Download Ks3-9-science-assessment-criteria

Year
Group
Grade
Year 9 Science
Plant Growth
Expected Attainment
Confident
Emerging
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Describe how gas exchange occurs in plants.
Describe the adaptations of leaves and plant
cells for photosynthesis.
Describe how water and mineral salts are
absorbed and moved around a plant.
Describe how water is lost from a plant.
Describe the test for starch.
Describe how starch is used as a food storage
material.
Recall that plants use glucose produced by
photosynthesis to make new substances, often
using mineral salts.
Explain the need for the different resources by a
seed as it germinates.
Describe why plants are cross-bred.
Identify the desired outcome of cross-breeding.
Describe how increased human population
growth affects food supply.
Describe how selective breeding is done.
Explain how attack of plants by pests and
pathogens can have an impact on human
populations.
Recall the main nutrients required by plants and
identify signs that a plant may be lacking in
nutrients (in general terms only).
Advanced
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Explain how wilting occurs.
Explain how the features of leaves and plant
cells are adaptations for photosynthesis.
Explain how roots and stems are adapted for
their function.
Explain the importance of nitrates to plants.
Describe the synthesis of starch and proteins
in plants (only in terms of the monomers
involved).
Recall some functions of different proteins.
Explain how food production for humans can
be increased using different plant varieties
and pest management strategies (including
insecticides and herbicides).
Mastery
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Use a knowledge of diffusion
to explain how different
conditions cause different
rates of transpiration.
Use the idea of equilibria to
explain starch production.
Explain why phosphates and
potassium are important
nutrients for plants.
Year
Group
Grade
Year 9 Science
Genetics and Evolution
Expected Attainment
Confident
Emerging
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State what chromosomes are made of.
State the number of pairs of chromosomes in
most human cells.
Describe where genes are found.
Describe how genes control characteristics (in
terms of containing instructions).
Describe the roles played by Watson, Crick,
Franklin and Wilkins in the discovery of the
structure of DNA.
Explain how changes in a physical
environmental factor in a habitat affect
populations and communities.
Explain how changes in an ecosystem can lead
to endangerment and extinction.
Suggest methods of conservation that can be
used to ensure the survival of organisms and
habitats.
Explain how particular adaptations increase the
chances of survival.
Explain why preserving biodiversity is important.
State that the individuals in a population are
likely to vary from one another genetically.
Explain how natural selection determines the
survival of certain variations of adaptations
within a population.
Advanced
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Use a model to illustrate the relationship
between DNA, chromosomes, genetic
information and genes.
Explain how particular adaptations limit an
organism’s distribution and abundance.
Make predictions about how changes in
physical and biological factors will interact
with adaptations and affect survival.
Explain how biodiversity can be preserved
using gene banks, seed banks, tissue banks,
cryopreservation and pollen banks.
Explain how natural selection can lead to
evolution.
Mastery
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Describe the structure of a
DNA molecule.
Evaluate the evidence for
suggested physical and
behavioural adaptations of
extinct species.
Explain how evidence from
fossils supports Darwin’s
theory.
Year
Group
Grade
Year 9 Science
Making Materials
Expected Attainment
Confident
Emerging
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Recall examples of common insulators and
conductors.
Recall some examples of common ceramics
(e.g. pottery, glass).
State the meaning of: ceramic.
Explain how the properties of ceramics make
them useful.
Recall that crude oil is the primary source of raw
materials for the plastics industry.
Recall what happens when monomers
polymerise.
Recall the names of some common artificial and
natural polymers.
Link the properties of common plastics to their
uses.
Recall some examples of common composites
(e.g. plywood, paper, concrete).
State the meaning of: composite.
Explain how the properties of composites make
them useful.
Identify thermal decomposition reactions.
Advanced
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Justify the use of a ceramic material for a
given application.
Explain why crystal size depends on the
speed of cooling.
Explain how the properties of a substance
depend on the bonding and arrangement of
atoms (in terms of strength and number of
bonds only).
Classify changes as exothermic or
endothermic from temperature changes.
Explain how the properties of a substance
depend on the bonding and arrangement of
atoms.
Justify the use of a composite material for a
given application.
Classify (using temperature change) and
explain (in terms of energy transfer)
exothermic or endothermic reactions.
Mastery
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Explain why modifications in
a certain ceramic or glass
manufacture can change its
properties (e.g. lead crystal).
(Involves consideration of
type and arrangement of
atoms.)
Model the formation of
poly(ethene) using
equations, symbols and
particle diagrams.
Identify the monomer
structures in a given polymer
chain.
Explain why modifications in
the manufacture of a certain
composite (e.g. paper,
concrete) can change its
properties.
Year
Group
Grade
Year 9 Science
Reactivity
Expected Attainment
Confident
Emerging
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Describe the test for oxygen.
Describe the combustion of hydrocarbons (in
terms of reactants and products).
Describe examples of energy being used to start
a chemical reaction or keep it going.
State the meaning of displacement reaction.
Describe what happens when a given
displacement reaction occurs.
Recall how metals are extracted from ores taken
from the Earth’s crust.
Recall that the extraction of some metals is
more difficult than others, depending on the
metal’s reactivity.
Explain why some elements have been isolated
for much longer than others.
Advanced
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Apply knowledge of explosive reactions to
explain why they occur more or less rapidly
when the particle size or the oxidiser is
changed.
Describe how some explosive mixtures
obtain enough oxygen to explode.
Classify changes as exothermic or
endothermic from temperature changes.
Explain why energy input may be needed to
start some reactions or keep them going.
Explain why a displacement reaction may or
may not occur.
Use evidence to decide whether a
displacement reaction has or has not
occurred.
Use results from displacement reactions to
produce an order of reactivity.
Explain what happens in oxidation and
reduction.
Describe how metals are extracted from their
ores by heating with carbon and electrolysis.
Explain why the method used to extract a
metal is related to its position in the reactivity
series and cost of the extraction process.
Mastery
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Describe bond breaking and
making in terms of energy
transfer.
Summarise energy changes
by drawing simple energy
level diagrams.
Write balanced equations for
displacement reactions.
Describe the movement of
ions in electrolysis.
Explain how oxidation and
reduction happen during
electrolysis.
Year
Group
Grade
Year 9 Science
Force fields and electromagnets
Expected Attainment
Confident
Emerging
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Identify common symbols for components.
Recall how the current changes when the
voltage of the supply changes.
Explain how switches can be used to control
different parts of a parallel circuit.
Describe how changing the number or type of
components in a circuit affects the current.
Describe how current and voltage behave in
series and parallel circuits.
State what is meant by resistance and name its
units.
Describe the relationship between resistance
and current.
Describe how the resistance of a wire varies
with length and thickness.
Use the formula relating voltage, current and
resistance.
Describe the shape of the magnetic field around
a wire carrying a current.
Describe an electromagnet and the shape of its
magnetic field.
Describe how the strength of an electromagnet
can be changed.
Explain how electromagnets are used in simple
applications.
Advanced
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Mastery
Describe how voltage and energy are linked.
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Describe a current as a flow of electrons.
Plan an investigation into how the resistance
of a wire changes with length or thickness.
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Interpret a voltage–current graph for
resistors of different values.
Explain how changing the size or direction of
the current affects the magnetic field.
Explain how electromagnets are used in
relays.
Describe how a wire carrying a current must
be oriented in a magnetic field to produce a
force.
Describe how the motor effect is used in a
simple electric motor and how the force it
produces can be changed.
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Describe the relationship
between watts and
joules/second.
Use the formula relating
power, current and voltage.
Describe how the resistance
of a filament lamp changes
with voltage.
Explain why the resistance
of a filament lamp increases
with increasing voltage.
Use Fleming’s left-hand rule
and the right-hand grip rule.
Explain how the motor effect
is used in unfamiliar devices.
Year
Group
Grade
Year 9 Science
Forces and Motion
Expected Attainment
Confident
Emerging
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Describe the meaning of speed and mean
speed.
Explain how the distance travelled and the time
taken affects the speed.
Use the formula relating speed, distance and
time.
Represent simple journeys on a distance– time
graph.
Describe changes of speed shown on a
distance–time graph.
Explain what relative speed means.
Describe how a simple lever can magnify force
or distance.
Identify the pivot, load and effort in Class 1
levers.
Explain how levers are used in common
devices.
State what is meant by a moment of a force and
recall its units.
Recall that an object will balance if the moments
are equal and opposite.
Describe the factors that affect the size of a
moment.
Describe how a ramp or a simple pulley system
can reduce the force needed to lift an object.
Recall that if the force needed is decreased the
distance it moves is increased.
Describe the relationship between work done
and energy transferred.
Describe the factors that affect the total work
done.
Advanced
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Explain why the maximum speed on a
journey is usually greater than the mean
speed.
Calculate speeds from the gradient of a
distance–time graph.
Calculate the relative speed between two
objects moving along the same line.
Identify the pivot, load and effort in Class 2
and Class 3 levers.
Use the formula relating moment, force and
perpendicular distance.
Use the formula relating work, force and
distance moved.
Mastery
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Use ideas about conservation of energy
when explaining how simple machines work.
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Work out the direction of
relative motion for objects
not moving along the same
line.
Describe how gears affect
the force needed to move an
object and the speed of
movement.
Explain how gears work
using ideas about moments.
Work out the mechanical
advantage of simple
machines.
Explain why the actual
mechanical advantage may
not be the same as the
theoretical value.
Use the idea that a force can
be represented by two
orthogonal forces.