S3 Sciences (Third level / Fourth level): What to Teach (Scotland)
Your Teacher Information Pack for S3 Sciences (Third level / Fourth level) in Scotland: the curriculum structure, our short summaries with links to the official wording, and key dates.
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- Country
- Scotland
- Stage
- S3
- Level
- Third level
- Ages
- 13–14
- Source
- Curriculum for Excellence – experiences and outcomes (broad general education)
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
Usually S1–S3 (third and fourth levels are both covered in S1–S3) (a guide, not a fixed year group). Roughly US Grades 7–9 (approximate).
Curriculum for Excellence levels are a guide, not year groups: learners move through levels at their own pace. Fourth level is broadly in line with SCQF level 4.
Plan the whole year: open this course in the Year Planner – every lesson dated around your term dates, with a coverage check. Free.
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What to teach
Below are the experiences and outcomes with their official codes, in our own short summaries. Each code links to the official document.
Third level
Planet Earth: Biodiversity and interdependence
Planet Earth: Energy sources and sustainability
Planet Earth: Processes of the planet
Planet Earth: Space
- SCN 3-06a Reasoned argument on the likelihood of life elsewhere in the universe.
Forces, electricity and waves: Forces
Forces, electricity and waves: Electricity
Forces, electricity and waves: Vibrations and waves
Biological systems: Body systems and cells
- SCN 3-12a Organs, organ systems, and processes that sustain life.
- SCN 3-12b Technology in monitoring health and improving quality of life.
- SCN 3-13a Microscope study of cell structure, variety, and function.
- SCN 3-13b Types of microorganisms and controlling their growth.
- SCN 3-13c Body defences against disease and how vaccines provide protection.
Biological systems: Inheritance
Materials: Properties and uses of substances
- SCN 3-15a Periodic Table trends linking element positions to properties and uses.
- SCN 3-15b Making and breaking compounds; how their properties differ from elements.
- SCN 3-16a Distinguishing pure substances from mixtures and choosing separation methods.
- SCN 3-16b Solubility in different solvents applied to everyday problems.
Materials: Earth's materials
Materials: Chemical changes
Topical science: Topical science
Fourth level
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.
Planet Earth: Energy sources and sustainability
Planet Earth: Processes of the planet
Planet Earth: Space
- SCN 4-06a How methods of observing and exploring space have changed knowledge.
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.
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.
Forces, electricity and waves: Vibrations and waves
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.
Biological systems: Inheritance
Materials: Properties and uses of substances
Materials: Earth's materials
- SCN 4-17a Materials derived from crude oil and the importance of carbon compounds.
Materials: Chemical changes
Topical science: Topical science
Assessments and key dates
Qualifications Scotland exams 2027: Mon, 26 April 2027 to Thu, 3 June 2027 (timetable). There are no national tests of curriculum levels; teachers judge progress using the Benchmarks.
Official documents
Trusted free resources
- Education Scotland – the official curriculum site.
- BBC Bitesize – videos and quizzes by nation and stage.
Links only: we don't copy their content and we aren't connected to these organisations.
More packs
Sciences – Early level · Sciences – First level · Sciences – Second level · Sciences – Third level · Sciences – Fourth level · P1 Sciences · P2 Sciences · P3 Sciences · All Scotland packs · Find another TIP
Codes and structure from Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes and Benchmarks, Education Scotland (Crown copyright). Summaries are Classfern's own words – always read the official wording via the link.
No official wording is reproduced: codes and structure are facts, and the short descriptions are our own summaries. Always read the official wording via the links. Checked on 2026-10-20.
Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by Education Scotland, Qualifications Scotland (formerly SQA) or the Scottish Government.