Exothermic and Endothermic Reactions — Interactive Lesson (Ages 14–16)

Some reactions warm things up and others make them cold — from cooking gas flames to instant ice packs. This 22-slide interactive lesson on exothermic reactions takes pupils from first ideas to exam-style explanations, with 13 self-marking activities and nothing to prepare beforehand.

Teaching Exothermic and Endothermic Reactions in GCSE Chemistry

Pupils classify reactions as exothermic or endothermic from temperature changes, link them to uses such as hand warmers and cold packs, and interpret reaction profiles including activation energy. They explain energy changes in terms of breaking and making bonds, calculate overall energy changes from bond energies, and explain why the temperature change practical uses an insulated cup.

What Pupils Will Learn

• Define exothermic and endothermic reactions and give examples.
• Describe everyday uses of each type.
• Interpret reaction profiles, including activation energy.
• Explain energy changes in terms of breaking and making bonds.
• Calculate the overall energy change from bond energies.

What’s Included

• 22-slide interactive lesson on exothermic reactions
• 13 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
• Everyday examples make chemistry feel real
• Works for whole-class teaching, independent study or revision

Curriculum Alignment

Supports UK GCSE Chemistry and Combined Science (AQA, Edexcel and OCR) and the Nigerian Senior Secondary Chemistry curriculum (SS2), 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 in Nigeria.

Is it self-marking? Yes — all 13 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.