This fully resourced 2-hour lesson on Pressure in liquids is designed to help KS3 students develop their understanding of how pressure in liquids causes floating, sinking, and force multiplication in hydraulics through clear explanations and engaging activities. 
 
This is the 2nd in a series of lessons and covers the content from the AQA KS3 3.1.4 Pressure topic and the Activate 2 (OUP) 1b: Forces, 1.4.2 Pressure in liquids lesson.
 
The lesson includes all necessary resources, making it easy to implement in your classroom and the lesson's text is editable, allowing you to adjust the duration and depth of the activities based on your students' progress and time constraints. 
 
While primarily designed for UK students with British English spellings and vocabulary, the core content and activities can be easily adapted to suit the needs of students in other countries with similar educational systems.
 
Presentation contains (52 slides): 
Runtime: 2 hours
Teacher preparation guide – Step-by-step instructions and technician notes to help you set up and run the lesson smoothly.
Printable resources – Ready-to-use student worksheets and homework tasks, differentiated by ability.
Vocabulary quiz starter – A quick activity to review key terms and introduce the main concepts of the lesson.
Clear objectives and success criteria – Clearly defined learning goals to help students understand what they are learning and how to succeed.
Discussion prompts – Engaging question slides to spark curiosity and introduce new ideas.
Accessible information slides – Key content explained using simple visuals and clear explanations, suitable for all learners.
Engaging activities – Differentiated student tasks that include:
○ Pressure vs. Depth – students plot a graph of water pressure against depth.
○ Pressure in a column of liquid – students calculate pressure in a liquid column
○ Calculations activity – students work out pressure or force in various hydraulic systems.
○ Teacher demo (Float or sink?) – students predict, observe, and record which materials float or sink.
Student practical – A hands-on investigation giving students the opportunity to apply their learning through experimentation.
○ Modelling hydraulics – students use syringes and water to model hydraulic machines.
Tiered questions – A set of 5 challenge questions with answers, scaffolded by difficulty to support all learners and reinforce key concepts.
Differentiated homework – Three take-home tasks of increasing difficulty, designed to reinforce learning and extend knowledge beyond the classroom.
 
Aimed at a mixed ability KS3 class, with three levels of demand to accommodate different learning styles and levels: 
K- Know (low demand)
A- Apply (standard demand)
E- Extend (high demand)
 
This lesson is also available as:
Cover lesson worksheet: Perfect for unplanned absences, this version provides everything a substitute teacher needs to deliver a smooth and engaging lesson.
Digital worksheet: Perfect for absent students, distance learning, or independent study, this digital version allows students to catch up on missed work at their own pace.