Teaching 14–16 chemistry

Try these simple guides to teaching core topics and skills in chemistry with your students

Each article includes subject and pedagogical knowledge, a summary of what students need to know and common misconceptions. They also suggest strategies for your teaching practice and recommended resources.

Articles

A bottle of bromine water next to two test tubes - one contains only clear liquid and the other contains clear liquid sitting on an orange liquid

Everything you need to introduce alkenes

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Help your 14–16 learners to master the fundamentals of the reactions of alkenes with these ideas and activities

A cartoon showing iron ore being mined then processed in a furnace before being made into buildings, household goods and ships

How to teach extraction of metals at 14–16

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Solidify learners’ understanding of extraction processes with these tips, misconception busters and teaching ideas

A diagram showing UVC breaking down oxygen gas into individual oxygen atoms that then combine with oxygen gas to make ozone. Ozone is broken down again by UVA and UVB

How to teach atmospheric chemistry at 14–16

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Use these guiding questions to guarantee student understanding of this tricky topic

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How to teach equilibrium constants at 14–16

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Use these strategies to connect 14–16 and post-16 study when teaching this topic, and cover all the essentials so students master it

Two glasses of water - one open with the water evaporating away, and the other has a lid so the water cannot escape

How to teach reversible reactions and equilibrium at 14–16

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Use these tips and teaching ideas to secure student understanding when teaching this tricky topic

A ball rolling down a slope

Everything you need to teach energetics at 14–16

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Use these ideas to help students understand the world of energetics, enthalpy and equilibrium

A scuba diver with an air tank sits on the edge of a boat ready to enter the ocean

How to teach gases at 14–16

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Use these classroom activities and tips to boost your students’ understanding of quantitative chemistry

A chemical structure of a polymer showing cross-chain bonds

Everything you need to teach polymers at 14−16

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Sharpen your teaching of polymers with these classroom ideas, activities and resources

A diagram showing the hydrogen bond between two water molecules

How to teach intermolecular forces at 14–16

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Use these ideas to help your students master this challenging topic and gain a deeper understanding of the forces at play

A diagram showing the bonds in an ionic compound

How to teach ionic bonding at 14–16

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Steer students away from ionic bonding misconceptions with these ideas for your classroom

Different representations of the bonds in methane

How to teach covalent bonding

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Everything you need to teach 14–16 chemistry students this topic

A sphere, two ovoids and four ovoids orientated differently around x,y and z axis

Use post-16 atomic models to inform 14–16 understanding

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It’ll help minimise unhelpful misconceptions too