Resources from the Royal Society of Chemistry

The Royal Society of Chemistry produces a range of material to support the teaching of the chemical sciences in UK schools and colleges. The materials fall into four main categories:

• Materials to support the curriculum
• Curriculum projects
• Schools and Colleges Publications Service (SCPS)
• Careers information for students

Materials to support the curriculum

The majority of materials produced by the RSC are sent free of charge to all schools and colleges in the UK. The RSC's Teacher Fellows are responsible for developing major curriculum projects and activities. Recent accomplishments by Fellows include:

• Chemical misconceptions: prevention, diagnosis and cure - materials which identify students chemical misconceptions and introduce strategies to deal with them

• Ideas and evidence series - a collection of teaching and learning activities which link cross curricular themes into chemistry

• In search of solutions and In search of more solutions are sets of problem-solving activities for students

• What's your reaction? is a resource material for teachers of primary science

• Modern chemical techniques and More modern chemical techniques are back-up material for teachers of post-16 chemistry

• Classic chemistry demonstrations - a collection of tried and tested chemistry demonstrations

• Microscale chemistry - a collection of experiments in miniature

• Classic chemistry experiments - a collection of experiments for students in schools and colleges

• That's chemistry - a collection of experiments, demonstrations and activities for primary schools.

Currently a collection of materials on contemporary issues in chemistry for 11-16 year olds, and materials to help teachers use ICT in their chemistry teaching are being developed.

Curriculum projects

The RSC offers support to curriculum development projects through its Committee for Schools and Colleges. Recent examples of such projects include:

• Standard Procedures for GCSE Applied Science teacher’s notes with answers and student worksheets designed to support the teaching of all the GCSE Applied Science specifications.

• Paracetamol is a book which covers the stages of the preparation of paracetamol

• Chemistry and the human genome is an account of the chemical science underpinning the discovering of the human genome

• Chemistry at the races - a book on how modern chemical techniques are used to ensure fairness in horse racing

• Chemistry Now - a series of web-based leaflets on modern aspects of chemistry

• All at sea? The chemistry of the oceans - a web resource on how the oceans have changed over time

• Sodium carbonate – a versatile material - a book based on the manufacture of sodium carbonate

• Materials cards for primary schools - cards designed to support the teaching of materials and their properties for 5-11 year olds

• a series of colour posters on modern spectroscopic techniques

• Cutting edge chemistry - a book for post-16 students on modern applications of chemistry

• Modern chemical techniques - a video for post-16 students on spectroscopic techniques

• Industrial chemistry for schools and colleges - a video on those aspects of industrial chemistry included in GCSE and Standard Grade courses, with a Teacher's Guide and Question Booklet.

• CD-Roms: Practical chemistry for schools and colleges, Spectroscopy for schools and colleges, Alchemy? and the RSC electronic data book

• Star* - a co-operative project involving poetry and science for primary schools.

Schools and Colleges Publications Service (SCPS)

By subscription to the SCPS, schools and colleges receive quality resource material, generated from around the world and relevant to chemistry teaching. Subscribers receive Education in Chemistry and Chemistry Review from the UK.

The RSC sends a free copy of Education in Chemistry to every secondary school and college in the UK. Chemistry Review is a magazine for post-16 students.

In addition to Education in Chemistry, there are four overseas journals: Chemistry in Action from Ireland; Chem Matters from the US; Chem 13 News from Canada; and Chem NZ from New Zealand. Subscribers also receive amounts of other resource material whenever and from wherever it is available.

Careers information for students

Young people need help to make informed decisions about careers. The RSC produces a variety of literature aimed at students from the age of 13 upwards. This includes:

• The chemical sciences - choosing a degree gives students an idea of the sort of questions they should be asking in order to select the right chemical science degree for them.

• An insight into a variety of chemical science careers is available online or in booklet form in from chemical sciences to… aimed at 14 year olds and above

• The How far have we come with science? leaflet for 11-16 year olds shows the career opportunities across the sciences

• Life Beyond exams (booklet for 16-18 year olds) - outlines careers in or related to chemistry.

The material is supplemented by a series of colour posters promoting careers in chemistry including Not all chemists wear white coats

Mini Guide