Year 8/9 Science

Course description:
This is an immersive science coursed designed to ignite curiosity and deepen understanding in the diverse realms of biology, chemistry, physics, and Earth sciences. Through hands-on experiments, inquiry-based learning, and collaborative projects, students will explore the wonders of the natural world, developing critical thinking skills and a foundation for advanced scientific studies.

Course objectives:

• Cultivate a scientific mindset through inquiry-based learning, fostering curiosity and independent investigation.
• Integrate knowledge across biology, chemistry, physics, and Earth sciences to appreciate the interconnectedness of scientific disciplines.
• Develop critical thinking skills by analyzing scientific phenomena, interpreting data, and drawing evidence-based conclusions.

Term 1: Chemistry

Key topics

• Physical and chemical changes
• Photosynthesis, respiration and chemical weathering
• Pharmaceuticals and polymers
• Atomic theory
• Atomic structure and subatomic particles
• Radioactivity
• Nuclear energy’s medical and industrial uses
• History and development of the periodic table

Term 2: Physics

Key topics

• Introduction to energy and energy transformations
• Conduction, convection, and radiation
• Electrical circuits
• Investigations into energy transformations
• Technological improvements in energy efficiency
• Particle model
• Radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum
• Behaviour of sound waves

Term 3: Biology

Key topics

• Musculoskeletal system and artificial joints/limbs
• Digestive and excretory system and haemodialysis
• Circulatory system
• Respiratory system and organ transplantation
• Reproductive system with asexual and sexual reproduction
• Plant reproductive and vascular systems
• Spontaneous generation and germ theory
• Diploid vs Haploid, Autosomes and Homologous Chromosomes

Term 4: Earth Sciences

Key topics

• Biogeochemical Cycles and Stratigraphy
• Fossilisation, the geological time scale and cretaceous tertiary
• Minerals and the Mohs Hardness scale
• Plutonic rock bodies and rock classifications
• Supercontinents and plate tectonics
• Earthquakes, seismographs, seismic waves
• Tsunamis earthquake safety and volcanoes
• Hotspots and rings of fire