The Lower School Curriculum
Note: the contents of this page are being
constructed and so the information given here is only a guide to the lower
school science curriculum. Click on the link for the relevant section.
[Year 7: Living things | Energy | Building
blocks | Solutions | Cells and reproduction | electricity
| Gases]
[Year 8: Heat | Acids, metals and hydrogen |
Senses | The Earth | Forces | Keeping the
Body healthy | Electromagnetism]
[Year 9: Space | Healthy living | Materials |
Electronics | energy and environment | Effects of forces | Light]
In years 7-9, you will be taught -
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Year 7 Cells and Reproduction
- to use a microscope safely and
effectively
- to prepare simple specimens on
a slide for observation using a microscope
- to make observations using a
microscope and to record these as drawings
- that plants and animals contain
organs
- that tissues make up organs
- that plants and animals are
made up of cells
- that plant and animal cells are
similar in a number of respects, but have significant differences
- plant and animal cells are similar
in a number of respects
- that plant and animal cells
have a cell surface membrane which keeps the cell together and controls
what enters and leaves
- that cells have cytoplasm which
occupies most of the cell
- that cells have nuclei which
control activities of the cell
- that there are significant
differences between plant and animal cells
- that there are different types
of cell, adapted for different functions
- that cells form tissues, and
tissues form organs
- to name some important tissues
in plants and humans
- to explain the organisation of
tissues, using a model
- that cells can make new cells by
dividing
- that growth occurs when new
cells are made and increase in size
- that cell division begins with
division of the nucleus
- that cells have nuclei
containing the information that is transferred from one generation to the
next
- that in plants, pollen and
ovule are specialised cells which enable information to be transferred
from one generation to the next
- that at fertilisation, nuclei
from pollen and ovule fuse to make a new and unique individual
- that animals have different
patterns of reproduction and development
- to make notes, summaries, etc
to clarify ideas and thinking which can be used later
- that animals have different
patterns of reproduction and development
- to draw conclusions from
patterns in data
- that newborn human babies are
more dependent than offspring of some other species
- the structure and function of
the human male and female reproductive organs
- that fertilisation involves the
fusion of the nuclei of sperm and egg
- that the fertilised egg divides
into 2, 4, 8, etc cells as it passes down the oviduct
- the difference between internal
and external fertilisation
- that sperm and egg cells are
specially adapted for their functions
- that male and female nuclei
contain the characteristics of male and female parents respectively
- that egg cells are released
from the ovaries at regular (approximately monthly) intervals
- that menstruation is a monthly
cycle which stops during pregnancy
- that the stages in the
menstrual cycle are controlled by hormones
- that the foetus develops within
a membranous bag and is supported and cushioned by amniotic fluid
- that the placenta supplies
nutrients and oxygen to the foetus via the umbilical cord, and removes
carbon dioxide and other waste products
- that harmful substances and
viruses can cross the placenta into the foetus and affect development
- that uterine muscle contracts
during birth, expelling the foetus and placenta through the vagina
- that the baby is nourished by
milk from mammary glands, which provides nutrients and protects from
infection
- that periods of rapid growth
occur during the human life cycle
- that cell division and
increased cell size lead to growth of the body
- that changes in hormone
concentrations result in the development of secondary sexual
characteristics and emotional changes at puberty
- that characteristics are passed
on by genes, and that some traits are dominant.
(back to top of page)
Year 8 Forces
- about
a range of forces
- how to
measure forces
- that
when objects are immersed in water there is an upthrust on them
- that
when objects float the upthrust is equal to their weight
- that
density is mass divided by volume
- that
when an object is stationary the forces on it are balanced
- that
the direction of a force can be represented by an arrow
- to draw an appropriate curve/line graph to
fit quantitative data, including choosing the scales
- to
describe and compare trends shown in graphs
- to
make predictions from a graph
- to use
a graph to identify anomalous data
- that
mass is the amount of matter in an object and is measured in kilograms
- hat
weight is a force and is measured in newtons
- that
weight is caused by gravity acting on a mass
- that
friction is a force which opposes motion
- how
friction between two surfaces can be reduced with a lubricant
- about factors
affecting frictional forces
- to
represent quantitative data in a graph
- to
make predictions from a graph
- that
frictional forces can be useful
- that
stopping distances of vehicles relate to frictional forces and speed
- about
speed and the units in which it is measured
- how to
interpret distance/time graphs qualitatively
- to
recognise useful and unhelpful frictional forces
- to
bring together ideas about forces and motion and to make links between
them
- that a
lever is a simple machine which uses a pivot
- about
uses of levers
- that
the turning effect of a lever depends on the force and its distance from
the pivot
- about
examples of levers in the body
- how
pairs of antagonistic muscles produce turning effects at skeleton joints
- that a
force can make an object topple over (turn about a pivot)
- that
the turning effect of a force is called its moment
- that
when the upward force of air resistance balances the downward force of
weight, the speed remains constant
- to
interpret distance–time graphs and relate them to the situation from which
data was obtained
(back to top of page)
Year 8 Keeping the body healthy
- that foods are a source of raw
materials for the body
- that foods are the energy
resource to maintain the body’s activities (growth, repair and movement)
- that foods contain a mix of proteins,
carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water
- to use chemical tests to
identify proteins, carbohydrates and fats
- that vitamins and minerals are
present in smaller amounts than the other constituents of food
- how to search for information
in databases or spreadsheets
- to frame a question that can be
investigated
- to decide whether to use
- first-hand or secondary data
- to use and interpret
- ICT-generated graphs
- that protein is important for
growth and repair and that carbohydrates and fats more commonly provide
energy
- that a healthy diet contains a
balance of foodstuffs
- to distinguish facts from
theories/hypotheses/opinions
- to show relationships between
ideas, by using links which show purpose and reservations
- that the digestive system
consists of a tube through which food passes
- the types and internal
structure of teeth and how to take care of them.
- how teeth in herbivores and
carnivores are different from teeth in humans
- to interpret the relationship
between a model gut and the digestive system
- to suggest explanations for
observations
- that foods contain starch,
protein and fat, which have molecules that are too large to be absorbed by
the body
- that sugars, vitamins and
minerals are generally smaller and can be absorbed by the body
- that large molecules are broken
down by enzymes in the gut to form smaller molecules, which pass through
the wall of the small intestine
- how models can be used to
represent and explain complex processes
- that food is digested by
enzymes in the gut to form smaller molecules
- to represent a complex process
using diagrams and text
- that the products of digestion
are transported in the blood to other parts of the body
- that some food material cannot
be digested and is egested
- that the exchanges of substances
between cells and the blood occur adjacent to the capillaries
- that the blood transports
substances to and from the cells of body tissues
- why the heart needs to work
efficiently
- to select relevant information
and link to other information from a range of sources
- how a theory has been modified
when predictions made from it are not supported by evidence
- that cells need a good supply
of oxygen in order to release energy
- that carbon dioxide is produced
during aerobic respiration
- the components of blood
- the function of white blood
cells and platelets
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