Chemistry - Higher

SCQF Framework

SCQF Level: 6

SCQF Credit Points: 24

Skills Framework

Delivering Centre

Vale of Leven Academy

Purpose and Aims

  • The course develops candidates’ curiosity, interest and enthusiasm for chemistry in a range of contexts. The skills of scientific inquiry and investigation are developed throughout the course.
  • Candidates develop an appreciation of the impact of chemistry on their everyday lives by applying their knowledge and understanding of chemical concepts in practical situations. The course provides opportunities for candidates to think analytically, creatively and independently, and to make reasoned evaluations. It allows flexibility and personalisation by offering candidates the choice of topic for their assignment.
  • Candidates gain an understanding of chemical bonding and intermolecular forces that allows them to predict the physical properties of materials. They apply a knowledge of functional groups and organic reaction types to solve problems in a range of diverse contexts.
  • Candidates also learn important chemical concepts used to take a chemical process from the researcher’s bench through to industrial production. The concept of the mole allows the quantities of reagents required to be calculated, and the quantity of products predicted. By studying energy, rates and equilibria, candidates can suggest how reaction conditions can be chosen to maximise the profitability of an industrial process. Candidates learn about industrial analytical chemistry techniques, such as volumetric analysis and chromatography.
  • Candidates develop a range of skills that are valued in the workplace, providing a secure foundation for the study of chemistry in further and higher education.
  • The course also provides a knowledge base that is useful in the study of other sciences.
  • The course enables candidates to make their own decisions on issues within a modern society, where scientific knowledge and its applications and implications are constantly developing.

The course aims to:

  • develop and apply knowledge and understanding of chemistry
  • develop an understanding of chemistry’s role in scientific issues and relevant applications of chemistry, including the impact these could make in society and the environment
  • develop scientific inquiry and investigative skills
  • develop scientific analytical thinking skills, including scientific evaluation, in a chemistry context
  • develop the use of technology, equipment and materials safely in practical scientific activities, including using risk assessment
  • develop planning skills
  • develop problem-solving skills in a chemistry context
  • use and understand scientific literacy to communicate ideas and issues and to make scientifically informed choices
  • develop the knowledge and skills for more advanced learning in chemistry
  • develop skills of independent working

Recommended Entry

  • Candidates should have achieved the National 5 Chemistry course or equivalent qualifications and/or experience prior to starting this course.

Progression

  • Advanced Higher Chemistry
  • Other qualifications in chemistry or related areas
  • Further study, employment and/or training

Career Options

Further Information

Higher Chemistry Course Specification

Higher Chemistry BBC Bitesize

Higher Chemistry Scholar scholar.hw.ac.uk/

Course Content

The course content includes the following areas of chemistry:

Chemical changes and structure

The topics covered are:

  • periodicity
  • structure and bonding
  • oxidising and reducing agents

Nature’s chemistry

The topics covered are:

  • systematic carbon chemistry
  • alcohols
  • carboxylic acids
  • esters
  • fats and oils
  • soaps
  • detergents and emulsions
  • proteins
  • oxidation of food
  • fragrances
  • skin care

Chemistry in society

The topics covered are:

  • getting the most from reactants
  • controlling the rate
  • chemical energy
  • equilibria
  • chemical analysis

Researching chemistry

The topics covered are:

  • common chemical apparatus
  • general practical techniques
  • reporting experimental work

Course Assessment Structure

Question Paper

Question paper 1 : multiple choice 25 marks

Question paper 2 : 95 marks

The question papers have a total mark allocation of 120 marks. This is 80% of the overall marks for the course assessment.

The majority of marks are awarded for demonstrating and applying knowledge and understanding. The other marks are awarded for applying scientific inquiry and analytical thinking skills.

The question papers assess breadth, challenge and application of skills, knowledge and understanding from across the course. They assess scientific inquiry skills and analytical thinking skills.

The question papers give candidates an opportunity to demonstrate the following skills, knowledge and understanding:

  • making accurate statements
  • describing information, providing explanations and integrating knowledge
  • applying knowledge of chemistry to new situations, analysing information and solving problems
  • planning, designing and safely carrying out experiments/practical investigations to test given hypotheses or to illustrate particular effects
  • selecting information from a variety of sources
  • presenting information appropriately in a variety of forms
  • processing information (using calculations and units, where appropriate)
  • making predictions and generalisations from evidence/information
  • drawing valid conclusions and giving explanations supported by evidence/justification
  • evaluating experiments and suggesting improvements

Assignment

The assignment has a total mark allocation of 20 marks.

This is scaled to 30 marks by SQA to represent 20% of the overall marks for the course assessment.

The assignment assesses the application of skills of scientific inquiry and related chemistry knowledge and understanding. It allows assessment of skills that cannot be assessed by a question paper, for example handling and processing data gathered through experimental and research skills.

Assignment overview

The assignment gives candidates an opportunity to demonstrate the following skills, knowledge and understanding:

  • applying knowledge of chemistry to new situations, interpreting information and solving problems
  • planning, designing and safely carrying out experiments/practical investigations to test given hypotheses or to illustrate particular effects
  • selecting information from a variety of sources
  • presenting information appropriately in a variety of forms
  • processing the information (using calculations and units, where appropriate)
  • making predictions and generalisations based on evidence/information
  • drawing valid conclusions and giving explanations supported by evidence/justification
  • evaluating experiments/practical investigations and suggesting improvements
  • communicating findings/information effectively

The assignment offers challenge by requiring candidates to apply skills, knowledge and understanding in a context that is one or more of the following:

  • unfamiliar
  • familiar but investigated in greater depth
  • integrating a number of familiar contexts

Candidates research and report on a topic that allows them to apply skills and knowledge in chemistry at a level appropriate to Higher.

The topic must be chosen with guidance from teachers and/or lecturers and must involve experimental work.

The assignment has two stages:

  • research
  • report

The research stage must involve experimental work which allows measurements to be made. Candidates must also gather data/information from the internet, books or journals. Candidates must produce a report on their research.