Cells, atoms and the particle model

Students will:

Develop understanding of cells, atoms and particles as building blocks for future learning. Students will understand functions of different parts of cells and how the particle model can be used to explain properties of solids, liquids and gases.

Energy

Students will:

Learn that the total amount of energy in the universe is constant but that energy can be transferred from one store to another. Students will understand how these energy transfers happen and also have the opportunity to look at how energy might be supplied in the future

Reproduction 

Students will:

Understand the terms DNA and genes. Study egg cells and sperm cells in more detail to build on knowledge of reproduction from key stage 2. Learn about the process of the menstrual cycle and how this links to fertilisation. Students will also compare fertilisation in animals and plants.

Forces

Students will:

Build on knowledge from key stage 2 to understand concepts of balanced and unbalanced forces and resultant force. Develop knowledge of friction

Separating Mixtures

Students will:

Build on understanding of particles and separating mixtures from key stage 2 to look at why solids, liquids and gases can be separated using different techniques. Students will apply this knowledge to more complex separation techniques such as distillation.

Ecosystems

Students will:

Understand the effects of interactions between organisms in an ecosystem. Study how the accumulation of toxic materials damages ecosystems and the environment.

Light and sound waves

Students will:

Develop knowledge on particles and energy to understand that waves are a transfer of energy. Use knowledge of sound waves to understand how ultrasound works. Apply knowledge of waves and light to understand how we can see different colours.

Acids, alkali’s and the periodic table

Students will:

Build on knowledge of atoms to understand what happens during a chemical reaction. Gain knowledge of acids, alkalis and neutralisation. Be introduced to the periodic table and how we can use it to predict properties of elements that appear on it.

Organ systems

Students will:

Build on knowledge of cells to understand how tissues, organs and organ systems interact. Develop detailed knowledge of the skeletal, digestive and gas exchange systems including the adaptations of these systems and the effect of drugs and alcohol on them. Understand the basic differences between aerobic and anaerobic respiration

Electricity and magnetism

Students will:

Develop basic understanding of how electricity causes objects to work including what current, potential difference, resistance and static electricity are. Build on knowledge of magnets at key stage 2 to understand magnetic fields and the Earth’s magnetism.

Photosynthesis and the atmosphere

Students will:

Understand the importance of photosynthesis in sustaining life on Earth. Compare the process of photosynthesis to aerobic respiration. Understand the structure and composition of the Earth and the atmosphere.

Motion and space

Students will:

Build on knowledge of forces to understand speed and distance time graphs. Develop knowledge of the solar system from key stage 2 to look at how gravitational field strength changes at different places in the solar system.

Chemical reactions

Students will:

Build on prior knowledge of chemical reactions to look at types of chemical reactions in more detail, for example, displacement and thermal decomposition reactions. Students will apply knowledge of chemical reactions to predict reactivity of substances and understand the role catalysts in reactions.

Matter and pressure

Students will:

Apply knowledge of particles gained from previous units to understand other scientific concepts. These concepts include pressure in different states of matter and understanding how density links to whether materials float or sink. Students will use ideas about conduction, convection and radiation to explain why hot objects cool down and how the particle model can explain why some materials are good conductors and insulators.

Inheritance

Students will:

Apply knowledge of cells and reproduction to understand how cell division to produce body cells and sex cells happens. Understand how variation between species results in some organisms being more adapted to compete for resources and discuss the impact of this. Develop deeper knowledge of cells by studying stem cells and the potential impact they could have on treatment of disease.

Electromagnetic waves

Students will:

Understand how the electromagnetic spectrum is organised in terms of wavelength and frequency. Apply knowledge of visible light from the electromagnetic spectrum to understand how the human eye works and how lenses can be used to improve vision.

Transport over larger distances
Interactions with the environment

Students will:

Continue to develop knowledge of organ systems in the human body by studying the circulatory system, endocrine system and nervous system. Apply knowledge of organ systems to understand adaptations of efficient exchange surfaces. Use knowledge of plants and photosynthesis to understand factors that affect the rate of transpiration in plants and how pant diseases can be controlled.

Study human communicable and non-communicable diseases to understand causes and effective treatment. Use knowledge of the endocrine system developed in previous learning to explain how hormones are involved in feedback loops, for example, in control of blood glucose levels and the menstrual cycle. Understand how the human body defends against pathogens and how vaccinations can be used to cause immunity, including the process used to ensure vaccinations and other drugs are safe to use. Understand what happens when an unstable nucleus is emitted from a nucleus and the damaging effects that ionising radiation can have on the body.

Explaining change

Students will:

Build on knowledge of the Earth and its atmosphere to understand how the atmosphere has developed over time. Study the effect of specific pollutants on the atmosphere. Understand the water cycle and the processes used to ensure water is safe to drink. Build on knowledge of ecosystems to explain positive and negative effects humans have on ecosystems. Use knowledge of DNA to explain how diseases are inherited and how selective breeding and genetic engineering can be used to create desired characteristics in organisms.

Building blocks for understanding

Students will:

Use knowledge of how properties of elements in the periodic table can be predicted to study chemical and physical properties of groups 0, 1 and 7 in more detail. Calculate relative formula masses and moles of compounds. Use this to calculate masses of reactants and products and the concentration of a solution in a chemical reaction.

Interactions over small and large distances
Movement and interactions

Students will:

Build on knowledge of forces to resolve forces by calculating their magnitude and direction. Study different forms of energy in detail, for example, elastic potential energy and how spring constant affects elastic deformation. Understand how to represent ionic and covalent bonding as dot and cross diagrams and explain the properties of ionic, covalent and metallic compounds. Build on knowledge of magnetism to understand the motor effect and Flemings left- hand rule.

Apply knowledge of forces to explain terminal velocity and circular motion. Calculate acceleration using simple and more complex calculations and use these to explain Newton’s second law of motion and the impact of force on stopping distances. Develop a more detailed understanding of electricity by studying current- potential difference graphs for different components and understanding how current and potential difference are altered at different points in the National grid. Use knowledge of acids and alkali’s to explain why factors affect the rate of a chemical reaction. Use knowledge of endothermic and exothermic reactions to calculate bond energies during a chemical reaction and use dynamic equilibrium to predict how factors will alter the amount of product in a chemical reaction.

Guiding spaceship Earth to a sustainable future

Students will:

Apply knowledge of bonding to explain properties of graphite and diamond and to explain how fractional distillation of crude oil takes place. Explain how metals can be extracted using methods such as electrolysis and biological methods. Use data from lifecycle assessments to assess the environmental impact of extraction methods and evaluate factors that affect the use of recycling.

Revision and GCSE exams

AQA Synergy GCSE Combined science

4 GSCE papers:
Papers 1 and 2:

• Unit 1- Building blocks
• Unit 2 – Transport over larger distances
• Unit 3- Interactions with the environment
• Unit 4- Explaining change

Papers 3 and 4:

• Unit 5- Building blocks for understanding
• Unit 6- Interactions over small and large distances
• Unit 7- Movement and interactions
• Unit 8- Guiding spaceship Earth to a sustainable future

Atomic structure and the periodic table

Cell biology and organisation
Energy

In Chemistry students will:

Understand the arrangement of elements in the periodic table in terms of atomic structure.
Understand how the periodic table is organised and how this can be used to explain physical and chemical properties of elements. Describe the historical development of the periodic table and how models of atomic structure provide good examples of how scientific ideas and explanations develop over time as new evidence emerges.

In Biology students will:

Develop previous knowledge of cells by explaining how microscopy has increased human understanding of cells. Describe how to prepare a culture of microorganisms and investigate the uses of antiseptics.
Continue to develop knowledge of human body systems by studying the circulatory system and the impact of non-communicable diseases such as coronary heart disease on the circulatory system.
Understand the effect of lifestyle factors on non-communicable diseases such as cancer. Study, in detail, the organ systems of plants and explain factors that affect the rate of transpiration.

In Physics students will:

Further develop knowledge of energy by using specific equations in more detail, for example, calculating kinetic energy, elastic potential energy and gravitational potential energy.
Study specific heat capacity and how this value can be calculated using a transfer of energy stores. Consider the environmental

Bonding, structure and properties of matter

Electricity

In Chemistry students will:

Use theories of structure and bonding to explain the physical and chemical properties of materials. Use theories of bonding to explain how atoms are held together.
Explain how Scientists use knowledge of structure and bonding to engineer new materials with desirable properties.

In Physics students will:

Use circuit diagrams to investigate and explain how factors affect resistance in an electrical circuit, for example, the length of a wire. Interpret current- potential difference graphs for a variety of circuit components and use these graphs to explain the uses of the component.
Use knowledge of current, potential difference and resistance to explain why resistance is different in series and parallel circuits. Learn about mains electricity and how electrical power is transferred through the National Grid.
Explain how static electricity and sparking are produced using ideas about the transfer of electrons.

Quantitative chemistry

Infection and response

Particle model of matter

In Chemistry students will:

Use quantitative analysis to determine the formulae of compounds and the equations for reactions. Use quantitative methods to determine the purity of chemical samples and the yield from chemical reactions.
Identify different types of chemical reaction and use this to make predictions about the behaviour of other chemicals. Represent chemical reactions using equations as a way of communicating ideas about chemical reactions.

In Biology students will:

Study specific animal and plant communicable diseases that are caused by a variety of pathogens.
Describe and explain how the human body and plants defend themselves against pathogens. Explain how vaccinations result in immunity and analyse the process used to test drugs before they are available to use.
Describe how monoclonal antibodies are produced and what they are used for.

In Physics students will:

Use knowledge of the particle model to explain why changing the volume of where a gas is contained affects the pressure.
Compare and explain the differences between specific heat capacity and specific latent heat.

Chemical changes

Bioenergetics and Homeostasis

Atomic structure

In Chemistry students will:

Understand that knowledge of different chemical changes allows us to predict what new substances will be formed from chemical reactions. Describe and explain what happens during different chemical reactions, for example, reactions between metals and acids and neutralisation reactions.
Explain how knowledge of chemical changes helped biochemists to understand the complex reactions that take place in living organisms. Describe and explain different methods for extracting resources from the earth, for example, electrolysis.

In Biology students will:

Further develop knowledge of photosynthesis and respiration by investigating factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis and understanding how the body responds to exercise.
Define the term homeostasis and describe how the human body uses homeostasis to control blood glucose level, body temperature and water levels. Understand how the nervous system coordinates movement.
Learn how the brain controls complex behaviour. Understand how the

In Physics students will:

Use theory about the model of the atom to understand nuclear radiation.
Understand that nuclear radiation can be emitted as an alpha particle, a beta particle, a gamma ray or a neutron and explain the differences in penetration and ionisation of these.
Construct nuclear equations to represent radioactive decay. Understand half life, calculate the half life of different isotopes and use this data to determine the application of different isotopes. Describe the processes of nuclear fission and nuclear fusion and describe the uses of these processes.

Energy changes and
The rate and extent of chemical change

Homeostasis

Forces

In Chemistry students will:

Understand that bonds are broken and formed during chemical reactions and that reactions in which energy is released to the surroundings are exothermic reactions, while those that take in thermal energy are endothermic.
Understand that cells and batteries use these chemical reactions to provide electricity. Evaluate the use of fuel cells compared to rechargeable cells and batteries.
Identify and explain factors that affect the rate of chemical reactions. Understand how reversible reactions work and how these reactions can be manipulated to maximise yield of a product.

In Biology students will:

Understand that plants produce hormones to control growth and to respond to light and gravity. Investigate these hormones and their uses.

In Physics students will:

Build on knowledge of forces to resolve forces by calculating their magnitude and direction. Study different forms of energy in detail, for example, elastic potential energy and how spring constant affects elastic deformation.
Understand how to calculate moments and use this to explain how levers and gears work. Use knowledge of pressure to calculate the pressure due to a column of liquid. Apply knowledge of forces to explain terminal velocity and circular motion.
Calculate acceleration using simple and more complex calculations and use these to explain Newton’s second law of motion and the impact of force on stopping distances

Organic chemistry

Inheritance, variation and evolution

Space Physics

In Chemistry students will:

Understand that carbon compounds can be used as fuels, for example, crude oil.
Understand the process of fractional distillation and how this links to the properties of hydrocarbons.
Describe the structure of alkanes, alkenes, alcohols and carboxylic acids and the chemical reactions that happen with these molecules. Understand that there are synthetic and naturally occurring polymers.
Use this knowledge to describe the processes of addition and condensation polymerisation and the structure of DNA.

In Biology students will:

Develop knowledge of DNA and the genome further by looking at the structure of DNA in more detail.
Use the concept of single gene inheritance to predict the likelihood of inherited disorders. Learn how the process of genetic engineering, cloning and selective breeding can be used to produce desirable characteristics.
Explain how our understanding of genetics has developed over time considering the evidence for the theory of evolution. 

In Physics students will:

Develop knowledge already gained on the solar system to explain the lifecycle of stars and the differences between the orbits of planets, moons and artificial. Explain red shift and how it provides evidence for the Big Bang Theory.

Chemical analysis and
Chemistry of the atmosphere

Magnetism, electromagnetism and waves

In Chemistry students will:

Describe a range of qualitative tests to detect specific chemicals including hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and chlorine.
Understand why instrumental methods are more useful for some scientific work such as forensic science as they provide fast, sensitive and accurate means of analysing chemicals.
Understand that the Earth’s atmosphere is dynamic and forever changing. The causes of these changes are sometimes man-made and sometimes part of many natural cycles.
Describe these cycles. Describe and explain the problems caused by increased levels of air pollutants and how humans can reduce these impacts.

In Physics students will:

Develop previous knowledge of electromagnetic waves to explain how the temperature of a body is related to the radiation that is emitted and absorbed.
Use knowledge of the eye to explain how different lenses can be used to correct visual impairments. Explain the motor effect and interpret diagrams of electromagnets to explain how they work.
Explain how electric motors, loudspeakers and microphones work. Understand how transformers work and use this to calculate the current drawn to provide a particular power output.

Using resources

Ecology

In Chemistry students will:

Describe and explain how humans can use the Earth’s resources for sustainable development, for example, to produce potable water.
Develop previous knowledge on metal extraction by learning about alternative methods such as phytomining and bioleaching. Understand the Haber process and how NPK fertilisers can be used.

In Biology students will:

Develop previous knowledge of ecosystems to consider how changes to biotic and abiotic factors will affect communities. Explain factors the affect the rate of decay of biological materials.
Evaluate methods to maintain biodiversity and modern farming techniques.
Use knowledge of genetic modification to explain modern biotechnology methods used to culture microorganisms for food.