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Eruption Types & Volcano Shape
Volcanoes & Earthquakes
Understand that not all volcanic eruptions are the same: some flow gently (effusive) and some explode violently (explosive), depending on the properties of the magma, and that volcano shape is related to eruption type
Evidence Supporting Ideas
Scientific Inquiry
Identify scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments, evaluating the strength of evidence
Exploring the Ocean
Ocean Life
Know that oceanographers and marine biologists study the ocean using submarines, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), satellites, and diving, and that much of the ocean remains unexplored — we know more about the Moon's surface than the deep ocean floor
Extreme Weather Events
Weather & Climate
Know about extreme weather events — hurricanes (spinning storms over warm ocean), tornadoes (violent rotating columns of air), floods, droughts, and blizzards — how they form, where they typically occur, and their effects on people and the environment
Fair testing (age 9+)
Scientific Inquiry
Use test results to make predictions and set up further comparative and fair tests to investigate new questions
Famous Eruptions & Pangaea
Volcanoes & Earthquakes
Know about famous eruptions and their global effects: Mount St Helens (1980), Eyjafjallajökull (2010), and how large eruptions can affect weather and climate worldwide; understand that continents were once joined (Pangaea) and have slowly drifted apart
Finding patterns in data
Earth's Systems
Analyse and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth's features, recognising that many features result from processes that occur over long periods
Force & Motion Vocabulary
Forces & Motion
Use technical vocabulary for force and motion — balanced forces, unbalanced forces, resultant force, acceleration, deceleration, speed, moment, lever, fulcrum, mechanical advantage — and apply these when explaining and predicting how forces affect the motion and position of objects
Glaciers & Ice Sheets
Polar Regions
Understand how glaciers and ice sheets form and behave — snow accumulates over centuries and compresses into dense ice, glaciers flow slowly downhill under their own weight carving U-shaped valleys and depositing moraines; the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets together hold enough ice to raise sea levels by over 65 metres; and ice cores drilled from these sheets contain trapped air bubbles that reveal Earth's climate history going back 800,000 years
Gravity & Falling Objects
Forces & Motion
Explain that unsupported objects fall towards the Earth because of the force of gravity acting between the Earth and the falling object
Gravity Pulls Things Down
Space Exploration
Understand gravity as a force that pulls objects towards the centre of the Earth, that 'down' means towards Earth’s centre regardless of where you stand on the sphere, and that gravity keeps the Moon orbiting Earth and planets orbiting the Sun
Growing Up & Puberty
The Human Body
Describe the stages of human development from birth to old age: baby, toddler, child, adolescent (puberty), young adult, middle-aged adult, elderly — understanding the physical changes that happen at each stage, especially during puberty
Healthy Lifestyle Choices
The Human Body
Understand how lifestyle choices affect the body’s health: a balanced diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and avoiding harmful substances (tobacco, alcohol, drugs) help body systems function well, while poor choices increase the risk of disease
Heart & Blood Circulation
The Human Body
Describe the circulatory system in detail: the heart has four chambers (two atria, two ventricles) that pump blood in a double loop — one to the lungs for oxygen and one to the rest of the body to deliver it — through arteries, veins, and tiny capillaries
How energy travels around
Energy
Observe and provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents
How fossils form
Space Systems & Earth's History
Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time
How Palaeontologists Work
Dinosaurs & Paleontology
Describe how palaeontologists work in the field and lab: prospecting for exposed fossils, careful excavation with hand tools, plaster jacketing for transport, preparation in the lab, and scientific description and publication
How the Lungs Work
The Human Body
Explain how the respiratory system works in detail: air travels through the nose/mouth, down the trachea, into bronchi and bronchioles, reaching tiny air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs where oxygen passes into the blood and carbon dioxide passes out
How We See Objects
Waves, Light & Sound
Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects and entering the eye allows objects to be seen
Human Life Stages
Organisms & Life Processes
Describe the changes as humans develop to old age, including the stages of the human life cycle
Insect Adaptations
Insects & Minibeasts
Adaptation and evolution in insects: peppered moths as a famous example of natural selection (dark moths survived better on soot-covered trees during the Industrial Revolution). Stick insects evolved to look like twigs. Ant-mimicking spiders evolved to fool predators. How small changes over many generations lead to remarkable disguises.
Insect anatomy in depth
Insects & Minibeasts
Insect anatomy in depth: compound eyes made of thousands of tiny lenses, spiracles (breathing holes along the body), diverse mouthparts (chewing mandibles in beetles, sucking proboscis in butterflies, sponging pad in flies), and moulting the exoskeleton to grow. Biomimicry — how engineers copy insect designs.
Insect communication and behaviour
Insects & Minibeasts
Insect communication and behaviour: bees perform a waggle dance to tell hive-mates where flowers are. Ants lay pheromone trails for others to follow. Fireflies flash light patterns to find mates. Crickets chirp by rubbing their wings. Monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles across continents. How insects 'talk' without words.
Insects in ecosystems
Insects & Minibeasts
Insects in ecosystems: the many roles insects play. Pollinators (bees, butterflies, hoverflies), decomposers (dung beetles, fly larvae), food source for birds, bats, fish, and frogs, and pest controllers (ladybirds eating aphids). The thought experiment: what would happen if all insects disappeared?