England

Working Scientifically

• Scientific attitudes

  • Pay attention to objectivity and concern for accuracy, precision, repeatability and reproducibility

  • Understand that scientific methods and theories develop as earlier explanations are modified to take account of new evidence and ideas, together with the importance of publishing results and peer review

  • Evaluate risks

• Experimental skills and investigations

  • Ask questions and develop a line of enquiry based on observations of the real world, alongside prior knowledge and experience

    • Identify the experimental question (9-B.3)
    • Identify questions that can be investigated with a set of materials (9-B.4)

  • Make predictions using scientific knowledge and understanding

  • Select, plan and carry out the most appropriate types of scientific enquiries to test predictions, including identifying independent, dependent and control variables, where appropriate

    • The process of scientific enquiry (9-A.1)
    • Identify independent and dependent variables (9-B.2)
    • Understand an experimental protocol about plant growth (9-B.5)
    • Understand an experimental protocol about diffusion (9-B.6)
    • Understand an experimental protocol about evaporation (9-B.7)

  • Use appropriate techniques, apparatus, and materials during fieldwork and laboratory work, paying attention to health and safety

    • Identify laboratory tools (9-A.2)
    • Laboratory safety equipment (9-A.3)

  • Make and record observations and measurements using a range of methods for different investigations; and evaluate the reliability of methods and suggest possible improvements

  • Apply sampling techniques

• Analysis and evaluation

  • Apply mathematical concepts and calculate results

    • Calculate speed from time and distance (7-H.1)
    • Calculate distance from speed and time (7-H.2)
    • Calculate time from speed and distance (7-H.3)
    • Calculate speed, distance and time I (7-H.4)
    • Calculate speed, distance and time II (7-H.5)
    • Calculate density, mass and volume (9-E.1)

  • Present observations and data using appropriate methods, including tables and graphs

  • Interpret observations and data, including identifying patterns and using observations, measurements and data to draw conclusions

    • Use data from tests to compare engineering-design solutions (9-C.3)
    • Use tables and graphs to identify patterns about kinetic energy (9-I.2)
    • Evaluate claims about natural resource use: fossil fuels (9-Z.1)
    • Factors affecting climate: latitude (9-EE.2)
    • Factors affecting climate: altitude (9-EE.3)
    • Factors affecting climate: distance from the ocean (9-EE.4)
    • Analyse data to compare properties of planets (9-FF.6)

  • Present reasoned explanations, including explaining data in relation to predictions and hypotheses

  • Evaluate data, showing awareness of potential sources of random and systematic error

  • Identify further questions arising from their results

• Measurement

  • Understand and use SI units and IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) chemical nomenclature

    • Choose units of distance, mass and volume (9-GG.1)
    • Abbreviate time, length and speed units (9-GG.2)
    • Abbreviate mass and volume units (9-GG.3)
    • Abbreviate force, energy and electricity units (9-GG.4)

  • Use and derive simple equations and carry out appropriate calculations

    • Calculate speed from time and distance (7-H.1)
    • Calculate distance from speed and time (7-H.2)
    • Calculate time from speed and distance (7-H.3)
    • Calculate speed, distance and time I (7-H.4)
    • Calculate speed, distance and time II (7-H.5)
    • Calculate density, mass and volume (9-E.1)

  • Undertake basic data analysis including simple statistical techniques

Biology

• Structure and function of living organisms

  • Cells and organisation

    • Cells as the fundamental unit of living organisms, including how to observe, interpret and record cell structure using a light microscope

      • Understanding cells (9-Q.1)
      • Plant cell diagrams: label parts (9-Q.4)
      • Animal cell diagrams: label parts (9-Q.5)

    • The functions of the cell wall, cell membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, vacuole, mitochondria and chloroplasts

      • Identify functions of plant cell parts (9-Q.2)
      • Identify functions of animal cell parts (9-Q.3)

    • The similarities and differences between plant and animal cells

      • Compare cells and cell parts (9-Q.6)

    • The role of diffusion in the movement of materials in and between cells

      • Diffusion across membranes (9-N.2)

    • The structural adaptations of some unicellular organisms

    • The hierarchical organisation of multicellular organisms: from cells to tissues to organs to systems to organisms

      • Organisation in the human body (9-R.1)

  • The skeletal and muscular systems

    • The structure and functions of the human skeleton, to include support, protection, movement and making blood cells

      • Body systems: perception and motion (7-R.4)

    • Biomechanics – the interaction between skeleton and muscles, including the measurement of force exerted by different muscles

      • Body systems: perception and motion (7-R.4)

    • The function of muscles and examples of antagonistic muscles

      • Body systems: perception and motion (7-R.4)

  • Nutrition and digestion

    • Content of a healthy human diet: carbohydrates, lipids (fats and oils), proteins, vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and water, and why each is needed

    • Calculations of energy requirements in a healthy daily diet

    • The consequences of imbalances in the diet, including obesity, starvation and deficiency diseases

    • The tissues and organs of the human digestive system, including adaptations to function and how the digestive system digests food (enzymes simply as biological catalysts)

    • The importance of bacteria in the human digestive system

    • Plants making carbohydrates in their leaves by photosynthesis and gaining mineral nutrients and water from the soil via their roots

      • How do plants use and change energy? (9-V.1)
      • Identify the photosynthetic organism (9-V.2)

  • Gas exchange systems

    • The structure and functions of the gas exchange system in humans, including adaptations to function

      • Body systems: circulation and respiration (7-R.2)

    • The mechanism of breathing to move air in and out of the lungs, using a pressure model to explain the movement of gases, including simple measurements of lung volume

      • Body systems: circulation and respiration (7-R.2)

    • The impact of exercise, asthma and smoking on the human gas exchange system

    • The role of leaf stomata in gas exchange in plants

  • Reproduction

    • Reproduction in humans (as an example of a mammal), including the structure and function of the male and female reproductive systems, menstrual cycle (without details of hormones), gametes, fertilisation, gestation and birth, to include the effect of maternal lifestyle on the foetus through the placenta

    • Reproduction in plants, including flower structure, wind and insect pollination, fertilisation, seed and fruit formation and dispersal, including quantitative investigation of some dispersal mechanisms

      • Angiosperm and conifer life cycles (9-U.1)
      • Moss and fern life cycles (9-U.2)

  • Health

    • The effects of recreational drugs (including substance misuse) on behaviour, health and life processes

• Material cycles and energy

  • Photosynthesis

    • The reactants in, and products of, photosynthesis, and a word summary for photosynthesis

      • How do plants use and change energy? (9-V.1)

    • The dependence of almost all life on Earth on the ability of photosynthetic organisms, such as plants and algae, to use sunlight in photosynthesis to build organic molecules that are an essential energy store and to maintain levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

    • The adaptations of leaves for photosynthesis

  • Cellular respiration

    • Aerobic and anaerobic respiration in living organisms, including the breakdown of organic molecules to enable all the other chemical processes necessary for life

      • The chemistry of cellular respiration (9-P.1)

    • A word summary for aerobic respiration

    • The process of anaerobic respiration in humans and microorganisms, including fermentation, and a word summary for anaerobic respiration

    • The differences between aerobic and anaerobic respiration in terms of the reactants, the products formed and the implications for the organism

• Interactions and interdependencies

  • Relationships in an ecosystem

    • The interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem, including food webs and insect pollinated crops

      • How does matter move in food chains? (9-X.1)
      • Interpret food webs I (9-X.2)
      • Interpret food webs II (9-X.3)
      • Use food chains to predict changes in populations (9-X.4)
      • Classify symbiotic relationships (9-X.5)

    • The importance of plant reproduction through insect pollination in human food security

    • How organisms affect, and are affected by, their environment, including the accumulation of toxic materials

      • Investigate primary succession on a volcanic island (9-X.6)
      • Coral reef biodiversity and human uses: explore a problem (9-Y.1)
      • Coral reef biodiversity and human uses: evaluate solutions (9-Y.2)

• Genetics and evolution

  • Inheritance, chromosomes, DNA and genes

    • Heredity as the process by which genetic information is transmitted from one generation to the next

      • Genetic variation in sexual reproduction (9-S.1)
      • Complete and interpret Punnett squares (9-S.4)
      • Use Punnett squares to calculate ratios of offspring types (9-S.5)
      • Use Punnett squares to calculate probabilities of offspring types (9-S.6)

    • A simple model of chromosomes, genes and DNA in heredity, including the part played by Watson, Crick, Wilkins and Franklin in the development of the DNA model

      • Genes, proteins and traits: understanding the genetic code (9-S.7)

    • Differences between species

    • The variation between individuals within a species being continuous or discontinuous, to include measurement and graphical representation of variation

    • The variation between species and between individuals of the same species means some organisms compete more successfully, which can drive natural selection

      • Introduction to natural selection (9-T.2)
      • Calculate the percentages of traits in a population (9-T.3)
      • Calculate the averages of traits in a population (9-T.4)
      • Construct explanations of natural selection (9-T.5)

    • Changes in the environment may leave individuals within a species, and some entire species, less well adapted to compete successfully and reproduce, which in turn may lead to extinction

      • Construct explanations of natural selection (9-T.5)

    • The importance of maintaining biodiversity and the use of gene banks to preserve hereditary material

Chemistry

• The particulate nature of matter

  • The properties of the different states of matter (solid, liquid and gas) in terms of the particle model, including gas pressure

    • How does particle motion affect temperature? (9-L.1)
    • How does particle motion affect gas pressure? (9-L.3)
    • Identify how particle motion affects temperature and pressure (9-L.4)

  • Changes of state in terms of the particle model

    • Particle motion and changes of state (9-L.2)

• Atoms, elements and compounds

  • A simple (Dalton) atomic model

  • Differences between atoms, elements and compounds

    • What are atoms and chemical elements? (9-F.1)
    • Describe the atomic composition of molecules (9-F.4)

  • Chemical symbols and formulae for elements and compounds

    • How are substances represented by chemical formulas and models? (9-F.2)
    • Identify chemical formulas for ball-and-stick models (9-F.3)
    • Classify elementary substances and compounds using chemical formulas (9-F.5)
    • Classify elementary substances and compounds using models (9-F.6)

  • Conservation of mass changes of state and chemical reactions

    • Understand conservation of matter using graphs (7-E.2)
    • Count atoms and molecules in chemical reactions (9-G.2)
    • Calculate amounts of reactants or products in chemical reactions (9-G.3)

• Pure and impure substances

  • The concept of a pure substance

    • Identify mixtures (9-D.1)

  • Mixtures, including dissolving

    • Identify mixtures (9-D.1)

  • Diffusion in terms of the particle model

    • Diffusion across membranes (9-N.2)

  • Simple techniques for separating mixtures: filtration, evaporation, distillation and chromatography

  • The identification of pure substances

• Chemical reactions

  • Chemical reactions as the rearrangement of atoms

    • Count atoms and molecules in chemical reactions (9-G.2)

  • Representing chemical reactions using formulae and using equations

  • Combustion, thermal decomposition, oxidation and displacement reactions

  • Defining acids and alkalis in terms of neutralisation reactions

  • The pH scale for measuring acidity/alkalinity; and indicators

  • Reactions of acids with metals to produce a salt plus hydrogen

  • Reactions of acids with alkalis to produce a salt plus water

  • What catalysts do

• Energetics

  • Energy changes on changes of state (qualitative)

    • Particle motion and changes of state (9-L.2)

  • Exothermic and endothermic chemical reactions (qualitative)

    • Describe energy changes in chemical reactions (9-G.4)

• The Periodic Table

  • The varying physical and chemical properties of different elements

  • The principles underpinning the Mendeleev Periodic Table

  • The Periodic Table: periods and groups; metals and non-metals

  • How patterns in reactions can be predicted with reference to the Periodic Table

  • The properties of metals and non-metals

  • The chemical properties of metal and non-metal oxides with respect to acidity

• Materials

  • The order of metals and carbon in the reactivity series

  • The use of carbon in obtaining metals from metal oxides

  • Properties of ceramics, polymers and composites (qualitative)

• Earth and atmosphere

  • The composition of the Earth

    • Label Earth layers (9-BB.1)

  • The structure of the Earth

    • Label Earth layers (9-BB.1)
    • Label Earth features at tectonic plate boundaries (9-BB.2)
    • Describe tectonic plate boundaries around the world (9-BB.3)

  • The rock cycle and the formation of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks

    • Introduction to the rock cycle (9-AA.1)
    • Classify rocks as igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic (9-AA.2)
    • How do rock layers form? (9-AA.3)
    • Label parts of rock cycle diagrams (9-AA.4)
    • Select parts of rock cycle diagrams (9-AA.5)

  • Earth as a source of limited resources and the efficacy of recycling

  • The carbon cycle

    • The carbon cycle (9-CC.1)

  • The composition of the atmosphere

  • The production of carbon dioxide by human activity and the impact on climate

    • The greenhouse effect (9-DD.4)

Physics

• Energy

  • Calculation of fuel uses and costs in the domestic context

    • Comparing energy values of different foods (from labels) (kJ)

    • Comparing power ratings of appliances in watts (W, kW)

    • Comparing amounts of energy transferred (J, kJ, kW hour)

    • Domestic fuel bills, fuel use and costs

    • Fuels and energy resources

  • Energy changes and transfers

    • Simple machines give bigger force but at the expense of smaller movement (and vice versa): product of force and displacement unchanged

    • Heating and thermal equilibrium: temperature difference between two objects leading to energy transfer from the hotter to the cooler one, through contact (conduction) or radiation; such transfers tending to reduce the temperature difference: use of insulators

      • Predict heat flow and temperature changes (9-K.1)
      • Compare thermal energy transfers (9-K.2)

    • Other processes that involve energy transfer: changing motion, dropping an object, completing an electrical circuit, stretching a spring, metabolism of food, burning fuels

      • Identify changes in gravitational potential energy (9-I.1)
      • Explore energy transformations: roller coaster ride (9-I.3)
      • Explore energy transformations: bike ride (9-I.4)

  • Changes in systems

    • Energy as a quantity that can be quantified and calculated; the total energy has the same value before and after a change

    • Comparing the starting with the final conditions of a system and describing increases and decreases in the amounts of energy associated with movements, temperatures, changes in positions in a field, in elastic distortions and in chemical compositions

      • Identify changes in gravitational potential energy (9-I.1)
      • Explore energy transformations: roller coaster ride (9-I.3)
      • Explore energy transformations: bike ride (9-I.4)

    • Using physical processes and mechanisms, rather than energy, to explain the intermediate steps that bring about such changes

• Motion and forces

  • Describing motion

    • Speed and the quantitative relationship between average speed, distance and time (speed = distance ÷ time)

      • Calculate speed from time and distance (7-H.1)
      • Calculate distance from speed and time (7-H.2)
      • Calculate time from speed and distance (7-H.3)
      • Calculate speed, distance and time I (7-H.4)
      • Calculate speed, distance and time II (7-H.5)

    • The representation of a journey on a distance-time graph

    • Relative motion: trains and cars passing one another

  • Forces

    • Forces as pushes or pulls, arising from the interaction between two objects

      • Predict forces using Newton's third law (9-H.6)

    • Using force arrows in diagrams, adding forces in one dimension, balanced and unbalanced forces

      • Balanced and unbalanced forces (9-H.7)

    • Moment as the turning effect of a force

    • Forces: associated with deforming objects; stretching and squashing – springs; with rubbing and friction between surfaces, with pushing things out of the way; resistance to motion of air and water

    • Forces measured in newtons, measurements of stretch or compression as force is changed

    • Force-extension linear relation; Hooke's Law as a special case

    • Work done and energy changes on deformation

    • Non-contact forces: gravity forces acting at a distance on Earth and in space, forces between magnets and forces due to static electricity

      • Electric forces and fields (9-J.1)
      • Compare magnitudes of magnetic forces (9-J.2)

  • Pressure in fluids

    • Atmospheric pressure, decreases with increase of height as weight of air above decreases with height

    • Pressure in liquids, increasing with depth; upthrust effects, floating and sinking

    • Pressure measured by ratio of force over area – acting normal to any surface

  • Balanced forces

    • Opposing forces and equilibrium: weight held by stretched spring or supported on a compressed surface

  • Forces and motion

    • Forces being needed to cause objects to stop or start moving, or to change their speed or direction of motion (qualitative only)

    • Change depending on direction of force and its size

• Waves

  • Observed waves

    • Waves on water as undulations which travel through water with transverse motion; these waves can be reflected, and add or cancel – superposition

      • Transverse waves (9-M.1)

  • Sound waves

    • Frequencies of sound waves, measured in hertz (Hz); echoes, reflection and absorption of sound

      • Transmission, reflection and absorption of waves (8-M.2)

    • Sound needs a medium to travel, the speed of sound in air, in water, in solids

    • Sound produced by vibrations of objects, in loudspeakers, detected by their effects on microphone diaphragm and the ear drum; sound waves are longitudinal

    • Auditory range of humans and animals

  • Energy and waves

    • Pressure waves transferring energy; use for cleaning and physiotherapy by ultrasound; waves transferring information for conversion to electrical signals by microphone

  • Light waves

    • The similarities and differences between light waves and waves in matter

      • Electromagnetic waves (9-M.3)

    • Light waves travelling through a vacuum; speed of light

      • Electromagnetic waves (9-M.3)

    • The transmission of light through materials: absorption, diffuse scattering and specular reflection at a surface

    • Use of ray model to explain imaging in mirrors, the pinhole camera, the refraction of light and action of convex lens in focusing (qualitative); the human eye

    • Light transferring energy from source to absorber leading to chemical and electrical effects; photo-sensitive material in the retina and in cameras

    • Colours and the different frequencies of light, white light and prisms (qualitative only); differential colour effects in absorption and diffuse reflection

      • Electromagnetic waves (9-M.3)

• Electricity and electromagnetism

  • Current electricity

    • Electric current, measured in amperes, in circuits, series and parallel circuits, currents add where branches meet and current as flow of charge

    • Potential difference, measured in volts, battery and bulb ratings; resistance, measured in ohms, as the ratio of potential difference (p.d.) to current

    • Differences in resistance between conducting and insulating components (quantitative)

  • Static electricity

    • Separation of positive or negative charges when objects are rubbed together: transfer of electrons, forces between charged objects

    • The idea of electric field, forces acting across the space between objects not in contact

      • Electric forces and fields (9-J.1)

  • Magnetism

    • Magnetic poles, attraction and repulsion

    • Magnetic fields by plotting with compass, representation by field lines

    • Earth's magnetism, compass and navigation

    • The magnetic effect of a current, electromagnets, D.C. motors (principles only)

• Matter

  • Physical changes

    • Conservation of material and of mass, and reversibility, in melting, freezing, evaporation, sublimation, condensation, dissolving

    • Similarities and differences, including density differences, between solids, liquids and gases

    • Brownian motion in gases

    • Diffusion in liquids and gases driven by differences in concentration

      • Diffusion across membranes (9-N.2)

    • The difference between chemical and physical changes

      • Compare physical and chemical changes (9-G.5)

  • Particle model

    • The differences in arrangements, in motion and in closeness of particles explaining changes of state, shape and density, the anomaly of ice-water transition

      • Particle motion and changes of state (9-L.2)

    • Atoms and molecules as particles

  • Energy in matter

    • Changes with temperature in motion and spacing of particles

      • How does particle motion affect temperature? (9-L.1)

    • Internal energy stored in materials

• Space physics

  • Gravity force, weight = mass × gravitational field strength (g), on Earth g=10 N/kg, different on other planets and stars; gravity forces between Earth and Moon, and between Earth and Sun (qualitative only)

  • Our Sun as a star, other stars in our galaxy, other galaxies

    • Structure of the universe (9-FF.8)

  • The seasons and the Earth's tilt, day length at different times of year, in different hemispheres

    • What causes the seasons on Earth? (9-FF.5)

  • The light year as a unit of astronomical distance

    • Structure of the universe (9-FF.8)