Applied Science

Science permeates nearly all aspects of everyday life. A high-quality science education gives students the tools to start understanding the world around them and more importantly to start asking questions about it. As a department, our aim is to design lessons that develop curiosity as well as an eagerness to learn.

Where possible, we want our students to discover new concepts for themselves and we use practical work to help with this. Engaging practicals not only help students develop key dexterity skills but also provide that “wow” factor so that our students ask “why does that happen?” or “what would happen if…”

The end result of a successful science education may not be a student that goes into a science career (although quite a few students do). We hope that our students are able to make informed decisions, based on sound and accurate knowledge and understanding. This will empower them and help them feel more confident in future decisions they may need to make about health, nutrition or environmental concerns.

KS3-4 Pathways (Southfield)	AQA GCSE Biology, AQA GCSE Chemistry, AQA GCSE Physics, AQA GCSE Combined Science
KS4-5 Pathways (Southfield)	AQA A Level Biology, AQA A Level Chemistry, AQA A Level Physcis, AQA Applied General Science
KS5- Higher & Further Education Pathways	Examples include BSc Physics, BSc Astrophysics, BSc Physics with Particle Physics & Cosmology, BSc Medical Physics, BEng Mechanical engineering, BEng Chemical Engineering, BEng Aerospace Engineering, BSc Computer Games Design, LLB Law, BSc Zoology, BSc Biology, BSc Biomedical Science, BSc Marine Biology, BSc Pyschology, BMedSci Medicine, BSci Veterinary Science, BSc Sports Science, Dentistry, BSc Earth Science, BSc Environmental Science, BSc Forensic Science, BSc Physiotherapy, BSc Nursing. Some example in apprenticeships include civil engineering, software development, sound technician, radiotherapy engineering
Careers	Academic researcher, Biotechnologist, Higher education lecturer, Marine biologist, Microbiologist, Nanotechnologist, Nature conservation officer, Pharmacologist, Research scientist, Scientific laboratory technician, Secondary school teacher, Dental hygienist, Dental technician, Dentist, Health improvement practitioner, Surgeon, Neuroscientist, Veterinary Surgeon, Veterinary nurse, Zoologist, Astronomy and Space, Climate science and meteorology, Cyber Security, Engineering, Aerospace, Medical physics and digital healthcare, Renewable energy, Robotics and AI, Visual effects (VFX) and Gaming, Finance and Law, Television Presenter, Scientific Journalism, Paramedic, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist
KS4 Specification links	https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/biology-8461 https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/chemistry-8462 https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/physics-8463 https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/combined-science-trilogy-8464
KS5 Specification links	https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/as-and-a-level/biology-7401-7402 https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/as-and-a-level/biology-7401-7402 https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/as-and-a-level/physics-7407-7408 https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/applied-general/science

Unit 1 - Introduction to Science

Key questions/concepts

What is a hazard?
How can I ask a scientific question?
What is the best way to record results?
What methods can I used to analyse results from investigations?
How do I communicate what my results show?

Timeframe

September

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Hazard	A situtation that may cause damage or injury
Observation	Information gathered during an investigation
Hypothesis	A question that you can test that includes a 'scientific idea'
Variable	Anything that could change during a scientific investigation
Conclusion	What you have found out during an investigation

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 1, pg 2 - 9
Century Tech: Year 7 Science Course: Introduction to science
Before The World Was Ready: Stories of Daring Genius in Science
The Science Book - DK Books

Unit 2 - Forces

Key questions/concepts

What do forces do?
How do you measure forces?
How do forces affect how an object moves?
How do you calculate speed?
What is the difference between mass & weight?

Timeframe

September - October

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Resultant force	The single force that can replace all the forces aciting on an object and have the same effect
Speed	The distance covered in a given time
Acceleration	How quickly speed increases
Mass	The amount of "stuff" in an object. Measured in kilograms (kg)
Weight	The force of gravity on an object. Measured in Newtons (N)

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 1, pg 12 - 23
Century Tech: Year 7 Science Course: Forces
Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life by Helen Czerski
Horrible Science: Fatal Forces

Unit 3 - Energy

Key questions/concepts

What are the different energy stores?
What are the different energy pathways?
What is efficiency?
What information does a Sankey diagram give us?
How can we calculate efficiency?

Timeframe

November

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Energy store	The different ways in which energy can be stored, including chemcial, kinetic, gravitational potential, elastic potential and thermal stores
Energy pathway	The process by which energy can be transferred from one store to another - as one store empties, another store fills
Energy resource	Something with stored energy that can be released in a useful way
Efficiency	The proportion of the energy supplied that is transferred in useful ways
Dissipation	Becoming spread out wastefully

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 1, pg 40 - 51
Century Tech: Year 7 Science Course: Energy
Richard Hammond's Blast Lab - Episode 7
Horrible Science: Killer Energy

Unit 4 - Matter

Key questions/concepts

What are the different states of matter?
What happens when a substance changes state?
What is the process of diffusion?
How does density affect an object?
How can we measure and calculate density?

Timeframe

December

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Density	The mass of a material in a certain volume
Evapouration	The change of state from liquid to gas that occurs when particles leave the surface of the liquid only
Boiling	The change of state from liquid to gas that occurs when buble of gas of the substance form throughout the liquid
States of matter	The three forms in which a substance can exist - solid, liquid & gas
Diffusion	The process by which particles in liquids or gases spread out through random movement

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 1, pg 76 - 89
Century Tech: Year 7 Science Course: Matter
A Really Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

Unit 5 - Chemical Reactions

Key questions/concepts

What are elements and compounds?
How can we name different comounds?
What happens in a chemical reaction?
What are oxidation reactions?
What are thermal decomposition reactions?

Timeframe

January

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Element	A substance that cannot be broken down into other substances
Compound	Substances made up of two or more elements chemically joined together
Chemical reaction	A change in which a new substance is formed. In a chemcial reaction, atoms are rearranged and joined together differently
Oxidation	A chemcial reaction in which a substance combined with oxygen
Thermal decomposition	A chemical reaction in which a compound breaks down on heating for form more than one product

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 1, pg 92 - 93
Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 2, pg 88 - 95
Century Tech: Year 7 Science Course: Chemical Reactions
The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe, Theodore Gray
The Kitchen Science Cookbook by Dr Michelle Dickinson

Unit 6 - Biological Processes

Key questions/concepts

What do animal and plant cells contain?
What happens during photosynthesis?
What happens during respiration?
Why are some cells different to others?
How do you use a microscope?

Timeframe

February

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Cell	The smallest functional unit of a living organism. It contains organelles that carry out life processes
Photosynthesis	The process plants and algae use to make glucose using energy from sunlight
Chloroplasts	An organelle found in plant cells that absorbs the light energy needed for photosynthesis
Respiration	A chemical reaction where glucose is converted to water and carbon dioxide, releasing energy
Mitochondria	An organelle found in all cells where the process of respiration occurs

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 1, pg 168 - 171
Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 2, pg 144 -159
Century Tech: Year 7 Science Course: Biological Processes
Rebugging the Plant by Vicki Hird & Gillian Burke

Unit 7 - Electricity

Key questions/concepts

Why do we get electric shocks?
What is current?
What is voltage?
What is resistance?
Which materials are conductors or insulators?

Timeframe

March

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Potential difference	The amount of energy shifted from the power source to the moving charge, or from the charge to the circuit components
Resistance	A property of a component, making it difficut for chage to pass through it
Current	The flow of electic charge, usually electrons
Series circuit	A circuit where all the components are in the same loop
Parallel circuit	A circuit where some components are in separate loops

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 1, pg 26 - 39
Century Tech: Year 7 Science Course: Electricity
Horrible Science: Shocking Electricity

Unit 8 - Human Organ Systems

Key questions/concepts

What organs are there in the human body?
How does the digestive system work?
What happens when we breathe in and out?
How does the heart work?
What is the function of blood?

Timeframe

April - May

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Organ	Groups of different tissues working together to carry out a function
Organ system	A group of organs working together to perform a function
Digestion	The process where large insoluble food particles are broken down into small, soluble molecules
Gas exchange	The process in the lungs where oxygen enters the blood and carbon dioxide leaves the blood
Haemoglobin	A red substance that carries oxygen around the body in the red blood cells

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 2, pg 120 - 143
Century Tech: Year 7 Science Course: Human Organ Systems
Why Does Asparagus Make Your Pee Smell? By Andy Brumming
Horrible Science: Disgusting Digestion

Unit 9 - Separation Techniques

Key questions/concepts

What makes a substance pure?
What is a solution?
What are the different methods of separating substances?
Which separating technique should we use?
How is water made potable?

Timeframe

June

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Pure	A single material which no other substances mixed with it
Soluble	A substance that can dissolve in a solvent
Insoluble	A substance that cannot dissolve in a solvent
Solution	A mixture of a solute dissolved in a solvent
Potable	Water that is safe to drink

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 1, pg 94 - 107
Century Tech: Year 7 Science Course: Separation Techniques
Utterly Jarvellous by Dr Sai Pathmanathan

Unit 10 - Heat Transfer

Key questions/concepts

What is conduction?
What is convection?
What is radiation?
What happens when a substance cools down?
What happens when a substance heats up?

Timeframe

June - July

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Conduction	Transfer of thermal energy by the vibration of particles
Convection	Transfer of thermal energy when particles in a heated fluid rise
Radiation	The transfer of energy as a wave
Temperature	A measure of measure of the motion and energy of the particles
Thermal energy store	The store containing energy due to the vibration or movement of particles in a substance

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 2, pg 48 - 53
Century Tech: Year 7 Science Course: Heat Transfer
Future Friend by David Baddiel

Unit 1 - Reproduction

Key questions/concepts

What is variation?
What happens during adolescence?
How does reproduction occur in humans?
How does a fetus develop?
What is the mentrual cycle?

Timeframe

September - October

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Variation	The differences within and between species
Adaptations	Characteristics that helps an organism survive in its environment
Adolescence	The period of time when a child changes into an adult
Gestation	The process where a baby develops during pregnancy
Menstruation	Loss of the lining of the uterus during the menstrual cycle

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 1, pg 198 - 217
Kay's Anatomy by Adam Kay

Unit 2 - The Earth

Key questions/concepts

What materials come from the Earth's crust?
Why do we have day & night?
Why do we have different seasons?
What is in our solar system?
Why does the moon appear to change?

Timeframe

September - October

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Weathering	The process of rocks being broken up into small pieces called sediment
Erosion	The breaking of a rock into sediments and their movement away from the original rock
Uplift	Uplift happens when huge forces from inside the Earth push rocks upwards
Satellite	An small object that orbits a planet. They can be natural (like the moon) or arteficial
Heliocentric model	A model of the Solar System with the Sun at the centre

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 1, pg 136 - 157
Rosa and Galileo by Anne Cottringer

Unit 3 - Waves

Key questions/concepts

How does sound travel?
How do our ears enable us to hear sounds?
How does light travel?
What makes an object a certain colour?
How do our eyes enable us to see objects?

Timeframe

November - December

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Amplitude	The maximum amount of vibration, as measured from the middle position of a wave
Frequency	The number of waves produced in one second
Luminous	An object that gives out light, such as the sun
Reflection	The change in direction of light or sound when it hits a boundary and bounces back
Refraction	The change in the direction of light going from one material into another

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 1, pg 54 - 75
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Unit 4 - Elements & The Periodic Table

Key questions/concepts

What is an atom?
What is an element?
What is a compound?
What is the periodic table?
What is special about some groups of elements?

Timeframe

November - December

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Compound	Pure substances made up of atoms of two or more elements, chemically joined together
Chemical formula	A formula that shows the elements present in a compound and their relative proportions
Polymer	A molecule made by joining up thousands of smaller molecules in a repeating pattern
Physical Property	Features of a substance that can be observered without changing the substance itself
Chemical Property	Features of the way a substance reacts with other substances

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 2, pg 66 - 87
Periodic Tales by Hugh Alderdey-Williams

Unit 5 - Forces

Key questions/concepts

How does friction affect motion?
How can forces affect objects?
How do we use turning forces?
What is pressure?
How can pressure be used usefully?

Timeframe

January

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Friction	A force opposing motion which is caused by the interaction of surfaces moving over one another
Compression	Force squashing or pushing togeether, which changes the shape of an object
Tension	Force extending or pulling apart
Moment	A measure of the ability of a force to rotate an object about a pivoty
Pressure	The ratio of force to surface area and how it causes stress in solids

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 2, pg 18 - 22
Unlocking The Universe by Stephan & Lucy Hawking
Horrible Science: Fatal Forces

Unit 6 - Health & Digestion

Key questions/concepts

What happens during breathing?
How do different substances affect our bodies?
What are the components of a healthy diet?
What happens during digestion?
What factors affect digestion?

Timeframe

January - February

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Gas exchange	The process in the lungs where oxygen enters the blood and carbon dioxide leaves the blood
Addiction	A need to keep taking a drug in order to feel normal
Depressant	A drug that slows down the body's reactions by slowing down the nervous system
Stimulant	A drug that speeds up the body's reactions by speeding up the nervous system
Deficiency	A lack of minerals that causes poor growth

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 2, pg 120 - 143
Horrible Science: Disgusting Digestion
Why Does Asparagus Make Your Pee Smell? By Andy Brumming

Unit 7 - Chemical Reactions

Key questions/concepts

What happens during a chemical reaction?
How can we represent chemical reactions?
What are some types of chemical reactions?
How energy is transferred in a chemical reaction?
How can we represent energy changes in chemical reactions?

Timeframe

February - April

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Element	A substance that cannot be broken down into other substances
Compound	Substances made up of two or more elements chemically joined together
Chemical reaction	A change in which a new substance is formed. In a chemcial reaction, atoms are rearranged and joined together differently
Oxidation	A chemcial reaction in which a substance combined with oxygen
Thermal decomposition	A chemical reaction in which a compound breaks down on heating for form more than one product

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 2, pg 88 - 105
The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe, Theodore Gray
The Kitchen Science Cookbook by Dr Michelle Dickinson

Unit 8 - Investigations

Key questions/concepts

What scientific equipment should you use for what purpose?
How should you write a scientific method?
Appropriate ways to record results
Appropriate ways to analyse results
How to form a scientific conclusion

Timeframe

April - July

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Independent variable	The one thing in an investigation that you change
Dependent variable	The thing in an investigation that you measure and write down in your results table
Control variable	The things that you need to keep the same so that your results are valid
Repeatable	If you repeat the experiment and get similar results
Precise	Results that are very close together

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 1, pg 2 - 11
Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 2, pg 2 - 17
Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein

Unit 1 - Chemical Reactions

Key questions/concepts

What happens during a chemical reaction?
How can we represent chemical reactions?
What are some types of chemical reactions?
How energy is transferred in a chemical reaction?
How can we represent energy changes in chemical reactions?

Timeframe

September - October

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Element	A substance that cannot be broken down into other substances
Compound	Substances made up of two or more elements chemically joined together
Chemical Reaction	A change in which a new substance is formed. In a chemcial reaction, atoms are rearranged and joined together differently
Oxidation	A chemcial reaction in which a substance combined with oxygen
Thermal decomposition	A chemical reaction in which a compound breaks down on heating for form more than one product

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 2, pg 88 - 105
The Extraordinary Elements by Colin Stuart

Unit 2 - Electromagnets

Key questions/concepts

What are the features of a magnet?
What is a magnetic field?
What are the key features of an electromagnetic?
How can we change the strength of an electromagnet?
How are electromagnets used in everyday life?

Timeframe

September - October

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Permanent magnet	An object that has a magnetic field all of the time
Induced magnetism	An object that is temporarily magnetic because it is being affected by the magnetic field of a permanent magnet
Magnetic field	A region in which there is a force on a magnet or magnetic material
Solenoid	Wire wound into a tight coil. Can be part of an electromagnet
Electromagnet	A non-permanent magnet turned on and off by controlling the current through it

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 2, pg 34 - 43
I, Ada by Julia Gray

Unit 3 - Human Impacts

Key questions/concepts

What is global warming?
How is carbon recycled?
What is climate change?
How are metals extracted?
What is recycling?

Timeframe

November - December

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Greenhouse gas	A gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect, such as carbon dioxide or methane
Greenhouse effect	When energy from the Sun is transferred to the thermal energy store of gases in the atmosphere. The greenhouse effect keeps the surface of the Earth warmer that it would otherwise be
Climate change	A long-term change in weather patterns
Global warming	The gradual increase in the average surface temperature of the Earth
Finite	A resource that is being used up quicker than it is being replaced

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 2, pg 106 - 119
Rebugging the Plant by Vicki Hird & Gillian Burke
Climate Action by Georgia Stevens
The Eve of Man by Tom & Giovana Fletcher

Unit 4 - Bioenergetics

Key questions/concepts

What happens during aerobic respiration?
What happens during anaerobic respiration?
What is photosynthesis?
How are leaves adapted for phosythesis?
What minerals do plants need?

Timeframe

November - December

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Aerobic respiration	Breaking down glucose with oxygen to release energy and produce carbon dioxide and water
Anaerobic respiration	Releasing energy from the breakdown of glucose without oxygen producing lactic acid (animals) and ethanol and carbon dioxide (plants)
Oxygen debt	Extra oxygen required after anaerobic respiration to break down lactic acid in animals
Stomata	Pores in the bottom of a leaf which open and close to let gases in and out
Fertiliser	Chemicals containing minerals that plants need to build new tissues

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 2, pg 144 - 161
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

Unit 5 - Genetics

Key questions/concepts

What is natural selection?
Why might a species become extinct?
What is biodiversity?
What is the model for genetic inheritance
What is genetic modification?

Timeframe

January - February

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Evolution	Theory that the animal and plant species living today descended from species that existed in the past
Natural selection	Process by which species change over time in response to environmental changes and competition for resources
Biodiversity	A measure of the variety of all the different species of organisms on earth or within a particular ecosystem
Mutation	Changes to DNA that can cause a negative or a favourable change in characteristics of a living organism
Allele	Different forms of a gene

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 2, pg 162 - 181
On The Origin of Species by Sabina Radeva
My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Unit 6 - Energy & Waves

Key questions/concepts

How can machines transfer energy usefully?
What ways can thermal energy be transferred?
How does a microphone work?
What is an electromagnetic wave?
How can waves be modelled?

Timeframe

January - February

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Work	The transfer of energy when a force moves an object through a distance
Temperature	A measure of measure of the motion and energy of the particles
Thermal energy store	The store containing energy due to the vibration or movement of particles in a substance
Electromangetic spectrum	The range of wavelengths of radiation produced by the Sun and other sources
Ionisation	The removal of an electron from an atom

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: Activate 2, pg 44 - 55
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetteryly

Unit 7 - Atoms & the Periodic table

Key questions/concepts

What is the structure of an atom?
How has the model of the atom developed?
What are the key methods of separating mixtures?
How was the periodic table developed?
Explaining the trends seen in the periodic tables.

Timeframe

February - April

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Atomic number	The number of protons in an atom
Atomic mass	The total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom
Isotope	Different versions of atoms that have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons
Electronic structure	The arrangement of electrons in specific orbits around the nucleus of an atom
Displacement reaction	A reaction where a more reactive element takes the place of a less reactive element in a compound

Wider reading

OUP AQA GCSE Chemistry pages 4 - 33
The Periodic Table by Primo Levi

Unit 8 - Conservation & Dissipation of energy

Key questions/concepts

What are the main energy stores?
What is work?
How can one energy store be transferred to another energy store?
What is energy dissipation?
How do electrical appliances use energy transfers?

Timeframe

February - April

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Conservation of energy	Energy can not be created or destroyed
Dissipated energy	The energy that is not usefully transferred and stored in less useful ways
Efficiency	Useful energy transferred by a device divided by the total energy supplied to the device
Power	The energy transformed or transferred per second
Work	The energy transferred by a force. (Work done = force x distance moved)

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Physics, Pg 2 - 23
Cool Physics by Sarah Hutton

Unit 9 - Cells

Key questions/concepts

What are the key features of different cells?
How are some cells different?
How are substances transported in and out of cells?
How do cells multiply?
What can stem cells be used for?

Timeframe

June

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Eukaryotic	Cells that contain a nucleus and organelles, and are enclosed by a plasma membrane
Prokaryotic	Cytoplasm surrounded by a cell membrane and a wall not made of cellulose. The genetic material is a DNA loop that is free in the cytoplasm and not enclosed in a nucleus
Osmosis	The diffusion of water though a partially permeable membrane from a dilute solution to a more concentrated solution
Active Transport	The movement of substances from an area of low concentration to an area of high concentration requiring energy from respiration
Mitosis	Part of the cell cycle where one set of new chromosomes is pulled to each end of the cell forming two identical nuclei during cell division

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Biology, Pg 2 - 35
The Virus by Ben Martynoga
This Poison Heath by Kalynn Bayron

Unit 1 - The Digestive System

Key questions/concepts

What is the difference between a tissue and an organ?
What organs are in the digestive system?
What is the function of an enzyme?
What factors affect how enzymes work?
How is the human body adapted for efficient digestion?

Timeframe

September

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Tissue	A group of specialised cells with a similar structure and function
Organ	An aggregation (collection) of different tissues working together to carry ouy specific functions
Enzymes	Biological catalysts. Normally proteins
Bile	Neutralises stomach acid to give a high pH for the enzymes from the pancreas and small intestine to work well
Denature	The breakdown of the molecular structure of a protein so it no longer functions

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Biology; pg 36 - 51
Gut by Giulia Enders
Do No Harm by Henry Marsh

Unit 2 - Transport in humans & plants

Key questions/concepts

What are the components of blood?
What is the structure of the heart?
How are the lungs adpated for gaseous exchange?
How are substances transported in plants?
What factors affect transpiration?

Timeframe

October

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Stent	A metal mesh placed in a blocked or partially blocked artery. They can be inflated with a tiny balloon
Haemoglobin	A red pigment (a protein) that carries oxygen around the body in the red blood cells
Pacemaker cells	A region of the right atrium that controls the heart rate
Transpiration	The lossof water vapour within the leaves of plants, when the stomata are open to allow for gas exchange which is required for photosynthesis. This involves both evapuration and diffusion
Translocation	The movement of sugars from the leaves to the rest of the plant through phloem

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Biology; pg 52 - 71
The Body by Bill Bryson

Unit 3 - Chemical Bonding

Key questions/concepts

What are the key features of different states of matter?
How does a substance chemically bond?
Why do different structures have different properties?
Why do metals have specific properties?
What is a fullerence?

Timeframe

September - October

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Ions	Atoms that have lost or gained electrons
Electrostatic attraction	Attraction between oppositely charged species
Intermolecular Forces	Weak interactions between covalently bonded molecules
Delocalised electrons	The outer electrons of an atom that are free to move and carry charge
Fullerene	Form of the element carbon that can exist as large cage-like structures, based on hexagonal rings of carbon atoms

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Chemistry, pg 36 - 55
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe
Mauve by William Perkins
Stuff Matters by Mark Miodwnik

Unit 4 - Energy transfers and resources

Key questions/concepts

How does the thermal conductivity of a material affect the rate of energy transfer through it by conduction?
What are the best ways to insulate buildings?
What is meant by the specific heat capacity of a substance?
What ways can electricity be generated?
Why is renewable electricity important?

Timeframe

November

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Thermal conductivity	Property of a material that determines the energy transfer through it by conduction
Specic heat capacity	The energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 degree celsius
Carbon-neutral	A bio fuel from a living organism that takes in as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as is released when the fuel is burned
Geothermal	A method of generating electricity using hot rocks underneath the surface of the Earth's crust
Hydroelectric power	A method of generating electricity using water flowing downhill to drive a turbine

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Physics, pg 24 - 47
Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher by by Matthew Sands , Richard Feynman and Robert Leighton
Why do Penguins Feet Freeze? By Mick O'Hare
Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

Unit 5 - Chemical Calculations

Key questions/concepts

What do the numbers on the periodic table mean?
How can we quantify what happens in a chemical reaction?
How can we calculate masses that are used or produced in a chemical reaction?
What is concentration?
How can we calculate concentration?

Timeframe

November

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Isotope	Versions of the same element with a different numbers of neutrons but the same number of protons
Relative Atomic Mass	The average mass of the atoms of an element compared with carbon-12, taking into account the proportions of naturally occuring isotopes
Conservation of mass	The total mass of the products formed in a reaction is equal to the total mass of the reactants
Percentage composition	The percentage of a particular element in a comound
Concentration	The mass or moles of solute dissolved in a volume of a solvent

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Chemistry, pg 62 - 66, 72
Nevertheless, She Persisted by Pratima Rao Gluckman
Advice to A Young Scientist by Peter Medawar

Unit 6 - Homeostasis

Key questions/concepts

What is homeostasis?
What are the key components a the human nervous system?
How does a relfex action protect us?
What function do hormones have in the body?
What is the link between hormones and reproduction?

Timeframe

November - December

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Homeostasis	The regulation of the internal conditions of a cell or organism to maintain optimum conditions for function in response to external and internal changes
Reflex	Rapid automatic response of the nervous system that does not involve concientious thought
Synapse	The junction between neurones that use the diffusion of neurotransmitters (chemicals) to transfer the electrical impulse
The endocrine system	The glands that produce the hormones that control many aspects of the development and metabolism of the body and the hormones they produce
Hormone	A chemical messenger produced by the endocrine system that travels via the blood to act on the function of target organs

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Biology; pg 144 - 151, 160 - 175
Incognito by David Eagleman

Unit 7 - Electric circuits and electricity in the home

Key questions/concepts

What determines the size of an electric current?
What is meant by potential difference?
What is Ohm's law?
How does the current and p.d differ in series and parallel circuits?
What is the difference between direct and alternating current?

Timeframe

December - February

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Charge	Charge (coulombs) = current (Amps) x time (s)
Ohms' Law	The current through a resistor at constant temperature is directly proportional to the potential difference across the resistor
Potential difference	A measure of the work done or energy transferred to the lamp by each coulomb of charge that passes through it. The unit of potential difference is the volt (V)
Resistance	Resistance (ohms) = potential difference (volts) / current (Amps)
Current	The rate of flow of electric charge

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook:GCSE Physics, pg 50 - 75
Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words by Randall Munroe
Hello World: How to be Human in the Age of the Machine by Hannah Fry
The Time Machine by H G Wel

Unit 8 - Inhertitance & Genetics

Key questions/concepts

What occurs during meosis?
What is DNA?
What is the mechanism for inheritance?
What is the process of natural selection?
Can genetic engineering be a good thing?

Timeframe

January

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Asexual	Involves only one individual and the offspring is genetically identical to the parent
Gametes	A sex cell that only has half the genetic information of a normal adult cell. Used in sexual reproduction
Meiosis	Two stage process of cell division that reduces the chromosome number of daughter cells. It is involved in making gametes for sexual reproduction
Genotype	The allele combinantion for a particular characteristic
Genetic Engineering	The process by which scientists can manipulate and change the genotype of an organism

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Biology; pg 194 - 199, 208 - 215, 218 - 225
The Double Helix by James Watson
The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird

Unit 9 - Chemical Changes

Key questions/concepts

How can we predict the products in chemical reactions?
What are the general patterns for how metals react with acids?
What are the general patterns for how bases react with acids?
How are metals extracted?
What occurs in neutralisation?

Timeframe

February - March

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Displacement	Where a more reactive replaces a less reactive metal in a reaction
Salt	A substance formed when a metal takes the place of hydrogen in an acid
Metal Ore	A rock which contains enough metal to make it economically worthwhile to extract the metal
Neutralisation	The chemical reaction of an acid with a base in which a salt and water are formed
pH	A number which shows how strongly acidic or alkaline a solution is

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Chemistry, pg 84 - 99
Elephants on Acid by Alex Boese
Chaos: Making a new science by James Gleick

Unit 10 - Evolution & Extinction

Key questions/concepts

What is a fossil?
What evidence can a fossil give us?
What is extinction and how might it occur?
How can we classify living organisms?
What is antibiotic resistance and how does it occur?

Timeframe

February

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Evolutionary Trees	Models use to explain the evolutionary links between groups of organisms
Extinction	The permanent loss of members of a species from an area or from the world
Classification	The organisation of living organsms into groups according to their similarities
Species	A group of organisms that can interbreed and produced fertile offspring
Domain	Highest taxonomic rank in the hierachical classification system

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Biology; pg 242 - 253
The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions by David Quammen
Alfred Russel Wallace: A Rediscovered Life by Michael Flannery

Unit 11 - Disease

Key questions/concepts

How do pathogens cause disease?
What mechanisms does our body have to prevent disease?
What diseases are caused by viruses?
What diseases are caused by bacteria?
What diseases are caused by fungi and protists?

Timeframe

March

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Pathogen	Microorganisms that cause disease
Antibody	Produce that target specific organisms within a immune response
Vaccine	Dead or inactive pathogenic material used in vaccinations to develop immunity to a disease within healthy individuals
Placebo	A medicine that does not contain the active drug that is being tested
Toxicity	A measure of how toxic a substance is

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Biology; 74 - 77, 82 - 91, 98 - 105
Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen
True Story of the Penicillin Miracle by Eric Lax
The Mould In Dr Flores Coat: The Remarkable

Unit 12 - Molecules & Matter

Key questions/concepts

How do you measure the density of a solid object or a liquid?
What happens to the particles when a substance changes state?
How does increasing the temperature of a substance affect its internal energy?
What is meant by latent heat as a substance changes its state?
How does a gas exert pressure on a surface?

Timeframe

April - May

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Density	Mass per unit volume of a substance
Physical change	A change that does not form a new substance such as melting, freezing or dissolving
Latent heat	The energy transferred to or from a substance when it changes its state
Internal energy	The energy of the particles of a substance due to their individual motion and positions
Pressure	Force per unit cross-sectional area for a force acting on a surface at right angles to the surface

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Physics pg 76 - 87
Little Miss Geek by Belinda Parmar
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Unit 13 - Electrolysis

Key questions/concepts

What is electrolysis?
What happens during electroylsis of a molten substance?
What happens during electroylsis of a dissolved substance?
What happens to the electrons during electroylsis?
How is electrolysis used to extract aluminium?

Timeframe

April - May

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Molten	A substance that has been melted
Aqueous	A solution containing a dissolved compound
Anode	The positive electrode to which negative ions are attracted
Cathode	The negative electrode to which positive ions are attracted
Electrolyte	The solution or melted compound being electrolysed

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Chemistry pages 102 - 109
Elegant Solutions: Ten beautiful experiments in chemistry by Philip Ball
Girling Up by Mayim Bialik

Unit 14 - Radioactivity

Key questions/concepts

What is a radioactive substance?
What types of radiation are given out from a radioactive substance?
How was the nuclear model of the atom established?
What is meant by the half-life of a radioactive source?
How is radiation used in everyday life?

Timeframe

May - June

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Activity	The number of unstable atoms that decay per second in a radioactive source
Half-life	Average time taken for the number of nuclei of the isotope (or mass of the isotope) in a sample to halve
Ionisation	Any process in which atoms become charged
Irradiated	An object that has been exposed to ionising radiation
Contanimation	The unwanted prescence of materials containing radioactive atoms on other materials

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Physics pg 92 - 109
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
Fizz: Nothing is as it seems by Zvi Schreiber
Chernobyl: History of a tradegy by Serhil Plokhy

Unit 1 - Evolution & Extinction

Key questions/concepts

What is a fossil?
What evidence can a fossil give us?
What is extinction and how might it occur?
How can we classify living organisms?
What is antibiotic resistance and how does it occur?

Timeframe

September

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Evolutionary Trees	Models use to explain the evolutionary links between groups of organisms
Extinction	The permanent loss of members of a species from an area or from the world
Classification	The organisation of living organsms into groups according to their similarities
Species	A group of organisms that can interbreed and produced fertile offspring
Domain	Highest taxonomic rank in the hierachical classification system

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Biology, pg 242 - 253
The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions by David Quammen
Alfred Russel Wallace: A Rediscovered Life by Michael Flannery

Unit 2 - Rate of Reaction

Key questions/concepts

What happens to particles during a reaction?
What experimental methods can we use to measure the rate a reaction is taking place?
How can we interpret results to show the rate of reaction?
How and why different factors affect the rate of reaction.
What a catalyst does?

Timeframe

September

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Collision Theory	Theory that reacting particles collide with enough energy for a reaction to take place
Activation Energy	The minimum amount of energy required for a reaction to take place
Precision	Where the data collected has very little spread away from the mean value
Accuracy	Where measurements are close to the true value
Catalyst	A substance that speeds up the rate of a reaction by providing a lower activation energy

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Chemistry pg 128 - 137
Reactions: The private life of atoms by Peter Atkins
Elegant Solutions: Ten beautiful experiments in chemistry by Philip Ball

Unit 3 - Electromagnetic Waves

Key questions/concepts

Which types of waves are transverse and which are longitudinal?
What is the relationship between the speed, wavelength and frequency of a wave?
What is the electromagnetic spectrum?
How do we use electromangetic waves?
Why are UV, X-rays and gamma rays dangerous?

Timeframe

September - October

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Transverse waves	The oscillations of a transverse wave are perpendicular to the direction in which the waves transfer energy
Longitudinal waves	The ocillations of a longitudinal waves are parallel to the direction in which the waves transfer energy
Amplitude	The maximum displacement of a point on the wave from its undisturbed position
Wavelength	The distance from a point on the wave to the equivalent point on the adjacent wave
Frequency	The number of wave crests passing a fixed point every second

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Physics, pg 174 - 181. 191 - 199
The Jazz of Physics: The secret link between music and the structure of the universe by Stephon Alexander
Contact by Carl Sagan

Unit 4 - Organic Chemistry

Key questions/concepts

What is a hydrocarbon?
What are the characteristics of hydrocarbons?
How fractional distillation is used to make crude oil useful
The process of cracking
The supply and demand of products that has crude oil as the raw material

Timeframe

September - October

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Hydrocarbon	A compound containing only carbon and hydrogen atoms
Crude oil	A fossil fuel formed from ancient decayed plants and animals
Alkane	A saturated hydrocarbon
Alkene	An unsaturated hydrocarbon
Fractional Distillation	A method of separation where a substance is heated and vaporised until it splits based upon boiling point

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Chemistry, pg 148 - 155
The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

Unit 5 - Chemical Analysis

Key questions/concepts

What makes a substance pure?
What makes a substance impure?
What is the method of chromatography?
How can chromatography be used to separate substances?
What tests can we use to identify different gases?

Timeframe

September - October

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Pure	A substance containing only one type of atom or compound
Impure	A substance containing more than one type of atom or compound
Formulation	A mixture designed to be a useful product
Retention factor	The distance moved by the substance divided by the distance moved by the solvent
Chemical test	A chemical reaction used to identify a particular substance e.g. carbon dioxide or hydrogen

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Chemistry, pg 180 - 185
This Man's Pill by Carl Djerassi
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

Unit 6 - Forces in action

Key questions/concepts

What is a scalar quantity?
What is a vector quantity?
What does the resultant force tell you about motion of an object?
How can we calculate the resultant force?
What is the centre of mass of an object?

Timeframe

October

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Magnitude	The size or amount of a physical quantity
Scalar	A physical quantity, such as mass or energy, that has magnitude only (unlike a vector which has magnitude and direction)
Vector	A vector is a physical quantity, such as displacement or velocity, that has a magnitude and a direction (unlike a scalar which has magnitude only)
Newtons Third Law	When two objects interact with each other they exert equal and opposite forces on each other
Resultant force	A single force that has the same effect as all the forces acting on an object

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Physcis, pg 114 - 119, 124 - 125, 128 - 131
Flights of fancy: Defying gravity by design and evolution by Richard Dawkins
The Second Sleep by Robert Harris

Unit 7 - Magnetic Fields

Key questions/concepts

What is the difference between induced and permanent magnetism?
Which materials are magnetic?
What are the features of a magnetic field?
What is the pattern of the magnetic field around a soleniod?
What is the pattern of the magnetic field around a straight wire carrying a current?

Timeframe

November

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Permanent magnet	An object that has a magnetic field all of the time
Induced magnetism	An object that is temporarily magnetic because it is being affected by the magnetic field of a permanent magnet
Magnetic field	A region in which there is a force on a magnet or magnetic material
Solenoid	Wire wound into a tight coil. Can be part of an electromagnet
Electromagnet	A non-permanent magnet turned on and off by controlling the current through it

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Physics pg 214 - 217, 220 - 221
I, Ada by Julia Gray

Unit 8 - Disease

Key questions/concepts

How do pathogens cause disease?
What mechanisms does our body have to prevent disease?
What diseases are caused by viruses?
What diseases are caused by bacteria?
What diseases are caused by fungi and protists?

Timeframe

November - December

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Pathogen	Microorganisms that cause disease
Antibody	Produce that target specific organisms within a immune response
Vaccine	Dead or inactive pathogenic material used in vaccinations to develop immunity to a disease within healthy individuals
Placebo	A medicine that does not contain the active drug that is being tested
Toxicity	A measure of how toxic a substance is

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Biology; 74 - 77, 82 - 91, 98 - 105
Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen

Unit 9 - Energy & Equilibrium

Key questions/concepts

What happens during an exothermic and endothermic reaction?
How can we represent exo and endothermic reactions?
What happens in a reversible reaction?
What energy transfers are involved in reversible reactions?
What is dynamic equilibrium?

Timeframe

November - December

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Exothermic	A reaction where heat energy is released to the surroundings
Endothermic	A reaction where heat energy is taken in from the surroundings
Reversible Reaction	Reaction which can proceed in both a forward direction and the reverse reaction
Dynamic Equilibrium	Where the forward reaction and reverse reaction is proceeding at the same rate
Precipitate	When a insoluble solid forms in solution

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Chemistry, pg 138 - 145
Napoleon's Buttons by Penny Le Couteur

Unit 10 - Drugs

Key questions/concepts

What is a vaccine?
What is an antiobiotic?
How are new drugs developed?
What factors can increase the risk of cancer?
What are the issues linked to smoking and alcohol consumption?

Timeframe

December

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Vaccine	Dead or inactive pathogenic material used in vaccinations to develop immunity to a disease within healthy individuals
Placebo	A medicine that does not contain the active drug that is being tested
Carcinogens	Agents that cause cancer or significantly increase the risk of developing cancer
Benign tumour	Growths of abnormal cells contained in one place, usually within a membrane
Malignant tumour	Can spread around the body, invading neighbouring healthy tissues

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Biology; pg 98 - 105, 112 - 121
The First Cell: and the human costs of pursuing cancer to the last by Azra Raza

Unit 11 - The Earth's Atmosphere

Key questions/concepts

What was the early atmosphere like?
What gases make up the atmosphere today?
Why did the Earth's atmosphere change?
What effect does burning have on the atmosphere?
What is a greenhouse gas?

Timeframe

December

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Renewable Resource	A resource that can be replaced as it is used up
Combustion	Burning a fuel in oxygen
Finite Resource	A resource that is being used up faster than it can be replaced
Greenhouse Gas	A gas that is responsible for the Greenhouse Effect such as CO2 and methane
Atmosphere	A thin layer of gases that surrounds the Earth

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Chemistry, pg 194 - 203
Oxygen: The molecule that made the world by Nick Lane
Last Breath by Sam Kean

Unit 12 - Speed & Acceleration

Key questions/concepts

What is the difference between speed and velocity?
How can you interpret a distance-time graph represent?
How can you interpret a veloctiy-time graph represent?
How is the acceleration of an object calculated?
What is the relationship between force and acceleration?

Timeframe

January - February

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Acceleration	Change of velocity per second (in metres per second per second, m/s2)
Velocity	Speed in a given direction (in metres/second, m/s)
Conservation of momentum	In a closed system, the total momentum before an event is equal to the total momentum after the event. Momentum is conserved in any collision or explosion, provided no external forces act on the objects that collide or explode
Weight	The force of gravity on an object (in newtons, N)
Stopping distance	The distance travelled by the vehicle in the time it takes for the driver to think and brake

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Physics pg 134 - 151, 158 - 159
50 Physics ideas you really need to know by Joanne Baker
Tao Zero by Poul Anderson

Unit 13 - Bioenergetics

Key questions/concepts

What factors affect the rate of photosynthesis?
How do plants use glucose?
What is aerobic respiration?
What effects does exercise have on respiration?
What is anerobic respiration?

Timeframe

January - February

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Limiting factors	Limit the rate of a reaction
Nitrates	Mineral ions required by plants to form proteins
Oxygen Debt	The extra oxygen that must be taken into the body after exercise has stopped to complete the aerobic respiration of lactic acid
Lactic Acid	The end product of anaerobic respiration in animals
Metabolism	The sum of all reactions taking place in a cell or the body of an organism

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Biology, pg 124 - 141
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
Do No Harm by Henry Marsh

Unit 14 - The Earth's Resources

Key questions/concepts

What is potable water?
How can we test water?
How is waste water treated?
What is a life cycle assessment?
Why is it important to reduce, reuse and recycle?

Timeframe

February - March

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Finite Resource	A resource that is being used at a rate that is faster than it is being replaced
Renewable Resource	A resource that is being replaced at a rate faster rate than it is being used
Potable	Term used to describe water that is safe to drink
Desalination	The process of removing salt from water
Life Cycle Assessment	A technique used to identify the impact of a product on the environment

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Chemistry pg 206 - 217
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Stone Gods by Jeanette Winterson

Unit 15 - Ecosystems

Key questions/concepts

What is a community?
How different factors affect different species within a community
The different ways of measuring a population in a communtiy
The things that plants and animals compete for
How plants and animals are adapted to their environments

Timeframe

February - March

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Extremophile	An organism that can survive and reproduce in extreme conditions
Abundance	A measure of how common or rare a particular type of organism is in a given environment
Competition	The process by which living organisms compete with each other for limited resources such as food, light or reproductive partners
Interdependence	The network of relationships between different organisms within a community, for example each species depends on other species for food, shelter, pollination, e.t.c.
Distribution	Where particular types of organisms are found within an environment

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Biology, pg 256 - 273
The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

Unit 16 - Materials Cycling

Key questions/concepts

The information given in a food chain
What happens to biomass in a food chain?
What happens in the water cycle?
The role that decomposers play
How biological processes are linked by the carbon cycle

Timeframe

March

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Biomass	The amount of biological material within an organism
Producer	Organisms such as plants and algae that can make food from raw materails such as carbon dioxide and water
Decomposer	Microorganisms that break down waste products and dead bodies
Herbivore	Animals that eat plants
Carbon Cycle	The cycling of carbon through the living and non living world

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Biology, pg 276 - 281
The Mould In Dr Flores Coat: The Remarkable
The Carbon Diaries: 2015 by Saci Lloyd
The Overstory by Richard Powers

Unit 17 - The impact of humans on the planet

Key questions/concepts

The effects of pollution
What is deforestation?
What is global warming?
What biodiversity is
How biodiversity can be mainted

Timeframe

March - April

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Biodiversity	A measure of the variety of all the different species of organisms on earth
Trophic Levels	Feeding levels in an ecosystem
Pyramid of numbers	Model of feeding relationships based on the biomass at each level of a food chain
Mycoprotein	A protein made from funghi
Bioaccumalation	The accumulation over time of a substance and especially a contaminant (such as a pesticide or heavy metal) in a living organism

Wider reading

Kerboodle Textbook: GCSE Biology, pg 286 - 295, 298 - 299
Solar by Ian McEwan
Eve of Man by Tom & Giovanna Fletcher

Unit 1 - Key concepts in Science - Biology

Key questions/concepts

The structure of cells
Transport mechanisms
The heart
Homeostasis
Breathing and cellular respiration
Photosynthesis and food chain productivity

Timeframe

September - March

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Eukaryotic	Cells that contain a nucleus and organelles, and are enclosed by a plasma membrane
Prokaryotic	Cytoplasm surrounded by a cell membrane and a wall not made of cellulose. The genetic material is a DNA loop that is free in the cytoplasm and not enclosed in a nucleus
Phospholipid	A lipid containing a phosphate group in its molecule
Hydrolysis Reaction	The chemical breakdown of a compound due to reaction with water
Homeostasis	The regulation of the internal conditions of a cell or organism to maintain optimum conditions for function in response to external and internal changes
Biomass	The amount of biological material within an organism

Wider reading

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
Do No Harm by Henry Marsh

Unit 2 - Key concepts in Science - Chemistry

Key questions/concepts

Atomic structure
The periodic table
Amount of substance
Bonding and structure
Enthalpy changes

Timeframe

September - March

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Relative Atomic Mass	The average mass of the atoms of an element compared with carbon-12, taking into account the proportions of naturally occuring isotopes
Chemical properties	Features of the way a substance reacts with other substances
Intermolecular forces	Weak interactions between covalently bonded molecules
Electrostatic attrachtion	Attraction between oppositely charged species
Enthaply change	The energy change that occurs during a reaction

Wider reading

Elephants on Acid by Alex Boese
Elegant Solutions: Ten beautiful experiments in chemistry by Philip Ball

Unit 3 - Key concepts in Science - Physics

Key questions/concepts

Useful energy and efficiency
Electricity & Circuits
Dynamics

Timeframe

September - March

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Efficiency	The ratio of energy transferred usefull to the total energy input
U-value	The measure of the trae of transfer of heat through a substance
Power	Power = Energy transferred or work done divided by time
Current	Current = potential difference divided by resistance
Potential difference	Potential difference = current x resistance

Wider reading

Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words by Randall Munroe
50 Physics ideas you really need to know by Joanne Baker
Unlocking The Universe by Stephan & Lucy Hawking
Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher by by Matthew Sands , Richard Feynman and Robert Leighton

Unit 4 - Applied Experimental Techniques

Key questions/concepts

Rate of respiration
Light-dependent reaction in photosynthesis
Volumetric analysis
Colorimetric analysis
Resistivity
Specific heat capacity

Timeframe

September - March

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Krebs cycle	The sequence of reactions by which most living cells generate energy during the process of aerobic respiration. It takes place in the mitochondria, using up oxygen and producing carbon dioxide and water as waste products, and ADP is converted to energy-rich ATP
Glycolysis	The breakdown of glucose by enzymes, releasing energy and pyruvic acid
Volumetric analysis	A method of quantitative chemical analysis by which the amount of a substance of an unknown is determined using the volume of substance that has an exact known concentration
Beer-Lamber law	The concentration of a solution is directly proportional to the light absorbed by the solution
Resistance	Resistance (ohms) = potential difference (volts) / current (Amps)
Speficic heat capactiy	The energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 degree celsius

Wider reading

Elegant Solutions: Ten beautiful experiments in chemistry by Philip Ball
Girling Up by Mayim Bialik
Little Miss Geek by Belinda Parmar

Unit 5 - Science in the Modern World

Key questions/concepts

Topical scientific issues in different media sources
The public perception of science
The ethical, moral, commercial, environmental, political and social issues invovled in scientific advances
The influenece that the media has on the public perception of science
The roles are responsibilityies that science personnel carry out

Timeframe

March - June

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Peer review	Evaluation of a scientific article by others working in the same field
Tabloid	A newspaper that is typically dominated by sensationalised headlines
Percentage change	The change (increase or decrease) divided by the orginial value, multiplied by 100
Socio-econonmic	Factors relating to the interaction of social and financial concerns
Ethical issue	Issues relating to moral principles

Wider reading

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetteryly
The Mould In Dr Flores Coat: The Remarkable
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
Chernobyl: History of a tradegy by Serhil Plokhy

Unit 1 - The Human Body

Key questions/concepts

The digestive system & diet
The musculoskeletal system & movement
How oxygen is transported in the blood
How physiological measurements can be applied
The structure and function of the nervouse system and brain
Understand nerve impulses

Timeframe

September - January

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Co-transport	The linked, simultaneous transport one substance across a membrane, coupled with the simultaneous transport of another substance across the same membrane in the same direction
Ossification	The process of creating new bone by transofmring cartilage into bone
Myofibril	A bundle of thick and thin filaments
Oxygen disassociation curve	A curve that plots the proportion of hemoglobin in its saturated (oxygen-laden) form on the vertical axis against the prevailing oxygen tension on the horizontal axis
Autonomic nervous system	Responsible for involuntary control of the body
Somatic nervous system	Responsible for concious thought

Wider reading

Gut by Giulia Enders
Do No Harm by Henry Marsh
The Body by Bill Bryson
The Manga Guide to Biochemistry by Masaharu
The Infinite Monkey Cage Podcast - Series 23 episode 4 - "The Science of Cooking"
Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the meaning of life by Nick Lane

Unit 2 - Investigating Science

Key questions/concepts

The conditions that affect the rate of fermentation
Writing a standard procedure
Identifying risks and hazards
Recording appropriate observations
Analysing data effectively and making conclusions

Timeframe

January - May

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Reproducible	When someone else repeats the experiment or the investigation is repeated and the same pattern or trend is seen in the results
Valid	Results are valid if the investigation has been carried out keeping control variables constant throughout
Accurate	How close the value is to the true value
Repeatable	If you repeat the experiment and get similar results
Precise	Results that are very close together

Wider reading

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe
Nevertheless, She Persisted by Pratima Rao Gluckman
Advice to A Young Scientist by Peter Medawar
The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean

Unit 3 - Microbiology

Key questions/concepts

Identify tge main groups of microganisms in terms of their structure
Use aseptic techiques to safely cultivate mircoorganisms
Use practical techniques to investigate facotrs that affect the growth of microorganisms
Identify the use of microorganisms in biotechnological industries

Timeframe

January - May

Key vocabulary

Word/phrase	Definition
Microrganism	An organism that may exist in its singled celled form or in a colony of cells
Aseptic technique	A process of precedure used to prevent the transfer of potentially pathogenic microorganisms
Biotechnological	The explotation of biological process for the production of commercailly viable products e.g. antibiotics, beer or yoghurt
Eukaryotic	Cells that contain a nucleus and organelles, and are enclosed by a plasma membrane.
Prokaryotic	Cytoplasm surrounded by a cell membrane and a wall not made of cellulose. The genetic material is a DNA loop that is free in the cytoplasm and not enclosed in a nucleus

Wider reading

The Manga Guide to Biochemistry by Masaharu
The Infinite Monkey Cage Podcast - Series 22 episode 9 - "What is Life?"
Molecular Biology of the Cell by B. Alberts et al
The Andromeda Strain by Micheal Crichton
Vitals by Greg Bear

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