Key Stage 3
Curriculum Overview
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GCSE Skills:
Working Scientifically
- WS1 Development of scientific thinking
- How scientific methods and theories change over time
- Use models that help us to understand theories
- Limitations of science, and the personal, economic, ethical, and environmental issues that arise
- The importance of peer review in publishing scientific results
- Evaluating risks in practical work and in technological applications
WS2 Experimental skills and strategies
- Deciding on what to measure – variables
- Making your data repeatable and reproducible
- Making a prediction
- Making your investigation safe
- Defining and distinguishing between reliability, precision, and accuracy
- Using measuring instruments accurately
WS3 Analysis and evaluation
Identify and know how to deal with errors in data
Presenting data – how to record data in a table
- Identify the range in data
- Calculate the mean of the data
- Presenting data graphically, either using bar charts, line graphs, of scatter graphs
- Identify patterns and relationships using data
- Drawing conclusions from the data
- Making estimates of uncertainty
- Identify anomalous results and know how to handle anomalies
- Evaluate and suggest improvements to your investigation
Students embark on Key Stage 4 science in year 9.
By the end of year 8, students should be able to:
- Continue to develop the ability to understand how scientific methods and theories change over time
- Continue to develop the ability to use models that help us to understand theories
- Continue to develop the ability to develop understanding personal, economic, ethical, and environmental issues that arises
- Continue to develop the ability to evaluate risks in practical work and in technological applications
- Deciding on what to measure – variables
- Continue to develop the ability to making your data repeatable and reproducible
- Continue to develop the ability to making a prediction
- Making your investigation safe
- Continue to develop the ability to define and distinguish between reliability, precision, and accuracy
- Using measuring instruments accurately
- Continue to develop the ability to identify and know how to deal with errors in data
- Continue to develop the ability to present data – how to record data in a table
- Identify the range in data
- Calculate the mean of the data
- Present data graphically, either using bar charts, line graphs, of scatter graphs
- Continue to develop the ability to identify patterns and relationships using data
- Continue to develop the ability to draw conclusions from the data
- Present data graphically, either using bar charts, line graphs, of scatter graphs
- Continue to develop the ability to identify patterns and relationships using data
- Continue to develop the ability to draw conclusions from the data
- Develop the ability to estimate uncertainty
- Development the ability to identify anomalous results and know how to handle anomalies
- Evaluate and suggest improvements to your investigation
By the end of year 7, students should be able to:
- Begin to understand how scientific methods and theories change over time
- Begin to use models that help us to understand theories
- Begin to develop understanding personal, economic, ethical, and environmental issues that arises
- Begin to evaluate risks in practical work and in technological applications
- Deciding on what to measure – variables
- Making your data repeatable and reproducible
- Making a prediction
- Making your investigation safe
- Begin to define and distinguish between reliability, precision, and accuracy
- Using measuring instruments accurately
- Begin to identify and know how to deal with errors in data
- Begin to present data – how to record data in a table
- Identify the range in data
- Calculate the mean of the data
- Begin to present data graphically, either using bar charts, line graphs, of scatter graphs
- Identify patterns and relationships using data
- Begin to draw conclusions from the data
- Begin to present data graphically, either using bar charts, line graphs, of scatter graphs
- Identify patterns and relationships using data
- Begin to draw conclusions from the data
- Making estimates of uncertainty
- Begin to identify anomalous results and know how to handle anomalies
- Begin to evaluate and suggest improvements to your investigation
Numeracy in Science
GCSE skills:
MS1 Arithmetic and numerical computation
- Recognise and use expressions in decimal form
- Recognise and use expressions in standard form
- Use ratios, fractions, and percentages
- Make estimates of the results of simple calculations
MS2 Handling data
- Use an appropriate number of significant figure
- Find arithmetic means
- Construct and interpret frequency tables and bar charts
- Make order of magnitude calculations
MS3 Algebra
- Understand and use the symbols =, +, <, <<, >>, >, 8, ~
- Solve simple algebraic equations
MS4 Data and Graphs
- Translate information between graphical and numerical form
- Explain that y+mx+c represent a linear relationship
- Plot two variables from experimental or other data
- Determine the slope and intersect of a linear graph
MS5 Geometry and trigonometry
- Calculate areas of rectangles, and volumes and surface areas of cubes
By the end of year 8, students should be able to:
- Calculate volumes of cubes
- To further develop the ability to determine the slope and intersect of a linear graph
- Continue to develop the ability to Plot two variables from experimental or other data
- Students start to develop the idea that data can either be a straight line of best fit, or a curved one.
- Continue to develop the ability to Translate information between graphical and numerical form
- Understand and use the symbols =, +,
- Continue to develop the ability to Solve simple algebraic equations
- Continue to develop the ability to construct and interpret frequency tables and bar charts.
- Find arithmetic means
- Develop their recognition and use expressions in decimal form
- Continue to develop use ratios, fractions, and percentages
By the end of year 7, students should be able to:
- Calculate volumes of cubes
- Begin to be able to determine the slope and intersect of a linear graph
- Start to be able to plot two variables from experimental or other data
- Students start to understand that data can either be a straight line of best fit, or a curved one
- Begin to translate information between graphical and numerical form
- Understand and use the symbols =, +
- Begin to solve simple algebraic equations
- Begin to construct and interpret frequency tables and bar charts
- Find arithmetic means
- Begin to recognise and use expressions in decimal form
- Begin to use ratios, fractions, and percentages