Subject: Science
Faculty: Science and Technology
Topic: The Particle Model and Mixtures
Term: Year 7, Term 1
Year 7
Steps 1
Old KS2
Equivalent
KS2 SAS
CAT4 SAS
Knowledge and Understanding
Impressive understanding of:

How the properties of solids, liquids and gases can be described
in terms of particle motion and arrangement

Why a substance changes state in terms of the energy transfers

Why the properties of a material change as it changes state

The difference between a mixture and pure substance

How mixtures can be separated and why different methods are
suitable for different mixtures

How substances dissolve, using the particle model to explain
9
Platinum
6c/6b/6a
120+
Skills and Application
Skilfully, and with flair, able to:

Argue for how to classify substances which behave
unusually

Evaluate observations which provide evidence for the
existence of particles

Make predictions about what will happen during
unfamiliar physical processes in terms of particles and
their energy

Use techniques to separate mixtures.

Use evidence from chromatography to identify unknown
substances in mixtures.

Choose the most suitable technique to separate out a
mixture of substances.

Use the solubility curve of a salute to explain
observations about solutions.

Analyse and interpret solubility curves.

Suggest a combination of methods to separate a
complex mixture and justify the choices
Evaluate the evidence for identifying an unknown
substance using separating techniques.
120+

Excellent understanding of:

How the properties of solids, liquids and gases can be described
in terms of particle motion and arrangement

Why a substance changes state in terms of the energy transfers

Why the properties of a material change as it changes state

The difference between a mixture and pure substance

How mixtures can be separated and why different methods are
suitable for different mixtures

How substances dissolve, using the particle model to explain
8
Yellow
5b/5a
4a/5c
7
Yellow
110-119
106-119
Precisely able to:

Argue for how to classify substances which behave
unusually

Evaluate observations which provide evidence for the
existence of particles

Make predictions about what will happen during
unfamiliar physical processes in terms of particles and
their energy

Use techniques to separate mixtures.

Use evidence from chromatography to identify unknown
substances in mixtures.

Choose the most suitable technique to separate out a
mixture of substances.

Use the solubility curve of a solute to explain
observations about solutions.

Analyse and interpret solubility curves.

Suggest a combination of methods to separate a
complex mixture and justify the choices.
Working Scientifically
Skilfully, and with flair, able to:

Explain why an explanation is more believable when
supported by data from an experiment.

Explain why it sometimes takes a long time for a theory
to be changed.

Explain why argumentation is essential for the
development of robust theories.
Precisely able to:

Explain why an explanation is more believable when
supported by data from an experiment.

Explain why it sometimes takes a long time for a theory
to be changed.

Explain why argumentation is essential for the
development of robust theories.
Secure understanding of:

How the properties of solids, liquids and gases can be described
in terms of particle motion and arrangement

Why a substance changes state in terms of the energy transfers

The difference between a mixture and pure substance

How mixtures can be separated and why different methods are
suitable for different mixtures

How substances dissolve, using the particle model to explain
6
Blue
4b/4c
100-109

Explain the properties of solids, liquids and gases based
on the arrangement and movement of their particles.

Explain changes in states in terms of changes to the
energy of particles.

Draw before and after diagrams of particles to explain
observations about changes of state, gas pressure and
diffusion.
Use techniques to separate mixtures.
96-105

5
Blue
Developed understanding of:

How the properties of solids, liquids and gases can be described
in terms of particle motion and arrangement

Why a substance changes state

The difference between a mixture and pure substance

How mixtures can be separated and why different methods are
suitable for different mixtures

How substances dissolve
4
Green
3b/3a
90-99
80-95
3
Green

Use evidence from chromatography to identify unknown
substances in mixtures.

Choose the most suitable technique to separate out a
mixture of substances.

Use the solubility curve of a solute to explain
observations about solutions.
Competently Able to:

Explain unfamiliar observations about gas pressure in
terms of particles.

Basic understanding of:

The properties of solids, liquids and gases

What happens when a substance changes state

The difference between a mixture and pure substance

How mixtures can be separated e.g. filtration, distillation,
evaporation, chromatography

The key terms solvent, solute, solution, soluble, dissolve
2c/2b/2a/3c
80-89
<80
Explain the properties of solids, liquids and gases based
on the arrangement and movement of their particles.
Securely able to:

Describe the evidence for your idea.




Explain why the evidence supports your idea.
Develop an explanation.
Communicate your idea, evidence and reasoning.
Explain role of new evidence in changing theories.


Explain role of argumentation in modifying theories.
Understand the role of a theory in science.

Understand how scientific ideas have changed.
Competently Able to:

Record the observation you want to explain.

Record observations using scientific words.

Decide if a diagram might help the explanation.

Explain changes in states in terms of changes to the
energy of particles.

Suggest a scientific idea that might explain the
observation.

Draw before and after diagrams of particles to explain
observations about changes of state, gas pressure and
diffusion.
Use techniques to separate mixtures.

Describe the evidence for your idea.

Describe the role of evidence in supporting theories.

State examples of theories that have changed.

2
Orange
1
Orange
Securely able to:

Explain unfamiliar observations about gas pressure in
terms of particles.

Use evidence from chromatography to identify unknown
substances in mixtures.

Choose the most suitable technique to separate out a
mixture of substances.
With some support able to:

Explain unfamiliar observations about gas pressure in
terms of particles.

Explain the properties of solids, liquids and gases based
on the arrangement and movement of their particles.
With some support able to:

Record the observation you want to explain.

Record observations using scientific words.

Decide if a diagram might help the explanation.

Explain changes in states in terms of changes to the
energy of particles.


Draw before and after diagrams of particles to explain
observations about changes of state, gas pressure and
diffusion.
Use techniques to separate mixtures.

Suggest a scientific idea that might explain the
observation.
Explain what is meant by a theory.

State examples of theories in science.


Use evidence from chromatography to identify unknown
substances in mixtures.