Year 8 Chemistry Curriculum Plan
To view a recent project on "Rates of Reaction" completed by year 8 students please click on the links below
Presentation by Year 8 pupils (1)
Overview of Course
During Year 8, students follow the EXPLORING SCIENCE SCHEME (Topics C5 to C8 inclusive):
• C5 Reactions
• C6 Elements
• C7 Burning
• C8 Rocks
The Curriculum Plan is linked to the 'Exploring Science 2' textbook (pages 54 to 103 inclusive) - this is provided for all students. Here are details of the contents of the Exploring Science scheme.
All worksheets used in lessons and for homework, can be accessed through the school extranet.
Students are assessed through a formal test at the end of each topic.
How Science Works
Students apply their knowledge of the ‘How Science Works' aspect of the curriculum to all experiments. There is however an additional topic included in the Year 8 course which specifically addresses the content of the ‘How Science Works' concepts. This unit ‘Rate of Reaction' is a unit which allows students to develop their practical skills and to improve their understanding and application of key terms; reliability, variables, fair test, accurate, precise, anomalous results etc.
UNIT C5 REACTIONS
Chemical reactions are introduced through an extensive practical programme in which students observe a range of reactions and are able, at the end of this work, to decide whether or not a chemical reaction has taken place. Chemical reactions occur in every aspect of daily life and students are encouraged to think of Chemistry beyond the laboratory - making omelettes, watching fireworks, taking photographs and burning coal.
GETTING A REACTION
Key ideas:
• A reversible reaction is also called a physical change.
• An irreversible reaction or a chemical change is one in which new products are formed.
• There are different types of chemical reaction.
Students are introduced to these ideas though a range of demonstrations from the laboratory and everyday life and through a series of test tube experiments.
ALL CHANGE
Key ideas:
• A precipitation reaction is one in which an insoluble product is produced.
• A displacement reaction occurs when a more reactive metal reacts with a solution containing a compound of a less reactive metal.
• Word equations can be used to represent chemical reactions.
Students observe these two types of reaction during a series of test tube experiments, record observations and write equations for the reactions that take place.
SPLIT ENDS
Key ideas:
• Heating provides the energy to bring about a chemical change.
• Burning is a reaction involving heat.
• Thermal decomposition is a reaction where heat is used to split up a chemical.
• Light can provide the energy for some chemical changes.
Students perform a range of experiments and are also introduced to the tests for common gases. They make observations and use these to decide if a chemical change has taken place.
SPLITTING UP
Key ideas:
• Electricity can be used to split up chemicals. This is called electrolysis.
• An electrolyte is a substance that can be split up due to the passage of electricity.
Students observe an electrolysis reaction to split up water and to test for the gases produced. They are introduced to the idea that water is made of two elements that are chemically combined - a compound.
Students perform a range of electrolysis experiments and attempt to identify the products.
Links:
COMPOUND INTEREST
Key ideas:
• What is the difference between compounds and elements?
• Mendeleev's Periodic Table of the elements is put into a historical context.
Students use a range of resources to enable them to understand the difference between elements and compounds. They conduct some research into the discovery of certain elements in order to produce a word-processed fact sheet. Students use the library resources and the Internet to conduct this research. They use a spreadsheet to calculate the mass of a number of elements in their own body.
Link:
• Elements, compounds and mixtures
REVISION
Revision will be through:
• Card matching exercise.
• Revision practical: 'Is there a reaction?'
• Summary sheets.
• Keyword sheets.
• Exploring Science textbook 'You should know ...' boxes pages 54 to 65 inclusive.
END of TOPIC ASSESSMENT consists of:
• Section A: 20 multiple choice questions.
• Section B: Longer answers
UNIT C6 ELEMENTS
Key ideas:
• Elements contain only one type of atom.
• Elements have symbols and can be found in the Periodic Table C.
Students will link the work from the previous section and observe the appearance of a range of different elements.
METALS AND NON-METALS
Key ideas:
• Elements in the Periodic Table can be divided into metals and non-metals according to their properties.
• Extension work on semi-metals may be introduced.
Students will investigate the physical properties of some metals. Practical applications will be addressed - using metals for particular jobs and their fitness for purpose.
Links:
METALS AND NON-METAL OXIDES
Key ideas:
• When elements burn in oxygen - oxides are formed.
• Metals form basic oxides and non-metals form acidic oxides.
Students will observe and burn a range of elements and test the pH of metal and non-metal oxide 'solutions'. This work links to the Year 7 section 'Solutions and Indicators'.
SYNTHESIS
Key ideas:
• Synthesis is the process by which compounds can be made from combining elements.
• Naming compounds will be introduced, word equations and application of particle theory to the formation of compounds.
• Compounds are substances that have fixed amounts of elements and cannot be easily separated.
Students will investigate the reaction between iron filings and sulphur as an example of a synthesis reaction.
They will perform a card exercise to use particle models to distinguish elements, mixtures and compounds.
A FURTHER LOOK AT CHEMICAL REACTIONS
This combines the work from 'Reactions' and 'Elements' in an Sc1 investigation; what happens when magnesium burns in air to make the compound magnesium oxide? Extension work on what happens when copper burns in air is also provided.
Practical: 'Burning Mg in air'.
Worksheet: 'Burning Mg in air'.
Demo: Burning copper in air by passing 100cm3 of air over heated copper.
Worksheet: 'A closer look at chemical reactions'.
REVISION
• Worksheets: factual summary.
• 'Questions on mixtures'.
• Intranet: Key points about elements.
• Card using models of elements, mixtures and compounds.
• Exploring Science textbook 'You should know ...' boxes pages 66 to 79 inclusive.
END of TOPIC ASSESSMENT consists of:
• Section A: 20 multiple choice questions.
• Section B: Longer answers
SUPPLEMENTARY UNIT RATE OF REACTION
Chemical reactions take place at different speeds and the speed of a reaction can be monitored in a number of ways. Through an extensive practical programme, student investigate ways in which the speed of a reaction can be measured and use the ideas in ‘How Science Works' to analyse results, assess data and make conclusions.
Key ideas:
• Particles must collide with sufficient energy in order to react
• The speed of a reaction can be measured in a number of ways
• Temperature, concentration and surface area affect the speed of a reaction
• Catalysts speed up specific reactions and have a wide range of uses in industry
• Enzymes are biological catalysts which speed up specific reaction.
UNIT C7 BURNING
Links:
• How fireworks are made and work.
• Science of explosives.
ON FIRE
Key ideas:
• Burning requires a fuel, heat and oxygen.
• Fuels are energy stores.
• The history of Burning.
Student will observe and record the physical and chemical changes that occur when a candle burns. They will test for the gases produced - carbon dioxide and water vapour, in this reaction.
Students will use comprehension materials to study the development of scientific ideas about burning.
PUTTING OUT A FIRE
Key ideas:
• To stop a substance burning you must remove the fuel, the oxygen or the heat from the reaction.
• Safety aspects of fire fighting are considered.
Students make a fire extinguisher in the laboratory and consider the best ways of putting out various types of fires.
BURNING FUELS AS A CHEMICAL REACTION
Key ideas:
• Chemical reactions take place during burning that can be represented using particle models and word equations.
• There are two types of combustion - complete and incomplete combustion.
Students investigate a variety of fuels to ascertain 'What makes a good fuel?'
They use models to illustrate what happens to chemical bonds during the combustion process.
BURNING ELEMENTS IN AIR
Key ideas:
• Matter cannot be created nor destroyed. Mass is conserved when a substance burns in air.
Students investigate the changes in mass that occur when copper and magnesium metal are heated in air.
MORE ABOUT BURNING
Key ideas:
• Burning is an example of oxidation. It is useful in producing energy from fuel but can be less useful in other circumstances e.g. rusting of iron and spoiling of food.
• The products of combustion can cause environmental issues.
Students set up a series of experiments to investigate rusting. They conduct someresearch into the causes and effects of greenhouse gases and acid rain.
Links:
• The greenhouse effect.
• Rotten food.
• Corrosion control.
REVISION
Revision will be through:
• Burning acrostic.
• Word Search.
• Key words sheet.
• Exploring Science textbook 'You should know ...' boxes pages 80 to 91 inclusive.
END of TOPIC ASSESSMENT consists of:
• Section A: 20 multiple choice questions.
• Section B: Longer answers
UNIT C8 ROCKS
Link:
OUT IN ALL WEATHERS
Key ideas:
• Rocks are mixtures of minerals.
• Rocks can be changed and are changing by physical weathering chemical changes.
Students observe a number of different rocks and minerals and classify the samples using a key. They are introduced to the Mohs' scale of hardness.
PROPERTIES OF ROCKS and USING ROCKS
Key ideas:
• The properties of a rock determine its usefulness.
Students decide, through a series of observations and chemical and physical tests, which is the best rock sample to use to make a statue.
HOW ARE SEDIMENTARY ROCKS FORMED?
Key ideas:
• Sedimentary rocks were formed millions of years ago when layers of sediment were put under high pressures.
• Sedimentary rocks have certain characteristics associated with the way in which they were formed.
Students attempt to copy the conditions under which sedimentary rocks form using grains of rock and water shaken in a lemonade bottle! Students observe and test the properties of common sedimentary rocks. They look for layers and grains within the rocks and fossils.
HOW ARE IGNEOUS ROCKS FORMED?
Key ideas:
• Igneous rocks are formed when molten rock cools.
• The rate of cooling of the rock determines the size of the crystals in the igneous rock.
Students experiment with 'salol' to investigate the effect of cooling on crystal size.
HOW ARE METAMORPHIC ROCKS FORMED?
Key ideas:
• Metamorphic rocks are rocks that have been changed by immense heat and pressure.
Students observe a number of metamorphic rocks and test the physical properties of these rocks.
THE ROCK CYCLE
Key ideas:
• Rocks can change form between sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic depending upon the conditions. This link is called the Rock Cycle.
TECTONICS
Key ideas:
• The Earth's crust is broken up into large tectonic plates which are slowly moving.
Students research some aspect of tectonic plate movement. This work is closely linked to the Geography curriculum where the human aspects of this work are also studied in detail.
SOIL
Key ideas:
• Soil is a mixture of minerals and biological material that provides an ecological environment.
Students investigate the properties of different types of soil and relate this analysis to the work met in Year 7 on 'Acids, alkalis and indicators'.
REVISION
Revision will be through:
• Worksheets: factual summary.
• Revision practical using a key to identify different rock types.
• Intranet: Key points about elements.
• Exploring Science textbook 'You should know ...' boxes pages 92 to 103 inclusive.
END of TOPIC ASSESSMENT consists of:
• Section A: 20 multiple choice questions.
• Section B: Longer answers
