Basic Life processes

MRS GREN - students should appreciate that the following basic life process are found in all living beings.

Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion

Nutrition

Microbes

Students should be aware of the concept of microbes. Microbes can be visualised using microscopes. 

Bacteria

»         What are bacteria

»         Purposes of good bacteria - digestions and help immune system

»         Bad bacteria cause diseases such as diarrhoea and vomiting

»         Other uses of bacteria - yoghurt making.

»         Method and rationale of food hygiene - Boiling water and heating food before eating.

»         Practical - Yoghurt making

 Viruses

»         What are viruses

»         What do they do - cause diseases 

 Protozoa 

»         Unicellular organisms

Plants

Plants

»         Basic plant anatomy - roots, stem/trunk, branches, leaves, buds

»         Basics of photosynthesis

»         Introduction to the function of flowers - Formation of seeds, fruit and reproduction.

»         Understand that plant growth can be increased using fertilizers. Know the disadvantages of using fertilizers.

»         Pollination - what is pollination? Why is it important? Examples of pollination by vectors such as animals and insects

»         Awareness of good and bad farming practices

»       Practical: grow and manage a small garden as a group

Animals

»         Classifications - Vertebrates and invertebrates. Warm and cold blooded. Fish, Mammals, Birds, Insects, etc

»         Food chains and effects of poisons and pesticides on food chains

»         Herbivores,  carnivores and omnivores

»         Awareness of animal habitats

Reproduction

»         Appreciate that reproduction is essential for organisms to survive. Reproduction requires a male and female in most cases.

»         Mammals reproduce to give live birth, whereas birds and reptiles lay eggs.

Common Diseases

»         Know basic aetiology and methods of primary prevention of the following diseases.

»         TB, AIDS, parasitic worms, cholera, malaria, hepatitis

Healthy Living

»         Exercise - Know that regular exercise is essential for healthy living and that sedentary life predisposes to various diseases.

»         Eating - Appreciate that eating good food is just as important to live a healthy life. Eat more fruits, vegetables, fibres and complex carbs. Reduce intake of high sugar, high fat and high salt diet even if they seem more tasty lead to obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

»         Know the ill effects of drugs, solvent abuse and smoking

Practical - organise and run a class healthy tuck shop

Human Body

»         Basic knowledge of function and location of the following body systems:

»         respiratory system, cardiovascular, skeletal,  and renal

»         Practical - students should observe a teacher perform an animal dissection of a frog or a rodent.

»         Practical - all students should be taught how to perform Basic Life Support

Conservation

»         Students should be aware of importance of conserving the ecosystem 

»         Know the importance of tree plantation and adverse effects of logging

»         Methods of animal conservation

»         Threats to wildlife and endangered species - poaching, over hunting and fishing, destruction of habitat

»         Global warming and ways to reduce our carbon footprint.

Careers

»         Appreciate jobs and careers that involve biology or use skills obtained from this subject

Electricity

• Basic circuits - concept of a complete circuit, their uses,  bulb, battery, switch, wire
• Basic understanding of Current, Voltage and Power
• Practical: construct a complete circuit to light a bulb.
• Static electricity - generated by rubbing two surfaces together.
• Practical (where possible) - Vander Graff generator.

Magnetism

• Magnetic metals
• Use of magnets in compasses
• Poles of a magnet - attraction and repulsion
• Basics of electromagnets

Forces and Motion

• Understand the concept of Forces which is measured in Newtons.
• Forces can be balanced or imbalanced. Able to work out basic force questions using equations.
• Gravity
• Know the difference between mass and weight
• Understand and calculate the speed of a mass.

Energy

 Energy

• Understand that energy cannot be created nor destroyed but transferred from one form to another.
• Energy forms - Electrical, Light, Sound, Kinetic, Thermal, Gravitational potential energy, Elastic and Chemical

 Sources of energy

• Fossil fuels - coal, oil and natural gas, biomass, wind power, water power and solar power
• Students should know the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy and have a basic understanding of its advantages and disadvantages.

Astronomy

• Solar system - Appreciate the constituents of the solar system
• Stars, galaxies and the universe - what are they, how are they seen
• The seasons - occur due to the earth's tilted axis. The earth has two hemispheres, when one has summer, the other has winter.
• The moon - Appreciate that the moon is the satellite of the earth. Basic understanding of the lunar cycle and its uses in certain cultures in mapping a calendar.  Awareness of lunar and solar eclipses   
• Practical: Draw the moon every night for 1 week

Light

• Have an understanding of what is light and it properties such as: light travels in straight lines and it cannot travel through opaque object
• Sources of light - sun, stars and lamps
• Also should be aware that some objects appear to give out light but they are actually reflecting light. For example: the moon
• Speed of light - very fast  

Sound

• Sound is a wave that is produced when objects vibrate
• Sources of sound
• Hearing is done when waves of sound enter the ear
• Practical - make a telephone using two plastic cups and a string attached between the two to transmit the sound from one cup to another

Careers

Appreciate jobs and careers that involve physics or use skills obtained from this subject

Particles                  

Understand that matter is made from much smaller things called atoms (carbon) and molecules (oxygen). When different atoms come together, they form compounds (water).

States of matter

Appreciate properties of solids, liquids and gases. How states of matter can be changed from one form to another by increasing or decreasing the temperature.

Physical and Chemical Changes

Changes in chemistry can be broadly classified into physical and chemical. Students should be aware of examples and characteristics of each.

Periodic Table

Knowledge of what is a periodic table, its uses and categories of elements such as metals, non metals, noble gases.

Know the following atomic symbols: H, O, C, N, Na and Fe

Metals and Non-Metals

»     Properties:  Appearance, State at room temperature, Density, Strength, Malleable or brittle, Conduction of heat, Conduction of electricity, Magnetic material, Sound when hit.

»         Uses

»         Location on the periodic table

Air

»         Students should be aware of the basic compositions of air.

»         Basic sources and consumption of oxygen and carbon dioxide

»         Air pollution - common causes of pollution. Health and environments effects of pollution. Measures to minimise pollution

Experiments

»         Familiarise with basic chemistry apparatus

»         The purpose of doing experiments in science

»         Draw conclusions from experiments

»         Working safely in a lab

The following experiments are fun and easily reproducible

»            Reaction between sodium bicarbonate and vinegar

»            Lab tests for hydrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen

»            Instant hot ice experiment using sodium acetate

»            How to make soap

»            Determining the pH of solution using litmus paper or universal indicator.

Geology

Water - Basics of the water cycle

»         Importance of clean water

»         Introduction to methods of water purification - boiling, filtering 

»         Diseases associated with unclean water

Rocks - appreciate the existence of the major types of rocks that make the earth; sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous

Natural disasters - Understand the basics of the following natural disasters: volcanoes, earthquakes, tornadoes, flooding, and tsunamis. Students may wish to share any personal experience of the above.

Careers

Appreciate jobs and careers that involve chemistry or use skills obtained from this subject