Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
physical properties, and that elements are combined in compounds. Students learn
to represent these compounds and reactions with word equations and formulae.
Eventually students take a deeper look into mixtures like air, rocks, and sea water;
the methods for separating mixtures are being improved by introducing distillation,
chromatography, and others. The topic of chemical reactions is revisited with the
law of conservation of mass. The fact that many substances around us are made
through chemical reactions establishes a connection to students' everyday life.
Possible effects of burning fossil fuels on the environment fit into the current
discussion about the pros and cons of fossil fuels and the development of regenera-
tive kinds of energy. Students should also be taught about metals, acids, and bases.
The area of “physical processes” lets students learn about particle movement,
energy, and the conservation of energy, especially in the context of energy transfer.
Key stage 4
is divided into a single and a double curriculum. The single
curriculum is intended for students who focus on other subjects than science
(e.g., language or arts). The content in the single curriculum is therefore a reduced
version of the double curriculum. The content for chemistry learning in key stage 4
is taken from the double curriculum. The students are able to sophisticate their
inquiry skills. They consider the power and limitations of science, especially in
social and environmental issues. In “life processes and living things,” students put
on the “chemistry glasses” to take a look at processes and compositions of
substances in the human body like enzymatic reactions, stomach acid, the compo-
sition of blood, and the processes in the kidney. The processes of photosynthesis are
reinforced as students take a deeper look at reactants and products. In “materials
and their properties,” students should learn that atoms consist of nuclei and
electrons and that the arrangement of electrons has an impact on an atom's
properties and chemical bonding.
Models should be introduced to illustrate atoms, ions, and molecules and their
arrangement in chemical structures. The students learn that elements are placed in
the periodic table according to their masses and properties. They investigate the
groups of the noble gases, alkali metals, halogens, and transition metals and their
properties, reactions, and uses. They improve their knowledge of chemical
reactions by learning about other kinds of reactions like neutralization, oxidation,
and reduction as well as thermal decomposition. They are taught that reaction rates
vary greatly, but that they can be altered by, for example, varying temperature and
concentration. Students learn more about metals, like their extraction from natural
resources and electrolysis reactions. Quantitative chemistry (e.g., the chemical
equilibrium) and organic chemistry (hydrocarbons, polymers, alkenes, and oil
distillation and its products) also play an important role in the key stage 4 curriculum.
In “physical processes,” students learn about radioactivity, including its beneficial
and harmful effects.
Since the curriculum contains a lot of chemical knowledge and skills the
abovementioned issues can only be exemplarily. Like in the United States chemistry
is taught in a spiral curriculum. Basic ideas of chemistry are taught from key stage 1
on and are taken up and deepened in the higher key stages. The NC tries to put an
emphasis on inquiry-based learning and the connection of chemistry to everyday
