Professional Focus Paper
Course: Chemistry
1.
Level: National 4
Who is this paper for and what is its purpose?
This paper is for teachers and other staff who provide learning, teaching and support as learners work towards
Chemistry National 4.
Curriculum for Excellence is a unique opportunity to raise achievement and to ensure that all learners are better
prepared than they have been in the past for learning, life and work. This is because the new curriculum gives real
scope to build learning from 3–18 in a joined-up, seamless way. As a result, progression in learning can be much
stronger with a clear focus on attributes and capabilities, skills (including higher-order thinking skills), and
knowledge and understanding. These are delivered through the experiences and outcomes of the 3–15 Broad
General Education (BGE) and, at the senior phase, through programmes that build directly on the BGE leading to
qualifications. Because of a strengthened focus on the nature and quality of learning experiences, self-motivation is
likely to be increased and learners consequently more engaged and enthused. To ensure continuity and
progression, qualifications at the senior phase have been designed to embrace this unambiguous focus on highquality learning.
Curriculum for Excellence has the flexibility to meet the needs of all learners in their local circumstances, enabling
each to achieve their very best. For example, some centres may take the opportunity to offer qualifications over two
years which might involve learners bypassing qualifications at a given level, whereas others may enable learners to
work towards qualifications within one year. In both cases, the advice in this paper is relevant to the learning and
teaching approaches that learners will encounter. This paper, then, is intended to stimulate professional reflection
and dialogue about learning. It highlights important features of learning which are enhanced or different from
previous arrangements at this SCQF level.
How will you plan for progression in learning and teaching, building on the BGE, to meet the needs of learners?
2.
What’s new and what are the implications for learning and teaching?
Chemistry National 4 consists of four Units, providing learners with the opportunity to develop and apply skills,
alongside increasing their depth of knowledge and understanding.
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Chemical Changes and Structure
Nature’s Chemistry
Chemistry in Society
Added Value Unit
To achieve Chemistry National 4, learners must pass all of the required Units, including the Added Value Unit.
CHEMISTRY
What are the key aspects of Chemistry National 4?
Progression from the Broad General Education
This qualification has been designed to articulate with the BGE. Staff will find it useful alongside this paper to refer
to the Chemistry Progression Framework, as they plan learning that builds on the BGE into National 4.
Added Value Unit
The Added Value Unit offers scope for personalisation and choice. It pulls together the application of skills of
scientific inquiry and related chemistry knowledge and understanding, and the possible effects on the environment
or society. It will allow scope for further development and application of the literacy and numeracy skills developed
within the BGE.
Hierarchy of Units
From National 3 onwards, the hierarchical nature of the Units allows for flexible learning and teaching, in classes
and groups as appropriate to circumstances, and enables learners to be given recognition for their best
achievement. Learners may gain Unit awards at more than one level, based on their level of skills and knowledge
and understanding of the key areas of chemistry. The degree of choice within the Units further allows for new areas
of study for learners who are able to progress from one level to another, while ensuring that learners are not
required to repeat content from one level to the next. This approach has the potential to encourage all learners to
aim high.
Fewer, broader outcomes
Staff will now be able to build learning programmes that suit local circumstances because Units are less
prescriptive and more flexible with fewer, broader outcomes designed to encourage a more holistic and rounded
approach to learning. There is no mandatory content at National 4; rather there are key areas of knowledge and
understanding that learners should experience. These can be developed in contexts chosen locally in consideration
of the needs and interests of learners.
What are the key features of learning in Chemistry National 4?
Learning will be best when it applies a variety of creative and innovative approaches to the development of interest
and enthusiasm for chemistry. Chemistry provides opportunities for active and collaborative learning in creative,
relevant, inspiring and engaging contexts. Well-designed experiences in chemistry will develop learners’ curiosity
and problem solving and analytical thinking skills; skills for collaborative learning and independent thinking; and
interest and enthusiasm for learning. For example, consideration of the key area of acids and alkalis and their use
in food and drink would lend itself to learners identifying media coverage associated with health issues that are of
interest or relevance to them. Applying numeracy and evaluative skills, learners could consider the extent to which
the media coverage is based on scientific evidence.
How will you promote enthusiasm for chemistry through relevant, inspiring and engaging contexts?
CHEMISTRY
A blend of classroom approaches will involve hands-on practical tasks, such as experiments and open-ended
investigations, together with whole-class plenary discussions and direct interactive teaching. The key area of fuels
within the Nature’s Chemistry Unit offers rich opportunities for open-ended investigations around electricity
generation and distribution, while engaging learners in whole-class, small group and one-to-one discussions
around issues of sustainability, and the risks and benefits of different energy sources in a Scottish and global
context. This is exemplified through Education Scotland’s National 4 Energy Security advice and guidance.
Learning experiences can require independent learning and ensure learners develop the skills required to take
responsibility for their own learning and, as appropriate, to draw on the support of their peers. For example, the key
area of everyday consumer products within the Nature’s Chemistry Unit provides opportunities for learners to make
decisions, manage and take responsibility for their learning to explore the science which will allow them to express
informed views on reflective questions such as ‘Would minimal alcohol pricing be good for Scotland?’
Approaches that allow space for personalisation and choice should be built in at all stages, taking account of
individual learner progress, how she/he learns and the contexts that each finds particularly interesting. The key
area of materials within the Chemistry in Society Unit would lend itself to the learner being able to explore an area
of interest, appropriate to her/his individual progress. This might range from novel materials used to advance
communication technologies to bio ceramics for bone replacements or polymers for prosthetics.
How will you ensure a balanced overall blend of approaches in the classroom?
Effective partnerships have an important role to play. These could include drawing on relevant expertise among
staff in other curriculum areas including, for example, social studies, technologies or RME, as well as links with
employers and businesses developed independently or through organisations such as STEMNET. These links can
also promote an understanding of potential careers, occupations, ways of learning and future training pathways.
Learning should develop high-quality scientific inquiry and investigation skills, building on skills developed within
the BGE. This should involve scientific inquiry, which includes finding associations and investigating models in reallife and relevant contexts. Learning and teaching should provide opportunities to generate and use suitable
questions for scientific inquiry and practical investigation or research. Learners should continue to have
opportunities to decide on a course of action, for example, what to observe or measure, or how to carry out
observations or measurements. In addition, learners should be given opportunities to decide on an appropriate
approach to determine or discover answers or solutions, building on their earlier learning.
Learning experiences may include the use of data loggers, and the collection and analysis of increasingly complex
data, again progressing from the knowledge and skills gained through the BGE. Learners should continue to have
opportunities to evaluate the inquiry or investigative process, and the adequacy or appropriateness of their
approaches. Learning and teaching should offer opportunities for learners to make adjustments to investigations
and experimental design as their work progresses.
How will you ensure that learners have opportunities to encounter a broad and challenging range of data and
sources of evidence?
CHEMISTRY
Learning and teaching will embed literacy at an appropriate level. This will include, for example, opportunities for
learners to access and use information from a range of sources to inform their learning in chemistry, selecting,
summarising and inferring. These experiences can involve working independently or collaboratively to evaluate
such sources, for example, considering the credibility and value of the sources, reliability of information and
techniques used to influence opinion, including persuasion and bias. They will also enable learners to engage in
informed debate on chemistry related and ethical issues. When presenting findings, learners could be given the
opportunity to select the appropriate way to share their thinking with others, and to develop skills that persuade,
evaluate, explore issues and express opinions, all based on scientific evidence.
Well-planned approaches to learning in chemistry enable learners to develop numeracy skills, including applying
and developing skills in: understanding the practical importance of accuracy and reliability; making choices about
how to record and display data in a clear way from an extended range of tables, charts, diagrams and graphs;
making effective use of technologies; interpreting data contained in a range of formats; evaluating and interpreting
raw data, and data from tables and graphs, from their own work or other sources; and commenting on observed
relationships within the data, and the extent to which that interpretation is realistic.
How will you ensure that learners develop and apply skills in literacy and numeracy?
Links with a range of curriculum areas such as other sciences, mathematics and social studies subjects, are
essential to help learners apply and make connections in their learning. This will help to ensure their skills are
reinforced and transferrable.
How can you ensure that learners can access opportunities to apply their learning in different curriculum areas?
CHEMISTRY
3.
Qualification information
The SQA website provides you with the following documents:
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Assessment Overview
Course Specification
Unit Specification
Support Notes
Course Assessment Specification
Unit Assessment Support Packages
Chemistry Progression Framework
Full information on arrangements for this qualification is available at the SQA website:
Chemistry National 4: http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/47423.html
4.
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What other materials are available on the Education Scotland website which staff
could use?
Sciences Principles and Practices
Concept development in the Sciences
The Sciences 3–18 Curriculum Area Impact Report
Science – Food Security
Physics – Energy Security
Science Skills
Support materials have been produced over the last year to support Curriculum for Excellence and further support
materials and events are planned. This downloadable list is updated quarterly with the most up-to-date details
available from the page below.
Published and planned support for Curriculum for Excellence:
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/publishedandplannedsupport
T +44 (0)141 282 5000 E enquiries@educationscotland.gov.uk W www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Education Scotland, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA
© Crown copyright, 2012
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