This course is suitable for students who have a genuine interest in Chemistry and enjoy the practical application of Science. Studying A Level Chemistry touches every aspect of our lives from the bodily functions within us to the atmosphere around us. Chemistry is often referred to as a central science as it combines physics, biology, mathematics and medicine.
Chemistry B (Salters) is designed to be taught in context. The course takes students on a journey through five storylines, while introducing chemical concepts in a spiral approach. These storylines engage students through learning in a contemporary context and range from concerns about the ozone layer to the development of new medicines.
The five storylines are:
Elements of life
Developing fuels
Elements from the sea
The ozone story
What’s in a medicine?
The course in year 13 is split into five teaching modules. Each module is based on one of the storylines and contains a variety of chemical ideas, which form the basis of the specification.
The five modules studied are:
The chemical industry
Polymers and life
Oceans
Developing metals
Colour by design.
Students must also complete a practical endorsement which is assessed separately to the overall grade. This is assessed on a pass/fail basis and is dependent on students successfully completing a range of required practical tasks.
In year 13: Papers 1, 2 and 3 can assess content from Modules 1 to 10 as well as practical skills and chemical literacy.
Paper 1 covers a breadth of understanding of concepts assessed by mainly shorter structured questions.
Paper 2 covers deeper understanding of concepts assessed by a mixture of short structured questions, extended response items and more open problem-solving style questions. Carrying on the theme of the current Chemistry B (Salters), this paper includes an Advance Notice article aimed at testing skills of chemical literacy developed during the course.
Paper 3 focuses on the assessment of practical skills with a particular emphasis on investigational and problem-solving skills.
601/5371/4
Dr K Lamb
OCR
Students are expected to have 5 Grade 5 GCSEs including:
Grade 5 English Language
Grade 6 Maths Higher Paper
Grade 6 Chemistry (Triple Science) or Grade 6 in the Chemistry component of Combined Science (Grade 66 overall)
Students with a Grade 5 in Maths may be accepted if studying Core Maths.
Chemistry is the course for you if you want to go on to study dentistry, medicine, veterinary science, forensic science, pharmaceuticals, patent law, oceanography, geochemistry, chemical engineering, biochemistry, to name but a few, and it is held in high regard by employers throughout the world.