Teachers' Resources
Below are a number of lesson plans and worksheets designed for use by teachers in the classroom. They are mainly science lessons based in some way on pigments. Each lesson plan links the material with the National Curriculum and gives an overview of the science involved. The worksheets provide instructions for the practical lessons as well as appropriate questions to ensure the pupils have understood the material.
The lesson plans are arranged by key stage - and lessons have been devised from key stage 1 to A-level. You can download PDF files containing the teacher sheets and worksheets below. On our school visits we use some of these experiments, along with others with equipment most likely not available in schools. To see how these school visits relate to the National Curriculum click here.
If you would prefer a free CD, containing all the practical sessions then please e-mail us giving us a contact name and address for your school. Included with the CD are samples of pigments, On the CD are word files, so the lessons can be edited by you.
A suppliers list, of where we obtained our equipment from, can be found here.
Key Stage 1
Ancient Art Practical - This lesson is designed to relate to 2D. Pupils make paint from pigments and binder.
Key Stage 2
Ancient Art Practical - This lesson is designed to relate to 3C and 3D. Pupils make paint from pigments and binder.
Crime Scene Investigation - This lesson is designed to relate to 4D. Pupils investigate separating pen ink using chromatography.
Food Dye Experiment - This lesson is designed to relate to 4D. Pupils investigate separating food colouring using chromatography.
Invisible Ink Experiment - This lesson is designed to relate to 6C. Pupils investigate making and revealing invisible inks from solutions.
Colour in Leaves Experiment - This lesson is designed to relate to 4D and 6A. Pupils investigate separating pigments in leaves.
Key Stage 3
Chemical Pigments - This lesson is designed to relate to 7F, 7H, 7F and 9H. Pupils investigate making pigments from chemicals.
Colour in Leaves Experiment - This lesson is designed to relate to 9C. Pupils investigate separating pigments in leaves.
Crime Scene Investigation - This lesson is designed to relate to 7H. Pupils investigate separating pen ink using chromatography.
Invisible Ink Experiment - This lesson is designed to relate to 7E. Pupils investigate making and using invisible inks using acids, bases and indicators.
Key Stage 4
Chemical Pigments - This lesson is designed to relate to 2. Pupils investigate making pigments from chemicals.
Colour in Leaves Experiment - This lesson is designed to relate to 3. Pupils investigate separating pigments in leaves
Colour in Fireworks - Pupils examine the how different colours can be made by burning different metals.
The reactions of the group 1 metals with water are available as a wmv file by right clicking here and saving.
Modern Paint - Pupils explore modern thermochromic and photochromic pigments.
A-level
Chemical Pigments - Pupils investigate making pigments from chemicals.
Invisible Inks - Pupils investigate acids, bases and indicators.