Resources for teaching 9-11 years
Discover resources for teaching primary science to pupils aged 9-11 years.
Chemical changes
Making bath bombs
Learn how to make fizzing bath bombs using ingredients from your kitchen cupboards. Includes video aimed at learners, kit list, instruction, and explanation.
Red cabbage rainbows
In this activity, learners create rainbows using homemade red cabbage indicator paper. Includes video aimed at learners, kit list, instruction, and explanation.
Primary science demonstrations: changing materials
Material changes are demonstrated using fun examples: bouncy custard, bath bombs, burning candles, fire extinguishers, lava lamps and many more.
Putting fires out
How can we use vinegar and sodium bicarbonate to make a fire extinguisher?
Sherbet and popping candy: edible experiments
What makes sherbet fizz and what makes popping candy pop? Discover the importance of chemistry in everyday eating experiences with this edible experiment.
Burning: That’s Chemistry!
The ‘burning’ chapter from That’s Chemistry! This chapter looks at key ideas and activities that can be used to help students learn that when materials are burned new materials are formed, and that this process in not reversible.
Mixing and changing: primary science podcasts
Introduce your students to mixing and separating mixtures, and investigating reversible and irreversible changes with this short podcast.
Irreversible changes: That’s Chemistry!
The ‘irreversible changes- chemical reactions’ chapter from That’s Chemistry! This chapter looks at key ideas and activities that can be used to help students learn how non-reversible changes result in the formation of new materials.
Separating mixtures
Kitchen roll chromatography
Have a go at paper chromatography at home or in the classroom with items from a kitchen. Includes video aimed at learners, instructions, and explanation.
Separation techniques
A video aimed at learners, instructions, and explanation to separate a mixture of water and solids at home or in the classroom with items from a kitchen.
Primary science demonstrations: separating mixtures
Fun demonstrations of different mixtures, including racing liquids and rainbow colours.
Primary science demonstrations: liquids
Demonstrate the properties of liquids to primary students, including: suspended ice, heavy sugar and the particle disco.
Outreach: chromatography, how black is a black pen?
Inside many black pens is a rainbow of colour trying to get out. Black ink is often made from a blend of other colours. In this activity you can try out paper chromatography to separate this mixture of inks.
White powder mix-up at the factory
In Search of Solutions: As chemical engineers, you are contracted to determine how to identify several different white powders… Linking to topics on chemical reactions and physical/chemical changes.
Water for survival
Cover topics like filtration, distillation and temperature as your pupils purify water from a muddy pond to survive.
Separating sand, sawdust and salt
In Search of Solutions: sand, sawdust and salt, all mixed up, can your students recover them? Linking to topics on dissolving, evaporating, filtration and density.
Materials
Mixing and dissolving materials: That’s Chemistry!
The ‘mixing and dissolving materials’ chapter from That’s Chemistry! This chapter looks at key ideas and activities that can be used to help students learn that mixtures are made up of more than one substance and that some mixtures can be separated.
Heating and cooling materials: That’s Chemistry!
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.
Kitchen chemistry: primary science podcasts
Join Kareena and her superhero friend K-mistry for this short podcast introducing children to irreversible changes
Insulation investigation
Which material makes the warmest jacket? Investigate the insulating properties of various materials with this activity for ages 7–14
Temper, temper: edible experiments
Why is tempering chocolate so important? Discover the importance of chemistry in everyday eating experiences with this edible experiment.
Alchemy to chemistry: primary science podcasts
Join Kareena and her superhero friend K-mistry for this short podcast introducing children to how scientific theories have changed over time.
Elements Top Trumps
A fun way to introduce the elements in the periodic table.
Outreach: sunscreen and UV light
A fun demo to teach about UV light and the action/importance of sunscreen.
Sustainability
Sustainable stories and solutions for our planet
This resource highlights the issues and impacts of sustainability for 9-11 year old children. It contains several practical and discussion activities, in teachers’ guidance, children’s sheets and Powerpoint presentations.
Science Concept Cartoons: Acid rain
Spark discussion and stimulate thinking about acid rain in a way that encourages pupils to share their ideas.
Solids, liquids and gases
Investigating surface tension with milk
Explore surface tension by making patterns in milk using items from the kitchen cupboard. Includes a video aimed at learners, kit list, instruction and explanation.
Science concept cartoons: rusting
Use this conversation starter to get your pupils thinking about the process of rusting, and discussing different possibilities.
Science concept cartoons: condensation
Show this concept cartoon to your class to get them talking and thinking about condensation in new ways.
Curriculum maps
Wales national curriculum guide: key stage 2 science
Use this document when planning schemes of work or when looking for resources that are related to specific national curriculum statements.
England national curriculum guide: key stage 2 science
A linking document for primary science teachers in England, which maps Royal Society of Chemistry resources to statements from the key stage 2 science sampling framework, which aligns with the national curriculum science programmes of study.
Curriculum maps (England and Northern Ireland)
Use these maps to get an overview of the chemistry curriculum, from foundation phase/primary to undergraduate level. See how and where chemical concepts are introduced, and how the concepts are developed as students progress. Use these maps for curriculum planning, preparing your students for future courses and supporting students moving ...
English chemistry curriculum map
Use this map to get an overview of the English chemistry curriculum, from primary to undergraduate level.
Scotland curriculum for excellence guide: early to second level science
A linking document for primary science teachers in Scotland, which maps Royal Society of Chemistry resources to experiences and outcomes from the Curriculum for Excellence.
Science ideas webs
Space: science ideas webs
A web of suggested ideas for linking science with the topic space. You can learn history and science together with activities for different age groups.
The Victorians: science ideas webs
A web of suggested ideas for linking science with the topic the Victorians. You can learn history and science together with activities for different age groups.
The Stone Age: science ideas webs
A web of suggested ideas for linking science with the topic the stone age. You can learn history and science together with activities for different age groups.
Maya and Aztecs: science ideas webs
A web of suggested ideas for linking science with the topic the Maya and Aztecs. You can learn history and science together with activities for different age groups.
The Romans: science ideas webs
A web of suggested ideas for linking science with the topic the Romans. You can learn history and science together with activities for different age groups.
Ancient Egypt: science ideas webs
A web of suggested ideas for linking science with the topic Ancient Egypt. You can learn history and science together with activities for different age groups.