Explore 16 interactive KS3 biology and chemistry virtual labs with printable worksheets and mark schemes in one growing science bundle.

Pupils dissect a stargazer lily, count stomata under a virtual microscope, separate the dyes in ink and use bubbling in test tubes to rank metals by reactivity. Each practical gives pupils something to observe, record and explain. Project a lab for the whole class while pupils work on paper, or let them repeat the investigation independently for revision.

Biology – 5 virtual labs

• Desert plant adaptations. Compare a saguaro cactus, an aloe and a violet. Use visible features to explain how plants collect and store water.
• Flower dissection. Dissect a stargazer lily, examine pollen and open the ovary to find the ovules.
• Leaf cross-section. Prepare a wet mount, focus the microscope and identify the tissues that help a leaf absorb light and exchange gases.
• Seed dispersal and germination. ÌÇÐÄVlogt four dispersal methods, then investigate how water, oxygen and temperature affect germination.
• Stomata and guard cells. Make impressions of both leaf surfaces, count pores in six microscope fields and compare the mean counts.

Chemistry – 6 virtual labs

• Dissolving. ÌÇÐÄVlogt sugar, salt and sand in water. Use balance readings and particle models to explain where dissolved sugar goes.
• Filtration. Fold filter paper, separate sand from water and identify the residue and filtrate.
• Evaporation and crystallisation. Heat a salt solution and compare the crystals that form on warm and frozen slides.
• Simple distillation. Follow an ethanol and water mixture through boiling and condensation, then measure the distillate collected.
• Paper chromatography. Separate three inks and use the pattern of spots to identify which contain more than one dye.
• Metal reactivity. Compare magnesium, zinc, iron and copper in cold water and dilute hydrochloric acid. ÌÇÐÄVlogt for hydrogen and use observations to build a reactivity series.

Where it fits in your scheme of work

Use the bundle alongside White Rose Science for Year 7 separation techniques and Year 8 plants and metal reactivity. For Exploring Science, including Exploring Science International, and AQA Activate, select individual labs when teaching mixtures and separation, reactions of metals, plant reproduction, leaf structure or adaptations.

The printable worksheets give pupils a written record of their practical work, and the mark schemes support teacher marking or pupil self-assessment. The growing bundle currently contains all 11 labs listed above.