Years 10 and 11 G.C.S.E. Chemistry Curriculum Plan

Overview

The course is part of the Science Suite produced by the AQA, who provide detailed specifications. The course is based on texts from Nelson Thornes that were produced in consultation with the AQA.

The course features many of the major theories of science in a way that encourages students to appreciate their importance to everyday life. It explores how scientific information is obtained, how reliable it is, what its limitations are, and how this information helps society to make important decisions. Students are prepared to deal with issues involving science that they may meet in their future lives.

It will extend students' knowledge and understanding of Chemistry, explore scientific concepts in depth and develop the students' understanding of 'How Science Works'.

The course will enable students to progress to Advanced Level Chemistry.

Assessment consists of two 30 minute objective tests, two 45 minute written papers containing structured questions, and a centre-assessed unit on practical and investigative skills (ISA), worth 25% of the qualification.

Materials used in lessons and for homework are available to staff and students on the school extranet

Where can I get more information?

S-Cool!
BBC Bitesize
www.aqa.org.uk

At the end of Year 9 students will take the first Chemistry module and in November of Year 10 they will take the second Chemistry module. Each module is assessed by a 30 minute objective test (tiered). These units are each worth 12.5% of the overall qualification. 

In Year 11 there will be:

• One 45 minute paper - UNIT 2 (tiered) containing structured questions worth 25% of the overall qualification in January.
• One 45 minute paper - UNIT 3 (tiered) containing structured questions worth 25% of the overall qualification in June.

C1a assessed in June of Year 9

How do rocks provide building materials?

The exploitation of rocks provides essential building materials.

Limestone is a naturally occurring resource that provides a starting point for the manufacture of cement, concrete and glass. Throughout Unit Chemistry 1, candidates should know that atoms are held together in molecules and lattices by chemical bonds, but no detailed knowledge of the types of chemical bonding is required. Candidates should be able to interpret chemical equations in symbol form and should be able to balance equations in terms of numbers of atoms.

How do rocks provide metals and how are metals used?

Metals are very useful in our everyday lives. Ores are naturally occurring rocks that provide an economic starting point for the manufacture of metals. Iron ore is used to make iron and steel. Copper can be easily extracted but copper rich ores are becoming scarce. Aluminium and titanium are useful metals but are expensive to produce.

How do we get fuels from crude oil?

Crude oil is an ancient biomass found in rocks from which many useful materials can be produced. Crude oil can be fractionally distilled. Some of the fractions can be used as fuels.

C1b assessed in November of Year 10

How are polymers and ethanol made from oil?

Fractions from the distillation of crude oil can be cracked to make smaller molecules including unsaturated hydrocarbons such as ethane. Unsaturated hydrocarbons can be used to make polymers and ethene can be used to make ethanol.

How can plant oils be used?

Many plants produce useful oils which can be converted into consumer products including processed foods. Vegetable oils can be hardened to make margarine. Biodiesel fuel can be produced from vegetable oils.

What are the changes in the Earth and its atmosphere?

The Earth and its atmosphere provide everything we need.

The Earth has a layered structure. Large-scale movements of the Earth's crust can cause changes in the rocks. The Earth's atmosphere was originally very different from what it is today. It has been much the same for the last 200 million years and provides the conditions needed for life on Earth. Recently human activities have produced further changes.

C2 assessed in January Year 11

How do sub-atomic particles help us to understand the structure of substances?

Simple particle theory is developed in this unit to include atomic structure and bonding. The arrangement of electrons in atoms can be used to explain what happens when elements react and how atoms join together to form different types of substances.

How do structures influence the properties and uses of substances?

Substances that have simple molecular, giant ionic and giant covalent structures have very different properties. Ionic, covalent and metallic bonds are strong. The forces between molecules are weaker, e.g. in carbon dioxide and iodine. Nanomaterials have new properties because of their very small size.

How much can we make and how much do we need to use?
The relative masses of atoms can be used to calculate how much to react and how much we can produce, because no atoms are gained or lost in chemical reactions. In industrial processes, atom economy is important for sustainable development.

How can we control the rates of chemical reactions?

Being able to speed up or slow down chemical reactions is important in everyday life and in industry. Changes in temperature, concentration of solutions, surface area of solids and the presence of catalysts all affect the rates of reactions.

Do chemical reactions always release energy?

Chemical reactions involve energy transfers. Many chemical reactions involve the release of energy. For other chemical reactions to occur, energy must be supplied. In industrial processes, energy requirements and emissions need to be considered both for economic reasons and for sustainable development.

How can we use ions in solutions?

Ionic compounds have many uses and can provide other substances. Electrolysis is used to produce alkalis and elements such as chlorine and hydrogen. Oxidation and reduction reactions do not just involve oxygen. Soluble salts can be made from acids and insoluble salts can be made from solutions of ions.

C3 assessed in June of Year 11

How was the periodic table developed and how can it help us understand the reactions of elements?

The periodic table was developed to classify elements before atomic structure was understood. It is a powerful aid to understanding the properties and reactions of the elements.

What are strong and weak acids and alkalis? How can we find the amounts of acids and alkalis in solutions?

Acids and alkalis vary in strength as well as concentration. Titrations can be used to find the amounts of acid or alkali in a solution.

What is in the water we drink?

The water we drink is not pure water because it contains dissolved substances. It should be safe to drink, which means it does not contain anything that could cause us harm. Some of the dissolved substances are beneficial to our health but some cause hard water.

How much energy is involved in chemical reactions?

Knowing the amount of energy involved in chemical reactions is useful so that resources are used efficiently and economically. It is possible to measure the amount of energy experimentally or to calculate it. Controlling the amount of energy intake in our diet is important in avoiding obesity.

How do we identify and analyse substances?

A range of chemical tests can be used for the detection and identification of elements and compounds. Instrumental methods that are quick, accurate and sensitive have been developed to identify and measure substances, often in very small samples.
These methods are used to monitor products, our health, the environment and in forensic science.

Some students will not follow the GCSE separate sciences route and instead will be awarded GCSEs in Core Science and Additional Science. These students will not be required to take the Unit 3 modules.