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 fully-resourced lesson which explores how the composition of different alloys is related to their properties and their uses. The lesson includes an engaging and informative lesson presentation (38 slides) and an associated differentiated worksheet.
The lesson begins by challenging the students to use their Chemistry knowledge of numbers to come up with the letters of the word alloy. Students are introduced to the definition of this key term and then use a wordsearch to find both the names of the alloys but also the metals that are found in these mixtures. The main aim of this lesson is to get students to understand why alloys are chosen for jobs rather than pure metals and there is a focus on atoms and their arrangement. Students are challenged to use the example of copper and brass to complete a summary passage which is differentiated so that those who need more assistance are still able to access the work. The remainder of the lesson focuses on steel and solder, again exploring how their different features are related to how they are used in modern day life. Progress checks have been written into the lesson at regular intervals to allow the students to check their understanding and a range of quick quiz competitions will aid engagement.
This lesson has been designed for GCSE students but could be used with KS3 students who are looking at mixtures within the atoms and elements topic.
This fully-resourced lesson describes how to calculate the concentration of solution in grams per decimetres cubed and mol per decimetre cubed. The lesson PowerPoint and accompanying questions which are differentiated have been designed to cover points 1.49 & 5.8 of the Edexcel GCSE Chemistry specification.
The lesson begins by introducing students to volumes in decimetres cubed and time is taken to ensure that students are able to convert to this measurement from volumes in centimetres cubed. Moving forwards, students are shown how to calculate the concentration in both units through the use of worked examples and then they are challenged to apply this to a series of exam-style questions which have been differentiated so students of differing abilities can access the work
An engaging lesson presentation (95 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 4 (Chemical changes) of the AQA GCSE Chemistry specification (specification point C4.4)
The topics that are tested within the lesson include:
Reactivity series
Extraction of metals and reduction
Oxidation and reduction in terms of electrons
Reactions of metals with acids
Neutralisations
Titrations
Electrolysis
Half equations
Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “It’s time for ACTION” and “Number CRAZY” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention
An engaging lesson presentation (70 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 (Bonding, structure and properties of matter) of the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification (specification point C5.2)
The topics that are tested within the lesson include:
Chemical bonds
Ionic bonding
Ionic compounds
Properties of ionic compounds
Covalent bonding
Metallic bonding
Properties of metals and alloys
The three states of matter
State symbols
Structure and bonding of carbon
Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “The name’s BOND…” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention
An engaging lesson presentation (73 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 1 (Atomic structure and the Periodic Table) of the AQA GCSE Chemistry specification (specification unit C4.1).
The topics that are tested within the lesson include:
Mixtures
Development of the model of the atom
The subatomic particles
Electronic structure
The periodic table
Group 0
Group 1
Group 7
The transition metals
Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “UNLOCK the safe" whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention
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 topics C4 - C6 of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Combined Science specification that can be assessed in PAPER 4
The topics covered are:
C4: Predicting and identifying reactions and products
C5: Monitoring and controlling chemical reactions
C6: Global challenges
Students will be engaged through the numerous quiz rounds whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which require further attention
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 unit C9 (Chemistry of the atmosphere) of the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification (specification point C5.9).
The topics that are tested within the lesson include:
The proportion of different gases in the atmosphere
The Earth’s early atmosphere
Greenhouse gases
Atmospheric pollutants
Students will be engaged through the numerous quiz rounds whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which require further attention
This bundle of 6 revision lessons challenges the students on their knowledge of the content of topics B1 - B7, C1 - C10 and P1 - P7 of the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification which will be assessed on the 6 terminal GCSE papers. Specifically, the range of tasks which include exam-style questions (with displayed answers), quiz competitions and discussion points, have been designed for students taking the FOUNDATION TIER papers but could also be used with students taking the higher tier who need to ensure that the key points are embedded on some topics.
The majority of the tasks are differentiated 2 or 3 ways so that a range of abilities can access the work whilst remaining challenged by the content.
If you would like to see the quality of these lessons, download the paper 2 and 5 revision lessons as these have been shared for free.
This lesson revisits the topic of random and systematic errors and also challenges students on other scientific skills such as identifying variables. Students tend to find this topic confusing, so the PowerPoint and accompanying resources have been designed to support them to identify whether an error is random or systematic and then to understand what to do next.
The lesson guides the students through a series of real life examples and shows them how to spot each type of error. There is a considerable mathematical element to this lesson, including the calculation of means or missing values in a table.
The lesson concludes with a series of exam-style questions where the students have to apply their understanding of identifying errors, variables and calculating means.
This bundle of 6 lessons covers the majority of the content in Topic P4 (Atomic structure) of the AQA Trilogy GCSE Combined Science specification. The topics covered within these lessons include:
Developing the atomic model
Isotopes
Nuclear radiation
Decay equations
Half-life
Irradiation and contamination
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 10 lessons covers a lot of the content in Topic C4 (Extracting metals and equilibria) of the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science & GCSE Chemistry specifications. The topics covered within these lessons include:
Reactivity of metals
Redox reactions
Extracting metals
Biological metal extraction
Reversible reactions
The conditions of the Haber Process
Temperature and the position of equilibrium
Pressure and the position of 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.
This bundle of 8 lessons covers the majority of the content in the sub-topic C6.1 (Improving processes and products) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Combined Science specification. The topics and specification points covered within these lessons include:
Extracting metals by using carbon
Explain why and how electrolysis is used to extract metals from their ores
Alternative biological methods of metal extraction
The separation of crude oil by fractional distillation
The fractions as alkanes
The production of useful products by cracking
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 10 lessons covers the majority of the content in Topic C1e (Chemical formulae, equations and calculations) of the Edexcel iGCSE Chemistry specification. The topics and specification points covered within these lessons include:
Writing word equations
Writing balanced symbol equations (with state symbols)
Calculate relative formula masses
Know that the mole is the unit for the amount of a substance
Understand how to carry out calculations involving amount, relative atomic and formula mass
Calculate reacting masses
Calculate percentage yield
Know the terms empirical formula and molecular formula and be able to calculate both
Calculate concentration of solutions
Calculate gas volumes
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 3 lessons covers the majority of the content in Topic C2h (Chemical tests) of the Edexcel iGCSE Chemistry specification. The topics and specification points covered within these lessons include:
Describe tests for the colourless gases
Describe how to carry out a flame test
Know the colours produced in the flame tests for the different cations
Describe further tests for the cations
Describe tests for the anions
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 11 lessons covers a lot of the content in Topic P4 (Waves and radioactivity) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Combined Science specification. The topics covered within these lessons include:
Waves and their properties
Wave velocity
Reflection and Refraction
EM waves
Uses of EM waves
Isotopes
Radiation properties
Decay equations
Half-life
Background radiation
Dangers of radioactivity
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 concise lesson presentation (20 slides) guides students through the effect of changing pressure on the position of the equilibrium. The key skill to this topic involves recalling the rule of increasing pressure and being able to recognise how many moles are on each side of the reaction. For this reason, time is taken to remind the students of the meaning of the mole numbers in a reaction and working through an example together so they can see which side will be favoured. The final part of the lesson involves a game called “The PRESSURE is on” where students are in a race against the clock to balance an equation and then work out which way the equilibrium will shift when either the pressure is increased or decreased.
This lesson has been written for GCSE students.
This lesson looks at the homologous series of alcohols, focusing on the properties that they share and guiding students through naming and drawing displayed formula to represent them. It has been designed for GCSE students and time is taken to embed a few selected key details as dictated by the exam board specification.
The lesson begins with students meeting the formula for ethanol. This substance will provide the backbone to their understanding as they are guided through drawing the displayed formula so they can visualise how it is done and use to draw diagrams for the others. Students are shown how the general formula for the alkanes and alkenes can be worked out and then challenged to use this to work out the general formula for the alcohols. There is a brief look at the reactions with oxygen and the products that can be made depending upon whether sufficient oxygen is available or not.
This is an engaging lesson that looks at a range of condensation polymers that are formed by condensation reactions. The lesson includes a detailed lesson presentation (51 slides) and accompanying worksheets which contain a differentiated task.
The lesson begins by providing the students with a definition of a condensation reaction and challenging them to predict the identity of the smaller molecule. Moving forwards, students will learn that as well as water being a product, the larger molecule is known as a condensation polymer. Time is taken to look at a range of condensation polymers throughout the course of the lesson, and this includes both natural and artificial examples. Students are shown how to draw block diagrams to visualise how the functional groups react and then once water is removed, they are able to see the group that remains and joins the parts together. Students are shown how to name the ester formed according to the carboxylic acid and alcohol involved.
The final part of the lesson involves a summary quiz called “It’s time to take the POLYGRAPH” where they have to read a number of passages about condensation polymers and decide which ones are telling lies and which are the truth.
This lesson has been written for GCSE students
A fully-resourced lesson, which includes a lesson presentation (49 slides) and associated worksheets and guides students through the topic of extracting metals. The main focus of the lesson is the extracting of the metals (from their oxides) that fall below carbon in the reactivity series. Students will see how the metal oxides are reduced in order to form the required metal. Some time is taken to briefly look at the extraction of aluminium from aluminium oxide but if a lesson on the extraction of a particular metal is sought, then please look at my additional resources which cover iron and aluminium in greater detail.
This lesson has been designed for GCSE students (14 - 16 year olds in the UK)
A fully resourced lesson that includes a lesson presentation (31 slides) and a related newspaper story to allow the students to compare the structure and properties of two allotropes of carbon, diamond and graphite. Students are guided through the structures and then challenged to work out how this relates to their respective properties. Time is taken to focus on the comparison between the two in terms of their ability to conduct electricity. A step by step answer is used to explain why diamond cannot conduct electricity so that students can use this when forming their answer for graphite.
This lesson has been designed primarily for GCSE students (14 - 16 year olds) where questions comparing these two substances are common but it is suitable for use with younger students too.
