Science
Biology - Year 8 Course Overview
Autumn Term
• Breathing and Respiratory System
• Coronary Heart Disease
• Health Issues
• Heart and Blood Vessels
Spring Term
• Ecosystems
• Aerobic and Anaerobic Respiration
• Photosynthesis
• Ecology
Summer Term
• Genes and Variation
• Evolution
• Genetic Engineering
Chemistry - Year 8 Course Overview
Autumn Term
- What are elements and compounds?
- Balancing equations
- How are elements arranged in the Periodic table?
- Which particles make up an atom?
- What are the properties of metals and non-metals?
- What is the reactivity trend down Group 1 metals?
- What are the properties of Transition metals?
- What is the reactivity trend down Group 7?
- What is the reactivity trend in Group 0?
Spring Term
- How do we know that a chemical reaction has taken place?
- What are the differences between exothermic and endothermic reactions?
- What happens in combustion reaction?
- What is thermal decomposition?
- Why is conservation of mass important in balancing equations?
- Why is it important to balance equations?
Summer Term
- How does carbon move from the atmosphere through living and non living materials and back to the atmosphere?
- Why is it a concern if the Earth's average temperature increases?
- How can carbon footprint be reduced?
- How does recycling save the Earth's resources?
- What metals can be extracted using carbon?
- how are highly reactive metals extracted from their ores?
Physics - Year 8 Course Overview
In Year 8 pupils will have one lesson of Physics per week.
Autumn Term
• Electromagnets: Magnetic fields and electromagnetism; applications of electromagnets.
• Waves: Electromagnetic waves; reflection, transmission and absorption of waves; effects of EM waves on objects
Spring Term
• Forces: Resultant forces; pressure; pressure in liquids and gases.
Summer Term
• Energy: Work done and levers; energy transfer; radiation; insulation.
Assessments will take the form of skills based formative assessments (ungraded); knowledge organiser tests approximately every 3 weeks; and 2 short Knowledge tests (October and March) and 2 more rigorous summative tests (December and June). All tests will include content from previous topics.
Year 8 Useful links:
http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/ks3
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/levels/z4kw2hv
Revision Links
Muscles: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/organisms_behaviour_health/life_processes/revision/8/
Elements and compounds: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/chemical_material_behaviour/compounds_mixtures/revision/1/
Magnets: https://www.bbc.com/education/guides/z3g8d2p/revision
Electromagnets: https://www.bbc.com/education/guides/z3g8d2p/revision/4
Displacement reactions: https://www.bbc.com/education/guides/zqwmxnb/revision/3
Planets: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/environment_earth_universe/astronomy_space/revision/1/
Distance-time graphs: https://www.bbc.com/education/guides/zwwmxnb/revision/2
Refraction: https://www.bbc.com/education/clips/z7qb9j6
Foetal development: https://www.bbc.com/education/guides/z9fgr82/revision/5
Acid reactions: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/chemical_material_behaviour/acids_bases_metals/revision/5/
Kinetic and gravitational potential energy: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/energy_electricity_forces/energy_transfer_storage/revision/2/
Pressure: https://www.bbc.com/education/guides/zssbgk7/revision
Hazard symbols: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/edexcel_pre_2011/chemicalreactions/chemicalsinthelabandhomerev2.shtml
Changes of state: https://www.bbc.com/education/guides/z2wmxnb/revision/4
Predator/ prey: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/organisms_behaviour_health/food_chains/revision/1/
Food chains and webs: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/organisms_behaviour_health/food_chains/revision/1/
Energy transfer/ heat loss: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/energy_electricity_forces/energy_transfer_storage/revision/5/
Fuels: https://www.bbc.com/education/guides/zggk87h/revision
Food groups: https://www.bbc.com/education/guides/zyjx6sg/revision
Digestive system: https://www.bbc.com/education/guides/z9pv34j/revision
Forces: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/energy_electricity_forces/forces/revision/1/
Sound: https://www.bbc.com/education/guides/z8d2mp3/revision
Muscles: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/organisms_behaviour_health/life_processes/revision/8/
Elements and compounds: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/chemical_material_behaviour/compounds_mixtures/revision/1/
Magnets: https://www.bbc.com/education/guides/z3g8d2p/revision
Electromagnets: https://www.bbc.com/education/guides/z3g8d2p/revision/4
Displacement reactions: https://www.bbc.com/education/guides/zqwmxnb/revision/3
KS3 Revision Guides
The Science department is happy to offer students the opportunity to purchase a KS3 all-in-one revision guide and exam practice book to help support them when they are revising for the end of topic and termly tests that we carry out in Science. They are not compulsory and will not be used in lessons or for homework but we wanted to offer them to students as parents have often mentioned that they wanted to be able to support their children when they are revising at home.
The book is split up into the different topics with sections to revise, questions to check their knowledge and understanding and then a big multi-topic exam (with mark scheme) at the end. We are able to offer it at cost price of £4 whereas it costs up to £8 in the shops or online.
Science is now an AQA department and so students are prepared for their GCSEs from year 7 onwards. The revision guide exam questions are similar in style to the new GCSEs and so this provides additional practice for them.
Revision guides can be purchased through the ParentPay website.
