Topic title: CSI Bourton
Year group: 7
When taught: Autumn term
Overview: The first topic is all about introducing the key scientific skills required for secondary school science. “CSI Bourton” builds on previous KS2 taught scientific skills in the context of being a crime scene investigator! Key scientific principles are introduced, including planning valid investigations, and using results to solve a series of crimes. This topic introduces fundamental skills such as graph plotting, measuring, and analysing data for trends as well as introducing scientific careers.
What the students targets for this topic?
| I know that scientists are good at observing. |
| I can describe the three Bunsen burner flames. |
| I can read a scale correctly. |
| I know a measuring cylinder measures volume in cm3 |
| I know a top pan balance measured mass in g. |
| I can write a prediction for an investigation |
| I can state what the independent, dependent and control variables are in an experiment. |
| I know to make an investigation valid; I need to keep some variables the same |
| I know that data collected can be categoric or continuous and what these mean. |
| I know how to write a method correctly when planning an investigation. |
| I can design and draw a table to record results. |
| I can describe the differences between bar, scatter, and line graphs and when to use them. |
| I can plot graphs correctly. |
| I can light a Bunsen burner safely and adjust the flame. |
| I know what precise and accurate mean. |
| I can work well as a group. |
| I can follow instructions and know how to keep myself and other safe in the lab. |
| I can use scientific equipment correctly and safely to make a set of observations. |
Why is this important to know?
- This topic underlines the important skills students will need as they embark on their secondary school science journey. The skills learnt in this topic come up in some form in all other topics.
- If students learn to take careful measurements now, they get into good habits for the future.
- The topic is designed to be engaging with lots of practical work set in context.
- The context helps students see some wider applications of science i.e. Forensics.
Where does this link into our past and future learning?
- This topic builds to the Key Stage Two ideas of student learning to take measurements with increasing accuracy and taking repeat readings, as well as students presenting findings in different ways, such as scatter graphs.
- The skills developed in this topic occur in all others. For example, students will use their scatter graph skills in the rocket science topic later in the year. They will use the concept of variables in the Cafeteria Bacteria topic when they investigate bacterial growth.
- These fundamental skills are used beyond KS3 and are the foundation of the “Working scientifically” part of the KS4 curriculum.
How will we be assessed on this topic?
- There will be an end of unit test in class to formally assess the skills developed. There will be online homework quizzes to help students practice their skills.
What makes a strong piece of work in this topic? What are teachers hoping to see?
- Attention to detail.
- Using correctly key terms such as categoric and continuous (see below).
- Graphs with neatly labelled axes; when a scatter graph has equal spacing between numbers.
- At the highest level, pupils will be able to work out which are the dependant, independent and control variables for unfamiliar experiments.
Graphs should be labelled on both axes, with units, equally spaced numbers on each axis, crosses used for data points and a line of best fit.
What key words are there in this topic?
What can I try if I want to stretch and challenge myself on this topic?
- Study more about how forensic science works in practice.
- Read more about what blood is made up of and what the different cells do.
- Read more about why we urinate and what chemicals make up urine!
What wider reading can be done on this topic?
Introduction to Forensic science – click here.
Articles about forensic science click here
