Chemistry Sample Scheme Stage III: A Course of Options

Stage III was the last part of the Nuffield Chemistry Sample Scheme which was intended to give students opportunities for applying skills and ideas met in Stages I and II to a number of selected fields of study. Teachers were expected to choose options to suit the abilities and interests of the students in their classes.

The development team did not have time to pilot Stage III options in trial schools. Instead they were developed and tested with students during the first year of post-16 advanced chemistry courses. The selection of options was somewhat arbitrary. Each was designed to be studied in four to six weeks during the last year of an O-level course.

Some options were more theoretical and designed as a preparation for more advanced study post-16. Some emphasised the applications of chemistry while the historical topics option offered some insight into the ways by which scientific ideas develop.

Each option was divided into a sequence of topics and a range of experiments were suggested and described, with guidance, for each topic.