All Key stage 2: topic C4a articles

  • Preview of a cartoon with students asking questions about condensation
    Resource

    Science concept cartoons: condensation

    In association with

    Show this concept cartoon to your class to get them talking and thinking about condensation in new ways.

  • picture of jelly on a plate with a strawberry on the top
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    Enzymes and jellies

    If you add certain fresh fruit such as pineapple to jelly, it will not set. The task in this resource is to investigate why.

  • An aerial photograph of cumulus clouds above the sea, with shadows and a ship visible below
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    The life of water

    2018-04-26T08:55:00Z

    Get hands on with H2O, changing states of matter and the water cycle. These experiments and investigations involve water in the context of space

  • Scuba diver
    Experiment

    A Cartesian diver

    An old favourite experiment, the Cartesian diver is easy for students to complete. Explore important ideas that build a foundation of knowledge. 

  • Photo of oil, water and sand separated in a beaker
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    Separating mixtures | Primary science video demonstrations

    Fun demonstrations of different mixtures, including racing liquids and rainbow colours.

  • a selection of different coloured solid shapes
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    Solids | Primary science video demonstrations

    Display some exciting solid properties to primary learners: including biscuit bashing, dissolving and heavy sugar.

  • picture of lots of metal cylinders with compressed gas inside
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    Gases | Primary science video demonstrations

    Showing the properties of gases to primary learners, with examples from: the leaky bottle and the sticky cups

  • picture of water
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    Liquids | Primary science video demonstrations

    Demonstrate the properties of liquids to primary learners, including: suspended ice, heavy sugar and the particle disco.

  • picture of a blue lava lamp
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    Changing materials | Primary science video demonstrations

    Material changes are demonstrated using fun examples: bouncy custard, bath bombs, burning candles, fire extinguishers, lava lamps and many more.

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    Water sports and solutions

    Life is in aqueous solution - and so is much of sport. Find out why the properties of water are vital to the sports men and women who compete in, on, and around water.

  • magnet
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    Materials cards

    Spark awareness of the properties and purposes of materials, while teaching terms like ‘permeable’, ‘transparent’ and ‘magnetic’.

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    The Mpemba effect

    Help discover why warm water freezes quicker than cold water. The Royal Society of Chemistry offered £1000 for the best and most creative explanation of this phenomenon, known as the Mpemba effect. View the winning entry, try the experiment for yourself, or read the original paper.

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    The nature of science: Concept Cartoons

    The nature of science resources try to give students an awareness of science as a changing body of knowledge. This resource uses concept cartoons to help students engage with difficult scientific concepts.

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    Solids, Liquids and Gases

    Cartoon animations that explain in simple terms why different materials have different properties and how they change on heating and cooling. Other animations cover separating solids from liquids and show what happens to a solid when it dissolves in a liquid. Courtesy of the ABPI.

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    Solids, liquids and gases: That’s Chemistry!

    In association with

    The ‘solids, liquids and gases’ chapter from That’s Chemistry! This chapter looks at key ideas and activities that can be used to help students learn about solids, liquids and gases, and understand that some materials change state when they are heated or cooled.

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    Heating and cooling materials: That’s Chemistry!

    In association with

    The ‘heating and cooling materials’ chapter from That’s Chemistry! This chapter looks at key ideas and activities that can be used to help students learn how the properties of some materials change when they are heated, and that some of these changes are irreversible.

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    Cracking Chemistry!

    Work your way through these fun chemistry practicals developed by National Science & Engineering Week.

  • Shopping basket
    Experiment

    Chemistry in your shopping basket

    Demonstrate the diversity of chemistry in our day-to-day lives with this collection of experiments. Includes kit list and safety instructions for five practicals

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    Resource

    Hand warmers

    Use these student activities and teacher guide to investigate reusable and disposable hand warmers. You will compare reusable variants made with sodium acetate vs disposable handwarmers. You can also try making your own hand warmers. These activities may work well as a project on class topics like ‘winter’ or ‘body ...

  • Colour powder
    Experiment

    Colour chemistry

    A variety of experiments that explore colour changing, so learners can experience a comprehensive look into the brighter side of chemistry