Year 8 MYP Plan for Science

Term
AOI Code

Term 1
ENV

Term 1
ATL -models

Topic(s)

Ecology Humans and

the environment (finish
from year 7)
Food chains and
webs, pyramids.

Learning
Objectives

Conservation of
species and their
habitats, and of natural
resources.
Advantages and
disadvantages of
synthetic fertilizers,
pesticide problems.

Term 2
ATL

Term 2
ATL/ENV

Heat Transfer

Term 1
HF Ampere, Voltaire
and Ohm
Electricity

Space

Chemical reactions

Application of particle
model to novel
situations

To be able to construct
simple parallel and
series circuits

To carry out
independent research
towards a project on
space

To apply chemical
reactions to observed
phenomenon

Introduction to
concepts of radiation,
conduction, convection
and be able to
recognise these in a
variety of everyday
situations

To be able to use
ammeters and
voltmeters
appropriately in series
and parallel circuits.
To understand the
effect of parallel and
series circuits on
voltage and amps.
To understand the
concept of resistance
and explain uses and
applications

Key Skills/
Questions

- Able to construct a
food chain, web and
pyramid for any given
ecosystem
- Can explain the use

- Able to apply particle

theory to explain how
heat is conducted.
- Can explain why hot
liquids or gases rise

To apply knowledge of
circuits to everyday
scenarios eg dodgem
cars, car lights and
fairy lights

Appreciate that we see

objects in space either
because of the light
they produce or
because of light they
reflect.
To understand that
gravity is a force of
attraction between all
masses and realise its
significance in the
formation of stars and
planets and their orbits
and the moment of
natural and artificial
satellites.
- Understand how
gravity affects the
motion of bodies in
space.
- What is the

To understand that
atoms are not created
or destroyed but
change groupings to
form new substances
To predict the products
of a reaction based on
knowledge of how
chemicals react and
patterns in chemical
reactions
To understand the
environmental
problems associated
with combustion
various fuels
- Able to apply particle
theory to understand
what happens to
atoms within a
chemical reaction.

of, and problems of,

fertilisers.
- Can explain the
problems of toxins by
relating to the food
chain or web.

using the theory of

convection currents
- Can use
experimental data to
elucidate the theory of
particles of matter and
particle movements.

- to identify faults in
series and parallel
circuits
- use models to
explain current and
voltage, tehn make
predictions about
current and voltage
using crocodile
physics (ICT)

Assessment

- Comprehension
exercise on DDT.
- Poster on the effects
of fertilisers on the
environment.
- Written test
- Reflective comments
in log book.

- homework tasks in
unit
- Booklet on saving
energy in the home.
- reflective comments
in log book
- written test

Potential Links

Geography

Technology use of

- report on Ampere,
Ohm or Voltaire and
their impact on our
understanding of
electricity
- homework tasks in
unit
- Research use of
variable resistors in
the home.
- experiment tasks
- reflective comments
in log book
-written test
History industrial

difference between
mass and weight?
- Explain, using forces,
how planets can orbit
the sun and how
satellites orbit planets.
- Explain what causes
seasons
- Know the names of
the planets in the
Solar system.
- Recall the uses of
artificial satellites.
- order objects in the
universe according to
size.
- Explain day and night
and the seasons
- Analyse data relating
to the solar system.
- Project on Earth and
Beyond.
- Written Test
- Reflective comments
in log book.

- Able to carry out

chemical reactions
safely
- Able to apply simple
chemical reactions to
predict the products of
a reaction
- able to construct
word and simple
chemical equations.

Geography use of

Geography burning

- practical exercise
- homework tasks in
unit
- 1 page research
project on
environmental
problems of burning
fossil fuels
- reflective comments
in log book
- written test

pesticides and the

environment.
ICT / maths - Trip to
Wildwood to collect
data to produce food
chains, webs pyramids
and statistics.

materials to insulate
and conduct heat

revolution
Technology sensors
and control

satellites for
monitoring weather
etc.
Astrodome in school

fossil fuels
environmental impact

Year 8 MYP Plan for

Term
AOI Code
Topic(s)
Learning
Objectives

Science

Term 2
HSE links to smoking
Respiration and Breathing
To be able to explain the
difference between breathing
and respiration.
Structure of the thorax and
mechanism of breathing.
Function of ciliated
epithelium and goblet cells.
Function of alveoli
To know the respiration
products and how to test for
them.
To understand the
importance of respiration in
giving energy to the body
To know the applications of
anaerobic respiration and the
problems it causes to the
human body

Term 3
ATL application of theories
Magnetism
To know that magnets have
poles and that like poles
repel and opposite poles
attract
To know how to make an
electromagnet.
To know the applications of
magnets and electromagnets
To know what the magnetic
field looks like around
different types of magnet and
know how to discover this
field using plotting
compasses and / or iron
filings

Term 3
HSE
Microbes and Health
To know that there are
different types of microbes
To understand how bacteria
and viruses reproduce.
To be able to explain how
microbes are spread
To know how antibiotics work
to destroy bacteria
To know that microbes are
responsible for decay and
recycling nutrients and can
be useful in fermentation,
food industry, medicine,
sewage, composting etc

Term 4
ATL application of theories
Sound, light and colour
To know that light travels in
straight lines and that light
can be reflected, absorbed or
transmitted.
To be able to demonstrate
and explain reflection,
refraction, total internal
reflection, dispersion and
diffraction.
Absorption and reflection of
colour with coloured objects
and filters.
Colour mixing and appreciate
the concept of primary and
secondary colours.
Appreciate that sound is
caused by vibrations and
relate this to pitch, frequency
and loudness
Represent sound on a CRO
Know that sound needs a
medium to travel through and
travels at different speeds in

different mediums
Understand what an echo is
and use them to measure the
speed of sound

Key Skills/
Questions

Explain process of gas

exchange and relate to
structure and function of cells
and parts of the respiratory
system.
To understand the
importance of respiration as
a cellular process
To explain why increase in
respiration is linked to
increased exercise
To explain why the build up
of lactic acid can be harmful
to the human body
To understand the effect of
smoking on the lungs and
recall the products of
smoking

To be able to plot the field

around a simple bar magnet
and pairs of bar magnets
attracting and repelling using
plotting compasses and iron
filings
To make an electromagnet
and know what factors effect
the strength of the magnet
Link knowledge of electricity
to electromagnets.
To recall and explain the use
of electromagnets in various
situations eg circuit breakers,
car park barriers, burglar
alarms, fire alarms

To be able to use graphical

data to explain and describe
bacterial growth.
To explain how fermentation
works, including chemical
word and symbol equations
and why it is useful in baking
and beer making
To know how to grow and
collect bacteria using agar
plates.
To be able to explain how
microbes are transmitted to
cause infection.
Immune response explain
how it is used to prevent
disease (immunisation)

Structure of the ear, how we

hear, problems with and the
concept of, noise pollution.
To be able to construct light
ray diagrams to explain how
objects can be seen eg when
using a periscope or driving
mirror, why a stick appears
bent in water and how cats
eyes work.
To be able to explain how
objects appear to be a
certain colour in daylight and
through different colour filters
To be able to predict what
colour the light will be when
different coloured lights are
mixed
How sound is made and what
effect does changing
amplitude and frequency
have?
How do we use echoes?
From sonar, to bats, to
ultrasound scans.

Assessment

-poster/leaflet for peers on

effect of smoking in teenage
girls
- Written test
- Reflective comments in log
book.

- Poster/ leaflet/ PowerPoint

presentation to explain how a
circuit breakers, car park
barriers, burglar alarms, fire
alarms work
- practical investigation on
electromagnets and paper
clips
- written test
-reflective comments in log
books

- 1 page project on different

types of microbes found in a
normal household.
- leaflet on how to stop
getting infected by microbes
- written test
- reflective comments in log
book

Potential Links

PSHE smoking
PE - respiration and fitness

Technology use of
electricity and magnets

PSHE cleanliness and

hygiene
PE

How do we hear things and

how can we protect our
hearing?
- 1 page project on how they
could use light in a chosen
scene from a play.
- light diagrams
- practical assessments on
reflection and refraction
- written test
- reflective comments in log
book
- Using sound sensor to
compare sound absorption
properties of materials
Data analysis exercise on
the speed of sound and noise
pollution.
Drama stage lighting
Music sound pitch, quality
etc
Technology applications for
many of these areas.

Year 8 MYP Plan for

Science

Term
AOI Code

Term 5
ATL application of theories

Topic(s)

Moments and Pressure

Learning
Objectives

To understand how levers can

make work easier
To be able to calculate turning
force
To understand the concepts of
equilibrium and centre of gravity
and be able to apply these to
solve numerical problems
concerning clockwise and
anticlockwise moments
To understand the difference
between force and pressure and
to be able to calculate pressure
given force and surface area.

Key Skills/
Questions

To apply the use of levers to

common situations
To be able to calculate moment
when given distance from the
fulcrum or pivot and force
Solve a range of numerical
problems relating to moments and
pressure.

Term 5
ATL
revision
SAT
preparation

Term 6
ATL

Term 6
ATL

?investigation 1

?investigation 2

To be able to calculate pressure

given force and surface area and
use it to explain given phenomena
both with solids and liquids
Assessment

- practical investigation into

moments
- practical investigation into
pressure
- written test
- reflective comments in log book

Potential Links

Maths application of algebra

Technology use of levers and
hydraulics in machines