Sciences – Fourth level (Curriculum for Excellence, Scotland): What to Teach (Scotland)

Planet Earth: Biodiversity and interdependence

• SCN 4-01a Species dependence, adaptation, and impact of population and hazards.
• SCN 4-02a Propagating plants by different methods and their commercial use.
• SCN 4-02b Designing an investigation into factors affecting respiration rate.
• SCN 4-03a Nitrogen cycle and designing a fertiliser with environmental impact in mind.

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Planet Earth: Energy sources and sustainability

• SCN 4-04a Risks and benefits of ways to meet energy needs, including plant-based.
• SCN 4-04b Formation and use of fossil fuels; conserving finite resources.

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Planet Earth: Processes of the planet

• SCN 4-05a Kinetic model of gases; pressure, volume, and temperature relationships.
• SCN 4-05b Carbon cycle and causes and effects of changing atmospheric gas balance.

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Planet Earth: Space

• SCN 4-06a How methods of observing and exploring space have changed knowledge.

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Forces, electricity and waves: Forces

• SCN 4-07a Measuring, calculating, and graphing speed in a real application.
• SCN 4-07b Relating speed and acceleration to forces and transport safety.
• SCN 4-08a Strength of magnets and electromagnets; commercial applications.
• SCN 4-08b Explaining floating and sinking using relative densities of materials.

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Forces, electricity and waves: Electricity

• SCN 4-09a Relationship between current, voltage, and resistance in practical problems.
• SCN 4-09b Selecting electronic components as input and output devices.
• SCN 4-09c Engineering an electronic system to solve a real-life problem.
• SCN 4-10a Ordering metals in an electrochemical series and predicting cell use.
• SCN 4-10b Latest cell technology developments and their societal impact.

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Forces, electricity and waves: Vibrations and waves

• SCN 4-11a Recording and manipulating sound signals in sound engineering.
• SCN 4-11b Comparing non-visible electromagnetic radiation and its societal impact.

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Biological systems: Body systems and cells

• SCN 4-12a Responses to changes that keep body conditions stable.
• SCN 4-12b Learned behaviour from stimuli and its benefit to species survival.
• SCN 4-13a Cell division, its role in growth and repair, and therapeutic uses.
• SCN 4-13b Enzymes and microorganisms in industrial processes.
• SCN 4-13c Moral and ethical issues of controversial biological procedures.

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Biological systems: Inheritance

• SCN 4-14a Comparing how different organisms grow and develop.
• SCN 4-14b Sexual and asexual reproduction and their importance for survival.
• SCN 4-14c Solving genetic problems linked to DNA, genes, and chromosomes.

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Materials: Properties and uses of substances

• SCN 4-15a Atomic structure and bonding linked to possible substance structures.
• SCN 4-16a Novel materials, the science behind their properties, and societal impact.
• SCN 4-16b Evaluating experiments to show conservation of mass.

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Materials: Earth's materials

• SCN 4-17a Materials derived from crude oil and the importance of carbon compounds.

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Materials: Chemical changes

• SCN 4-18a Monitoring pollution through sampling and how science can protect environment.
• SCN 4-19a Energy changes in reactions and their significance.
• SCN 4-19b Ordering metals by reactivity and linking this to everyday uses.

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Topical science: Topical science

• SCN 4-20a New science developments and their current or future impact on life.
• SCN 4-20b Critically analysing a chosen topical theme to build an informed argument.

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