Overview

Essential Science 2nd Edition JC science school books and Ipad

Your complete teaching package

Our expert Essential Science, 2nd Edition author team has carefully analysed how Junior Cycle Science has been taught and examined since its implementation and has written this edition to be fully in line with examination requirements.

Essential Science gives you:

  • unrivalled support for all aspects of SEC assessment 
  • a comprehensive Teacher's Guide
  • a wide range of lab experiments and Extended Experimental Investigations with accompanying videos

Check out the books and digital resources

Essential Science 2nd Edition | final exam questions | Chapter 31 Assessment Skills book

Unrivalled coverage of the final exam

No other JC Science programme brings you the depth of coverage of the final exam like Essential Science does. It features questions from the SEC sample paper (including model answers) and 2019 exam paper.

The Assessment Skills Book contains a range of questions similar to those on the SEC examination papers. Chapter 2 on Drawing and Interpreting Graphs helps students to develop skills in these areas, as required in the SEC Examination paper.

Take a closer look

Essential Science 2nd Edition | JC Science book | Chapter 40 pg419 and Chapter 41 pg 422 TB

Dedicated chapters for in-depth student support

Chapter 40 of the textbook covers the Science in Society Assessment Task and gives students all the guidance they need to successfully complete the SEC Assessment Task booklet (a blank template is included in the Assessment Skills Book).

Chapter 41 of the textbook covers all the requirements of the Extended Experimental Investigations and provides students with clear guidance on all aspects of carrying out these types of investigations (a template is included in the Student Laboratory Notebook).

Take a closer look at Chapter 40 & 41

Essential Science 2nd Edition | student self-assessment | p175 - 176

Experiment practice & Self-assessment

For experiments and investigations there are:

  • a comprehensive range of new experiments
  • Supporting experiment videos which are perfect for preparation, study and demonstration
  • a Student Laboratory Notebook with detailed instructions for all experiments (as well as blank templates)

For student self-assessment there are:

  • rich, varied questions in the textbook and Assessment Skills Book to provide extensive practice of every learning outcome in the specification
  • self-assessment sections at the end of each chapter
Essential Science 2nd Edition | teacher using Teacher's Guide to plan lessons

Stellar Teacher's Guide

  • A comprehensive guide to how the learning outcomes in each strand are covered in the textbook, Assessment Skills Book and Student Laboratory Notebook
  • A suggested scheme of work extending over the three years of the specification
  • Guidelines for teaching each chapter
  • Advice on lab setup and lists of apparatus and chemical needed
  • Student eBook

Watch Videos

Webinar for Science Teachers

Declan Kennedy, Rose Lawlor, and Seán Finn (Essential Science author team) have carefully analysed how Junior Cycle Science has been taught and examined since its implementation and offered tips and advice on teaching key aspects of the Junior Cycle Science specification in their recent webinar.

Homework Space Junior Cycle Science folens readymade homework

Have you heard about Homework Space?

Homework Space is our new digital product, which includes ready-made assignments. The teacher sets the homework and the system automatically marks each students’ answers. Saving teachers, a huge amount of valuable time! Homework Space is available across a number of Junior Cycle subjects, including Science.

Find out more about Homework Space

Folens cost of school books

Programme Package


Also, available in the Essential Science programme:

  • eBook
  • Assessment Skills Book
  • Student Laboratory Notebook
  • Teacher’s Guide
  • Teaching Resources on FolensHIVE
  • Experiment videos for students