I aim to create detailed lessons for KS3 and KS4 science lessons, simplifying content for both teachers and pupils. My lessons include a lot of pupil-centred tasks and modelling activities where appropriate to engage pupils in their learning. As an AQA examiner for the new GCSE trilogy and triple science course I include a lot of 'past paper' style questions in my lessons that match the type of questions students will be asked in examinations.
I aim to create detailed lessons for KS3 and KS4 science lessons, simplifying content for both teachers and pupils. My lessons include a lot of pupil-centred tasks and modelling activities where appropriate to engage pupils in their learning. As an AQA examiner for the new GCSE trilogy and triple science course I include a lot of 'past paper' style questions in my lessons that match the type of questions students will be asked in examinations.
A double lesson/ series of lessons looking at the structure of carboxylic acids, reactions of carboxylic acids and the formation of polymers by addition and condensation polymerisation. The lesson also recaps content from topic 2 and topic 10, covering the difference between thermosetting and thermosoftening polymers and the issues surrounding the disposal of polymers. Lesson features include:
- A question grid with basic recall questions from previous learning (fractional distillation, cracking, combustion, alkenes, alkanes and alcohols) complete with answers
- Recap on homologous series
- Slides describing the structure and reactions of carboxylic acids with a printable table for students to complete together with review questions
- Slides describing the formation of a polymer with an activity requiring students to draw the repeating unit from polymer chains and monomers
- A host of short review questions on polymerisation with animated answers on the powerpoint
- A paired teaching activity on thermosetting and thermosoftening polymers for students to complete. This is then followed by a independent learning task on the two types of polymer with success criteria provided
- A worksheet containing past paper questions. Answers are featured on the powerpoint to allow for assessment of pupil progress
Two A3 revision worksheets and a powerpoint designed for Foundation level triple Chemistry students.
The revision worksheet contains recall questions with supporting diagrams and a list of key definitions with space for pupils to fill in the key terms.
A double lesson/ series of lessons looking at the extraction, processing, use and disposal of Earth’s resources. The lesson contains three main objectives:
A recap of the difference between renewable and finite resources
Explaining why reducing the use of Earth’s resources is important
Describe the components of a life cycle assessment and compare the suitability of materials for products using life cycle assessments.
Lesson features include:
A series of basic recall questions from previous learning (water treatment, the purification of water required practical, rusting, methods to prevent corrosion, alloys, alternative methods of copper extraction, thermosetting and thermosoftening polymers)
A cartoon image to introduce current issues with the rate at which earth’s resources are being plundered
Slides introducing the difference between renewable and finite resources with a sorting task for pupils to complete (animated answers on the slide to review progress)
Discussion questions around the impact of extracting resources using quarrying/ mining with a review summary
An envoy/ circus task recapping the extraction and processing of different materials and their disadvantages that has been covered in previous topics - plastics (topic 7), petrol (topic 7), iron (topic 4/10), aluminium (topic 4) and copper (phytomining and bioleaching covered in topic 10)
Review questions on the first learning objective
Two video clips, slide containing relevant news headlines and discussion questions around the importance of ‘reducing, reusing, recycling’ materials (video clips from a recent documentary on landfill looking at the dangers of landfill and alternatives to plastic bags - the latter clip I have produced a slide of questions to go with it)
Slides summarising the importance of recycling metals and plastics, linking metal recycling to the importance of gold for smartphones
Several slides of exam-style review questions for the second objective with animated answers for easy assessment
An introduction to what a life cycle assessment is using the life cycle of a human. A table explaining considerations for each of the stages of a life cycle assessment is included (could be printed off for students to use)
A group/ individual task considering the LCA’s for paper and plastic straws to determine what sort of straws McDonald’s should use (relevant to current news)
Review questions comparing life cycle assessments for materials with animated answers
A series of exam-style questions on a Word document with animated answers on the powerpoint
Lots to choose from here!
A lesson looking at the properties and uses of ceramics, composites and polymers. The lesson also recaps content from topic 2 and topic 7, covering the structure and bonding in polymers and the process of polymerisation (including how to draw repeating units for polymers)
Lesson features include:
A series of basic recall questions from previous learning (water treatment, the purification of water required practical, rusting, methods to prevent corrosion, alloys and alternative methods of copper extraction)
A fun introduction to the concept of a composite using a video
A slide containing small information cards on the properties and composition of four different composites with a table to fill in (this could be used as an envoy activity/ group activity)
Information on glass and clay ceramics
Slides introducing the concept of a polymer and how polymerisation occurs
Worked examples of how to draw repeating units with exam-style practice questions for students to attempt
A paired teaching activity on thermosetting and thermosoftening polymers for students to complete. This is then followed by a independent learning task on the two types of polymer with success criteria provided
An exam-style extension question comparing the structure and properties of thermosetting and thermosoftening polymers with animated mark scheme
Review questions where students apply their understanding of the properties of materials to justify the selection of a material for a scenario
A series of lessons looking at the formation of ions, describing how ionic bonds are formed alongside drawing dot and cross diagrams, working out the formula of an ionic compound from a lattice diagram and the charges on the ions and properties of ionic compounds. The powerpoint features a lot of worked examples and plenty of opportunity for student practice with questions that progress from simple to more complex examples. Lesson features include:
A 10 question starter quiz based on previous learning with animated answers (questions based on Topic 1 - atomic structure)
Slides recapping prior learning on electron configurations leading to how metal and non-metal ions are formed with step-by-step scaffolding provided. Students complete questions based around drawing ions and describing how ions have formed based on the charge
Slides introducing how ionic compounds are formed with a discussion question of a dot and cross diagram. This has been animated to allow the teacher to talk through step-by-step what is taking place. There are more worked examples and numerous questions on drawing dot and cross diagrams are incorporated into the presentation
Slides guiding pupils on how to work out the ionic formula, looking at non-metal ions consisting of 1 element initially before progressing to non-metal ions involving two elements where brackets are used
A modelling task to build a 3D giant ionic lattice and opportunity to describe the structure with structured sentence starters provided
A link to an engaging video looking at melting salt to introduce properties of ionic compounds
A review task with success criteria summarising ions, ionic bonding diagrams and structure and properties of ionic compounds
Numerous review question slides with animated answers
A double lesson/ series of lessons explaining how a cell works, considering the variables that affect the potential difference produced by a cell, the difference between rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries, how hydrogen fuel cells work and the advantages/ disadvantages of using a fuel cell compared to batteries.
The lesson features:
A starter consisting of 10 basic recall questions from previous learning with animated answers (graphene, reactions of acids and metal carbonates, groups on the periodic table, diamond, covalent bonding diagrams, properties of small covalent molecules and energy transfer required practical)
A slide introducing the idea of a cell in an engaging context by asking students to think about how they would make an LED light up using a lemon, coin and piece of copper.
A series of slides explaining how chemical cells work and what a battery consists of
A suggested practical with instructions, results table and conclusion questions investigating how the reactivity difference between metal electrodes affects the voltage made in a cell
A host of short review questions with animated answers on the powerpoint to allow for assessment of pupil progress
A link to an engaging video looking at hydrogen powered cars and questions for pupils to subsequently answer from the video
An animated diagram explaining how a hydrogen fuel cell works, table detailing advantages/ disadvantages of hydrogen fuel cells and an evaluation question comparing rechargeable batteries to hydrogen fuel cells using a table of statements
A worksheet containing exam-style questions. Answers are featured on the powerpoint to allow for assessment of pupil progress
An A3 review sheet for the entire energy changes topic with questions/ diagrams for pupils to complete
A double lesson/ series of lessons looking at the energy transfer in neutralisation required practical. The lesson looks at the method involved in the required practical and how this might be adapted for a range of different chemical reactions, along with how to estimate the point of neutralisation from a graph of results
Lesson features include:
A starter consisting of 10 basic recall questions from previous learning with animated answers (properties of ionic compounds, isotopes, exothermic reactions, energy reaction profiles, history of the atom, ionic formula and conservation of mass )
A slide recapping the idea of exothermic reactions and energy reaction profile in an engaging context using a ‘sherbet lemon’ model
A series of slides prompting students to think about how to measure the energy transferred in a chemical reaction and the apparatus/ method used.
Slides guiding students through the required practical method, variables for the experiment, a ready-made results table to populate and instructions on how to plot and extrapolate data from the graph to calculate the exact point of neutralisation
A table with animated answers helping pupils to understand the range of chemical reactions the method could be used with and the variables that could be investigated for each
A host of short review questions looking at applying the required practical method to a different chemical reaction, analysing data and suggesting improvements to the apparatus used in the required practical
A worksheet containing exam-style questions. Answers are featured on the powerpoint to allow for assessment of pupil progress
A review sheet with prompt images that could be used as a short recap of the method used in the required practical in subsequent lessons
A fully resourced lesson bundle for the AQA Topic 5 unit - Energy changes. Suitable for foundation and higher tier Triple candidates (content can easily be deleted for Trilogy)
The bundle features double lessons on:
Exothermic and endothermic reactions and bond energy calculations
Energy transfer in neutralisation required practical
Cells, batteries and fuel cells
The lessons feature informative, user-friendly slides, links to videos and suggestions of modelling tasks/ teaching activities, regular assessment questions throughout the powerpoints to check understanding with animated answers, word documents with exam-style questions and answers and a revision sheet for the entire topic.
A lesson explaining the structure of polymers and properties of polymers, including a step-by-step method on drawing repeating units and explanation of the properties of thermosoftening and thermosetting polymers. The lesson also includes an explanation of the properties of solids, liquids and gases and a step-by-step method on how to predict the state of a substance when given the melting and boiling point.
The lesson features:
A starter consisting of 10 basic recall questions from previous learning with animated answers (ionic formula and properties of ionic compounds, covalent bonding diagrams, properties of simple covalent substances and graphite, properties of metals and alloys)
Slides introducing what a polymer is and how to draw repeating units
Practice questions on drawing repeating units with animated answers
A paired teaching activity on the difference between thermosoftening and thermosetting polymers
A discussion task to illicit prior knowledge on solids, liquids and gases
A summary table explaining the properties of solids, liquids and gases
Slides explaining how to predict the state of substances using number lines with two animated examples
Summary questions asking students to predict the state of substances using a data table containing melting and boiling points
A double lesson looking at the role of Newlands and Mendeleev in the development of the periodic table, comparing early versions of the periodic table to the modern periodic table and explaining how the separating techniques of filtration, evaporation, distillation and chromatography work.
Lots of content in the lesson, including:
The lesson features:
A starter consisting of 10 basic recall questions from previous learning with animated answers (labelling the plum pudding model, electron configurations, isotopes, what the mass number tells you about an atom, displacement reactions, group 1 reactions with water, periodic table arrangement, atomic structure)
A printable sheet for students to make notes on comparing the 3 versions of the periodic table
Summary notes for the periodic tables created by Newlands and Mendeleev
A link to a video explaining how Mendeleev organised the elements in his periodic table
A series of exam style questions and animated answers testing students understanding of the different periodic tables
Slides explaining how the separation techniques of filtration, evaporation, distillation and chromatography work and accompanying worksheet for students to fill in (this could be done as a carousel activity)
Summary questions asking students to name the technique most suitable to separate a variety of mixtures
A series of lessons covering the AQA Topic 1 - atomic structure unit. Each lesson features a 10 question starter with animated answers, interactive slides guiding pupils through concepts, links to videos and modelling suggestions together with many exam-style questions and answers to assess pupil progress. The lessons include the following topics:
Atomic structure
History of the atomic model
Groups on the periodic table (1, 7, 0 and transition metals)
Development of the periodic table
Separating techniques
Included in the bundle is a topic 1 revision sheet with questions/ prompts for students to complete
A double lesson/ series of lessons looking at the properties of groups 1, 7, 0 and transition metals. The lesson looks at the reactions of group 1/7 and how to explain their reactivity. The lesson features a wide range of questions to check on student understanding
Lesson features include:
A starter consisting of 10 basic recall questions from previous learning with animated answers (isotopes, structure of the atom, electron configurations, history of the atom)
A slide containing a table and animated answers that could be shared whilst demonstrating group 1 reactions with water/ watching a video
A series of slides prompting students to write word and symbol equations, together with a series of summary questions and exam-style questions
Slides guiding students through explaining reactivity of group 1 and 7 using a split board, allowing students to see model answers whilst answering a slightly different question
A slide introducing the concept of a displacement reaction using celebrity relationships
A host of questions on displacement reactions of group 7
A link to a video on transition metal properties and summary following the video
A comparison question of group 1 and transition metals
Question related to predicting boiling points of group 0
A worksheet with exam-style questions covering the properties of groups 1, 7 and transition metals
A lesson describing the structure of metals, explaining the properties of metals in relation to the structure, explaining what an alloy is and examples of alloys and how their composition relates to their use.
The lesson features:
A starter consisting of 10 recall questions from previous learning with animated answers (graphene, ionic formula and ionic bonding diagrams, properties of ionic and covalent substances, structure of diamond, properties of graphite and uses of fullerenes)
A slide introducing metallic bonding with a comparison to ionic and covalent bonding
A series of slides explaining the structure and properties of metals, with prompts to help students explain the properties independently before viewing model answers that are animated on the powerpoint
An explanation for what an alloy is and why alloys are harder than pure metals
A table of specific alloys and their uses (linking to Topic 10 - using resources) that could be cut out for students to look at using a carousel activity
A host of short review questions on metals and alloys
A formative assessment task with success criteria included requiring pupils to link a series of statements written on visual hexagons to explain the properties of metals and compare this to ionic and covalent bonding
A series of lessons looking at the structure and properties of covalent structures. The lesson includes a step-by-step method for how to draw covalent bonding diagrams, the properties of simple covalent substances and the structure and properties of allotropes of carbon - diamond, graphite, graphene, nanotubes and fullerenes.
The lesson features:
A 10 question starter quiz with animated answers on previous learning (ions, ionic bonding, ionic formula, ionic properties, separating methods, group 1 reactions with water)
Slides introducing how to draw dot and cross diagrams with animated step-by-step examples and practice diagrams for students to complete
Slides explaining the structure of allotropes of carbon, with comparison slides asking students to think about the properties of diamond versus graphite (when shown their uses) and graphite versus graphene)
A slide asking pupils to ‘link the pictures’ together to explain the discovery and potential uses of graphene
A link to a video looking at the uses of graphene
Review question slides containing exam-style questions with animated answers throughout the powerpoint
A lesson describing what a reversible reaction is and explaining the term 'equilibrium'. The lesson is designed for foundation students and does not include 'Le Chatelier's principle'. The lesson features:
- A past paper question starter based on a chemical reaction similar to the RPA tasks in the topic 6 unit. The task contains prompt questions designed to facilitate students answering questions based on unfamiliar scenarios
- A demonstration reaction (ammonium chloride decomposing to produce ammonia and hydrogen chloride) with questions and animated answers on the powerpoint
- A class practical (heating hydrated copper sulfate to produce anhydrous copper sulfate and water) with a results table containing animated answers to ensure that pupils understand observations seen in the practical task
- Past paper questions based on the class practical and animated answers on the powerpoint
- A mini true/ false statement table to allow for assessment of understanding
A double lesson/ series of lessons looking at neutralisation reactions, writing ionic formulae and the process of making crystals of a soluble salt (AQA required practical)
Lesson features include:
A starter consisting of basic recall questions from previous learning (extraction of metals, reduction/ oxidation, properties of ionic compounds, covalent bonding diagrams, relative formula mass and moles)
Slides introducing the pH scale, weak/ strong acids and alkalis and the difference between an alkali and a base with AfL question (alongside an animated answer)
Slides with guided practice on how to name salts and writing ionic formulae for salts.
Slides and an acompanying worksheet providing plenty of practice on writing equations for metal and acid, acid and alkali and acid and metal carbonate reactions
A step by step explanation of the stages involved in making crystals of a soluble salt, including a table for pupils to fill in explaining the reason for each stage in the practical
Practice exam-style questions with scaffolded support. The questions focus on describing the method used to make a soluble salt and explaining errors in methods.
Simple, easy to follow instructions for carrying out the soluble salt practical
A worksheet containing exam-style questions. Answers are included with the sheet to enable assessment of pupil progress
Review questions with animated answers
A lesson looking at the reactivity series, extraction of metals, displacement reactions and the extraction of aluminium using electrolysis
Lesson features include:
A starter consisting of basic recall questions from previous learning (structure of diamond, alloys, fullerenes, isotopes, properties of ionic compounds, covalent bonding diagrams, relative formula mass and moles)
Slides introducing the reactivity and displacement recation using an analogy with multiple practice questions
Slides with prompt questions explaining how th position of a metal in the reactivity series links to the method of extraction
Slides explaining what oxidation and reduction mean in terms of oxygen with practice questions identifying what is being oxidised/ reduced in reactions
An explanation of what spectator ions are and guided practice on how to write ionic equations
A recap of the process of electrolysis and labelling an electrolysis cell
An animated diagram of the electrolysis of aluminium oxide with prompt questions on the purpose of cryolite and why oxygen does not form at the positive electrode, together with practice exam-style questions on the topic and animated answers.
A series of exam-style questions and answers to assess student understanding on the topic