Christmas is nearly here - and here is an early Christmas present for all you hard-working science teachers! I have put together a multiple choice quiz round based on science discoveries made during the past year, or planned for the near future. It should be suitable for all secondary pupils from 11 to 18 years as a starter - or at the end of a lesson. If you like it, why not check back for my full lesson Christmas quiz/activity PowerPoint? Merry Christmas to all!!

Complete lesson PPT with learning outcomes, new knowledge and activities detailed on the slides. There are also links to video-clips by VEA - Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants - and David Attenborough's Private Life of Plants. The resource is designed to be used with the Activate B1 3.7 Practical Sheet (Successful Seeds). A student table for the practical work is included in the resources supplied as well as worksheets for fertilisation and germination. The lesson is ready to go and is designed to support pupils aiming for developing and secure outcomes. All pupils should be able to state what is meant by fertilisation in plants; most pupils should also be able to describe the process of fertilisation and how fruits and seeds are formed; whilst some pupils should, in addition, be able to make and record observations in a table, calculating the percentage of seeds germinated. Keywords include fertilisation, seed, fruit and germination.

Complete lesson PPT with learning outcomes, new knowledge and activities detailed on the slides. This is the first lesson in the 'Working Scientifically' section. The resource is designed to be used with the Activate activity sheet, Asking Scientific Questions, and to support pupils aiming for developing and secure outcomes. All pupils should be able to state some questions that can be investigated; most pupils should also be able to describe how scientists develop an idea into a question that can be investigated; whilst some pupils should, in addition, be able to identify independent, dependent, and control variables. Supporting information can be found on page 2 and 3 of the blue Activate 1 KS3 Science Textbook.

Complete lesson PPT with learning outcomes, new knowledge and activities detailed on the slides. The resource is designed to be used with the Activate B1 3.5 Activity Sheet (Timeline of the Menstrual Cycle). A set of student statements are included to be used with the plenary activity, Menstrual Cycle in a Minute. The lesson is ready to go and is designed to support pupils aiming for developing and secure outcomes. All pupils should be able to state a simple definition, and the main stages, of the menstrual cycle; most pupils should also be able to describe the main stages of the menstrual cycle; whilst some pupils should, in addition, be able to present the menstrual cycle as a timeline. Keywords include period, menstrual cycle, and ovulation. Supporting and further information and activities can be found on pages 48 and 49 of the blue Activate 1 KS3 Science textbook.

Complete lesson PPT with learning outcomes, new knowledge and activities detailed on the slide. The resource is designed to be used with the Activate B1 2.1 Information Sheet(Organ Systems) and the Activate B1 2.1 Activity Sheet (Organising a Body). The lesson is ready to go and is designed to support pupils aiming for developing and secure outcomes. All pupils should be able to state what is meant by a tissue, an organ and an organ system; most pupils should also be able to list the organs found in a given organ system and state the function of the system; whilst some pupils should, in addition, be able to explain the hierarchy of organisation in a multicellular organism. Keywords include multicellular organism, tissue, organ, organ system. Further information and pupil activities can be found on pages 26 and 27 of the blue Activate 1 KS3 Science Textbook.

Complete lesson PPT with learning outcomes, new knowledge and activities detailed on the slides. The resource is designed to be used with the Activate B1 2.6 Practical Sheet (Investigating Muscle Fatigue). A plenary 'fill the gap' pupil sheet is included which can be used in conjunction with the plenary slide. The lesson is ready to go and is designed to support pupils aiming for developing and secure outcomes. All pupils should be able to state what is meant by antagonistic muscle groups; most pupils should also be able to state the function of the major muscle groups; whilst some pupils should, in addition, be able to describe the function of the major muscle groups. Keywords include tendon and antagonistic muscles. Further information and pupil activities can be found on pages 36 and 37, of the blue Activate 1 KS3 Science Textbook.

Complete lesson PPT with learning outcomes, new knowledge and activities detailed on the slides. The lesson includes a link to an interactive resource, 'Name the main parts of the human skeleton'. The resource is designed to be used with the Activate B1 2.4 Activity Sheet (Build your own skeleton) and the Activate B1 2.4 Activity Sheet (Build your own skeleton) template. A pre-drawn Table of Functions is included to support students where needed. The lesson is ready to go and is designed to support pupils aiming for developing and secure outcomes. All pupils should be able to name the main parts of the human skeleton; most pupils should also be able to list the functions of the skeletal system; whilst some pupils should, in addition, be able to describe the structure of the skeleton. Keywords include bone, skeleton, support, protect, and bone marrow. Further information and pupil activities can be found on pages 32 and 33, of the blue Activate 1 KS3 Science Textbook.

Complete lesson PPT with learning outcomes, new knowledge and activities detailed on the slides. There is also a link to a 5 minute video with excellent graphics from Nucleus Medical Media. The resource is designed to be used with the Activate B1 3.3 Activity Sheet (Fertilisation and Implantation). A student table is included to be used with the plenary slide. The lesson is ready to go and is designed to support pupils aiming for developing and secure outcomes. All pupils should be able to state the definition of gametes and what is meant by fertilisation; most pupils should also be able to describe the structure and function of the gametes; whilst some pupils should, in addition, be able to describe the process of fertilisation. Keywords include gamete, fertilisation, cilia, ejaculation, embryo, and implantation.

Complete lesson PPT with learning outcomes, new knowledge and activities detailed on the slides. There is also a link to the BBC Bitesize video-clip, Fertilisation, narrated by David Attenborough. The resource is designed to be used with the Activate B1 3.2 Activity Sheet (Male and Female Reproductive Systems), B1 3.2 Teacher and Technician Notes, and pages 42 & 43 of the blue Activate 1 KS3 Science Textbook. A student table is included to be used with the plenary slide. The lesson is ready to go and is designed to support pupils aiming for developing and secure outcomes. All pupils should be able to name the main structures of the male and female reproductive systems; most pupils should also be able to state a function of the main structures of these reproductive systems; whilst some pupils should, in addition, be able to describe the main structures in the male and female reproductive systems. Keywords include sperm cell, testes, scrotum, semen, egg cell, ovary, oviduct, and uterus.

This resource includes lessons and worksheets covering Activate 1 B1 Chapter 2. Lessons covered are as follows: 3.1 Adolescence; 3.2 Reproductive Systems; 3.3 Fertilisation and Implantation; 3.4Development of a Foetus; 3.5The Menstrual Cycle; 3.6 Flowers and Pollination. 3.7 Fertilisation and Germination; 3.8 Seed Dispersal; 3.9 Chapter Checkpoint The lessons are ready to go and are designed to support pupils aiming for developing and secure outcomes. Please note that the Activate worksheets themselves are not included, due to copyright, but worksheets designed to support learning are included, together with PPTs which detail learning outcomes, new knowledge and activities. Each PPT starts with a slide of Teachers Notes which gives details of the Activate worksheets that the PPT has been designed to work with, keywords and, in some cases, textbook page numbers for further tasks/support.

Complete lesson PPT with learning outcomes, new knowledge and activities detailed on the slides. The resource is designed to be used with the Activate C1, 1.4 Activity sheet -Heating Water. The lesson is ready to go and is designed to support pupils aiming for developing and secure outcomes. All pupils should be able to recognise that different substances boil at different temperatures; most pupils should also be able to describe boiling as a change of state; whilst some pupils should, in addition, be able to use the particle model to explain boiling. Keywords include 'conserve, boiling, and boiling point. Further information and pupil activities can be found on pages 66 and 67, of the blue Activate 1 KS3 Science Textbook.

Complete lesson PPT with learning outcomes, new knowledge and activities detailed on the slides. The resource is designed to be used with the Activate B1 2.5 Practical Sheet (Forces for Lifting). The Activate B1 2.5 Support Sheet, which includes a results table and a graph grid with pre-labelled axes, can also be used in conjunction with this PPT where needed. The lesson is ready to go and is designed to support pupils aiming for developing and secure outcomes. All pupils should be able to state where joints are found in the body; most pupils should also be able to state how a muscle exerts force during movement; whilst some pupils should, in addition, be able to describe the role of the joints. Keywords include biomechanics, joint, cartilage, ligament, and Newtons. Further information and pupil activities can be found on pages 34 and 35, of the blue Activate 1 KS3 Science Textbook.

Complete lesson PPT with learning outcomes, new knowledge and activities detailed on the slides. There is also a link to the video-clip, Teen Facts - Growing Pains. The resource is designed to be used with the Activate B1 3.1 Activity Sheet (Changes during Adolescence) and B1 3.1 Activity Sheet 2 (Statement Cards) which together make up the activity. The lesson is ready to go and is designed to support pupils aiming for developing and secure outcomes. All pupils should be able to state what adolescence and puberty are; most pupils should also be able to state changes to the bodies of boys and girls during puberty; whilst some pupils should, in addition, be able to describe the main changes which take place during puberty. Keywords include adolescence, puberty, and hormones. Further information and pupil activities can be found on pages 40 and 41, of the blue Activate 1 KS3 Science Textbook.

A fun end-of-term lesson which needs no planning and only a little preparation. A PowerPoint presentation includes 3 rounds of questions on Biology, Chemistry and Physics with an extra 'Winner takes all' round - the Blind Robot Challenge. A student instruction sheet is included with the resource (which should be printed before-hand). This activity is great fun and students love it but since some students are blindfolded it does need to be thought-out and clearly explained. Answers are included at the end of each round on the slideshow. Enjoy! This resource is designed with Year 7 pupils in mind.

Complete lesson PPT with learning outcomes, new knowledge and activities detailed on the slides. Also included is a Plant & Animal Cells Worksheet. Although the resource was originally designed to be used with the Activate B1 1.2 Practical Sheet (Making an onion slide) it has been adapted so it can be used on its own, either in classroom or online. The lesson is ready to go and is designed to support pupils aiming for developing, secure & extending outcomes. All pupils should be able match some components of cells to their functions; most pupils should be able to describe the similarities and differences between plant and animal cells; whilst some pupils should be able to explain the functions of the components of a cell by linking them to life processes. Keywords include nucleus, cell membrane, cytoplasm, mitochondria, respiration, cell wall, vacuole, and chloroplast. Further information and pupil activities can be found on pages 16 and 17 of the blue Activate 1 KS3 Science Textbook.

Complete lesson PPT with learning outcomes, new knowledge and activities detailed on the slides. The resource is designed to be used with the Activate Activity Sheet - What is in the Universe? although it is possible to use it without the printed sheets. Included is a link to the Hubble website video 'Tonight's Sky' which is updated monthly; a 'Hunt the alien' game; and a section on satellites. The lesson is ready to go and is designed to support pupils aiming for developing and secure outcomes. All pupils should be able to name some objects in the night sky; most pupils should also be able to place some of these objects in size order; whilst some pupils should, in addition, be able to describe the objects they can see in the night sky and the structure of the Universe. Keywords include satellite, Earth, Moon, planet, Sun, star, Milky Way, Universe, galaxy, meteor, comet, and meteorite. Further information and pupil activities can be found on pages 148 and 149, of the blue Activate 1 KS3 Science Textbook.

Complete lesson PPT with learning outcomes, new knowledge and activities detailed on the slides. The resource is designed to be used with the Activate Activity Sheet - The Seasons (please note that the worksheet for this 20 minute activity is NOT included with this resource due to copyright restrictions). Links are included to the following video-clips: Bill Nye the Science Guy - The Seasons; and Polar Day - the Sun never sets (From BBC’s documentary "Planet Earth) . The lesson is ready to go and is designed to support pupils aiming for developing and secure outcomes. All pupils should be able to state what is meant by the Earth’s axis; most pupils should also be able to describe what causes night and day; whilst some pupils should, in addition, be able to explain the motion of the Sun, stars, and Moon across the sky, and why seasonal changes happen. Keywords include axis, day, night, year, season, and constellation. Further information can be found on pages 152 and 153, of the blue Activate 1 KS3 Science Textbook.

This resource includes complete lessons covering KS3 Activate 1, C1, Chapter 1. Lessons covered are as follows: 1.1 The Particle Model; 1.2 States of Matter; 1.3 Melting and Freezing; 1.4 Boiling; 1.5 More Changes of State; 1.6 Diffusion; 1.7 Gas Pressure. The lessons are ready to go and are designed to support pupils aiming for developing and secure outcomes.The PPTs include learning outcomes, new knowledge, practical work, activities, and in some cases video-links. Each PPT starts with a slide of Teachers Notes which gives details of the Activate worksheets that the PPT has been designed to work with, keywords and, in some cases, textbook page numbers for further tasks/support. Please note that the Activate worksheets themselves are not included, due to copyright.

Complete lesson PPT with learning outcomes, new knowledge and activities detailed on the slides. The resource is designed to be used to teach the Moon Phases part of the Activate topic 4.4. It gives students the opportunity to consolidate previous Solar System concepts, through a timed Tarsia puzzle, and to fully understand what the phases are and how they are caused. (Eclipses are dealt with in the following lesson.) The slides include links to a video-clip demonstration by the National Science Teachers Association; a link to a Moon phases animation by Neil Creek; activity worksheets; a Moon facts search; a 'Guess the Phase' activity; a Plenary task with an extension question; and a homework task. The lesson is ready to go and is designed to support pupils aiming for developing and secure outcomes. All pupils should be able to state why we see the Moon from the Earth and be able to draw a diagram to show the different phases of the Moon; most pupils should also be able to describe the phases of the Moon; whilst some pupils should, in addition, be able to explain why we see the phases of the Moon. Keywords include phases of the Moon, new, crescent, first quarter, gibbous, third quarter. Supporting information can be found on page 154 of the blue Activate 1 KS3 Science Textbook.