National Qualifications - Sciences

February 1st, 2011

Freebies for Higher Chemistry and Physics!

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Comments: none Tags:  : Categories Higher Chemistry, Higher Physics, Scottish National Qualifications, Uncategorized, early-adopters, early-adopting schools, resources

Good news for teachers of Higher Chemistry and Higher Physics! Free, printed versions of three brand-new resources for each subject have been distributed to all Scottish schools this week! Look out for these in a mailbox near you soon!

The online version of these resources are also available on the National Qualifications site on the LTS website. These are just a sample of the many excellent new resources which have been produced to support the new Highers in Physics and Chemistry.

The titles which have been distributed in print for Higher Chemistry are;

1. Open-Ended Questions in Higher Chemistry - Teachers Guide
2. Carrying Out Effective Web-Based Research in Chemistry
3. Identifying Functional Groups in Complex Molecules

For Higher Physics, the printed resources which have been sent to schools are;

1. Open-Ended Questions in Higher Physics - Teachers Guide
2. Relativity - Teachers Guide
3. The Standard Model - Teachers Guide

Let us know if you find these useful!

December 22nd, 2010

Another new Higher Physics Resource! ‘The Standard Model’

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Comments: none Tags:  : Categories Higher Physics, National Qualifications, Scottish National Qualifications, Uncategorized, resources

In the 1970s, physicists developed a theory called ‘The Standard Model‘ which gives us a remarkable insight into the fundamental structure of matter in the Universe. The ‘Standard Model’ describes the twelve basic building blocks of the universe (called ‘fundamental particles’) and also looks into the ‘fundamental forces’ governing these particles.

A set of teachers notes to support teachers with the delivery of this modern content within the ‘Particles and Waves’ unit of the new CfE-inspired Higher Physics can be found on the National Qualifications page and also on the NQ Physics Glow group.

We hope you like them!

December 22nd, 2010

Chemistry Open-Ended Question Christmas Challenge!

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Comments: 1 Comment Tags:  : Categories Higher Chemistry, Higher Sciences, Open-Ended Questions, Scottish National Qualifications, Uncategorized

OK Chemistry Teachers - here’s a little Christmas challenge to get you in the mood for teaching ‘open-ended questions’ in the new CfE-inspired Higher Chemistry!

All you have to do is to watch the video-clip above from a ‘CSI:Miami’ episode entitled ‘Dissolved’ (you’ll soon see why it got that name!) and then try to answer the open-ended question below! Remember that there are many correct answers, and the purpose is to get you to exercise your thinking skills! Have fun!

An internet discussion board on ‘Bad Chemistry’ has an entry referring to the TV drama ‘CSI: Miami’.

‘Last night’s episode showed the deceased victim floating in a swimming pool contaminated with sodium hydroxide. The concentration was high enough to eat through glass. When the CSI guys realised it was an alkali, they needed to neutralise it to retrieve the body, so they sent one of the team to the local grocery store for vinegar. They proceeded to pour the vinegar from four litre jugs into the pool, dropping the pH from 13 to exactly 7.0 – all within a few seconds, and without any stirring!’

Using your knowledge of chemistry, comment on whether the events described in CSI: Miami could take place.

December 22nd, 2010

New Higher Chemistry Resource: Functional Groups in Complex Molecules and their effect on Physical Properties

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Comments: 1 Comment Tags:  : Categories Higher Chemistry, National Qualifications, SQA, Scottish National Qualifications, Uncategorized, resources

Check out an exciting new set of resources to support the ‘Consumer Chemistry’ and ‘Periodicity, Polarity & Properties’ units of the new CfE-inspired Higher Chemistry. The resource consists of an interactive PowerPoint presentation which could be used to introduce the concepts involved, plus a sample set of pupil problems, with associated answers.

The resources support learners and teachers with a new style of exam question which the SQA will include in the CfE-inspired Higher Chemistry. This new question style requires students to identify key functional groups within complex organic molecules, and then to link the presence of certain functional groups to the molecule’s physical properties. Physical properties such as solubility, melting and boiling point and viscosity are included.

The resources can be found both on the National Qualifications website and on the NQ Chemistry Glow Group, and could be used to support aspects of the current and the CFE-inspired Highers in Chemistry.

Let us know if you find them useful!

December 15th, 2010

Developing Skills within new National Qualifications

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Comments: none Tags:  : Categories National Qualifications, Open-Ended Questions, Scottish National Qualifications, Uncategorized, resources

’Building the Curriculum 4′ (the skills framework) states that every learner is entitled to the opportunity to develop skills for learning, life and work. This entitlement extends right through from the early years to the senior phase.

As a result, one of the greatest challenges facing the Qualification Design Teams (QDTs) is to ensure that skills development is given a high priority within the new National 4/5 qualifications. Which skills are key within each subject, how will they be assessed, and how can teachers be supported in delivering these skills?

The process of skills development within the new CfE-inspired Higher Sciences was spotlighted at a recent meeting of QDT reps. It was noted that key ’generic’ skills were embedded throughout the course, but delivered within a specific scientific context. For example, numeracy skills were more particularly described as ‘skills of processing and analysing scientific data’; literacy skills were ’skills of writing an effective scientific communication’; communication skills included ‘carrying out effective-web-research’ or ‘producing an investigation report as a video/ scientific poster/ report/ etc’; higher-order thinking skills were promoted through the use of ‘open-ended questions’…

A number of the latest Higher Science resources supporting skills development were used to illustrate the types of support which might be provided by LTS for N4/5 qualifications. The Powerpoint Presentation used is available in the ‘presentations’ page on the National Qualifications Glow group under the heading ‘LTS/SQA Joint Event SKILLS’.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on how skills should be delivered in the new NQs!

December 15th, 2010

Biology Resources - News!

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Comments: 1 Comment Tags:  : Categories Higher Biology, Higher Sciences, National Qualifications, Scottish National Qualifications, Uncategorized, case studies, resources

LTS have commissioned teachers to produce a variety of resources to support the new Highers in Biology and Human Biology. These resources will include;

* Teacher Support Notes

* Associated Learner Activities

* a range of exciting, topical ’Case Studies’ supporting the development of key scientific skills

The support notes will cover all areas of both Higher courses, with a particular focus on new content. These resources are now reaching first draft stage and should be available on the LTS NQ Biology page early next year. Early versions of these resources have already begun to appear on the GLOW NQ Biology page.

Watch this space for more information!

December 10th, 2010

National Qualifications Team now tweeting!

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Comments: none Tags:  : Categories National Qualifications, Scottish National Qualifications, Uncategorized, resources

The National Qualifications team at LTS is now also sharing the very latest news updates about developments in National Qualifications on Twitter. Why not follow us there?

Thoughts, suggestions and comments always welcome!

December 10th, 2010

New NQ Facebook page

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Comments: none Tags:  : Categories National Qualifications, Scottish National Qualifications, Uncategorized, resources

The National Qualifications team at LTScotland wants to keep you updated ! To get the latest news on new resources, access useful weblinks, or hear about the latest developments in National Qualifications, why not add us as a friend on Facebook?

Look forward to seeing you there!

November 23rd, 2010

Calling all Aberdeen/ Aberdeenshire Physics teachers

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Comments: none Tags:  : Categories Higher Physics, National Qualifications, Researching Physics, SQA, Scottish National Qualifications, Uncategorized, resources

Roy Pearson (LTS) and John Sharkey (SQA) will be giving a presentation on latest developments and resources for the new CfE-inspired Higher Physics to an Institute of Physics meeting at Aberdeen University on Thursday 25th November 2010.

IOP members and/or interested Physics teachers are invited to come along to the Meston Building at 6.30 pm.

Many brand-new support materials for the new Higher Physics are in production. For a sneaky peak check out the Glow Group!

November 11th, 2010

New Higher Biology Resource - PCR Case Study!

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Comments: none Tags:  : Categories Higher Biology, National Qualifications, Uncategorized, case studies, early-adopters

A fantastic new resource is now available on the NQ Biology Glow group to support students and teachers of the new Higher Biology. The resource is a case study of the Polymerase Chain reaction (PCR) and gives learners the opportunity to carry out the PCR experiment, as well as looking at applications of PCR in modern biology. Furthermore, the resource provides an opportunity for learners to develop their problem-solving skills in relevant, topical contexts through analysis of PCR data related to forensics and disease-screening .

The resource will also appear shortly on the Biology page of the National Qualifications website. Watch this space!