When I first switched my daughter to the Activate KS3 Science range last year I only got her the Student book – which really is the book that explains the concepts and then has a few questions afterwards.  And to begin with I just downloaded some extra worksheets for her to do from different websites.  But then during lockdown my husband starting doing the Science with her and he asked me for a workbook to use with the Student Book, so I bought the Activate 1 Intervention Workbook (Higher).  He used it with the physics that he has doing with her.

We both liked the way the student book and the workbook complemented each other so for this year we are using both the Activate 2 Student Book and the Activate 2 Intervention Workbook (Higher) (Chandlergrevatt)  together.

Anyway I thought it might be helpful to explain what is actually included in the Activate 1 Workbook and to share some photos of the pages.

First of all.  There are two workbooks for each year, a Foundation workbook and a Higher workbook.  We have bought the higher workbook but I did contact Oxford University Press and asked if they would share some photos of the Foundation pages with me so I can compare the two.  They kindly agreed and emailed a couple of photos of their foundation book.

Comparison wise. The Foundation pages do involve less writing and there is more “circle the correct answer”, or “connect the word with the description” type questions.  The Higher one has more “can you describe” or “can you explain” type questions.  They both have label the diagram pages and graphs etc.  And both contain answers for the questions at the back of the book.

Here are some comparison photos – the first is the two pages on animal and plant cells and specialised cells.

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The double page on joints and muscles.

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And the page on gas exchange.

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I hope that helps to show the differences. The questions in the foundation book are easier and do involve less writing.

Both workbooks also include something they call “Chapter Pinchpoint Questions” – which is really 2 pages of extra questions highlighting a hard concept that was covered in the chapter.  I really liked these pages and the way they have structured these pinchpoint questions.  And at the end of each section they also include some Revision questions

Okay so what does the Activate 1 workbook cover?  It is exactly the same topics as the Activate 1 Student book.  They really do fit perfectly together.  Just to stress – the student book is the colour book which explains the concepts and just has a few questions whereas the workbooks are black and white questions, no explanations just questions. They cover the same topics but they are 2 different books with different functions.

The topics covered are………………

Working Scientifically – recording, analysing and evaluating data.

Biology

• Cells – plant and animal cells, specialized cells and unicellular organisms
• Structure and function of the body – Gas exchange, breathing, skeleton, joints and muscles
• Reproduction – in humans and plants     

Chemistry

• Particles – the particle model, stats of matter, melting, freezing and boiling, diffusion and gas pressure
• Elements, Atoms and Compounds – including some chemical formulae
• Reactions – chemicals reactions, equations, burning fuels, thermal decomposition, exothermic and endothermic
• Acids and Alkalis – Indicators and PH, neutralisation and making salts

Physics

• Forces – squashing and stretching, drag forces and fiction, balanced and unbalanced
• Sound – Waves, sound transfer, loudness, detecting sound and echoes and ultrasound
• Light – Reflection, Refraction, the eye and camera and colour
• Space – The Night sky, the Solar system, Earth and the moon

and finally Answers for all the questions.

The workbook cost me £4.99 which I think it is very good value for money and definitely a good addition to our home education science resources.

Other KS3 posts you might find interesting – Activate 1 Student Book,

Activate 2 Student Book and the Activate 2 workbooks

Admin – I bought our Activate 1 workbook.  Oxford University Press did email some photos of their foundation book and give me permission to use their photos in this post.

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