I am a secondary science teacher from Plymouth, United Kingdom. I have a passion for designing interactive, engaging and well scaffolded resources that are inclusive for all pupils. I teach all years, from years 7-13. I teach KS3 Activate (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy (Biology and Chemistry), AQA GCSE Biology, AQA GCSE Chemistry, and A Level Biology (OCR A).
I am a secondary science teacher from Plymouth, United Kingdom. I have a passion for designing interactive, engaging and well scaffolded resources that are inclusive for all pupils. I teach all years, from years 7-13. I teach KS3 Activate (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy (Biology and Chemistry), AQA GCSE Biology, AQA GCSE Chemistry, and A Level Biology (OCR A).
A full 1 hour lesson designed for a mixed ability year 8 class.
This is the 7th lesson in “Chapter 1 - Health and Lifestyle” from Activate 2, Biology.
This lesson should be suitable to teach to any KS3 Biology class, even by those where Biology is not their specialism.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Define the term ‘drug’
Describe the difference between medicinal drugs and recreational drugs
Name some examples of illegal drugs
Describe the effects of recreational drugs on the body
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A full 1 hour lesson designed for a mixed ability year 8 class.
This is the 6th lesson in “Chapter 1 - Health and Lifestyle” from Activate 2, Biology.
This lesson should be suitable to teach to any KS3 Biology class, even by those where Biology is not their specialism.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Name the enzymes that break down carbohydrates, proteins and lipids during digestion
Name the products of digestion of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A full 1 hour lesson designed for a mixed ability year 8 class.
This is the 5th lesson in “Chapter 1 - Health and Lifestyle” from Activate 2, Biology.
This lesson should be suitable to teach to any KS3 Biology class, even by those where Biology is not their specialism.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Explain why bacteria cannot live in the stomach
Describe the role of gut bacteria in the body
Explain what is meant by the term ‘probiotic’
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A full 1 hour lesson designed for a mixed ability year 8 class.
This is the second lesson in “Chapter 1 - Health and Lifestyle” from Activate 2, Biology.
This lesson should be suitable to teach to any KS3 Biology class, even by those where Biology is not their specialism.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Label the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and anus on a diagram of the digestive system
Describe the role of each of these organs in the digestive system
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A full 1 hour lesson designed for a mixed ability year 8 class.
This is the second lesson in “Chapter 1 - Health and Lifestyle” from Activate 2, Biology.
This lesson should be suitable to teach to any KS3 Biology class, even by those where Biology is not their specialism.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Recall the solutions used to test for the presence of starch, protein, sugars and lipids in foods
Recall the colour of a positive result for each of these food tests
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A full 1 hour lesson designed for a mixed ability year 8 class.
This is the second lesson in “Chapter 1 - Health and Lifestyle” from Activate 2, Biology.
This lesson should be suitable to teach to any KS3 Biology class, even by those where Biology is not their specialism.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Name seven key nutrients that play a role in a healthy, balanced diet (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, fibre, vitamins, minerals, water)
Recall foods that contain each of these nutrients in large amounts
Describe the role of each of these nutrients in the body
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
An end of year science quiz suitable for all secondary school science pupils, designed for years 7-10.
There are six rounds. Each round is in the style of a classic television game show.
The rounds are:
Round One - Who wants to be a millionaire? Students answer multiple choice questions from a range of topics (Biology, Chemistry and Physics). Students can unanimously decide to use one of the lifelines available.
Round Two - Are you smarter than a 10 year old? Students answer multiple choice questions from the primary school science curriculum, from school years 3-6.
Round Three - The price is right! Students make numerical estimates based on scientific questions, e.g. how many times your heart beats a day. The team closest to the correct answers wins. Points are deducted if students go over the correct answer.
Round Four - Wheel of fortune. Scientific key terms are displayed on the board with most of the letters missing. A short clue is given. Students have to figure out what the key terms are.
Round Five - Pointless. Students are asked a scientific question where they need to name something. Points are given for the most obscure answer.
Round Six - Countdown. Students are given eight letters in a jumble, and a brief clue. Students have until the end of the countdown clock to solve the jumbled science key word.
A full unit of work from the KS3 Activate ‘reproduction’ topic (from Activate 1), designed for a mixed ability year 7 class. This unit of work contains 10 full hour lessons.
These lessons are designed to be engaging and interactive, with frequent use of AFL as well as longer independent tasks. These should be suitable to be delivered by a teacher of any specialism.
All answers and given on the slides to independent tasks.
The lessons should be delivered in this sequence:
Puberty and adolescence
Male reproductive system
Female reproductive system
Fertilisation and implantation
Development of a foetus
Menstrual cycle
Contraception
Flowers and pollination
Fertilisation and germination (in plants)
Seed dispersal
Each of my lesson resources contains:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A full unit of work from the KS3 Activate ‘cells’ topic, designed for a mixed ability year 7 class. This unit of work contains 7 full hour lessons.
The lessons should be delivered in this sequence:
Animal cells
Plant cells
Using a light microscope
Specialised animal cells
Specialised plant cells
Diffusion (movement of substances into and out of cells)
Unicellular organisms
Each of the lessons in this sequence are designed to be interactive and engaging.
Each of my lesson resources contains:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum in science.
This lesson is focused on seed dispersal.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Name four different methods of seed dispersal
Describe how seeds are adapted for their dispersal method
Understand the correct order of processes that must occur from pollination and fertilisation, to seed dispersal and germination
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum in science.
This lesson is focused on fertilisation and germination in plants.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Describe the process of fertilisation in plants, including the formation of a pollen tube
Describe how fruits and seeds develop
Describe the process of germination
Name three conditions that are required for germination to occur
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum in science.
This lesson is focused on contraception.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Name two methods of contraception (condoms, contraceptive pill)
Describe how each method of contraception works (barrier, contains hormones to prevent ovulation)
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each type of contraception
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This is a worksheet designed for a KS3 class studying the structure of a flower.
Students use the key word bank to identify and label the key reproductive organs in a flower (anther, carpel, filament, ovary, stamen, stigma, style).
Students will also describe the function of each reproductive organ. Students can select the correct function from the support box.
Includes an answer key.
These definitions are in line with the KS3 Activate curriculum.
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum.
This lesson is focused on “flowers and pollination”.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Label the reproductive organs in a flower
Identify which parts of a flower are male or female
Describe the function of each of the reproductive organs in a flower
Describe the adaptations of wind-pollinated and insect-pollinated flowers
Compare the structures of wind-pollinated and insect-pollinated flowers
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum.
This lesson is focused on the menstrual cycle.
From this lesson, students should be able to describe the main changes that occur during the menstrual cycle, mostly linked to the thickness of the uterine lining.
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum.
This lesson is focused on the development of a foetus / fetus during pregnancy, and childbirth.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Label the placenta, umbilical cord and fluid sac on a diagram
Describe the roles of the placenta, umbilical cord and fluid sac
Describe the main stages of childbirth
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum.
This lesson is focused on fertilisation and implantation.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Describe the process of fertilisation
Describe what happens during sexual intercourse
Describe the process of implantation
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum.
This lesson is focused on the female reproductive system.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Label the female reproductive system
Describe the function of each of the organs in the female reproductive system
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This lesson is designed for a mixed ability year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum.
This lesson is focused on the male reproductive system.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Label the male reproductive system using the correct key terminology
Describe the role of each of the male sex organs
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This lesson is designed for a mixed ability year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum.
This lesson is focused on adolescence and puberty.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Define the key terms ‘adolescence’ and ‘puberty’
Describe the changes that occur to males and females during puberty, and compare and contrast them
Describe the basic role of sex hormones during puberty
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task