KS4 - Separate Sciences

10

What students will learn

How it builds on learning

Cell Biology

Eukaryotes and prokaryotes, animal and plant cells, cell specialisation, cell differentiation, microscopy, culturing micro-organisms, chromosomes, mitosis, stem cells, transport in cells 

Cells have been taught throughout KS3; this is taught as the first unit due to the fundamental nature of the concepts covered which feed into the rest of the GCSE content.

Organisation

Principles of organisation, human digestive system, heart and blood vessels, blood, coronary heart disease, health issues, effects of lifestyle on disease, cancer, plant tissues, plant organ systems 

A unit which follows on from a number of the KS3 biology units, in particular Core Biology, Breathing and Respiration, Food and Digestion and Understanding Health. 

Infection and response

Communicable diseases (including viral, bacterial, fungal and protist diseases), human defence systems, vaccination, antibiotics and painkillers, discovery and development of drugs, monoclonal antibodies, uses of monoclonal antibodies, plant disease, plant defence response

Foundation tier

Students do not study monoclonal antibodies.

Students do not study detection of plant diseases.

Aspects of this topic were covered in much less detail in the Understanding Health topic. This unit goes into the greater detail needed for the GCSE level.

Bioenergetics

Photosynthesis (reaction, rates and uses of glucose), aerobic and anaerobic respiration, responses to exercise, metabolism

Foundation tier

Students do not study how the factors which affect photosynthesis interact.

Students do not look at the inverse square law and photosynthesis.

Building on both the Photosynthesis and Breathing and Respiration units, this unit focuses on energy use and transfer in biological systems - a key concept that reappears throughout the course.

Ecology

Communities, abiotic factors, biotic factors, adaptations, levels of organisation of an ecosystem, cycling of materials, decomposition, impact of environmental change, biodiversity, trophic levels in an ecosystem, food production

Foundation tier

Students do not study the impacts of environmental change.

Follows on from the Year 7 Living World unit and parts of several other units. Taught in the summer term due to the outdoor nature of one of the required practicals.

11

What students will learn

How it builds on learning

Ecology

Waste management, land use, deforestation, global warming, maintaining biodiversity

Follows on from the Year 7 Living World unit and parts of several other units. 

Inheritance, variation, and evolution

Sexual and asexual reproduction, advantages and disadvantages of sexual and asexual reproduction,  meiosis, DNA and the genome, DNA structure, genetic inheritance, inherited disorders, sex determination, variation, evolution, selective breeding, genetic engineering, cloning, development of theory of evolution, speciation, evidence for evolution, fossils, extinction, resistant bacteria, classification 

Foundation tier

Students look at the structure of DNA in a lot less detail.

Students do not look at the main steps of genetic engineering.

Builds on several KS3 units but in much greater detail. Taught in Year 11 when students have a stronger grounding in biological concepts after their Year 10 studies.

Homeostasis

Homeostasis, human nervous system, endocrine system, control of blood glucose, maintaining water and nitrogen balance in the body, hormones in reproduction, contraception, hormone treatments for infertility, negative feedback,  plant hormones

Foundation tier

Students do not study the role of glucagon in maintaining blood sugar levels.

Students do not study the role of ADH in controlling blood water levels.

Students do not study hormone treatments for infertility or negative feedbacks.

Students do not study the uses of plant hormones.

The unit follows on from the Core Biology and Reproduction units as well as other lessons within different units they have covered at KS3. The understanding of many elements of the Year 10 GCSE course are important to enable students to fully understand this unit.

10

What students will learn

How it builds on learning

Bonding, structure and the properties of matter

Chemical bonds, ionic bonding, ionic compounds, covalent bonding, metallic bonding, states of matter, properties of ionic compounds, properties of small molecules, polymers, giant covalent structures, properties of metals and alloys, structure and bonding of carbon, bulk and surface properties of matter including nanoparticles.

Foundation tier

Students do not explore the limitations of the particle model

Foundational content is covered in this unit, which needs to be covered with Atomic structure unit before other units are introduced. Separating mixtures not covered here as this is covered in chemical analysis. Builds on material covered in a variety of units at KS3.

Atomic Structure and the periodic table

Atoms, elements and compounds; mixtures; development of the model of the atom; charges of subatomic particles; size and mass of atoms; relative atomic mass; electronic structure; development of periodic table; metals and non-metal; properties of group 0, 1 and 7; properties of transition metals.

Foundation tier

Students do not have to write balanced half and ionic equations

Foundational content is covered in this unit, which needs to be covered with Bonding unit before other units are introduced. Builds on material covered in a variety of units at KS3.

Chemical analysis

Pure substances, formulations, chromatography, tests of common gases, identification of ions by chemical and spectroscopic means.

Builds on ideas covered in year 8 - separating mixtures. These ideas include separating mixtures, chromatography and gas tests.

Quantitative Chemistry

Conservation of mass and balancing equations, relative formula mass, chemical measurements, moles and balancing equations, limiting reactants, concentration of solutions, percentage yield, atom economy, calculations based on chemical equations, gas volumes.

Foundation tier

Students do not study moles , the amounts of substances in equations or balancing equations using moles

Students do not study using concentrations of solutions in mol/dm³

Introduced in year 10 as there are opportunities in year 11 to revisit the ideas covered here. Concepts within this unit are challenging, and students tend to grasp the ideas better when exposed to them twice.

Using resources

Using the Earth’s resources and sustainable development, potable water, waste water treatment, alternative methods for extracting metals, life cycle assessment, reducing resource use, corrosion and its prevention, alloys, ceramics, polymers and composites, the Haber process, production and uses of NPK fertilisers.

Foundation tier

Students do not study alternative methods of extracting metals

Builds on ideas covered in year 9 in materials unit and also allows revisiting of concepts from year 10 Bonding and Atomic Structure units – these include potable water, types of material, life cycle assessments.

Chemistry of the Atmosphere

Atmospheric composition, Earth’s early atmosphere, greenhouse gases and the influence of human activity, climate change, common atmospheric pollutants and their sources

Builds on ideas covered in environmental chemistry in year 9, also allows revisiting of ideas related to combustion/chemical reactions/chemical formulae which are covered in Energy Changes unit in year 9 and Periodic Table unit

11

What students will learn

How it builds on learning

Energy Changes

Exothermic and endothermic reactions, reaction profiles, energy changes in reactions, chemical cells and fuel cells.

Foundation tier

Students do not study energy changes in terms of bond energies

Allows revisiting of ideas in bonding and builds on year 9 unit introducing ideas of energy changes in chemical reactions.

Chemical changes

Reactivity of metals, extraction of metals, oxidation and reduction in terms of electrons, reactions of acids, production of salts, pH scale and neutralisation, titration, strong and weak acids, electrolysis of molten ionic compounds and aqueous solutions, half equations, use of electrolysis for metal extraction.

Foundation tier

Students do not study oxidation and reduction in terms of electrons

Students do not study strong and weak acids

Students do not study half equations during electrolysis

Allows revisiting of ideas covered in quantitative chemistry in year 10 and also formation of ions in Atomic Structure unit. Builds on Reactions of Acids unit in year 8.

Rate and extent of Chemical Change

Calculating rates of reaction, factors which affect rates, collision theory and activation energy, catalysts, equilibria and reversible reactions.

Foundation tier

Students do not study the effect of changing conditions on equilibrium (including concentration, temperature and pressure

Allows revisiting of ideas covered in year 10, including bonding. It also introduces the challenging concept of equilibrium at a stage where students are most likely to be prepared for it. In addition, it revisits the concept of the Haber process studied in year 10.

Organic Chemistry

Crude oil, hydrocarbons and alkanes, fractional distillation, properties of hydrocarbons, cracking and alkenes, reactions of alkenes, alcohols, carboxylic acids, addition and condensation polymerisation, amino acids and DNA.

Foundation tier

Students do not study condensation polymerisation

Students do not study amino acids

This unit comes after Bonding and Atomic Structure units as it allows concepts in these units to be revisited.

10

What students will learn

How it builds on learning

Electricity 1

Standard circuit symbols, electrical charge and current, current, resistance, potential difference, series and parallel circuits,

Topic needs to be taught before electromagnetism so that students can draw on concepts from electricity topic. Students build on their understanding of electricity from the Year 9 Electricity and Magnetism topic. This topic also allows the more mathematical nature of GCSE science to be introduced.

Atomic Structure

Atoms and isotopes, structure of atom, mass number and atomic number, development of atomic model, radioactive decay, nuclear equations, half-lives and the nature of radioactive decay, contamination and irradiation, hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and background radiation, fission and fusion

Foundation tier

Students do not study net decline

Students study this unit early in year 10 as the concepts are relatively simple, and in order to not overwhelm students with the amount of maths in GCSE physics. Students able to draw on knowledge from Year 8 Matter topic.

Energy 1

Energy stores and systems, kinetic energy, elastic potential energy, gravitational potential energy, power, efficiency, conservation of energy

Foundation tier

Students do not study ways of increasing the efficiency of energy transfers

Topic is taught before forces, as a number of concepts in forces draw on the Energy unit. Students build on their knowledge from the Year 9 Energy unit, as well as energy content embedded within KS3.

Particle model of matter

Density, changes of state, internal energy, specific latent heat, particle motion in gases, pressure in gases

Foundation tier

Students do not study how doing work on a gas increases pressure

Topic is taught in year 10 as the concept are easier than later topics. Students draw on knowledge from Year 7 Core Chemistry unit, Year 8 Matter topic and Year 9 Pressure unit.

Energy 2

Thermal conductivity, insulation and rates of cooling, specific heat capacity, national and global energy resources

Topic is taught before forces, as a number of concepts in forces draw on the Energy unit. Students build on their knowledge from the Year 9 Energy unit, as well as energy content embedded within KS3. Topic is taught separately to Energy 1 as all content relates to heat energy.

Electricity 2

Resistance of a wire; IV characteristics; LDRs, thermistors and sensing circuits; direct and alternating potential difference; mains electricity; the national grid

Topic is taught after Electricity 1 as Electricity 1 contains foundation knowledge for this unit, which primarily looks at applications of electricity.

11

What students will learn

How it builds on learning

Forces 1

Scalar and vector quantities, contact and non-contact forces, gravity and weight, speed, acceleration,  distance time graphs, velocity time graphs, Newton’s laws of motion, terminal velocity and weight, resultant forces and resolving forces

Foundation tier

Students do not study resolving forces

Students do not study velocity in the context of circular motion

Students do not study that the tangent to a velocity time graph is the acceleration

Students do not study that the area under velocity time graph is the distance

Students do not study intertia

Forces is taught after Energy as knowledge of energy is required. Students draw on knowledge, which is acquired in a number of units KS3, including Year7 Core Physics, Yr8 Forces and Year 9 Pressure and moments. Topic is also taught late because cognitive demand is high.

Electromagnetism

Magnetic poles, magnetic fields, the motor effect, Fleming’s left hand rule, electric motors, Generator effect, transformers

Foundation tier

Students do not study Fleming’s left hand rule or electric motors or loudspeakers.

Students do not study the generator effect or transformers

Topic taught after Electricity topics in year 10 as knowledge from this unit is required. Students are able to draw on understanding developed in year 10 and year 11.

Waves 1

Transverse and longitudinal waves, properties of waves, wave equation, relationship between period and frequency, electromagnetic spectrum, properties and uses of electromagnetic waves

Foundation tier:

Students study the properties of EM waves in less detail

Students able to draw on knowledge from Year 7 Light, Year 8 Waves topics and Year 9 Introduction to Physics Unit.

Forces 2

Forces and elasticity, Hooke’s law, stopping distances, reaction times, factors affecting braking distances, centre of mass, momentum and conservation of momentum, centre of mass, moments, pressure

Foundation tier

Students do not study calculating pressure in a liquid

Students do not study momentum

Forces is taught after Energy as knowledge of energy is required. Students draw on knowledge, which is acquired in a number of units KS3, including Year7 Core Physics, Yr8 Forces and Year 9 Pressure and moments. Topic is also taught late because cognitive demand is high. Forces is taught in two parts due to the amount of content in the unit.

Space

Life cycle of a star, redshift, circular motion, the big bang

Topic is only taught in separate science. It is taught after forces as it draws on concepts from a number of units including Forces and Particle Model of Matter.

Waves 2

Sound, seismic waves, colour, reflection and refraction, lenses, black body radiation, waves for detection and exploration

Foundation tier

Students do not study sound waves

Students do not study waves for detection and exploration

Students do not study black bodies

Topic is taught after Waves 1 as Waves 1 contains foundation knowledge for this unit, which mainly focus on applications of waves or deep focus on a number of aspects of waves. Students able to draw on knowledge from Year 7 Light, Year 8 Waves topics and Year 9 Introduction to Physics Unit.