Structure of Course and External Assessment
Unit 1 – Foundation Chemistry : 1 hour 15 minutes exam 33⅓ % of total AS marks (June 2015)
Unit 2 – Chemistry in Action: 1 hour 45 minutes exam 46⅔ % of total AS marks (June 2015)
Unit 3 – Investigative and practical skills in AS Chemistry: Practical skills assessment (PSA -12 raw marks), Investigative skills assignment (ISA – 38 raw marks) & 20% of AS marks (completed throughout Year 12)
Further information on the structure and content of the course, including past papers and mark schemes, can be found at the link below
http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/as-and-a-level/chemistry-2420
Teaching order
Mrs Roughley
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Module
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Topic
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Length of topic
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Induction
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Teaching and test
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2 week
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Module 1
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Atomic structure
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3 weeks
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Amount of substance
|
5 weeks
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|
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Bonding +Periodicity
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5 weeks
|
|
|
Module 2
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Energetics
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5 weeks
|
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Kinetics
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2 week
|
|
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Equilibria
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2 weeks
|
|
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Controlled assessment
|
4 weeks
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Mr Ward
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Module
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Topic
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Length of topic
|
|
Module 1
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Introduction to organic chemistry
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3 weeks
|
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Alkanes
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4 weeks
|
|
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Module 2
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Alkenes
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3 weeks
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Haloalkanes
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4 weeks
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|
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Alcohols
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3 weeks
|
|
|
Analytical techniques
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2 weeks
|
|
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Redox
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3 weeks
|
|
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Group 7, the halogens
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2 week
|
|
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Group 2, the alkaline earth metals
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2 weeks
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|
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The extraction of metals
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2 weeks
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Internal assessment
You will do an end of topic test at the end of each topic. If you do not achieve your target grade you will be given an opportunity to sit another end of topic test in your free time. It is very important to make sure you understand each topic before going on to the next as each topic will build on ideas from the previous topics.
A2 Chemistry Information
Topics, teaching order and assessments
Mrs Roughley
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Topic
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Title
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Duration of teaching
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Assessment by
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|
5.1.1
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Hast Fast?
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6 weeks
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17th October
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|
5.1.2
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How Far?
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8 weeks
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19th December
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|
5.2
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Energy
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8 weeks
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6th March
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|
5.3
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Transition Metals
|
3 weeks
|
27th March
|
Mr Ward
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Topic
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Title
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Duration of teaching
|
Assessment by
|
|
4.1.1
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Arenes
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2 weeks
|
19th September
|
|
4.1.2
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Carbonyl Compounds
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3 weeks
|
|
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4.1.3
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Carboxylic acids and esters
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4 weeks
|
14th November
|
|
4.1.4
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Amines and azo dyes
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3 weeks
|
|
|
4.2.1
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Amino acids and chirality
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4 weeks
|
|
|
4.2.2
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Polyesters and polyamides
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3 weeks
|
6th February
|
|
4.3.1
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Chromatography
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2 weeks
|
|
|
4.3.2
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Spectroscopy
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2 weeks
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13th March
|
|
5.3
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Transition Metals
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2 weeks
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27th March
|
Breakdown of units and details on examination details
Further information on the structure and content of the course, including past papers and mark schemes, can be found at the link below:
http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/as-a-level-gce-chemistry-a-h034-h434
Internal assessment
You will do end of topic assessments as outlined above. If you do not achieve your target grade in the test you will be invited to a drop in session and asked to sit the assessment again in your free time. It is very important to make sure you understand each topic before going on to the next as each topic will build on ideas from the previous topics.
External assessment
F234 and F235 exams will be carried out in May / June 2015. F236 (investigative and practical skills in A2 Chemistry) will be assessed throughout the A2 course.
Text books and revision guides
Shown below are some suggested texts:
You will be provided with a copy of the OCR A2 Chemistry text book.
The A2-Level Chemistry student guide is concise and has lots of extra questions in to help with independent study. 
The practical skills in Chemistry book is very useful in preparing for the practical assessments within the course.
You can purchase the A2-Level Chemistry student guide from the school for £10 (rrp £19.99). We will also have copies of the practical skills book which can be borrowed during independent study.
Further Information for AS and A2 Chemistry Students
Homework
Homework will be set regularly and will include a variety of different tasks including research tasks, past exam questions and full exam papers. We will also be using the doddlelearn website to set homework and track your progress during the year.
Independent study
To be successful at A2 chemistry it is necessary to do a lot of work outside of lessons. You will be given an exercise book to complete your independent study in, although you may wish to use a different book / folder for your independent study. The kind of independent study we will expect to see will include –
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Summary and revision notes for each topic
-
Definitions of keywords for each topic
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Practise questions for each topic from a variety of Chemistry A-level books
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Summaries and notes on relevant / interesting research articles from scientific journals and websites
We will also expect you to use the doddlelearn website during your independent study.
Drop in sessions
Drop in sessions will run once a week and will offer you the opportunity for one to one or small group tutorials on the areas of the course that you find most difficult. You need to sign in at least 24 hours in advance specifying what topic area(s) you would like to cover in order to attend these sessions.
Further reading
To achieve the very best grades students need a deeper understanding of Chemistry to develop this you need to read about each topic in more depth and practise a wide variety of challenging questions. Below are some suggestions of how to extend your knowledge.
More Detailed text books
The following text books give extra details on each topic and if you are aiming for the highest grades it is a good idea to look at these three texts in a book shop and purchase the one you think will work best for you.
Understanding Chemistry for Advanced Level – Nelson Thornes
Chemistry on Context – Nelson thornes
Advanced Chemistry - Oxford
Subscriptions
New Scientist
You can also join ChemNet www.rsc.org/chemnet It costs £15 for two years and includes a free subscription to Chemistry World (published monthly)
Useful Websites
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Supporting AS/A2 Level Chemistry
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||
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Site
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Content
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Web address
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Creative Chemistry
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Worksheets, practical guides, revision notes and interactive molecular models
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|
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Knockhardy Publishing Science Notes
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Notes and PowerPoint presentations
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|
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Chemguide
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Generally helpful pages
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Chemistry in perspective
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Web-based chemistry text book
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|
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Rod’s Pages
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Topic information, laboratory tips and examination tips
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|
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S-Cool
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Topic guides, questions and revision summaries
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General Chemistry Online
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General chemistry resources
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Greener Industry
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For sustainable industry
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RSC Video Clips
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Video clips of chemistry experiments and reactions
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WebElements
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Chemistry information relating to the periodic table
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|
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LearnNet
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Quizzes/questions
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Revision Resources for A Level Chemistry
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Revision
|
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Timberlake’s Chemistry
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Revision
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