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.
This lesson explores how certain farming methods reduce biodiversity and considers the importance of a balance between conservation and farming. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are the second in a series of 2 lessons which cover the detail in point 4.6 (biodiversity within a community) of the AQA A-level biology specification.
The lesson begins by challenging the students to use the % change formula to calculate the predicted population in the UK by mid 2030. This increase to almost 70 million will lead into the recognition that farmers are under constant pressure to grow and provide enough food to feed this ever-growing population. A series of tasks and discussions will consider farming methods such as continuous monoculture and herbicides and insecticides which reduce biodiversity. This introduces conservation as active management to prevent the loss of biodiversity and several methods including the CSS and buffer strips are explored to encourage the students to think about the aims of these strategies.
The other lesson covering specification point 4.6 is uploaded and named “biodiversity within a community”.
This extensive revision lesson challenges students on their knowledge and understanding of the content of topics 5 - 8 of the AQA A-level specification. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are detailed and engaging and contain a selection of tasks which challenge the following points:
Directional, stabilising and disruptive selection
Saltatory conduction and other factors affecting conductance speed
The structure of a motor neurone
Sensory receptors, depolarisation and initiation of an action potential
Hardy-Weinberg principle
Genetic terminology
Codominance and sex-linkage
Autosomal linkage
Chi-squared test
Phosphorylation
The stages of aerobic respiration
Explaining lower ATP yields in anaerobic respiration
Skeletal muscle contraction
Structure and function of slow and fast twitch muscle fibres
The control of heart rate
Electrophoresis and genetic fingerprinting
The secondary messenger model
The students are tested through a variety of tasks including exam questions, understanding checks, and quiz rounds to maintain engagement. Due to the mathematical content in all A-level exams, there is also a focus on these skills. The answers to all questions are embedded into the PowerPoint so students can use this resource outside of the classroom.
The delivery of the whole lesson will likely need at least 2 or 3 hours of contact time so this resource could be used with students in the final weeks building up to their paper 2 exam, or alternatively with students before their mocks on these topics.
An engaging lesson presentation (16 slides) which looks at the surface area to volume ratio and ensures that students can explain why this factor is so important to the organisation of living organisms. This is a topic which is generally poorly misunderstood by students and therefore time has been taken to design an engaging lesson which highlights the key points in order to encourage greater understanding.
The lesson begins by showing students the dimensions of a cube and two answers and challenges them to work out what the questions were that produced these answers. Students are shown how to calculate the surface area and the volume of an object before it is explained how this can then be turned into a ratio. Time is taken at this point to ensure that students can apply this new-found knowledge as they have to work out which of the three organisms in the “SA: V OLYMPICS” would stand aloft the podium. Students are given the opportunity to draw conclusions from this task so that they can recognise that the larger the organism, the lower the surface area to volume ratio. The lesson finishes by explaining how larger organisms, like humans, have adapted in order to increase the surface area at important exchange surfaces in their bodies.
There are regular progress checks throughout the lesson to allow the students to check on their understanding. This lesson has been written for GCSE students but is perfectly suitable for A-level students who want to look at this topic from a basic level
An engaging lesson presentation (45 slides) 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 P6 (Waves) of the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification (specification point P6.6).
The topics that are tested within the lesson include:
Longitudinal and transverse waves
Properties of waves
Types of EM waves
Properties and applications of EM waves
Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “Tell EM the word” and “Take the HOTSEAT” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention
An engaging lesson presentation (47 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 the Chemistry unit C6 (The rate and extent of chemical change) of the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification (specification point C5.6)
The topics that are tested within the lesson include:
Calculating rates of reactions
Factors that affect the rate of a reaction
Collision theory
Reversible reactions
Equilibrium
Changing the equilibrium position
Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “Don’t get iRATE” and “Under PRESSURE” whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which need further attention
An engaging lesson presentation (67 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 7 (Organic chemistry) of the AQA GCSE Chemistry specification (specification point C4.7)
The topics that are tested within the lesson include:
Crude oil, hydrocarbons and alkanes
Fractional distillation and petrochemicals
Properties of hydrocarbons
Cracking and alkenes
Alkenes
Alcohols
Carboxcylic acids
Addition polymerisation
Condensation polymerisation
Students will be engaged through the numerous activities including quiz rounds like “What FRACTION of this is correct” and “Are you on FORM” 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
An engaging lesson which looks at the properties of the Transition metals of the Periodic Table and ultimately compares these properties against other metals, such as the Alkali metals. Through the use of a range of motivating tasks and quiz competitions, students will learn that the transition metals form coloured compounds, have a number of ion charges, act as catalysts and are harder, stronger but less reactive than group 1.
This lesson has been written for GCSE students (14 - 16 year olds) but is suitable for younger students who are looking at the patterns and trends in the Periodic Table
A fully- resourced lesson which looks at the chemical reaction that is anaerobic respiration and ensures that students can understand why this form of respiration can only be used for short periods of time. The lesson includes an engaging lesson presentation (39 slides), a newspaper article and application questions.
The lesson begins by challenging the students to recall information about aerobic respiration to recognise that the sole reactant of anaerobic respiration is glucose. A newspaper article about two atheletes from the 10000m race has been written to challenge the students to recognise why one of the athletes wouldnt be able to compete again in the near future whilst the other could. As a result, students will be introduced to lactic acid and will learn how this poisonous substance prevents muscle contraction and causes cramps. Time is taken to ensure that students are familiar with ATP and specifically that they recognise that a much lower yield is produced in this type of respiration. A perfect opportunity is taken to get the students to carry out a mathematical calculation to compare the yields. Oxygen debt is discussed and related back to the original newspaper article. Finally, anaerobic respiration in plants and yeast is considered in terms of fermentation and the word and symbol equation is written so that it can be compared to those from animals.
There are regular progress checks throughout the lesson to allow the students to check on their understanding. The lesson has been written for GCSE students but could be used with higher ability KS3 students or A-level students who want a recap before covering the topic in greater detail on their course.
An informative lesson presentation (37 slides) and associated question worksheet which looks at the key properties of alpha, beta and gamma radiation. Students are given key pieces of information during the lesson and are then challenged to use their knowledge of related topics such as atomic structure and waves to complete the information table about the types of radiation. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to compare the types of radiation on form, charge, relative mass, penetrating power and equation symbols. Progress checks have been written into the lesson at regular intervals so that students can constantly assess their understanding.
This lesson has been written for GCSE students (14 - 16 year olds in the UK).
This bundle of 8 lessons covers the majority of the content in Topic C6 (The rate and extent of chemical change) of the AQA Trilogy GCSE Combined Science specification. The topics covered within these lessons include:
Rates of reaction
Factors affecting rates of reaction
Measuring rates of reaction
Reversible reactions
Changing 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 is an engaging and informative lesson that looks at the group of unsaturated hydrocarbons known as the alkenes and focuses on a few properties, their displayed and chemical formulae and identification. This lesson has been designed for GCSE students and works nicely with the “alkanes” lesson as students can use learning from both lessons.
The lesson begins by ensuring that students recognise a key difference between the alkenes and the alkanes in terms of the carbon-carbon bond. This shows them that there is no such substance as methane. They are guided through the rules of drawing alkenes, with examples of ethene and propene used so that they can then apply this technique to draw butene. Working together with the teacher, they will be able to write the general formula that connects this group of substances. The rest of the lesson focuses on the term unsaturated and how this affects them in terms of the identification test with bromine water as well reactions with hydrogen. The lesson finishes by getting students to recognise a use of ethene in making the alcohol, ethanol.
This bundle of 4 lessons covers all of the content in the sub-topic C5.2 (Equilibria) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Combined Science specification. The topics and specification points covered within these lessons include:
Some reactions can be reversed by altering reaction conditions
Dynamic equilibrium in a closed system
Predict the effect of changing reaction conditions on equilibrium position
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 is a fully-resourced revision lesson that could be used over a series of lessons to help students to revise and assess their knowledge of the content in topics P1 (Matter), P2 (Forces) and P3 (Electricity and magnetism) of the OCR Gateway A GCSE Combined Science specifiction which can be assessed in paper 5. This revision lesson uses a combination of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to cover the following sub-topics and specification points:
Describe how and why the atomic model has changed over time
Describe the structure of the atom and the charges of the particles
Define the term specific latent heat
Conversions from non S.I. units to S.I. units
Explain the vector-scalar distinction
Recall examples in which objects interact
Represent forces as vectors by drawing free-body diagrams
Know the definition of Newton’s three laws of motion
Define momentum and describe examples of momentum in collisions
Recall and apply Newton’s third law
Describe the relationship between force and the extension of a spring
Calculate the spring constant in linear cases
Define mass and weight
Recall that current depends upon both potential difference and resistance
Recall and apply the relationship between I, R and V
Show that Fleming’s left hand rule represents the relative orientations of current, magnetic field and force
This lesson contains a big emphasis on the mathematical calculations that will be involved in these exams, and as a result students are challenged to recall the equations and to apply them.
Students will be engaged through the numerous quiz rounds whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which require their further attention during general revision or during the lead up to the actual GCSE terminal exams. A lot of the tasks have been differentiated so that students of all abilities can access the work and be challenged appropriately.
This is a fully-resourced revision lesson that uses a combination of exam questions, understanding checks, quick tasks and quiz competitions to enable students to assess their understanding of the content found within Topic P3 (Conservation of energy) of the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science specification.
The sub-topics and specification points that are tested within the lesson include:
Recall and use the equation to calculate the change in gravitational potential energy
Recall and use the equation to calculate the change in kinetic energy of a moving object
Explain what is meant by the conservation of energy
Analyse the way energy is stored when a system changes
Explain how mechanical processes become wasteful
Explain ways of reducing unwanted energy transfer
Recall and use the equation to calculate efficiency
Describe the main energy sources available for use on Earth
Explain patterns and trends in the use of energy resources
Students will be engaged through the numerous quiz rounds whilst crucially being able to recognise those areas which require their further attention during general revision or during the lead up to the actual GCSE terminal exams
This is a fully-resourced REVISION lesson which challenges the students on their knowledge of the content in TOPIC B5 (Genetics) of the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science specification. The lesson uses an engaging PowerPoint (63 slides) and accompanying worksheets to motivate students whilst they assess their understanding of this topic.
A range of exam questions, quick tasks and quiz competitions are used to test the following sub-topics:
Recognising and using genetic terminology in context
Constructing genetic diagrams to calculate offspring percentages for diseases caused by dominant and recessive alleles
The sex chromosomes and sex determination
Meiosis and the formation of haploid daughter cells
The structure of DNA
Extracting DNA from a fruit
Genetic and environmental variation
Mutations and their effect on the phenotype
The mathematical element of the course is also tested throughout the lesson and students are given helpful hints on exam techniques and how to structure answers.
This resource is suitable for use at the end of topic B3 or in the lead up to mocks or the actual GCSE exams.
This REVISION resource has been written with the aim of motivating the students whilst they are challenged on their knowledge of the content in Chemistry TOPIC 2 (States of matter and mixtures) of the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science specification. The resource contains an engaging and detailed PowerPoint (65 slides) and accompanying worksheets, most of which are differentiated to allow a range of abilities to access the work.
The wide range of activities, which include exam questions and quiz competitions, have been designed to cover as much of topic 2 as possible but the following sub-topics have been given a particular focus:
Pure substances in Science
Using melting and boiling points to distinguish between pure and impure
Separating mixtures using simple and fractional distillation
Determining a state of matter using data
Physical changes
Crystallisation
The mobile and stationary phases of paper chromatography
Calculating the retention factor
The treatment of water to make potable water
This resource is suitable for use at the end of topic 2, in the lead up to mocks or in the preparation for the final GCSE exams.
This REVISION resource has been written with the aim of motivating the students whilst they are challenged on their knowledge of the content in Biology TOPIC 8 (Exchange and transport in animals) of the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science specification. The resource contains an engaging and detailed PowerPoint (90 slides) and accompanying worksheets, most of which are differentiated to allow all abilities to access the work.
The wide range of activities, which include exam questions and quiz competitions, have been designed to cover as much of topic 8 as possible but the following sub-topics have been given a particular focus:
Surface area to volume ratio
Gas exchange at the alveoli
The structure of the blood vessels
The gross structure of the heart and the major blood vessels
Calculating the cardiac output
The functions of the components of the blood
Aerobic vs anaerobic respiration
There is a large emphasis on mathematical skills in the new specification and these are tested throughout the lesson.
This resource is suitable for use at the end of topic 8, in the lead up to mocks or in the preparation for the final GCSE exams.
This revision resource has been written to include a range of activities that motivate the students whilst they assess their understanding of the content found in module 2.1.5 (Biological membranes) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification. The resource includes a detailed and engaging Powerpoint (71 slides) and associated worksheets
The range of activities have been designed to cover as much of the content as possible but the following sub-topics have been given particular attention:
The movement of molecules by active transport which requires ATP as an immediate source of energy
The movement of molecules by passive processes
The use of membrane-spanning proteins in facilitated diffusion and active transport
Factors that increase the rate of simple diffusion
The movement of water across membranes by osmosis
The effects that solutions of different water potentials can have on animal and plant cells
The fluid mosaic model of membrane structure
The roles of the components of the plasma cell membrane
In addition to these topics, some topics from other modules such as organelles, synapses and autoimmune diseases are tested in order to challenge the students on their ability to make links between the modules. The range of activities include exam questions and understanding checks as well as quiz competitions to maintain student engagement.
A fun, engaging and detailed lesson presentation (29 slides) on the properties of metals and non-metals. This lesson focuses on the key properties and their key terms such as malleable and ductile. A number of quick competitions are used to introduce these terms to the students and once provided with the definitions, the students are expected to put these properties correctly with the metals (or non-metals). Progress checks occur throughout the lesson so that the understanding of the students can be checked.
This lesson is designed for both KS3 and GCSE students.