The Science Curriculum in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades
The National Science Curriculum was introduced in 1994 at the primary level and in 2000 at the lower secondary level7 and reflects a thematic and outcome- and competency-based approach to science education. Science education in Iran focuses on fostering logical thinking skills and preparing students for lifelong learning. The national curriculum is designed to help students learn basic science facts; observe and acquire skills; develop a positive attitude toward physical science, life science, health, and Earth science; and understand important applications of science in real life. The curriculum aims to integrate Science, Technology, Society, and the Environment (STSE). The three main goals of science education for students in Iran are as follows:
- Acquiring learning skills, which include
- Collecting basic information
- Conceptualizing
- Conducting and reviewing research
- Problem solving
- Communicating, presenting, and reporting
- Acquiring basic facts and ideas in three stages
- Understanding basic information
- Understanding complex information
- Utilizing information to build theorems, and to analyze and solve proble
- Developing a healthy attitude toward and respect for
- Oneself
- Science and knowledge
- The environment, including other people, other living things, and one’s physical and material surroundings
The science curriculum teaches students to make observations and take measurements, collect data, analyze results, make hypotheses, communicate, predict, use instruments, and plan and conduct an investigation. Students learn to think about and search for the causes of phenomena and develop a sense of curiosity about natural phenomena in their environment. They learn to use their skills to investigate answers to their questions about science, to save energy and time, to observe personal and public hygiene practices, and to take interest in environmental issues. The recommended approach to teaching and learning involves engaging students in problem solving, in actively participating in practical activities, and in conducting experiments.
The organization of topics of scientific knowledge in primary school is summarized in Exhibit 3.
Exhibit 3: Scientific Knowledge in Primary School
The main student outcomes for primary school science are summarized in Exhibit 4.
Exhibit 4: Student Outcomes for Primary School Science
| Main Outcome | Subject Strategy |
| Identifying examples of dependency between personal health and the environment, and proposing suggestions to maintain and improve their health and environment |
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| Studying and reviewing examples of structures and processes in living organisms and their adaption to the environment, and the impact of human behavior on their lives |
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| Collecting information about the network of resources and forms of energy used in their environment, and demonstrating their impact on the environment |
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| Presenting evidence of how force and movement are related, using examples in daily life |
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| Collecting data on changes that occur in the Earth and Earth’s place in space and time, and identifying and classifying patterns of change |
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| Identify the types and examples of changes in materials, and human use of materials in different periods and the impact on the environment |
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The following science topics are covered in the fourth grade:
- Life Science
- Animals—Diversity; habitats and the need for keeping the environment clean; types of food; types of locomotion; nesting and migration; comparisons of different animal coverings (skin, fur, feathers, scales, etc.) and the advantage of different coverings in relation to animal needs; classification of vertebrates and invertebrates; types of parasites; and the body structure and characteristics of living things
- Plants—Parts of plants and their structures, and the function of roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and cones; plants used to make clothing; the growth of plants and different factors affecting seed growth; the comparison of monocotyledons and dicotyledons; the classification of plants; the structure and function of cells; photosynthesis; the role of vessels in plants; and plant uses in nutrition, agriculture, and pest control
- Earth Science—The sources, purification, and uses of water; rocks, minerals, sand, and soil; the use and conservation of Earth’s natural resources; the solar system; Earth’s rotation on its axis causing day, night, and shadows; and air and its purification
- Health—Senses and learning through the senses; the protection of eyes and ears; staying healthy; factors affecting growth; the digestive system and its function; bones and muscles; the respiratory system; and blood circulation
- Physical Science
- Matter—States of matter; volume, mass, and density; the structure of matter; and types of mixture, solutions, and solvents
- Heat—Temperature changes; the effect of color on absorbing sunlight; applications of heat and heating appliances; sources of heat; what materials to wear in cold and warm environments; state changes and the effect of heat on states of matter; and how to construct and use a thermometer
- Motion—Moving and stationary objects; wheels and their applications; how motion is affected by surface type and weight of an object
- Force—Force and the effect of force on the movement of objects, and Earth’s gravity
- Energy—Types, uses, and the conversion of energy, and sources of energy
- Light and reflection—The role of light in vision, sources and applications of light, refraction, shadows, types of mirror, and images formed by mirrors and their applications
- Electricity—Electric currents, series and parallel circuits, and insulators and conductors
- Magnets—Shapes, interactions, and applications of magnets; electromagnets; magnetic poles; and navigation using a compass
The following science topics are covered in the eighth grade:8
- Life Science—The classification of living things; organ systems in humans; cell structure and function; photosynthesis and respiration; life cycles of organisms; interactions of living organisms in ecosystems; the cycle of materials in nature; trends in human population and effects on the environment; the impact of natural hazards on humans, wildlife, and the environment; microorganisms and infectious diseases; the transmission and prevention of disease; and preventive medicine
- Earth Science—The atmosphere and its components; the water cycle (steps, the Sun’s role, and fresh water renewal); processes in the rock cycle and the formation of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks; Earth’s resources (renewable and nonrenewable resources, conservation, and waste management); and supply and demand of fresh water resources
- Physical Science
- Physics—Temperature and the measurement of heat; the effect of heat on the processes of melting, freezing, evaporation, and condensation (including phase change, melting and boiling points, and volume); pressure; energy forms; basic properties and behavior of light (reflection, refraction, color, image formation in mirrors, and lenses); waves; conservation and transformation of energy; simple machines; power; work; sound; electric currents and circuits; conductors and insulators; resistance; properties of permanent magnets and electromagnets; forces and motion; mass and weight; distance and displacement; and velocity and acceleration
- Chemistry—The classification of matter (physical and chemical properties, pure substances and mixtures, and separation techniques); the particulate structure of matter (molecules, atoms, protons, neutrons, the movement of particles, electrons, the atomic model, symbols and notations, atomic bonds, molecular bonds, and ions); solutions (solvents, solutes, and solubility); acids and bases; chemical changes and reactions; conservation of mass; endothermic and exothermic reactions; and physical changes