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Survival with Sweets
This activity is aimed at supporting Primary Science (particularly those in year 6 in the English National Curriculum). The purpose of the activity is to help children understand the idea of ‘survival of the fittest’ using everyday objects that a primary teacher will be able to get hold of, including sweets. This can be played as a game by children or can also be used by a small group to demonstrate to a whole class.
Classification with Hoops
This activity is aimed at supporting primary science (currently year 4 and year 6 in the primary science national curriculum). In this activity, children are encouraged to look at strategies for classification using physical objects that are accessible to most primary science teachers.
Thinking About - The 3% fat challenge
This activity is part of the ‘Thinking About’ series.
It is designed to provide deep challenge to pupils in terms of their understanding of percentages.
It sets a problem in a work-based context and asks them to explain how they solve the problem. There is also the opportunity to manipulate familiar objects as part of solving the problem.
It is accessible in that pupils can attempt a solution to the problem, yet also challenging as the solution to the problem is not as straightforward as it seems for most pupils.
Many pupils will find percentages challenging and this activity is designed for those who you feel have mastered the idea that percentages involve a fraction out of 100.
Thinking About - Do unbalanced forces cause movement?
This activity is designed to probe preconceptions about the idea that forces cause movement. Children will often think, based on their prior experience of stationary objects that introducing an unbalanced force will make something move in the direct of the force. This activity gives first hand experience of a situation that involves unbalanced forces on a moving object and helps challenge this preconception.
Do Try This At Home: Modelling a 'day' - daytime and night-time
This is a video to support the teaching of space to KS2 pupils. In the video, it describes how you can model daytime and night time to help pupils understand that this is caused by the rotation of the Earth. It also explains the changes that happen during the seasons.
Video - Why do we need to learn about space
This video is aimed at KS2/3 pupils and helps them to think about why they need to learn about space.
Video Experiment: A pair of forcemeters
In this video, you will see an experiment where a pair of identical forcemeters are pulled apart. There are questions that focus pupils on the force pair interaction. It asks pupils to make predictions, then shows what happens in the experiment.
Thinking About: Energy stores & pathways in toys
In this video, which is aimed at pupils in KS3/4, there are a series of toys shown in action. Pupils are asked to consider the energy stores that the toys represent.
Thinking About: A hot-air balloon rising
In this video, which is aimed at KS3/4 pupils, a hot air balloon is shown rising. Pupils are asked to describe and explain what they see and are reminded that there is a heater in the balloon. This can be used as part of a lesson about density, where pupils can use the idea of the hot air being less dense than the cooler air around it, therefore causing the balloon to float.
Experiment: Tangerine mystery
In this video, which is aimed at pupils in KS4, a tangerine is shown. Firstly it is weighed, then is shown floating on water. Then it is peeled, weighed again, and then pupils are asked to predict what will happen when it is placed in water. There is an element of surprise in the video that aims to help challenge preconceptions that they might hold.
Experiment: Making a fruit 'battery'
In this video, which is aimed at KS3/4 pupils, a fruit ‘battery’ is shown. The ‘battery’ has been made with different pairs of metals for the electrodes. Readings are shown in the video for the potential difference (voltage) across the electrodes for each pair. Pupils can then consider the connection between reactivity of the metals and the results of the experiment.
Phases of the moon
In this activity, pupils are at the centre of model that shows how the Moon orbits the Earth and how this leads to the phases of the moon appearing. A description of how to do this is shown. A worksheet for recording the appearance of the moon model is included, with answers.
There are also links to a NASA video showing the phases of the moon, the first 30 seconds of which could be used to hook learners. A second video showing the experiment is also linked.
Please ensure that you have carried out a full risk assessment before carrying out any practical activity.
Greenhouse Effect & Solar System (editable)
This activity follows on well from the Greenhouse effect starter. Based on interpreting data about planets in the solar system, it leads learners to the conclusion that Venus is hotter than it should be due to CO2. There are two levels of activity, the more demanding one explores the role of photons/light/radiation in heating planets. This activity was originally designed for 21st Century Science unit P2.
Please note that this is an editable resource.
Key words: greenhouse effect, atmosphere, CO2, carbon dioxide, global warming
Greenhouse Effect & Solar System - data handling
This activity follows on well from the Greenhouse effect starter. Based on interpreting data about planets in the solar system, it leads learners to the conclusion that Venus is hotter than it should be due to CO2. There are two levels of activity, the more demanding one explores the role of photons/light/radiation in heating planets. This activity was originally designed for 21st Century Science unit P2.
Please note that this is a non-editable resource. A premium editable version is also available at: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-11858634
Key words: greenhouse effect, atmosphere, CO2, carbon dioxide, global warming
Electromagnetic (EM) Spectrum summary grid
This worksheet is useful for student to summarise information about the EM Spectrum, It can be used as an information gathering tool or to sum up key points about the spectrum. It could also be used for independent learning in school. It goes well with the activity EM Spectrum sort cards.
There are three slightly different sheets that increase in demand from (1) to (3).
This resource is part of a sequence with the following three other resources:
This resource
EM spectrum sort cards https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-6341302
IR remote control https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12952897
UV Washing powder https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12952892
Experiment: Stretching a rubber band
This is a video aimed at pupils in KS3/4 that shows an experiment of a rubber band being stretched. The stretching happens when masses are added to the end of the band.
There is an introduction the experiment, which aims to help pupils understand the most important ideas.
After each mass is added the rubber band, the video zooms in on the scale to allow pupils to read this.
This can form the basis of a graphing activity to find the relationship between the masses added and the extension of the rubber band. Unlike the linear relationship of the spring, there are some differences in the way the band extends, particularly towards the start and end of the experiment.
There is a PowerPoint slideshow to help focus the activity if used in a classroom.
This resource forms part of a sequence with two other resources:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/experiment-measuring-the-weight-of-masses-12952546
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/experiment-stretching-a-metal-spring-12952559
This resource
Experiment: Measuring the weight of masses
This video is aimed at pupils at KS3/4. It shows a video of an experiment where 100g masses are put onto a forcemeter, calibrated in newtons. It allows the measurement of the force for each mass. There are questions to focus pupils on the relationship between the masses and the weight. It can be used as a graphing exercise to calculate the value of the constant ‘g’.
There is a PowerPoint slideshow to help focus the activity if used in a classroom.
This resource forms part of a sequence with two other resources:
This resource
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/experiment-stretching-a-metal-spring-12952559
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/experiment-stretching-a-rubber-band-12952565
Experiment: Stretching a metal spring
This is a video aimed at pupils in KS3/4 that shows an experiment of a metal spring being stretched. The stretching happens when masses are added to the end of the spring.
There is an introduction the experiment, which aims to help pupils understand the most important ideas.
After each mass is added the spring, the video zooms in on the scale to allow pupils to read this.
This can form the basis of a graphing activity to find the relationship between the masses added and the extension of the spring.
There is a PowerPoint slideshow to help focus the activity if used in a classroom.
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/experiment-measuring-the-weight-of-masses-12952546
This resource
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12952565
Experiment - flying bat circular motion
This video is aimed at pupils in KS4 and students in KS5. It shows a model flying bat, attached by a string to a point, flying in a circle. The video poses questions about the motion of the bat and the forces, including the centripetal force, involved in the motion.
The activity includes a PowerPoint slideshow with questions and answers.
Analogue vs. Digital activities
This activity comprises of an interactive spreadsheet model that allows you to change the value in the yellow coloured cell to represent a percentage of noise added to a signal. It allows you to see what happens to both analogue and digital signals with the same amount of noise side by side. There is a worksheet to summarise the difference between the two kinds of signal and also an activity for pupils where they plot out signal plus noise by hand - ideal for a flipped learning (prep) approach where pupils do this in advance of the lesson before discussion in the lesson.