Teach the Future has published its Curriculum for a Changed Climate: track changes review of the National Curriculum for England. This reviews the curriculum for key stages 3 and 4 in the National Curriculum. Using a ‘tracked changes’ methodology the report suggests where and how the national curriculum can be amended to include sustainability and respond to the climate and ecological crisis. You can now read the full report.
What follows is the initial part of what is said about Science at KS3 The bold italic text shows where changes have been made.
We’d be interested in hearing from you if you have views on what is set out here.
Purpose
High-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics and through interdisciplinary approaches. Science has changed our lives and is vital to a healthy, solution-driven future, and all pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes, uses and implications of science. Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, pupils should be encouraged to recognise the power of imagination and rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena and our capacity to innovate solutions. They should be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes and effects of our discoveries and decisions.
Aims
The national curriculum for science aims to ensure that all pupils:
- develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics;
- develop understanding of the nature, processes, methods and practical applications of science and its effects on individual and collective actions, explored through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the impacts on the future, communities near and far, and the wider world.
- are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.
Scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding
The programmes of study describe a sequence of knowledge and concepts. While it is important that pupils make progress, it is also vitally important that they develop a secure understanding of each unit of knowledge and how it interconnects with other units and concepts in order to progress their understanding of the interconnected nature of science. A superficial, reductivist understanding will present a barrier to understanding that complexity. Pupils may struggle at key points of transition (such as between primary and secondary school) to make the connections themselves, build up misconceptions, and/or have difficulties in understanding higher-order content.
Pupils should be able to describe associated processes and key characteristics in common language, but they should also be familiar with, and use, technical terminology correctly. They should build a shared and specialist language that connects meaning through and across the curriculum and extends into their daily lives. They should also apply their knowledge from other areas of the curriculum such as Geography, History,
Mathematics and DT to their understanding of science, including for collecting, presenting and analysing data. The social, economic and environmental implications of science are important but, generally, they are taught most appropriately within the wider school curriculum: teachers will wish to use different contexts to maximise their pupils’ engagement with and motivation to study science.
Spoken Language
The national curriculum for science reflects the importance of spoken language in pupils’ development across the whole curriculum – cognitively, socially and linguistically. The quality and variety of language that pupils hear and speak are key factors in developing their scientific vocabulary and articulating scientific concepts clearly and precisely. They must be assisted in making their thinking clear, both to themselves and others, and teachers should ensure that pupils build secure foundations by using discussion to probe and remedy their misconceptions.
Attainment targets
By the end of key stage 3 and 4, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills, processes and implications specified in the relevant programme of study.
Key Stage 3 Introduction
The principal focus of science teaching in key stage 3 is to develop a deeper understanding of a range of scientific ideas in the subject disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Pupils should begin to see the connections between these subject areas and become aware of some of the big ideas underpinning and connecting scientific knowledge and understanding. Examples of these big ideas are the interdependence of structure and
function in living organisms, the particulate model as the key to understanding the properties and interactions of matter in all its forms, and the resources and means of transfer of energy, as key determinants of these interactions. They should be encouraged to relate scientific explanations to phenomena in the world around them and start to use modelling and abstract ideas to develop and evaluate explanations
Pupils should understand that science is about using imagination, being inspired by curiosity, working objectively, modifying explanations to take account of new evidence and ideas, subjecting results to peer review and identifying the capacity of discoveries to solve problems and develop new understandings. Pupils should decide on the appropriate type of scientific enquiry to undertake to answer their own questions and develop a deeper understanding of factors to be taken into account when collecting, recording and processing data. They should evaluate their results and identify further questions, applications and implications arising from them.
‘Working scientifically’ is described separately at the beginning of the programme of study, but must always be taught through and clearly related to substantive science content in the programme of study. Teachers should feel free to choose examples that serve a variety of purposes, from showing how scientific ideas have developed historically to reflecting modern developments in science.
Pupils should develop their use of scientific vocabulary, including the use of scientific nomenclature and units and mathematical representations.
Working Scientifically
Through the content across all three disciplines, pupils should be taught to:
Scientific attitudes
– pay attention to objectivity and concern for accuracy, precision, repeatability and reproducibility
– be aware of the subjective nature of knowledge, and begin to learn the impact of values on knowledge
– identify the importance of collaboration across communities and nations to pioneer scientific advances
– understand that scientific methods and theories develop as earlier explanations are modified to take account of new evidence and ideas, together with the importance of publishing results and peer review
– evaluate risks in the laboratory and to the environment in experiments, resource selection and consider ethical use and disposal of materials
Experimental skills and investigations
– ask questions and develop a line of enquiry based on curiosity and observations of the real world, alongside prior knowledge and experience
– make predictions using scientific knowledge and understanding
– select, plan and carry out the most appropriate types of scientific enquiries to test predictions, including identifying independent, dependent and control variables, where appropriate
– use appropriate techniques, apparatus, and materials during fieldwork and laboratory work, paying attention to health, safety, resource selection and environmental impacts of experiments
– make and record observations and measurements using a range of methods for different investigations; and evaluate the reliability of methods and suggest possible improvements to include resource selection and disposal of excess materials
– apply sampling techniques.
Analysis and evaluation
– apply mathematical concepts and calculate results
– present observations and data using appropriate methods, including tables and graphs
– interpret observations and data, including identifying patterns and using observations, measurements and data to draw conclusions
– present reasoned explanations, including explaining data in relation to predictions and hypotheses
– evaluate data, showing awareness of potential sources of random and systematic error
– identify further questions arising from their results and explore the implications of the results on the wider world
Measurement
– understand and use SI units and IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) chemical nomenclature
– use and derive simple equations and carry out appropriate calculations
– undertake basic data analysis including simple statistical techniques.