Science at key stage 3    (Year 8)

• that foods are a source of raw materials for the body
• that foods are the energy resource to maintain the body's activities (growth, repair and movement)

• that foods contain a mix of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water
• to use chemical tests to identify proteins, carbohydrates and fats
• to work safely with chemicals
• to present results to highlight significant points

• that vitamins and minerals are present in smaller amounts than the other constituents of food
• how to search for information in databases or spreadsheets
• to frame a question that can be investigated
• to decide whether to use first-hand or secondary data
• to use and interpret ICT-generated graphs
• that protein is important for growth and repair and that carbohydrates and fats more commonly provide energy

• that a healthy diet contains a balance of foodstuffs

• to distinguish facts from theories/ hypotheses/opinions
• to show relationships between ideas, by using links which show purpose and reservations

• to select relevant information and link to other information from a range of sources
• to recognise where evidence is not sufficient to draw firm conclusions

• to generate questions about nutrients and diet

• that the digestive system consists of a tube through which food passes
• to interpret the relationship between a model gut and the digestive system
• to suggest explanations for observations

• that foods contain starch, protein and fat, which have molecules that are too large to be absorbed by the body
• that sugars, vitamins and minerals are generally smaller and can be absorbed by the body
• that large molecules are broken down by enzymes in the gut to form smaller molecules, which pass through the wall of the small intestine
• how models can be used to represent and explain complex processes

• that food is digested by enzymes in the gut to form smaller molecules
• to represent a complex process using diagrams and text

• to identify factors relevant to a particular context
• to plan how to control variables
• to explain their results using knowledge of the human digestive system
• to show relationships between ideas by using links that show purpose and reservation

• that the products of digestion are transported in the blood to other parts of the body
• that some food material cannot be digested and is egested

• to relate knowledge and understanding of food types to the processes of digestion