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How switches work
Energy
Recognise that a switch opens and closes a circuit, controlling whether a lamp lights or a buzzer sounds
Human impact on environments
Ecosystems & Habitats
Use vocabulary for human impact on the environment — pollution, habitat destruction, deforestation, biodiversity, conservation, renewable energy, non-renewable energy, fossil fuel, carbon footprint, sustainability, endangered, extinct — and apply these when discussing environmental issues and human choices
Inheritance Vocabulary
Organisms & Life Processes
Use vocabulary for variation and inheritance — inherited characteristic, acquired characteristic, variation, offspring, trait, species, breed, genetic, environment — and apply these when comparing organisms and explaining similarities and differences within and between species
Inherited characteristics
Organisms & Life Processes
Analyse and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms
Pitch of Sounds
Waves, Light & Sound
Find patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of the object that produced it
Predicting Motion Patterns
Forces & Motion
Make observations and measurements of an object's motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion
Reading Food Web Diagrams
Ecosystems & Habitats
Read and interpret food web diagrams — identify producers, primary and secondary consumers, and decomposers; trace energy flow along food chains within the web; predict the effect of removing or adding a species
Seasonal changes (age 8+)
Earth's Systems
Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season
Simple Design Problems
Scientific Inquiry
Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost
Solids, Liquids & Gases
Matter & Materials
Compare and group materials as solids, liquids, or gases based on their observable properties and behaviour
Sound Fading with Distance
Waves, Light & Sound
Recognise that sounds get fainter as the distance from the sound source increases
Sound Travels Through Materials
Waves, Light & Sound
Recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium (solid, liquid, or gas) to the ear
The Digestive System
Organisms & Life Processes
Describe the simple functions of the basic parts of the human digestive system: mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine
Traits: inherited and environmental
Organisms & Life Processes
Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment as well as inheritance
Types of Teeth
Organisms & Life Processes
Identify the different types of human teeth (incisors, canines, molars) and describe their functions in eating
Variation & Survival Advantage
Organisms & Life Processes
Use evidence to explain how variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing
Volume & Vibrations
Waves, Light & Sound
Find patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it
Weather vs climate
Earth's Systems
Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world, distinguishing between weather and climate
What uses electricity at home
Energy
Identify common appliances that run on electricity and understand that electricity is a form of energy that powers devices in everyday life
Will the bulb light up?
Energy
Identify whether or not a lamp will light in a simple series circuit, based on whether the lamp is part of a complete loop with a battery
Accurate Measurement
Scientific Inquiry
Take measurements with increasing accuracy and precision using a range of scientific equipment, taking repeat readings when appropriate
Advanced Material Properties
Matter & Materials
Compare and group everyday materials based on advanced properties: hardness, solubility, transparency, electrical and thermal conductivity, and response to magnets
Air Resistance & Friction
Forces & Motion
Identify the effects of air resistance, water resistance, and friction, and understand that these forces act between moving surfaces to oppose motion
Animal Intelligence
Animals of the World
Explore animal intelligence and complex behaviour — chimpanzees and crows use tools, dolphins recognise themselves in mirrors, octopuses solve puzzles and escape enclosures, elephants mourn their dead, meerkats teach their young to handle scorpions — understanding that many animals think, learn, and have social lives more complex than once believed