Year 9 Science Curriculum Overview Scheme of Learning
Health & Inheritance
Forensic Science
GCSE: Physics Fundamentals AQA
GCSE: Biology Fundamentals AQA
GCSE: Chemistry Fundamentals
GCSE: Homeostasis and response (Post end of year exam)
Duration (Approx)
½ Term
½ Term
½ Term
½ Term
½ Term
½ Term
Core Concepts & Content • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
DNA Structure Inheritance & Natural Variation Genetic crosses & Genetic Diseases Microbes & Microorganisms Vaccinations & Disease White Blood cells Skeleton & Joints Cancer & Cloning Fingerprints Static electricity Refractive index Trace evidence & Analysis Pure substances & Purification Blood spatter Tensile strength & Levers Forces Motion & acceleration Momentum Energy Heating and cooling Waves & the electromagnetic spectrum
• • • • • • • • • • •
Animal, plant & Bacterial cells Microscopy Specialised cells Transport mechanisms e.g. diffusion, Osmosis & active transport Digestive system & absorption Enzymes & enzyme action Atomic structure & Isotopes Ionic & Covalent bonding Preparing salts Separating solutions Main groups of the periodic table
• • • • •
Homeostasis Hormones & Nerves Stimuli & Reflexes Insulin & Diabetes Plant Hormones
Main Objectives
Investigation Ideas • • • • •
DNA Extraction Crosses with counters Agar plate investigations Looking at blood cells under a microscope Joint model circus
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Taking fingerprints Static electricity investigations Refractive index of Pyrex Flames tests & Anion tests Levers/Tensile strength investigation
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Motion investigations Conduction, convection & radiation investigations EM Spectrum Circus IR investigation Faraday cage investigation
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Using microscopes Investigation diffusion & Osmosis Factors that affect enzyme action
This unit aims to give students a deeper understanding of atomic structure and the bonding in compounds. The unit covers the main groups of the periodic table and their properties. The unit also expands on the KS3 concepts of separating solutions such as chromatography and distillation.
• • • •
Making a chromatogram Distillation Simple Ionic precipitates The properties of covalent and ionic compounds.
This unit looks at the control mechanisms in place in both plants and animals. Focusing on Hormones & Nervous impulses.
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Testing reflexes Plant Hormone investigations
To give students an insight into how DNA affects inheritance. This unit also focuses on all aspects of health including infectious diseases, genetic diseases, and mobility.
This unit uses the framing of a forensic investigation to look at how science can be applied to solving crimes in the wider world. This unit recaps year 7 ideas about forces expanding on the Newtonian laws of motion. The unit also recaps year 7 ideas about energy and expands upon it to investigate heating and cooling. The unit ends with a look at waves and how waves are fundamental to our understanding of the universe. This unit looks at the fundamental aspects of Biology studied and GCSE and the organization of living things.
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