation which guides students through calculating the current, potential difference and resistance in series and parallel circuits. The lesson begins by challenging the students to recognise whether three displayed facts relate to series or parallel circuits. Students are then given a chance to remind themselves of the differences between the circuits in terms of these three physical factors. The rest of the lesson uses a step-by-step guide format to show the students how to work through a circuit calculation by combining their knowledge of the circuit with application of the V = IR equation. Progress checks have been written throughout the lesson so that students can constantly assess their understanding.
This lesson has been designed for GCSE students
An informative and student-led lesson presentation (32 slides), accompanied by a reaction diagram and task worksheet, which together look at the key details of nuclear fission reactions. The lesson begins by introducing the students to the name of this reaction and to that of a neutron before they are challenged to recall the properties of this sub-atomic particle as this knowledge plays an important role in their understanding. Moving forwards, students will learn that two isotopes of uranium are involved and will discover and work out how one isotope is changed into the other. Diagrams accompany the theory throughout so that students can visualise how the reaction progresses. They are shown how to work out the two daughter nuclei that are produced in the reaction and how an equation can be written to represent nuclear fission. Progress checks have been written into the lesson at regular intervals so that students can constantly assess their understanding and any misconceptions can be immediately addressed.
This lesson has been designed for GCSE students (14 - 16 year olds in the UK)
A concise lesson presentation (22 slides) and question worksheet, which together focus on the challenge of applying the equations of motion to calculation questions. Students are given this equation on the data sheet in the exam - therefore, this lesson shows them how they will be expected to rearrange in it four ways. For this reason, the start of the lesson revisits the skills involved in rearranging the formula, beginning with simple tasks and building up to those that involve indices as are found in this equation. Once students have practised these skills, they are challenged to answer 4 questions, although 1 is done together with the class to visualise how to set out the working.
This lesson has been designed for GCSE students
This is a fully-resourced revision lesson that could be used over a series of lessons to help students to revise and assess their knowledge of the content that is found in topics P5 (Forces), P6 (Waves) and P7 (Magnetism and electromagnetism) of the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification and will be assessed in Paper 6
This revision lesson uses a combination of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to cover the following sub-topics and specification points:
Scalar and vector quantities
Contact and non-contact forces
Gravity
Work done and energy transfer
Forces and elasticity
Speed
Velocity
Acceleration
Newton’s laws of motion
Momentum
Conservation of momentum
Transverse and longitudinal waves
Properties of waves
The EM waves
Fleming’s left-hand rule
This lesson contains a big emphasis on the mathematical calculations that will be involved in these exams, and as a result students are challenged to recall the equations and to apply them.
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. A lot of the tasks have been differentiated so that students of all abilities can access the work and be challenged appropriately.
An engaging lesson presentation (45 slides) 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 P6 (Waves) of the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification (specification point P6.6).
The topics that are tested within the lesson include:
Longitudinal and transverse waves
Properties of waves
Types of EM waves
Properties and applications of EM waves
Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “Tell EM the word” and “Take the HOTSEAT” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention
This is a fully-resourced revision lesson that could be used over a series of lessons to help students to revise and assess their knowledge of the content that is found in topics P1 (Energy), P2 (Electricity), P3 (Particle model of matter) and P4 (Atomic structure) of the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification and will be assessed on PAPER 5. This revision lesson uses a combination of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to cover the following sub-topics and specification points:
Energy stores and systems
Changes in energy
Energy changes in systems
Standard circuit diagram symbols
Electrical charge and current
Current, resistance and potential difference
Series and parallel circuits
Power
Specific heat capacity
The structure of an atom
Mass number, atomic number and isotopes
The development of the model of the atom
Radioactive decay and nuclear radiation
Nuclear equations
Half-lives
This lesson contains a big emphasis on the mathematical calculations that will be involved in these exams, and as a result students are challenged to recall the equations and to apply them.
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. A lot of the tasks have been differentiated so that students of all abilities can access the work and be challenged appropriately.
This bundle of 5 engaging and motivating lesson presentations and associated worksheets have been designed to encourage students to assess their knowledge of the Physics topics which will be tested in Paper 5 of the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science course . This will allow them to recognise those areas which need further attention during revision periods.
The lessons use a range of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to cover the content in P1 (Key concepts in Physics), P2 (Motion and forces), P3 (Conservation of energy), P4 (Waves), P5 (Light and the EM spectrum) and P6 (Radioactivity)