Year 8
Science
Biology, chemistry and physics
Science pathway
Follow science in order, all the way to GCSE foundations
Eight stages, ending with biology, chemistry and physics units written towards the AQA specifications.
Project Studio
2 Science projects to make and write
Unit 1 of 41
Ecosystems and interdependence
Food webs, energy transfer and what happens when one part changes.
0 of 4 done
What this unit covers
- Construct and interpret food chains and webs
- Explain interdependence within an ecosystem
- Describe the effect of changes in population size
Unit 2 of 41
Adaptation, variation and evolution
Why living things differ, and how that changes over time.
0 of 4 done
What this unit covers
- Describe inherited and environmental variation
- Explain adaptation to a habitat
- Outline natural selection using evidence
Unit 3 of 41
Forces and motion
Balanced forces, speed and pressure in the real world.
0 of 4 done
What this unit covers
- Describe balanced and unbalanced forces
- Calculate speed from distance and time
- Explain pressure in solids and fluids
Unit 4 of 41
Working scientifically
Planning, measuring and communicating investigations like a real scientist.
0 of 4 done
What this unit covers
- sc-ws-2
- sc-ws-3
- sc-ws-4
- sc-ws-6
Unit 5 of 41
The human body
Skeleton, breathing, digestion, diet and reproduction.
0 of 5 done
What this unit covers
- sc-bs-1
- sc-bs-2
- sc-bs-3
- sc-bs-4
- sc-bs-5
Unit 6 of 41
Life processes
How cells release energy and how plants capture it from sunlight.
0 of 4 done
What this unit covers
- sc-bm-2
- sc-bm-3
Unit 7 of 41
Particles and matter
States of matter, changes of state, atoms, elements and compounds.
0 of 4 done
What this unit covers
- sc-cm-1
- sc-cm-2
- sc-cm-3
Unit 8 of 41
Mixtures and solutions
Separating mixtures and understanding solutions and diffusion.
0 of 4 done
What this unit covers
- sc-cp-1
- sc-cp-2
Unit 9 of 41
Chemical reactions
Word equations, acids and alkalis, and energy changes in reactions.
0 of 4 done
What this unit covers
- sc-cr-1
- sc-cr-2
- sc-cr-3
Unit 10 of 41
Earth and climate
Rocks, the rock cycle, the carbon cycle and climate change.
0 of 4 done
What this unit covers
- sc-ce-1
- sc-ce-2
Unit 11 of 41
Energy and waves
Energy transfers, resources, sound and light.
0 of 5 done
What this unit covers
- sc-pe-1
- sc-pe-2
- sc-pe-3
- sc-pw-1
- sc-pw-2
Unit 12 of 41
Electricity, magnetism and space
Circuits, magnetism, gravity and our place in the Solar System.
0 of 4 done
What this unit covers
- sc-pel-1
- sc-pel-2
- sc-ps-1
- sc-ps-2
Unit 13 of 41
Inheritance, variation and survival
A five-chapter textbook study of genes, variation, adaptation, extinction and evidence.
0 of 5 done
What this unit covers
- Understand heredity as the process by which genetic information is transmitted from one generation to the next
- Understand differences between species and the variation between individuals of the same species
- Understand changes in the environment that may leave individuals within a species, and some entire species, less well adapted to compete successfully and reproduce, which in turn may lead to extinction
- Interpret observations and data, including identifying patterns and using observations to draw conclusions
- 1Chapter 1: How characteristics are inheritedFilm3 checks30 min · ★★Start →
- 2Chapter 2: Variation within a speciesFilm3 checks28 min · ★★Start →
- 3Chapter 3: Adaptation and competitionFilm3 checks32 min · ★★Start →
- 4Chapter 4: Environmental change and extinctionFilm3 checks30 min · ★★★Start →
- 5Chapter 5: Investigation — does the evidence support the claim?Film3 checks35 min · ★★★Start →
Unit 14 of 41
Breathing and digestion
How the body gets oxygen in and gets food broken down small enough to use.
0 of 2 done
What this unit covers
- Understand the structure and functions of the gas exchange system and the effects of exercise, asthma and smoking
- Understand the tissues and organs of the human digestive system, including the role of enzymes and the importance of bacteria in the gut
Unit 15 of 41
Photosynthesis and respiration
The two reactions that keep everything alive, and how they fit together.
0 of 2 done
What this unit covers
- Understand the reactants in, and products of, photosynthesis, and a word summary for photosynthesis
- Understand aerobic and anaerobic respiration in living organisms, including the breakdown of organic molecules to enable all the other chemical processes necessary for life
Unit 16 of 41
Ecosystems and variation
Food webs, pollinators and why no two individuals of a species are identical.
0 of 2 done
What this unit covers
- Understand the interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem, including food webs and insect pollinated crops
- Understand differences between species and the variation between individuals of the same species
Unit 17 of 41
Atoms, elements and mixtures
What substances are made of, and how to pull a mixture apart.
0 of 2 done
What this unit covers
- Understand atoms, elements and compounds, and the use of chemical symbols and formulae
- Understand the concept of a pure substance and how mixtures can be separated through filtration, distillation and chromatography
Unit 18 of 41
Chemical reactions, acids and alkalis
Atoms rearranging, equations that balance, and neutralisation.
0 of 2 done
What this unit covers
- Understand chemical reactions as the rearrangement of atoms, represented by word and symbol equations
- Understand reactions of acids with alkalis to produce a salt plus water, and use the pH scale for measuring acidity
Unit 19 of 41
Energy transfers and resources
Energy moving from store to store, and where our electricity really comes from.
0 of 2 done
What this unit covers
- Understand energy changes and transfers, including comparing power ratings and energy values of fuels and foods
- Understand fuels and energy resources, including renewable and non-renewable resources
Unit 20 of 41
Gravity and light
Mass, weight and gravity, then reflection, refraction and colour.
0 of 2 done
What this unit covers
- Understand gravity force, weight and mass, and the relationship between them on Earth and other bodies
- Understand the transmission of light through materials, reflection, refraction and the colours of the light spectrum
Unit 21 of 41
Working scientifically
Planning a fair test and drawing a conclusion the data actually supports.
0 of 4 done
What this unit covers
- Select, plan and carry out the most appropriate types of scientific enquiry to test predictions, including identifying independent, dependent and control variables
- Interpret observations and data, including identifying patterns and using observations to draw conclusions
- 1Planning a fair testFilm4 checksExit quiz30 min · ★★★Start →
- 2Patterns, anomalies and honest conclusionsFilm4 checksExit quiz30 min · ★★★Start →
- 3Measuring well: repeats, anomalies and reliabilityFilmWorked example4 checks25 min · ★★Start →
- 4Turning results into tables and graphs that argueFilmWorked example4 checks25 min · ★★Start →
Unit 22 of 41
Reproduction, plant gas exchange and particles on the move
How new humans begin, how a leaf breathes, and how particles spread out on their own.
0 of 3 done
What this unit covers
- Understand reproduction in humans, including the structure and function of the male and female reproductive systems and the menstrual cycle
- Understand the role of leaf stomata in gas exchange in plants and the dependence of almost all life on Earth on the ability of photosynthetic organisms to use sunlight
- Understand diffusion in terms of the particle model, and the concepts of solutions, solvents, solutes and solubility
Unit 23 of 41
Living things and a changing environment
How organisms change the place they live in, how poisons build up a food chain, and what pushes a species to extinction.
0 of 2 done
What this unit covers
- Understand how organisms affect, and are affected by, their environment, including the accumulation of toxic materials
- Understand changes in the environment that may leave individuals within a species, and some entire species, less well adapted to compete successfully and reproduce, which in turn may lead to extinction
Unit 24 of 41
Energy sums, pressure, waves and circuits
Counting energy before and after, squeezing fluids, comparing light with sound, and measuring current and voltage.
0 of 4 done
What this unit covers
- Understand energy as a quantity that can be quantified and calculated, and the total energy has the same value before and after a change
- Understand pressure in fluids and atmospheric pressure, and pressure on surfaces
- Understand the similarities and differences between light waves and waves in matter, and frequencies of sound waves measured in hertz
- Understand electric current, measured in amperes, in circuits, series and parallel circuits, and potential difference measured in volts
- 1Energy you can count: calculating and conserving itFilm4 checksExit quiz30 min · ★★Start →
- 2Pressure on surfaces, in fluids and in the atmosphereFilm4 checksExit quiz30 min · ★★Start →
- 3Light waves and sound waves comparedFilm4 checksExit quiz30 min · ★★Start →
- 4Current, voltage, series and parallelFilm4 checksExit quiz30 min · ★★Start →
Unit 25 of 41
Measuring well and showing your results
Choosing instruments, judging whether your method can be trusted, and turning numbers into a table and a graph.
0 of 2 done
What this unit covers
- Make and record observations and measurements using a range of methods, and evaluate the reliability of methods
- Present observations using appropriate methods, including tables and graphs, and communicate ideas using scientific terminology
Unit 26 of 41
GCSE biology: cells, organisation and bioenergetics
Cell structure and transport, enzymes and the digestive system, and the bioenergetics of photosynthesis and respiration.
0 of 3 done
What this unit covers
- Explain cell structure, transport, enzyme action and bioenergetics at GCSE standard.
Unit 27 of 41
GCSE biology: inheritance, variation and ecology
Meiosis and genetic crosses, evidence for evolution, and interdependence and human impact in ecosystems.
0 of 2 done
What this unit covers
- Explain inheritance, variation, evolution and ecological relationships at GCSE standard.
Unit 28 of 41
GCSE chemistry: atomic structure and bonding
Atoms, isotopes and electronic structure, periodic trends, and how ionic, covalent and metallic bonding explain properties.
0 of 2 done
What this unit covers
- Relate atomic structure and bonding to the properties of substances.
Unit 29 of 41
GCSE chemistry: quantitative chemistry and chemical change
Relative formula mass and moles, conservation of mass in calculations, reactivity, acids and electrolysis.
0 of 2 done
What this unit covers
- Carry out quantitative chemistry calculations and explain chemical changes.
Unit 30 of 41
GCSE physics: energy and electricity
Energy stores, transfers and efficiency, and current, potential difference, resistance and power in circuits.
0 of 2 done
What this unit covers
- Calculate energy transfers and analyse electrical circuits at GCSE standard.
Unit 31 of 41
GCSE physics: forces, motion and waves
Newton's laws and motion graphs, stopping distances and momentum, and the properties and behaviour of waves.
0 of 2 done
What this unit covers
- Apply the laws of motion and wave behaviour to explain and calculate.
Unit 32 of 41
Year 9 Science: inheritance, energetics, climate, magnetism and space
The five Year 9 ideas that GCSE builds straight on top of, taught with the reasoning and vocabulary you will need next year.
0 of 5 done
What this unit covers
- Understand heredity as the process by which genetic information is transmitted from one generation to the next
- Understand exothermic and endothermic chemical reactions and the reactivity series of metals
- Understand the carbon cycle and the production of carbon dioxide by human activity and the impact on climate
- Understand magnetic fields, including Earth's magnetism, compasses and the magnetic effect of a current
- Understand the seasons and the Earth's tilt, day length at different times of year, and the light year as a unit of astronomical distance
- 1Heredity: passing information onFilm4 checksExit quiz30 min · ★★★Start →
- 2Exothermic, endothermic and the reactivity seriesFilm4 checksExit quiz30 min · ★★★Start →
- 3The carbon cycle and climate changeFilm4 checksExit quiz30 min · ★★★Start →
- 4Magnetic fields and electromagnetsFilm4 checksExit quiz30 min · ★★★Start →
- 5Seasons, day length and distances in spaceFilm4 checksExit quiz30 min · ★★★Start →
Unit 33 of 41
Biology foundations for GCSE (AQA 8461)
Cells, transport and bioenergetics done properly at KS3, so GCSE biology has something to stand on.
0 of 2 done
What this unit covers
- Understand the reactants in, and products of, photosynthesis, and a word summary for photosynthesis
- Understand diffusion in terms of the particle model, and the concepts of solutions, solvents, solutes and solubility
Unit 34 of 41
Chemistry foundations for GCSE (AQA 8462)
Atoms, equations and the reactivity series, written the way GCSE chemistry will expect you to use them.
0 of 2 done
What this unit covers
- Understand atoms, elements and compounds, and the use of chemical symbols and formulae
- Understand chemical reactions as the rearrangement of atoms, represented by word and symbol equations
Unit 35 of 41
Physics foundations for GCSE (AQA 8463)
Energy stores and transfers, and forces and motion, using the language GCSE physics uses.
0 of 2 done
What this unit covers
- Understand energy as a quantity that can be quantified and calculated, and the total energy has the same value before and after a change
- Understand forces as pushes or pulls arising from the interaction between two objects, and balanced and unbalanced forces
Unit 36 of 41
How animal bodies work
Skeletons, diets and respiration, learned through the animals that do each job to an extreme.
0 of 3 done
What this unit covers
- Understand the structure and functions of the human skeletal and muscular systems
- Understand the tissues and organs of the human digestive system, including the role of enzymes and the importance of bacteria in the gut
- Understand aerobic and anaerobic respiration in living organisms, including the breakdown of organic molecules to enable all the other chemical processes necessary for life
- 1Skeletons and muscles: cheetah, elephant, snow leopardFilm4 checksExit quiz30 min · ★★★Start →
- 2Guts, enzymes and gut bacteria: carnivore, herbivore, omnivoreFilm4 checksExit quiz30 min · ★★★Start →
- 3Aerobic and anaerobic respiration: the sprint and the marathonFilm4 checksExit quiz30 min · ★★★Start →
Unit 37 of 41
Variation, adaptation and survival
Why no two animals are identical, how adaptation is tested by the environment, and how traits are passed on.
0 of 3 done
What this unit covers
- Understand differences between species and the variation between individuals of the same species
- Understand changes in the environment that may leave individuals within a species, and some entire species, less well adapted to compete successfully and reproduce, which in turn may lead to extinction
- Understand heredity as the process by which genetic information is transmitted from one generation to the next
Unit 38 of 41
Animals in ecosystems
Food webs, human impact and how to plan a real animal investigation you could actually carry out.
0 of 3 done
What this unit covers
- Understand the interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem, including food webs and insect pollinated crops
- Understand how organisms affect, and are affected by, their environment, including the accumulation of toxic materials
- Select, plan and carry out the most appropriate types of scientific enquiry to test predictions, including identifying independent, dependent and control variables
Unit 39 of 41
Plants: the quiet engines
How leaves catch sunlight, how water travels up a tree, and why almost everything alive depends on plants.
0 of 3 done
What this unit covers
- sc-bm-1
- sc-bm-3
Unit 40 of 41
Wildlife watching like a scientist
Reading tracks and signs, food webs in a British woodland, pollinators, and why no two animals are alike.
0 of 3 done
What this unit covers
- sc-bi-1
- sc-bg-2
Unit 41 of 41
Habitats under pressure
What happens when habitats change, how poisons build up in food chains, and how species are brought back from the edge.
0 of 3 done
What this unit covers
- sc-bi-2
- sc-bg-3