Addition Polymerisation — Interactive Lesson (Ages 14–16)

Thousands of small molecules linked into one giant chain — the chemistry of bags, pipes and non-stick pans. This 20-slide interactive lesson on addition polymerisation takes pupils from first ideas to exam-style explanations, with 12 self-marking activities and nothing to prepare beforehand.

Teaching Addition Polymerisation in GCSE Chemistry

Pupils define monomer, polymer and repeating unit, explain why alkenes polymerise and name polymers from their monomers. They work backwards from a repeating unit to the monomer and match poly(ethene), poly(propene), PVC, PTFE and polystyrene to their properties and everyday uses.

What Pupils Will Learn

• Define monomer, polymer and repeating unit.
• Explain why alkenes can form addition polymers.
• Name a polymer from its monomer.
• Work out the monomer from a repeating unit.
• Link the properties of polymers to their uses.

What’s Included

• 20-slide interactive lesson on addition polymerisation
• 12 self-marking activities: multiple-choice questions, true-or-false checks, sorting tasks, drag-and-drop categorising and fill-in-the-gap questions
• Step-by-step teaching cards that reveal one point at a time
• A written explanation task with a model answer for self-assessment

Why Teachers Love It

• No prep — open it on an interactive whiteboard, laptop or tablet
• Instant feedback explains every answer, right or wrong
• Examples from both Nigeria and the UK make the chemistry feel real
• Works for whole-class teaching, independent study or revision

Curriculum Alignment

Supports the organic chemistry content of UK GCSE Chemistry (AQA, Edexcel and OCR) and the Nigerian Senior Secondary Chemistry curriculum (SS2–SS3), including WAEC and NECO exam preparation.

Love this? You’ll love…

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FAQ

What year groups is this for? Years 10–11 (ages 14–16), and SS2–SS3 in Nigeria.

Is it self-marking? Yes — all 12 activities give instant feedback.

Do pupils need to log in? No. The lesson runs in any modern web browser.

Can I use it for revision? Yes. Pupils can replay it as often as they like, and the results screen shows which questions to review before a test.