Secondary Science Education resources and links - teacher.ScienceVT.co.uk

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This page includes a range of resources, some prepared by myself, that should prove useful for teachers of science.

> Full class register, mark recording, test monitoring and report assisting Excel Workbook

 An Excel workbook designed to allow all common aspects of record-keeping for a particular teaching group to be carried out.  The workbook itself contains notes about its use, however please note that this was created for my own personal use so all the sections, recording areas and so on may not be appropriate for your own use.  You need to have one copy of the Workbook per teaching class, and I recommend keeping blank, spare copies as well as making frequent back-ups.

Right click here and select "Save Target As..."

> Circle Card Game (Excel Workbook)

 This is a simple Excel spreadsheet I designed that helps to create a card game to use in classes.  The teacher enters a set of up to 36 questions and answers into the spreadsheet.  These are automatically converted into a set of “cards” which need to be printed, laminated and cut out.

 The card game is a whole-class activity.  Each card features an Answer and a Question, but they do not match.  The teacher hands these out, one each (differentiate by handing higher-achieving pupils two or more cards).  A pupil is elected to start off – they read out their question.  The pupils then look at their cards and the one with the correct answer on their card calls it out.  The teacher confirms the answer is correct, and then that same pupil reads out their question.  So the game continues with pupils answering a question and then asking one themselves, until eventually the person who started off the game has to give the answer that is printed on their card.

 This is useful for many reasons:  It can be used as a starter to a new topic, particularly to formatively assess whole-class knowledge and understanding to inform the teaching of that topic.  It is useful as a lesson starter to refresh work from a previous lesson/lessons.  The cards are great for revision at the end of a topic/when preparing for exams, or as a plenary to a lesson.  They can also be used with the pupils in teams playing against one another to locate the correct answer as quickly as possible.

Right click here and select "Save Target As..."

> Hot Potatoes Software

This software, in short, creates online quizzes, tests and crosswords in a variety of styles.  It is brilliant and I have included an example of a crossword produced using this program here.

Click here to visit the Half-baked Software site

> Bingo Card Generator

 This was not designed by me but it allows the teacher to enter twenty different words or symbols.  These are then converted into a set of 30+ bingo cards, each one is different and each features 12 of the words.  These can be copied and pasted into a word-processor (e.g. Word) and printed.  The best way to use these is to think of 20 questions relating to a topic, enter the short answers onto the card, and then instead of playing dumb-bingo (just calling out the words), call out the questions and pupils must then work out the answer, then see if it is on their cards, then cover it up.  Prizes will be needed for lines, full house etc.

Click here to visit the online Bingo Card Generator

> Word-search template sheet

 This is just a word document that has a grid drawn on it.  This can be used as a printed template on which pupils can design their own word-search.  These are useful for literacy work in science and can of course be used for a number of purposes, such as revision of key words for a topic.  Pupils can swap word-searches and attempt those that each other have created, the best ones can be displayed or a selection can be reprinted for use with another class.

Right click here and select "Save Target As..."

> Coursework Guidance Sheet

 Here is a simple Word document I designed to explain to pupils at KS4 what they should include in their coursework.  Of course it requires explanation from the teacher but the pupils find it useful to have a reference that they can use to guide them, particularly when writing up their work on their own.

Right click here and select "Save Target As..."

> Big Atom Sheet

 Another simple sheet, this is a big A4-sized atom featuring a nucleus and empty electron energy levels (shells).  Designed to be printed and laminated, pupils can write on the laminated copies using a whiteboard (non-permanent) marker to show the electronic structure of any give atom or ion.  Very useful for quick, short, sharp question and answer sessions, particularly for GCSE revision.

Right click here and select "Save Target As..."

> Big pH scale

 A good tool for teaching acids and alkalis, this is a large (about 1 metre) wide pH scale designed in Microsoft Publisher 2000.  It prints onto 3 A4 sheets which must be attached together to produce the full banner.  The fantastic technicians here somehow managed to laminate mine together, if you have the skill that is definitely recommended.

All original content © 2002-2006 Mr Chittenden, St. Edmund's Catholic School, Dover, Kent, UK.