Trilogy Combined Science Summer Term

Learners will return after the Easter break to finish off their topics from the previous term and then will move onto their new topics on rotation: Bioenergetics, Rate of Reaction, and Uses of Waves. After enrichment week, all classes will conclude the year by completing Movement in Cells. 

Bioenergetics: This unit looks at gas exchange in both plants and animals. The topic begins with recapping photosynthesis from previous years. Then, learners will take a more in depth look into what affects the rate of photosynthesis by investigating those factors in a required practical investigation using pondweed and interpreting limiting factor graphs as well as suggesting how greenhouses can be used to increase plant growth by controlling those limiting factors. They will then look at gas exchange in animals looking at the lungs and respiration. 

Rate of Reaction: This unit focuses on how chemical reactions take place and how concentration, surface area, temperature, pressure (gasses only) and adding a catalyst affect the rate of reaction. There are several required practicals in this unit designed to demonstrate how these factors affect rate of reaction. During these practicals, learners will collect data and interpret this to explain how the rate of reaction is changed using collision theory. Learners will construct graphs to interpret and calculate rate of reaction, including calculating gradients and using tangents. They will be introduced to reaction profile diagrams and how these show the activation energy and overall energy change of a chemical reaction and the effect of a catalyst. 

Uses of waves: Learners are to recap the two types of wave. They will learn about the electromagnetic spectrum including the properties and uses of the different waves. They will look at radiation and absorption, including the practical use of a leslie cube to compare the radiation of different coloured materials. They will then look at the use of waves in medicine.

Movement in Cells: Learners recap the types of cells and structure and function of the organelles. They will learn about diffusion, osmosis and active transport - focusing on what these types of movement are, how they work and specific mechanisms and adaptations that are required for organisms to carry out these processes. . They will learn about the effect of surface area to volume ratio (including how to calculate it) and how this affects an organisms’ ability to effectively take in substances by these processes. They will plan, carry out and interpret the osmosis required practical which investigates the effect of osmosis on plant tissue. They will analyse data graphically and interpret how this can be used to estimate concentration of plant tissue. 

Photosynthesis, respiration, limiting factors, gas exchange, factors affecting rate of reaction, reaction profiles, waves, radiation and absorption, diffusion, osmosis, active transport

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.