A fully-resourced lesson which includes a concise lesson presentation (16 slides) and accompanying worksheet that guides students through the use of the gravitational potential energy equation to calculate energy, mass and height. The lesson begins by challenging students to work out the factors involved in calculating gravitational potential energy having been given a scenario with some balls on shelves. The students will discover that mass and height affect the energy size and that a third factor, gravity constant, is involved. The rest of the lesson focuses on using the equation to calculate energy, mass and height. In terms of the latter, students have to carry out an engaging task to work out the height that three flags have to be hoisted to during a medal ceremony. This lesson has been written for GCSE students.

An informative lesson which guides students through the commonly misunderstood topic of drawing free body diagrams and using them to calculate resultant forces. The lesson begins by ensuring that students understand that force is a vector quantity and therefore arrows in diagrams can be used to show the magnitude and direction. Drawing free body diagrams is poorly understood and therefore time is taken to go through the three key steps in drawing these diagrams. Each of these steps is demonstrated in a number of examples, so students are able to visualise how to construct the diagrams before they are given the opportunity to apply their new-found knowledge. The rest of the lesson focuses on calculating resultant forces when the forces act in the same plane and also when they are at angles to each other. Again, worked examples are shown before students are challenged to apply. Progress checks are written into the lesson at regular intervals so that students can constantly assess their understanding and any misconceptions can be addressed. 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 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 designed to explore the range of energy sources which are used on Earth and specifically looks at why an increase in the use of renewable sources is critical for the future. The student’s scientific understanding is challenged at each step of the lesson but there is also a mathematical element running throughout. The lesson begins by challenging the students to predict which energy sources contributed the greatest % when presented with a pie chart. Students cover this topic in other subjects like Geography, so the lesson aims to build on this and consolidate the essential understanding. A range of renewable sources are discussed and key terms such as carbon-neutral taken on further. This lesson has been designed for GCSE students but parts could be used with younger students who are looking at

This is an engaging and informative lesson that looks at the wires inside a UK plug and considers their role in terms of the supply of mains electricity. The safety features of the plug, such as the fuse, are also discussed so that students can understand how a particular fuse is chosen. As the cover image shows, the lesson begins by challenging the students to use their knowledge of all three of the Sciences to come up with the three names of the wires. Some students will know that these are the wires in a UK plug but some wont. Key terminology such as three-core cable is used throughout, as well as a running theme with the colours, so that students become accustomed to identifying a particular wire by its plastic insulation. Through a range of tasks which encourage student discovery and educated predictions, the students will learn the functions of each of the wires as well as their potential difference. The fuse is introduced to the students and links are made to the electrical circuits topic by considering the resistance of the wire inside the fuse and challenging them to use the electrical power equation to calculate a current and choose an appropriate fuse for that plug. The aim of the lesson is to get students to absorb information as the lesson progresses in order to eventually label a black and white diagram of the plug. The last part of the lesson looks at two-core cables and then relates this back to the importance of the earth wire in a UK plug. This lesson has been written for GCSE aged students but is suitable for use with younger students who are learning about this topic.

This is a fully-resourced lesson that uses a variety of tasks and quick competitions to look at what happens to sound waves when they hit a boundary and how these properties are utilised for numerous functions and appliances. This lesson includes an engaging and informative lesson presentation (32 slides) and a worksheet which is differentiated two ways to enable students who are finding the topic difficult a chance to access the learning. The lesson begins by looking at how sound waves can be reflected and how this is commonly known as an echo. Students are challenged to use a provided equation to calculate a distance by using the time that the echo of a shout takes to be heard in the Grand Canyon. Moving forwards, students will see how this idea of reflection can be used with ultrasound in the imaging of the foetus. At this stage, as the cover image shows, students are challenged to complete a doctor’s letter to an expectant mother who is concerned about the ultrasound procedure. Assistance is given in the form of a differentiated worksheet for those who find it difficult. Moving forwards, students will learn that sound waves can be refracted at a boundary, just as light waves can. Working with the teacher, they will use key terms to build up an exemplar definition to explain how this refraction occurs. This lesson has been designed for GCSE aged students.

This is a fully-resourced lesson that looks at the role of transformers in the National Grid, explains why they increase or decrease potential difference and then uses the given equation to calculate potential difference or the number of turns on the primary or secondary coil. This lesson includes an informative lesson presentation (25 slides) and two question worksheets. The lesson begins by introducing the devices that are transformers and showing the students that there are two types, step-up and step-down. Students will learn that step-up transformers increase the potential difference and step-down transformers decrease the potential difference. Moving forwards, a series of calculations are used to get the students to understand why these changes in potential difference occur. Students are guided through this section so that they are able to complete a summary passage about the roles of these devices. They will then be shown the equation connecting potential difference and number of turns which they do not need to recall but have to apply. Again, a worked example is used to visualise how workings should be set out before students are challenged to answer two sets of questions, the second of which involves the use of a second equation. Progress checks like these are found at regular intervals throughout the lesson so that students can assess their understanding. This lesson has been written for GCSE students