Here are some mind maps to help prepare students for their Chemistry Paper 1 exam. The key points are based on the specified content released by AQA, so all topics are relevant to the 2022 exam.
Each topic has statements to guide students in their writing and also have some visual prompts littered throughout. Higher content has been identified.
These are best used when printed as A3 sheets so that students can add as much detail as possible. Included are a set of mind maps for separate chemistry students and a set for combined science students.
Here’s a worksheet that can be used as an introduction or summary to the resistance in a wire required practical for combined science or separate physics courses.
The worksheet covers:
Background information
Key terms
Resistance calculations
The method
Exam style questions
The resource also has QR codes that can be scanned to take students to useful webpages or videos that will help them with the sheet.
Answers are also includedl
Higher level papers often include extended writing questions on investigation design. This bookmark acts as a writing frame to help students to structure their answers to these higher demand questions.
The bookmark uses the ‘AIMFOR’ mnemonic to encourage students to cover all the key parts of method design. Key words are also included to help students when deciphering the exam question.
Here’s a worksheet that can be used as an introduction or summary to the ‘Factors affecting rates of reaction ’ required practical for combined or separate Chemistry courses. This resource is designed for the AQA 9-1 GCSE but is also compatible with other courses.
The sheet includes sections on:
Background information on factors affecting reaction rates.
Key definitions needed for high mark answers.
Balancing equation & State symbol practice
Extended writing question on method design.
The resource also has QR codes that can be scanned to take students to useful web pages or videos that will help them with the sheet.
Answers are also included as a separate sheet.
Here’s a worksheet that can be used as an introduction or summary to the ‘Investigating Wave Speed ’ required practical for combined or separate physics courses. This is designed for the AQA 9-1 GCSE but is also compatible with other courses.
The sheet includes sections on:
Background information on wave types & measuring waves.
Key definitions & calculations
Practice questions to calculate frequency & wave length from a displacement graph.
Extended writing question on method design.
Exam style questions
The resource also has QR codes that can be scanned to take students to useful webpages or videos that will help them with the sheet.
Answers are also included.
Here’s a worksheet that can be used as an introduction or summary to the ‘Investigating Springs ’ required practical for combined or separate chemistry courses. This is designed for the AQA 9-1 GCSE but is also compatible with other courses.
The sheet includes sections on:
Background information on forces, extension & Hooke’s Law
Key definitions & calculations
Practice questions to calculate the spring constant
Graph plotting exam style question
Exam style questions
The resource also has QR codes that can be scanned to take students to useful webpages or videos that will help them with the sheet.
Answers are also included.
Here’s a worksheet that can be used as an introduction or summary to the ‘Electrolysis ’ required practical for combined or separate chemistry courses. This is designed for the AQA 9-1 GCSE but is also compatible with other courses.
The sheet includes sections on:
Background information on Electrolysis & Aqueous solutions.
Key definitions
Practice questions to identify products of aqueous solutions
The method - including a list of key terms
Exam style questions
The resource also has QR codes that can be scanned to take students to useful webpages or videos that will help them with the sheet.
Answers are also included.
Here’s a worksheet that can be used as an introduction or summary to the ‘Acid-base titrations’ required practical for separate chemistry courses. I ask students to complete the worksheet alongside the practical or as a home study task.
The sheet includes sections on:
Background information on neutralisation and titrations reactions
Key definitions & equations
Colour changes for indicators
The method - including a list of key terms
Guide to calculating concentrations
The resource also has QR codes that can be scanned to take students to useful webpages or videos that will help them with the sheet.
Feedback & reviews are always appreciated!
When teaching the A level course, I noticed that my students needed some supporting materials to help them with the content covered in lessons.
My Key notes summarise the non-negotiables that students need to know about the Respiration sub-topic within the A-level Biology course.
Each key note sheet is split into three ‘key’ sections. Sections will vary depending on the lesson but they all contain a ‘key terms’ section and useful diagrams. This resource is made to support the OCR A-level course but can also support learning from other exam boards.
1 - Introduction to cellular respiration
2 -Stage 1: Glycolysis
3 - Stage 2: Links reaction
4 - Stage 3: Krebs Cycle
5 - Stage 4: The Electron Transport Chain
6- Anaerobic Respiration
7 - Respiratory Substrates
Teaching students to predict and explain the outcome of a change to a system at equilibrium is always tricky. So here’s a helpsheet that I use with students to guide them through the process.
The double sided sheet includes:
Step-by-Step guides to determining answers.
Model answers
A tool to visualise the change to the system
Explanations of changes to temperature, pressure & concentration.
Here’s a worksheet that can be used as an introduction or summary to the ‘Making Copper sulfate salts’ required practical for combined or separate chemistry courses.
The sheet includes sections on:
Background information on neutralisation reactions
Key definitions
Word equations for making salts
The method - including a list of key terms
Exam style questions
The resource also has QR codes that can be scanned to take students to useful webpages or videos that will help them with the sheet.
Here’s an interactive activity that students can use to find out and summarise their knowledge of methods of heat transfer (e.g. Conduction, convection & radiation).
Cut out the larger square and fold the corners along the dotted lines.
Add descriptions of each type of heat transfer to the corners (in the shaded sections).
Draw diagrams to represent energy transfers on each inside corner.
Complete the gap fill using the word bank.
Stick the gap fill into the exposed centre of the foldable.
Stick the reverse side of the foldable into their book.
This is a resource that’s designed for a mid to lower ability class and supports the energy transfers topic from the AQA physics specification. The resource can be easily adapted for higher ability groups by removing the gap fill and asking students to describe each type of energy transfer using the key words.
I always find teaching nanoparticles quite tricky, as students often don’t engage with the topic. Whilst searching for activities, I stumbled across a fantastic video that won best short film at the Scinema Science festival in 2010.
This worksheet is designed to accompany the video and can be used as a task within the classroom or as an independent homework task. There’s an answer sheet included and also a section for students to write their answers.
*I would suggest asking students to use headphones (if possible) whilst watching the video.
Here’s an activity that can be used to summarise the names and differences between Alkanes & Alkenes. This works well as a lesson activity or as a revision activity.
Students should cut out each domino.
Rearrange them so that the end of one leads into the start of another.
Check their answers with you (answer sheet included in the resource)
Stick the correct order into their book.
Each domino also has a number on it so that a correct sequence can be written down, a process that doesn’t involve any cutting or sticking. This is useful approach for students that prioritise cutting/sticking over the actual activity.
This tarsia puzzle is designed to test students’ knowledge of homologous series and types of polymerisation.
Students need to cut out each triangle.
Triangles can be arranged to form a larger triangle.
Students will know if they’ve been correct in their sorting if the statement on one side of a smaller triangle corresponds to the statement on the adjacent triangle.
The resource is made to accompany the C8 (Organic Chemistry Unit) from the AQA GCSE 9-1 syllabus. Answers are included.
Here’s an interactive resource that can be used as an end of unit summary or as a tool for Year 11 Revision.
This foldable will test the skills of students to recall, manipulate and apply some of the key equations from the AQA P5 unit. It’s also quite a hands on resource that works well with mid - lower ability KS4 groups.
Print the sheet for each student - make sure it’s double sided!
Ask students to cut along the dotted lines & fold along the solid lines.
Students should then complete the foldable flap for each equation and use these to answer the questions.
The back section of the sheet can then be stuck into their books.
Feedback is always appreciated!
Here’s a free Introduction to respiration from my 5.2.2 Respiration Key notes collection.
My Key notes summarise the non-negotiables that students need to know about the Cellular respiration sub-topic within the A-level Biology course.
Each key note sheet is split into three ‘key’ sections. Sections will vary depending on the lesson but they all contain a ‘key terms’ section and useful diagrams. This resource is made to support the OCR A-level course but can also be used with other exam boards.
The whole set of key notes for this sub topic can be purchased from my store.
My students always struggle with zones of inhibition, so I decided to create a guided opportunity for them to practice this skill! So, here’s a worksheet that can be used to calculate zones of inhibition for antiseptics.
This resource gives students the opportunity to practice their calculations before having a go on their results from the antiseptics required practical. There are also some key questions at the bottom of the sheet that can be used to guide students through the process.
Here’s a worksheet that can be used as an introduction or summary to the Energy changes required practical for combined or separate chemistry courses.
The sheet covers:
Background informationn
Key terms
Energy level diagrams
The method
Exam style questions
The resource also has QR codes that can be scanned to take students to useful webpages or videos that will help them with the sheet.
Here’s a ready to go resource for A-level biology students working through the OCR Genetic Manipulation unit.
Students can scan the QR codes using iPads, laptops, chromebooks or their own phones. The QR codes will take them to videos or articles that will support them as they work through the questions.
This is an excellent way of helping students to develop their understanding of gene therapy techniques (e.g. CRISPR) and how these are used.