Sodium alginate is one of the structural polymers that helps to build the cell walls of plants like brown seaweed and kelp. It can be extracted for a wide range of uses. Alginate is a common food additive, E400, used as a thickener, stabiliser and gelling agent. Calcium alginate (a cross-linked polymer) is used in...

A multiple choice quiz on polymers and life for  AS/A level chemistry.

Although it is written for OCR AS/A level chemistry (Salters) H033/H433 course, it can be edited to suit your scheme of work.

From The Centre for Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC), this book is aimed at post-16 chemistry students but will also be useful for students following technology or vocational courses. The book helps students to first understand the basis of polymer chemistry and the plastics industry. It moves on to consider...

A National STEM Learning Centre and Network Engineering Case Studies resource investigating the production of oil and how oil reserves are located.

If the oil reserves are running out, how can we get more out of what'...

In this set of three activities from the European Space Agency, students learn about electrochemistry. In the first activity they build a voltaic pile – a simple battery. Students will then study electrolysis, producing hydrogen and oxygen which can be used as propellants for spacecraft and/or to provide oxygen to...

Teaching resources to support teaching of chemistry within the UK science curricula. Set within a global context resources draw on Practical Action’s’ projects in the developing world.  Suitable for ages 7-16.

Produced by LSIS, this interactive resource aims to support classroom practitioners in improving the quality of learning in practical science sessions. It is not a set of suggested practical activities to use in the classroom. Instead, it provides a framework for clarifying and achieving learning outcomes through...

Produced by the Nuffield Foundation in partnership with the Society of Biology, Royal Society of Chemistry, and Institute of physics, these resources aim to support science classroom practitioners at secondary level. Practical Work for Learning comprises a set of resources exemplifying three different pedagogical...

Teachers TV was originally a television channel which aimed to provide professional development support for teachers, school leaders, support staff and governors. Many of the programmes were filmed inside real classrooms, with teachers sharing good practice and ideas for lessons. The videos in this collection are a...

This Catalyst article looks at 3D printing, a new technology which is rapidly finding applications. Although probably too slow for mass production it is useful for producing prototypes and tailor-made items. In a 3D printer, layers of polymer beads are printed one on top of the other. Heat melts the polymer beads...

A Catalyst article describing how process chemists work in the pharmaceutical industry, devising methods of making new drugs. Process chemists are a link in the chain from an initial idea to a new drug making it to the market. It generally takes at least 10 years from an idea by a medicinal chemist to a new...