Science

Cells

Atoms and the periodic table

Energy

Pupils will learn how cells use sugar from digested food as a source of energy.

Pupils learned that particles of substances move within, into and out of cells by diffusion.

This unit examines the human digestive system, including the roles of tissues, organs, enzymes, and beneficial bacteria. It also focuses on evaluating risks, interpreting data, identifying patterns, and suggesting improvements to enhance the reliability of investigations.

Human digestive system

In the Understanding Chemical Reactions unit, pupils will build on their knowledge of atoms, elements, and compounds to learn about how atoms rearrange to form new substances during chemical reactions.

In the Solid, Liquid and Gas States and Changes of State unit, pupils learned to categorise substances and understand particle behaviour during changes of state.

This unit explores the basic atomic model, the differences between atoms, elements, and compounds, and the varying physical and chemical properties of elements. It covers chemical symbols, formulae, SI units, and IUPAC nomenclature, emphasising their use in describing elements and compounds.

Atoms, elements and compounds

Pupils will learn about biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem, measuring population size, interdependence and competition in ecosystems, how changes in biotic and abiotic factors affect communities, the cycling of carbon and water, and the role of microorganisms in cycling materials through ecosystems.

Pupils learnt about interdependence in ecosystems, covering food webs and food chains along with predator-prey relationships. The effect of the use of pesticides on organisms such as pollinating insects and top predators through bioaccumulation.

This unit examines environmental changes and their impact on species' survival and adaptation, potentially leading to extinction. It also develops skills for interpreting data and observations, evaluating errors, and using SI units and IUPAC chemical nomenclature in scientific contexts.

Biodiversity

In the Acids and Bases unit, pupils will build on their understanding of chemical reactions to learn about the properties of acids, bases, alkalis, and the neutralisation reaction.

In the Atoms, Elements and Compounds unit, pupils learned about atoms, elements, and compounds and how particles reorganise in a chemical reaction.

This unit covers the conservation of mass in changes of state and chemical reactions, including atom rearrangement. It also focuses on representing reactions with formulae and equations, exploring combustion, decomposition, and displacement, and distinguishing chemical from physical changes.

Understanding chemical reactions

In the Measuring and calculating motion unit, they will build on this knowledge to learn how to measure and calculate velocity and acceleration, and how to interpret velocity-time graphs. 

In the Forces unit, pupils learn to accurately describe and explain the actions of forces in a range of situations. 

This unit explores speed, forces, and motion, including effects on objects. It covers deriving equations, calculations, and distance-time graphs. Learn to use force arrows, identify balanced and unbalanced forces, and understand their impact on movement.

Moving by force

Pupils will learn that there is variation between individuals within a species, which can be described as continuous or discontinuous depending on the cause.

Pupils learned how to group animals, plants and microorganisms based on similarities and differences in their observable features.

This unit explores the differences between species and how to interpret observations and data to identify patterns and draw conclusions. It also focuses on making and recording observations using various methods, evaluating their reliability, and suggesting improvements for investigations.

Species and classification (differences between species)

Pupils will learn that variation between individuals of the same species means some individuals are better adapted to compete, which can lead to natural selection and cause the heritable characteristics of a species to change (evolve) over generations.

Pupils learned that organisms can be identified and classified into hierarchical groups based upon similarities and differences in their characteristics at the macroscopic and cellular levels.

This unit examines variation within species, both continuous and discontinuous, using measurements and graphical representations. It also emphasises objectivity, accuracy, precision, and repeatability in investigations, the use of appropriate techniques, and the effective presentation of data.

Variation (differences within species)

In the Carbon Cycle and Climate Change unit, pupils will build on their understanding of Earth's resources to learn about the formation of sedimentary rocks and fossil fuels, and the impact of burning fossil fuels within the carbon cycle.

In the key stage 2 Rocks unit, pupils learnt to compare and group rocks on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties and that soil is made of rocks and organic matter.

This unit explores Earth's composition, structure, and rock cycle, including the formation of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. It also examines Earth as a source of limited resources and the importance of recycling, alongside skills in making and evaluating observations and measurements.

Earth's resources

In the Magnets and electromagnets unit, they will build on this knowledge to learn about how electric current flows through electromagnets, factors that affect the strength of electromagnets and uses of electromagnets that include a simple electric motor.

In Changing circuits unit (Y6), pupils learnt to construct simple circuits, and about complete circuits, circuit diagrams and how the number and voltage of cells in a battery affect components in a circuit. 

This unit covers electric current, potential difference, and resistance in series and parallel circuits. It also explores charge separation, electron transfer, and electric fields. The unit focuses on interpreting data, identifying patterns, and drawing conclusions using scientific knowledge.

Series circuits

Pupils will learn about flower structure, wind and insect pollination, fertilisation, seed and fruit formation and dispersal.

Pupils learned about heredity as the process of organisms passing on genetic material to their offspring during reproduction, and about DNA, genes and chromosomes.

This unit explores human reproduction, covering the structure and function of male and female reproductive systems, the menstrual cycle, gametes, fertilisation, gestation, and birth. It also examines how maternal lifestyle impacts the foetus through the placenta.

Reproduction in humans

In the Carbon Cycle and Climate Change unit, pupils will build on their understanding of fuels and energetics to learn about the carbon cycle and the impact of human activity on climate.

In the Understanding chemical reactions unit, pupils learnt about how atoms move around to form new substances in chemical reactions and about some common types of chemical reactions.

This unit examines energy changes in state, exothermic and endothermic reactions, and energy transfers in various processes. It emphasises objectivity, accuracy, and precision in scientific enquiries, data interpretation, and the use of tables, graphs, and reliable methods.

Fuels and energetics

In the Waves unit, they will build on this knowledge to learn about the properties and propagation of transverse and longitudinal waves.

In the Sound, light and vision unit, pupils learnt how sound waves travel through different types of medium and are absorbed and reflected, how light is reflected off mirrors, and how the eye can see objects by the light they reflect.

This unit explores the transmission of light, including absorption, scattering, and reflection, and the use of the ray model in imaging, refraction, and lenses. It also covers energy transfer in various processes, using safe techniques, making accurate observations, and improving reliability.

Making images

Pupils will learn about infectious and non-infectious diseases and the impact of recreational drugs.

Pupils learned to recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on the way their bodies function.

This unit covers the components of a healthy diet, energy requirements, and the effects of imbalances, exercise, asthma, and smoking on the body. It also focuses on planning scientific enquiries, applying mathematical concepts, performing calculations, and basic data analysis techniques.

Diet and exercise

In the Climate change and biodiversity unit, they will build on this knowledge to learn about the impact of agriculture and deforestation on biodiversity, and to more thoroughly consider the effects of climate change on biodiversity and food production.

In the unit Climate change and living sustainably, pupils were introduced to the greenhouse effect, global warming and the impact of climate change on weather events. It explored some actions that can be taken to use resources, and to live, in a sustainable way.

In this unit pupils learn about greenhouse gas emissions from transport and industry, and the use of renewable energy resources and changes to transport infrastructure that could reduce emissions.

Science

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