Science

Year 9

Key Stage 3

Autumn Term

  • At Key Stage 3, pupils have four lessons of science per week. During lessons, pupils will be taught topics within Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Year 9 is a bridging year where students will start developing the specific skills required for GCSE. Lessons are linked to wider world themes; this helps students relate to difficult or more abstract concepts. Topics are carefully designed to build on prior learning and introduce new ideas in a logical sequence. Each topic begins with a prior learning activity to establish understanding and inform future learning.

    Assessment:

    Multiple choice quizzes to regularly check acquired knowledge

    Skills assessments designed to check practical related skills

    Tests, divided into knowledge and application sections, to identify specific areas for support

    Autumn term topics:

    Biology A – Animal cells, movement of substances and respiration

    Chemistry A – Mixtures

    Physics A – Simple forces

    Physics B – Energy and global resources

  • Science enquiry skills are split into six strands:

    Developing concepts – explaining ideas, leading to linking concepts

    Planning and conducting – conducting investigations, writing methods, leading to justifying choices

    Concluding and evaluating – processing data, forming conclusions and evaluating practical methods

    Literacy – using scientific terminology to describe, explain, compare and evaluate

    Numeracy – selecting correct equations and rearranging leading to linking equations

    Curiosity – ask questions about science, independently seeking answers and connecting ideas

  • Discuss with your child what they have learnt in science lessons. Ask them to explain an idea to you, this promotes retention of knowledge and builds confidence. Talk about science in the news, watch a documentary together, encourage your child to find out more about a topic.

    Avoid saying ‘Science is hard’ or ‘I couldn’t do Science’ as we know this can promote negative attitudes. Instead work together in finding an answer to a problem using revision websites or videos.

    Encourage your child to question what they see on social media presented as ‘science fact’. Who is making the claim? What is the evidence to support the claim? Do scientists agree?

  • BBC Bitesize exam specs

    BBC Bitesize Revision

    BBC Bitesize Revision 2

    Cognito Education Science videos

    Educake (all students have a login to complete homework or set themselves questions)

    S-cool (free sign up)

    Examples of wider reading in Science:

    Environment

    Journal

    Science Sparks

    Engineering

    Tumble science podcast – search on a podcast app

Key Stage 3

Spring Term

  • At Key Stage 3, pupils have four lessons of science per week. During lessons, pupils will be taught topics within Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Year 9 is a bridging year where students will start developing the specific skills required for GCSE. Lessons are linked to wider world themes; this helps students relate to difficult or more abstract concepts. Topics are carefully designed to build on prior learning and introduce new ideas in a logical sequence. Each topic begins with a prior learning activity to establish understanding and inform future learning.

    Assessment:

    Multiple choice quizzes to regularly check acquired knowledge

    Skills assessments designed to check practical related skills

    Tests, divided into knowledge and application sections, to identify specific areas for support

    Spring term topics:

    Biology B – Plants and photosynthesis

    Chemistry B – Atomic structure and the periodic table

    Chemistry C – Atmospheric chemistry and using resources

    Physics C – Basic circuits

  • Science enquiry skills are split into six strands:

    Developing concepts – explaining ideas, leading to linking concepts

    Planning and conducting – conducting investigations, writing methods, leading to justifying choices

    Concluding and evaluating – processing data, forming conclusions and evaluating practical methods

    Literacy – using scientific terminology to describe, explain, compare and evaluate

    Numeracy – selecting correct equations and rearranging leading to linking equations

    Curiosity – ask questions about science, independently seeking answers and connecting ideas

  • Discuss with your child what they have learnt in science lessons. Ask them to explain an idea to you, this promotes retention of knowledge and builds confidence. Talk about science in the news, watch a documentary together, encourage your child to find out more about a topic.

    Avoid saying ‘Science is hard’ or ‘I couldn’t do Science’ as we know this can promote negative attitudes. Instead work together in finding an answer to a problem using revision websites or videos.

    Encourage your child to question what they see on social media presented as ‘science fact’. Who is making the claim? What is the evidence to support the claim? Do scientists agree?

  • BBC Bitesize exam specs

    BBC Bitesize Revision

    BBC Bitesize Revision 2

    Cognito Education Science videos

    Educake (all students have a login to complete homework or set themselves questions)

    S-cool (free sign up)

    Examples of wider reading in Science:

    Environment

    Journal

    Science Sparks

    Engineering

    Tumble science podcast – search on a podcast app

Key Stage 3

Summer Term

  • At Key Stage 3, pupils have four lessons of science per week. During lessons, pupils will be taught topics within Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Year 9 is a bridging year where students will start developing the specific skills required for GCSE. Lessons are linked to wider world themes; this helps students relate to difficult or more abstract concepts. Topics are carefully designed to build on prior learning and introduce new ideas in a logical sequence. Each topic begins with a prior learning activity to establish understanding and inform future learning.

    Assessment:

    Multiple choice quizzes to regularly check acquired knowledge

    Skills assessments designed to check practical related skills

    Tests, divided into knowledge and application sections, to identify specific areas for support

    Summer term topics:

    Biology C – Food and digestion

    Biology D – Variation and evolution

    Chemistry D – Bonding and properties

    Physics D – Waves

  • Science enquiry skills are split into six strands:

    Developing concepts – explaining ideas, leading to linking concepts

    Planning and conducting – conducting investigations, writing methods, leading to justifying choices

    Concluding and evaluating – processing data, forming conclusions and evaluating practical methods

    Literacy – using scientific terminology to describe, explain, compare and evaluate

    Numeracy – selecting correct equations and rearranging leading to linking equations

    Curiosity – ask questions about science, independently seeking answers and connecting ideas

  • Discuss with your child what they have learnt in science lessons. Ask them to explain an idea to you, this promotes retention of knowledge and builds confidence. Talk about science in the news, watch a documentary together, encourage your child to find out more about a topic.

    Avoid saying ‘Science is hard’ or ‘I couldn’t do Science’ as we know this can promote negative attitudes. Instead work together in finding an answer to a problem using revision websites or videos.

    Encourage your child to question what they see on social media presented as ‘science fact’. Who is making the claim? What is the evidence to support the claim? Do scientists agree?

  • BBC Bitesize exam specs

    BBC Bitesize Revision

    BBC Bitesize Revision 2

    Cognito Education Science videos

    Educake (all students have a login to complete homework or set themselves questions)

    S-cool (free sign up)

    Examples of wider reading in Science:

    Environment

    Journal

    Science Sparks

    Engineering

    Tumble science podcast – search on a podcast app