Tests for cations and anions

I recently created a set of matching cards for a student who was struggling with answering exam questions on tests for anions and cations (click here to download). I´m also going to use them during revision lessons with GCSE students.

I wish you great lessons!

Karolina


Where can you use this resource?

Source: Cambridge iGCSE Combined Science Specification, p. 31

Source: Edexcel iGCSE Chemistry (9-1) Specification, p.20

Source: OCR GCSE (9-1) Gateway Science Chemistry A Specification, page 36

Source: Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Chemistry Specification, p.36

DNA Model

Are you looking for a New Year project to do with your students? A few years ago a colleague emailed me an article showing how to model the DNA double helix using bottles and cans (click here). It took me a few weeks to get the materials but it was totally worth it. The students participating in the project had a lot of fun and at the end were DNA experts.

I wish you great lessons!

Karolina

Electrolysis

I really like to teach my students how to use less reagents (click here to see my precipitation reactions worksheet). Microscale chemistry offers a great way to do so. While doing Teaching Practical Science: Chemistry course from the National STEM Learning Centre, I learnt an easy way to conduct electrolysis using less reagents. The set-up includes using a Petri dish:

Petri dish contains sodium chloride solution and universal indicator

Once the electricity is flowing through the circuit, the changes are easy to observe almost immediately:

The same set-up can be used to conduct electrolysis of copper (II) sulfate solution:

An alternative to the graphite electrodes are ordinary pencils sharpened at both ends. 

Click here to get the worksheet for this experiment.

I wish you great lessons!

Karolina

Let YouTube help you teach Science #9

Today I would like to recommend an outstanding YouTube channel called Freesciencelessons. It features a fantastic selection of videos linked directly to the exam papers. Here´s an example of one of their videos:

The channel offers a number of playlists for all sciences. The videos are short and use easy to understand language and good visuals.

I wish you great lessons!

Karolina

Royal Society of Chemistry - Periodic Table

It goes without saying that the periodic table is one of the most recognizable tools used by scientists. Every science student is going to use it in their lessons. A great tool that can be used across all ages is the Periodic Table from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

This versatile tool is available on the website as well as an app. It´s engaging and interactive and contains many useful features: data trends across the periodic table (electronegativity, density, melting point etc.), history, podcasts and many more. Most importantly, it´s easy to use so all students will be able to access it.

I wish you great lessons!

Karolina   

Let YouTube help you teach Science #8

In today´s installment of my Monday series, I´d like to recommend a video you could use in your physics lessons. The video is a great resource to introduce the topic of radioactivity as it offers a lot of context. It is also useful at the end of the unit to sum up covered points. To engage the students further, you could ask them to research each location mentioned and find out which radioactive isotope are relevant to each place.

Which topic/s could you use this video with?
- Edexcel - topic 6 Radioactivity
- AQA - 4.4.1 Atoms and isotopes
- OCR - Topic P6: Radioactivity
- Edexcel iGCSE - topic 7 Radioactivity and particles
- Cambridge iGCSE - iopic 5.2 Radioactivity

Key words: background radiation, ionizing radiation, radioactivity, sieverts

I wish you great lessons!

Karolina