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# the science teacher

science thinking resources and pedagogy

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Pages

- [Practical work in science lessons](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/practical-work/) - It is important that science teachers are sceptical about the benefits of practical work. For too long, I assumed that doing practical work in science classrooms was a good thing without considering why I thought this. While I haven't changed my mind on the importance of practical work, I have, over the years, developed my
- [Motivation in science](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/motivation-in-science/) - Why do some classes and students display high levels of motivation in science but others do not? Motivation is a requisite to learn. We need to know how to plan science lessons for maximum motivation if great learning is to take place. I have summarised some interesting ideas from a paper by David Palmer on student motivation in science. Use
- [Reading for meaning in science](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/reading-for-meaning-in-science/) - Don't be fooled... your students are busy reading text in science lessons that they only partially understand. This isn't because they can't read. This is because they don't understand enough of the vocabulary that sits within the text to create meaning - apparently, we need to understand about 95% of the words we read to
- [Covalent bonding teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/covalent-bonding/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about covalent bonding (GCSE and Key Stage 3) "A covalent bond is a shared pair of electrons". But hang on a minute, surely a pair of electrons would repel each other and not form an attraction between two atoms. This makes no sense.
- [Working scientifically teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/how-science-works/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students to think hard about working scientifically: is it valid, reproducible, repeatable and accurate? (GCSE and Key Stage 3) The resources below will support the teaching of working scientifically skills. Resources are appropriate for Key Stage 3 and GCSE students (ages 11 to 16). For students to carry out
- [Plant reproduction teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/plant-reproduction/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about plant reproduction (GCSE and Key Stage 3) When teaching plant reproduction, spend time showing students that flowering plants can undergo sexual reproduction - they are not just asexual organisms! Comparing floral structures to human reproductive organs can help students appreciate
- [Adaptation by natural selection teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/adaptation/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about the adaptations of organisms (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? Ask students to look at the picture on the right, taken in February 2026 in southern England, UK. What do they notice/observe? What do they infer
- [Photosynthesis teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/photosynthesis/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about photosynthesis (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? Ask students where sugar comes from. If you can get hold of a bag of sugar and a sugar beet bring it to class. You could do a quick
- [Biological molecules teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/biological-molecules/) - Water is an incredible molecule. Watch the video below to see how strong intermolecular forces between water molecules allow water to perform some unusual tricks! How would life on Earth be different if organisms used ethanol as the universal solvent? Would transpiration still occur? Teaching resources Properties of water A Level practical on the properties
- [Differentiation in science lessons](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/differentiation/) - Good differentiation in science classrooms is hard, perfect differentiation is impossible and quite a lot is probably ineffective and perhaps even damaging to learning. Let me try to explain why. What does good differentiation look like? Let's start by thinking about what good differentiation looks like. Differentiation is about making sure that all students are appropriately challenged.
- [Using context in science lessons](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/science-in-context/) - Learning requires motivation. Motivation requires a rationale. Why should students care? Why should they spend their time and effort learning this? Luckily for science teachers, there are some very tangible reasons as to why students would need or want to know science. Why use context in science lessons? For me, context provides the rationale for
- [How to challenge students when planning science lessons?](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/how-to-challenge-in-science-lessons/) - The idea of challenge tends to be associated with top sets and high attaining students. But challenge is a concept that is relevant to all students. Challenging students can develop their cognition and address misconceptions, but it also serves important, and often understated, roles in student motivation and assessment for learning. When students are challenged,
- [Prior knowledge in science lessons](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/prior-knowledge/) - I think we can all empathise with the feeling of frustration, when someone insists on showing us how to do something that we can already do. It might be how to tie a knot, how to navigate a roundabout or spell a specific word. Similarly, it can be equally frustrating to be asked to do
- [Lesson objectives in science lessons](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/objectives-in-science-lessons/) - Many teachers start their science lesson by sharing lesson objectives. However, is this always a good thing? In this post, I consider some of the limitations of lesson objectives, and how you can mitigate these. Today we are going to learn about things you don't yet know about One problem is that, for the most
- [Do it Now in Science](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/the-science-do-now/) - Dedicating some time at the start of a science lesson for a 'Do Now' can be incredibly helpful for students and teachers. The purpose of the Do Now is to quickly engage students in learning and provide an opportunity for all students to be successful at the start of the lesson. It can also provide
- [Lesson planning in science](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/lesson-planning/) - Teaching science can be challenging. When it works, of course, it is also incredibly rewarding for both students and teachers alike. Science teachers are teachers of mathematics, practical skills, substantive scientific ideas as well as ideas about evidence and the nature of science. These ideas are often abstract and counterintuitive and learning them successfully often
- [A great science lesson](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/the-science-lesson/) - What makes a great science lesson? Of course, there is no single answer to this question but there are a few general principles that you may want to consider when planning and teaching a science lesson. First, start by considering what you want your students to know and do. This will involve consulting curriculum plans.
- [Powerful knowledge and what it means for students and teaching](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/powerful-knowledge/) - When I was sixteen, I had a fantastic A Level Biology teacher. She was passionate about biology, not because it allowed us to understand technology, or because it led to a job in the STEM sector, but because she recognised that there was something intrinsically wonderful about this subject that she wanted to share. She
- [Knowledge in the science curriculum](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/the-science-curriculum/) - It is great to see that the curriculum is well and truly back on the education agenda in England. This is taking place at the same time that many teachers are re-affirming the importance of domain-specific knowledge and its crucial role in problem solving and expertise. The knowledge produced by science: substantive knowledge So, what
- [Science Curriculum](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/science-curriculum/) - The pages below will be helpful to anyone looking to build or develop a science curriculum. Building a curriculum towards big ideas Big ideas Powerful ideas of science Knowledge in the curriculum Coherence in the curriculum Powerful knowledge
- [Chemistry teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/chemistry-teaching-resources/) - Chemistry teaching resources and worksheets from the science teacher are arranged in alphabetical order to make topics easier to find. The level of the chemistry activity (Key Stage 3 or GCSE/iGCSE) is indicated for each resource. The Royal Society of Chemistry has loads of great resources too. Acids Amounts of substance Atomic structure Bonding Earth
- [Newton's laws teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/newtons-laws/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about Newton's laws (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Newton's laws provide a wonderful opportunity for students to change how they see the world. Unfortunately, too many students leave school being able to memorise the laws but are unable to use them
- [About the science teacher](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/about/) - I was first hooked on science by an inspirational biology teacher at school. Since then, I have loved exploring and getting to grips with scientific ideas and enjoy finding ways to share this passion with students and teachers alike. For me, this starts with finding innovative ways to help students think about and make sense
- [Cognitive science and science teaching](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/cognitive-science-and-science-teaching/) - I think many science teachers would agree that science teaching is hard, but why?! What exactly is it that makes science sometimes difficult to teach (and tricky to learn)? One of the significant challenges of science teaching, as opposed to teaching other subjects, is that teaching science requires students to learn new knowledge and unlearn
- [Argumentation in science education](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/argumentation-in-science/) - Many students reject natural selection simply because they consider it 'just' a theory. However, this is not a reason to dismiss natural selection as this excellent video from the Royal Institution shows. What is argumentation? As we trawl through specifications listing fact after fact, we sometimes forget that science involves debate and argumentation. Many important
- [Reflections of a science teacher](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/reflections/) - This page was first published in 2016. LinkedIn tells me that it has been over ten years since I started the science teacher. Today the website houses science teaching resources that I hope help teachers challenge students to think deeply about science. Along the way, I've also been inspired to write some pages on pedagogy,
- [Knowledge versus understanding in science](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/knowledge-in-science/) - I am going share with you a question that has been bothering me for some time: what is the difference between knowledge and understanding? Schemata - where you put your knowledge matters In 1923 Jean Piaget introduced the term schema. A schema is an organised group of related ideas - see an example of a schema
- [Share a science teaching resource or idea](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/contribute/) - Like a challenge? Then join us at the science teacher and share your teaching resources or ideas. If you have created a science teaching resource that you would like to share on the science teacher.co.uk, please e-mail the document to info@thescienceteacher.co.uk with the subject line: RESOURCE. Resources must be your own and designed to challenge
- [Science pedagogy for science teachers](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/teaching-and-learning/) - Please explore the pages linked below to help you develop strategies to support effective teaching and learning in science lessons. Follow this link for further resources that directly support science teacher education and the great science lesson. Cognitive science for science teaching Argumentation Literacy for science Practical work in science Using drama to teach science
- [Physics teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/physics-teaching-resources/) - Physics teaching resources and worksheets from the science teacher are arranged in alphabetical order to make topics easier to find. The level of the physics activity (Key Stage 3 or GCSE/iGCSE) is indicated for each physics resource. The Institute of Physics provides loads of great resources too. Earth&Space Electricity Energy Forces Magnetism Matter and radioactivity
- [Classification teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/classification/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about classification (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching Resources Where to start? Ask students to group (classify) a range of different utensils as either spoons, forks or knives. Include some tricky examples e.g. pasta forks, sporks, chop sticks. Discuss how students
- [Specific heat capacity teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/specific-heat-capacity/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about specific heat capacity (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Heat capacity is how much heat an object can absorb before it increases in temperature. I really enjoy teaching students about specific heat capacity as it's not a concept they have come
- [Bonding, structure and properties teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/bonding-and-properties/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about bonding, structure and physical properties (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? Help students appreciate that substances have different physical properties. This could involve giving students a range of substances to test for: conductivity, density, solubility in water
- [Electricity and electric circuits teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/electricity/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about electric circuits (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Electricity is a challenging concept to teach. Concepts like potential difference and current are incredibly abstract - these ideas are novel and not easily linked to the concrete world. Secondly, many concepts go against children's naive ideas e.g. current
- [Food chains teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/food-chains/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about food chains and bioaccumulation (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? Before we get stuck into food chains and food webs, it's important that students have time to explore habitats and organisms first. Videos or setting homework
- [Nerves and hormones teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/nerves-and-hormones/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about nerves, hormones and the hormonal system (GCSE and Key Stage 3) When you study the nervous system it is a great opportunity to re-cap cell structure and cell specialisation. Teaching resources Where to start? Throw a soft ball at a
- [Misconceptions and conceptual change in science education](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/misconceptions-in-science-education/) - Perhaps one of the greatest privileges of being a science teacher is having the chance to help students to address their misconceptions (alternative conceptions). It is important, though, that while we do this we don't rubbish students' ideas just because they don't fit the scientifically acceptable idea. Indeed, many alternative conceptions are very useful in
- [Biology teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/biology-teaching-resources/) - Biology teaching resources and worksheets from the science teacher are arranged in alphabetical order to make topics easier to find. The level of the biology activity (Key Stage 3 and GCSE/iGCSE) is indicated for each resource. Biochemistry Cells Classification Ecology Evolution Genes and inheritance Homeostasis Microorganisms and infection Organ systems Plants Or click here to
- [Vaccines and vaccination teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/vaccines/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about vaccines and vaccination (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Students must master an enormous number of words when learning about vaccines, immunisation, antibodies and the immune system. Many students will come to lessons with a considerable amount of prior knowledge about these topics. The
- [Weight, gravity and free fall](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/weight/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about weight and gravity (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Why do bullets dropped and fired horizontally from the same height reach the ground at the same time? I suppose much of the confusion stems from the logical, but incorrect, assumption that the bullet fired from the
- [Variables in science teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/variables/) - Worksheets and ideas to get students thinking about control, dependent and independent variables in science (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Validity - the suitability of the investigative procedure to answer the question being asked, is all about controlling variables. For example, an investigation to find out if the rate of a chemical reaction depended upon the concentration of
- [Waves teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/waves/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about waves (GCSE and Key Stage 3) What is wave? What is the source of a wave? How is it possible for waves to travel through vacuums? This fantastic demonstration by Alom Shaha uses a homemade wave machine to illustrate some important principles. What is a
- [Variation between organisms teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/variation/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about variation (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Before students can understand evolution by natural selection they must first understand that there are differences between organisms. Some of these differences are inherited and some of these differences are caused by the environment, and some are a
- [Zooming in and out in science](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/zooming-in-and-out-in-science/) - One of the greatest challenges for any science teacher is that we forget what it feels like to be a novice. There's a slight irony here, we need subject knowledge to teach, but the more subject knowledge we develop, the harder it is for us to think like our students! Take the example below -
- [Writing in science - exposing and extending](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/writing-in-science/) - This blog is part of a sequence of blogs – a symposium – on writing in science coordinated by Pritesh Raichura. Pritesh started the sequence in his post (here). Ben's post on 'Characteristics of Science Vocabulary and Some Classroom Tools' is here Ruth’s post ‘Sentences and the Web of Knowledge’ is here and Tarjinder’s post ‘Writing Revolution Activities in Primary Science’
- [Writing chemical formulae teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/writing-chemical-formulae-teaching-resources/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about chemical formulae. (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? Brainstorm all the chemical formulae that students already know. Students can work in groups to do this in 1 minute, writing down the formula and the name. You
- [Teaching scientific skills](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/scientific-skills/) - It can be very tempting to spend a lot of lesson time 'doing' scientific skills when in fact they should be 'developed'. By ensuring lessons focus on teaching specific skills (in addition to subject knowledge) skills can be planned for and developed over time. Split screen objectives are a simple strategy to help teachers and students
- [Useful websites for science teachers](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/useful-websites/) - Science Associations in the UK Association for science education (ASE) Society of Biology Royal Society of Chemistry Institute of Physics Practical science resources Science Practical work for learning Demonstrations in science by science teacher Alom Shaha CREST Awards - a great programme providing science enrichment activities to inspire and engage 5-to-19-year old Biology Practical biology Science and
- [Understanding the mole teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/understanding-the-mole/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about mole calculations (GCSE and Key Stage 3) The mole can be a tricky concept for students to master. It is therefore important to introduce the concept in a clear way when teaching it for the first time. A mole is just
- [The science teachers' forum](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/the-science-teacher-forum/) - Please post any feedback or suggestions you have on the teaching resources here. It would be great to hear from those of you who have tried using some of the resources in your lessons. Feedback - good and bad - is welcome. Go forth and challenge! Click here to sign up to our free newsletter
- [Tests for ions and gases teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/tests-for-ions/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about tests for ions and gases and writing ionic equations (GCSE and Key Stage 3) This fantastic and simple demonstration helps students see how carbon dioxide can be used as a fire extinguisher. The demonstrations allow you to discuss some of
- [Summative assessment in science](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/summative-assessment-in-science/) - I have struggled for ages knowing how summative assessment should work in science. Moving from levels to grades between KS3 and KS4 always seems unsatisfactory, requiring students to move from one assessment system to another; this change in grade makes it difficult to track progress. Unlike many skills-based subjects, the longer you study science the
- [Troubleshooting your science lessons](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/trouble-shooting-in-science/) - So, we have all had them. The lesson is well planned, the resources have been carefully selected but somehow students have left the classroom learning little, behaviour was poor and you feel frazzled! So what went wrong?! Time to reflect and try again. Hopefully the ideas below may provide some help... 1.0 Squeeze the lemon
- [Using drama to teach science](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/teaching-science-through-drama/) - What has drama got to do with science teaching?! Perhaps more than we think - used in the right way, drama can do some pretty important things: engage and motivate students (be aware that some students might find drama terrifying) engage and motivate teachers - creativity in teaching! help model abstract ideas that can't normally be
- [Transpiration teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/transpiration/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about transpiration (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching transpiration can be tricky. This is because to understand transpiration you have to understand many different concepts that can seem unrelated. Osmosis, photosynthesis, leaf structure, particle model and evaporation, diffusion and concentration gradients all
- [Surface area teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/surface-area/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about surface area to volume ratio (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? Surface area can be quite a challenging concept for students to understand. A simple way to introduce this concept is to ask students whether they
- [Separating mixtures: techniques teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/separating-techniques/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about separating mixtures (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources The resources below should only be used after all the separation techniques have been taught. Selecting the appropriate separating technique GCSE activity where students select the appropriate separating technique. Students select the
- [Scientific investigations for GCSE and KS3](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/investigations/) - The following investigations can be modified to focus on developing specific skills relevant to your class. These practicals are advantageous because they are relatively safe and inexpensive to carry out, giving students the freedom to change methods and work with a real sense of autonomy. For ideas on how to teach specific skills, such as reliability
- [Site map](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/site-map/) - google-site-verification: google18c2b54ee74392e4.html
- [Sound teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/sound/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about sound and the structure of the ear (GCSE and Key Stage 3) This excellent retro video looks at how sound travels through different materials. The demonstration below is an excellent introduction to how sound travels and the requirement for particles,
- [Scientific methods teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/the-scientific-method/) - Worksheets and ideas to get students thinking about the scientific method and how to write up a scientific investigation (Key Stage 3 and GCSE). Please forgive the URL of this page - there is no scientific method, but rather a collection of diverse methods that scientists use to inquire about the world. What is science? What
- [Scientific inquiry](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/scientific-inquiry/) - Scientific inquiry as a pedagogy involves students progressively developing key scientific ideas through learning how to investigate. In this way, students build their knowledge and understanding of the world around them through the process of inquiry. Although sometimes described as discovery based learning, this isn't the case. The article below by Kirschner et al. (2006)
- [Speed, acceleration and motion teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/speed-and-motion/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about speed, distance-time, acceleration and motion (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Watch this clip below of a man versus a plane. Who is going to win the race? This clip can serve as an excellent platform to begin thinking about the difference
- [Standarisation of marking](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/standarisation-of-assessments/) - I recently saw some fascinating data. Students from different schools sat two identical tests, let's call these tests A and B. Test A was marked by a human and test B was marked by a computer. Performance in each test was then correlated i.e. did test A and B rank students in the same order?
- [Structuring struggle](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/structuring-struggle/) - I’ve written before about what great science teachers do - they 'just' make sense, helping all students to see that they can understand and share in the beauty of scientific explanations. I think though, great teachers do another thing; they give students the confidence to struggle with understanding these difficult concepts. With the renewed emphasis on
- [Shop](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/shop/)
- [Selective breeding teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/selective-breeding-teaching-resources/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about selective breeding (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Selective breeding can be an excellent way for students to develop their understanding of evolution as artificial selection by humans is perhaps easier to think about than natural selection in the wild. The
- [Skeletal system teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/skeletal-system-teaching-resources/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about animal skeletons and joints (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Where to start? Show students a range of animal endoskeletons and ask them to identify the animal e.g. snake, bat, bird and horse. This can then lead to a discussion about
- [Science teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/search-science-teaching-resources/) - Science teaching resources can be found using the search box below. It is best to search by topic e.g. atoms or electrolysis. You can also find ideas on curriculum, assessment, pedagogy, the science lesson and teacher education using this search tool. Alternatively, follow the links in the table below that list science teaching resources for
- [Revision for science exams](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/science-revision/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to support students aged 11 to 16 to revise for science exams (GCSE and Key Stage 3) A massive challenge for any student studying science is memorising an enormous amount of scientific content for exams. Understanding concepts definitely make them easier to remember, but this is not always enough. Revision skills must be explicitly
- [Science revision games](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/science-revision-games/) - Quizzing Blockbusters science revision game. This classic 80s game can be used to motivate students to revise. The game can provide an excellent tool to assess learning of equations, formulae and definitions. The traditional Blockbusters board has been altered to include numbers instead of letters. This allows questions to be easily changed between topics. Students or teachers can
- [Request a science teaching resource](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/request-a-science-resource/) - If you would like to request a resource to help teach a specific scientific concept, please post a message on our science teacher forum and I will be in touch.
- [Respiration teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/respiration/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about respiration, anaerobic respiration and fermentation (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? Ask students what would happen to a worm if it was placed inside a sealed jar with plenty of food and water. Try to illicit
- [Redox teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/redox/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about redox (GCSE and Key Stage 3) There are some great demonstrations that can be used to help students understand reduction and oxidation reactions. The thermite reaction is a particularly good demonstration that can be done in school. It serves as an
- [Repeatable and reproducible science teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/reproducible/) - Making your results repeatable and reproducible Practical activity for students to understand repeatability and reproducibility. Students often struggle to understand the terms 'reproducible' and 'repeatable'. A measurement is reproducible if the investigation is repeated by another person, or by using different equipment or techniques, and the same results are obtained. A measurement is repeatable if
- [Respiratory system and lung structure teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/respiratory-system/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about lungs and the respiratory system (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Relating structure to function is an important area of biology. Take time to review the meaning of the term structure and function - and not through definitions! Use common examples to help students
- [Reproduction in humans teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/reproduction-in-humans/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about human reproduction (GCSE and Key Stage 3) The fact that we are here is a miracle! Human reproduction is a fantastic topic to teach and students are always very keen to know more! Obviously this is a potentially sensitive topic
- [Revision conference](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/revision-conference/) - How to revise guide: How to revise effectively in science To download the resources from the June revision session please click on the link below. https://arkschools-my.sharepoint.com/personal/jasper_green_arkonline_org/_layouts/15/guestaccess.aspx?folderid=099c69d7eea2c405db2adf0dc04762765&authkey=AaxQfwckOA6W3E_j9pmN11s To download the resources from the April revision session please click on the link below. https://arkschools-my.sharepoint.com/personal/jasper_green_arkonline_org/_layouts/15/guestaccess.aspx?folderid=12f8cfe1171e9463dbbcdc40abb3fb319&authkey=ASb4ShC3MEc9-Xjl_A_CPvM To download the resources from the February revision session please click on the link
- [Sampling techniques and fieldwork teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/sampling-techniques/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about ecological sampling (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Biology fieldwork is equivalent to match day in football! It's a time for students to use everything they have learnt about sampling, abiotic factors, evolution and interdependence to ask and answer some interesting
- [Rates of reaction teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/rates-of-reaction/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students to think hard about rates of reaction, graphs and collision theory (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Rates of reaction is a rich topic area for practicals that students really enjoy. When teaching this for the first time, it is important to stress that a rate is the change in
- [Plant teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/plants/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about plant reproduction and photosynthesis (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Plants can get quite a bad press at school. Many science teachers did not enjoy plant science and this sometimes prevents them from using plants in lessons. But plants are cool!
- [Rates of reaction graphs](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/rates-of-reaction-graphs/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think about drawing rates of reaction graphs (GCSE and Key Stage 3) The classics are always the best! This demonstration of sodium thiosulphate reacting with hydrochloric acid is a great way to collect data to draw rates of reaction graphs. It can be
- [Question level analysis in science](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/question-level-analysis/) - Question level analysis has become popular recently when teachers review assessments. In some ways it represents the magic bullet. Find out what topics students did badly on and then focus revision and re-teaching specifically on those areas. I was so convinced it would work that I spent many hours inputting marks for individual questions into excel to
- [Pressure teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/pressure/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about pressure (GCSE and Key Stage 3) This short clip from Dragons' Den can serve as a good starting point to help students conceptualise pressure, force and area. It is a nice example of how science can be used to improve the design of
- [Questioning in science lessons](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/questioning-in-science/) - When I first trained as a science teacher there was a real focus on developing questioning skills. I remember sitting at the back of classrooms and recording the number of closed and open questions that were being asked, and to whom. Questioning was a good thing and we needed to get better at doing it.
- [Progression in science teaching](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/progression-in-science/) - Match making in science: the importance of understanding progression What is it that great science teachers do? Do they enthral students with stinks and bangs? Do they tell exciting stories of past scientific discoveries? Do they inspire curiosity through imaginative inquiry and practical work? Or do they 'just' make sense? I say 'just' but we
- [Rearranging equations in science](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/rearranging-equations-in-science/) - It's fair to say I don't find maths easy. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate the beauty of this subject because I do - I still remember discovering that π is the ratio of the circumference of any circle to the diameter, and not just a random number. I just don't fully understand it yet.
- [Reactivity of metals teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/reactivity-of-metals/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about reactivity of metals (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Where to start? Ask students to list as many different metals in the classroom as they can see. Then pose the question, why do we wear jewellery made from silver and gold
- [Polymers teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/polymers-teaching-resources/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students to think hard about addition and condensation polymers (GCSE and Key Stage 3) We are essentially walking, talking polymers. Our skin, brain and muscles are made from proteins (or polypeptides), and our energy stores are made from polysaccharides. We wear various polymers in the form of nylon, cotton
- [Powerful ideas of science](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/big-and-powerful-ideas-of-science/) - Purchase at Amazon UK Purchase at Amazon US Purchase at Amazon Australia Purchase at Amazon India What’s the point of an education in science? Over the years there have been no shortage of aims for science education. From creating future scientists, through to creating consumers of science and everything in between (Osborne, 2007). Who then
- [Periodic table and reactivity teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/periodic-table/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students to think about the periodic table, halogens and reactivity (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Students really enjoy learning about the periodic table. Understanding how the elements are arranged and being able to explain trends down groups and across periods is incredibly satisfying and allows students to apply their
- [Particles teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/particles/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students to think about particles, states of matter, solutions and separating techniques (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Can you boil water without heating it? The video below uses a vacuum to boil water. Students experience a 'cognitive conflict' and must reconsider their ideas of boiling. This can be a useful
- [Organic chemistry teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/organic/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students to think hard about crude oil, alkanes and alkenes (GCSE and Key Stage 3) The chemistry of carbon compounds is an exciting one. Why is it that organisms on earth have evolved to be primarily carbon based? What other elements could life-forms have utilised? Organic chemistry provides a great
- [Organ systems teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/organ-systems/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about organs (GCSE and Key Stage 3) How many organs and bones from the skeleton can your students name when looking at this MRI scan of a human? Does it show a male or a female? How old are they? This would
- [Physics revision](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/physics-revision/) - Edexcel Certificate/IGCSE Physics questions from the specification. Each specification point has been turned into a question to support students as they prepare for exams. If students are able to answer the questions, they can be sure they have covered and understood the full breadth of the specification. This resource was contributed by Terry Baylis. (PDF) Science
- [Oracy for science](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/oracy-for-science/) - There is a fantastic quote from James Britton, who said: "Reading and writing float on a sea of talk". If students are to develop scientific literacy, they need the opportunity to first speak and listen to each other. Dialogic teaching, as developed by Robin Alexander, harnesses the power of talk to stimulate and extend students’ thinking. Here,
- [Peer assessment in science](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/peer-assessment-in-science/) - Peer assessment is much more than students marking books. It can be a very powerful way to bring about learning, although the set-up needs careful consideration to be effective. One of the key advantages of peer assessment is that it focuses student attention on what is actually important. You can see this in action when
- [Natural selection teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/natural-selection/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about evolution by natural selection (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Where to start? Start with a box of celebrations. Ask students to take out one sweet of their choice. Once everyone has taken a sweet show students which chocolates are left.
- [Particle pictures: solids, liquids and gases](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/particle-pictures/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about solids, liquids and gases (GCSE and Key Stage 3) The particle model of matter can be a controversial topic in science education. Many teachers believe it introduces misconceptions that we spend time unpicking later on. However, it's important to be explicit
- [Osmosis teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/osmosis/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about osmosis and osmoregulation (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? GCSE thought experiment about osmosis. Use this thinking task to get students to engage with the process of osmosis. This could be used at the start of
- [Planning for reteaching](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/reteach/) - It's a startling statistic that in 38% of well-designed studies, Kluger and DeNisi found that feedback actually made performance worse. This is a warning to all teachers - feedback is hard and complex. One reason written feedback is so challenging is because teachers don't have enough time to provide the necessary detail that students need
- [Nuclear fission teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/nuclear-fission/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about nuclear fission (GCSE and Key Stage 3) The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima provides a powerful context to study nuclear fission and explore the impact science can have on human lives. This is important because it gives the
- [Onion enquiry](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/onion-enquiry/) - This page is dedicated to understanding what happens when an onion begins to grow leaves and photosynthesise. It could be used to explore students' understanding of cells, respiration, photosynthesis and transpiration and how these important processes work together. Or, it could be used to explore how scientists gather data to generate knowledge about the natural
- [Microorganisms and infection teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/microorganisms-and-infection/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students to think about microorganisms and vaccines (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Microbes are everywhere. They represent an ideal platform to teach students about scale and are fantastic organisms to work with in the lab. Use deep questioning to challenge the misconception that bacteria are "simple". This group of
- [Metallic bonding teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/metallic-bonding/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about metallic bonding and structure and alloys (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Students must grasp a number of abstract concepts if they are to understand metallic bonding and metallic structure. They must construct images in their minds of cations, layers, delocalised electrons
- [Matter and radioactivity teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/matter/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about matter and radioactivity (GCSE and Key Stage 3) This video from Top Gear is a great hook to get students thinking about the effects of radioactivity, half-life and its impact on local areas. Before students watch the video ask them to
- [Movement across membranes teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/movement-across-membranes/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about active transport, osmosis and diffusion (GCSE and Key Stage 3) How do substances such as glucose, carbon dioxide and water get into cells? Cell transport is a fantastic area of biology that links together lots of different concepts, requiring synoptic
- [Microorganisms and scale teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/scale/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about scale when using the microscope (GCSE and Key Stage 3) One of the main reasons bacteria are so successful is because they are small. This allows them to exist in a huge number of different habitats that would be unavailable
- [MRS GREN and the characteristics of life](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/mrs-gren/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about the seven life processes (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? This entertaining video of Robin Williams trying to find out whether his shoe is living or non-living could be used as a starting point to consider what
- [Models in science education](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/models-in-science/) - So much of what we deal with in science cannot be seen and so models are a powerful tool in the science classroom that help us represent, describe, explain and reason about the material world. Models slow students' thinking down and encourages them to think deeply and imaginatively about scientific ideas. Asking students to create models helps make their
- [Moments and machines teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/moments/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about moments (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Moments are an exciting area of Physics. They provide students with an understanding of every day experiences such as see-saws, using spanners, cranes and opening doors. It is best to refer to moments as clockwise
- [Maths in science](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/numeracy-for-science/) - How long is a worm? How could you find out? How many worms would you have to measure before you are sure you know? This simple question can provoke a great deal of thinking. Worms make a great context to investigate mathematical skills in science as students love finding and measuring worms! For those who
- [My account](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/my-account/) - [woocommerce_my_account]
- [MBM Tax Grid Page. Do NOT remove this page or edit it except to change template.](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/mbm-tax-grid-page-do-not-remove-this-page-or-edit-it-except-to-change-template/) - [mbdb_tax_grid]
- [Ionic bonding teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/ionic-bonding/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about ions and ionic bonding (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Where to start? Where to begin when teaching ionic bonding? Do you start with the reaction of sodium with chlorine? Or do you start with the ionic lattice and then move
- [Intermolecular forces teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/intermolecular-forces/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about intermolecular forces and simple molecules (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Forces between molecules?! This can be a very abstract and difficult concept for students (and teachers) to master. This incredible video of water molecules in a low-gravity environment poses lots of questions.
- [Literacy for science education](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/literacy-for-science/) - Teaching literacy is not always explicitly done in science. However, if students are to understand and take part in science, they need to make sense of a variety of words, both scientific and non-scientific. In this way, good literacy is as important to a student's science education as an understanding of evolution or atomic structure. If students
- [Marking and written feedback in science](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/written-feedback-in-science/) - Feedback sits at the top of Professor John Hattie's table of effect sizes on education performance. Written feedback is an important part of the overall feedback machine and gives teachers a unique opportunity for a 1-1 with students, allowing feedback to take place in both directions. That's not to say though that all feedback is
- [Light teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/light/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think about light, reflection, refraction and the human eye (GCSE and Key Stage 3) I love teaching about light. Students will come to your lesson with lots of prior knowledge about light, dark and colours. Think shadows, rainbows and blue skies. This video
- [Managing whole-class practical work](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/managing-practical-work/) - Practical work is fundamental in science. It serves as the link between the real world and scientific ideas. Successful whole-class practical work is hard. It requires students to know what they are doing and to have the necessary knowledge and skills to be successful. Whole-class practical work can go wrong if students are cognitively overwhelmed.
- [Magnetism teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/magnetism/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about magnetism (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Like any topic in science, when we teach about magnetism and electromagnetism, we need to think about progression of ideas. Start with exploring magnetic and non-magnetic elements. Then this simple demonstration involving a paper clip
- [Internal energy teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/internal-energy/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think about internal energy (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Internal energy: kinetic and potential energy stores GCSE worksheet on internal energy. This activity has been designed as an introduction to the concept of internal energy. Students should already have a sound understanding of the particle
- [Journal](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/journal/) - Below are some articles I have written because something mattered to me. It may or may not matter to you, but that's OK. Ten years of the science teacher - some reflections
- [Job Dashboard](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/job-dashboard/) - [job_dashboard]
- [Kidneys and osmoregulation teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/kidneys-and-osmoregulation/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about kidneys and osmoregulation (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? Start by getting students to identify the location of their kidneys. They are a pair of bean-shaped organs on either side of your spine, below your ribs and behind your belly. Take a kidney
- [Graph drawing teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/graph-drawing-in-science/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about drawing and describing graphs in science (GCSE and Key Stage 3) You can help students advance their graphing skills by using split screen objectives and focusing on developing discrete skills, one by one. Peer assessment can be a useful strategy to use
- [Genes and inheritance teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/genes-and-inheritance/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about genes and inheritance (GCSE and Key Stage 3) If there is one thing that blows my mind it is the fact that there is one universal genetic code. You can take a gene from a human, put it into a bacterium
- [Forces teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/forces/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about forces (GCSE and Key Stage 3) The video below provides a great starting point to introduce forces. We find these clips awesome because they show humans overcoming and using many of the forces that keep the majority of us firmly on
- [Halogens (Group VII) teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/halogens/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about halogens and displacement (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Halogens GCSE activity about the use of chlorine on the battlefield. Students read Dulce et Decorum Est a poem by Wilfred Owen describing the use of chlorine on the battlefield. The poem
- [Fungi teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/fungi/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about fungi (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Fungi are an incredibly exciting group of organisms that don't always get the recognition they deserve. The largest organism on earth is a fungus: a specific honey fungus that measures 2.4 miles (3.8 km)
- [Habitats teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/habitats/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about habitats, the environment and adaptations (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Where to start? Spend time exploring different habitats and organisms. Ask students to watch the video below - it has some wonderful stirring music too. How many habitats can you
- [Heart and circulatory system teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/heart-and-circulatory-system/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about the heart, blood and the circulatory system (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? I think it is helpful to begin with the components and function of blood - the stuff that you are transporting. Get a jug
- [Heating and cooling teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/heating-and-cooling/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about heat transfer (GCSE and Key Stage 3) This is one of my favourite demonstrations and is a fantastic use of cognitive conflict to get students to reconsider their own ideas about hot and cold surfaces, temperature, conduction, energy transfer and insulation. Make sure students
- [Group 1 alkali metals teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/group-1-alkali-metals/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about the chemical and physical properties of group 1 alkali metals (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Group 1 alkali metal demonstrations are hard to do well but are hugely engaging and provide an excellent hook to begin thinking about reactivity and physical
- [Floating and sinking teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/floating-and-sinking/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about floating, sinking and upthrust (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Heavy objects sink, light objects float - right? You can have lots of fun teaching students about why objects float and the opportunity to address many of their prior conceptions. This demonstration
- [Infection and response teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/infection-and-response/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about pathogens, disease, infection and response (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Modelling the spread of an infection in the classroom GCSE and Key Stage 3 activity to model the spread of an infection. This is a great activity first shown to
- [Homeostasis teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/homeostasis/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about homeostasis (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Homeostasis is all about trying to keep internal conditions in the body constant. Students will be familiar with thermostats and heating systems and so this can be a great place to start. The concepts of negative and
- [Friction science teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/friction/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about friction (GCSE and Key Stage 3) This demonstration below is a great way to introduce the concept of friction and surface area. Friction is the force that opposes motion between any surfaces that are in contact. There are different types
- [Food tests teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/food-tests/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about food tests (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? Use a magnet to extract iron metal from a packet of iron fortified cereals. This provides an introduction to the idea that food is composed of different substances
- [Filtration and crystallisation teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/filtration-and-crystallisation/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about filtration and crystallisation (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? Ask students to label a set-up showing apparatus for filtration but purposely omit filter paper. Ask students to spot the error. Then add filter paper and ask
- [Gas pressure teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/gas-pressure/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about gas pressure and particles (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? Help students to understand that gas pressure is caused by air particles colliding with the surface of an object and exerting a force. You can do
- [Enthalpy (energy changes) teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/enthalpy/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about exothermic and endothermic reactions, energy changes/energetics and reaction profiles (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Enthalpy changes are an incredibly exciting area of practical chemistry that students really enjoy. It can be a challenging topic to teach as students often struggle
- [Equilibria teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/equilibria/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about equilibrium, reversible reactions and the Haber process (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Many students struggle with the concept of dynamic equilibrium, incorrectly assuming that equilibrium refers to a “balance” between reactants and products. The resources below strive to encourage students to understand
- [Evolution teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/evolution/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about evolution and adaptation (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Evolution by natural selection is a fantastically exciting topic area. It offers enormous opportunities to think, debate and reconsider current thinking. Students will enter your classroom with a range of different experiences
- [Electrolysis teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/electrolysis/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about electrolysis or molten compounds and electrolysis of aqueous compounds (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Overview: electrolysis is the splitting apart of an ionic compound into its elements using an electric current. Before we can start , the ions must be able
- [Ecology and interdependence teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/ecology/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about ecology, interdependence and food chains (GCSE and Key Stage 3) This clip from the Lion King can provide an excellent platform to introduce the concepts of food chains and nutrient cycling. Remember that to understand ecology students need to make
- [Enzymes teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/enzymes/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about enzymes (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? The decomposition of hydrogen peroxide is a great place to begin thinking about enzymes. The decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen will happen spontaneously, but the addition
- [Elements, mixtures and compounds teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/elements-and-compounds/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about elements and compounds (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? Start by bringing elements to life. Place various elements around the classroom e.g. iron, helium, silver and graphite. Ask students to record their appearance and state of matter.
- [Evidence for evolution teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/evidence-for-evolution/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about the evidence for evolution (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Sometimes students struggle to understand how a mutation could possibly bring about variation. This video shows some unusual animal mutations that have a large effect on the organism. You could use
- [Ecological terms teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/ecological-terms/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about ecological definitions (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Where to start? This ecosystem in a bottle is a useful framework to begin thinking about ecosystems. Key ecological terms - using the Frayer model Teaching ecological terms using the Frayer model. This activity
- [Energy teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/energy/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about energy and power (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources The video below is a great introduction to energy stores and transfers. Where to start? The word energy does not appear anywhere in the primary programme of study for
- [Extraction of metals teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/extraction-of-metals/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about the extraction of metals (GCSE and Key Stage 3) During the extraction of aluminium the dust from the bauxite mines causes breathing difficulties but the mines bring employment. We can enjoy smartly wrapped chocolate eggs but will need to destroy areas of natural
- [Electromagnets and electromagnetism teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/electromagnets-3/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about electromagnetism (GCSE and Key Stage 3) There isn't a lesson I love more than challenging students to figure how how a bell works! It's a beautiful problem to solve where students have to use their knowledge of circuits, magnets and electromagnets. Here is
- [Electromagnetic waves teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/electromagnetic-waves/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think about the electromagnetic spectrum (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Electromagnetic radiation is a really great topic to teach. It's important that students realise that EM waves are simply characterised according to their wavelength. Because all waves travel at the same speed (3.00
- [Errors are not misconceptions](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/errors-are-not-misconceptions/) - Is there a difference between an error and a misconception in science? Misconceptions Misconceptions tend to be based on naive ideas from everyday experiences. For example, many students believe in the concept of coldness, probably because they were asked to 'close the door to keep the cold out' and experienced cold hands after a snow
- [Earth and space teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/earth-and-space/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about Earth and space, phases of the Moon and day and night (GCSE and Key Stage 3) All students will be amazed by this video of life inside the International Space Station. It serves as an excellent introduction to forces and space, motivating
- [Demonstrations in science teaching](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/demonstrations-in-science/) - I love a good science demo but they can be a challenge! You have to manage behaviour, keep students safe, manipulate apparatus and at the same time give a clear, seamless commentary. But demonstrations have the power to engage and capture students' curiosity unlike anything else, and they are unique to science lessons so that makes them
- [Direct instruction in science lessons](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/direct-instruction/) - When I first wrote this page it started like this: "Direct instruction involves the teacher passing knowledge directly to the students." But can a teacher really pass knowledge directly to their students like they might transfer information from one computer to another? Imagine, for example, that you wanted your students to know what your house
- [Deep learning in science and making meaning](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/deep-learning-in-science/) - Students can approach any task from either a learning approach focused on understanding the material, or a learning approach focused on reproducing it. These two learning approaches were termed deep learning and surface learning respectively (Marton and Saljo, 1976). The University of Oxford have published an excellent essay summarising these two approaches to learning. I
- [Digestive system teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/digestive-system/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about digestion, the digestive system and balanced diets (GCSE and Key Stage 3) This is a great demonstration to help students conceptualise the different processes that occur within the digestive system. Use this opportunity to review the differences between physical and chemical changes as
- [Density teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/density-teaching-resources/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about density (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Still to this day I struggle to explain why a ferry floats but a penny sinks! I think for children floating and sinking pose similar challenges. Is a needle on the surface of water floating?
- [Diagnostic science teaching](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/diagnostic-science-teaching/) - When I started the science teacher website I was passionate about sharing resources that challenged students to think in the classroom. I have since become a bit more refined in my thinking about what challenge is and when we should use it. I am now pretty convinced for all the reasons described by cognitive science that if I
- [Earth and atmosphere teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/earth-and-atmosphere/)
- [Difficulties with practical work - action steps](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/difficulties-with-practical-work/) - I hope this trouble shooting guide will help your practical lessons go with the right bang! Click here for further information on practical work in science lessons. Students don't know why we are doing the practical but I've explained it so many times! This is hard, but such an important feature of good practical work -
- [Drug discovery teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/drug-discovery/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students to think about drug discovery (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Watch the video below about the accident that changed the world - the discovery of penicillin. Discovery of penicillin - did Fleming just get lucky? GCSE worksheet on the discovery of penicillin. Students work through the activity about the
- [Diffusion teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/diffusion/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about diffusion (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? Start the lesson by frying some food at the front of the class. This should definitely stimulate some interest and get students thinking about particles mixing, and moving randomly from
- [Earth teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/earth-teaching-resources/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about the structure of the Earth, rocks, global warming and the changing atmosphere (GCSE and Key Stage 3) The structure of the Earth A great 'Hook' to get students to start thinking about the structure of the Earth is the Kola Superdeep Borehole in
- [Distillation teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/distillation/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about distillation (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Where to start? It may help students if distillation is introduced without the complex lab apparatus first. The video below is an example of such a set-up. Once students understand this idea, you can
- [Contact the science teacher](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/contact/) - Please use the contact form below to get in touch or to provide feedback on any of the teaching resources.
- [Cognitive development in science: novices and experts](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/cognitive-development-in-science/) - Do all students think about the world in the same way? The video below shows how cognitive ability can vary with age according to the Piagetian stage theory of cognitive development proposed back in the 1950s. Piaget proposed that these cognitive stages followed some biologically inevitable course of development that was predictable by age. Today, however, it
- [Concentration and titrations teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/titrations/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about titration calculations, standard solutions and molarity (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Show students what a mol dm-3 solution of NaCl actually is. Make it up in front of their eyes and all will become clear. Relate the quantities to the units:
- [Collision theory teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/collision-theory/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think about collision theory (GCSE and Key Stage 3) The video below from Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro provides an engaging way to introduce the concepts met when teaching collision theory. Play the song from 1.00 min and ask students what the link is between
- [Dangers of (starting with) definitions - how to teach vocabulary](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/definitions-in-science-teaching/) - We know that learning vocabulary is critical in helping students to read and understand science. It therefore makes perfect sense that if we want to teach our students about osmosis,then we should start with defining important vocabulary. We should start with a definition. Teacher: "Good morning class, today we are going to learn about osmosis. Please
- [Combustion teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/combustion-teaching-resources/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about combustion (GCSE and Key Stage 3) I love teaching combustion as it brings lots of ideas together - chemical equations, conservation of mass, chemical tests and energy changes. I'm not sure whether there is any better way to introduce combustion than
- [Chromatography teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/chromatography/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about chromatography (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Chromatography is a really useful tool to separate out a mixture containing many dissolved solids (solutes). To really understand chromatography students must understand the concepts of solute, solvent, solution and solubility. The reason substances
- [Coherence in the curriculum](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/coherence-in-the-curriculum/) - I recently had the pleasure of attending a summit on textbooks. I know, not the most glamorous of topics but actually incredibly important and the day got me thinking about lots of things, not just about textbooks but about the concept of coherence. Over the past two years there has been a huge amount of
- [Decomposition teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/decomposition-teaching-resources/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about acids, alkalis and salts (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Thermal decomposition is a great context for students to learn about chemical changes and to practice writing chemical equations. Where to start? Ask students what happens to bread when they leave
- [Confusion](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/confusion/) - Download the PowerPoint below and work through some different types of challenge. After each challenge, there is a slide that provides the answer. Whilst you are doing the challenges reflect on the intensity of the confusion, and for how long you remained confused. Challenges PowerPoint containing challenges.
- [Cells teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/cells/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about cells (GCSE and Key Stage 3) It is always fascinating to watch a Year 7 class observe their own cheek epithelial cells under the microscope. This is the first time that many students will have seen their own cells -
- [Challenge in science lessons](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/challenge/) - Is there any evidence that challenge leads to better learning in science? Well, I suppose it depends on what we mean by challenge. Challenge does not simply mean difficult. Challenge refers to a moderate level of difficulty that allows students to experience a sense of mastery and competence when they succeed. Challenging students motivates them. It makes assessment of
- [Chemistry revision](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/chemistry-revision/) - The chemistry audit Chemistry audit on reactions of acids, atomic structure, bonding and formulae. This activity assesses student understanding of core concepts in chemistry. This is a very useful diagnostic assessment to give to Year 12 students before they embark on A Level Chemistry. (PDF) Using the specification to support revision A fantastic revision resource
- [Chemical solutions and dissolving teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/solutions/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about solutions and dissolving (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? Start by dissolving salt in a large beaker of water - for dramatic effect the bigger the better! Pose the question 'where has the salt gone?'. Ask
- [Cell division teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/cell-division/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about mitosis and meiosis (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? Ask students to watch this excellent video showing a fertilised human egg undergoing its first few mitotic divisions. Then show a human karyotype and ask why chromosomes
- [Cell structure teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/cell-structure/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about plant and animal cells including specialised cells (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? Look at your own cells under a microscope (see below). Observing cells Take some epithelial cells from your cheek and show these to the
- [Catalysts and activation energy](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/catalysts-and-activation-energy/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think about catalysts and activation energy (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Students are used to recalling the definition of a catalyst: "A substance that lowers the activation energy for a reaction by providing an alternative route with a lower activation energy". But do they
- [Chemical reactivity teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/reactivity/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about chemical reactivity and chemical change (GCSE and Key Stage 3) I was sent this epic video showing a chemical party and just had to share it. It includes lots of nice ideas that you could modify and use in your classroom,
- [Carbon cycle teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/carbon-cycle/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about the carbon cycle (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? The dehydration of sucrose is a good demonstration to help students appreciate that plant sugars are made from carbon atoms. This can lead on to a discussion about
- [Check for understanding for responsive teaching in science](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/check-for-understanding-in-science/) - John Hattie speaks brilliantly about the importance of "knowing thy impact" and how feedback should work two ways; from teacher to student and from student to teacher. For us to know our impact, we must constantly get feedback from our students as to whether learning has or hasn't happened so that we can respond appropriately. But,
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- [Building a curriculum towards big ideas](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/big-ideas-in-the-curriculum/) - This post is part of the “Curriculum in Science” symposium curated by Adam Boxer (@adamboxer1). Read Adam’s introduction here. Ruth's post on "The Language of Curriculum" is here. e=mc2andallthat writes about misconceptions in the curriculum here. Science education – for who and for what? I couldn't decide. Should I have the rabies vaccine or not? With any vaccine there's
- [Atomic structure teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/atomicstructure/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about atomic structure and isotopes (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources https://youtube.com/shorts/Q3DK1eeUGF0?feature=shared Where to start? Challenge students to tear a piece of paper into the smallest size possible. Then pose the question, 'can this piece of paper be broken down
- [Bonding teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/bonding/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about ionic, covalent and metallic bonding (GCSE and Key Stage 3) It is amazing how chemistry can create so many substances and materials when everything is essentially made from the same basic elements. Take diamond and coal. One is worth thousands, while the
- [Biology revision](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/biology-revision/) - A fantastic revision resource by Jill White turns the Edexcel IGCSE Biology Specification into a series of questions. Students can use this resource to plan their revision. They can see if they have revised effectively by answering the specification points that are now questions. (PDF) Science revision games Biology revision resources Chemistry revision resources Physics revision resources
- [Bioinformatics teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/bioinformatics/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to use bioinformatics in the classroom (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Bioinformatics is the process of using computers to organise, collect, analyse and understand biological data. The subject unites computers and biologists, and has huge potential in the science classroom as the majority of
- [Biochemistry teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/biochemistry/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about enzymes, respiration and photosynthesis(bioenergetics) (GCSE and Key Stage 3) I will never forget when a teacher first showed me that respiration was photosynthesis in reverse. I had always considered photosynthesis to be the plant's equivalent of respiration and I was
- [Balancing and writing chemical equations teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/balancing-chemical-equations/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about balancing equations, conservation of mass, writing chemical equations and formula. (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? A great starting point is to ask students what they think will happen to the mass of iron wool when
- [Bacteria teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/bacteria/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about bacteria (GCSE and Key Stage 3) You are composed of more bacterial cells than human cells. Your energy-producing organelles were once free-living bacteria. There are more bacteria in one gram of soil than people on earth. Yet we can grow less
- [Books for science teachers](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/science-teachers-library/) - The books below have played an invaluable role in shaping my thinking about science education and education in general. I hope they are useful to you too, whether you are a beginning science teacher doing a PGCE, PGDE or NQT, or are just looking to develop your practice. Powerful ideas of science and how to
- [Big ideas of science education](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/big-ideas/) - Sometimes, as we jump from topic to topic it can be easy for students to see science as a series of endless disconnected facts. Each fact on their own is interesting, but together they represent an overwhelming barrage of information that needs to be learned. The teacher, in contrast to the student, has managed to
- [Board work is not boring](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/board-work-in-science/) - I am a big fan of the white board and I’m not talking about the interactive kind or the A4 fridge magnet! I’m talking about this. Having read Daniel Willingham's book - Why Don't Students like School - I'm now starting to understand a little more about why it works. Before I attempt to bestow the virtues of board
- [Amounts of substance teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/moles/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students to think about mole calculations, titrations and equations (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Students must master the mole and other quantitative aspects if they are to excel in chemistry and fall in love with this fascinating subject. The quantitative nature of chemistry can be scary for many students and
- [Acids, alkalis and salts teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/acids-and-alkalis/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about acids, alkalis and salts (GCSE and Key Stage 3) For many students the acids and alkalis topic marks the beginning of their chemistry course. It is here that they find out that similar substances can be grouped together based on
- [Assessment in science education](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/assessment/) - Assessment in science can take many forms but broadly involves assessment for learning (summative), assessment of learning (formative) and assessment as learning. The importance of assessment for learning was highlighted in 1998 by Black & Wiliam's review that showed students learn better when formative strategies are used. Assessment in science lessons can sometimes resemble a
- [Assessing scientific skills](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/assessing-scientific-skills/) - Assessment maps for tracking scientific skills for Years 7 to 9. These can be used by students and teachers to track progress of being able to carry out some specific scientific skills. Lessons can be planned to develop specific skills and assessment maps used to record students' progress towards mastering them. The codes link to the
- [Air resistance and drawing free body diagrams](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/air-resistance/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about air resistance and free body diagrams (GCSE and Key Stage 3) A feather and a bowling ball are dropped at the same time. Which hits the ground first? This question requires really profound thinking, and challenges students' prior conceptions. Intuitively
- [Active transport teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/active-transport/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about active transport (GCSE and Key Stage 3) Teaching resources Where to start? Introduce the problem of a sad, lonely plant that has been left on the window ledge in a pot. The concentration of magnesium ions in the soil is
- [Accuracy and precision teaching resources](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/accuracy-and-precision/) - Worksheets and ideas to get students thinking about accuracy and prevision in science (GCSE and Key Stage 3) I used to get very confused over the terms accurate and precise. Accurate results are results that are close to the true value. In science we rarely know what the true value is so this can be
- [Apparatus and techniques in science](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/apparatus-and-techniques-in-science/) - Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students to think hard about apparatus and techniques in science (GCSE and Key Stage 3) It's amazing how far students can get in their science education without knowing the names of common lap apparatus such as spatula, tripod or conical flask. This can cause problems though because it can
- [Assessment design](https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/assessment-design/) - Driving the right behaviours: 10 principles of assessment design Whether we like it or not, assessment drives behaviours. And this is true for both schools and life. Now that's not a problem, as long as the assessment drives the ‘right’ behaviours. Here we’re looking at how to design interim assessments for subjects assessed using a difficulty

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