RCMS Church of England Science Department
Key Stage 3
Programme of Study Overview
Year 8 Autumn Term
Spring Term
Summer Term
8A Digestion and Food
Why do we eat? Food tests. Healthy diet. Consequences of
imbalance/ deficiencies. Food labels. The digestive system.
Action of enzymes, biological catalysts. Absorption. Energy
from food.
8F Periodic Table
Fireworks and the Atomic Model, Chemical Properties,
Medeleev’s Table, Physical Trends, Chemical Trends
and Firework Ban
8J Light
Seeing things and Light on the move, Reflection,
Refraction, Cameras, Eyes and colour, Invisibility
cloak, Drawing ray diagrams.
Task: Burning food practicals.
End of topic assessment.
8E Combustion
Burning fuels and pollution effects, Oxidation reactions,
Fire safety and the fire triangle, Air Pollution and
Controlling Pollutants,
Global Warming Links,
Trends and Pollution
Reduction.
Task: Gas and water
tests practical
End of topic assessment.
8I Fluids
The Particle Model Theory of everything, What is density
and changing states, How is pressure caused?, Floating,
sinking and Drag. Humans at extremes.
End of topic assessment.
8C Breathing and Respiration
Cell respiration. The Heart and circulatory system. Making
blood cells. Transporting products. The Lungs and Breathing
System: Gas Exchange. Tissue fluid and diffusion. Muscles
and Breathing.
Aerobic/anaerobic respiration.
Task 1: How exercise affects our bodies. Breathing rate,
Lung Volume and Pulse rate
Task 2: Heart and Lung Dissection demo
End of topic assessment.
End of Autumn term assessment.
Task: Alkali metals and water demo discussion
End of topic assessment.
8K Buying Energy
Living in extremes, Temperature changes, Transferring
energy, Controlling transfers, Power and Efficiency,
Paying for Energy, Paying for Energy.
Task: Investigating Insulating Materials
End of topic assessment.
Task: Light ray box investigations
End of topic assessment.
8D Unicellular Organisms
The Black Death, Unicellular or Multicellular,
Microscopic fungi, Bacteria, Pie, charts, Protoctists,
Decomposers and carbon, Hypotheses
Task: Yoghurt maker
End of topic assessment.
8B Plants and their Reproduction
Classification and Biodiversity, Types of reproduction,
Pollination, Fertilisation and Seed Dispersal,
Germination and Growth, Using plants.
Task: Dissecting Daffodil/ Tulips
End of topic assessment.
8G Metals and their Uses
Metal properties, Corrosion, Metals and Water,
Reactivity Series, Chemical Formulae,
Metals and Acids, Pure Metals
and Alloys, Art
Task: Alkali Metals Demo and H test
End of topic assessment.
End of Spring term assessment.
8H Rocks
Disaster, Rocks and uses, Igneous and
Metamorphic, Weathering and
Erosion, Sedimentary Rocks,
Theories, Materials and
Living Danger.
Task: Rock study task
End of topic assessment.
End of Summer term assessment.
8L Earth and Space
Changing Ideas, Gathering Evidence,
Seasons, Magnetic Earth, Gravity in
Space, Beyond the Solar System,
Studying Space.
Task: Model planets
End of topic assessment.
Key features of each unit will be: Scientific Facts, Key Vocabulary, Literacy and Communication, Working Scientifically, End of Unit Self Assessment, Target
Setting and Unit Assessment.
RCMS Church of England Science Department
Key Stage 3
Programme of Study Overview
Key features of each unit will be: Scientific Facts, Key Vocabulary, Literacy and Communication, Working Scientifically, End of Unit Self Assessment, Target
Setting and Unit Assessment.