The Science Curriculum in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades

The officially authorized science curriculum in Saudi Arabia is organized around texts designed to position the student centrally in the teaching and learning process. Various activities are designed for recursive learning and allow students to participate at all levels. The overall philosophy of science textbooks emphasizes the importance of the scientific method of investigation, practical skills (e.g., scientific reading and writing, drawing, and collecting samples), and connecting science knowledge with daily life (e.g., relating science to mathematics and society).

At the fourth year of primary education (Grade 4), science textbooks include the following topics:

Living creatures, cells, classification, plants, animals (vertebrates and mollusks), and animal conservation
Environmental systems
Earth, water, and minerals
Space and the solar system
Substances and their change
Power and energy

In the second year of intermediate education (Grade 8), science textbooks include the following topics:

Life, cell activities, and genetics
The human body; the immune, digestive, and respiratory systems; and bodily motion
Relationships among living organisms
Energy and substances