The Science Curriculum in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades
The purpose of learning natural science is to do the following: develop scientific knowledge and understanding; develop science process skills; and develop an understanding of the roles of science in society. There are three broad subject-specific aims in natural sciences that relate to the purposes of learning science: doing sciences; knowing the subject content and making connections; and understanding the uses of science.9
The teaching and learning of natural sciences involves the development of a range of process skills that may be used in everyday life, in the community and in the workplace:
- Accessing and recalling information—Using a variety of sources to acquire information, and to remember relevant facts and key ideas and build a conceptual framework
- Observing―Noting objects, organisms and events in detail
- Comparing―Noting similarities and differences between things
- Measuring―Using measuring instruments
- Sorting and classifying―Applying criteria in order to sort items into a table, mind map, key, list, or other format
- Identifying problems and issues―Articulating the needs and wants of people in society
- Raising questions―Thinking of and articulating relevant questions about problems, issues, and natural phenomena
- Predicting―Stating, before an investigation, what you think the results will be for that particular investigation
- Hypothesizing―Putting forward a suggestion or possible explanation to account for certain facts
- Planning investigations―Thinking through the method for an activity or investigation in advance
- Doing investigations―Carrying out methods using appropriate apparatus and equipment, and collecting data by observing and comparing, measuring and estimating, sequencing, or sorting and classifying, sometimes repeating an investigation to verify the results
- Recording information―Recording data from an investigation in a systematic way, including drawings, descriptions, tables, and graphs
- Interpreting information―Explaining what the results of an activity or investigation mean (this includes reading skills)
- Designing―Showing (e.g., by drawing) how something is to be made, taking into account the design brief, specifications, and constraints
- Making/constructing―Building or assembling an object using appropriate materials and tools and using skills such as measuring, cutting, folding, rolling, and gluing
- Evaluating and improving products―Using criteria to assess a constructed object, and then stating or carrying out ways to refine that object
- Communicating―Using written, oral, visual, graphic, and other forms of communication to make information available to other people
In the Natural Sciences curriculum, the following knowledge strands are used as a tool for organizing the content of the subject: Life and Living; Matter and Materials; Energy and Change; and Planet Earth and Beyond. The following is a summary of the learning outcomes and assessment standards that students are expected to have attained in science in the Intermediate and Senior Phases:
- Life and Living
- Intermediate Phase (Grades 4 to 6)—Explain how plants make their own food (photosynthesis); sort food into the four nutrient groups; describe a balanced diet; process food in some way; describe an ecosystem; elaborate on feeding relationships (food webs)
- Senior Phase (Grades 7 to 9)—Identify, describe, and state the function of the basic components of plant and animal cells; draw and label a generalized plant and animal cell; explain the relationship between cells, tissues, organs, and systems; list the systems dealt with, and state the purpose and main components of each; describe the function of the male and female reproductive organs; explain the main processes in reproduction, such as menstruation and fertilization; explain the impact of factors on the fetus during pregnancy, such as smoking and drinking alcohol; describe breathing, gaseous exchange, and respiration; label the reproductive, respiratory, and digestive systems
- Matter and Materials
- Intermediate Phase (Grades 4 to 6)—Describe solids, liquids, and gases in terms of the arrangement of their particles; explain different kinds of mixtures (including solutions); distinguish between soluble and insoluble substances; recover the solute from the solvent, and draw and write about the process; state what factors affect the rate of dissolving; show an understanding of the importance of wetlands; design, make, and evaluate a system to process and purify dirty water
- Senior Phase (Grades 7 to 9)—Distinguish between pure substances and mixtures; distinguish between elements and compounds; name and make models of simple molecules; for any of the studied reactions, 1) describe it in general terms, 2) describe the changes that occur during the reaction, and 3) write a balanced equation; describe the neutralization of an acid with a base using pH
- Energy and Change
- Intermediate Phase (Grades 4 to 6)—Draw and label an electric circuit; demonstrate open and closed circuits with the use of a switch; distinguish between conductors and insulators in a range of materials; trace the electrical energy in a sequence from an appliance, such as from your television set to the coal-fired power station and back to the original source, the sun; explain how fossil fuels such as coal are formed; determine which appliances use more energy and explain why this is so
- Senior Phase (Grades 7 to 9)—Explain and demonstrate the two broad groups of forces;
demonstrate and explain the similarities and differences between gravitational, magnetic, and electrostatic forces; make a table of the differences between mass and weight; give the scientific explanation of how lightning occurs; construct a simple cell to provide electrical energy from chemical energy; measure voltage across resistors and the current through them; name advantages and disadvantages for series and parallel circuits; draw and interpret various circuit diagrams; distinguish between series and parallel circuits in the wiring of the home, cars, and toys and explain the differences; describe the national energy supply grid and the impact of electricity generation on the environment; calculate the energy consumption of various appliances in the home
- Planet Earth and Beyond
- Intermediate Phase (Grades 4 to 6)—Describe objects in our solar system (planets, moons, the Sun, asteroids); demonstrate Earth’s rotation and revolution; explain the movements of the Moon; identify the essential differences between Earth, the Sun, and the Moon; explain the uses of telescopes and the important telescopes in South Africa; make and evaluate a model vehicle featuring wheels and axles
- Senior Phase (Grades 7 to 9)—Describe Earth as a complex system of parts (spheres) that interact with each other; identify and describe igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks; explain the main processes causing the cycle of the formation of rock; write about the processes of separating and extracting metals from ore; describe the atmosphere and its layers in detail; make a model to show the greenhouse effect; describe the impact of global warming; show understanding of the birth, life and death of stars