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Outstanding GCSE and A level chemistry resources

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Having taught GCSE and A level chemistry for 6 years and being an examiner I have developed a solid understanding of what makes a lesson outstanding and seek to share this with other teachers.

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Having taught GCSE and A level chemistry for 6 years and being an examiner I have developed a solid understanding of what makes a lesson outstanding and seek to share this with other teachers.
Solutions practical and solubility - covers calculating a mean, drawing a bar graph
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Solutions practical and solubility - covers calculating a mean, drawing a bar graph

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This is a lesson on solubility where students carry out an independent practical to find a method for dissolving a sugar cube the fastest. Equipment could include a pestle and mortar, water bath, sugar cube, distilled water, tap water, thermometer, stop watch, beaker and measuring cylinder. Higher ability groups could design their own investigation and choose their equipment. Discuss what factors affect solubility. Students then compare the solubility of different solutes by drawing a bar graph of mean solubility values. Higher ability students may exclude anomalies when calculating the mean. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Diffusion particle theory lesson - fun lesson using sound effects, spices practical
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Diffusion particle theory lesson - fun lesson using sound effects, spices practical

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This is a lesson on diffusion for younger students. The lesson begins with a literacy word unscramble activity that introduces keywords for the lesson. Students then carry out a practical where small amounts of 10 spices are placed around the classroom and they rate the smell from 1 to 10 weakest to strongest. Be careful as some spices contain traces of nuts - check for allergies at the start of the lesson. Discuss what makes a spice smell stronger using the word 'particle'. Answers may include that some particles are smaller or travel faster through the air. Higher ability groups may be introduced to the word 'vaporise' to explain why some substances have stronger smells. They then look at a large water trough (demo) that is filled with water and yellow food colouring. A drop of red food dye can be dropped into the tank to illustrate diffusion means. They then draw what is happening using coloured particle diagrams. You may play soundtracks from the film Finding Nemo or the song Who Let The Dogs Out. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Enthalpy change of combustion - predicting using bond enthalpies and practical
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Enthalpy change of combustion - predicting using bond enthalpies and practical

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This is a lesson in the third lesson in a scheme of work on energetics for the first year of A level chemistry. Students use bond enthalpy data (required learning) to predict the enthalpy of combustion of methanol, ethanol and propan-1-ol. Please check that you have these chemicals available for practical use. Students carry out a calorimetry practical and then calculate the enthalpy change of combustion (covered in a lesson on Q = mc delta T - see my other resources). It is suggested that each pair of students use a different chemical and carry out repeat experiments in order to work out an average value. Different groups then share their results. Students compare their theoretical values with actual values and come up with reasons as to why these values differ. Praise may given to groups that take care to reduce error in their experimentation and produce actual values that are close to the predicted values. There are homework questions that can be e-mailed to the students as a PowerPoint. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Haber process GCSE tarsia
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Haber process GCSE tarsia

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This is a fun yet challenging GCSE Chemistry tarsia for revision of the Haber process for the higher paper. There are 16 triangles with 18 pairs of questions and answers that make an equilateral triangle. I suggest that the A4 tarsia is printed on card and then the outline is cut out. Students can then quickly cut out the individual triangles. Included are the following topics: formula of ammonia, catalyst used, conditions used, feedstocks, reversible reactions, equilibrium, endothermic, exothermic, yield and rate of reaction. The 'fjsw' file can be opened and modified with tarsia software. The tarsia software is free to download but there is not currently a version for Mac computers.
Progress check sheet for students - A level
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Progress check sheet for students - A level

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This document helps students and teachers track progress in A level chemistry (OCR A specification). It can easily be modified for any exam board or subject and would work well at KS4. Students record their progress on assessed homework and tests. There is space for teacher and student feedback.The 'medal&' and &';mission' comments are completed by the teacher. There is space to record intervention strategies for a particular module. For homework a percentage correct score is worked out and a grade given as follows: 60% = C, 70% = B, 80% = A. Feedback to my TES inbox.
Key Stage 3 and lower school Chemistry revision
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Key Stage 3 and lower school Chemistry revision

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This is a comprehensive set of information worksheets for revising Key Stage 3 and lower school Chemistry. It covers these topics: atoms and elements, periodic table, compounds, metals and non-metals, mixtures, solutions, acids and alkalis, physical changes, chemical changes, filtration, distillation, chromatography, structure of the Earth, composition of the atmosphere and the rock cycle. There is a simplified version of the periodic table that I have created. The pages are scaled to fit A4 paper.
Middle school Chemistry comprehensive revision worksheets
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Middle school Chemistry comprehensive revision worksheets

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This is a comprehensive set of information worksheets for revising Middle school Chemistry. It covers these topics: atoms and elements, periodic table, compounds, metals and non-metals, mixtures, solutions, acids and alkalis, physical changes, chemical changes, filtration, distillation, chromatography, structure of the Earth, composition of the atmosphere and the rock cycle. There is a simplified version of the periodic table that I have created. The pages are scaled to fit A4 paper.
Socrative quiz - GCSE - Types of bonding - high ability - 35 marks
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Socrative quiz - GCSE - Types of bonding - high ability - 35 marks

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In this lesson plan you will find the SOC codes to import our quiz and our short answer task to your Socrative room. These great revision activities that you can use with the whole class as starters, plenaries, or to consolidate learning. Topics include: covalent bonding, metallic bonding, ionic bonding, allotropes of carbon
Socrative quiz - precipitates KS3
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Socrative quiz - precipitates KS3

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In this lesson plan you will find the SOC codes to import our quiz and our short answer task to your Socrative room. These great revision activities that you can use with the whole class as starters, plenaries, or to consolidate learning.
Halogens properties and reactions - AS Chemistry
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Halogens properties and reactions - AS Chemistry

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This is an AS Chemistry lesson grades C to A. For grade C students write down symbol equations. For grade B they need to research chlorate compounds using ICT or discuss research they have already done on this for homework set the previous session (FLIP learning). For grade A students combine and balance redox half equations. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Paper chromatography GCSE
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Paper chromatography GCSE

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This is an engaging yet challenging lesson on paper chromatography for GCSE students that has Blooms-based A to C learning objectives that are clearly assessed for using Assessment for learning with mini whiteboards and peer feedback. The hook for the lesson is the forged Hitler's diaries. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Presentation skills 3 lessons easily adaptable
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Presentation skills 3 lessons easily adaptable

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This is a lesson sequence designed to be flexible to suit any keystage, subject or SoW. Peer assessment can be carried out using my peer assessment pro-forma that is in my resources. It could potentially form the basis of an outstanding lesson. Please provide feedback to: rowan.savage@hotmail.com. I will amend this with suggested improvements later in the year.
Acids and bases graded equations worksheets GCSE
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Acids and bases graded equations worksheets GCSE

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This is a series of graded C to A* word and symbol equations with answers. Balanced symbol equations are included as are lesson objectives and 3 different starters. Please have a look at the slides and print off those that are the most appropriate as single slide handouts. I will update this later in the year with example exam questions and explicit AFL activities so that this becomes a ready to use resource that could be used as part of an outstanding lesson. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Polarity glossary AS chemistry
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Polarity glossary AS chemistry

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This is a detailed 2 page glossary that is used as part of a lesson on polarity. It is excellent for getting students to use and understand key terms and goes beyond what is needed just to pass the exams. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Blank Scrabble Template
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Blank Scrabble Template

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I have designed a Scrabble board and scoring sheet. When I printed these I double-sided the 2 pages (board one side and scoring sheet the other) and laminated them. These boards can be reused. This suits any topic where vocabulary is being tested. Have fun!
Chemistry science club for KS4 and A level - Ethanol as an alternative fuel source
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Chemistry science club for KS4 and A level - Ethanol as an alternative fuel source

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This is a planned lesson sequence for delivering an 18 lesson science club for older students. They investigate ethanol as an alternative fuel source to petrol. The lessons cover: the ethanol rocket demo, making ethanol by fermentation from sucrose (sugar) then filtration and distillation, making ethanol from glucose produced by cellulase digestion of cellulose (mashed up filter paper) then filtration and distillation. basic titration, advanced titration of ethanol to calculate concentration, calorimetry, comparison of the different methods of ethanol production. Links to RSC practicals are provided for all of the demo and practicals and a total of 8 risk assessments have been written for all of the practicals with links to CLEAPPS. Calorimetry lessons are available from my other resources. Please rate these resources and leave feedback.
Conservation of mass, formula mass and percentage composition GCSE Chemistry
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Conservation of mass, formula mass and percentage composition GCSE Chemistry

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This is a thoroughly differentiated lesson that begins by introducing students to conservation of mass and why this law makes sense. This is then related to balancing equations and there is the opportunity for students to practice this skill. Students then calculate the formula mass of the compounds around the room. More able students have some percentage mass questions to work through. Answers are provided for all questions. The lesson finishes with GCSE exam questions. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.
Equilibrium A level chemistry - rate and yield
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Equilibrium A level chemistry - rate and yield

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This lesson forms part of an AS chemistry equilibrium scheme of work and follows on from two lessons on equilibrium reactions and writing expressions for Kc. The lesson starts with a recap of Kc. Students then learn how to work out the units for Kc. Please note that from experience I have found that weaker students (grade C downwards) struggle with this so please take a lot of time to check that students feel comfortable and confident. A GSCE indices questions worksheet has been provided to support weaker students. The lesson then moves on to explaining the compromise conditions used to make ammonia in the Haber process. I show the Daniel D Dulek TED talk video here. It is absolutely excellent and stretches the students. Video questions are provided. The lesson concludes with students calculating Kc. The video is YouTube embedded so please download this video before the lesson as many schools do not allow staff access to YouTube from a school computer. Please rate this resource and leave feedback.