Core Biology Checklist
KEEPING HEALTHY
Describe the components of a balanced diet and say why each is needed.
Describe the effects of an unbalanced diet – eating too much or too little.
Describe how exercise affects health.
Explain metabolic rate and the affect of exercise on metabolic rate.
State how inherited factors may affect metabolic rate or cholesterol.
Define pathogen.
Describe how viruses and bacteria make us ill.
State some ways the body protects against pathogens.
Describe the 3 ways white blood cells work.
Describe how an individual may become immune to a pathogen.
Describe how vaccinations can protect individuals and populations.
Describe the work of Semmelweiss and explain its importance.
State how some different types of medicines work.
Explain why antibiotics don’t work on viral infections, and why treatment is difficult.
Explain antibiotic resistance. HIGHER
Give some of the problems with resistance strains of bacteria or viruses. HIGHER
Write a method for culturing microorganisms in sterile conditions.
Explain differences in school & industrial conditions for growing microbes.
NERVES AND HORMONES
State the role of the nervous system in responding to the environment.
Link some examples of stimuli and receptor cells.
State some of the features of light receptor cells.
Describe the pathway of a simple reflex action.
Explain how water, ions, temperature & blood sugar levels are controlled.
Describe the general role of hormones in the body.
Describe the role of hormones in controlling the menstrual cycle.
Explain the use of hormones in controlling fertility
Describe how plants are sensitive to light, moisture and gravity.
Explain how hormones can control growth in plants.
Give some agricultural uses of hormones.
USE AND ABUSE OF DRUGS.
Describe the stages in developing and testing new medical drugs.
State the use of statins.
Describe the problems, and current use of, thalidomide.
Describe what a ‘drug’ is and the problems with dependence and addiction.
State some of the effects of misuse of legal and illegal recreational drugs.
Describe some examples of performance enhancing drugs in sport.
Core Biology Checklist
INTERDEPENDENCE AND ADAPTATION
Describe what animals compete
Describe what plants compete for
Explain how particular adaptations help animals to survive in their habitats
Explain what extremophiles are
Describe how distribution of organisms can change when the environment changes
State some examples of changes in the environment
Explain how lichens and invertebrates can be used as indicator species
Describe how we can use equipment to measure oxygen levels, temperature and rainfall
ENERGY AND BIOMASS IN FOOD CHAINS
State that the sun is the source of energy for living organisms
Describe the energy transfer that takes place during photosynthesis
Draw a pyramid of biomass for a food chain
Explain why the energy and biomass decrease further up the pyramid
WASTE MATERIALS FROM PLANTS AND ANIMALS
State that living things remove materials from the environment
State that when organisms die and decay, materials are returned to the environment
Define the term ‘decay’ & describe the conditions that microorganisms grow fastest in
Explain why decay is important for plant growth
Describe a stable community in terms of the materials being cycled within it
State how carbon dioxide is removed from, and released into the atmosphere
Describe the role of plants, animals and microorganisms in the carbon cycle
Explain how combustion affects carbon dioxide levels
GENETIC VARIATION AND ITS CONTROL
Define the term ’gene’ & describe how genes are passed on from parents to offspring
State that genes control characteristics
Give reasons to describe why there may be differences in characteristics in organisms
Describe what sexual reproduction is
Describe what asexual reproduction is
Explain if offspring will be identical or different to their parents based the type of reproduction
Describe the process of taking cuttings & state some advantages of taking cuttings
Describe the stages involved in tissue culture, embryo transplants and adult cell cloning
Describe what genetic engineering is
Define what GM (genetically modified) is
Give examples of ways in which we could modify crops and evaluate GM crops
EVOLUTION
Describe Darwin’s theory of evolution
Give three reasons why the theory of natural selection was not accepted at first
Describe the main stages of natural selection
State that variation can occur due to mutation
State the groups that living are classified into
Interpret evolutionary trees
Describe Lamarck’s theory of evolution
ADDITIONAL Biology Checklist
Cells and Simple Transport
Label an animal cell and a plant cell.
Give the functions of each of the parts of a cell.
Label a bacteria cell and a yeast cell.
Give examples of specialised cells and explain how they are adapted
to their function.
Define diffusion.
Give a factor that affects the rate of diffusion.
Explain why diffusion is important for respiration.
Tissues, Organs and Organ Systems
Describe what organisms are made up of in terms of cells, tissues, organs
& systems.
Give the functions of muscular, glandular, and epithelial tissue in the
stomach.
Label the digestive system.
Describe the role of the main organs in the digestive system.
Give examples of plant organs.
Describe the role of plant tissues (mesophyll, xylem, phloem, epidermis).
Label the internal structure of a leaf.
Photosynthesis
Describe the process of photosynthesis.
Explain how the rate of photosynthesis can be limited by different
factors.
Evaluate the pros and cons of artificially manipulating conditions within
a greenhouse.
State what plants use glucose and nitrate ions for.
Organisms and their environment
Be able to calculate the mean, median and mode.
Describe how to collect valid data on distribution of organisms and
check reproducibility.
State some physical factors that can affect the distribution of organisms.
Evaluate the methods used to collect environmental data.
ADDITIONAL Biology Checklist
1=confident, 2=needs improvement, 3=revision priority
Proteins and Enzymes
Describe what proteins are made of.
State some types of proteins in the body.
Describe the role of a catalyst.
Describe factors that affect the shape of an enzyme.
Name enzymes involved in digestion & name the substrate & product
breakdown.
Explain how hydrochloric acid & bile help enzymes in digestion.
Describe the role of enzymes in home & industry.
Evaluate the role of enzymes in home & industry.
Aerobic & Anaerobic Respiration
State where respiration takes place.
Give the word equation for aerobic respiration.
Describe what the energy released is used for in plants and animals.
Explain changes that take place to the heart & breathing rate during
respiration.
Describe what anaerobic respiration is and why it happens.
Compare anaerobic & aerobic respiration in terms of energy released.
Explain what ‘oxygen debt’ means.
Explain why muscles become fatigued after long periods of exercise.
Cell Division and Inheritance
Describe where, why & how mitosis takes place.
Describe where & why meiosis takes place.
Describe the process of meiosis.
Describe what happens during fertilisation.
Describe what stem cells are.
Evaluate the use of stem cells in research & medicine.
Explain how sexual reproduction leads to genetic variation.
Define the terms gene, allele, chromosomes & DNA.
State the sex chromosomes in males & females.
Explain the link between genes, amino acids & proteins.
Describe what genetic fingerprinting could be used for.
Describe what polydactyl is.
Draw and interpret genetic diagrams for the inheritance of polydactyl.
Describe what cystic fibrosis is/
Draw and interpret genetic diagrams for the inheritance of cystic
fibrosis.
Construct genetic diagrams using heterozygous, homozygous,
genotype, phenotype.
Evaluate embryo screening.
Speciation
Describe how fossils are formed.
Explain why some organisms did not leave fossils behind.
Explain how fossils can be used to help us find out about changes to
organisms.
State factors that can cause extinction.
Describe the process of speciation.
Fundamental Ideas in Chemistry
Core Chemistry Checklist
Annotate a diagram of an atom with names and features of each part.
State the numbers of protons and electrons in an atom and use this to explain the overall
charge.
Define element, mass number, and atomic number.
Draw diagrams to show electronic structure of the first 20 elements.
State and explain the relationship between elements in the same group.
State what noble gases are and explain why they are so unreactive.
Define compound and molecule.
Explain how ionic compounds are formed from metals and non-metals.
Explain how molecular compounds are formed from non-metals.
Limestone and Building Materials
Give the chemical name and formula for limestone.
Describe how limestone is quarried.
Describe thermal decomposition of carbonates calcium, magnesium, zinc and sodium.
Describe the reaction of calcium oxide with water and of limestone.
Describe how limestone is used to make cement and how cement is used.
Metals and their uses
Link how metals are found in the earth’s crust to their reactivity.
Describe how metals can be extracted by reduction or electrolysis.
Choose which method of extraction would be used, depending on the reactivity of a metal.
Describe how copper, aluminium, and titanium are extracted and purified.
Evaluate the benefits of recycling.
Explain the properties of different iron and steels.
Link some properties of everyday alloys to their uses.
Define transition metals. Link some properties of transition metals to their uses.
Link the properties of copper to its uses in electrical wiring and plumbing.
Crude oil and fuels
Define mixture and describe what crude oil is and what it is made up of.
Recognise & define alkanes, name & draw the first 4 hydrocarbons in formulae/diagrams.
Describe how fractional distillation is used.
Link the size of the molecule to its boiling point, viscosity and flammability.
State products of combustion of fuels, e.g. sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide.
Give the environmental problems with some of these products.
Describe how levels of sulphur dioxide can be reduced.
Evaluate the advantages of biofuels.
Other Uses of Crude Oil
Core Chemistry Checklist
State why hydrocarbons are cracked.
Describe the process of cracking and state the products of cracking.
Give the general formula for alkenes.
Recognise alkenes from their names & formula and draw out the structure.
Describe the bromine test.
State that some products of cracking can be used as fuels.
State what monomers and polymers are.
Match monomers to the polymers they would make.
Explain why waste disposal is a problem of using polymers.
Explain why plastic bags are being made from corn-starch.
Give the advantages and disadvantages to using and disposing of polymers.
Describe how ethanol can be produced from ethane or from fermentation.
Plant oils and their uses
Describe the stages involved in extracting vegetable oils.
Describe why vegetable oils are important in foods.
State how the boiling points of vegetable oils compare to water.
Explain how fried foods are different to boiled foods.
Describe what an emulsion is.
State some uses of emulsions based on their special properties.
Describe how emulsifiers work.
Describe how we can identify unsaturated vegetable oil.
Describe how vegetable oils can be hardened.
Explain the properties of hydrogenated vegetable oils and link these to their uses.
Changes in the Earth and its atmosphere
State the layers of the Earth.
Describe the layers of the Earth in terms of size and properties.
Describe why tectonic plates move.
Explain how earthquakes and volcanoes happen.
State what the Earth’s atmosphere is made up of and how the atmosphere changed over
time.
Explain one theory of how life was formed and the Miller-Urey experiment.
Describe how oxygen became part of the atmosphere.
Describe two reasons why the levels of carbon dioxide have decreased.
Explain why increased levels of carbon dioxide in the oceans can be a problem.
Explain why burning fossil fuels is a problem.
Explain how the gases in the air can be separated.
Describe some industrial processes that the gases in the air can be used for.
Structure and Bonding
Additional Chemistry Checklist
Write the formula for ionic compounds from given symbols & charges
Represent the electronic structure of ions (e.g. NaCl, MgO)
Represent covalent bonds as dot & cross diagrams
Represent covalent bonds as single lines
Draw a diagram to represent bonding in metals
Define compound
Describe the process of making ions to allow ionic bonding to occur
Draw the ions made from Group 1 & Group 7
Explain why ionic compounds can form giant ionic structures
Explain why covalent compounds are often simple molecules
Describe & explain the properties of giant covalent structures
Explain how delocalised electrons occur in metals
Structure and Properties
Explain why simple molecules are gases, liquids or solids with low melting & boiling points
Understand that the intermolecular forces are overcome when a simple substance melts or boils –
NOT covalent bonds
Explain why simple molecules do not conduct electricity
Explain why ionic compounds have high melting/boiling points
Explain how ionic compounds conduct electricity when molten or dissolved in water
Explain why the boning in diamond allows it to be hard
Explain why the bonding in graphite allows it to be soft & slippery
Explain how delocalised electron allow graphite to conduct heat & electricity
Describe the use of fullerenes
Explain why the structure of metals allow them to conduct heat & electricity
Explain why metals can be bent and shaped
State what an alloy is & explain how they are different to pure metals
State what is unique about shape memory alloys
Describe how the properties of polymers depend on what they are made of & the conditions they
were made under
Explain why thermosetting polymers don’t melt but thermosoftening to
Describe the sizes of nanoparticles & list their uses
Analysis & quantitative Chemistry
Recall the masses & charges of protons, neutrons & electrons
Remember that proton + neutron = mass number
Define the word isotope
Recall what relative atomic mass and relative formula mass are
State that the (Mr) of a substance in grams, is equal to one mole
Describe the benefits of using instrumental methods to detect chemicals
Describe how to use paper chromatography, gas chromatography & mass spectroscopy & the advantage/disadvantages of each
Calculate the percentage of an element within a compound
Calculate the empirical formula of a compound from its mass/percentage
Calculate the masses of reactant or products from a balanced equation
Calculate the percentage yield from a chemical reaction
Rates of Reactions
Additional Chemistry Checklist
Look at a graph and work out the rate of reaction from the products forming
Describe the changing ROR by looking at a graph
State what a catalysts is and what it does
Evaluate the advantages/disadvantages of using catalysts in industry
Calculate the ROR using the correct equation
Name the factors that would affect the ROR
Describe collision theory in terms of particles and energy
Recall the name of the energy need to be overcome to start a reaction
Explain how each factor would affect the ROR using collision theory
Recall the unit of concentrations of solutions
Recall that equal volumes of gases at the same temperature/pressure have the same number of
molecules
Exothermic/Endothermic Reactions
State that when a chemical reaction occurs, energy is transferred to/from the surroundings
Define an exothermic & exothermic reaction is in terms of energy & give examples
Recall that id a reversible reaction is exothermic in on direction , it will be endothermic in the opposite direction
Write equations to represent reversible reactions
Acids, bases & salts
Use state symbols correctly in an equation
Describe how soluble salts can be made by reaction acids with metals, bases, or alkalis
Describe how salt solutions can be made mixing certain salts in solutions (precipitate)
Describe how precipitation can be used to remove unwanted ions from solutions
Describe the difference between a base and alkali
Name the different salts produced by HCl, HNO3,
H2SO4
Describe how ammonium salts form and that they are important to fertilisers
Recall that the pH scale is a measure of the acidity/alkalinity of a solution
Identify the ions present in acids and alkalis
Represent a neutralisation reaction using ion equation
Electrolysis
Describe what electrolysis is and does
Describe the properties of an electrolyte
Describe which ions move to which electrode & what happens there
Describe how electrolysis is used to electroplate objects
Remember OIL RIG & what it means in terms of electrons
Recall that if there’s a mix of ions, the products depend on reactivity
Represent reactions at electrodes using half equations
Describe how aluminium is manufactured using electrolysis
Explain why cryolite & carbon electrodes are needed
Describe the electrolysis of sodium chloride solution (brine)
Explain why the products of brine electrolysis are useful
Transfer of energy in heating
Core Physics Checklist
State what infrared radiation is and that objects emit and absorb it.
Describe how the amount of infrared radiation can vary.
Describe how different surfaces vary in their absorption and reflection of infrared radiation.
Describe the particle arrangement and different levels of energy in the states of matter.
Explain the different energy states using kinetic theory.
Describe the bonds between particles in the different states of matter.
Describe what is meant by conduction, in terms of particles, including the role of electrons.
Describe what is meant by convection, in terms of particles, including explaining density.
Describe how energy is transferred in evaporation and condensation and factor affecting
each.
Describe the factors that affect the rate of heat transfer from an object.
State the use of U-Values.
Describe how solar panels work.
Describe what is meant by specific heat capacity and use the equation.
Energy and efficiency
Describe how energy is wasted and what happens to it.
Construct and read information from a Sankey diagram.
Calculate the efficiency of a device using the equation.
Describe payback time and calculate it.
Usefulness of electrical appliances
Describe energy transfers in everyday electrical appliances.
Link the amount of energy transferred to the power and the amount of time switched on.
Calculate the energy transferred when you know the time and power.
Calculate the cost of electricity given the cost per kilowatt-hour.
Revision tools for all Science Subjects
The King John School VLE has a variety of resources available online:
The KJS VLE has “Bobbie’s posh words” for ISA revision.
The KJS VLE also has well over 30 past papers.
A/A* banks of questions on VLE.
Generating electricity
Core Physics Checklist
State some energy sources that are used to generate electricity (heat water).
Describe the processes that occur in different power stations.
Describe alternative methods of generating electricity.
Evaluate alternative methods of generating electricity.
Explain what a pumped storage system does.
Explain the advantages and disadvantages of small scale energy production.
State what the National grid is.
Label the different essential parts of the National Grid.
Explain the use of transformers.
Using Waves
Describe the difference between transverse and longitudinal waves, using sound and electromagnetic waves.
Define and calculate the speed, frequency or wavelength of a wave.
State the speed of an electromagnetic wave and describe what is meant by the electromagnetic spectrum.
State which electromagnetic waves are used for communication.
Describe the hazards associated with electromagnetic waves.
Describe what happens when a wave is reflected including law of reflection and images in a
plane mirror.
Explain how waves can be refracted.
Explain how waves can be diffracted.
Describe what is meant by frequency and how this relates to pitch.
Describe what an echo is.
Explain the Doppler effect and relate this to frequency and wavelength of waves.
Explain how the evidence from red-shift supports the Big Bang Theory.
Describe what Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR) is.
Useful Revision links
A list of other useful websites and links for pupils to uses as additional
support materials.
www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/zrkw2hv
http://www.my‐gcsescience.com/ ‐ A log in is required but can be
created for free. Core videos are free, additional videos require
subscription.
Search Youtube for My GCSE Science videos ‐ Revision videos with
comprehensive coverage of key topics.
Forces and their effects
Additional Physics Checklist
To understand that forces work in pairs
To know what resultant force is and how to calculate it
To describe how a change in resultant causes changes to motion
To draw and interpret distance-time graphs and velocity-time graphs
To know the difference between speed and velocity
To calculate the speed and acceleration of an object from the gradient of a graph
To calculate the acceleration of an object
To calculate the distance an object travels from a velocity-time graph
To explain reaction time
To explain the difference between thinking, braking & stopping distance
Recall the factors that affect a drivers ability to react & braking distance
To know which forces act on an object moving in fluid
To describe and explain how velocity changes as an object moves through a fluid
To understand how a parachute reduces terminal velocity
To explain the difference between weight and mass
To understand that when elastic objects are stretched they store elastic potential energy
To explain the relationship between force and extension in elastic objects and use the relevant equation
The Kinetic Energy of objects speeding up and slowing down
To calculate work done and power
To understand that a raised object is doing work and gains GPE
To calculate the change in GPE
To understand the transfer of KE when an object falls
To calculate kinetic energy
To calculate momentum and change in momentum
To know that momentum is conserved in a collision and explosion
Currents in electrical circuits
To know that opposite charges attract and like charges repel
To explain the role of electron movement in charging insulators
To know the uses and dangers of static electricity
To recall what current is and calculate it using the correct equation
To know the symbols for circuit components and draw circuit diagrams
To explain what potential difference is and calculate it
To know Ohms Law and to be able to calculate resistance
To explain what resistance is and how it can be measured
To know the difference between series and parallel circuits
To be able to recognise/interpret current-potential difference graphs for resistors, filament
bulbs and diodes
To describe the use of LED’s
To describe the uses of an LDR explain how the resistance of an LDR changes with light intensity
To know what a thermistor is and explain how the resistance changes with temperature
Additional Physics Checklist
Using Mains electricity safely and the power of electrical appliances
Know the difference between AC and DC current
Compare and calculate the frequency of potential difference of AC & DC from an oscilloscope trace
Know how we can use an oscilloscope to measure the frequency of an alternating current
To know the frequency of a mains supply
To know the structure of a 2 core and 3 core cable and how a plug should be wired
Recall the colour coding of the wires in a plug and explain the need for a fuse and earth wire
Explain that RCCB’s detect a difference in current between the live a neutral wires and compare them to fuses
Know how to choose the right fuse by calculation
Understand that heat is wasted in filament bulbs compared to CFL’s
Use the equations P=E/t and P=IV
Calculate charge flow
Know that potential difference, charge and energy transferred are related by the equation
E=VQ
Radioactive substances
Know the structure of an atom, its mass and charge
Know that the atom is mostly empty space
Explain that atoms have no overall charge
Explain how the results of Rutherford’s scattering let to a change in the accepted model of
the atom
Explain atomic number and mass number
Describe how an ion is formed
Know that radioactive decay is a random process
Know what causes background radiation
Recall the properties of alpha, beta and gamma radiation and explain why they are suitable
for their uses
Explain why alpha & beta particles are deflected in magnetic fields due to their relative
charge/mass
Know & balance nuclear equations to show alpha and beta decay
Recall the definition of half life
Understand the shape of a radioactive decay graph & calculate half-life from the graph
Choose a radioactive source for a particular job based on its half life
Nuclear Fission and Fusion
Describe nuclear fission and explain a chain reaction
Sketch & label a chain reaction diagram
Describe what happens in nuclear fusion
Explain the life cycle of a star
Know that elements up to iron are formed during the stable phase
Know that elements heavier than iron are formed during a Supernova
Explain why the early universe contained only hydrogen & now contains other elements
Evaluate the uses of nuclear fusion and fission in generating electricity.
GCSE Science Examination Command Words
Calculate
Candidates should use numbers given in the question to work out the answer. They should always show their
working, as it may be possible for the examiner to award some marks for the method even if the final answer is
wrong.
Candidates should always give the units – sometimes a mark may be awarded for the correct units, even if the
calculation is wrong.
Compare
This requires the candidate to describe the similarities and/or differences between things, not just write about one.
If candidates are asked to “compare x with y”, they need to write down something about x and something about y,
and should give a comparison.
Complete
Answers should be written in the space provided, e.g. on a diagram, in spaces in a sentence or in a table.
Describe
Candidates should recall some facts, events or process in an accurate way - for example an experiment they have
done. They may need to give an account of what something looked like, or what happened, e.g. a trend in some
data.
Evaluate
Candidates should use information supplied or their own knowledge and understanding to consider the evidence
for and against and draw conclusions.
This goes further than “compare”. For example, they may be given a passage to read and told to “Evaluate the
benefits of using system x and system y”.
This means they will need to write down some of the pros and cons for both systems, AND then state which one is
better and why. The candidate should complete their answer with a conclusion.
Explain
Candidates should make something clear, or state the reasons for something happening.
The points in the answer must be linked coherently and logically.
The answer should not be a simple list of reasons.
State, give, name, write down
Only a short answer is required, not an explanation or a description. Often it can be answered with a single word,
phrase or sentence.
If the question asks the candidate to state, give, or write down one (or two etc) examples, they should write down
only the specified number of answers, or they may lose marks for any wrong examples given.
Suggest
This term is used in questions where candidates need to apply their knowledge and understanding to a new situation. Often there may be more than one correct answer as candidates are expected to base their answers on scientific knowledge and/or principles.