Spark Science provides high quality science educational resources for secondary school teachers.
From dual-coding, literacy and reading tasks, dyslexic friendly backgrounds, and continual Assessment for Learning (AfL) tasks embedded into all our lessons, Spark lessons will increase engagement, participation and understanding for your students.
Spark Science provides high quality science educational resources for secondary school teachers.
From dual-coding, literacy and reading tasks, dyslexic friendly backgrounds, and continual Assessment for Learning (AfL) tasks embedded into all our lessons, Spark lessons will increase engagement, participation and understanding for your students.
A comprehensive, engaging, challenging and interactive lesson package designed with non-science/non-physics specialist teachers in mind!
This lesson teaches students the difference between weight and mass, and how to calculate weight using the “LESS” method.
This resource contains:
Lesson powerpoint - including, full answers, mini-whiteboard AFL, practice activities, full “I do, we do, you do” guided slides for calculations
Student practice worksheet (PDF and editable version)
Teacher answer sheet (PDF and editable version)
Lesson resources contain:
In-built challenge tasks throughout
In-built scaffolded learning for lower abilities
Various activites to assess progress and understanding that you can tailor to fit any class or available resources
Objectives:
Students will be able to…
Describe the difference between weight and mass
Calculate the weight of an object
Explain why weight is different on different planets
Students will work scientifically to:
Convert units
Calculate values using a calculator
Resources and slides ask students the key questions and develops ideas and concepts from the ground up and address common issues, mistakes and misconceptions.
This lesson contains AFL tasks which require mini-whiteboards, but can be adapted if these are not available.
A comprehensive, engaging, challenging and interactive lesson package designed with non-science/non-physics specialist teachers in mind!
This lesson covers drag and friction, the different places we get both and where they are useful and not useful, as well as a simple student practical to measure the effects of different surfaces on friction.
This lesson contains:
Lesson powerpoint - including teacher notes, full answers, interactive activities, student practical with follow-up questions, and plenary
Lesson resources contain:
In-built challenge tasks throughout
In-built scaffolded learning for lower abilities and EAL (including dual-coding)
Practical investigation of the effects of different surfaces on friction
Careers links
Objectives:
Students will be able to…
Describe the effect of drag forces and friction
Explain how drag forces and friction arise
Describe how drag forces and friction can be reduced
Students will be working scientifically to:
Measure force using a newton meter
Record data in an appropriate table
use my observations to make a conclusion
A comprehensive, engaging, challenging and interactive lesson package designed with non-science/non-physics specialist teachers in mind! This lesson covers what balanced and unbalanced forces are, how to calculate resultant forces in one dimension, and the effects balanced and unbalanced forces have on the motion of an object.
This resource contains:
Lesson powerpoint - including teacher notes, interactive AFL tasks, student written task, and full answers to all activities.
Lesson resources contain:
In-built challenge tasks throughout
In-built scaffolded learning for lower abilities
Various activites to assess progress and understanding that you can tailor to fit any class or available resources
Objectives:
Students will be able to…
Describe the difference between balanced and unbalanced forces
Explain why objects are in equilibrium
Explain the changing motion of objects
Calculating resultant forces in one dimension
This is a KS3 physics lesson covering how do draw and label basic force diagrams.
NOTE: this lesson doesn’t discuss size of force arrows, but focuses on drawing force arrows touching objects in the correct places and going in the correct direction.
This resource contains:
Teacher powerpoint (with teacher delivery notes, “I do, we do, you do” structured delivery task, plenary AFL quiz, and full work through answers animated into each slide)
Student worksheet (PDF and editable versions)
Student worksheet answers (PDF and editable versions)
Lesson objectives:
Describe how forces are represented
Identify the direction a force acts on an object
Draw and/or label force arrows on diagrams for simple example
This is a KS3 physics lesson covering what forces are, common forces and identifying them in simple examples, contact vs non-contact forces, and how to measure forces.
This resource contains:
Teacher powerpoint (with teacher delivery notes, practical investigation, mini-whiteboard afl quizzes, and challenge tasks throughout)
Matching forces and descriptions worksheet (PDF and editable versions)
**Lesson objectives: **
Explain what forces are
Compare different types of forces
Describe how to measure forces and give the unit of force
This bundle contains the lessons, powerpoints and all relevant resources for teaching the Separate Science GCSE Chemistry AQA content on electrochemical cells and fuel cells.
This bundle contains 3-4 lessons of content including:
Lesson 1: What are Electrochemical Cells?
Lesson Objectives:
Describe what an electrochemical cell is and what we use it for
Describe how to make an electrochemical cell
Identify factors which affect the size of the voltage produced by an electrochemical cell
This lesson contains:
Lesson powerpoint
Student practical investigation
Teacher notes on how to deliver lesson slides/content and answers
Lesson 2: How do Electrochemical Cells Work?
Lesson Objectives:
Recall the definitions for oxidation and reduction
Identify which elements are oxidised and reduced in an electrochemical cell
(H) – write half equations for oxidation and reduction taking place in electrochemical cells
Explain why alkaline/non-rechargeable batteries eventually stop working
This lesson contains:
Lesson powerpoint, containing animation about how electrochemical cells produce electrical current and the reactions that take place within it
Student exam questions (23 marks worth) from AQA syllabus with mark scheme
Teacher notes on how to deliver lesson slides/content and answers
Lesson 3/4: What are Fuel Cells?
Lesson Objectives:
Describe, in basic terms, how a hydrogen fuel works
(Higher only) write balanced half equations for the reactions taking place inside a hydrogen fuel cell
Describe advantages and disadvantages of hydrogen fuel cells
Evaluate the use of hydrogen fuel vehicles compared to electric and petrol vehicles
Lesson resources include:
Lesson powerpoint with printable diagrams for students
Explanations of half equations from fuel cell (both acid cell (not AQA) and alkaline cell (AQA) version) and balancing them
Relevant video links
6 marker question and mark scheme
Exam question pack on fuel cells and energy
Plenary AFL multiple choice quiz and debate activity
This bundle is a complete topic pack containing all powerpoints, student worksheets, risk assessments, stretch and challenge tasks, and answer sheets for the Biology topic “Levels of Organisation”. It also contains many student-led activities on the powerpoints (particularly designed to make the learning of parts and functions of organs/joints etc… easier, more fun and student-led), plenary activities. There are also interactive slides to demonstrate concepts (e.g. gas exchange) as well as self-completing slides where answers can be clicked and move into the correct place (great for distance learning students and cover lessons).
Bundle includes:
Lesson 1: Tissues and Organs
Lesson 2: Organ Systems
Lesson 3: Gas Exchange
Lesson 4: Breathing
Lesson 5: The Skeleton
Lesson 6: Joints
Lesson 7: Muscles
Lesson Objectives:
Lesson 1: Tissues and Organs
Define the terms “tissue” and “organ”
Identify some of the key organs in the human body
Identify some of the key organs in plants
Describe what some key organs do
Lesson 2: Organ Systems
Define the term “organ system”
Identify some of the key organ systems in the human body and what they do
Describe the hierarchy of organisation in a multicellular organism
Lesson 3: Gas Exchange
Name the key parts of the lungs
Define the process of gas exchange
Describe how parts of the gas exchange system are adapted to their function
Compare inhaled and exhaled air
WS: Read data from pie charts and draw conclusions
Lesson 4: Breathing
Describe the physical changes that occur when a person inhales and exhales
Describe a method used to estimate lung volume
WS: Measure lung volume
WS: Correlate and analyse data from a practical experiment to draw conclusions
Lesson 5: The Skeleton
Label some of the main bones in the skeleton
Describe the structure of a bone
Describe the functions of the skeletal system
Lesson 6: Joints
Name and give examples of the types of joint found in the human body
Describe the role of joints in movement
Label the structure of a joint
Carry out the dissection of a joint
Lesson 7: Muscles
Describe what a muscle is and give some examples
Describe how muscles cause movement in the body
Describe how antagonistic muscles control movement at a joint
WS: Investigate the strength of muscles
This is a KS3 Biology lesson covering the function of muscles, the names of some major muscles in the human body, antagonistic muscles pairs and a practical to measure muscle fatigue. This lesson also comes with two alternative student led practical investigations.
This resource contains:
Teacher powerpoint (with teacher delivery notes, interactive plenary, challenge tasks throughout and careers links)
Student worksheet (For practical Option 1) (PDF and editable word)
Lesson Objectives:
Describe what a muscle is and give some examples
Describe how muscles cause movement in the body
Describe how antagonistic muscles control movement at a joint
Investigate the strength of muscles
This is a KS3 Biology lesson covering the structure and types of joints in the body and includes the chicken leg dissection along with pre-made risk assessment and alternative written task for students who opt-out (all with answer sheets!).
This resource contains:
Teacher powerpoint
Student worksheet and answer sheet (PDF and editable word)
Alternative work (for students who do not want to do the dissection) and answer sheet (PDF and editable word)
Lesson Objectives:
Name and give examples of the types of joint found in the human body
Describe the role of joints in movement
Label the structure of a joint
Carry out the dissection of a joint
This is a KS3 Biology lesson covering the human skeleton, including teaching students some of the names/positions of key bones in the body as well as the structure and function of bones. There are several versions of the student led activity that can be tailored to teacher/class needs.
This lesson may require students to have access to the internet.
This resource contains:
Teacher powerpoint including teacher guidance and answers
Student worksheets (PDF and Editable versions)
Student worksheet answers (PDF and Editable versions)
Lesson Objectives:
Label some of the main bones in the skeleton
Describe the structure of a bone
Describe the functions of the skeletal system
This is a KS3 Biology lesson covering the physical changes that happen in our bodies when we breathe (limited to diaphragm, rib cage and lung volume) as well as using the bell jar demonstration of the effect of pressure on lung volume. This lesson also contains a practical to measure lung volume and manipulate the data of that practical.
This lesson contains:
Teacher powerpoint - including teacher guidance and answers
Student printable table (PDF and Word)
Lesson Objectives:
Describe the physical changes that occur when a person inhales and exhales
Describe a method used to estimate lung volume
WS: Measure lung volume
Correlate and analyse data from a practical experiment to draw conclusions
This lesson is a KS3 biology lesson covering the structure of the lungs, the basic process of gas exchange in the lungs, and the differences in composition between inhaled and exhaled air.
This lesson contains:
Risk assessment for lung dissection demonstration
Risk assessment for student practical
Student worksheet (PDF and Word)
Student worksheet answers (PDF and Word)
Lesson powerpoint - including gas exchange animation!
Lesson Objectives:
Name the key parts of the lungs
Define the process of gas exchange
Describe how parts of the gas exchange system are adapted to their function
Compare inhaled and exhaled air
WS: Read data from pie charts and draw conclusions
This lesson is a KS3 biology lesson covering the definition of organ systems, examples of organ systems and their functions.
This lesson contains 3 different versions of the main activity for you to use depending on your class disposition and access to computers.
This lesson contains:
Powerpoint (containing relevant video links and answers)
Student worksheet (PDF and Editable)
Student worksheet answers (PDF and Editable)
Student Card Sort (Large around the room version and pairs version)
Lesson Objectives:
Define the term “organ system”
Identify some of the key organ systems in the human body and what they do
Describe the hierarchy of organisation in a multicellular organism
This is a KS3 Biology lesson covering the defintions of tissues and organs, examples of both in humans and plants, and the functions of some of the key organs.
This lesson may require students to have access to the internet.
This resource contains:
Teacher powerpoint including teacher guidance and answers
Student worksheet (PDF and Editable versions)
Student worksheet answers (PDF and Editable versions)
Lesson Objectives:
Define the terms “tissue” and “organ”
Identify some of the key organs in the human body
Identify some of the key organs in plants
Describe what some key organs do
This lesson covers what longitudinal and transverse waves are, the features of both kinds of waves, examples of these waves and what happens when waves meet barriers or each other. This is a perfect introduction lesson to KS3 topic on sound and waves.
This Lesson Contains:
Lesson powerpoint, including instructions for key demonstrations of both types of waves, full answers, plenary tasks, AFL whiteboard and discussion activities
Student worksheet (PDF and editable version)
Student worksheet answers sheet (PDF and editable version)
Lesson Objectives
Name the two different types of waves and label their features
Give an example of each kind of wave
Describe what happens when waves hit a barrier
Describe what happens when waves superimpose
This bundle is a complete topic pack containing all powerpoints, student worksheets, risk assessments, stretch and challenge tasks, and answer sheets for the Biology topic “Cells”. It also contains many student-led activities on the powerpoints (particularly designed to make the learning of parts and functions of cells easier, more fun and student-led), plenary activities, and reading and literacy tasks (for specialised cells and unicellular organisms)
Bundle includes:
Lesson 1: Observing cells with a microscope
Lesson 2: Animal Cells
Lesson 3: Plant Cells
Lesson 4: Specialised Cells
Lesson 5: Movement of Substances (diffusion) in and out of cells
Lesson 6: Unicellular Organisms (focusing on euglena and amoeba)
Lesson Objectives:
Lesson 1: Observing Cells
Name the parts of a microscope
Describe how to use a microscope to observe very small objects
Calculate the total magnification used to observe an object
View and focus objects under a microscope
Lesson 2: Animal Cells
State what a cell is
Name the different parts of an animal cell
Describe the function of each part of an animal cell
Use a Microscope to view animal cells (cheek cells)
Lesson 3: Plant Cells
Identify parts of a plant cell from a diagram
Describe the function of each part of a plant cell
Compare the similarities and difference between an animal and plant cell
Use a microscope to view plant cells (pond weed)
Lesson 4: Specialised Cells
Know what a specialised cell and an adaptation is
Give some examples of specialised cells
Identify and describe the adaptations of some specialised cells
Explain how an adaptation makes a specialised cell good at its function
Lesson 5: Movement of Substances in and out of cells
Name some substances that move into and out of cells
Describe the process of diffusion
Describe examples of diffusion in cells
**Lesson 6: Unicellular Organisms **
Know what a unicellular organism is
Name 2 examples of unicellular organisms
Describe the features of an amoeba
Describe the features of an euglena
This lesson covers the KS3 national curriculum on unicellular organisms, focusing primarily on euglena and amoeba.
This lesson looks at what unicellular organisms are as well as their parts and what each part does, and how they are similiar/different to animal/plant cells.
Lesson Objectives:
Know what a unicellular organism is
Name 2 examples of unicellular organisms
Describe the features of an amoeba
Describe the features of an euglena
This lesson resource includes:
Interactive lesson powerpoint with answers, teacher delivery guidance and plenary task
Student led reading task worksheet with questions (PDF and editable)
Reading task answer sheet (PDF and Editable)
This lesson covers the KS3 biology curriculum looking at diffusion in cells and describing the movement of some of the key particles that move in and out of cells.
Lesson objectives:
Name some substances that move into and out of cells
Describe the process of diffusion
Describe examples of diffusion in cells
This Lesson Contains:
Complete lesson powerpoint with animations, video clip link, student tasks and guidance for teachers
Student gap fill worksheet for higher and lower ability (differentiated) (PDF and Editable versions)
Answer sheet for student gap fill
This lesson is designed for AQA GCSE Chemistry/Combined Science Trilogy and covers how to calculate relative atomic mass.
This lesson contains:
A lesson powerpoint complete with all answers, worked examples
Student worksheet (PDF and editable versions)
Worksheet answers (PDF and editable versions)
Lesson Objectives:
Define what an “isotope” is and identify examples
Calculate the relative atomic mass of elements from their relative isotopic masses and abundances
A full lesson designed for GCSE chemistry AQA specification.
This lesson covers the case study of the extraction of aluminium oxide, the role of cryolite, what happens to the aluminium and oxide ions at the electrodes, and the need for the replacement of the positive electrode.
This lesson contains
A lesson powerpoint including all useful youtube video links, interactive plenary multiple choice quiz, electroplating challenge task and complete answers.
A guided reading activity with quesitons and complete answer sheet (PDF and editable versions)
An alternative information hunt sheet to be used with videos and/or the AQA GCSE Chemistry textbook, with complete answers (PDF and editable versions)
Video clip to aid in completion of both sheets
Lesson Objectives
State two reasons why extracting aluminium oxide from its ore is expensive
Describe why cryolite is added to aluminium oxide during electrolysis
Describe and explain what happens to ions at the positive and negative electrode (and give relevant half equations (Higher only))
Explain why the positive electrode must continually be replaced