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Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Sciences Term 3 detailed summer planning document
This planning document summarises the lesson ideas and resources contained in the third term of the Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Year 9
Teaching and Learning Support that will form part of ActiveLearn Digital Service.
The document also details the practical activities in the free support and the equipment needed to run them. Core practicals are in italics.
Each lesson in ActiveLearn Digital Service will be supported by:
1 x detailed lesson plan
1 x powerpoint with learning outcomes
1 x knowledge retention quick fire quiz
1 x practical worksheet with student instructions
1 x student book spread (sample booklets will be printed)
1 x digital resource (video, animation, interactive)
Checkpoint teaching and learning support (3 x worksheets, 1 x powerpoint)
2 x differentiated homework worksheets
1 x set of answers
1 x online homework for students
In addition there will be short End of Term summative tests.
To subscribe to ActiveLearn Digital Service please click here.
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Biology
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
CB4a Evidence
for Human
Evolution
B4.4
Describe the evidence for
Human evolution, based on
fossils, including:
a
Ardi from 4.4 million
years ago
b
Lucy from 3.2 million
years ago
c
Leakey’s discovery of
fossils from 1.6 million years
ago.
1) Ask students to think
about how humans or
other animals might
evolve in the future.
They could draw a
labelled picture to show
how humans might
change and give a reason
why they might evolve in
that way.
Challenge students to find out
more about human evolution.
B4.5
Describe the evidence for
Human evolution based on
stone tools, including:
a
the development of
stone tools over time
b
how these can be
dated
from their environment.
2) Ask students to jot
down what evidence we
have for identifying how
our ancestors lived in the
following periods: 100
years ago, 1000 years
ago and 100 000 years
ago. Take examples of
each and consider the
reliability of the different
kinds of evidence.
Establish the idea that
this leads to an
incomplete record that
scientists are still trying
to fill in.
Ensure that students
understand that the
huge timescales
involved in human
evolution mean that the
fossil record is full of
gaps. It is for this
reason that scientists
cannot agree on an
evolutionary tree for
human evolution and
various educated
guesses need to be
made to fill in the gaps.
Genetic analysis is
helping with the
research but due to the
degradation of DNA with
time this is not a
complete answer to the
problems of piecing
together human
evolution.
CB4b Darwin’s
theory
B4.2
Explain Darwin’s theory of
evolution by natural
1) Ask whether if one
person in the class gets a
Digital: Ideas about
human evolution video
Divide the class into groups.
Each group will get some pasta
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Explain Darwin’s theory
of evolution as a series
3
Biology
Spec points covered
selection.
B4.3
Explain how the emergence
of resistant organisms
supports Darwin’s theory of
evolution including antibiotic
resistance in bacteria.
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
cold, everyone will? Elicit
the idea that not
everyone gets ill.
Challenge students to
explain why not everyone
gets the cold and
introduce the idea that
this is partly due to
inherited variation –
some people are
naturally immune to
some colds/diseases.
shapes of different colours (in
approximately equal amounts,
including green pasta), which
are models for insects. They
design a table in which to
record the numbers of each
different colour of pasta shape.
The shapes are then spread
out in an open, grassy area.
One student is ‘the bird’ and is
given a pair of tongs/forceps.
The student has 2 minutes to
pick up as many pasta shapes
as possible. Students count
the numbers of each colour
returned and calculate
percentages. Students should
find that red, orange and
yellow pasta pieces are more
readily found than green
pieces, although this will be
slightly dependent on the
colour of the grass at the time
of doing the investigation.
of stages to help
students remember
what happens. Students
should, though, be
aware that the process
is continuous.
Correct misconceptions
as they arise. The most
common ones revolve
around the idea that the
environment directly
causes organisms to
change. It is worth
dwelling on the first
‘stage’ of evolution to
ensure that students
realise that genetic
variation is ever present
and that natural
selection cannot work if
there is no genetic
variation to start with.
2) Sketch a normal
distribution curve on the
board and tell students
that it shows variation in
beak length in a
population of sandpipers.
The birds dig with their
beaks to find small
animals to eat. Ask
students to suggest why
there are more birds with
the middle beak length
and very few with either
very short or very long
beaks. Elicit the idea that
conditions in the
environment make it
easiest for birds with
Students repeat their
experiment to improve the
repeatability of the data.
Students then calculate mean
percentages returned for each
colour. They then use this data
to draw pie charts.
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Digital: Evolution of
antibiotic resistence
presentation
4
Biology
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
medium beak lengths to
survive best:
Ask them to speculate on the
future evolution of this green
species if: a) the grass
remains green b) the grass
turns yellow.
Teacher-led activity
Equipment: packets of
differently coloured pasta,
must contain green pasta
pieces as well as other colours
(500 g per 4–5 students) (you
could use buttons of different
colours instead but these are
not biodegradable), forceps or
tongs, stop watch, pot to
collect pasta shapes in, area of
grass
CB4c
Classification
B4.7
Describe how genetic
analysis has led to the
suggestion of the three
domains rather than the five
kingdoms classification
method
1) Ask students to
suggest how a visitor to
the area might be able to
find an individual student
in a school. Give groups
of students 5 minutes to
come up with a plan of
how the visitor would do
this. The groups for a
student might be: school
> year group > form >
workgroup > individual.
Ask students to sort
themselves into two groups
and then think of another way
of dividing themselves into two
or more groups. This process
can be repeated a number of
times. Ask students to explain
their reasoning behind their
classification systems each
time and suggest which
system was the best and why.
Elicit the idea that scientists
group organisms into large
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Take students through
the classification of
several plants and
animals, showing how
the number of
organisms in each
group gets smaller and
smaller and how the
similarities between the
organisms increase. Ask
students to suggest
other members of the
groups as you work
5
Biology
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
2) Show students a
natural bath sponge (or
image of one). Introduce
the idea that the sponge
is what remains of the
insides of an organism.
Ask students if they think
it’s a plant or an animal
or neither. Ask students
to list some features that
they would find out more
about, in order to be
certain whether it was a
plant or an animal or
whether it belonged to
some other kingdom
(fungi, protists, bacteria).
groups based on differences
between the characteristics,
and these groups are called
kingdoms.
through the
classifications. Ensure
that students
understand that the
closer a group is to the
genus or species
grouping, the more
closely related the
organisms will be and
the more similar their
DNA will be. Point out
that in the past
scientists looked at the
characteristics that they
could see, but today
classification is usually
done according to how
similar the DNA is.
Digital: Classification of
kingdoms and domains
presentation
CB4d Breeds
and varieties
B4.8
Explain selective breeding
and its impact on food plants
and domesticated animals.
B4.10
Describe genetic engineering
as a process which involves
modifying the genome of an
organism to introduce
desirable characteristics.
1) Challenge students to
produce a list of useful
characteristics for cattle
on a UK farm (e.g. good
meat, quick growing,
produce a lot of milk,
docile). Then ask what
other characteristics
might be useful for cattle
The practical measures the
amounts of citric acid in
different varieties of the same
citrus fruit, which is an
important factor for breeders.
1 cm3 of 0.1 mol dm−3
sodium hydroxide will
neutralise 0.0064 g of citric
acid. If you are using apples
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Detail of some different
breeds and varieties of
common animals and
plants that are farmed
for food, and how their
characteristics make
them suitable for
farming in certain
locations. Present the
6
Biology
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
being farmed in northern
Scotland (e.g. thick fur)
or Africa (thin fur, less
requirement for water.
Establish the idea that
new breeds of animals
and plant are produced
to be the most use in a
certain set of
environmental
conditions.
the multiplication factor should
be 0.067 (for malic acid) or for
grapes use 0.075 (for tartaric
acid).
characteristics and ask
students why those
characteristics are
suitable.
There should be obvious
differences in acidity between
different varieties of fruit.
Digital: Farm breeds
and varieties
presentation
2) Woolly sheep have
been bred to produce a
lot of wool. However their
long woolly tails trap
faeces and mud and
become infested with
maggots. So farmers
‘dock’ the tails of sheep.
It would be easier to
farm woolly sheep that
had naturally short tails.
Ask students how they
would breed woolly sheep
with naturally short tails.
CB4e Genes in
agriculture and
medicine
B4.14
Evaluate the benefits and
risks of genetic engineering
and selective breeding in
modern agriculture and
1) Tell students a plant
breeder wishes to
produce a new variety of
orange. Ask students to
Equipment: eye protection,
different varieties of the same
species of fruit (e.g. oranges,
limes), preferably sliced in
half, fruit juicer/squeezer, 2
pipettes or syringes or small
measuring cylinders, burette,
clamp and stand, filter funnel,
filter paper, small beaker,
conical flask, phenolphthalein
indicator, 0.1 ml dm–3 sodium
hydroxide solution, distilled
water
Optional: refractometer,
accurate balance (for Brix
measurements), knife to cut
fruits
Students research and think
about the benefits and risks of
a range of selectively
bred/genetically engineered
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Remind students of
the overall process of
genetic engineering.
Use four different
7
Biology
Spec points covered
medicine including practical
and ethical implications.
B4.11
Describe the main stages
of genetic engineering
including the use of:
a
restriction enzymes
b
ligase
c
sticky ends
d
vectors.
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
come up with a list of
useful features for the
orange to have.
Challenge them to write
a series of short bullet
points to describe how
the variety would be
created, using selective
breeding.
organisms.
colours of individual
bricks (to represent
bases and base
pairing) attached to
four longer sections
so that a break can
easily be made.
2) Ask students to design
their own GMO. They
should clearly state what
it can do and why that is
useful.
Point out the sticky
ends and then point
out to students that
the same restriction
enzyme will always
make the same sticky
ends. So, the same
restriction enzyme is
used to cut the
plasmid open and to
cut out the gene that
you want to insert,
thus allowing the
ends to match up.
Extend the idea by
pointing out that not
all of the required
genes will get
inserted into the
plasmids, because
some plasmids in the
mixture will simply
rejoin their ends. In
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8
Biology
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
order to be able to
identify bacteria that
contain a
recombinant plasmid,
a marker gene is
often added to the
desired gene first,
before they are both
inserted into the
plasmid. Then
bacteria are tested
for the marker and it
is these ones that the
scientists will know
also contain the
desired gene.
Digital: TBC
CB5a Health and
disease
B5.1
Describe health as a state of
complete physical, mental
and social well-being and not
merely the absence of
disease or infirmity, as
defined by the World Health
Organisation (WHO).
B5.2
Describe the difference
between communicable and
non-communicable diseases.
B5.3
Explain why the presence of
1) Write the words health
and disease on the board
and ask students to
suggest words that could
be linked with these, and
how they should be
linked. Encourage class
discussion.
2) Without explaining
what you are doing, write
the names of a few
familiar diseases on the
Provide data that students
analyse to compare
communicable and noncommunicable diseases.
Compare the distribution of
new cases of cancer per year
with the number of measles
cases per year. This will show
that the numbers are relatively
steady each year for cancer,
while those for measles can
vary considerably from year to
year. This can be related to
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Show the relationship
between HIV infection
and infections with
cytomegalovirus,
Epstein Barr, human
herpesvirus 1 and
human herpesvirus 8.
Discuss with students
which values in the
table should be
compared to identify
whether or not there is
a correlation between
9
Biology
Spec points covered
one disease can lead to a
higher susceptibility to other
diseases.
CB5b Noncommunicable
disease
B5.23
Describe that many noncommunicable human
diseases are caused by the
interaction of a number of
factors including
cardiovascular diseases,
many forms of cancer, some
lung and liver diseases and
diseases influenced by
nutrition.
B5.24
Explain the effect of lifestyle
factors on non-communicable
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
board (e.g. 'flu, measles,
mumps) and some that
are non-communicable
(e.g. asthma, cancer,
diabetes). Ask students
to work in pairs to
suggest a link between
all the words, and then to
suggest a way of splitting
the words into two
groups.
the fact that measles is
communicable while most
cancers are not.
Then compare the age
distribution of people with
cancer and with measles. The
charts drawn from these will
show that the number of cases
increases with age for cancer,
because it results from the
malfunction of cells and the
risk of this happening
increases with age. However,
measles is more common in
childhood because once you
have had it, you become
immune and will not catch it
again.
infection with HIV and
with a different virus.
Agree that infection
with HIV is strongly
correlated with infection
by cytomegalovirus and
Epstein Barr virus. The
correlation with human
herpesvirus 1 is weaker,
and there is a negative
correlation (more
people without HIV than
with) between HIV
infection and human
herpesvirus 8 infection.
Students analyse data related
to drinking and deaths from
alcohol-related conditions.
Students will need to know
that death from alcohol
poisoning is a short-term
result of high alcohol intake,
whereas liver disease
(including cirrhosis) is a longterm result. So it will take
many years for the impact of
any health campaign on
alcohol to show in the statistic
Demonstrate the
importance of the liver
in the breakdown of
toxic substances in the
following way.
Place a small piece of
fresh liver in a blender
with about twice the
volume of water, and
blend till smooth.
1) Revise KS3:
carbohydrates, fats,
proteins, vitamins,
minerals and fibre.
Students jot down, for
each group, one example
of a food that contains
that constituent. Then
they describe the main
function in the body of
each of the main
constituents. Introduce
deficiency diseases.
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Digital: Disease
correlations
presentation
Pour about 1 cm of
hydrogen peroxide into
10
Biology
Spec points covered
diseases at local, national
and global levels, including:
a … diet on … and
malnutrition, …
b alcohol on liver
diseases
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
of liver disease.
a test tube, and explain
that this substance is
made in many cells as a
by-product of many
processes. Explain that
it is highly reactive and
therefore toxic to many
cell reactions.
2) Ask students to jot
down as many facts
about the effects of
alcohol as they can. Use
the activity to identify
gaps in knowledge and
understanding.
Use a pipette to add
several drops of liver
solution to the
hydrogen peroxide and
ask students to note
what happens. They
should see a vigorous
reaction, releasing gas
from the mixture. The
gas is oxygen, as the
hydrogen peroxide is
broken down to oxygen
and water – neither of
which is toxic to cells.
Explain that the liver
breaks down many toxic
substances, including
ethanol (alcohol), and
aldehyde which is a
toxic breakdown
product of ethanol. So
liver cells are more
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11
Biology
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
exposed to toxins than
other cells, and more
likely to be damaged
which results in disease.
Liver disease is
correlated with a wide
range of other diseases,
including anaemia
(blood disease),
circulatory diseases,
kidney disease, as well
as cancer.
Equipment small piece
of fresh liver, blender,
water, access to fridge
(optional), pipette, 3%
hydrogen peroxide.
Digital: TBC
CB5c
Cardiovascular
disease
B5.24
Explain the effect of lifestyle
factors on non-communicable
diseases at local, national
and global levels, including:
a
exercise and
diet on obesity … , including
BMI and waist:hip
calculations
…
c
smoking on
cardiovascular diseases
1) First run a smoking
machine without a
cigarette by switching on
the pump. After a few
minutes, ask students to
note the temperature of
the air leaving the
apparatus, and the
colours of the glass wool,
indicator solution and
limewater. Ask students
to suggest what changes
Students research one of the
following treatments for
cardiovascular disease:
life-long medication, such as
beta-blockers or bloodthinning medicines
surgical procedures, such as
bypass or stent surgery
lifestyle changes, such as
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Present students with a
list of measurements:
BMI, waist:hip ratio,
heart rate and
breathing rate at rest
and after a few minutes
of simple exercise.
Check that students
understand the purpose
of measuring BMI or
waist:hip ratio, as a
12
Biology
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
B5.25
may occur with a lit
cigarette. Repeat the
activity with a lit
cigarette in place as
shown above. Ask
students to describe and,
if possible, explain any
changes.
Emphasise that tobacco
smoke contains many
substances, and that
many are colourless and
so not visible. Ask what
happens to the
substances when the
smoke is taken into the
lungs. Consider the role
of blood in distributing
substances around the
body.
giving up smoking, increasing
exercise and improving diet.
simple assessment of
the proportion of fat in
the body, and why too
much fat is a problem.
Using yourself or a fit
student who won't mind
the attention, take
measurements of heart
rate and breathing rate
at rest, after two
minutes of gentle
exercise and after two
minutes of moderate
exercise. (Remember to
allow raised values to
return to resting rates
before testing again.)
Heart rate can be
measured at the wrist
or by using a digital
heart rate monitor.
Breathing rate should
be measured as the
number of breaths
taken in 15 seconds.
Explain that the heart
rate and breathing rate
of people who are very
unfit and/or obese
usually increase more
rapidly than those of
fitter people. So, the
Evaluate some different
treatments for cardiovascular
disease including
•
life-long
medication
•
surgical
procedures
•
lifestyle
changes
Identify that there are
different kinds of
cardiovascular disease, such
as heart attack (myocardial
infarction), stroke, thrombosis,
and angina. Students should
research the advantages and
disadvantages for each kind of
treatment, including which
kind of patient responds best
to that treatment.
Equipment: for smoking
machine: U tube, bung
with single hole and bung
without hole (for U tube),
2 test tubes, 2 bungs
with 2 holes (for test
tubes), thermometer,
glass or polymer wool,
cigarette without filter,
universal indicator
solution, limewater, glass
tubes and connectors,
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13
Biology
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
vacuum pump; fume
cupboard.
health professional
needs to assess what
level of exercise is
appropriate and safe –
too high a rate puts
extra strain on the body
and may be harmful.
2) Introduce the
treatments for
cardiovascular diseases
in B5.25b of the
specification. Ask
students to work
together to compile the
three most important
questions they need
answers to so they can
compare the
effectiveness of different
treatments.
CB5d Pathogens
B5.4
Describe a pathogen as a
disease-causing organism
including viruses, bacteria,
fungi and protists.
B5.5
Describe some common
infections, including:
a cholera (bacteria) causes
diarrhoea
b tuberculosis
(bacteria)causes lung
damage
1) Write the word
'pathogen' on the board
and identify the first part
from 'pathos' meaning
feelings (i.e. suffer) and
'gen' meaning birth. Ask
students what pathogens
are and why they were
given that name from the
root words.
2) Write the names of
the four pathogen groups
(bacteria, protists, fungi,
bacteria) on the board
and ask students to write
Teacher-led activity
Equipment: stopwatch,
digital heart monitor,
tape measure, height
measurer, bathroom
scales
Digital: TBC
Measure the growth of bacteria
in fresh milk kept at different
temperatures for the previous
24 hours. All samples must be
allowed to reach room
temperature before the
experiment begins. Resazurin
dye should be freshly prepared
just before the lesson.
The time taken for the dye to
become colourless should
decrease as temperature
increases, because
microorganisms generally grow
faster at higher temperatures.
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Explain that less than
200 Cholera was
common in cities and
was thought to be
caused by 'bad air'. Foul
smells came from
cesspits where human
waste collected under
buildings before being
cleared away. So the
correlation between
foul-smelling air and
disease seemed
obvious.
In 1854 there was an
14
Biology
Spec points covered
c Chalara ash dieback
(fungi) causes leaf loss and
bark lesions
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
one sentence about each
group.
Equipment: Per student
group: access to water bath at
30 °C; 5 test tubes + rack;
labelled samples of about
5 cm3 fresh milk, kept in one
of the following conditions for
24 hours then allowed to reach
room temperature: frozen,
4 °C, 21 °C, 30 °C, 40 °C;
about 3 cm3 1% resazurin
dye; 1 cm3 syringe; five
10 cm3 measuring cylinders;
marker pen for labelling test
tubes, watch or clock.
outbreak of cholera in
London. The doctor
John Snow noticed that
deaths in his area
clustered, and he
mapped where the dead
people lived. He also
asked people in the
area where they
collected their water
(there was no running
water then). Show
students John Snow's
map of deaths and
water pumps, and ask
them why the
distribution of deaths
does not support the
'bad air' hypothesis. Ask
why the map helps to
support the idea that
water was the source of
the infection.
d malaria (protists) causes
damage to blood and liver
e HIV (virus) destroys white
blood cells, leading to the
onset of AIDS
f stomach ulcers caused by
Helicobacter (bacteria)
g Ebola (virus) causes
haemorrhagic fever
Digital: John Snow’s
map presentation
CB5e Spreading
pathogens
B5.6
Explain how pathogens are
spread and how this spread
can be reduced or prevented,
including:
a cholera (bacteria) – water
1) Ask students,
individually or in small
groups, to make one
sentence using each
group of three words:
bacteria, water, sickness;
The practical investigates the
use of toilet paper and hand
washing, such as after being to
the toilet. Show them how to
carry out the method with a
single plate and discuss how
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There are several ways
that you can model the
spread of an infectious
disease. You could
'prepare' the room
before the session by
15
Biology
Spec points covered
b tuberculosis (bacteria) –
airborne
c chalara ash dieback (fungi)
– airborne
d malaria (protists) – animal
vectors
e stomach ulcers caused by
Helicobacter (bacteria) – oral
transmission
f Ebola (virus) – body fluids
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
chalara, air, fungus;
Ebola, blood, virus.
the approach makes it more
likely that results from the
experiment can be trusted.
Students prepare culture
dishes, to allow air to circulate
and prevent the growth of
anaerobic bacteria. Dishes
should be kept upside down, at
room temperature for several
days.
spraying a few areas
with a product such as
Glo Germ™. Don't warn
students that you have
done this. Towards the
end the lesson, tell
students what you have
done and explain that
this can mimic how
pathogens are spread
by touch. Use a UV light
(which comes with the
product) to illuminate
not just the areas you
sprayed, but other parts
of the classroom and
students' hands, to
identify how far the
spray has spread.
2) Remind students of
the health advice, usually
circulated during winter,
of 'catch it, bin it, kill it'.
Students should work in
pairs to note down how
the advice is meant to
keep us healthy. They
should then consider
what the advice would
help with and which
diseases it wouldn't work
for, and why.
Prepare malt agar by mixing
2 g malt extract with 2 g agar
and 10 cm3 of hot water to
make a paste. Slowly stir in
more water to a total volume
of 100 cm3. Heat the mixture
in a boiling water bath to
95 °C, then keep it molten at
50 °C before using standard
aseptic technique to pour it
into sterile Petri dishes and
allow to set and the agar
surface to dry. Prepare lawn
plates of Saccharomyces
cerevisiae on half the agar
plates using standard aseptic
technique.
This practical is not suitable for
students with sensitive skin
conditions.
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Discuss with students
which factors could be
changed to increase or
decrease the time taken
for all to become
infected, and relate
their suggestions to real
situations. For example,
if the pathogen is not
very infectious, then
only a small proportion
of uninfected people
16
Biology
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
Results can be recorded by
drawing, or by measuring the
size and number of colonies.
who come into contact
with the disease will be
infected, and spread will
be slow.
Equipment: per group: 3
lawn plates of Saccharomyces
cerevisiae on malt agar, 3 malt
extract agar plates, marker
pen, sheet of toilet tissue,
autoclave bag, dry paper
towels, access to soap and
warm water for washing
hands, sticky tape.
CB5f Physical
and chemical
defences
B5.1
B5.2
Describe how the physical
barriers and chemical
defences of the human body
provide protection from
pathogens, including:
a physical barriers
including mucus, cilia and
skin
b chemical defence
including lysozymes and
hydrochloric acid.
Explain how sexually
transmitted infections (STIs)
are spread and how this
spread can be reduced or
prevented, including:
a Chlamydia
1) Ask students to work
in pairs to jot down as
many reasons as they
can why the clotting of
blood is useful when we
cut ourselves. Students
should identify that the
clot prevents further loss
of blood, but that it also
seals the wound,
preventing the entry of
pathogens.
2) About a week before
the lesson, prepare a
bacterial lawn plate using
an agar plate and
Students investigate the effect
of lysozyme in egg white on
bacteria. Bacterial lawn plates
and egg white dilutions will
need preparing before the
lesson.
After the first lesson, the
plates should be incubated at
20–25 °C for 2–3 days. Make
sure students understand that
a clear area around a disc
indicates where bacteria have
been killed.
The more diluted the egg
white (and therefore the
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Digital: TBC
Link work on lysozyme
back to work on
enzymes and bacterial
structure by asking
students what these
enzymes might do to
pathogens (bacteria).
Students should
remember that many
enzymes catalyse the
break down of
substances, so
lysozymes might break
down substances in the
bacterial cell wall. Some
students may also make
the link with osmosis by
realising that, if the cell
17
Biology
Spec points covered
(bacteria)
b HIV (virus)
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
bacterial culture such as
Micrococcus. Place an
antibiotic disc on the
bacteria, tape the base of
the dish to the top
without sealing it
completely and keep the
dish warm for the week.
lysozyme in it), the smaller the
diameter of clear area around
the disc. Results can vary
quite widely as it will depend
on the initial concentration of
lysozyme in the egg white.
Using the freshest eggs can
help reduce the chance of
failure to get a result.
wall weakens, water can
continue to diffuse into
the bacterial cell. The
swelling of the bacterial
cytoplasm ay then lead
to rupturing of the cell
wall (similar to the
rupturing of animal cells
in solutions that are
more dilute than their
cytoplasm), and death
of the bacterial cell.
Show students the plate,
and explain how you
prepared it. Say that the
paper disc was
impregnated with an
unknown substance. Ask
students to describe the
effect the unknown
substance has had on the
bacteria, and to suggest
why it has had this
effect. They should
identify the clear area
around the disc as the
area where bacteria have
been killed, and that the
substance was soluble
and spread out from the
disc into the agar.
CB5g The
immune system
B5.13
Explain the role of the
specific immune system of
the human body in defence
against disease, including:
1) Ask students to work
in pairs or small groups
to jot down the name of
any
Equipment: per group: one
Petri dish with lid of agar
covered with a bacterial lawn,
egg white in 3 different
dilutions (e.g. 100%, 75%,
50%), small discs of filter
paper, sticky tape, marker
pen, sterile forceps, ethanol
(IDA), incubator
Students investigate looks at
the impact of vaccination rate
on infection rate in measles in
England and Wales, including
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Discuss sexually
transmitted infections
Digital Sexually
transmitted infections
video
Invite a health
professional to a
question and answer
session with students
18
Biology
Spec points covered
a exposure to
pathogen
b the antigens trigger
an immune response which
causes the production of
antibodies
c the antigens also
trigger production of memory
lymphocytes
d the role of memory
lymphocytes in the secondary
response to the antigen
B5.14
Explain the body’s response
to immunisation using an
inactive form of a pathogen.
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
immunisations/vaccinatio
ns they have had as a
child or in school. They
should then discuss why
they had the
vaccinations, what they
remember about how
they work, and to
describe what they felt
during and after the
vaccination.
the impact of the MMR scare.
about vaccinations,
including those for
sexually transmitted
diseases such as HPV,
hepatitis A and B.
Students should
prepare questions
before the visit.
Encourage class
discussion of questions
to make sure all the key
ones are included, such
as how vaccinations
work, why they produce
immunity, why there
aren't vaccinations for
all diseases.
2) Ask students to think
about the last time they
had an infection such as
a cold, or flu. They
should jot down what
they remember about
why they caught the
infection, what happened
during the infection and
why it went away.
Prompt with the idea that
only a few pathogens
may enter the body, but
that conditions inside the
body are good for rapid
replication. Lead to the
answer that it is only
when large numbers of
pathogens cause harm or
changes in the body, that
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Digital Sexually
transmitted infections
video
19
Biology
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
Explain to students that many
plants contain substances that
help protect them against
attack by microorganisms.
Some of these have been
developed into medicines to
help treat our diseases. Make
sure that students understand
that a clear area around a disc
indicates where bacteria have
been killed.
Clinical trials are a realworld application of the
idea of a fair test that
students use in their
own work. Help
students to compare the
way they carry out their
practical investigations
and the way clinical
trials by discussing the
following aspects:
Bacterial lawn plates and plant
extracts will need preparing
before the lesson. Suitable
extracts include: chilli powder,
cinnamon, cloves, fennel,
garlic, paprika, pepper, thyme.
To make an extract, grind 3 g
crushed or ground plant
material with 10 cm3 ethanol
(IDA) and shake vigorously for
10 minutes. Give each group
two of the plant extracts to
use. Results for all extracts will
need to be compared across
the class.
Trial size/ sample size
we become aware of
illness.
CB5h Antibiotics
B5.16
B5.20
Explain that antibiotics can
only be used to treat
bacterial infections because
they inhibit cell processes in
the bacterium but not the
host organism
Describe that the process of
developing new medicines,
including antibiotics, has
many stages including
discovery, development,
preclinical and clinical testing
1) Write the word
'antibiotic' in the middle
of the board, then give
students a minute or two
in pairs or small groups
to think of related words
or terms.
2) Tell students that a
new medicine is being
developed to help people
suffering from a
particular disease. Ask
students to work in pairs
or small groups to jot
down the questions that
need answering during
the development.
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Using controls
placebos and 'blind'
trials (more able
students only)
Digital: TBC
20
Biology
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
The plates should be incubated
at 20–25 °C for 2–3 days.
Measurement of the diameter
of the clear area can be done
by ruler or measuring against
millimetre graph paper.
Colonies could be drawn rather
than measured.
All of the suggested plant
extracts should show some
antibacterial effect.
Equipment: per group: one
Petri dish with lid of agar
covered with a bacterial lawn,
two named plant extracts,
small discs of filter paper,
sticky tape, marker pen, sterile
forceps, ethanol (IDA),
incubator
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Teacher-led activity
21
Chemistry
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
CC8 Masses and
empirical
formulae
C1.43
1) Write five formulae on
the board, including
some with brackets, e.g.
MgCl2, Li2O, CuSO4,
Ca(NO3)2, (NH4)2CO3.
Ask students to work out
the number of atoms of
each element in each
formula and to name the
compounds.
Students determine the
empirical formula for
magnesium oxide.
Take the students
through worked
examples one step at a
time.
C1.44
C1.45
C1.46
Calculate relative formula
mass given relative atomic
masses
Calculate the formulae of
simple compounds from
reacting masses and
understand that these are
empirical formulae
Deduce:
a the empirical formula of a
compound from the formula
of its molecule
b the molecular formula of a
compound from its empirical
formula and its relative
molecular mass
Describe an experiment to
determine the empirical
formula of a simple
compound such as
magnesium oxide
2) Make up some
molecular models, e.g.
C2H6, C3H6, C4H10,
C3H8, CH3COOH and ask
students to work out the
formula of the molecules
from the number of each
type of atom. This is the
molecular formula. Then
dismantle one model into
separate atoms and show
them the simplest ratio
of each atom. This is the
empirical formula.
Challenge students to
deduce the empirical
formulae of the other
compounds.
The empirical formula of
magnesium oxide is MgO. It is
unlikely that students will get
an exact ratio of 1:1. They can
suggest reasons for the
difference. For example, some
of the magnesium oxide
escaped when the crucible lid
was lifted, the magnesium had
not completely finished
reacting, magnesium reacts
with nitrogen from the air as
well as oxygen.
Equipment: For each group:
Bunsen burner, crucible and lid,
emery paper, heat resistant
mat, pipeclay triangle, tongs,
tripod, about 3 cm length of
magnesium ribbon.
Students need access to an
electronic balance weighing to
at least 2 decimal places.
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Digital Relative
formula mass and
empirical formulae and
relative molecular
masses and empirical
formulae presentation
22
Chemistry
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
CC8b
Conservation of
mass
C1.47
1) Show the formation of
a yellow precipitate of
lead iodide by pouring
small amounts of lead
nitrate and potassium
iodide solutions in a
boiling tube. The final
mass should be the sum
of the two initial masses.
Now add dilute
hydrochloric acid to
marble chips in a boiling
tube and ask the
students what has
happened to the mass.
This leads on to gases
having mass and the
mass decreases because
the gas escapes from the
open boiling tube.
Students investigate the
decomposition of copper
carbonate.
The expected percentage mass
of copper oxide is 64.4% of the
mass of copper carbonate used.
Students can be asked why
their values are different to this
and how they can improve the
experiment. If their value is
lower (most likely), they
probably did not heat the tube
for long enough. They could
improve the experiment by
heating the tube again, cooling
and re-weighing and repeating
this until two mass
measurements are the same.
This technique is called heating
to constant mass.
Take the students
through worked
examples one step at a
time.
C1.48
C1.49
Explain the law of
conservation of mass applied
to:
a a closed system including a
precipitation in a closed flask
b a non-enclosed system
including a reaction in an
open flask that takes in or
gives out a gas
Calculate masses of
reactants and products from
balanced equations, given
the mass of one substance
Calculate the concentration
of solutions in g dm-3
Equipment: 2 x 100
cm3 glass beaker, 2
boiling tubes, boiling
tube rack, electronic
balance, eye protection,
lead nitrate solution
(about 40 cm3 of 0.5 mol
dm-3), potassium iodide
solution (about 40 cm3 of
0.5 mol dm-3),
hydrochloric acid (about
Equipment: For each group:
Bunsen burner, heat resistant
mat, mineral wool, test tube,
test tube holders, a few grams
of copper carbonate.
Students need access to an
electronic balance.
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Digital Calculating
masses of reactants
and products
presentation
23
Chemistry
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
Students study the reaction
between iron and copper
sulfate solution
Demonstrate the
formation of
precipitates of lead
iodide by adding
different volumes of
lead nitrate solution
to the same volume
of potassium iodide
solution and use
these to determine
the mole ratio of lead
nitrate to potassium
iodide and hence the
balanced equation.
Tell the students that
equal volumes of the
solutions contain
equal numbers of
moles of the solutes.
The reaction is
complete when the
20 cm3 0.5 mol dm-3), 2
g marble chips
2) Revise formulae and
balanced equations.
Check that students
know how to work out
the number of atoms of
each element in a
formula.
CC8c Moles
C1.52
C1.53
C1.50
C1.51
Explain why, in a reaction,
the mass of product
formed is controlled by
the mass of the reactant
which is not in excess
Deduce the stoichiometry
of a reaction from the
masses of the reactants
and products
Recall that one mole of
particles of a substance is
defined as:
a the Avogadro constant
number of particles (6.02
x 1023 atoms, molecules,
formulae or ions) of that
substance
b substance mass of
‘relative particle mass’ g
Calculate the number of:
1) When there are
large numbers of small
items, people usually
find the number of
them by measuring
their mass rather than
counting e.g. cashiers
in banks check the
number of coins in a
bag by finding their
mass. Have small,
sealed jars containing
1 mole of particles of
different substances
e.g. 18g of water, 12g
of carbon, 32g of
sulfur, 56g of iron.
Explain that these
each contain the same
number of particles.
Ask the students to
The students should find
that the correct balanced
equation is
Fe + CuSO4 → Cu +
FeSO4
Equipment: for each group
100 cm3 beaker, evaporating
basin, eye protection, filter
funnel with filter paper to
fit, glass rod, 25 cm3
measuring cylinder, spatula,
copper sulfate solution ( 30
cm3 of approximately 0.5
mol dm-3 solution), distilled
water, iron filings (1 g, not
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24
Chemistry
Spec points covered
a moles of particles of a
substance in a given mass
of that substance and vice
versa
b particles of a substance
in a given number of
moles of that substance
and vice versa
c particles of a substance
in a given mass of that
substance and vice versa
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
identify the type of
particles in each
substance.
rusted), propanone.
Students need access to an
electronic balance.
Optional: access to a warm
oven
lead nitrate has
reacted with all the
potassium iodide so
there will be no
further increase in
the amount of
precipitate formed.
Find the tube where
the maximum
amount of precipitate
first forms. This tube
had 4.0 cm3
potassium iodide
solution and 2.0 cm3
lead nitrate solution
so the number of
moles of potassium
iodide is twice the
number of moles of
lead nitrate and the
balanced equation is
Pb(NO3)2(aq) +
2KI(aq) → PbI2(s) +
2KNO3(aq)
2) Have small, sealed
jars containing 1 mole
of particles of
different substances
e.g. 18g of water, 12g
of carbon, 32g of
sulfur, 56g of iron.
Ask the students what
they have in common.
Explain that taking the
relative atomic mass
or relative formula
mass in grams gives
us the mass of 1 mole
of that substance and
they each contain the
same number of
particles called the
Avogadro constant.
Write on the board
602 000 000 000 000
000 000 000, then
convert it to standard
form: 6.02 x 1023.
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Equipment: 2
burettes or
graduated pipettes, 8
test tubes in a rack,
bungs to fit the test
tubes, ruler, lead
nitrate solution (25
25
Chemistry
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
cm3 0.5 mol dm-3
solution), potassium
iodide solution (40
cm3 0.5 mol dm-3
solution)
Digital Moles
presentation
CC9a Acids,
alkalis and
indicators
C3.1
C3.2
C3.3
C3.4
Recall that acids in solution
are sources of hydrogen ions
and alkalis in solution are
sources of hydroxide ions
Recall that a neutral solution
has a pH of 7 and that acidic
solutions have lower pH
values and alkaline solutions
higher pH values
Recall the effect of acids and
alkalis on indicators,
including litmus, methyl
orange and phenolphthalein
Recall that the higher the
concentration of hydrogen
ions in an acidic solution,
the lower the pH; and the
higher the concentration
of hydroxide ions in an
alkaline solution, the
higher the pH
Ask students to write
down three or four facts
they can remember
about about: acids,
alkalis and neutral
solutions. They then
compare their lists in
groups.
Students test a series of
indicators including: litmus,
methyl orange and
phenolphthalein. by adding an
alkali to and acid 1 cm3 at a
time while measuring the pH
and noting when any colour
changes occurs.
Demonstrate the
electrolysis of a number
of acid solutions: sulfuric
acid, nitric acid and
hydrochloric acid collect
the gas at the negative
electrode and test for
hydrogen.
Students are aware of colour
changes for range of indicators
and note that the colour change
is not always at pH 7
Link to the idea that
acids always contain
hydrogen ions
Equipment: TBC
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Digital TBC
26
Chemistry
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
CC9b Looking
at acids
C3.5
1) Demonstrate
diluting copper sulfate
solution, roughly
diluting it by 50%
over and over again
until the colour cannot
seen.
Discuss the difference
between dilute and
concentrated solutions
in terms of the amount
of solute in a unit
volume. Discuss ways
of measuring
concentrations of
solutions eg grams per
litre or g dm-3
Students find out if the pH
value is linked to the
concentration of the
solution.
Starting with 0.1 mol dm-3
hydrochloric acid students
use accurate measuring
apparatus to dilute the
solution successively by a
factor of 10
Teacher
demonstrates the
difference in pH
between four
different solutions of
acids with the same
concentration eg.
hydrochloric acid
(pH=1) sulfuric acid
(pH=2) , ethanoic
acid (pH=4) and
carbonic acid
(pH=5). Then
through class
discussion students
are introduced to the
difference between
strong and weak
acids and why they
will have different
pHs. Then show
students a fifth
solution and measure
its pH (should be
about 5). Ask
students if this is a
strong or weak acid?
Tell them it is in fact
a strong acid, discuss
to work out it must
be a dilute solution
of a strong acid.
C3.7
C3.8
Recall that as hydrogen
ion concentration in a
solution increases by a
factor of 10, the pH of the
solution decreases by 1
Explain the terms dilute
and concentrated, with
respect to amount of
substances in solution
Explain the terms weak
and strong acids, with
respect to the degree of
dissociation into ions
Equipment: TBC
2) Show students two
everyday solutions
that contain acids. eg.
battery acid and fruit
juices.
The students then use pH
meters to measure the pH of
the solution (least to
highest concentration)
This should show the link
between pH and
concentration. Include
questions on concentration
and pH.
Equipment: TBC
Discuss why you can
dink one but not the
even though they are
about the same
concentration? Test
the pH of each and
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27
Chemistry
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
initiate class
discussion of why
these acid solutions
might have different
PH values and why
one might be more
acidic than another.
Teacher-led activity
Discuss the
differences between
dilute and
concentrated and
strong and weak
when talking about
solutions.
Equipment: TBC
Digital TBC
CC9c Bases and
salts
C3.9
C3.11
C3.13
C3.15
Recall that a base is any
substance that reacts with an
acid to form salt and water
only
Explain the general reactions
of aqueous solutions of acids
with:
a metals
b metal oxides
c metal hydroxides
d metal carbonates
to produce salts
Describe a neutralisation
reaction as a reaction
between an acid and a base
Explain why, if soluble salts
are prepared from an acid
and an insoluble reactant:
a excess of the reactant is
added
1) show what happens to
the pH of an acid solution
when a range of
common neutralisers are
added, eg. Toothpaste,
indigestion tablets, lime,
etc. Students discuss
what happens in these
reactions and revise the
meaning of neutralisation
noting what must be
happening to the
hydrogen ions in the acid
Students prepare a sample of
pure, dry, hydrated copper
sulfate crystals.
Equipment: TBC
2) Show class some
common salt and
dissolve it in water. Ask
students how they know
the salt is still there?
Could it have just
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Discuss chemical
reactions, reactants and
products. Show
students how to write
word and symbol
equations, revise
formula
Digital TBC
28
Chemistry
Spec points covered
b the excess reactant is
removed
c the solution remaining is
only salt and water
CC9d Alkalis and
balancing
equations
C3.17
Investigate the preparation
of pure, dry, hydrated copper
sulfate crystals starting from
copper oxide
C3.10
Recall that alkalis are soluble
bases
C3.11
…c) Explain the general
reactions of aqueous
solutions of acids with metal
hydroxides to produce salts.
C3.6
Investigate the change in pH
on adding powdered calcium
hydroxide or calcium oxide to
a fixed volume of dilute
hydrochloric acid
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
Students add successive
weighed portions of calcium
hydroxide powder to a fixed
amount of dilute hydrochloric
acid, and estimate the pH of
the reaction mixture using
universal indicator paper. They
then plot a graph of pH against
mass of calcium hydroxide
added.
The pH will increase as more
calcium hydroxide is added,
with the end-point at
approximately 1.85 g of calcium
oxide. Calcium hydroxide is
sparingly soluble (about 0.17
g/100 cm3 H2O) so beyond this
excess calcium hydroxide will
be seen.
Show the students a
simple balanced
equation, e.g. NaOH +
HCl  NaCl + H2O.
Discuss why this is
balanced, then show a
more complex balanced
equation, e.g. Mg(OH)2
+ 2HCl  MgCl2 + 2H2O.
Discuss why this is
balanced, including the
use of OH and H to
produce water when
balancing; and keeping
NO3, SO4 and PO4 as
units when balancing
(rather than counting
their atoms separately).
Show unbalanced
alkali/acid equations
and work through
balancing with the
students.
vanished? Discuss
nature of a solution.
Ask students how they
could prove the salt was
still there. How could
they get the salt back?
Demonstrate by
evaporating water to
leave the salt.
1) Ask the students to
predict the salts formed
in the reaction between
some named metal
oxides and common
acids.
2) Demonstrate the
addition of aluminium
oxide and calcium oxide
powders to water.
Aluminium oxide is
insoluble so the mixture
will remain green.
Calcium oxide reacts with
water to produce calcium
hydroxide, which
dissolves to form an
alkaline solution so the
mixture turns purple.
Equipment: eye
protection; test tube
Equipment: eye protection;
100 cm3 beaker; 50 cm3
measuring cylinder; ±0.1 g
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29
Chemistry
CC9e Alkalis and
neutralisation
Spec points covered
C3.14
C3.16
C3.18
Explain an acid-alkali
neutralisation as a reaction in
which hydrogen ions (H+)
from the acid react with
hydroxide ions (OH–) from
the alkali.
Explain why, if soluble salts
are prepared from an acid
and a soluble reactant:
a titration must be used
b the acid and the soluble
reactant are then mixed in
the correct proportions
c the solution remaining,
after reaction, is only salt
and water
Describe how to carry out an
acid-alkali titration, using
burette, pipette and a
suitable indicator, to prepare
a pure, dry salt.
Starter options
Practical activity
rack; 2 boiling tubes;
water; universal indicator
solution; aluminium
oxide powder; calcium
oxide powder: small
spatula
balance; spatula; stirring rod;
white tile
universal indicator paper; pH
colour chart; dilute hydrochloric
acid; calcium hydroxide powder
graph paper
1) In pairs using paper or
mini-whiteboards,
students balance
equations supplied on
the board, then peer
assess their answers with
another pair.
Students carry out a practical in
which they produce sodium
chloride crystals. Titration is
used to neutralise dilute sodium
hydroxide solution with dilute
hydrochloric acid, and then
repeated without the indicator.
Students then use
crystallisation to produce
sodium chloride from the
solution formed.
2) Ask the students to
list all the apparatus they
can think of that
measures volume, then
rate each one according
to its accuracy and
capacity.
The end-point should occur at
about 25.0 cm3
(phenolphthalein indicator
changes from pink to
colourless), with about 0.7 g of
sodium chloride produced in
total.
Equipment: eye protection;
100 cm3 beaker; 250 cm3
beaker; 100 cm3 conical flask;
250 cm3 conical flask
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Teacher-led activity
Digital Equations to
balance presentation
Demonstrate the
technique of titration
and the use of the
volumetric pipette and
filler.
Equipment: eye
protection; 100 cm3
beaker; 250 cm3
beaker; 250 cm3 conical
flask; 25 cm3
volumetric pipette and
filler; burette; filter
funnel; white tile; 0.5
mol dm–3 hydrochloric
acid; 0.5 mol dm–3
sodium hydroxide
solution;
phenolphthalein
indicator.
Digital Apparatus for
titration presentation
30
Chemistry
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
25 cm3 volumetric pipette and
filler.
CC9f Reactions of
acids with metals
and carbonates
C3.11
C3.12
Explain the general reactions
of aqueous solutions of acids
with (a) metals and (d) metal
carbonates to produce salts.
Describe the chemical test
for (a) hydrogen; (b) carbon
dioxide (using limewater)
1) Place a strip of
magnesium ribbon in a
few cm3 of dilute sulfuric
acid in a test tube.
Students should observe
the effervescence
(fizzing). Ask what is in
the bubbles.
Equipment: eye
protection, test tube in a
test-tube rack, piece of
magnesium ribbon
(about 3 cm), dilute
sulfuric acid about 5 cm3
of 0.4 mol dm-3)
2) Remind students
about ions and ionic
bonding. An ion is a
charged particle. Cations
are formed by the loss of
electron(s) and have a
positive charge. Anions
are formed by the gain of
electron(s) and have a
negative charge. The
ions are held together by
electrostatic forces of
Students investigate reactions
of acids with metals and
carbonates to test for carbon
and hydrogen.
Students will find that
magnesium, zinc and iron
effervesce with both dilute
acids, although iron may not
produce enough hydrogen to
pop the lighted splint. Copper
does not react with dilute acids.
All the metal carbonates react
with both dilute acids to provide
bubbles of a gas that turns
limewater turns milky.
Equipment: for each group:
eye protection, Bunsen burner
and heat resistant mat, dropper
pipettes, spatula, test tubes,
test-tube rack, wooden splints,
limewater, small pieces of
copper e.g. foil or turnings,
magnesium ribbon (1 cm
length), granulated zinc (this
works better if it is ‘dirty’),
copper carbonate (few grams),
magnesium carbonate (few
grams), dilute hydrochloric acid
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Summarise the two
different methods of
preparing soluble salts from an insoluble
reactant and an acid
(using metal, base or
carbonate) and from a
soluble reactant and an
acid. Include the
general steps in the
methods and the
general equations.
Digital Ionic equations
presentation
31
Chemistry
CC9g Solubility
Spec points covered
C4.19
Recall the general rules
which describe the solubility
of common types of
substances in water:
a all common sodium,
potassium and ammonium
salts are soluble
b all nitrates are soluble
c common chloride are
soluble except for those of
silver and lead
d common sulfates are
soluble except those of lead,
barium and calcium
e common hydroxides and
carbonates are insoluble
except those of sodium,
potassium and ammonium
Starter options
Practical activity
attraction between the
oppositely charged ions.
In the solid state, the
ions can only vibrate on
the spot, but when they
dissolve in water, the
ions are free to move
around. Revise writing
ionic formulae from the
symbols of common ions,
including some with
brackets.
(few cm3, 1 mol dm-3), dilute
sulfuric acid (few cm3, 0.5 mol
dm-3), Optional – bung to fit
test tube with a delivery tube
attached
1) Pour some potassium
chromate(VI) solution
into a small glass beaker.
Slowly add some silver
nitrate solution.
Students will see an
immediate red
precipitate of silver
chromate(VI) form.
Explain that when two
solutions containing
soluble salts that react
are mixed, the ions swap
over, so silver chromate
and potassium nitrate
are formed. All nitrates
are soluble, but silver
chromate(VI) is insoluble
Students prepare insoluble
salts. Students prepare a white
precipitate of silver chloride.
This precipitate gradually
changes colour to purple when
left in light, so dry it in a dark
place. The copper carbonate is
a blue/green precipitate.
Equipment: for each group:
eye protection, 100 cm3 beaker,
100 cm3 conical flask (or other
container to collect filtrate),
filter funnel, filter paper, glass
rod, 25 cm3 measuring cylinder,
dropper pipette, distilled or deionised water, silver nitrate
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Teacher-led activity
Demonstrate the
formation of the same
insoluble salt from
different solutions e.g.
barium sulfate by
adding magnesium
sulfate, sodium sulfate
and copper sulfate
solutions to separate
portions of barium
chloride solution.
Explain that it is always
the same precipitate
that forms as the
barium ions are
reacting with the
sulfate ions. The other
ions are spectator ions.
32
Chemistry
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
C4.20
in water so is formed as
a precipitate.
solution (15 cm3, about 0.05
mol dm-3), sodium chloride
solution (25 cm3, about 0.5 mol
dm-3), soluble copper salt
solutions e.g. copper sulfate
and copper nitrate (25 cm3,
about 0.5 mol dm-3), soluble
carbonates e.g. sodium
carbonate and potassium
carbonate (25 cm3, about 0.5
mol dm-3)
Digital Predicting
precipitation interactive
C4.21
Predict, using solubility rules,
whether or not a precipitate
will be formed when named
solutions are mixed together,
naming the precipitate, if any
Describe the method used to
prepare a pure, dry sample
of an insoluble salt
Equipment: Eye
protection, small glass
beaker, silver nitrate
solution (about 25 cm3,
0.05 mol dm-3),
potassium chromate
solution (about 25 cm3 of
0.5 g dm-3/less than
0.003 mol dm-3)
Optional: warm oven
2) Write these anagrams
on the board: busily toil
(solubility), blue sol
(soluble), no bullies
(insoluble), Noels TV
(solvent), tousle (solute),
loon suit (solution), a tip
receipt (precipitate). Ask
the students to rearrange
the letters to form words
related to solubility then
to explain the meaning of
each word.
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33
Physics
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
CP4a Describing
waves
P2.1
Recall that waves transfer
energy and information
without transferring matter.
P2.2
Recall and use the terms
frequency, wavelength,
amplitude, period and wave
velocity as applied to waves.
In the first part of this activity
students use buzzers or lamps
to send messages in Morse
code. The second part of the
activity introduces the idea that
variations in the frequency
and/or amplitude of a wave can
also be used to transfer
information.
Set up a ripple tank
with illumination. Place
lamp beneath the ripple
tank to project the
image onto the ceiling.
Make sure the tank is
level.
P2.3
Explain the difference
between longitudinal and
transverse waves by
referring to sound,
electromagnetic, seismic
and water waves
1) Ask students to work
individually to list all the
types of waves they can
think of. Ask how the
various suggestions are
similar or different,
highlighting the ideas to
be met in this topic,
particularly the difference
between transverse and
longitudinal waves.
2) Use a 'slinky' spring to
demonstrate longitudinal
and transverse waves.
Elicit the idea that
although individual coils
in the spring move
backwards and forward or
side to side, the spring as
a whole does not move.
Follow up by
demonstrating waves
with different amplitudes
and wavelengths. The
amplitude of a
longitudinal wave will be
easier to see if a small
piece of paper is stuck to
one of the coils.
Show students how a
microphone connected to an
oscilloscope can be used to
represent the characteristics of
a sound wave. Challenge them
to come up with a short code
that uses amplitude and/or
frequency variations to send
simple messages. Students can
test their codes by making the
sounds themselves or by using
a signal generator attached to a
loudspeaker. The students
decoding the message can
interpret the sounds, or use the
oscilloscope trace to see
variations in amplitude or
frequency.
Equipment: cells or power
packs; connecting wires; length
of bell wire with stripped ends;
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Use a straight dipper to
illustrate plane waves.
Ask students to use
stopwatches to record
the number of waves
passing a point in, say,
10 seconds. Dividing
the number counted by
10 will give the
frequency in hertz.
They could also time
how long it takes 10
waves to pass a point.
Dividing this time by 10
will give the period of
the waves in seconds.
Equipment: Ripple
tank and accessories,
stopwatches, ruler
Digital Waves video
34
Physics
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
buzzer; lamp; push switch;
copy of Morse code from
internet; microphone,
oscilloscope. Optional: signal
generator, loudspeaker
CP4b Wave
velocity
P2.4
P2.5
P2.15
Recall and use both the
equations below for all
waves:
wave velocity
(metre/second, m/s) =
frequency (hertz, Hz) ×
wavelength (metre, m)
v=f×λ
wave velocity
(metre/second, m/s) =
distance (metre, m) / time
(second, s)
v = x/t
Describe how to measure
the velocity of sound in air
and ripples on water
surfaces.
Investigate the suitability of
equipment to measure the
speed/frequency/wavelength
of a wave in a solid (such as
an investigation that uses a
picoscope) and a fluid (such
as an investigation that uses
a ripple tank for liquids and
a microphone, loudspeaker
1) Ask students to
describe a thunderstorm,
eliciting the fact that you
hear thunder some
seconds after you see the
lightning. Ask them to
recall how fast light
travels compared to
sound, and ask them to
suggest how they can use
a stopwatch to estimate
how far away the
lightning was.
2) Tell students that a
train is 216 metres long
and takes 5 seconds to
pass a point on the track.
Ask them how they can
use this information to
calculate the velocity of
the train. Recall that the
velocity can be calculated
by dividing distance
travelled by time taken.
Tell students that railway
Speed of sound in a solid: The
method uses a signal generator
(set to square waves at a low
frequency such as 20 Hz and
maximum amplitude) and
piezoelectric transducer to set
up a sound wave at one end of
a rod, and another transducer
to detect the sound at the other
end. If possible, allow students
to use a long lab bench as their
test material in addition to
using rods. The oscilloscope
should be connected to both
transducers such that the signal
from the signal generator to the
first transducer acts as a
trigger. The apparatus is best
set up before the lesson,
including all the settings on the
signal generator and
oscilloscope. Explain to students
how to use the timebase setting
on the oscilloscope to work out
the time interval shown by the
trace.
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Search the internet
using 'volcano shock
wave' to find a video
taken by tourists off
Papua New Guinea
when the Tavurvur
volcano erupted. The
shock wave (i.e. a
sound wave) can be
seen as it causes
condensation on the
sides of the volcano
and in the sky, and the
wave is heard around
10 seconds later. Ask
students to time how
long the shock wave
takes to arrive, and to
use this and the speed
of sound in air (330
m/s) to work out the
distance of the boat
from the volcano. Note
we assume that the
light travels
instantaneously.
35
Physics
Spec points covered
and signal generator with a
data logger)
CP4c Refraction
P2.8
Explain how waves will be
refracted at a boundary in
terms of the change of
speed and direction
Starter options
Practical activity
carriages are 24 metres
long, and 9 of them go
past in 5 seconds. Ask
them what the frequency
of carriages passing is
(1.8 carriages per
second), and ask them to
suggest how to use this
and the carriage length to
work out the speed of the
train. Sketch a train on
the board, and draw a
transverse wave beneath
it, with one wave for each
carriage. Elicit the idea
that the velocity of a
wave can be calculated
from its wavelength and
frequency.
Speed of waves on water: Each
group needs a ripple tank.
Students are asked to estimate
the speed of a wave by
measuring how far it travels in
a certain time, and also to
calculate it from measurements
of frequency and wavelength.
Note that the speed of a wave
in water depends on the
wavelength and the depth, so
the results students obtain will
depend on both the depth of
water in their tank and the
frequency they set.
1) Demonstrate some of
the more common optical
illusions that result from
refraction, such as a
Students investigate the way in
which a ray of light is bent
when it enters and leaves
Perspex or glass blocks.
Teacher-led activity
Digital Wave velocity
video
Equipment: Speed of sound in
solid: picoscope and computer,
or dual-trace oscilloscope;
signal generator; 2 piezoelectric
transducers; connecting wires;
long wooden or metal rod,
metre rule. Speed of waves on
water: ripple tank (ideally with
beaches to prevent reflections),
stopwatch, ruler, digital camera
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Use a ripple tank to
demonstrate refraction
occurring when waves
move into a different
36
Physics
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
pencil appearing bent
when standing in a
beaker of water, or a coin
in a mug only becoming
visible when water is
added to the mug.
Discuss with the class the
basic idea that we see
objects because light
travels from them to our
eyes, and then ask how
the pencil could appear
bent. Elicit the idea that
the light travelling from
water to air changes
direction.
Equipment: glass or plastic
blocks of various shapes,
including rectangular and
triangular; plain paper (A3 if
possible); power supply; ray
box with single slit (and convex
cylindrical lens to make the ray
thinner)
depth of water. Set up
a ripple tank with
illumination. Place lamp
beneath the ripple tank
to project the image
onto the ceiling. Make
sure the tank is level.
2) Ask students to work
in groups to come up with
five key facts about the
way light travels and how
its direction can be
changed. Give them a
few minutes, then ask for
contributions to a class
discussion, recording key
points on the board
The depth of water in
part of the ripple tank
is reduced by placing a
glass block in the tank.
The water above the
glass should be very
shallow and use a low
frequency wave.
Demonstrate using
waves approaching the
glass at different
angles. Link between
changes in wave
speed and refraction.
Explain that the ripple
tank is also acting as
model of sound, seismic
and light waves
refracting.
Equipment: Ripple
tank and accessories,
stopwatches, ruler.
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37
Physics
Spec points covered
Starter options
Practical activity
Teacher-led activity
Digital Refraction
animation
Written by Mark Levesley, Penny Johnson, Sue Kearsey, Iain Brand, Nigel Saunders, John Ling and Sue Robilliard.
© Pearson Education Ltd 2015. Copying permitted for registered institution only. This material is not copyright free.