Simon has been teaching Physics for over 27 years in British state schools and international school around the world. He specializes in International Baccalaureate, A level and IGCSE. He is now head of the secondary school at the British School of Tashkent, a Nord Anglia school and in August he will become International Principal of NAS Guangzhou Panyu. He is a regular contributor to the Times Educational Supplement and is one of their "Subject geniuses" for Science.
Simon has been teaching Physics for over 27 years in British state schools and international school around the world. He specializes in International Baccalaureate, A level and IGCSE. He is now head of the secondary school at the British School of Tashkent, a Nord Anglia school and in August he will become International Principal of NAS Guangzhou Panyu. He is a regular contributor to the Times Educational Supplement and is one of their "Subject geniuses" for Science.
Perfect for putting on a screen during Science open evenings or assemblies. A presentation containing animated gifs showing the wonder (and humour) of science. Always a big hit, especially with young audiences.
All they need to know for IGCSE/GCSE Physics. The transformers lesson (also available from the same author) follows on nicely from this. This assumes you have a generator/dynamo to demonstrate and you have wire/magnets/multimeters for them to induce their own current.
Cut out dominoes from both sheets. The should fit together to make a rectangle/circle. Should take an average group about 25 minutes to do. Feel free to personalise!!
At the end of the GCSE waves topic - class either hold up cards they have made (True or false) or can move from one side of the class (the false side!) to the other. A quick assessment and revision exercise.
All lesson PowerPoints and activities for year 9 (and indeed GCSE) electricity.
Student confusion over words like “charge”, “current” and even “electricity” (whatever that is) is common. Why not simply talk about the movement of electrons – even lower down the school in year 7? It is much easier for students to visualize a flow of particles carrying energy than it is to comprehend vague expressions like “flow of charge” or to understand current as a flow of water etc.
Make lots of small pieces of paper (about 1 cm x 5 cm). Arrange the students around the room in a large circle with you at one side (with the paper) and a lit Bunsen on the other (with plenty of mats surrounding it!). The students walk slowly round the room, collecting a piece of paper from you, setting light to the paper at the Bunsen (and placing on the mats) and returning to get more. Ask them in groups to try to identify the elements in the circuit (perhaps by sketching). You are the cell (use correct terminology here), they are electrons, the Bunsen is a lamp and the paper is energy.
Presentation with everything they need to know about Fleming's left hand rule and the motor effect. Obviously great if you also have model motor sets to build. Can also build loudspeakers that use the motor effect (instructions on notes below slides). Worksheet to practice the left-hand rule.
Written for year 9, could also be used for lower groups in KS4. Going through the properties of metals, their uses and reactions with acids in a humorous style.
Originally written for year 9 this could also be used as an introduction higher up the school, including IB and A level. I have a running joke in my class about my hatred of dogs hence the example!!
A lesson for IGCSE (14-6 year old) Coordinated Science although this will also work at KS3 (11-14 year olds). The slide that says 'Follow Mr Porter' I normally take them outside and show them how to play 'Wall Ball' and hence demonstrate the law of reflection. Please message me if you don't know 'wall ball'. The sheets are exercises in using the law, either drawing rays of light to show light being bounced off mirrors to find treasure on a treasure map or trying to 'zap' a dog (I have a running joke about my hate of dogs in my lessons). Please feel free to substitute something other than a dog!
Everything they need to know for GCSE/IGCSE magnetism. Includes a "draw the sentence exercise. The slides can also be put on a loop and students can mind-map the information.
Written for year 9, traces the development of models for the solar system using observations of astronomical phenomena. Fairly comprehensive so could also be used higher up the school.