Science at key stage 3    (Year 8)

• name a wide variety of materials
• describe elements as the materials from which everything else is made

• show by their drawings that they have some understanding of the relationship between elements and atoms and between elements and non-elements
• recognise the symbols for some elements

• locate and record the required information, eg complete the six faces of the cube
• describe some differences between elements
• make some generalisations about elements, eg there are more metals than non-metals; most metals are non-magnetic

• classify materials as elements and non-elements
• explain their classification
• identify that elements are made from atoms of one kind
• make some generalisations about elements

• explain the existence of compounds in terms of atoms joining together
• describe compounds, eg water is made of hydrogen and oxygen joined together
• describe some simple molecules, eg carbon dioxide is made of one carbon atom joined to two oxygen atoms

• describe what happens in some chemical reactions and name the product
• explain compound formation in terms of atoms joining, eg using equations, diagrams, models
• show understanding of compound formation in asking questions about others' representations of chemical reactions

• predict the product of some simple reactions, eg zinc oxide from zinc and oxygen, iron sulphide from iron and sulphur
• interpret the names and/or formulae of binary compounds in terms of the elements of which they are composed
• make a sample of an oxide safely

• identify statements describing elements and non-elements, explaining their decisions
• identify methods that will provide appropriate evidence, eg comparison of appearance with appearance of elements; change in mass on heating
• carry out their work safely
• explain how their results provided evidence, eg it changed colour and lost mass; if an element joins with something else it will gain mass