This Pupil Research Brief (PRB), designed by a team at the Centre for Science Education, supports the teaching and learning of chemistry at GCSE and Scottish Standard Grade levels. Each brief was targeted at a topic within the curriculum at the time. The study guide provides a structure to guide the students...

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). ‘Sustainability’ is about using resources in a way that does not deplete them. An increased emphasis on renewable energy is part of the move to greater sustainability, but so is the idea...

The Laboratory Investigation sheets for Stage 1A and...

The Laboratory Investigation sheets for Stage II of...

The mystery ...

Learn about the cooling down of liquids and thermal insulators in this colourful comic aimed at students in Key Stage Two. Written to promote enquiry skills in a context, it focuses on making predictions before carrying out an investigation on how quickly a hot liquid...

Learn about the properties of gases in this colourful comic aimed at Key Stage Two. Written to promote scientific enquiry, it contains a linked investigation which focuses on how to plan and carry out an investigation when considering which materials are good at...

Learn about the properties of materials and changing state in this colourful comic aimed at students in Key Stage Two. Written to promote enquiry skills, it contains a linked investigation which focuses on planning and recording when finding out how to make the best...

Learn about the properties of materials in this colourful comic aimed at students in Key Stage Two. Written to promote enquiry skills in a context, it focuses on making careful observations when carrying out an investigation testing the hardness of materials.

Produced by Solar Spark, this is a simple practical activity that can be used to show how a solar photovoltaic cell works. During a 45-60 minute session, students make solar cells out of cheap and readily accessible materials. The mechanism behind the solar cell is similar to that used in a dye-sensitised solar...

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). Understanding the idea of a ‘substance’ is central to making sense of the variety of materials in the world and the way that they change. Research on students’ understanding shows that...

This Unilever Laboratory Experiment, published in 1967, describes an experiment to measure the contraction of hair in a hot solution of phenol. The procedure is based on a school-made apparatus to measure the changes of length. The results are discussed in terms of hydrogen bonding and disulphide bonds between...

This chemistry extension module for the Salters’ Science course deals with the nutrients provided by food and their contribution to the diet. It also deals with methods of food processing and preservation. The module begins with a survey of the chemical composition and...