School Science Made Easy

Parents and students are invited to view an introduction video clip which provides information about the tutorial site, School Science Made Easy.

Initially the website came about as a result of my disappointment with what has been available on the Internet for students who find high school science a little more difficult than average and who needed a more structured framework in which use IT in the classroom.  As a high school Science teacher, I felt the need for a facility that

• enabled interactive and self paced learning,
• catered for different modes of learning,
• had content that matched up with the syllabus and a popular textbook (in this case, Core Science - Stage 4),
• provided encouraging feedback to students,
• was very affordable.

Having been a tutor for a family who was homeschooling I realised that it would be an excellent program for students in that situation.

Presently the site consists of one course made up of 63 tutorials, each with an average of 53 slides, each with a graphic, text and available sound, (a reading of the text). At the discretion of the student, the words can be read at the click of a button.

Graphics include animated gifs and occasionally, small video segments.

Each tutorial is supported by 25 True/False questions or 25 sentences which involve choosing one of two options. The objective of the questions is to consolidate learning.  Students are able to review these exercises 3 times and are given appropriate commendation upon completion. Privacy for students will be strictly maintained so that student progress will be a matter of negotiation between parents and student.

Revision exercises will be developed in the very near future.

While endeavouring to cater for the students who find Science difficult, there is no dilution of content. More difficult, less titillating elements of the course are included, for example, hypothesis testing, quantitative and qualitative observations, the distinction between observations, interpretations and predictions, dependent and independent variables.

The tutorials cover the Year 7 Science syllabus for NSW, however, plans are in place to extend it to Year 10 as soon as practicable. See below for a list of tutorial topics covered in the Year 2 course.

The cost is $10AUS per course per pupil with access being available for a period of at least 11 months. Payment is via PayPal or the usual credit cards. The possibility of an app. for i-phones and smart-phones is being explored.

Feedback from parents is very welcome and can be made through the Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/schoolsciencemadeeasy or info(at)schoolschoolsciencemadeeasy.com.

Phil Jones
Managing Director
School Science Made Easy

What is Science?
Tutorial 1. Who or What is a Scientist?
Tutorial 2. The Science Laboratory
Tutorial 3. Safety in the Laboratory
Tutorial 4. Drawing Laboratory Equipment
Tutorial 5. Lighting a Bunsen Burner
Tutorial 6. Thinking Like a Scientist
Tutorial 7: Different kinds of observations, Errors and Mistakes
Tutorial 8. Using Scientific Instruments
Tutorial 9. Writing a Scientific Report

Cells
Tutorial 10. A Look at Microscopes
Tutorial 11. What Does Every Living Cell Have in Common?
Tutorial 12. One Celled
Tutorial 13. Specialised
Tutorial 14. From Little Things Big Things Grow,
(or Cells, Tissues and Organs).

What are Things are Made Of
Tutorial 15. Particle Model of Matter.
Tutorial 16. Physical Changes
Tutorial 17. Density Lesson
Tutorial 18. Why Does Ice Float on Water?
Tutorial 19. Expansion and Contraction.
Tutorial 20. Heat and Gases

Putting Things into Groups
Tutorial 21. Living and Non-Living
Tutorial 22. A Closer Look at Living Things - Photosynthesis and Respiration.
Tutorial 23. Putting Living Things into Groups
Tutorial 24. Classifying
Tutorial 25. Plants Without Flowers
Tutorial 26. Putting Animals into Groups
Tutorial 27. Animals Without Backbones

Separating Chemicals
Tutorial 28. Mixtures
Tutorial 29. Solutions
Tutorial 30. Separating Solids from Liquids
Tutorial 31. Separating Solids from Solids

What’s in Space?
Tutorial 32. Life in the Solar System
Tutorial 33. The Cool Planets
Tutorial 34: Our Closest Star
Tutorial 35. Earth and the Four
Tutorial 36. The Moon

Forces
Tutorial 28. A Push, Pull or Twist
Tutorial 38. Balanced Forces
Tutorial 39. Measuring Forces
Tutorial 40. Friction Lesson
Tutorial 41. Gravity Lesson
Tutorial 42. Floating
Tutorial 43. Forces During Flight
Tutorial 44. A Close Look at Magnetism.
Tutorial 45. Why is a Magnet a Magnet?

How Atoms Get Together
Tutorial 46. Elements and Compounds.
Tutorial 47. Atoms, Molecules and Lattices.

The Earth Rocks
Tutorial 48. Movements of the Earth’s Surface
Tutorial 49. Where do Rocks Come From?
Tutorial 50. Why are Some Rocks Special? (A look a minerals)
Tutorial 51. More on Weather and Erosion of Rocks

Energy
Tutorial 52. Energy
Tutorial 53. Measuring Energy and Changing Energy
Tutorial 54. Heat and Temperature
Tutorial 55. Heat on the Move - Conduction
Tutorial 56. Insulators
Tutorial 57. Movement of Heat through Gases and Liquids.
Tutorial 58. Radiation.

Chemical Reactions
Tutorial 59. Chemical Changes

Light and Sound
Tutorial 60. Light.
Tutorial 61. What is Sound?
Tutorial 62. The Properties of Sound.

Looking at Air
Tutorial 63. The Atmosphere Lesson