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

Your Teacher Information Pack for Sciences – Third level (Curriculum for Excellence, Scotland) in Scotland: the curriculum structure, our short summaries with links to the official wording, and key dates.

Country
Scotland
Level
Third level
Ages
11/12–14/15
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).

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.

Planet Earth: Biodiversity and interdependence

  • SCN 3-01a Sampling habitats to compare biodiversity and distribution.
  • SCN 3-02a Photosynthesis investigations and why plants sustain life.
  • SCN 3-03a Agricultural chemicals, alternatives, and impact on food production.

Official wording

Planet Earth: Energy sources and sustainability

  • SCN 3-04a Heat transfer and thermal conductivity to improve energy efficiency.
  • SCN 3-04b Benefits and potential problems of renewable energy sources.

Official wording

Planet Earth: Processes of the planet

  • SCN 3-05a Models of matter, changes of state, and energy in nature.
  • SCN 3-05b Causes of climate change and effects on living things.

Official wording

Planet Earth: Space

  • SCN 3-06a Reasoned argument on the likelihood of life elsewhere in the universe.

Official wording

Forces, electricity and waves: Forces

  • SCN 3-07a Energy loss from friction and improving efficiency of moving systems.
  • SCN 3-08a Effects of gravity on weight in different situations on Earth and in space.

Official wording

Forces, electricity and waves: Electricity

  • SCN 3-09a Designing parallel circuits to show advantages in everyday applications.
  • SCN 3-10a Designing chemical cells and investigating factors affecting voltage.

Official wording

Forces, electricity and waves: Vibrations and waves

  • SCN 3-11a Refraction of light through materials, lenses, and prisms.
  • SCN 3-11b Radiations beyond visible light: applications, advantages, limitations.

Official wording

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.

Official wording

Biological systems: Inheritance

  • SCN 3-14a Fertilisation, embryonic development, and risks to the embryo.
  • SCN 3-14b DNA extraction, its function, and risks and benefits of profiling.

Official wording

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.

Official wording

Materials: Earth's materials

  • SCN 3-17a Formation, characteristics, and uses of soils, minerals, and rocks.
  • SCN 3-17b Extracting useful substances from natural resources.

Official wording

Materials: Chemical changes

  • SCN 3-18a Acids, bases, measuring and adjusting pH, and its everyday significance.
  • SCN 3-19a Identifying signs of reactions and controlling reaction rates.
  • SCN 3-19b Reactions involving Earth's materials and their practical applications.

Official wording

Topical science: Topical science

  • SCN 3-20a Scientists from Scotland and beyond and their innovative research.
  • SCN 3-20b Evaluating media items for scientific content and ethical implications.

Official wording

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.

Trusted free resources

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 – Fourth level · P1 Sciences · P2 Sciences · P3 Sciences · P4 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.