I am currently a Lecturer in Engineering Design at a University, prior to this I worked in secondary schools as a specialist physics teacher. My experience from working at these levels of education has emphasised the need to ensure fundamentals in science are mastered by students for continued success in education & beyond. My resources aim to clearly communicate complex scientific principles through clear visuals and explanations - with well structured tasks to practice what has been learnt.
I am currently a Lecturer in Engineering Design at a University, prior to this I worked in secondary schools as a specialist physics teacher. My experience from working at these levels of education has emphasised the need to ensure fundamentals in science are mastered by students for continued success in education & beyond. My resources aim to clearly communicate complex scientific principles through clear visuals and explanations - with well structured tasks to practice what has been learnt.
New GCSE AQA Physics lesson on 'Conservation of energy' written in line with new AQA Physics specification.
Lessons starts with a 'energy store' description in regards to a pendulum (using interesting animations) which consolidates the previous lessons on energy stores.
The swinging pendulum back towards the face is used as the vehicle to discuss conservation of energy, posing the question 'will you be hit in the face when the pendulum swings back?'. Students are led to an experiment to investigate a pendulum swing using basic lab equipment (clamp, string and mass for end of pendulum, can use a bobbin or plasticine) to make observations. This allows for an informed discussion and conclusion to be made to the original question.
Energy in closed systems are explained with the reason for them to be used in science, open systems are also looked at in order to allow contrast. The conservation of energy is summarised through discussion of systems which lead to comparing and contrasting a bouncy ball and also bungee jumps in relation to changes in energy stores and conservation of energy.
Lesson Objectives:
1) Use ideas about changes in energy stores to explain a pendulum swinging.
2) State what the ‘conservation of energy’ is and explain why conservation of energy is important.
3) Explain what is meant by a ‘closed system’ and how they are used in science.
4) Compare and contrast changes to energy stores between closed and open systems
2 New GCSE AQA Physics lesson on 'Heating and insulation' written in line with new AQA Physics specification.
Starter comprises of a series of questions reviewing the content from previous lessons on energy transfer by heating. The definition of insulators are quickly reviewed and this then leads to details of the required practical on insulation. Questioning is provided relating to AT 1 and AT5 before the experiment guidance is given. 3 different experiment approaches are provided: different materials, different number of layers and different starting temperature are given as varied choice of investigation. These link to the factors which affect rate of heat transfer across a material. Data analysis and conclusion guidance is provided.
The lesson continue by relating insulation to the home, detailing key methods of insulating the home.
A task sheet which can be used for homework is provided which ask pupils to identify how different things either keep or lose heat energy.
Lesson Objectives:
1) Review topic of energy transfer by heating.
2) Identify suitable apparatus to complete a scientific investigation.
3) Detail appropriate and safe use of apparatus to complete an investigation.
4) Analyse and interpret collected data to draw conclusions.
New GCSE AQA Physics lesson on 'Electromagnetic Spectrum' written in line with new AQA Physics specification.
Lesson Objectives:
1) Identify the different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.
2) Identify the order of EM waves based on wavelengths, frequency & energy.
3) Identify orders of magnitude (size) of different EM wavelengths.
4) Explain the use of different EM waves.
5) Evaluate and discuss the potential risk of using mobile phones.
New GCSE AQA Physics lesson on 'State of Matter (Solids, Liquid and Gases)' written in line with new AQA Physics specification.
Lesson Outline:
Starter tasks pupils with drawing particle diagrams of different states of matter. Kinetic theory is review in details for each state of matter. Energy levels of each state of matter are discussed and compared. Students are given a task to act out the different states of matter to model them, this allows for discussion of key concepts that must be communicated and how well the models explain different phenomenon. Changes of states are reviewed to identify the different processes that can occur with change of state including sublimation. A simple experiment shows evaporation and condensation in action for pupils to observe. Evaporation, condensation and sublimation are then discussed in detail. Lesson concludes with review questions and a writing challenge.
Lesson Objectives:
- State key differences between solids, liquids and gases.
- Identify properties of solids, liquids and gases.
- Explain the energy differences between different states of matter.
- Explain in detail the processes of evaporation and condensation.
New GCSE AQA Physics lesson on 'Melting and Boiling points of substances (changes in states)' written in line with new AQA Physics specification
Lesson Outline:
Starter uses 5 quick question to recap some prior content question some key concepts for the lesson. Pure substances are discussed using a visual game to recognise if a pure substance is being shown or not - leading to a key definition.
Melting and boiling points are then highlighted and linked back to the previous changes of states illustration. Impurities in substances are then discussed to show the importance of pure substances in melting and boiling points.
An experiment to acquire data on melting and boiling points of water is outlined which lead to plotting a change of state graph.
An ideal change of state diagram then allows the teacher to discuss with the class trends and key points along the graph.
Lesson Objectives:
- Identify pure substances and mixtures.
- Explain what is meant by melting point and boiling point of a substance.-
- Compare and contrast boiling and evaporation.
- Detail changes in state of substance using a graph.
New GCSE AQA Physics lesson on Forces and Braking written in line with new AQA Physics specification. All questions are provided with answer within the Power Point.
Lesson starts by discussing the speed limit for vehicles against the maximum speeds vehicles can achieve. Stopping distances is explored by looking at different size vehicles going at the same velocity and then braking. Stopping distance is also reviewed against different velocities.
Thinking distance and braking distance are highlighted and discussed with a class activity exploring the effects of different factors on thinking distance with higher or lower activity. A class activity is also provided to investigate pupils reaction time to relate to thinking distance.
A quick review on resultant forces in relation to vehicles is explored through questioning, this leads to the physics of stopping vehicles through braking. This leads to an exploration of the physics of braking in terms of changes to energy stores and then also how to calculate braking force.
Summary questions are provided on this topic to finish the lesson.
Plenary poses the starting question again in light of new information pupils will now have.
Lesson Objectives:
- Evaluate different vehicle speeds for stopping distances
- Explain what happens during braking of a vehicle.
- Identify and explain what can effect the stopping distance of a vehicle.
- Investigate how a drivers reaction time effect stopping distance.
- Calculate the braking force of a required for moving vehicles.
New GCSE AQA Physics lesson on ’ Pressure and Surfaces’ written in line with new AQA Physics specification. All questions provided with answers within power point.
Starter looks at a balloon being pressed down onto a bed of nails - details of how to set this up simply with thumbtacks (obvious as it is) can be found in the notes box.
Following this a problem of dog trapped on thin ice is presented for pupils to come up with potential rescue attempts to avoid breaking the ice. The concept of pressure is consolidated with the example of thumb tack being pressed into a wall - the equation for pressure is then detailed.
To make use of the pressure equation an elephant and person in stiletto heels are compared mathematically to find which exerts the greatest pressure. Pupils are then guided to calculate the amount of pressure they exert onto the floor whilst standing.
The lesson is concluded with a set of review question.
Lesson Objectives:
- State what pressure is and be able to calculate it.
- Identify the units for pressure.
- Explain the relationship between pressure, force and area.
- Apply knowledge of pressure to different problems.
New GCSE AQA Physics lesson on ' Centre of Mass' written in line with new AQA Physics specification. All questions provided with answers within power point.
Starter simply looks at balancing object on one finger and how intuitively we can know how to do this. Then stability of different shapes is reviewed and again highlighted how we can assess whether something will be stable or not. The physics of this is then applied in terms of centre of mass. The technique to find the centre of mass for a symmetrical shape is detailed and practices with questions.
Suspended equilibrium and centre of mass is shown using a hanging bird cage and can also be demonstrated in class with a simple mass and string. Then an experiment is outlined to find the centre of mass of irregular shapes.
Centre of mass it then related to real life contexts for practice exam questions.
Lesson Objectives:
- Explain what is meant by centre of mass.
- Find the centre of mass for a simple symmetrical object and explain this position.
- Find the centre of mass of an irregular shaped object.
- Apply the principle of centre of mass to real-life problems.
New GCSE AQA Physics lesson on ’ Seismic Waves’ written in line with new AQA Physics specification. All questions provided with answers within power point.
Lesson Objectives:
State what seismic waves are
Identify and state different layers of the earths structure
Explain how seismic waves are produced
Explain what primary and secondary seismic waves are
Detail how seismic waves can provide information about the Earth’s structure
5 lessons covering the unit of Wave Properties for AQA GCSE Physics.
Lesson include:
Properties of Waves
Reflection and Refraction of Waves
Sound
Ultrasound
Seismic Waves
Please read individual resources descriptions for each item in the bundle for further detail.
New GCSE AQA Physics lesson on the AC DC generators written in line with new AQA Physics specification. All questions provided with answers within power point.
Explain how the generator effect is used in an alternator to generate ac
Explain how a ‘dynamo’ generates dc current
Interpret graphs of potential difference generated in the coil against time.
Explain how a moving-coil microphone works.
New GCSE AQA Physics lesson on ' Resolution of Forces' written in line with new AQA Physics specification. All questions provided with answers within power point.
The starter provides some simple combination of forces questions to review the subject of resultant forces - one question has two forces acting on different planes which pupils will be unfamiliar with and therefore how to solve - this prompts the lesson.
The intuitive resultant force and direction is highlighted but also how we need to calculate exactly what they are.
The parallelogram/geometric method is taught step by step with a worked example, this is done a second time with another example but with the class prompted to follow it and do the same on their own paper which also allows for discussion of difference in results.
A collection of questions allows pupils to practice use of this method.
This method is then used for inclined planes to explain frictional force acting to put object in equilibrium on inclined planes. Review questions again allow pupils to practice this.
Lesson Objectives:
- Review resolving simple combination of forces.
- Identify when forces are acting on different lines/planes.
- Calculate the resultant force on an object which has equal forces acting on different lines/planes.
- Calculate the resultant force on an object which has unequal forces acting on different lines/planes.
A worksheet is not provided as it is best for pupils to work on their own paper to define their own scales for this methodology.
5 Lessons on GCSE AQA Physics 'Forces and Motion. Lessons include:
- Forces and acceleration.
- Terminal velocity.
- Forces and Braking.
- Momentum.
- Impact Forces.
- Forces and Elasticity.
Please see individual item listing for details on each individual lesson.
ALL lessons have answer keys in the PowerPoint
5 Lessons on GCSE AQA Physics 'Forces in Balance. Lessons include:
- Vectors and Scalars.
- Resultant Forces.
- Centre of Mass.
- Moment, Gear and Equilibrium.
- Resolution of forces (Parallelogram/Geometric method.
Please see individual item listing for details on each individual lesson.
ALL lessons have answer keys in the PowerPoint
GCSE lesson on specific heat capacity including key content from AQA GCSE Physics.
Includes an example which could be used as an teacher demo if wished for starter.
Lesson focuses on words to inform what specific heat capacity means to help understand the equation and units. Questions included for practice of using equation for exam to secure marks in exam.
Also an exam question is attached at the end.
More P1 lessons in same format.
https://www.tes.com/member/Nteach
New GCSE AQA Physics lesson on 'Changes in energy stores' written in line with new AQA Physics specification.
Lessons starts with a 'true or false' activity to review students understanding and misconceptions on the topic.
The importance of energy in physics is highlighted in brief to show relevance of the topic.
Forms of energy are reviewed as this is likely the manner in which many students have learnt the basics of the topic at KS3.
KS3 knowledge is then put in context to the way in which energy is considered at AQA GCSE level.
Energy stores and energy transfers are reviewed for students leading to energy flow diagrams.
Following examples of how to detail changes in energy stores the students have review questions to answer and this is followed by an energy circus activity.
The lesson finished with exam style questions.
Lesson Objectives:
1) Recall different forms of energy.
2) Identify different energy stores
3) Explain how energy can be transferred between energy stores.
4) Detail how the energy stores change for various different processes.
New GCSE AQA Physics lesson on 'Work done' written in line with new AQA Physics specification.
Starter - Students are to discuss what objects they think would be the most 'work' to move into a house. This is to get them thinking about what work means - more work or less work.
The familiar definition of work is explored which is then related to the definition of work in physics. A quick mini plenary questions students on different scenarios to see if work is done on the system or not.
After the equations for Work done is given and explained students re-visit the moving house activity to calculate the work done on moving different objects into a house.
An experiment is detailed to explore work done on different surfaces to start investigating the effects of friction in relation to work done. The lesson concludes looking at useful friction and the changes in energy stores cause by friction.
Exam questions are given as a plenary task.
Lesson Objectives:
1) Provide a definitions for work done.
2) Recall and apply the equation for Work done to solve problems.
3) Calculate the energy changes in different systems using work done.
4) Detail the energy changes that occur in a system when work is done.
New GCSE AQA Physics lesson on ‘Gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy, and elastic energy’ written in line with new AQA Physics specification.
Starter relates the previous lesson on ‘work done’ to the current lesson on energy which also brings in the idea of conservation of energy.
Provided a clear explanation of gravitational energy and how this relates to work done students are given the equation which they can immediately use with the ‘book shelf’ activity. Books each of mass 1 kg are flown across different height shelves where students must then calculate their gravitational potential energy.
The idea of kinetic energy is explored by looking at different size vehicles and their top speeds and what this might mean for their kinetic energy. Following the explanation of the equation the students then complete an activity with different vehicles moving across the screen with their speeds and masses visible for student to calculate the kinetic energy of each.
The Elastic potential energy equation is reviewed and then students are able to apply it with review questions.
The elastic potential energy and kinetic energy equations are reviewed in focus to show how they can be re-arranged to make extension and velocity the subject.
Exam questions are provided as a plenary.
Home work questions are provided for review.
Exam questions are given as a plenary task.
Lesson Objectives:
Provide definitions for kinetic energy, gravitational potential energy and elastic potential energy.
Apply at least two energy equations to problems successfully.
Apply and re-arrange all energy equations to problems.
Relate work done to changes in energy stores.
Complete set of lessons for AQA GCSE Physics P1 including key content from AQA.
The content of GCSE Physics P1 is covered over 20 separate resourced lessons all in the same format for continuity and direction for pupils (some of which are suitable for double lessons). Please do look at the shop if you wish to look at more detailed breakdowns of the lessons included in this bundle. FREE REFLECTION LESSON AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD IN SHOP TO CHECK FORMAT AND QUALITY OF RESOURCES.
Lesson 1- Radiation and Surfaces
Lesson 2 – States of matter, evaporation & condensation
Lesson 3 – Conduction
Lesson 4 - Convection
Lesson 5 – Specific Heat Capacity
Lesson 6 – Heat transfer by design
Lesson 7 – U-values & Payback time
Lesson 8 – Forms & Conservation of Energy (+ energy transfer diagrams)
Lesson 9 – Energy Efficiency, Sankey Diagrams & efficiency calculations
Lesson 10 - Energy & Power of Electrical Devices
Lesson 11 - Cost of Electricity
Lesson 12 – Methods of generating electricity
Lesson 13 - National Grid
Lesson 14 – Wave Properties
Lesson 15 - Reflection
Lesson 16 - Refraction
Lesson 17 – Diffraction
Lesson 18 – Sound
Lesson 19 – Electromagnetic waves
Lesson 20 – Big Bang Theory & the expanding universe
Includes collection of exam style questions in Power Point, useful for AfL and revision.
Lessons are noted with Lesson number as taught by me and also to help identify what resources belong together, you may wish to teach topics in a slightly different order.
I do update the lessons with changes, improvement, additional slides and new worksheets so do check back after download at points to see if there have been additions since your first download.
New GCSE AQA Physics lesson on 'Internal Energy' written in line with new AQA Physics specification.
Lesson Outline:
Starter discussed whether a glass of water has energy of not to see what conclusions pupils can draw on this from previous lessons. This leads to a view of a substance on a microscopic scale to highlight that the particles are moving, therefore pupils should be able to deduce must have energy in order to move. Internal energy is then shown to be this energy in substance due to kinetic energy and potential energy. After revisiting the starter how to increase internal energy is discussed The different states of matter are review again but now in relation to internal energy with helpful graphics to support these points. How much energy in a substance is related to specific heat capacity which is typically covered earlier in the course so this provides a great opportunity to review of this topic. Lesson concludes with review questions.
Lesson Objectives:
- Explain what is meant by internal energy.
- Identify and explain how you can increase internal energy.
- Relate internal energy to properties of solids, liquids and gases.
- Explain how particles in a gas exert a pressure.