Over the last five years I have found the best way to stimulate learning is through engaging lessons. Lessons which apply scientific content to unusual, topical or popular scenarios.
I currently have a range of premium and free resources to look through. I will continue to upload these resources as and when I can.
Feel free to review, tweet or contact me regarding these resources or for ideas on current topics you are struggling to make engaging.
Over the last five years I have found the best way to stimulate learning is through engaging lessons. Lessons which apply scientific content to unusual, topical or popular scenarios.
I currently have a range of premium and free resources to look through. I will continue to upload these resources as and when I can.
Feel free to review, tweet or contact me regarding these resources or for ideas on current topics you are struggling to make engaging.
A full KS3 scheme of work that contains six fully resourced lessons to allow your department to complete a Science Fair project. As a school we conducted this period for a two week cycle after half term to allow students to; produce an idea, write a hypothesis, plan a method, conduct an experiment of their choice and make their project.
Class winners were chosen and then allowed to present their work in the hall for the rest of the school to see. This is the third year we have completed our science fair at my school. This year we had four entries that won prizes at the big bang fair regional competition. One of which was chosen as the Young scientist of the year regional winner and will be presenting their project nationally later next year.
This pack contains:
Assembly PowerPoint: To present to the whole school introducing the fair.
Lesson 1: Producing an idea
Lesson 2: Forming a Method
Lesson 3: Pilot experiment
Lesson 4: Experimental time
Lesson 5: Conclusion and evaluation (making project)
Lesson 6: Choosing a winner
Lesson plans, resources and example project winners also included.
I hope, if you are willing for a bit of chaos, that you see the same enthusiasm and creativity in your students as I have.
good luck!
After the results that 'sharks can smell blood from further distances in warmer oceans' tourist numbers to Australia's famous landmark 'Surfer's Paradise' has been low.
Students evaluate their conclusion from last lessons experiment to ensure their findings reflect the truth.
Students consider strengths and limitations of their method and begin to discuss ways to modify the method to further improve the strength of their results.
Students use their knowledge from the unit to compare a range of pH indicators in terms of effectiveness in identifying a range of pH in everyday household products.
Students compare red cabbage indicator (prepared in a previous lesson), litmus paper, universal indicator solution and pH probes to decide which one is the most accurate and easy to use.
Students have an opportunity to write an evaluation that can be levelled as part of an assessment.
The remaining teeth of Granny W are pretty darn sweet! Can students help her decide on how to make the sweest tea possible using their understanding of solubility from the Five S's treasure hunt lesson? (I hope they can).
After using a model of rice and peas to demonstrate solvents, solutes, solution and saturation students are introduced to the scenario.
Students are split into six groups and given information packs related to one of three experiments (two groups for each experiment).
Students will have an A3 poster style planning sheet to plan and complete an experiment to test whether:
-Water has a saturation point?
-Temperature of the solvent affects solubility of the solute?
-Surface area of the sugar affects solubility?
Students complete their posters and share their findings to the class.
Students are introduced to a fictional scenario applied to their school where a criminal has broken into the school allotment and stolen vegetables (outrageous!).
After a quick crash course into the types of evidence a forensic scientist could collect from the scene, students carry out an analysis on soil samples from a range of suspects to determine the identity of the vegetable thief.
Students write a letter/report to their headmaster explaining their findings.
Students are introduced to the gruesome actions of John Haigh the 'Acid Bath Murder of Crawley' through video clips and photographs. Students use their previous knowledge to discuss the dangers of certain types of acid.
Students challenge their misconceptions of strength and concentration by completing a series of simple experiments dissolving magnesium in different concentrations of the same acid.
Students consolidate their understanding through a series of levelled questions.
Although designed as a final lesson to a higher level KS3 class, this could also be used as a stand alone Gifted and Talented lesson at any point in the year.
If you were wondering they are: Solute, solvent, solution, saturation and Solubility...
Students start the lesson by thinking of as many scientific questions they ask about the picture that is on the board (a cup of tea). Students should be prompted to think of as many aspects of science they can apply to this quite simple picture... teacher could write answers on the board and praise legitimate ideas.
Use the starter to discuss the idea of the five S's. Student complete a table during a treasure hunt that includes definitions and examples.
Students discuss answers and watch video clip to reinforce their understanding. The teacher demonstrates saturation and conservation of mass by adding a spatula of sugar into a beaker of warm water on a weighing scales.
Students complete the worksheet in any order they like to demonstrate their ability.
Students are introduced to a Chief fireman who is struggling to put out a burning building. Students discuss their ideas while they watch the video and share their ideas to the class.
Students are introduced to the fire triangle and the word equation for combustion.
Students complete a practical in which they build three types of fire extinguishers (sand, water and carbon dioxide foam) to put out a controlled fire made from splints. Students decide on which extinguisher is the most effective and how it relates to the fire triangle.
Students finish the lesson through the introduction of a chip pan fire to demonstrate how certain fires have specific requirements to extinguish them safely.
This lessons is designed to run through extension additional content quickly to a high achieving group. Students are re-introduced to electrolysis. Students fill in the A3 sheet throughout the class discussion.
Lesson 1
-electrolysis as decomposition.
-Cathode attracts positive cations because they are negatively charged.
-anode attracts negative anions because they are positively charged.
-OILRIG -oxidation is loss (and) reduction is gain (of electrons)
Lesson 2
-Students are introduced to the differences of electrolysing molten materials and solutions containing different solutes.
-Students complete a practical experiment: Electroplating a iron nail with copper. -Students complete exam questions.
Students are introduced to factors that affect melting points, focusing on how impurities can alter melting and boiling points.
Students set up an experiment testing the difference in melting point between Steric acid and Paraffin by heating two samples up in a water bath above a bunsen burner.
Students collect the data and present it in a line graph gluing text boxes to explain the plateau and increases in temperature.
Students write a description of their graph using the prompt questions.
In the first lesson students use the hook of Ramesses II and carbon dating to introduce the idea of isotopes. Following the PowerPoint, students test their knowledge with a series of questions.
In the second lesson students use sodium as an example to explore the idea of relative atomic mass. Students run through calculating relative atomic masses from isotope abundances and use their knowledge to answer the questions.
Students read through the accounts of two cartoon characters to introduce the idea regarding the difference between science and opinion.
Students are then introduced to a scenario involving the head teacher receiving the disturbing news that one of the teachers at school are in fact an alien! Students read through the letter he received and decide on whether this accusation is based on science or opinion.
Students learn about chromatography as separation test. Students use a simple modification of the experiment to separate "blood samples" of each of the suspected teachers. The Alien teacher's blood sample will also contain green and blue food colouring.
Students complete a wanted poster explaining their findings.
This resource pack includes EAL differentiated worksheets, detailed lesson plans, and worksheets.
Each lesson includes a ‘blast from the past quiz’, a range of activities and an AFL task that relates to their progress. A range of lessons are designed to relate to the future AQA syllabus as well as allowing students to apply a unit of work to novel and interesting applications e.g. Following Dr Who to the early Earth’s atmosphere, choosing an alternative fuel for a new Elon musk prototype car and narrating a climate change trailer for Leonardo Decaprio.
It wa sa lot of fun teaching for what can be a very dry subject!
KS3 introduction to changes of state.
Through a range of kinaesthetic activities (such as describe-draw-show tasks and role plays) students are helped through an explanation of each process which leads to one state of matter changing to another.
Students complete an end of topic solids, liquids and gases spelling test.
Using some simple equipment students plan a simple thermometer that could test different temperatures. Students finish the topic by answering levelled questions related to the expansion and contraction of liquids.
Students use their results from a previous experiment of melting an ice cube to plot an annotated line graph.
Documents are pitched towards a first term Year 7 class. Scaffolded work can be removed and higher differentiated sheet can be used for higher ability KS3 classes who can already plot line graphs independently.
Students consolidate their understanding of melting points by applying it to unusual examples such as gallium metal.
Students are introduced to the problem of determining which substances are acidic or alkaline in nature.
Students complete simple litmus tests on a variety of household substances to determine the strengths and limitations of litmus paper as an indicator.
Russell the Wilderness Explorer wants to earn his expansion and contraction badge, can you help?
Students become adventure explorers and earn badges by defining key terms from earlier on in the unit.
Students watch classic demonstrations (could be completed as class experiments) and video clips from the movie to help them explain why particles expand when heated and contract during cooling. Higher students are introduced to the idea of density before answering and evaluating an assessed question.
I used this lesson very successfully in an Ofsted observation.
Students find this lesson incredibly engaging- I thought I'd share this resource for free due to the Disney copy right issues etc.
This lesson is a free resource from my quantitative chemistry SOW avalaible from my shop.
All resources include a blast from the past recall starter, PowerPoints, resources, Higher tier and Foundation learning outcomes, practical experiment instructions and technician notes and exam practice with model answers.
Students investigate the Hidenberg disaster and become experts in specific group 0 elements to see which gas would be more suitable than Hydrogen to prevent a repeat of the well known disaster.