Trilogy Combined Science Autumn Term

Learners will be taught the following topics on a rota;

Cells; Learners will learn about what they are made of, the different specialised cells that form tissues and organs within animals and plants to enable them to understand how and why different functions happen. Students will learn about different functions within the cells including respiration and diffusion. There will be opportunities for learners to use microscopes to look at their own cells and learn how to prepare slides to view and draw and therefore identify different parts of plant and animal cells.

Chemical analysis; The unit begins with a recap of the particle model, atomic structure and the difference between elements, compounds and mixtures which learners were introduced to in KS3. Learners will build on this by looking at the difference between pure and impure substances. The unit then moves into looking at how different separation techniques can be used to see what a mixture contains. Learners will carry out practical work to see these techniques in action as well as analysing results such as chromatograms to draw conclusions about what a mixture contains.  Learners will also learn about gas tests to help identify products of chemical reactions. Those studying triple science will also look at experimental and instrumental techniques for identifying metal ions in compounds comparing the effectiveness of each approach.

Forces; Forces are all around us, all the time and are responsible for everything that moves but not all of them are obvious. There are contact forces produced when two objects are touching and non contact forces which are generated by field interactions. One of the most difficult concepts to grasp is how forces operate when there is no gravitational field present such as in space. Here the true nature of forces can be understood but this is not a familiar environment as we are so used to living within Earth's gravity. This unit begins by looking at scalars and vectors, magnitude and direction to explain  why all forces are vectors. It then explains how forces in different directions are resolved. Concepts of work done are then explained along with gravitational field strength and the subtle difference between weight and mass. The combined part of the unit concludes with Hooke's Law and the elastic nature of springs. 

Animal organisation; In this unit learners will gain a greater understanding of body systems such the digestive, circulatory, skeletal muscular and nervous system. Using information they have learnt from previous biology units they will find out how cells, tissues and organs work together to carry out particular functions. We will look at specific conditions such as diabetes and how this affects the body systems. They will carry out a debate into organ transplants, looking into the ethics and clinical side to make well thought out decisions.  

Organic chemistry; In this unit learners will build on their knowledge of fossil fuels from KS3 exploring how crude oil is formed, extracted, separated and used as well as considering both economic, political and environmental problems associated with both extraction and use. They will focus on the 2 key processes of fractional distillation and cracking to obtain particular fuels as well as exploring the process of combustion to release the energy stored within these substances. Learners will look at how structure relates to properties of different compounds and how this impacts on use. 

Waves; Knowledge of waves is essential for any progress in science as they describe the ways that light and sound are transmitted. Waves convey only energy, not matter and in the case of electromagnetic waves they can travel in a vacuum. Before going on to such advanced concepts, learners must be able to understand what waves are, the differences between transverse and longitudinal waves and the different parts of a wave. This leads to calculations for wave speed using frequency and wavelength which have many important practical uses. The unit concludes with a practical activity in which learners must obtain data from waves and use this to calculate their speed, consolidating all that they have learned in the unit. 

Magnets; Learners build upon their knowledge of magnets and electromagnets from KS3. They start the unit recapping what they have previously learned about magnets (magnetic poles, magnetic materials and magnetic fields), before looking at the materials needed to make electromagnets, what factors increase the strength of electromagnets and the everyday uses of electromagnets. There is opportunity here for learners to make their own electromagnets and investigate how they can increase the strength of their electromagnets. Using what they now know about electromagnets, learners start to discover what is meant by the Motor Effect (with calculations), the variables needed for a motor to work and how motors can be reversed or their speed increased.

Cells, chemical analysis, forces, organisation in humans, organic chemistry, waves & magnets 

End of unit assessment will consist of a 40 mark test

Midway assessment set by class teacher which could be an exam question

Learners will receive guidance in a variety of ways.  These include marked assessments, reports, feedback in books, 1:1 interaction, Google Classroom.