Ionic Bonding

 GCSE Chemistry Tuition: Using the cardboard models to gain a better insight into the donation and receiving of electrons creates bonds. Atoms like Magnesium have two sticky-out bits representing the two electrons that can be donated, and negative ions have in bits to accept these donated electrons to give complete shells.

Moments

A-level Physics Tuition: Students investigate moments using the @pascoscientific Aluminium Metre Ruler on a pivot, moving the weights and changing the weights to get the system to balance. Learning how to balance this is essential for Physics and A-level Maths—theory and practice.

Ratio

 GCSE Foundation Maths: A more fun way to learn ratios is to use sweets. Sweets make the concept easier to see, and using more senses turns an abstract idea into one you can touch and see. This all helps the understanding. At the end of the lesson, you can eat the sweets and do ratios.

Inclined Plane

 A-Level Physics: We are working with the inclined plane, investigating the effect of angle on the force and then changing the surface to see how the frictional force affects the results.

Microtome

 GCSE Biology Using a Microtome. A section of a lead is inserted into a vertical slit in a chunk of carrot. A slice is made with a cut-throat razor, then the carrot is wound up a few turns on the microtome, and a new slice is taken to get very thin sections of a leaf to look at.

Titratons

GCSE Chemistry: We ensure that year 11 students have attempted all their missed required practicals. Without practicals, many students get lost in Chemistry. We make the difference by letting the students have several attempts at the experiments to increase their understanding.

Ball Launcher

A-level Physics: Will the ball that is launched into the air be captured by a @pascoscientific smart cart moving at a constant velocity and go back into the launcher? All my students said no, but they were wrong. So, how about an accelerating object—I need another launcher.

 

Foundation Math

 GCSE Foundation Maths - _ repeating the Foundation Maths but to pass this time. I get quite a few students who managed a 2 or a 3 in Maths and need to get at least a 4 to continue their study. New motivation and lots of repetition help improve the grades.

Crushed Can

 GCSE Physics: Crushing a can by pumping out all the air gave the students an insight into the power of air pressure and how to build spaceships operating in a vacuum and a submarine operating in the depths of the oceans.

Slide Preparation

 GCSE Biology: The class is preparing their own slides. They found that instead of making one slide, they had to make many to make just one that was good enough to show what they were looking for. They needed the right thickness, the correct amount of stain, and a bit of luck.

The Marketing Mix

 A -Level Business Studies The Marketing Mix, often referred to as the 4 Ps, is a set of key elements that a business uses to promote and sell its products or services.

• Product
• Place
• Price
• Promotion

Hard Disk

 A-Level Computer Studies. The students are looking at the physical mechanism of a hard disk drive. Because of less head movement, how the heads move over the surface and writing across a cylinder can be faster than writing across tracks.

Alkali Metals

 GCSE Chemistry:  Investigating with the students just how soft metals like Lithium, Sodium and Potassium are and, of course, how reactive the metals are. I like comparing their reaction with those of the Alkaline Earth metals and the Transition Metals.

Gravitational Anomaly

 GCSE Physics: Some of my students have been investigating a gravitational anomaly around the @pascoscientific light gate and picket fence, trying to determine why there is such an anomaly here. Student error seemed to be the case with practice getting 9.8m/s/s

UAT

 

For some students, it's time to look at the Test of Mathematics for University Admission. It's a shock when they realise how good their Maths needs to be and what they should be doing instead of where they are.

Slinky drop

A-Level Physics in the Holidays: In the simple slinky drop, does the slinky fall and collapse as it hits the ground, or does it compress first and then fall? The students used slow motion on their phones to capture the facts, and then they had to explain their observations.

 

Fossil fish under the Microscope

GCSE Biology: We are looking at a Fossil Fish under a low-power microscope to examine as many features as possible. Why have most of the features stayed the same over the past millions of years? Have they evolved so much that they are perfectly adapted to their situation?
 

Brain Areas

 Getting a Head Start on A-Level Psychology: Dive into the brain's structure, discover what each part does, and explore how they shape our behaviours. Beyond the physical, let's ponder the wonders of imagination and what makes us truly unique.  #Psychology #BrainScience #Imagination #Alevels