Sciences

The Science department runs its own science based website, which contains a homework section.

Durham Community Business College

The Science Department at Durham Community Business College prides itself in the quality and range of the curriculum that we offer:

KS3 SCIENCE

Yr7: Students engage in Science through our newly developed themed curriculum starting 2008/9. During the autumn term we take the students on an imaginary ‘Mission to Mars’ where we learn all about the biological factors it would take to sustain life on another planet. During the spring term we look at building a ‘Theme Park’ and the laws of physics that would underpin such a development. During the summer term we look at ‘Keeping our Planet Alive’ and the environmental chemistry involved. GlassWare

ACCELERATED SCHEME OVER TWO YEARS


Yr 8: 1st year. The Basics During the autumn term students study Biology looking at Cells, Human Health & Reproduction, and the Environment. During the spring term students learn about Chemistry focusing on Particles, Metals and Energy. Then during the summer term students study Physics learning about Light & Sound, Electricity, Forces and The Earth & Beyond. Yr 9: 2nd year. Expanding the Learning During the autumn term students study Biology looking at Cells, Giant rabbitHuman Health & Reproduction, and the Environment, and Chemistry looking at Particles and Metals. During the spring term students learn about Chemistry focusing on Earth & Rocks and Energy, they also study Physics learning about Light & Sound, Electricity & Magnetism, Forces and The Earth & Beyond. Then during the summer term all of our Yr9 students are introduced to their KS4 course with some taking their first GCSE Exam in the June of that year.

KS4 SCIENCE

At Key Stage 4 we provide a very realistic opportunity for all of our students to attain two GCSE A*-C grades. Our most talented and ambitious young scientists will sit the new Twenty First Century Biology, Chemistry and Physics GCSEs which will allow them to pursue their scientific interest and ambitions at the highest level. During their course they will have the opportunity to meet professional scientists and visit their work places, visit further and higher education establishments, and listen to world class scientific speakers. We also offer double award GCSEs in the more traditional Sciences and Applied Science. Students are selected for these courses based on their prior attainment and their future career ambitions. Finally we offer the BTEC First Certificate in Applied Science which is a non-examined portfolio based course that gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their Science knowledge from a more practical approach. Goat We are confident that we are providing all of our students with the opportunity to work within the growing multi-million pound biotechnology and chemical industries in the North East.

During the past year our students have had the opportunity to experience a range of extracurricular activities. In collaboration with the Art Department several of our students took part in the national Scopic competition in which they created works of art inspired by micro- and macroscopic scientific images. A group of our students visited the Royal Albert Hall to view a display of their work and meet scientists such as Professor Robert Winston, Sir Patrick Moore and Baroness Susan Greenfield. Closer to home students have participated in the “Chemistry at Work” day at Durham University, competed in the Royal Society for Chemistry’s “Top of the Bench” competition, and visited South Lake Animal Park and Castle Eden Dene Nature Reserve. There is an active Wildlife Club within the Department and our Year 7 and BTEC students are working on an environmental Scientists at work!project that will allow them to earn a John Muir Award. Eight of our KS4 students are lucky enough to participate in the William Harvey Project which has been established in Durham to allow interested students unrivalled access to the NHS so that they can explore possible science based career opportunities.

Fyndoune Community College

The science Curriculum Area at Fyndoune Community College aims:

KEY STAGE 3

All students in Year 7 follow the Learn to Learn package currently being developed. All students in Year 8 sit twelve end of unit tests, taken from the Heinemann Science Scheme, over the course of each Year. All students sit the same tests and receive a national curriculum level based upon their score. Provision is made for students with special educational needs.

Students in Year 8 also sit an examination during the Year; this is also used to provide a national curriculum level for each student. Year 9 students KEY STAGE 4 All GCSE students study OCR ‘Science for the 21st century’. Students will study a combination of the following options over the course of key stage 4:

All students will study the GCSE option; they have a choice of to either take the Applied option or the Additional option. This will very much depend upon their future needs as regards science

All students will take end of module tests, along with periodic external examinations. Periodic examinations will be available twice Yearly.

The science department offers a range of activities with the aims of:

Activities that the department offers are:

OCR GCSE Science A (“21st century science”) and BTEC Applied Science Land based studies (BTEC)

GCSE MODULES:

B1 You and your Genes

Genetic technologies have opened up new possibilities for both individuals and society. In doing so they present significant ethical issues. This module aims to help students acquire an understanding of the fundamental story of inheritance, to enable them to engage with these issues, all of which regularly feature in the media.

Students learn about genes as units of inheritance, their arrangement on chromosomes, and inheritance as pairs of alleles through sexual reproduction, and the role of dominant and recessive alleles. They will also learn about the effect of genes on the development of an organism, the structure of DNA, asexual reproduction of simple organisms and cell specialisation.

Students develop an understanding of certain frameworks, which people use to make decisions about ethics in the context of issues arising from our understanding of genetics, such as genetic testing, genetic modification, gene therapy and cloning. This module covers several issues, such as genetic disease, which could be very sensitive for students.

C1 Air Quality

The quality of air is becoming a major concern around the world. In this module environmental and health consequences of certain air pollutants are investigated and options given of ways in which air quality could be improved in the future. The main emphasis here is on the health issues arising from burning fuels and not on global issues such as climate change, which are covered in C5.

Students learn about the chemical relationship between the burning of fossil fuels and the various pollutants that are found in the air. This module deals with molecular elements and compounds to illustrate chemical explanations which is the approach adopted throughout the core modules.

Through the analysis of their own and given data on concentrations of pollutants, students explore the way in which scientists use data and also learn that data have certain limitations.

P1 The Earth in the Universe

In this module students look at long and short term changes in the Earth’s crust, the Sun and the Universe. They consider how these changes impact on their everyday lives. A theme running through the module is natural disasters: earthquakes, volcanoes and asteroid impact - explaining them, predicting them and coping with or averting them.

As examples of the way scientists communicate and develop new theory, students learn about the theories of continental drift, plate tectonics and the extinction of the dinosaurs. These case studies also illustrate the relationships between data and explanations.

Scientific discoveries in the Solar System and beyond continue to inspire popular culture and affect our understanding of our place in the Universe. Students learn about the life history of stars and its implications for the Sun and Earth. They also explore the scale of the Universe and its past, present and future.

B2 Keeping Healthy

To keep healthy we must avoid infections by practising good hygiene, use vaccinations to prevent certain diseases and maintain an appropriate lifestyle. In this module, the prevention of infectious diseases and heart disease are used as illustrations. Students learn about how vaccinations work and the causes of heart disease.

Through debate on the relative risks of vaccination or non-vaccination and the study of the design of clinical trials, students consider issues associated with correlation and cause and are introduced to some of the ethical issues arising in modern medicine.

C2 Material Choices

Our way of life depends on a wide range of materials that have been made from natural resources. Polymers are chosen as the materials to study as they are molecular and so this fits in with the approach to chemistry in this specification.

Students learn how measurements of the properties of materials can inform the choice about which material to select for a particular purpose. They make their own measurements and explore some of the issues, which arise when trying to establish accurate and meaningful data. They approach this from the point of view of a consumer faced with a choice of products designed for the same purpose but made of different materials.

As an example of a scientific theory which the power to make sense of a range of observations, students learn how the particles (e.g. molecules) that make up a material fit together and how strongly they hang on to each other provide an explanation of the properties of materials.

Through conducting a life cycle assessment, students learn that in selecting a product for a particular job we should assess not only its ‘fitness for purpose’ but also the total effects of using the materials that make up the product over its complete life cycle, from its production from raw materials to its disposal.

P2 Radiation and life

The possible health risks of radiation both in nature and from technological devices are becoming of increasing concern. In some cases, misunderstanding the term ‘radiation’ generates unnecessary alarm.

By considering the need to protect the skin from sunlight, students are introduced to a general model of radiation travelling from the source to a receiver. They learn about the electromagnetic spectrum and the harmful effects of some radiation. Through an investigation of evidence, concerning the possibly harmful effects of low intensity microwave radiation from devices such as mobile phones, students learn about risk by evaluating reported studies and interpreting levels of risk.

The greenhouse effect and photosynthesis illustrate how radiation from the Sun is vital to life, whilst the ozone layer is shown to be a natural protection from harmful radiation. Finally evidence of global warming and its relationship to the carbon cycle are investigated. Possible consequences and preventative actions are explored.

B3 Life on Earth

This module is about theories for the origins of life on Earth, the need to sustain biodiversity, factors that threaten this diversity, and about the possibilities of there being life elsewhere in the Universe.

Students learn about the theory of evolution by natural selection, about the interdependence of living things and why species become extinct. They learn about the huge scale of the Universe; how the development of people's knowledge, and what they can achieve, has enabled us to search for evidence of intelligent life elsewhere in the Universe.

Through the story of the Darwinian theory of evolution, students learn about how theories arise and become accepted, and about the role of the scientific community in this process.

C3 Food Matters

Students are encouraged to see food production, digestion and respiration as chemical processes so that they are able to consider the essential and the unwanted chemicals that make up food and to appreciate the scientific basis of the debate between intensive and organic food production, and between selective breeding and genetic modification of plants.

Students learn about what happens to the chemicals in the food we eat. They learn about how food production is increased, the nitrogen cycle, how unwanted chemicals get into our food and about selective breeding and genetic modification as ways of improving crops and foods.

The factors that influence decisions about science and technology are considered in the context of food additives, organic farming and GM crops.

P3 Radioactive Materials

Radioactive materials have many practical uses but also associated risks.

Through the use of radioactive materials in the health sector, students learn about the nature of radioactivity, its harmful effect on living cells and how it can be handled safely. In the context of health risks associated with irradiation and/or contamination by radioactive material, they learn also about the interpretation of data on risk.

The central issue in this module is whether the UK should build new nuclear power stations. This case study illustrates how decisions are made about the application of science and technology, weighing up benefits against costs. The factors to consider include both technical feasibility and likely social and environment impact, now and in the future.

BTEC APPLIED SCIENCE

Students in Years 10 + 11 will study towards gaining BTEC First Certificate in Applied Science (equivalent to 2 GCSE grades (C-A)

Units studied will include:

Unit 3 Chemistry Applications

On completion of this unit a learner should:
  1. Know how atomic structure relates to the properties of the elements and compounds
  2. Understand the factors involved in chemical reactions
  3. Know the importance of organic chemistry
  4. Understand the importance of the factors involved in the earth and its environment.

Unit 4 Physical Science Applications

On completion of this unit a learner should:
  1. Understand the importance of energy and energy transfer
  2. Understand applications of waves and radiation
  3. Understand applications of electricity
  4. Understand methods used in astronomy to explore the universe, its galaxies, planets and stars

Unit 5 Biological Systems

On completion of this unit a learner should:
  1. Understand the diversity of living organisms and how they are classified
  2. Be able to investigate how living things interact with each other and their environments
  3. Understand that genes are responsible for inheritance, and variations within species, leading to evolutionary change
  4. Understand the factors that may affect human health and the ways human health is controlled

Level 2 BTEC First Certificate in Animal Care

Students will study three of the following units:

Unit 3 Animal Accommodation, Handling and Care

To achieve this unit students must
  1. Be able to prepare and maintain animal accommodation
  2. Be able to handle, restrain, exercise and transport animals
  3. Understand the nutritional requirements of animals
  4. Know how to monitor the behaviour, health and welfare of animals

Unit 4 Introduction to Animal and Plant Biology

To achieve this unit students must
  1. Know the classification of organisms and the structure of the cell
  2. Understand the requirements for nutrition and growth of animals and/or plants
  3. Know the main systems and structures in animals and/or plants
  4. Understand the processes of reproduction and heredity in animals and/or plants.

Unit 7 Animal Health, Welfare and Behaviour

To achieve this unit students must
  1. Understand the link between animal welfare and responsible pet ownership
  2. Know the signs of normal and abnormal behaviour in animals
  3. Know the physical signs of normal and ill health in animals
  4. Know the basic first aid procedures for common animal injuries.

Unit 14 Introduction to Horse Care

To achieve this unit students must
  1. Be able to undertake routine stable management duties safely
  2. Know signs of health in horses
  3. Be able to identify, select, use and maintain horse clothing and saddlery
  4. Understand the basic principles of feeding horses

Level 2 BTEC First Certificate in Horticulture

Students will study the three following units:

Unit 3 Amenity and Decorative Horticulture

To achieve this unit students must:
  1. Know how to identify and use ornamental plants
  2. Be able to prepare ground and plant ornamental plants
  3. Be able to prune, weed and mulch ornamental plants
  4. Be able to propagate ornamental plants.

Unit 4: Introduction to Animal and Plant Biology

To achieve this unit students must
  1. Know the classification of organisms and the structure of the cell
  2. Understand the requirements for nutrition and growth of animals and/or plants
  3. Know the main systems and structures in animals and/or plants
  4. Understand the processes of reproduction and heredity in animals and/or plants.

Unit 10 Protected Horticultural Crop Production

To achieve this unit students must
  1. Be able to carry out ground and growing media preparation for crops grown under protection
  2. Be able to establish specified protected crops in an appropriate environment
  3. Know how to maintain the growth and development of specified protected crops
  4. Be able to harvest and prepare specified protected crops.