Key Stage 3 Science

Sc2 Life processes and living things

1 Cells and cell functions

You should learn:
a that animal and plant cells can form tissues, and tissues can form organs
b the functions of chloroplasts and cell walls in plant cells and the functions of the cell membrane, cytoplasm and nucleus in both plant and animal cells
c ways in which some cells, including ciliated epithelial cells, sperm, ova, and root hair cells, are adapted to their functions
d that fertilisation in humans and flowering plants is the fusion of a male and a female cell
e to relate cells and cell functions to life processes in a variety of organisms.

2 Humans as organisms

You should learn:
Nutrition
a about the need for a balanced diet containing carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, fibre and water, and about foods that are sources of these
b the principles of digestion, including the role of enzymes in breaking down large molecules into smaller ones
c that the products of digestion are absorbed into the bloodstream and transported throughout the body, and that waste material is egested
d that food is used as a fuel during respiration to maintain the body's activity and as a raw material for growth and repair
Movement
e the role of the skeleton and joints and the principle of antagonistic muscle pairs [for example, biceps and triceps] in movement
Reproduction
f about the physical and emotional changes that take place during adolescence
g about the human reproductive system, including the menstrual cycle and fertilisation
h how the fetus develops in the uterus, including the role of the placenta
Breathing
i the role of lung structure in gas exchange, including the effect of smoking
Respiration
j that aerobic respiration involves a reaction in cells between oxygen and food, in which glucose is broken down into carbon dioxide and water
k to summarise aerobic respiration in a word equation
l that the reactants and products of respiration are transported throughout the body in the bloodstream
Health
m that the abuse of alcohol, solvents, and other drugs affects health
n how the growth and reproduction of bacteria and the replication of viruses can affect health, and how the body's natural defences may be enhanced by immunisation and medicines.

3 Green plants as organisms

You should learn:
Nutrition and growth
a that plants need carbon dioxide, water and light for photosynthesis, and produce biomass and oxygen
b to summarise photosynthesis in a word equation
c that nitrogen and other elements, in addition to carbon, oxygen and hydrogen, are required for plant growth
d the role of root hairs in absorbing water and minerals from the soil
Respiration
e that plants carry out aerobic respiration.

4 Variation, classification and inheritance

You should learn:
Variation
a about environmental and inherited causes of variation within a species
Classification
b to classify living things into the major taxonomic groups
Inheritance
c that selective breeding can lead to new varieties.

5 Living things in their environment

You should learn:
Adaptation and competition
a about ways in which living things and the environment can be protected, and the importance of sustainable development
b that habitats support a diversity of plants and animals that are interdependent
c how some organisms are adapted to survive daily and seasonal changes in their habitats
d how predation and competition for resources affect the size of populations [for example, bacteria, growth of vegetation]
Feeding relationships
e about food webs composed of several food chains, and how food chains can be quantified using pyramids of numbers
f how toxic materials can accumulate in food chains.

Sc3 Materials and their properties

1 Classifying materials

You should learn:
Solids, liquids and gases
a how materials can be characterised by melting point, boiling point and density
b how the particle theory of matter can be used to explain the properties of solids, liquids and gases, including changes of state, gas pressure and diffusion
Elements, compounds and mixtures
c that the elements are shown in the periodic table and consist of atoms, which can be represented by symbols
d how elements vary widely in their physical properties, including appearance, state at room temperature, magnetic properties and thermal and electrical conductivity, and how these properties can be used to classify elements as metals or non-metals
e how elements combine through chemical reactions to form compounds [for example,water, carbon dioxide, magnesium oxide, sodium chloride, most minerals] with a definite composition
f to represent compounds by formulae and to summarise reactions by word equations
g that mixtures [for example, air, sea water and most rocks] are composed of constituents that are not combined
h how to separate mixtures into their constituents using distillation, chromatography and other appropriate methods.

2 Changing materials

You should learn:
Physical changes
a that when physical changes [for example, changes of state, formation of solutions] take place, mass is conserved
b about the variation of solubility with temperature, the formation of saturated solutions, and the differences in solubility of solutes in different solvents
c to relate changes of state to energy transfers
Geological changes
d how forces generated by expansion, contraction and the freezing of water can lead to the physical weathering of rocks
e about the formation of rocks by processes that take place over different timescales, and that the mode of formation determines their texture and the minerals they contain
f how igneous rocks are formed by the cooling of magma, sedimentary rocks by processes including the deposition of rock fragments or organic material, or as a result of evaporation, and metamorphic rocks by the action of heat and pressure
on existing rocks
Chemical reactions
g how mass is conserved when chemical reactions take place because the same atoms are present, although combined in different ways
h that virtually all materials, including those in living systems, are made through chemical reactions, and to recognise the importance of chemical change in everyday situations [for example, ripening fruit, setting superglue, cooking food]
i about possible effects of burning fossil fuels on the environment [for example, production of acid rain, carbon dioxide and solid particles] and how these effects can be minimised.

3 Patterns of behaviour

You should learn:
Metals
a how metals react with oxygen, water, acids and oxides of other metals, and what the products of these reactions are
b about the displacement reactions that takeplace between metals and solutions of salts of other metals
c how a reactivity series of metals can be determined by considering these reactions, and used to make predictions about other reactions
Acids and bases
d to use indicators to classify solutions as acidic, neutral or alkaline, and to use the pH scale as a measure of the acidity of a solution
e how metals and bases, including carbonates, react with acids, and what the products of these reactions are
f about some everyday applications of neutralisation [for example, the treatment of indigestion, the treatment of acid soil, the manufacture of fertilizer]
g how acids in the environment can lead to corrosion of some metals and chemical weathering of rock [for example, limestone]
h to identify patterns in chemical reactions.

Sc4 Physical processes

1 Electricity and magnetism

You should learn:
Circuits
a how to design and construct series and parallel circuits, and how to measure current and voltage
b that the current in a series circuit depends on the number of cells and the number and nature of other components and that current is not 'used up' by components
c that energy is transferred from batteries and other sources to other components in electrical circuits
Magnetic fields
d about magnetic fields as regions of space where magnetic materials experience forces, and that like magnetic poles repel and unlike poles attract
Electromagnets
e that a current in a coil produces a magnetic field pattern similar to that of a bar magnet
f how electromagnets are constructed and used in devices [for example, relays, lifting magnets].

2 Forces and motion

You should learn:
Force and linear motion
a how to determine the speed of a moving object and to use the quantitative relationship between speed, distance and time
b that the weight of an object on Earth is the result of the gravitational attraction between its mass and that of the Earth
c that unbalanced forces change the speed or direction of movement of objects and that balanced forces produce no change in the movement of an object
d ways in which frictional forces, including air resistance, affect motion [for example, streamlining cars, friction between tyre and road]
Force and rotation
e that forces can cause objects to turn about a pivot
f the principle of moments and its application to situations involving one pivot
Force and pressure
g the quantitative relationship between force, area and pressure and its application [for example, the use of skis and snowboards, the effect of sharp blades, hydraulic brakes].

3 Light and sound

You should learn:
The behaviour of light
a that light travels in a straight line at a finite speed in a uniform medium
b that non-luminous objects are seen because light scattered from them enters the eye
c how light is reflected at plane surfaces
d how light is refracted at the boundary between two different materials
e that white light can be dispersed to give a range of colours
f the effect of colour filters on white light and how coloured objects appear in white light and in other colours of light
Hearing
g that sound causes the eardrum to vibrate and that different people have different audible ranges
h some effects of loud sounds on the ear [for example, temporary deafness]
Vibration and sound
i that light can travel through a vacuum but sound cannot, and that light travels much faster than sound
j the relationship between the loudness of a sound and the amplitude of the vibration causing it
k the relationship between the pitch of a sound and the frequency of the vibration causing it.

4 The Earth and beyond

You should learn:
The solar system
a how the movement of the Earth causes the apparent daily and annual movement of the Sun and other stars
b the relative positions of the Earth, Sun and planets in the solar system
c about the movements of planets around the Sun and to relate these to gravitational forces
d that the Sun and other stars are light sources and that the planets and other bodies are seen by reflected light
e about the use of artificial satellites and probes to observe the Earth and to explore the solar system.

5 Energy resources and energy transfer

You should learn:
Energy resources
a about the variety of energy resources, including oil, gas, coal, biomass, food, wind, waves and batteries, and the distinction between renewable and non-renewable resources
b about the Sun as the ultimate source of most of the Earth's energy resources and to relate this to how coal, oil and gas are formed
c that electricity is generated by means of a variety of energy resources
Conservation of energy
d the distinction between temperature and heat, and that differences in temperature can lead to transfer of energy
e ways in which energy can be usefully transferred and stored
f how energy is transferred by the movement of particles in conduction, convection and evaporation, and that energy is transferred directly by radiation
g that although energy is always conserved, it may be dissipated, reducing its availability as a resource.