This resource provides a visual stimulus to initiate discussions on energy efficiency and how to reduce our heating bills. Students are invited to produce a leaflet for house-holders who want to know what they can do to reduce their heating bills, and to design a house that has minimum energy standards. The resources also includes a few big questions relating to the topic.

This simple and easy to use PowerPoint resource provides a useful visual stimulus for discussions on energy efficiency and how the loss of energy can be detrimental to the environment. After discussing dissipation of heat energy, I then introduce the practical investigation. Students are provided with two different light bulbs, a ruler, white piece of paper and a thermometer. Students test to see who of the light bulbs causes the greatest increase in temperature in the thermometer. This light bulb gives out the most heat energy and is therefore the least efficient. This result guides students through planning, recording, analysing and evaluating their experiments.

This simple to use and engaging resource provides a useful framework for a lesson on conduction, convection and radiation. Depending on how much time is available to you, I like to demonstrate conduction through particles by inviting my students to stand next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, vibrating slowly. I then “transfer energy” to one of the students, invting them to vibrate faster, knocking the students (particles) on either side of them, transferring the energy on. To help demonstrate convection, I use the potassium permanganate practical. I usually allow the students to carry out a practical on radiation during the following lesson.

This easy to use, simple resources provides a useful visual for introducing the law of conservation of energy and energy stores. I use it to initiate discussion on the topic and to test initial understanding of the different types of energy stores.

This resource provides an easy to use, simple and useful introduction to the differences between physical and chemical changes. The first slide can be used as a starter, to initiate discussion and inspire students to offer up ideas about the differences between physical and chemical changes. The second and third slides provide a useful visual that can be used to help explain the differences between physical and chemical changes. The resource also includes some fun, quick quizzes to help assess the class’s understanding of the differences between physical and chemical changes.

This lesson begins with a ‘graph description’ activity and opportunity for students to make scientific predictions. Included in the first couple of slides are links to useful video resources for the topic. There is then an option of two different practical investigations. The first invites students to design an experiment testing how the gradient of a ramp effects the speed of the car, whilst the second asks how the height you drop the ball from effect the height of the bounce.

This resources includes the key terms for the rock cycle topic. I encourage students to cut out the key terms and stick them onto their rock cycle posters, as a revision activity at the end of the module. I also use this resource to play games, such as “this is the answer, what is the question?” It is a simple and easy to use resource.

This graph drawing resource functions as both a checklist and marking framework for students. At the start of my graph drawing activity, I hand students a copy of the marking framework and remind the students how to draw a scientific graph. Students then use the checklist as they draw their graphs to ensure they have included everything they need for full marks. Students then either hand in their graphs or swap graphs with their peers and the marking framework is used to give students a grade for their graphs.

This three slide PowerPoint resource is useful, simple and easy to use for initiating class discussions and independent research on vegetarianism and veganism. I have found this resource effective at initiating topical debates.

This two slide PowerPoint resource provides a simple and easy to use stimulus for a lesson on reducing our carbon footprints. It includes a couple of useful web links and encourages students to complete their own carbon footprint reduction plan.

The following resource provides a helpful scaffold for students when designing, completing, recording, analysing and evaluating science experiments. I change the image and question on the first slide, depending on the experiment I plan on carrying out with my class. The second and third slides remain the same every time. This resource is adaptable, easy to use, and appropriate for KS3 and KS4 students.