| Programme of Study |
QCA Units |
Click on Character |
| 1. Grouping materials |
| a) to compare everyday materials and objects on the basis of their material properties, including hardness, strength, flexibility and magnetic behaviour, and to relate these properties to everyday uses of the materials |
Unit 3C: Characteristics of materials link Unit 3E: Magnets and springs link Unit 3F: Light and shadows link |
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| b) that some materials are better thermal insulators than others |
Unit 4C: Keeping warm link |
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| c) that some materials are better electrical conductors than others |
Unit 4F: Circuits and conductors link |
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| d) to describe and group rocks and soils on the basis of their characteristics, including appearance, texture and permeability |
Unit 3D: Rocks and soils link Unit 5C: Gases around us link Unit 6A: Interdependence and adaptation link |
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| e) to recognise differences between solids, liquids and gases, in terms of ease of flow and maintenance of shape and volume. |
Unit 4D: Solids, liquids and how they can be separated link Unit 5C: Gases around us link |
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| 2. Changing materials |
| a) to describe changes that occur when materials are mixed [ for example, adding salt to water ] |
Unit 4D: Solids, liquids and how they can be separated link Unit 6C: More about dissolving link Unit 6D: Reversible and irreversible changes link |
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| b) to describe changes that occur when materials [ for example, water, clay, dough ] are heated or cooled |
Unit 4D: Solids, liquids and how they can be separated link Unit 5D: Changing state link Unit 6D: Reversible and irreversible changes link |
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| c) that temperature is a measure of how hot or cold things are |
Unit 4C: Keeping warm link Unit 5D: Changing state link |
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| d) about reversible changes, including dissolving, melting, boiling, condensing, freezing and evaporating |
Unit 4D: Solids, liquids and how they can be separated link Unit 5C: Gases around us link Unit 5D: Changing state link Unit 6C: More about dissolving link Unit 6D: Reversible and irreversible changes link |
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| e) the part played by evaporation and condensation in the water cycle |
Unit 5D: Changing state link |
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| f) that nonreversible changes [ for example, vinegar reacting with bicarbonate of soda, plaster of Paris with water ] result in the formation of new materials that may be useful |
Unit 5C: Gases around us link Unit 6D: Reversible and irreversible changes link |
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| g) that burning materials [ for example, wood, wax, natural gas ] results in the formation of new materials and that this change is not usually reversible. |
Unit 6D: Reversible and irreversible changes link |
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| 3. Separating mixtures of materials |
| a) how to separate solid particles of different sizes by sieving [ for example, those in soil ] |
Unit 4D: Solids, liquids and how they can be separated link |
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| b) that some solids [ for example, salt, sugar ] dissolve in water to give solutions but some [for example, sand, chalk] do not |
Unit 4D: Solids, liquids and how they can be separated link Unit 6C: More about dissolving link |
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| c) how to separate insoluble solids from liquids by filtering |
Unit 4D: Solids, liquids and how they can be separated link Unit 6C: More about dissolving link |
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| d) how to recover dissolved solids by evaporating the liquid from the solution |
Unit 5C: Gases around us link Unit 6C: More about dissolving link |
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| e) to use knowledge of solids, liquids and gases to decide how mixtures might be separated. |
Unit 4D: Solids, liquids and how they can be separated link Unit 5C: Gases around us link |
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