Lower Secondary Science — Year 2

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Unit 1: Atoms, Elements and Compounds
Unit overview By the end of this unit, students can describe the structure of the atom, use atomic and mass numbers, read the periodic table, write and interpret chemical formulae, tell elements, compounds and mixtures apart, and name binary compounds. The unit has five lessons of 10–15 minutes, home activities with virtual alternatives (bead atoms, an element hunt, clay molecule models, the iron and sulfur reaction and a label survey), and a 30-mark unit test. Standards covered: BECE Science (GES/NaCCA Common Core): B8.1.2.2.1 atoms as composed of sub-atomic particles; B8.1.2.2.2 arrangement of elements by the number of protons; B9.1.1.1.1 naming binary compounds and their uses; B9.1.1.1.2 formation of binary compounds; B9.1.1.2.1 chemical bonds as attraction between atoms (introduced) Cambridge Lower Secondary Science (Stages 8–9): Chemistry – Materials and their structure (8Cm, 9Cm): atoms, elements, compounds and mixtures, the periodic table, chemical symbols and formulae, structure of the atom UK Key Stage 3 (Years 8–9): Atoms, elements and compounds: a simple (Dalton) atomic model; differences between atoms, elements and compounds; chemical symbols and formulae; the periodic table (metals and non-metals, groups and periods); pure and impure substances US NGSS Middle School: MS-PS1-1 (models of the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures) Students will be able to: describe protons, neutrons and electrons and use atomic and mass numbers use symbols and the periodic table, and compare metals and non-metals interpret formulae and count atoms in molecules distinguish elements, compounds and mixtures, including iron and sulfur name binary compounds and write simple formulae, and describe their uses All questions are original and written for this course. British spelling is used, with “sulfur” in current international form. Safety notes appear wherever an activity needs one.

  • Lesson 1 · Atom: What Is Everything Made Of?
  • Lesson 1 Exit Quiz: Atoms
  • Lesson 2 · Elements and the Periodic Table: Why Is Gold Au?
  • Lesson 2 Exit Quiz: Elements and the Periodic Table
  • Lesson 3 · How Many Atoms in H₂O?
  • Lesson 3 Exit Quiz: Molecules and Formulae
  • Lesson 4 · Mixture or Compound?
  • Lesson 4 Exit Quiz: Mixtures and Compounds
  • Lesson 5 · Naming Compounds: What’s in a Name?
  • Lesson 5 Exit Quiz: Naming Compounds
  • Year 2 Unit 1 Test: Atoms, Elements and Compounds (Section A)

Unit 2: Breathing and Respiration
Unit overview Copy section Plain text By the end of this unit, students can explain respiration and how it differs from breathing, describe the breathing system and how we breathe, explain gas exchange and how the lungs and heart work together, describe anaerobic respiration in muscles and yeast, and explain how smoking and smoke damage the lungs. The unit has five lessons of 10–15 minutes, practicals with virtual alternatives (limewater and breath, a bottle lung model, heart rate and exercise, yeast balloons and smoking data), and a 30-mark unit test. Standards covered: BECE Science (GES/NaCCA Common Core): B9.3.1.1.2 the concept of respiration and how the respiratory and circulatory systems complement each other; B9.3.1.1.1 the circulatory system (introduced); B9.5.2.1.1 non-communicable diseases and their risk factors (smoking, asthma, indoor smoke) Cambridge Lower Secondary Science (Stages 8–9): Biology – Structure and function, Life processes (8Bp, 9Bp): the respiratory system, gas exchange, aerobic and anaerobic respiration, effects of smoking UK Key Stage 3 (Years 8–9): Gas exchange systems: structure and function, the mechanism of breathing (including models), the impact of exercise, asthma and smoking; Cellular respiration: aerobic and anaerobic respiration, word equations, fermentation US NGSS Middle School: MS-LS1-3 (interacting body systems), MS-LS1-7 (food is broken down through chemical reactions to release energy) Students will be able to: explain respiration, write its word equation and compare it with breathing describe the breathing system and explain breathing using volume and pressure explain gas exchange and how the breathing and circulatory systems work together describe anaerobic respiration in muscles and yeast and its uses explain the effects of smoking and smoke on the lungs and interpret risk data All questions are original and written for this course. British spelling is used (US: “hemoglobin”). Safety notes appear wherever an activity needs one.

Unit 3: Speed and Motion
Unit overview By the end of this unit, students can calculate speed, distance and time, read and draw distance-time graphs, find the average speed of journeys with stops, use resultant forces with Newton’s first and third laws, and explain stopping distances. The unit has five lessons of 10–15 minutes, practicals with virtual alternatives (walking speed, a journey graph, a trip plan, a balloon rocket and a ruler-drop reaction test), and a 30-mark unit test. All calculations are designed to be done without a calculator. Standards covered: BECE Science (GES/NaCCA Common Core): B7.4.4.1.1 Newton’s first law of motion; B7.4.4.1.2 applications of the first law (seat belts, inertia); B9.4.4.1.1 importance of Newton’s third law in life; speed, distance and time in motion Cambridge Lower Secondary Science (Stages 8–9): Physics – Forces and energy (8Pf, 9Pf): speed = distance ÷ time, distance-time graphs, balanced and unbalanced forces, resultant force UK Key Stage 3 (Years 8–9): Describing motion: speed and the quantitative relationship between average speed, distance and time; the representation of a journey on a distance-time graph; relative motion. Forces and motion: forces being needed to cause objects to stop or start moving, or to change their speed or direction US NGSS Middle School: MS-PS2-1 (Newton’s third law in collisions), MS-PS2-2 (the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces and its mass), MS-PS3-1 (graphical displays of motion data) Students will be able to: calculate speed, distance and time, and convert between m/s and km/h read, draw and interpret distance-time graphs calculate average speed for journeys with stops and use timetables find resultant forces and apply Newton’s first and third laws explain stopping distances and analyse repeat readings using the mean and range All questions are original and written for this course. British spelling is used. Distances and speeds are metric throughout.

Unit 4: Water, Weather and Climate
Unit overview By the end of this unit, students can describe the water cycle and its importance, tell weather from climate and use weather instruments and rainfall data, explain the factors that shape climate including wet and dry seasons, explain the greenhouse effect and climate change, and describe how drinking water is made safe. The unit has five lessons of 10–15 minutes, home activities with virtual alternatives (a water cycle bag, a bottle rain gauge, height and temperature data, the carbon dioxide record and a model water filter), and a 30-mark unit test. Standards covered: BECE Science (GES/NaCCA Common Core): B7.2.1.1.1 how the water cycle occurs as a repeated pattern; B7.2.1.1.2 importance of the water cycle; B8.5.4.1.1 climate change and its effect on the environment; B9.5.4.1.1 natural and human factors influencing climate change and the green economy; B9.5.2.1.1 communicable diseases linked to unsafe water (introduced) Cambridge Lower Secondary Science (Stages 8–9): Earth and Space – Cycles on Earth (8Ec, 9Ec): the water cycle, weather and climate, factors affecting climate, the carbon cycle and climate change UK Key Stage 3 (Years 8–9): Earth and atmosphere: the composition of the atmosphere; the production of carbon dioxide by human activity and the impact on climate; Earth as a source of limited resources and the efficacy of recycling; (geography links: weather and climate) US NGSS Middle School: MS-ESS2-4 (the cycling of water through Earth’s systems driven by the Sun and gravity), MS-ESS2-5 (air masses and weather), MS-ESS2-6 (patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates), MS-ESS3-5 (rise in global temperatures) Students will be able to: describe the stages of the water cycle and explain its importance distinguish weather from climate and use instruments and rainfall data explain how latitude, altitude, the sea and mountains shape climate, including wet and dry seasons explain the greenhouse effect, the causes and effects of climate change, and ways to respond describe how drinking water is treated and made safe at home All questions are original and written for this course. British spelling is used. Safety notes appear wherever an activity needs one.

Unit 5: Photosynthesis and Crops
Unit overview By the end of this unit, students can explain photosynthesis and the factors that affect it, describe how a leaf is adapted, test leaves for starch and interpret controlled experiments, explain how water and minerals move through a plant, and describe germination, seed beds, farming systems and the care of farm tools. The unit has five lessons of 10–15 minutes, practicals with virtual alternatives (pondweed and light, counting stomata, the leaf starch test, coloured celery and a germination investigation), and a 30-mark unit test. Standards covered: BECE Science (GES/NaCCA Common Core): B7.3.4.1.1–B7.3.4.1.3 farming systems (land rotation, crop rotation, mixed farming, mixed cropping) and their usefulness; B8.2.3.1.1–B8.2.3.1.2 seed beds and planting crops; B8.3.4.1.1 crop and animal combinations in farming systems; B7.4.5.1.1 handling and maintaining simple agricultural tools; B7.2.3.1.1 plant nutrient sources; B8.2.1.1.1 the carbon cycle (photosynthesis, introduced) Cambridge Lower Secondary Science (Stages 8–9): Biology – Life processes (8Bp, 9Bp): photosynthesis and its word equation, leaf structure, the importance of water and minerals, factors affecting photosynthesis, investigating with controls UK Key Stage 3 (Years 8–9): Photosynthesis: the reactants in, and products of, photosynthesis, and a word summary; the dependence of almost all life on Earth on photosynthesis; the adaptations of leaves; plants making carbohydrates and requiring nitrogen and other minerals US NGSS Middle School: MS-LS1-6 (the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy), MS-LS1-5 (environmental and genetic factors influence growth) Students will be able to: explain photosynthesis, its word equation and how light affects its rate describe the structure of a leaf and how it is adapted test leaves for starch and interpret experiments with controls explain water uptake, transport and transpiration, and the role of minerals describe germination, seed beds, farming systems and the care of farm tools All questions are original and written for this course. British spelling is used. Safety notes appear wherever an activity needs one.

Unit 6: 12 Chemical Reactions
Unit overview By the end of this unit, students can tell physical and chemical changes apart, write word equations and use conservation of mass, explain combustion and the fire triangle, investigate the conditions for rusting and how to prevent it, and classify reactions as exothermic or endothermic. The unit has five lessons of 10–15 minutes, practicals with virtual alternatives (kitchen changes, a reaction on a balance, candles in jars, the rusty nail investigation and hot or cold reactions), and a 30-mark unit test. Standards covered: BECE Science (GES/NaCCA Common Core): B9.1.1.1.2 formation of compounds in chemical reactions; B9.1.1.2.1 chemical bonds and rearranging atoms (introduced); B9.4.3.1.2 conversion and conservation of energy (exothermic and endothermic); fire safety and prevention of corrosion in the home and industry Cambridge Lower Secondary Science (Stages 8–9): Chemistry – Chemical reactions (8Cc, 9Cc): physical and chemical changes, word equations, conservation of mass, combustion, corrosion and rusting, exothermic and endothermic reactions UK Key Stage 3 (Years 8–9): Chemical reactions: chemical reactions as the rearrangement of atoms; word equations; combustion, thermal decomposition, oxidation; conservation of mass, changes of state and chemical reactions. Energetics: exothermic and endothermic chemical reactions (qualitative) US NGSS Middle School: MS-PS1-2 (properties before and after a reaction), MS-PS1-5 (conservation of atoms and mass), MS-PS1-6 (a device that releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes) Students will be able to: distinguish physical and chemical changes and recognise the signs of a reaction write word equations and use conservation of mass in calculations explain combustion, the fire triangle and fire safety investigate the conditions for rusting and describe ways to prevent it classify reactions as exothermic or endothermic from temperature changes All questions are original and written for this course. British spelling is used. Safety notes appear wherever an activity needs one; reactions with hazardous chemicals are for school only.

Unit 7: Density, Pressure and Levers
Unit overview By the end of this unit, students can calculate density and measure volumes by displacement, explain floating using weight and upthrust, calculate pressure on solids, explain pressure in liquids and the atmosphere, and use levers, moments and the principle of moments. The unit has five lessons of 10–15 minutes, home activities with virtual alternatives (density of a stone and fruit, measuring upthrust, footprint pressure, a leaky bottle and a balancing ruler), and a 30-mark unit test. All calculations use g = 10 N/kg and are designed for no calculator. Standards covered: BECE Science (GES/NaCCA Common Core): B7.4.4.2.1 identify simple machines; B7.4.4.2.2 types and functions of levers; B8.4.4.2.1 complex machines and their functions (introduced); density, floating and sinking, and pressure in solids, liquids and gases Cambridge Lower Secondary Science (Stages 8–9): Physics – Forces and energy (8Pf, 9Pf): density, floating and sinking, pressure on solids, pressure in liquids and gases, moments and the principle of moments UK Key Stage 3 (Years 8–9): Pressure in fluids: atmospheric pressure decreasing with height; pressure in liquids increasing with depth; upthrust and floating. Balanced forces: opposing forces and equilibrium. Forces: moment as the turning effect of a force; levers as force multipliers; weight = mass × gravitational field strength US NGSS Middle School: MS-PS1-2 (density as a property of substances), MS-PS2-2 (forces and motion), MS-ETS1 (designing simple machines and solutions) Students will be able to: calculate density and measure volume by displacement explain floating and sinking using weight and upthrust calculate pressure and explain how area changes pressure explain pressure in liquids and atmospheric pressure, with everyday examples identify simple machines and lever classes, and use moments to balance levers All questions are original and written for this course. British spelling is used. g = 10 N/kg throughout.

Unit 8: Light and Sound
Unit Overview By the end of this unit, students can explain how light travels and how we see, describe images in a pinhole camera and a plane mirror, use the law of reflection, explain refraction, dispersion and colour, describe sound as a longitudinal wave, calculate distances from echoes and thunder, and relate pitch and loudness to frequency and amplitude. The unit has five lessons of 10–15 minutes, home activities with virtual alternatives (a pinhole camera, testing the law of reflection, the appearing coin and colour filters, echo timing and thunder counting, and bottle music), and a 30-mark unit test. Standards covered: BECE Science (GES/NaCCA Common Core): B7.4.1.3.1 light travels in a straight line; B9.4.1.2.1 light changes path when it travels from one medium to another (refraction); B9.4.1.2.2 how images are formed in cameras (pinhole camera); B9.4.1.2.3 formation of shadows (revisited); sound as a form of energy Cambridge Lower Secondary Science (Stages 7–8): Physics – Light and sound (7Ps, 8Ps): light travelling in straight lines, reflection, refraction, dispersion and colour, sound waves, speed of sound, echoes, frequency, amplitude, pitch and loudness UK Key Stage 3 (Years 7–8): Light waves: the similarities and differences between light and sound waves; the transmission of light; the speed of light; reflection, the law of reflection; refraction; the pinhole camera; colours and filters. Sound waves: frequencies of sound waves, measured in hertz; echoes; sound needs a medium; auditory range of humans and animals US NGSS Middle School: MS-PS4-1 (a simple model for waves, including amplitude and frequency), MS-PS4-2 (waves are reflected, absorbed or transmitted through various materials) Students will be able to: explain how light travels and how we see, and describe a pinhole camera image use the law of reflection and describe plane mirror images explain refraction, dispersion, coloured objects and filters describe sound waves and calculate distances from echoes and thunder relate pitch to frequency and loudness to amplitude, and describe hearing range and ultrasound All questions are original and written for this course. British spelling is used. Safety notes appear wherever an activity needs one.

Unit 9: 12 Ecosystems
Unit overview By the end of this unit, students can describe ecosystems and adaptations, sample populations with quadrats, interpret food webs and associations, explain energy flow and pyramids, describe the carbon and nitrogen cycles, and explain human impacts on ecosystems and how to reduce them. The unit has five lessons of 10–15 minutes, practicals with virtual alternatives (a quadrat survey, food web predictions, an energy pyramid, finding root nodules and a river survey or litter audit), and a 30-mark unit test. Standards covered: BECE Science (GES/NaCCA Common Core): B8.3.3.1.1 feeding relationships within an ecosystem; B9.3.3.1.1 composition of an ecosystem and how components depend on each other; B7.5.5.1.1–B7.5.5.1.2 plants and animals of different landforms and their associations; B8.2.1.1.1–B8.2.1.1.2 the carbon cycle and its role; B9.2.1.1.1–B9.2.1.1.2 the nitrogen cycle and its importance; B8.5.1.1.1 sustainable waste management Cambridge Lower Secondary Science (Stages 8–9): Biology – Ecosystems (8Be, 9Be): food chains and webs, energy flow, interdependence, the carbon cycle, human impact on the environment, sampling with quadrats UK Key Stage 3 (Years 8–9): Relationships in an ecosystem: the interdependence of organisms, food webs, the importance of plant reproduction through insect pollination, how organisms affect and are affected by their environment, including the accumulation of toxic materials; the carbon cycle US NGSS Middle School: MS-LS2-1 (resource availability and populations), MS-LS2-2 (interactions among organisms), MS-LS2-3 (cycling of matter and flow of energy), MS-LS2-4 (changes to ecosystems affect populations), MS-LS2-5 (solutions for maintaining biodiversity) Students will be able to: describe ecosystems, adaptations and landforms, and estimate populations with quadrats interpret food chains and webs, and describe associations between organisms explain energy flow, pyramids and the 10% rule describe the carbon and nitrogen cycles and their importance to farming and the environment explain human impacts on ecosystems and ways to conserve them and manage waste sustainably All questions are original and written for this course. British spelling is used. Safety notes appear wherever an activity needs one.

Unit 10: Metals and Reactivity
Unit overview By the end of this unit, students can describe and explain the properties and uses of metals, place metals in a reactivity series from their reactions with water and acids, predict and explain displacement reactions, explain how metals are extracted and the impacts of mining, and explain why alloys are used and why metals should be recycled. The unit has five lessons of 10–15 minutes, practicals with virtual alternatives (metal or non-metal tests, metals in acid, a displacement grid, a can-sorting survey and an alloy hunt), and a 30-mark unit test. Standards covered: BECE Science (GES/NaCCA Common Core): B9.5.3.1.1 scientific principles and processes in local industries (metal extraction and recycling); B8.5.1.1.1 sustainable waste management (recycling metals); diversity of matter: metals and non-metals and their uses; environmental effects of mining Cambridge Lower Secondary Science (Stages 8–9): Chemistry – Properties of materials and chemical reactions (8Cp, 9Cc): properties of metals and non-metals, the reactivity series, displacement reactions, extraction of metals, alloys UK Key Stage 3 (Years 8–9): Materials: the order of metals and carbon in the reactivity series; the use of carbon in obtaining metals from metal oxides; properties of metals and non-metals; Earth as a source of limited resources and the efficacy of recycling; displacement reactions US NGSS Middle School: MS-PS1-2 (properties of substances before and after reactions), MS-PS1-3 (synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society), MS-ESS3-1 (uneven distribution of mineral resources) Students will be able to: describe the properties of metals and non-metals and link them to uses use reactions with water and acids to build the reactivity series predict and explain displacement reactions and interpret results grids explain how metals are extracted, and the impacts of mining and benefits of recycling explain why alloys are harder, describe common alloys and calculate gold purity in carats All questions are original and written for this course. British spelling is used (US: “aluminum”). Reactions with very reactive metals are teacher demonstrations only.

Unit 11: Heat Transfer
Unit overview By the end of this unit, students can distinguish heat from temperature, explain conduction, convection and radiation with everyday examples, compare conductors and insulators and different surfaces, and explain insulation, vacuum flasks and evaporative cooling using cooling curves. The unit has five lessons of 10–15 minutes, home activities with virtual alternatives (mixing hot and cold water, racing spoons, coloured convection currents, black and white bottles in the sun, and insulated cups), and a 30-mark unit test. Standards covered: BECE Science (GES/NaCCA Common Core): B7.4.2.1.1 how heat is transferred in various media (conduction, convection, radiation); B8.4.1.3.1 differences and relationship between heat and temperature in the environment; energy conservation in the home Cambridge Lower Secondary Science (Stages 8–9): Physics – Energy (8Pe, 9Pe): heat and temperature, conduction, convection, radiation, evaporation, insulation and reducing energy transfer UK Key Stage 3 (Years 8–9): Energy changes and transfers: heating and thermal equilibrium; temperature difference between two objects leading to energy transfer from the hotter to the cooler one, through contact (conduction) or radiation; such transfers tending to reduce the temperature difference; use of insulators US NGSS Middle School: MS-PS3-3 (design a device that minimises or maximises thermal energy transfer), MS-PS3-4 (relationships among energy transferred, type of matter, mass and temperature change) Students will be able to: distinguish heat and temperature and describe the direction of heat flow explain conduction and compare conductors and insulators explain convection currents, including sea and land breezes explain radiation and compare absorbers, emitters and reflectors explain insulation, vacuum flasks and evaporative cooling, and interpret cooling curves All questions are original and written for this course. British spelling is used. Hot-water activities use hot tap water only, never boiling water.

Unit 12: Reproduction
Unit overview Copy section Plain text By the end of this unit, students can describe the parts of a flower and pollination, explain fertilisation, seed formation and dispersal, describe asexual reproduction in plants and compare it with sexual reproduction, describe the changes of puberty, and explain human fertilisation and pregnancy. The unit has five lessons of 10–15 minutes, practicals with virtual alternatives (a flower dissection, spinning seed models, growing plants without seeds, growth data and a pregnancy growth graph), and a 30-mark unit test. Lessons 4 and 5 are written in a factual, age-appropriate way; teachers may wish to inform families in advance in line with school policy. Standards covered: BECE Science (GES/NaCCA Common Core): Cycles: life cycles and reproduction in plants and animals; B9.2.3.1.1 maturity of crops grown from different planting materials (introduced); growth and development in humans, including puberty and personal hygiene Cambridge Lower Secondary Science (Stages 8–9): Biology – Structure and function, Life processes (8Bs, 9Bp): flower structure, pollination, fertilisation, seed dispersal, human reproductive systems, puberty, the menstrual cycle, fertilisation and development of the fetus UK Key Stage 3 (Years 8–9): Reproduction: reproduction in humans, including the structure and function of the reproductive systems, the menstrual cycle, gametes, fertilisation, gestation and birth, and the effect of maternal lifestyle on the fetus through the placenta; reproduction in plants, including flower structure, wind and insect pollination, fertilisation, seed and fruit formation and dispersal US NGSS Middle School: MS-LS1-4 (animal behaviours and specialised plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction), MS-LS3-2 (asexual reproduction results in identical offspring; sexual reproduction results in variation) Students will be able to: identify the parts of a flower and compare insect and wind pollination explain fertilisation in plants, seed and fruit formation, and seed dispersal describe asexual reproduction in plants and compare it with sexual reproduction describe the changes of puberty and the role of hormones explain human fertilisation, the role of the placenta, and how to support a healthy pregnancy All questions are original and written for this course. British spelling is used (US: “estrogen”, “fertilization”). Content on puberty and human reproduction is factual and age-appropriate.