IGCSE Chemistry (0620)
Suggested Textbooks
- Sunley, C. & Goodman, S (2013) Collins Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry Teacher Pack ISBN 978 0007454471
- Sunley, C. & Goodman, S (2013) Collins Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry Student Book ISBN 978 0007454433
- Harwood, R. & Lodge, I. (2010) Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry Coursebook Third Edition with CD-ROM ISBN 978 0521153331
- Harwood, R. & Lodge, I. (2011) Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry Teacher's Resource ISBN 978 0521183871
- Harwood, R. & Lodge, I. (2011) Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry Workbook Third Edition ISBN 978 0521181174
- Norris, R. & Standbridge, R. (2009) Chemistry for IGCSE ISBN 978 1408500187
- Gallagher, R. & Ingram, P (2011) Complete Chemistry for Cambridge IGCSE – Teacher’s Resource (with CD-ROM) ISBN 978 0199138814
- Gallagher, R & Ingram, P (2011) Complete Chemistry for Cambridge IGCSE (with CD-ROM) 2nd Edition ISBN 978 0199138784
- Clegg, A. (2009) Heinemann IGCSE Chemistry Student Book with Exam Café CD ISBN 978 0435966799
- Earl, B & Wilford, D (2009) IGCSE Chemistry ISBN 978 0340981887
- Goodman, S & Sunley, C (2006) IGCSE for CIE ISBN 978 0007755455
- Berry, B (2005) IGCSE Chemistry Study Guide ISBN 978 0719579028
- Gallagher, R & Ingram, P (2009) IGCSE Chemistry Revision Guide ISBN 978 0199152667
CIE will update the suggested resources on the website, so check out
http://www.cie.org.uk/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge-igcse-chemistry-0620/support-material/
(All books cited above are endorsed by CIE, so they are specific to the IGCSE Chemistry course. Do some research and choose carefully, as you will not need all the books. Two CIE-endorsed books and good Internet sites should be all that is needed to have the material that will cover the syllabus)
Syllabus
To have most success at passing the CIE examinations, it is important to read through the syllabus for the year that the student is taking the examination. It can be accessed on the CIE website at
http://www.cie.org.uk/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge-igcse-chemistry-0620/
CIE Past Papers
1. Past papers for IGCSE Chemistry can be obtained from the CIE website under the specific subject at
http://www.cie.org.uk/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge-igcse-chemistry-0620/past-papers/
There are examiners’ reports, question papers and marking schemes for one of the previous year’s exam sessions.
2. If you want more past papers, go to the CIE website and click on the publications tab. There are usually three years' worth of past papers, examiners' reports and marking schemes. For minimal cost, you get a CD-Rom with all the papers in your specific subject. Check here for the latest publications catalogue:
http://www.cie.org.uk/profiles/teachers/orderpub
Revision Guide
At the moment (2013), this link still works, and is worth downloading:
/uploads/3/0/6/6/3066260/igcse_chemistry_revision_guide.pdf
Examiners' Tips (CIE Student Website)
Examiners' tips give the student an idea of what an examiner is looking for as evidence of learning or developed skills. This document used to be on the Student Website and, like the revision document above, can be a reference tool for teachers or students. You can download it here:
/uploads/3/0/6/6/3066260/examiner_tips_for_igcse_chemistry_0620_final.pdf
(Checked in 2013, and it still works, so download it!)
Websites
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/chemistry/
Though this site does not cover IGCSE chemistry, it is still a useful secondary source of revision for students.
http://www.gcsechemistry.com/
This is another comprehensive site, useful for revision purposes or for note taking. The adverts are distracting though, and take up so much visual display.
http://www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse/chemistry
A useful revision site for students, especially to recap all the basics.
http://www.docbrown.info/
Doc Brown’s comprehensive site of notes and revision material. The interactive quizzes with instant marking and explanations make this site worth returning to, again and again.
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/science/units/high/
An American site, this can nonetheless be a useful reference or resource tool for teachers.
http://www.chemguide.co.uk/index.html#top
A UK-based site, with specific content on CIE Chemistry for students and teachers alike.
http://www.chalkbored.com/lessons/chemistry-11.htm
A US-based site, but it contains useful information, including power points that can be used by students and teachers.
http://misterguch.brinkster.net/cavalcadepublishing.html
Another US-based site, this might have useful content, and it’s free.
http://www.newyorkscienceteacher.com/sci/pages/miscon/refs.php
This site is a good resource to access for common misconceptions in science.
http://www.adaptivecurriculum.com/us/
A subscription-based site, this is a good resource for virtual labs. The student works through the interactive lessons, and can ‘use’ lab equipment, take assessment tests, make notes and so on. The high school curriculum is being updated and improved all the time.
http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/practical-chemistry
Aimed at teachers, this site has plenty of experiments, worksheets and lesson plans. Well worth a look.
http://www.schoolscience.co.uk/
This is quite a fun site, with lots of resources for teachers and students to show the application of science.
http://www.khanacademy.org/
This is a really comprehensive site, mainly for maths and science. Geared at students of all ages, it is a wonderful site for self-paced learning. Teachers can use the site for lesson planning or to supplement what they are doing. It’s also fun to earn badges for completion of skill levels.
http://www.rsc.org/
There are numerous resources here for teachers and students. The periodic table is a quick reference tool, as hovering over any element gives various statistics.
http://www.world-nuclear.org/education/uran.htm
Nuclear energy information website, including where nuclear power reactors are found in the world.
http://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/science/chemistry
The Open University has some really interesting videos on a variety of subjects, including Chemistry. Have a look at some of these, and if you want to see elements reacting with water in an explosive way, go to this chemistry link (I particularly the end of the video) http://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/science/chemistry/alkali-metals
http://www.scienceinschool.org/
A great reference site for all the sciences, for teachers or motivated students. It is worth having a look at this site, as the chemistry students that want to learn more can delve into the topics found here.
http://www.chemactive.com/working2012/GCSE2012.html
This science site is useful to look at, though some of the links no longer work. I found the revision pages and PowerPoints quite useful as learning tools.