The University of York Science Education Group (UYSEG)

Our secondary science curriculum 

Secondary

Science

Combined science

BQ01 Biology: What are living things and what are they made of?

BQ02 Biology: How do living things grow and reproduce?

BQ03 Biology: How do living things live together in their environments?

BQ04 Biology: Why are there similarities and differences between living things?

BQ05 Biology: How do living things stay healthy?

BQ06 Chemistry: How do we explain how substances behave?

BQ07 Chemistry: What are things made of?

BQ08 Chemistry: How can substances be made and changed?

BQ09 Chemistry: How can we explain changes in the air, land and oceans?

BQ11 Physics: How do forces make things happen?

BQ12 Physics: How do we see, hear and communicate?

BQ13 Physics: How do electricity and magnetism work?

BQ14 Physics: How does the Earth fit into the Universe?

BQ10 Physics: Why do materials have different properties?

Physics

Biology

Chemistry

In the Calculations involving mass unit, pupils will learn about calculating the relative formula mass of reactants and products in balanced chemical reactions, and the conservation of atoms and mass, as well as the concept of moles (HT only).

Calculations involving masses

In the Patterns in the periodic table unit, pupils learnt how the chemical and physical properties of different elements are indicated by their position on the periodic table and about key groups of elements. 

Patterns in the periodic table

Atomic structure (very small electron mass)

Developing a model for atoms

Atoms, elements and compounds

Modern periodic table and electron configuration

Atomic number and mass number

Isotopes and relative atomic mass

Relative formula mass

Development of the periodic table

Atomic structure and the periodic table

In the Energy of moving particles unit, they will build on this knowledge to learn how the movement and nature of different particles transfers energy by conduction, and how specific heat capacity and specific latent heat quantify the effect of heating on the properties of a material.

Energy of moving objects

In the Heating and cooling unit, pupils learnt how the motion of particles in solids, liquids and gases changes when they are heated, how thermal conduction and insulation work and why heating different materials doesn’t always increase their temperatures by the same amount. 

Heating and cooling

Calculating density

Measuring density

Density of an irregular shaped object

Comparing methods for measuring density

Water density

Pressure in a fluid

Upthrust: changes with depth

Convection

Transferring energy by convection

Calculating pressure

Changing pressure

Pressure changes

Particle explanations of density and pressure 

Upthrust calculations

Pressure changes: including effects on temperature

Pupils will learn about biological molecules that are essential to life, including sugars and other carbohydrates, proteins and lipids, and the role of enzymes in catalysing the chemical reactions in which these substances are used and made.

Biological molecules and enzymes

Pupils learned that photosynthesis in producers makes glucose, a type of carbohydrate, which is used to make biomass and as a fuel for cellular respiration.

Plant nutrition and photosynthesis

Cells

Light microscopy: observing and drawing cells

Animal cells: common structures and specialised cells

Plant cells: common structures and specialised cells

Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms

Common structures of prokaryotic cells

The size and scale of cells: the basics

Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells

The size and scale of cells: including standard form

In the Chemistry of carbon structures unit, pupils will learn about the ways in which carbon can form multiple covalent bonds and several different carbon structures (including nanoparticles).

Chemistry of carbon

In the Atomic structure and periodic table unit, pupils learned about atoms, and how the periodic table is ordered, along with the history of both of their major discoveries.

Why chemical reactions happen

Metallic structure

Properties and structure of metals

Metal alloys

Forming ions for ionic bonding

Giant ionic structures

Determining formulae

Drawing ionic diagrams for binary ionic substances

Drawing more complex ionic diagrams

Bonding models: ionic bonding

Properties of giant ionic structures

Determining bonding from a substance's properties

Covalent structures

Forming single covalent bonds

Forming multiple covalent bonds

Properties of covalent substances

Bonding models

Determining bonding from a substance's properties: all bonding

Structure and bonding

Alloys and their properties

Special case of water

In the Energy of moving objects unit, they will build on this knowledge to learn how to calculate the amount of energy of objects have because they are moving, stretched or in a gravitational field; and to calculate energy transfers using knowledge of energy conservation and dissipation.

In the Moving by force unit, pupils learnt how to calculate speed and describe motion using distance-time graphs, apply Newton’s first law of motion and calculate the amount of energy needed to move an object to a new position.

Moving by force

Different speeds (v=s/t)

Measuring instantaneous speed practical (v=s/t)

Measuring instantaneous speed analysis (v=s/t)

Displacement and velocity as vectors: including movement around a circle

Velocity on displacement-time graphs (v=s/t)

Calculating from displacement-time graphs: including tangents (v=s/t)

Calculating acceleration (a = Δv/t)

Measuring acceleration practical (v=s/t, a = Δv/t)

Measuring acceleration analysis (v=s/t, a = Δv/t)

Velocity-time graphs: acceleration and distance travelled (a = Δv/t)

Calculating from motion graphs: including displacement (a=Δv/t and v=s/t)

Motion calculations: including complex ones (a=Δv/t, v²−u²=2as & v=s/t)

Measuring and calculating motion

Displacement and velocity as vectors (v=s/t)

Velocity on a graph (v=s/t)

Calculating from displacement-time graphs (v=s/t)

Acceleration (a = Δv/t)

Calculating from velocity-time graphs (a = Δv/t)

Calculating from motion graphs (a=Δv/t and v=s/t)

Motion calculations (a=Δv/t, v²−u²=2as & v=s/t)

Pupils will learn about dominant and recessive alleles, and how to use models of single gene inheritance to make predictions about the genotypes and phenotypes of offspring.

Inheritance, genotype and phenotype

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

Reproduction in plants

The genome

The chemical structure of DNA

The genome, the environment and phenotype

The genetic code

Protein synthesis

Mutations and genetic variants

Genetic variants in genes can influence phenotype

Genetic variants in non-coding DNA can influence phenotype

DNA and the genome

Causes of upthrust

In the Circuit components unit, they will build on this knowledge to learn how the resistance of filament lamps and diodes change with current and about the properties and applications of light dependent resistors and thermistors.

Circuit components

In the Resistance and parallel circuits unit, pupils learnt about electrical resistance and parallel electric circuits.

Resistance and parallel circuits

Rules for electric charge

Electric fields

Static electric charge

Moving electric charge

Linking current, potential difference and resistance

Calculating current, potential difference and resistance

Analysing series circuits: including complex calculations

Adding components to a parallel circuit

Analysing parallel circuits: including complex calculations

Analysing all sorts of electric circuits:  including complex calculations

Electric fields and circuit calculations

Analysing series circuits

Analysing parallel circuits

Analysing all sorts of electric circuits

Pupils will learn about human and plant defences against pathogens, the role of white blood cells in the human immune system, and the use of vaccination to protect against communicable diseases.

Defences against pathogens, the human immune system and vaccination

Pupils learned about some common non-infectious diseases, factors that increase the risk of developing lifestyle diseases and steps we can take to help prevent them, including the impacts of smoking on the human body, and asthma and its risk factors.

Disease and drugs

Diseases

Cardiovascular disease

Risk factors for non-communicable diseases

Cancer

Bacterial and viral diseases in humans: Salmonella and measles

Fungal and protist diseases in humans

Sexually transmitted infections

Plant diseases: TMV and rose black spot

Health and disease

In the Separating substances unit, pupils will learn how to identify mixtures from pure substances, and separate different types of mixtures into their different components.

Separating substances

In the Structure and bonding unit, pupils learned about metallic, ionic and covalent bonding and about giant ionic structures, as well as the structure of covalent molecules, beginning to form links to properties

The particle model

Change of state

Predicting states of matter

Limitations of the particle model

Pure substance

Heating curves

Heating curves: practical

States of matter

The structure of DNA

In the Electromagnetic waves unit, they will build on this knowledge to learn about the reflection and refraction of light, other types of electromagnetic radiation in the EM spectrum and the helpful and harmful effects of each type of radiation.

Electromagnetic waves

In the Waves unit, pupils learnt about the properties and propagation of transverse and longitudinal waves.

Waves

Transverse waves

Representing transverse waves

Representing longitudinal waves

Oscilloscope

Measuring the speed of water waves from distance and time

The wave equation

Using the wave speed equations

Measuring waves in a ripple tank

Measuring waves on a string

Measuring the speed of sound in air and solids

Human hearing

Probing planet Earth

Measuring waves

Measuring water waves in a ripple tank

Pupils will learn how substances essential for chemical reactions, and the products of the reactions, are transported into, around and out of the human body.

Transport and exchange surfaces in humans

Pupils learned about differences in the cell structures of eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms.

Biological molecules

Tests for biological molecules

Obtaining the elements needed to make biological molecules

Enzymes: function, structure and specificity

Explaining effects of substrate concentration and temperature on enzyme rate

The effect of pH on the rate of an enzyme reaction: plan

The effect of pH on the rate of an enzyme reaction: practical

The effect of pH on the rate of an enzyme reaction: data analysis

In the Making salts unit, pupils will learn about the production of pure salts, concentration and strength of acids, and what makes acids acidic and how bases can neutralise them.

Making salts

In the States of matter unit, pupils learned about what makes a substance 'pure', and the use of the particle model to explain how substances behave.

Subject

School phase

KS3 & KS4 Science

Overview

Curriculum explainer

Subject principles

Video guide

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