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.
Unit 1
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
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
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
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
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
- 1The skeletal and muscular systems26 min · ★★ · 3 quick checksStart →
- 2Breathing and gas exchange26 min · ★★ · 3 quick checksStart →
- 3Digestion and the gut28 min · ★★ · 3 quick checksStart →
- 4Diet, health and deficiency24 min · ★★ · 3 quick checksStart →
- 5Human reproduction28 min · ★★ · 3 quick checksStart →
Unit 6
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
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
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
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
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
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
- 1Comparing power and energy values26 min · ★★ · 3 quick checksStart →
- 2Conservation of energy26 min · ★★ · 3 quick checksStart →
- 3Fuels and energy resources24 min · ★ · 3 quick checksStart →
- 4Sound waves and hearing24 min · ★★ · 3 quick checksStart →
- 5Light: reflection, refraction and colour26 min · ★★ · 3 quick checksStart →
Unit 12
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
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 inherited30 min · ★★ · 3 quick checksStart →
- 2Chapter 2: Variation within a species28 min · ★★ · 3 quick checksStart →
- 3Chapter 3: Adaptation and competition32 min · ★★ · 3 quick checksStart →
- 4Chapter 4: Environmental change and extinction30 min · ★★★ · 3 quick checksStart →
- 5Chapter 5: Investigation — does the evidence support the claim?35 min · ★★★ · 3 quick checksStart →
Unit 14
Living systems: breathing, digestion and energy
Gas exchange, digestion and enzymes, human reproduction, photosynthesis and respiration as one connected story of energy in living things.
0 of 5 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
- Understand reproduction in humans, including the structure and function of the male and female reproductive systems and the menstrual cycle
- 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
- 1Breathing and gas exchange30 min · ★★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
- 2Digestion, enzymes and the gut30 min · ★★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
- 3Human reproduction and the menstrual cycle28 min · ★★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
- 4Photosynthesis and the leaf30 min · ★★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
- 5Aerobic and anaerobic respiration28 min · ★★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
Unit 15
Substances, mixtures and reactions
Atoms, elements and compounds, separating mixtures, diffusion and solutions, chemical equations, and acids, alkalis and the pH scale.
0 of 5 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
- Understand diffusion in terms of the particle model, and the concepts of solutions, solvents, solutes and solubility
- 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
- 1Atoms, elements and compounds28 min · ★★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
- 2Pure substances and separating mixtures30 min · ★★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
- 3Diffusion, solutions and solubility28 min · ★★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
- 4Chemical reactions and equations30 min · ★★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
- 5Acids, alkalis and neutralisation30 min · ★★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
Unit 16
Energy, pressure and waves
Energy transfers and conservation, comparing fuels and resources, pressure in fluids and on surfaces, and comparing light and sound waves.
0 of 4 done
What this unit covers
- Understand energy changes and transfers, including comparing power ratings and energy values of fuels and foods
- 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 fuels and energy resources, including renewable and non-renewable resources
- Understand pressure in fluids and atmospheric pressure, and pressure on surfaces
Unit 17
Working scientifically: enquiry, data and conclusions
Designing fair tests, taking reliable measurements, presenting results clearly and drawing conclusions the data can actually support.
0 of 5 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
- Make and record observations and measurements using a range of methods, and evaluate the reliability of methods
- Interpret observations and data, including identifying patterns and using observations to draw conclusions
- Present observations using appropriate methods, including tables and graphs, and communicate ideas using scientific terminology
- 1Planning a fair test: variables and method28 min · ★★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
- 2Measurement, repeats and reliability28 min · ★★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
- 3Presenting data and drawing conclusions28 min · ★★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
- 4Measuring well: repeats, anomalies and reliability25 min · ★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
- 5Turning results into tables and graphs that argue25 min · ★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
Unit 18
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 19
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 20
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 21
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 22
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 23
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 24
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 on30 min · ★★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
- 2Exothermic, endothermic and the reactivity series30 min · ★★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
- 3The carbon cycle and climate change30 min · ★★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
- 4Magnetic fields and electromagnets30 min · ★★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
- 5Seasons, day length and distances in space30 min · ★★★ · 4 quick checksStart →
Unit 25
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 26
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 27
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