This is a collection of resources developed for secondary school chemistry teachers.

NZ Chemistry Olympiad

The International Chemistry Olympiad, ICHO, started in Eastern Europe in 1968 and has grown to about 90 countries with New Zealand first competing in 1992. The NZ Chemistry Olympiad, NZCHO, is a charitable organization managed by a group of trustees and each year the program is run on a voluntary basis by a small group of dedicated secondary and tertiary teachers. This download contains more information about the Olympiad programme

NZ Chemistry Olympiad Download
Student notes, Lab Manuals and Worksheets for L2 and L3 Chemistry Externals

These resources were originally intended to support new, isolated or non- specialist teachers of senior Chemistry. However, the consequences of the pandemic plus industrial action have meant that many schools are now struggling to be able to teach all three externals in the time available. So these resources can be provided for independent study by students who wish to take all three externals to prepare for tertiary studies or to enter for Olympiad or Scholarship Examinations. But any of the resources can also be freely used to support any of the external standards offered by the school as part of its learning program. All resources are in unprotected word format so that they can be easily edited to meet specific needs of your students. Documents can be downloaded individually or as a zip file

L2 Chemistry

  • C2.4 Bonding, Structure and Enthalpy Notes
  • C2.5 Organic Chemistry Notes
  • C2.6 Chemical Reactivity Notes
  • L2 externals Lab Manual
  • L2 externals Worksheets
  • L2 externals Worksheet Answers
  • L3 Chemistry

  • C3.4 Structure & Thermochemistry Notes
  • C3.5 Organic chemistry Notes
  • C3.6 Aqueous systems Notes
  • L3 Externals Lab Manual
  • L3 Externals Worksheets
  • L3 Externals Worksheet Answers
  • L2 Chemistry Download

    L3 Chemistry Download

    Workshop on Sustainability through a systems approach

    A series of 1 day workshops entitled “ Sustainability and Chemistry Teaching” were presented in April 2023 by Dr Seamus Delaney from Deakin University, Melbourne as a collaboration between IUPAC and SCENZ. The workshops introduced systems thinking and its usefulness in helping students to connect chemistry to global sustainability challenges. The collaborative and practical activities, including links to sustainable development-orientated contemporary science innovations, can be downloaded using the link below.

    Systems Thinking About Sustainability in Chemistry Workshop download

    C3.2 Spectroscopy

    This zip file resource contains a full teaching and assessment package fo the C3.3 standard. It includes a brief teaching guide, student notes and worksheet exercises, power points, data tables, masters for laminated card activities, four practice assessment activities with worked answers and two final assessment tasks with schedules plus other assorted activities and scenarios. Although intended to be used by teachers with their students, it could alo be used independently by reasonably capable students requiring some extra credits, with minimal tutorial support from the teacher.

    Spectroscopy zip download

    Scholarship Chemistry

    These are the first two of a suite of three resources to support students and teachers of Scholarship Chemistry.

    The first by Scott Franklin is an overview of Scholarship, its requirements and how to support students prepare for the examination.

    The second by Dr Suzanne Boniface provides guidance to students on the problem solving approaches expected for Scholarship.

    The third by Ian Torrie (due early 2023) will provide some L3 extension material that supports Scholarship plus more examples (not NZAQ or NZIC) with fully worked answers to provide further practice for scholarship students.

    Scholarship Chemistry - An Introduction and Overview
    Scholarship Chemistry - Problem Solving Skills

    Video resources

    Prof. Allan Blackman (Auckland) has started a YouTube channel containing videos which explain important concepts in First Year Chemistry (link).


    Let’s Talk Chemistry

    Packer and Scott’s “Let’s Talk Chemistry” is an introduction to the basic concepts, vocabulary and language of chemistry. As it was written over 20 years ago, the exact definitions of the basic SI units in it are no longer up to date but this is not of consequence to chemists.

    Let’s Talk Chemistry


    Chemistry Olympiad Resource

    This resource contains the following items to assist students prepare for the selection exam held at the end of term 3:

  • 1. Some brief notes that provide some stimulus/extension for the Yr 12 NCEA course.
  • 2. A set of 9 worksheets with fully worked answers
  • 3. Selection exams from 2014-21 with worked answers
  • 4. A basic template for a student information sheet
  • The resource can be given to students to work through independently or could be used within series of tutorials with a group of students.

    Chemistry Olympiad Resources