1. Meet the GCSE PAGs Dr Crawford Kingsnorth (Biology)
Dr David Paterson (Chemistry)
Michelle Spiller (Physics)

2. Outline
General Introduction
Hands-on time with some activities
Consolidation and questions

3. Practical work – more than just doing PAGs
Practical work is integral to teaching and learning.
Ensuring full coverage of the specification and preparation for exams
With a broad practical experience across the course, the practical requirements should be more than covered.

4. Requirements of the new GCSEs
All schools should
Provide a broad and balanced practical experience for all learners
Take account of the practical requirements AND learning outcomes detailing practical work
Provide an annual written ‘practical science statement’ to the exam board
Requirements on the schools.

5. Requirements of the new GCSEs
All learners should
Complete a minimum of eight or sixteen (CS) practical activities.
Have the opportunity to cover all required Apparatus and Techniques.
Keep up-to-date records of their practical activities (e.g. write-ups)
General requirements on the learners

6. The OCR approach to practical skills
DfE list of apparatus and techniques
OCR Practical Activity Groups (PAGs)
The
eight DfE statements were mapped to …
… eight key areas of practical
science
OCRs approach to the practical work required for the GCSE Sciences started with us looking at the successful approach being used at A Level to see how we could ensure flexibility and also help teachers to embed practical work into their teaching and learning. So we took the list of apparatus and techniques that the DfE decided for Biology and mapped them to eight key areas of Biology. We called these eight key areas PAGs or Practical Activity Groups which mirrors the A Level approach. This also happens to be the minimum number of activities that students need to do over their GCSE course.

7. OCR Practical Activity Groups
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
1 Microscopy
1 Reactivity trend
P1 Materials
2 Testing for biological molecules
2 Electrolysis
P2 Forces
3 Sampling techniques
3 Separation techniques
P3 Motion
4 Rates of enzyme-controlled reactions
4 Distillation
P4 Measuring waves
5 Photosynthesis
5 Identification of species
P5 Energy
6 Physiology, responses, respiration
6 Titration
P6 Circuit components
7 Microbiological techniques
7 Production of salts
P7 Series and parallel circuits
8 Transport in and out of cells
8 Measuring rates of reaction
P8 Interaction of waves

8. Resourcing – external activities
You can use any relevant practical work, e.g.
scientific organisations
publishing companies
developed yourself

9. OCR suggested activities
Three styles of suggested activities
Traditional / bench-scale activity
Micro / reduced scale activity
Kitchen / home activity / science on a shoe string
The general OCR model for producing sample activities.

10. Hands on today Biology: Chemistry:
Simple experiments with commonly available resources (baby rice, yeast, apples…)
Chemistry:
Microscale electrolysis (Electrolysis PAG)
Microscale rates (Measuring the rates of reaction PAG)

11. There is no obligation to use OCR administration resources.
Keeping track
There is no obligation to use OCR administration resources.
However, they are provided should you wish to use them
Learner Record Sheets
GCSE Practical Activity Tracker

12. Learner Record Sheets
The learner record sheets, available for Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Combined Science.

13. Learner Record Sheets

14. THE GCSE PAG TRACKER
THE GCSE PAG Tracker: Introduction sheet.

15. THE GCSE PAG TRACKER
Simple mapping of the apparatus and techniques.

16. THE GCSE PAG TRACKER
Putting in the learners names.

17. THE GCSE PAG TRACKER
Noting the dates activities were carried out.

18. THE GCSE PAG TRACKER
Summary of the opportunities all learners/classes have had.

19. Example: Chemistry
Identifying all the learning outcomes in chemistry that have something to do with practical work. Notes, these are not all covered by the required Apparatus and Techniques – more practical work than the minimum 8/16 should be carried out as part of a broad and balanced programme of study.

20. OCR – HERE TO HELP
Subject specialists
Specimen assessment materials
INSET – face to face, online, webinars
E-community -
Social media – Facebook,
@C21Science
Scheme of work builder