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Photosynthesis
Organisms & Life Processes
Explain photosynthesis as the process by which plants use light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen, and describe how mineral nutrients are absorbed through roots
Physical vs Chemical Changes
Matter & Materials
Distinguish between physical changes (reversible, no new substances formed) and chemical changes (new substances formed, often irreversible), using conservation of mass to understand both types
Plant Cells vs Animal Cells
Organisms & Life Processes
Compare plant and animal cells, identifying shared features and structures unique to plant cells (cell wall, vacuole, chloroplasts)
Pollination & Pollinator Decline
Ecosystems & Habitats
Explain the importance of insect pollination for plant reproduction and human food security, and discuss the consequences of pollinator decline
Pure Substances & Mixtures
Matter & Materials
Distinguish between pure substances and mixtures, identify formulations as useful mixtures with precise compositions, and use melting and boiling points to test for purity
Radiometric Dating
Dinosaurs & Paleontology
Explain how radiometric dating works — radioactive isotopes decay at a known rate (half-life), so measuring the ratio of parent to daughter isotope in a rock or fossil gives an absolute age; distinguish between carbon-14 (useful up to ~50,000 years) and uranium-lead (useful for millions to billions of years)
Reflection & Refraction
Waves, Light & Sound
State the law of reflection (angle of incidence = angle of reflection) and explain refraction as the change in speed and direction when light crosses a boundary between two media; apply ray diagrams for plane mirrors and refracting surfaces
Relative Motion
Forces & Motion
Explain relative motion — how the apparent speed and direction of an object depends on the observer's own motion — using everyday examples such as trains and cars passing
Repeated tests for reliability
Scientific Inquiry
Distinguish between precision (consistency of repeated readings) and accuracy (closeness to true value), use significant figures and standard form correctly, and choose and use appropriate measuring instruments to minimise uncertainty
Resultant Forces
Forces & Motion
Describe forces as vector quantities with both magnitude and direction, distinguish between balanced forces (zero resultant, no change in motion) and unbalanced forces (non-zero resultant, causes acceleration or deceleration)
Seismic Waves & Earth's Interior
Volcanoes & Earthquakes
Distinguish between P-waves (compression, travel through solids and liquids) and S-waves (shear, cannot pass through liquids); explain why a seismic shadow zone exists on the far side of an earthquake; describe how seismologists use wave refraction and reflection to infer that Earth has a solid inner core, liquid outer core, mantle, and crust
Separating Mixtures
Matter & Materials
Select and carry out appropriate separation techniques for different types of mixtures: filtration (insoluble solids), distillation (liquids by boiling point), crystallisation (dissolved solids), and chromatography (coloured substances)
Single-Celled Organisms
Organisms & Life Processes
Explain how unicellular organisms such as bacteria and Amoeba carry out all the functions of life within a single cell
Speed & Distance-Time Graphs
Forces & Motion
Calculate average speed using the equation speed = distance ÷ time, represent journeys on distance-time graphs, and interpret gradient as speed and flat sections as stationary periods
Static electricity and sparks
Energy
Explain static electricity as the build-up of electric charge through friction, describe how charged objects attract or repel each other, and relate static discharge to everyday phenomena such as lightning
The Human Skeleton
Organisms & Life Processes
Describe the structure and four main functions of the human skeleton: support, protection, movement, and production of blood cells in bone marrow
The Particle Model
Matter & Materials
Use the particle model to explain the properties of solids, liquids, and gases — including differences in arrangement, movement, and spacing — and apply the model to explain density, compressibility, and the anomalous expansion of water
The Periodic Table
Matter & Materials
Describe the organisation of the periodic table into periods and groups, explain the contribution of Mendeleev, and use the table to identify metals, non-metals, and predict patterns in reactivity
The Red Queen Hypothesis
Animals of the World
Introduce the Red Queen hypothesis — species must keep evolving just to maintain fitness relative to co-evolving partners; describe predator-prey arms races (cheetah speed vs gazelle speed, bat echolocation vs moth hearing jamming) and parasite-host co-evolution (myxomatosis in rabbits); explain Darwin's hawk moth and orchid as a classic example of mutualistic co-evolution predicting an unknown species; understand that co-evolution is a major driver of biological diversification
The solar system (age 11+)
Space Systems & Earth's History
Describe the detailed structure of the solar system, including moons, asteroids, and comets, compare orbital periods and distances of the planets, and distinguish between planets, dwarf planets, and other bodies
The Water Cycle
Ecosystems & Habitats
Describe the water cycle, tracing water through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, surface runoff, and transpiration in plants, explaining how the sun drives the cycle
Using a Microscope
Organisms & Life Processes
Use a light microscope correctly to prepare, focus, and examine biological specimens, including making accurate labelled drawings at an appropriate magnification
Wave Properties & Types
Waves, Light & Sound
Describe waves in terms of amplitude, wavelength, frequency, and wave speed; distinguish transverse waves (oscillation perpendicular to direction of travel) from longitudinal waves (oscillation parallel); and use the wave equation v = fλ
White Light & Colour
Waves, Light & Sound
Explain that white light is a mixture of all visible colours (ROYGBIV), describe dispersion through a prism, explain why objects appear coloured (selective reflection and absorption of wavelengths), and describe colour mixing with filters