This is pretty much an whole lesson, but you’ll need to insert your own half life calculations worksheet (I have one that I like, but i didn’t write it so can’t include it here). The lesson centres around eating chocolate M&Ms. Or Skittles if you prefer or if anyone in the room has a peanut allergy. The idea is to have something that gives you ‘heads’ or ‘tails’ when tipped out onto the desk.

A-level physics. The powerpoint scaffolds the lesson. You’ll need to do the demo with the various light sources, electroscope and 5kV power supply. It’ll be fine… The other powerpoint file is a printable worksheet that saves a lot of writing.

This powerpoint and worksheet walks students through the procedure for drawing ray diagrams for gcse. It refers to the AQA OUP textbook, but the activity itself is self-contained.

The wave equation “velocity = frequency x wavelength” tends to terrify students. This activity takes most of a lesson, and walks them through it so they can interpret exam questions and know what they’re looking at.

A powerpoint to introduce the idea of pressure = force/area, and then scaffold that old favourite “shoe pressure on the floor” practical.

in pairs, one student drops a metre ruler and the other catches it. They use the look-up table to work out their reaction time. Then they calculate an average and a range.

Intro powerpoint , and a worksheet where students use a=(v-u)/t and v^2 =u^2 + 2as in calculations.

A whole lesson to teach problem-solving, practical technique & data processing to new A-level students. You have a metre ruler. You have a 100g mass. Nothing else. Your mission is to determine the mass of the metre ruler. (Hint - principle of moments) The powerpoint walks the class through how to do it, how to get reliable results rather than just make one measurement and then claim that you’ve done it, how to use graphical techniques to get those reliable results, and how to calculate the uncertainties. Adapted from an idea I heard on https://twitter.com/physicstp You should subscribe and listen too!

A whole lesson practical. Use an electromagnet to repel a permanent magnet that’s placed on a balance. The powerpoint and worksheet walk the students through the procedure and how to process the results.

We’ve all been there. The class has done an experiment, and now they deny all knowledge of how to plot a line graph of their results. Try this.

This would take most of a lesson, or a whole lesson if you have a follow-up discussion and compare results. An A3 sheet with a picture of a house and activity instructions, page 2 is a selection of appliances for students to choose from and put in their house.

To do this properly, students would need a whole lesson. The worksheet walks them through the procedure, gives instructions about plotting the graph and scaffolds the conclusion.

To do this properly, students would need a whole lesson. The worksheet walks them through the procedure and how to write it up.

Pretty much a whole lesson. A quick qualitative intro to the National Grid (no calculations). Then a walk through fuses, RCDs, earthing etc to give an overview of electrical safety.

How to choose the correct fuse for an appliance, and what happens if you get it wrong.

What happens in a nucleus when an alpha particle is emitted? What about beta or gamma? This presentation and worksheet walks students through the processes and equips them to answer gcse questions. I’d been teaching this for ages, and eventually wrote this sheet so I could make a proper job of it and not lose students along the way.

Efficiency calculations. Printable powerpoint to use as worksheet. The final slide has the answers

Powerpoint to show the task, and printable cards.

A short powerpoint to introduce the idea of rms speeds of molecules and rms potential difference.

Do your students have the mistaken idea that a force is needed in order to keep something moving? Find out, along with some other misconceptions, with this quick powerpoint.