It’s almost Chemistry Week (4–10 November) – are you ready?
Trick question: yes, you are! Our resources are ready to go, so all you need to do is download the PowerPoint and you’re equipped for lessons and assemblies alike.
This year’s theme is ‘chemistry is shaping the future’. Show your students how inspirational chemists are building a better world, and get them thinking about future jobs with our interactive quiz.
New free worksheets: using Johnstone’s triangle to deepen understanding
When we do an experiment, the results might be visible, but the explanations are often unseen or abstract, creating challenges for learners. These worksheets can help bridge the gap between the ‘seen’ and ‘unseen’, using the Johnstone’s triangle model.
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Help learners build secure mental models to support their thinking
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Break down different conceptual levels and reduce overload
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Ready-to-use worksheets, suitable for whole-class, group and independent work
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Developed by teachers and subject experts
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Covering four key topics: ionic bonding, covalent bonding, metallic bonding, and carbon allotropes
There’s still time to join the Top of the Bench competition
Our annual chemistry competition, Top of the Bench, gives your 14–16 students the chance to put their practical and teamworking skills into action. You’ve still got time to enter a team of four students to take part in regional heats – and the winning team from each heat will go on to the national final in spring!
Regional heats are organised and funded by your local section. We’d love your school to take part – find out more and get in touch.
Add a Halloween twist to your chemistry lessons
We’ve put together a bundle of exciting experiments and demonstrations to let you show off the thrills and chills of science this Halloween.
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Add a touch of magic with microscale ‘potions’.
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Create a spook-ticle of jaw-dropping demonstrations.
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Delve into just what makes Halloween food so spooky.
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Get messy with investigations into blood, gore and slime.
And there’s much more to inspire and delight your students on our free resource page.
Poster competition: the chemistry of protein shakes
Join in this competition run by the RSC Food Group! Individuals or groups of up to three students (aged 14–18 and UK-based) are invited to design an A3/A4 poster on the chemistry of protein shakes.
The winning poster designers and their teacher will be invited to spend a half day making shakes at a food research company, spending time with food and flavour scientists. (Travel expenses of up to £800 are covered.)
The UK’s largest science education event is coming up soon
University of Nottingham, 9–11 January 2025
Get ready for the UK’s largest science education event, the Association for Science Education’s Annual Conference! Over three days, primary and secondary teachers, technicians, students, ECTs, consultants, academics, and anyone with an interest in science education will have access to 250+ sessions, including keynotes, workshops, and an exhibition of science education organisations.
Early bird tickets are available until 3 November.
Learn more and book your tickets
October’s regional updates
We’re hard at work sprucing up our newsletters! This includes adding your regional updates into your monthly education newsletter.
By next month, this will be automatic, so you’ll find updates from your region right in this email. While we’re getting everything set up, you can find October’s regional news on our website – including ASE’s Autumn Science Convention (West of England), a spooky science museum event (East of England), and an engaging showcase on apprenticeships (North West).
And keep an eye out for the first issue of our brand new Teach Chemistry newsletter – an exclusive article and an invite to sign up, dropping into your inbox very soon.
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