Materials chemistry – pupil resources
This collection of classroom resources features all the pupil activities from our Developing expertise in teaching materials chemistry course for teachers. This collection is most valuable to those who have attended this course and wish to put into practice with their students some of the ideas and activities presented as part of that event.
Modelling alloys with plasticine
This experiment enables students to experience how alloying can be used to change the properties of a metal.
Cross-linking polymers – alginate worms
Sodium alginate is a polymer which can be extracted from brown seaweed and kelps. It is one of the structural polymers that help to build the cell walls of these plants. It has some unusual properties and a wide variety of uses.
Identifying polymers
In this experiment solutions with known densities are used to identify the polymers used in everyday materials.
The plastic that came out of thin air
The story of Roy Plunkett and the discovery of Teflon® (polytetrafluoroethene) can be used to show that many things in science were discovered accidentally.
Plastics challenge
Links to Practical Action's plastics challenge, where students develop products from recycled objects, as a possible way of tackling environmental problems caused by plastic waste.
Nanotechnology
The Inspirational chemistry chapter ‘Nanotechnology’. This chapter suggests games, activities, practicals and demonstrations for teaching various topics, including ways that nanotechnology can improve our everyday lives.
Iron - a metal
Chemistry is a conceptual subject and, in order to explain many of these concepts, teachers use models to describe and explain the microscopic world and relate it to the macroscopic properties of matter. This resource is designed to provide strategies for dealing with some of the misconceptions that students have ...
Advanced level Starters for ten 1 (16–18)
This chapter in our Starters for ten series covers quantitative chemistry, atomic structure, bonding, trends in the periodic table, organic chemistry, thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibria, redox, analysis and experimental skills.
Rusting
This activity looks at rusting in the context of shipwrecks. It has different demands to the traditional experiment to show the factors needed for rusting to occur.
Polymer puzzles
This activity is designed to develop the students’ higher order thinking – particularly critical thinking skills – in the context of problem solving. It should help students to recall the facts about some common polymers.