I am a secondary science teacher from Plymouth, United Kingdom. I have a passion for designing interactive, engaging and well scaffolded resources that are inclusive for all pupils. I teach all years, from years 7-13. I teach KS3 Activate (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy (Biology and Chemistry), AQA GCSE Biology, AQA GCSE Chemistry, and A Level Biology (OCR A).
I am a secondary science teacher from Plymouth, United Kingdom. I have a passion for designing interactive, engaging and well scaffolded resources that are inclusive for all pupils. I teach all years, from years 7-13. I teach KS3 Activate (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy (Biology and Chemistry), AQA GCSE Biology, AQA GCSE Chemistry, and A Level Biology (OCR A).
A revision placemat designed for a higher ability year 7 class based on using and interpreting periodic tables.
It could be used for a lower ability KS4 class.
The resource contains two different versions, a ‘challenge’ sheet and a ‘support’ sheet. There are only slight differences between the two. These words can be removed if you do not wish the student to know which sheet they are receiving.
The placemat contains:
Identifying the key groups in the periodic table (e.g. alkali metals, halogens, noble gases, transition metals)
Identifying groups and periods in the periodic table
Using the periodic table to find an element’s chemical symbol, mass number and atomic number
Defining key terms that describe an element’s property, e.g. conductive, malleable, brittle
The organisation of the periodic table
Using an element’s melting point and boiling point to determine its state at room temperature
History of the periodic table (Newlands and Mendeleev)
This lesson was designed for a lower ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification.
This lesson covers the Linnaean classification system, the binomial naming system, and the three-domain system of classification.
This is a full 1 hour lesson which contains:
A 5-in-5 retrieval style starter
A lesson hook
Direct instruction slides on classification
An embedded video (catchy song!)
Guided student discussions
Plenty of checkpoints (e.g. multiple choice hand signal questions)
Visual teacher-led models
Student written tasks
Exam questions with scaffolds, and modeled answers
A written plenary
This is a 1 hour lesson resource designed for a lower ability year 11 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science Biology topic ‘Homeostasis’.
This lesson focuses on the structure of the nervous system:
Nerves vs. neurones
The function of a neurone
Central nervous system and peripheral nervous system
Labelling a neurone
Stimulus, receptor, effector, response
My lesson resources are always designed to contain the following:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A bundle of lessons on the ‘classification and evolution’ topic, from the AQA GCSE Combined Science specification.
These lessons were specifically designed for a lower ability year 10 class, but would be suitable for any KS4 group with some minor tweaking.
All lessons include:
A 5-in-5 retrieval starter
A lesson hook and/or additional retrieval practice
Very clear direct instruction slides (low cognitive load, dual coding)
Checks for understanding (quizzes, hand signals, cold call questions)
Teacher modeling
Guided discussions
Independent tasks with modeled answers
Exam questions with mark schemes and/or modeled answers
A written plenary
A series of 8 full 1-hour lessons designed as an introduction unit for year 7s in science.
This resource includes the following lessons, which should be delivered in the order below:
Lab safety
Scientific apparatus
Measuring
Using Bunsen burners
Writing a scientific method
Drawing results tables
Drawing line graphs
Planning an investigation
These lesssons are designed for a mid-ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science curriculum.
There are five, full 1-hour lessons from the digestion and enzymes topic which focus on:
Labelling the digestive system and describing the function of each digestive organ
Method of enzyme action, lock and key theory
The effect of temperature and pH on enzymes
Food tests (guided practical)
The function of bile (neutralising stomach acid, emulsifying lipids)
Also included is a knowledge organiser which contains the key information from this topic. This can be used as a visual to support SEND students throughout the topic, or as a revision resource for an end of unit assessment.
All of the lesson resources in this bundle contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A knowledge organiser based on the AQA GCSE Combined Science topic ‘Chemistry of the Atmosphere’.
This knowledge organiser covers:
Chemistry of the atmosphere - early atmosphere vs. current atmosphere. How did it change over time?
Greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect
Sulfur dioxide how it is formed and the problems it causes
Oxides of nitrogen how it is formed and the problems it causes
Carbon monoxide how it is formed and the problems it causes
Particulate carbon how it is formed and the problems it causes
Acid rain
This lesson was designed for a higher ability year 11 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science syllabus.
This lesson is an overview of the three types of cell transport, and uses movement of substances across a root hair cell as a specific example.
This resource includes:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
Direct instruction slides (dual coding, reduced cognitive load)
Regular checks for understanding (quizzes)
Guided ‘turn and talk’
Independent practice tasks, with answer slides
Exam questions with scaffolds provided and answer slides
A written plenary task
A colour-coded worksheet to scaffold writing word equations for displacement reactions.
The worksheet contains a description of displacement reactions, a reactivity series for reference, an example of a completed word equation, and 15 questions for students to attempt ramped in difficulty.
Eventually students should work up to writing word equations for displacement reactions without needing the colour coding.
This is a full 1 hour lesson designed for a mixed ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Biology syllabus.
This lesson covers the definition of a species, and the theory of speciation.
This lesson PowerPoint contains:
A “5-in-5” retrieval-style starter
A lesson hook
Direct instruction slides (dual coding, reduced cognitive load)
An embedded youtube video on speciation
Guided class discussions
Regular checks for understanding (hand signals, true/false quizzes etc.)
A guided teacher model of the theory of speciation
An independent task for students (cut and stick flow chart / story board on speciation)
An exam question with mark scheme included
Worksheets included for the flow chart and exam question.
This is a 1 hour lesson resource designed for a lower ability year 11 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science Biology topic ‘Homeostasis’.
This lesson focuses on reflex arcs, and neurotransmitter release at synapses.
My lesson resources always contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A full 1 hour lesson designed for a mixed ability year 8 class.
This is the 7th lesson in “Chapter 1 - Electricity and Magnetism” from Activate 2, Physics.
This lesson should be suitable to teach to any KS3 Physics class, even by those where physics is not their specialism.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Describe and apply the rule for current in series circuits
Describe and apply the rule for current in parallel circuits
Describe and apply the rule for potential difference in series circuits
Describe and apply the rule for potential difference in parallel circuits
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This is a knowledge organiser which contains the fundamental principles from the ‘Chemical reactions’ topic from KS3 Activate 1.
This would be suitable for a KS3 class studying chemical reactions from any curriculum.
I used this to support my year 7 class with writing their own flashcards as end of unit revision, but it could have many applications.
It is designed to be visual with diagrams to support the text and key vocabulary in bold.
This knowledge organiser contains a brief overview of the following areas:
Signs of chemical reactions
Oxidation reactions
Combustion reactions
Decomposition reactions
Word equations
Conservation of mass (using ratios, balancing equations)
Endothermic and exothermic reactions
This is a knowledge organiser which contains the fundamental principles from the ‘Space’ topic from KS3 Activate 1.
This would be suitable for a KS3 Physics class studying space from any curriculum.
I used this to support my year 7 class with writing their own flashcards as end of unit revision, but it could have many applications.
It is designed to be visual with diagrams to support the text and key vocabulary in bold.
This knowledge organiser contains a brief overview of the following areas:
Structure of the Universe (planetary systems, galaxies, the Universe)
The Solar System (terrestrial planets and gas giants)
Day and night
Seasons
Phases of the Moon
Solar and lunar eclipses
This resource was designed for a top set year 8 class studying an electricity topic.
This resource requires the following practical equipment:
One large rope for demo
Power packs
Crocodile clips
Wires
Bulbs
Ammeters
Resistors
This PowerPoint resource contains:
A “5 in 5” retrieval style starter on current, potential difference and insulators
A retrieval practice task on giving definitions for key terms (current, potential difference, ammeter, voltmeter, electrons)
Direct instruction on resistance with dual coding
A hand signals quiz to check for understanding
A simple ‘fill in the blanks’ task with delayed key word bank
A rope model demo for current and resistance
A discussion task about the model - what did each person represent?
A practical activity on the effect of resistors on current in a circuit (results table provided as print out)
A plenary task (writing a conclusion for the investigation)
This lesson is designed for a year 7 class studying the KS3 Activate curriculum.
This lesson is focused on “flowers and pollination”.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Label the reproductive organs in a flower
Identify which parts of a flower are male or female
Describe the function of each of the reproductive organs in a flower
Describe the adaptations of wind-pollinated and insect-pollinated flowers
Compare the structures of wind-pollinated and insect-pollinated flowers
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
This lesson is designed for a mixed ability year 9 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy specification, at the start of the topic ‘Quantitative Chemistry’.
This lesson is focused on changes in mass during a chemical reaction where a product is a gas.
This lesson contains a guided practical activity (the reaction between calcium carbonate marble chips and hydrochloric acid).
A risk assessment is included.
There are also plenty of independent practice tasks, as well as exam questions with modelled answers.
This lesson also briefly recaps state symbols and balancing symbol equations.
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
A colour coded worksheet with ramped questions designed to teach students to independently write word equations for reactions between a metal and oxygen.
Designed for a KS3 lower ability class, but could be suitable the whole way up to year 11.
Contains an example and 12 questions for students to attempt.
Contains answers.
A full 1-hour lesson resource designed for a mid-ability year 10 class studying the AQA GCSE Combined Science curriculum.
This resource focuses on the human digestive system, specifically labelling the organs in the digestive system and describing the function of each organ in the digestive system.
This resource contains:
A ‘5 in 5’ retrieval-style starter
A lesson hook
A retrieval practice - can students draw the organs in the correct place on the human body outline?
Teacher input slides - location of organs in digestive system
Check for understanding slides - cold call
Deliberate practice slide on labeling digestive system (worksheet include), with answer slide
Teacher input slides - function of organs
Multiple choice hand signals quizzes
Deliberate Practice slide - students match the function to the organ, with answer slides
Written plenary
A full 1 hour lesson designed for a mixed ability year 8 class.
This is the 6th lesson in “Chapter 1 - Health and Lifestyle” from Activate 2, Biology.
This lesson should be suitable to teach to any KS3 Biology class, even by those where Biology is not their specialism.
From this lesson, students should be able to:
Name the enzymes that break down carbohydrates, proteins and lipids during digestion
Name the products of digestion of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids
All of my lesson resources contain:
A 5-in-5 retrieval-style starter
An interesting lesson hook, careers link, or retrieval practice to start the lesson
Teacher input slides with dual coding and reduced cognitive load
Teacher models
Regular ‘check for understanding’ slides, such as hand signals quizzes
Regular student independent practice slides, with optional scaffolds, challenges and answer slides
A plenary task
