How to Make A-Level Chemistry Easy(er)

ABOUT THIS COURSE

This brand-new course is designed for teachers who have gained confidence in their subject knowledge of A-Level Chemistry but are struggling to ensure that students are achieving the grades of which they are capable. By understanding WHY students find Chemistry so tricky conceptionally and HOW to simplify their teaching, this course aims to give every delegate a toolbox of ways of breaking down their teaching to improve student understanding. Delegates will receive comprehensive course notes providing examples and suggested techniques for all type of question found in all 3 papers ensuring they are able to apply the discussed methods the day following the course.

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WHO SHOULD ATTEND

• The course uses example from AQA A-Level Chemistry but applies to all Exam Boards
• Those who feel they need new ideas on how to make the step change in their teaching to improve student outcomes

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

• Link the science of how the brain processes information to the science taught in A-Level Chemistry
• Understand how this can be applied to level questions, calculations, required practical and complicated synthesis questions
• By receiving multiple examples of all techniques, be confident to employ all methods straight after the course
• Be given an insight into the best way to prepare students to get the Examiner on side
• Top tips from an Examiner on the common mistakes students make in the A-Level exams and how to minimise these through teaching more effectively

 

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PROGRAMME

10.00am: How Does a Student’s Brain Learn?

• Linking neuroscience to the classroom

• Understanding how this can be harnessed to make levelled questions and calculations formulaic for a student
• Linking the formula to AO1, AO2 and AO3 in your lessons in preparation for answering synoptic questions

• Practice applying these methods to exam questions to embed the necessary techniques

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11.00am: Break

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11.15am: Barriers to Teaching Physical Chemistry

• What are the challenges for many students?
• Discuss techniques to make mathematicians out of less numerate students
• Using retrieval practice to simplify more complicated topics
• Practice and embed all techniques discussed

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12.15pm: Barriers to Teaching Organic Chemistry

• What are the challenges for many students?
• How to move Organic chemistry from an exercise in learning to a deep understanding, ensuring a confident student approach to AO3 questions
• ‘NMR for dummies’
• Practice and embed all techniques discussed

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1.15pm: Lunch

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2.15pm: Barriers to Teaching Inorganic Chemistry

• What are the challenges for many students?
• Understanding the patterns in the Periodic Table and how this can unlock Inorganic Chemistry
• Using mnemonics and scaffolds effectively to improve student confidence
• Practice and embed all techniques discussed

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2.45pm: Barriers to Teaching Required practicals

• Methods to link the practical to the theory to facilitate an understanding of both
• What you have to ‘teach’ and what the students have to ‘do’
• Effective practicals; how to get the most out of practical sessions
• Practice and embed all techniques discussed

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3.15pm: Exam tips from an Examiner

• Suggestions on how to stop common mistakes being made through effective teaching practice
• Ideas on how to generate predictions for the Summer exams
• Preparing for success in the 2027 Summer series

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3.45pm: Depart