Chemistry KS3 -best way to learn and revise?

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My dd (year 9) has decided she might want to take triple science in her options.

Chemistry is her weakest science subject so I am helping her get a plan together so she can start again going over all the topics since year 7.

She's had a lot of supply teachers in science and felt confused from the off in Chemistry. I think we could pull her grade up a level if we spend an hour a week going over the topics. I can't tell you her current grade as they only give a grade for science overall- she has an A for general science but feels like she's often confused on Chemistry.

Anyone know how best to do it without it being too dry? You Tubes? Revision books?
Hoping for YouTube sessions where it is explained by someone passionate but with good teaching skills. Please let me know if you know any good ones 🙏

You can get CGP ks3 guides. BBC bitesize may help.
With science you need to make sure resources are pitched at the right key stage.

Some of the content in years 7 to 9 isn't really covered/relevant for GCSE, so just be aware of that. No point in going over loads of stuff that she'll never need to use again!

Maybe look at the GCSE curriculum?

I'd make sure you cover the basics, i.e. a thorough knowledge/understanding of the periodic table (though not necessarily memorising it at this stage), simple equations, acids/alkalis, memorise common formulae so she can recognise them and so she doesn't have to think what they are when she sees the formula, i.e. hydrochloric/sulphuric acid, ammonia, etc - the ones that constantly come up in exams!

Her years 10 and 11 will be much easier and more understandable if she has a thorough grasp of the basics, otherwise it's easy to struggle and fall behind.

YouTube 'Free science lessons ' is great if she's studying AQA. Check with the school. She may be able to access the school text books digitally if they use kerboodle.

I second this. Shaun is a hero.

He is dry and some kids see him as boring but he somehow becomes cool bu the end of y11.

He gets the points across clearly and simply.

He eventually has a cartoon of himself now.

Cognito on YouTube do some really good revision videos for science.

Lots of school start gcse content in y9 - but second bbc bitesize as a good place to work on things

Ahh- you're all amazing. Thanks so so much. Will work through these ideas tomorrow and see if I can come up with a revision plan for her. X

I would look to find out what is covered in Yr 9. Some schools stick to KS3 topics, others call it a foundation year and start GCSE content. If it is GCSE content then finding out the exam board and getting the matching revision guide would be a good plan. It would also be useful to look into what is needed to get onto the Triple course.
BBC bitesize is useful. Gives a good overview of topics and there is a multiple choice quiz at the end of each section. I would also second the use of Cognito science videos on YouTube. There are 5min videos on every topic for each science.

Thanks again.

I just watched a cognitio video and thought it very good, though maybe a bit advanced. Shame it's not just the tear 9's. The Free Science Lessons one is too hard and aimed for those in key stage 4 from what I can make out. I'll keep Googling!

I called the school to ask which exam board. It didn't go well.
Replies went something like
What age is your daughter?
Year9 ? Oh they don't take exams.
You won't need to know that until she's in year 10
No I don't know what the chemistry one is, they are all different.
The exams officer is busy dealing with mocks- she won't be able to get back to you.

Might try emailing the form tutor or science teacher.
No wonder the children are all stressed in y10 and 11- would be better to keep a steady pace from year 9 imo.

Year 9 is hard as all schools do different things. We do a lab based book work of required practicals. Other schools start GCSE.
Best to get a list of year 9 topics and try bitesize and Oak Academy if they ever put their lessons back up.

At DS's school, they started the GCSE course itself in year 9, so all pupils knew what exam board they were going to sit, so could buy their CGP workbooks and revision books early. There isn't that much difference, as I think most of the major topics are covered by them all, but your DD really doesn't want to be wasting time studying things that won't be examined, either by revision books, or by watching youtube videos, BBC bite size etc., as it's obviously better for them to study in a structured way, in the right order, only relevant stuff, rather than randomly watching videos etc. I'd email her current science teacher to ask, they'll almost certainly know what exam board they'll be using, schools don't change the exam board that often.

To start with focus on the Periodic Table, make it fun.
Make top trumps cards on the different elements.
Play memory games for the symbols and name and then the symbol and atomic Number, learning the first 20 plus a few of the key metals.
Print some out (AQA website has one) and play Guess Who, or battleships using the Groups and Periods as the coordinates.
Learn how many protons, neutrons and electrons are in each of the first 20 elements. Learn the electronic arrangement.

Once you master the PT you can move onto word and symbol equations, balancing formulas, metallic, covalent, ionic bonding and the reactivity series.

Plan simple experiments at home and get them written up properly including graphs to practise How Science Works skills.

Give statements to help him design an experiment "Rich tea are the best biscuits for dunking", "A crushed bath bomb dissolves faster than a whole bath bomb" "Bath bombs dissolve faster in hot water" You can explore rate of reaction, surface area etc the experiments can be very simple but you can go quite deep with the explanation, discussion about variables etc.

Make sure he knows the names of key pieces of scientific equipment (check you are using the correct word before teaching him too) - measuring cylinders, top pan balance, conical flask.

Little and often is probably the best way for revision. Particularly with stuff she isn't confident on.

What topics has she already been taught in yr 7 & 8. I'd start with that rather than looking forward to GCSE right now. Not all of it might be relevant, but it's probably easier than looking at GCSE and working backwards. It won't matter too much what syllabus she's doing then.

I'd get a set of these. I know they are science, not chemistry, but they give a really great grounding.

https://www.cgpbooks.co.uk/secondary-books/ks3/science/shkbb31-ks3-science-knowledge-organiser

If you have a hunt around the school website, can you find a parents presentation for Y10 or Y11? Our Y10 had a list of all the exam boards by subject. But, honestly I'd get the KS3 stuff firmly fixed in her head rather than focus on exa boards at this stage.

Could I just jump into say she does not need to memorise atomic or mass numbers from the periodic table. She does not need to memorise the periodic table at all, what she will need to be able to do for GCSE is USE the periodic table which she will be given in the exam.

However it is useful to know the first 20 element symbols just because it will make learning about compounds easier, and the common compound ions like carbonate / sulfate/ nitrate etc plus as someone already said, the 3 commons acids.

I’m just picking up a year 10 triple chemistry and what they should have come to me with from year 9 is a really solid understanding of structure of an atom/ atomic mass and number/ electron arrangement/ how the periodic table is arranged and the history of its development. They have done basic collision theory but not in depth rate of reaction.

I think you are right to want to address confusion at this stage because often pupils find chemistry harder than they need to because they have missed the basics somewhere and the whole chemistry code becomes mysterious. However it’s more tricky if you don’t know what she’s done already. When you next have parents evening I would book to see science and ask the detailed questions there.

I would try emailing the Chemistry/Science teacher. They should be able to give you an outline of Year 9, the exam board and some detailed information regarding revision. I'm a Chemistry teacher and am always happy to provide support if a parent gets in touch. They may also be able to signpost potential problem topics to help focus revision.