I am a secondary school & A-level Science teacher, specialising in Biology. I am also an experienced AQA GCSE Biology Examiner. My resources contain a mix of Biology, Chemistry and Physics lessons aimed at meeting specification points for the new AQA Trilogy GCSE course and KS3 Activate course.
All of my lessons include at least one opportunity for self-assessment, a range of activities to suit students of all abilities, a set of differentiated starter questions and a plenary.
I am a secondary school & A-level Science teacher, specialising in Biology. I am also an experienced AQA GCSE Biology Examiner. My resources contain a mix of Biology, Chemistry and Physics lessons aimed at meeting specification points for the new AQA Trilogy GCSE course and KS3 Activate course.
All of my lessons include at least one opportunity for self-assessment, a range of activities to suit students of all abilities, a set of differentiated starter questions and a plenary.
This lesson is designed for the KS3 Year 8 Science course, specifically the P2 1.2 unit on ‘Energy.
The lesson begins with a ‘Think > Pair > Share’ task whereby students are asked to think about why explorers need some large quantities of energy? What foods would provide them with such daily energy requirements? Students should have the covered the ‘Diet & Nutrients’ topic in Biology by this point, so after a short discussion in pairs they can feed their ideas back to the class and the answer can be revealed.
Students will now be provided with a set of food labels, if possible they should also be allowed access to the Internet via phones/laptops, using these tools students should estimate their daily energy intake, compare this with others and then make a list of all the ways their body might use this energy.
This follows into a task whereby students will look at activities, students will need to place these activities in order from most energy intensive to least energy intensive. Once complete, students can assess their work against the answers provided in the PowerPoint presentation.
Students are now provided with a set of data on the energy required to perform a range of activities for one hour. They will firstly need to plot this data onto a bar graph, they will also need to answer a set of questions. The mark scheme for this task is included in the PowerPoint presentation so students can self-assess their work once it is complete.
Lastly, students will complete an investigation into the energy content within food. The practical worksheet is included, students can collect the equipment listed and follow the steps in the method to fill in the results table in their books. Once complete, students should answer the summary questions.
The plenary task requires students to write a twitter message to their friends, including #keywords.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation, thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
PowerPoint and task cards aimed at a KS3 class (initially planned for Year 9) to complete a poster, written assignment and a model for a specific area of Science to present in a Science Fair.
For each of the task cards a detailed list of requirements for each part of the project is included, with ideas for extension work to earn more points and homework ideas as well.
I used this resource straight after my students had completed their end of year test as a fun and engaging activity, when complete pupils presented their projects to the class and I awarded certificates for best written assignment, best poster, best model and best overall project.
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA Physics GCSE, particularly the ‘Forces in Action’ SoW.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA Trilogy specifications for Biology, Chemistry and Physics please see my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
This lesson begins with an introduction to force diagrams, students are given some information about how arrows can show the direction and size of forces acting upon an object. Students will then need to add force arrows to a diagram of a brick falling, this task can then be checked against the answer provided.
Students are now shown a ‘Tug of war’ diagram, students are asked to ‘Think > Pair > Share’ their ideas about which side would win and why. After a short class discussion, students are now introduced to the idea of balanced and unbalanced forces, using ‘tug of war’ images as examples. Students are then given some information outlining how the motion of an object is affected by balanced/unbalanced forces acting upon it.
Students will now complete a forces circuit to consider the type and size of forces acting upon different objects in the circus, students will need to identify the type/size of the forces and decide whether they are balanced or unbalanced. This task can be self-assessed once it is complete.
Students will now be introduced to the definition of resultant forces, and will be shown some examples of how to calculate resultant force using ‘tug of war’ examples again.
Students will now complete a couple of tasks to assess their knowledge of what they have learned so far on resultant forces, both tasks can be self-assessed using the mark scheme provided in the PowerPoint presentation.
Lastly, students are shown how to draw ‘Free-body Force Diagrams’, an example is given before students are asked to draw their own onces using the two scenarios provided. The work can be marked and corrected using the mark scheme provided.
The plenary task requires students to write a Whatsapp message to summarise what they have learned this lesson.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA Physics GCSE, particularly the ‘Forces in Action’ SoW.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA Trilogy specifications for Biology, Chemistry and Physics please see my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
This lesson begins with a ‘Think > Pair > Share’ task, students are asked to consider the question ‘What is a force?’. Students will be given a few minutes to discuss in pairs, before feeding back to the class before the answer is revealed.
Forces can be described as ‘contact’ or ‘non-contact’, students are asked to discuss what they think the differences between these types of forces are. After a short class discussion, the definition for each is revealed to students, they can make a note of this in their books. Next, students will be provided with a list (and diagrams) of different forces , they will need to sort into either contact or non-contact forces. This task can be self-assessed once it is complete.
Next, students are introduced to Newton’s Third Law of Motion, when two objects interact with each other, they exert equal and opposite forces on each other. Students will then watch a video to demonstrate the principles of this law, students will answer a set of questions whilst doing so. Once complete, students can self-assess their work using the mark scheme provided.
Next, students are provided with a further example of this law which they can take notes on their books. After this, students will complete a ‘quick check’ task to assess their knowledge of what they have learned so far this lesson. This work can then be marked and corrected using the answers provided on the PowerPoint presentation.
Lastly, students complete a ‘fill-in-the-blank’ task to summarise what they have learned this lesson, this can be self-assessed using the mark scheme provided.
The plenary task requires students to write down three facts, three key words and one question to test their peers on what they have learned so far this lesson.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA Physics GCSE, particularly the ‘Forces in Action’ SoW.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA Trilogy specifications for Biology, Chemistry and Physics please see my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
The lesson begins with an introduction to moments, using a spanner. Students are then introduced to the calculation - moment = force x distance from the pivot.
Students are then shown a worked example using the calculation, before being presented with a problem to solve themselves. Next, students are shown a diagram of a man pushing down on one side of a see saw, at the other side is a bag of money. This diagram is labeled to show the effort force, pivot and load.
Students are then given a worksheet on levers, students will need to identify the effort force, pivot and load in each of the diagrams and also match the key words to the correct definition. This work can be self-assessed using the mark scheme provided once it is complete.
The last two tasks are assessment tasks, firstly students will copy and complete the paragraph, using the key words provided, to summarise what they have learned this lesson. This can then be self-assessed using the mark scheme provided. Lastly, students are presented with a set of moment problems, using the calculation they learned at the beginning of the lesson students will need to work through these calculations. The mark scheme for this task is also included so students can self-assess or peer-assess their work.
Lastly, students will be shown a diagram of apparatus which can be used to investigate the turning effect of a force. Students are asked some questions about this investigation, they will then need to complete a ‘Quick Check’ task which will assess students knowledge of what they have learned this lesson. This task can then be self-assessed using the mark scheme provided.
The plenary task requires students to copy and complete a sentence starter to summarise what they have learned this lesson.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation, thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated
The plenary task requires students to write a Whatsapp message to summarise what they have learned this lesson.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the Activate KS3 Science Course, specifically Year 7 P1 ’Forces’.
For more lessons designed for KS3 and KS4 please visit my shop at: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience.
The lesson begins with a video which introduces students to forces, students will watch a video and will need to answer a set of questions whilst watching. This task can then be self-assessed using the mark scheme provided.
Students will then be asked to ‘Think > Pair > Share’ their ideas about the differences between a contact and a non-contact force. Once they have had chance to discuss their ideas and feed back to the class, the definition for both contact and non-contact forces can be revealed for students to check their answers. Students will then be shown a set of diagrams of either contact or non-contact forces, students will need to sort these into the correct columns. This work can be marked and corrected once this task is complete.
Students will now be shown how force diagrams can be drawn, to indicate the size and direction of a force acting upon an object. Students will then need to draw force diagrams for a set of objects, a worksheet for this task in provided. This work can then be self-assessed using the mark scheme provided on the PowerPoint.
Lastly, students will be given the definition for an ‘interaction pair’, as well as an example to help contextualise this meaning. Students will then need to complete a progress check (‘copy-and-complete’ task) to assess their knowledge of what they have learned this lesson. This work can be self or peer assessed using the answers provided on the PowerPoint.
The plenary task is for students to spend a minute talking to the person next to them about what they have learned this lesson.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is aimed at the new GCSE specification, on the topic of ‘Energy’.
More lessons from this series can be found in my TES Shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
Pupils begin by considering what types of objects have a store of kinetic energy and then they can ‘Think, Pair, Share’ - what factors might affect how much kinetic energy an object actually has?
The lesson then moves on to show pupils the calculation to work out kinetic energy, you can work through two model questions with pupils on the board.
Pupils are then given a table where the calculation is broken down into sections. They are given the mass and the speed of an object, they will need to calculate 0.5 x mass in one column and the speed squared in another - from this they can calculate the kinetic energy. Once complete pupils can assess their work using a red pen.
The next part of the lesson introduces how to rearrange the equation and then an activity follows with slightly harder calculations on kinetic energy, where they may be required to use the rearranged equation. Self-assessment of work when complete.
**Higher ability students should now have a go at the past-paper question from the NEW AQA GCSE specimen material, they can complete the question and mark their work using the mark scheme provided**
The plenary is game of ‘equation bingo’ - the students write 6 equations/words/phrases into their books, you describe their meaning and if students have the correct equation/word/phrase they can cross them out of their book. The first person to cross all of them out correctly can shout bingo!
All resources are included in the PowerPoint - enjoy :)
This bundle of resources contains 8 whole lessons, along with all additional resources, which meet all learning outcomes within the ‘Molecules & Matter’ unit for the NEW AQA Physics Specification.
Lessons include:
Atoms & Radiation
The Development of the Nuclear Model
Radioactive Decay
Alpha, Beta & Gamma Radiation
Half-life & Radioactivity
Nuclear Radiation & Medicine
Nuclear Fission & Nuclear Fusion
Dangers of Radiation
The lessons contain a mix of differentiated activities, progress checks, practical investigations, exam questions and more than two opportunities, per lesson, for self/peer red-pen assessment of tasks.
This bundle of resources contains 7 whole lessons, along with all additional resources, which meet all learning outcomes within the ‘Molecules & Matter’ unit for the NEW AQA Physics Specification.
Lessons include:
Density of Materials
States of Matter
Changes of State
Internal Energy
Specific Latent Heat
Gas Pressure & Temperature
Gas Pressure & Volume
The lessons contain a mix of differentiated activities, progress checks, practical investigations, exam questions and more than two opportunities, per lesson, for self/peer red-pen assessment of tasks.
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA Trilogy Physics GCSE, particularly the 'Molecules & Matter’ SoW.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA Trilogy specifications for Biology, Chemistry and Physics please see my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
The lesson begins with an introduction to radiation, firstly looking at background radiation. Students are given some time to discuss on their tables, the sources of background radiation. After students have fed into a class discussion the answers can be revealed on the PowerPoint.
Next, students are shown some data on the sources of background radiation. Students will be required to answer a set of questions about this data, they can complete the work in their books and the mark scheme is provided on the PowerPoint.
Next, students are introduced to Marie Curie and her work towards radioactivity. The students will be given a list of questions and they will need to answer these using the video, the answers to which are then included so students can self-assess their work.
Students will then be asked to consider the safety rules when dealing with an radioactive substances before a teacher demonstration is carried out using a Geiger-Muller counter. Student are asked to observe the demo and also record their observations and answer a set of questions. This can then be marked using the mark scheme provided.
The last task requires pupils to complete a summary worksheet on radiation, this work can be self-assessed using the mark scheme provided.
The plenary activity is an exit card, students will need to write down three things they learned during the lesson, five key words and one questions to test their peers knowledge of the lesson content.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA Trilogy Physics GCSE, particularly the 'Electricity’ SoW.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA Trilogy specifications for Biology, Chemistry and Physics please see my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
The lesson begins with a recap on the calculations that students have learned so far in this topic, students are asked to ‘Think > Pair > Share’ their ideas about the calculation needed to work out the energy transferred to an appliance and the power supplied to an appliance. The answers can then be revealed and students will need to complete a set of questions on a worksheet, this task can be self-assessed using the mark scheme provided.
Next, students will watch a video on ‘efficiency’ and whilst watching they will need to answer a set of questions, this work can then be self-assessed using the answers provided. Next, pupils will need to rearrange the equation for efficiency in order to work out the output power of an appliance and using this they will answer a set of questions. The mark scheme for the first part of the questions are included in the PowerPoint so students can assess their own work.
Pupils will now be given a set of problems to work through, using the efficiency calculations they have just learned, if they finish the questions on the PowerPoint slide there is a separate worksheet of problems that pupils can work their way through. The mark scheme for the first set of questions is included in the PowerPoint for pupils to self-assess their work.
Next, students will be shown how electrical appliances lose waste energy, from this information students will need to summarise using a fill-in-the-blank task. Again, the answers for this task is included in the PowerPoint for students to either peer or self-asses their work.
The plenary task is an anagram challenge, pupils will have to unscramble a 6 words which all relate to the ‘Electricity’ topic.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the KS3 Year 8 Science course, specifically the P2 1.2 unit on ‘Energy.
The lesson begins with an introduction to the law of the conservation of energy, students are told that energy cannot be created or destroyed but it can be stored and transferred. Next, students are introduced to the five main energy stores, students are asked to match the correct names to the photos displayed. This task can then be self-assessed using the mark scheme provided.
Next, students are introduced to the ways in which energy can be transferred - via light waves, sound waves and electricity. They will be shown an energy transfer diagram, depicting the energy transfers which take place within a torch. Once students have seen the complete diagram, they will then have a go at completing it themselves, using the statements provided. This task can the be marked against the mark scheme provided.
Students will then complete two further energy diagrams to display the energy transfers taking place within a candle and TV. The answers to this task are also included in the PowerPoint presentation so students can self-assess their work using the mark scheme provided.
Lastly, students will complete an investigation into the height a ball bounces back up to after it has been dropped from a height. Students will work in groups of three, following the instructions provided on the PowerPoint to complete the results table provided. Students will then need to answer a set of questions using the data they collected from the investigation. This can be self-assessed using the mark scheme provided.
The plenary task requires students to complete one of the sentence starters, to summarise what they have learned this lesson.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation, thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the KS3 Year 8 Science course, specifically the P2 1.1 unit on ‘Electricity & Magnetism’.
The lesson begins with an introduction to electromagnets, students are shown a diagram of an electromagnet and told how an electromagnet is made; students can make a note of these details in their books.
This follows into a video, students will watch the video and whilst watching will be given a series of questions to answer. Once this task is complete, students can then self-assess their work against the mark scheme that is provided.
Students will now be asked to consider what might affect the strength of an electromagnet, students can be given a few minutes to come up with their ideas in pairs before feeding back into a class discussion. Students will now complete an investigation into whether the following two factors - number of coils of wire & voltage - will affect the strength of an electromagnet. Students should follow the instructions provided on the PowerPoint presentation and complete the table of results in their books.
Once the investigation has been completed, students will complete a ‘Quick Check’ task in their books to assess their knowledge of what they have learned this lesson. The mark scheme for this is included for students to self-assess their work once it is complete.
Lastly, students will complete a ‘Copy and Correct’ task whereby students will need to copy a paragraph of information into their books, correcting any of the information that they seem to be erroneous. This task can also be checked against the answers provided on the PowerPoint presentation.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation, thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This bundle of resources contains 11 whole lessons, along with all additional resources, which meet all learning outcomes within the ‘Electricity’ unit for the NEW AQA Physics Specification.
Lessons include:
Electrical circuits
Electrical charges & fields
Current & charge
Electrical current & energy transfers
Electrical power & potential difference
6 Resistance & potential difference
7 Series & parallel circuits
8 Cables & plugs
9 Alternating current
Appliances & efficiency
Current-Potential difference Graphs
The lessons contain a mix of differentiated activities, progress checks, practical investigations, exam questions and more than two opportunities, per lesson, for self/peer red-pen assessment of tasks.
This lesson is designed for the KS3 Year 8 Science course, specifically the P2 1.2 unit on ‘Energy’.
More Biology, Chemistry and Physics resources can be found in my TES Shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
This lesson starts with an introduction to conductors and the process of conduction. Students will be given a definition for each of these terms, they will then be asked to consider what some examples of good conductors and insulators are. The answer to these questions are then revealed, students can take notes in their books.
Next, students are shown a diagram which demonstrates what happens to the particles within a solid when conduction occurs. Students are then asked to discuss ‘Why does conduction occur best in solid materials?’ - after a short discussion students will be shown the answer to this question so they can self-assess their work.
Students will now complete an investigation to test different types of materials - copper, wood, iron, plastic & zinc - to see how well they conduct heat. Students should follow the method provided on the practical worksheet, they can record their results in a table in their books.
The next part of the lesson focuses on convection, students will watch a video, during which they will need to answer a set of questions. This task can then be self-assessed using the mark scheme provided.
Lastly, students are asked to draw a cross-section of a room in a house with a radiator on and show how a convection current might occur with the air particles in this room. This task can be assessed against the diagram provided in the PowerPoint presentation, once complete.
The plenary task requires students to write down three facts, three key words and 1 question to test their peers knowledge of what they have learned this lesson.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation, thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the Activate KS3 Science Course, specifically Year 7 P2 ’Sound’.
For more lessons designed for KS3 and KS4 please visit my shop at: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience.
This lesson begins with a definition of ‘Friction’, students can take notes on this and then ‘Think > Pair > Share’ their ideas about how friction can be reduced. Two ideas that are then revealed are lubrication using oil/grease or smoothing surfaces down in order to reduce friction.
Students will then need to complete worksheet on frictional forces, once students have completed this task they can either self-assess or peer-assess their work using the mark scheme provided.
Next, students are introduced to the idea of a ‘drag force’, including the examples of air resistance and water resistance. Students will then need to create a mind map listing the ways in which the effect of drag forces could be reduced. Once students have discussed and noted their ideas down, their answers can be checked using the answers provided on the PowerPoint.
In the last activity students will be given a set of statements, they will need to sort these statements into either either a ‘True’ or ‘False’ column. Students can then self-assess or peer-assess their work using the mark scheme provided.
The plenary task is a ‘Pick a Plenary’ - so students can either summarise what they have learned in three sentences, or write a definition for a list of key words that students would have learned over the course of the ‘Forces’ topic so far.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This lesson is designed for the NEW AQA Physics GCSE, particularly the ‘Radioactivity’ SoW.
For more lessons designed to meet specification points for the NEW AQA Trilogy specifications for Biology, Chemistry and Physics please see my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience
This lesson begins with an introduction to some key terms, including ‘activity’ and ‘count rate’, students can take notes from the board so they have the key definition in their books. Next students will be introduced to the idea of a ‘half-life’, students will be given the definition and shown a graph and a diagram to help illustrate this concept.
Students will then have an opportunity to investigate whether the radioactive is random or predictable, students will be given a coin in pairs and will be asked to flip it 20 times. Can you predict the outcome of the next flip? What was the rough ratio of coins flipped head:tails? This investigation demonstrates that the process of radioactive decay is random but with a large enough sample it is possible to predict the number that will decay in a certain amount of time.
Students will then be shown how to complete half-life calculations using a worked example, before students are given a set of problems to work through. The mark scheme for this work is included in the PowerPoint for students to assess their work.
Pupils are given another worksheet of problems to work through, students must show their working at all time. This task can also be self-assessed or peer-assessed using the mark scheme included in the PowerPoint.
The last task requires students to fill-in-the-blanks on a paragraph which summarises what they have learned this lesson. The answers to this task is also included so students can mark and correct their own work…
The plenary task is for students to write a set of summary sentences about what they have learned this lesson, including as many key words as possible from the list provided.
All resources are included at the end of the presentation. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know in the comments section and any feedback would be appreciated :)
This homework activity is designed for the KS3 Science Course, specifically Year 7 P1.1 Module on ‘Forces’
For more lessons designed for KS3 and KS4 please visit my shop at: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience.
This activity contains a set of differentiated questions, it also includes additional extra challenge tasks for higher ability students to complete. This worksheet could be used as a homework or as an extension/revision activity in class.
I have included a comprehensive mark scheme for teacher or self-assessment of the work, there are also details of grade boundaries which I use to RAG pupils work, a full explanation of how I do this is included.
Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know @swift_science_education or swift.education.uk@gmail.com, any feedback would be appreciated :)
This homework activity is designed for the KS3 Science Course, specifically Year 7 P1.4 Module on ‘Space’
For more lessons designed for KS3 and KS4 please visit my shop at: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience.
This activity contains a set of differentiated questions, it also includes additional extra challenge tasks for higher ability students to complete. This worksheet could be used as a homework or as an extension/revision activity in class.
I have included a comprehensive mark scheme for teacher or self-assessment of the work, there are also details of grade boundaries which I use to RAG pupils work, a full explanation of how I do this is included.
Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know @swift_science_education or swift.education.uk@gmail.com, any feedback would be appreciated :)
This homework activity is designed for the KS3 Science Course, specifically Year 8 B2.1 Module on ‘The Periodic Table’
For more lessons designed for KS3 and KS4 please visit my shop at: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/SWiftScience.
This activity contains a set of differentiated questions, it also includes additional extra challenge tasks for higher ability students to complete. This worksheet could be used as a homework or as an extension/revision activity in class.
I have included a comprehensive mark scheme for teacher or self-assessment of the work, there are also details of grade boundaries which I use to RAG pupils work, a full explanation of how I do this is included.
Thanks for looking, if you have any questions please let me know @swift_science_education or swift.education.uk@gmail.com, any feedback would be appreciated :)