Twenty First Century Science - 2006
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Entry level and GCSE Science
Linking Entry level items with GCSE Science
The OCR Entry level specification has been designed to allow the possibility of some
candidates being entered, quite late on in the course, for the Foundation tier of an
OCR GCSE Science course: either Twenty First Century Science or Gateway Science.
These resources cover all the items. They have been developed by the Twenty First
Century Science team and have links with the resources for GCSE Science at
Foundation level. The match between the Entry level items and GCSE Science
modules is indicated in the OCR specification but is elaborated in the tables which
follow.
The skills assessment component of Entry level can also be transferred to GCSE
Science in either Twenty First Century Science or Gateway. Further details of skills
assessment are given in the OCR specifications for GCSE Science, available to
download from www.gcse-science.com.
The tables below show that there are links between 25 of the Entry level items and the
nine Twenty First Century Science GCSE Science modules (9 biology items, 7
chemistry items and 9 physics items). There can be a free choice when selecting the
other Entry level items to cover. Entry level items and Twenty First Century Science
GCSE Science modules
Entry level items and GCSE Science modules
B1 You and your genes
Science module
Entry level items
Notes on the entry level
content
B1.1 What are genes and how
do they affect the way
organisms develop
B12 My genes
The item covers cell nuclei,
chromosomes and the idea that
there is a genetic code.
B1.2 Why can people look like
their parents, brothers and
sisters but not be identical with
them?
B12 My genes
In the item students collect and
interpret data on human
variation. The find out about the
connection between genes and
human features.
B1.3 How can and should
genetic information be used?
How can we use our knowledge
of genes to prevent disease?
B12 My genes
The item introduces the idea that
some diseases are caused by
faulty genes. It also mentions
genetic testing of embryos.
B1.4 What are stem cells and
why could they be useful in
treating some diseases
B10 Green and growing
The entry level item only covers
cloning of plants but does
include the idea that differences
between clones are likely to be
due to environmental factors.
The GCSE course deals with
cloning of animal cells in
relation to stem cells.
Twenty First Century Science - 2006
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C1 Air quality
Science module
Entry level items
Notes on the entry level
content
C1.1 Which chemicals make up
the air and which ones are
pollutants? How do I make
sense of data about air
pollution?
C6 Clean air?
The items covers the
composition of the atmosphere.
It also shows that burning fuels
adds harmful gases to the air.
C1.2 What chemical reactions
produce air pollutants? What
happens to these pollutants in
the atmosphere
C6 Clean air?
The item covers the formation
of carbon particles and nitrogen
oxides when fuels burn.
C12 Fuels
The items covers the formation
of toxic carbon monoxide when
fuels burn in too little air.
C1.3 Is air pollution harmful to
me or to my environment?
B7 Gasping for breath
In the item students look for
patterns in data about asthma.
They learn that air pollution can
cause asthma.
C1.4 What choices can we
make personally, locally,
nationally or globally to
improve air quality?
C6 Clean air?
The item deals with the use of
catalytic converters to remove
pollutants from car exhaust.
C12 Fuels
The item compares petrol and
diesel engines including a
comparison of the extent to
which they pollute.
P1 The Earth in the Universe
Science module
Entry level items
Notes on the entry level
content
P1.1 What do we know about
the Earth and space?
P6 Watch this space!
This item surveys the solar
system and features the Sun, the
planets and the Moon
P8 Deep impacts
This item deals with asteroids
and the possibility of a Near
Earth Object colliding with the
Earth.
P1.2 How have the Earth’s
continents moved and with what
consequences?
C8 Restless Earth
The item features the layered
structure of the Earth, plate
tectonics, earthquakes and
volcanoes.
P1.3 What is know about stars
and galaxies?
P6 Watch this space!
This item describes the Sun as a
star in the Milky Way galaxy. It
also mentions that astronomers
have discovered planets around
other stars.
P1.4 How do scientists develop
explanations of the Earth and
space?
C8 Restless Earth
The item shows that Wegener’s
idea of moving continents was
not accepted at first
Twenty First Century Science - 2006
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B2 Keeping healthy
Science module
Entry level items
Notes on the entry level
content
B2.1 How do our bodies resist
infection?
B13 Body wars
This items deals with sources of
infection. It also mentions the
immune system which fights
infection.
B2.2 What are vaccines and
how do they work?
B13 Body wars
This item shows that vaccines
can make people immune to
disease. It shows that people
differ in their views of
vaccination.
B2.3 What are antibiotics and
why can they become less
effective? How are new drugs
developed and tested?
B13 Body wars
This item deals with antibiotics
and the problem of microbes
that are resistant to antibiotics.
B2.4 What factors increase the
risk of heart disease?
B4 Casualty
This item deals with heart and
circulation. It covers heart
disease and its risk factors.
B7 Gasping for breath
In this item students interpret
data relating to health studies on
smoking.
Science module
Entry level items
Notes on the entry level
content
C2.1 What different properties
do different materials have?
C5 Fibres and fabrics
This item covers the testing of
fibres for strength and
stretchiness.
C7 Strong stuff
This item relates properties to
uses for metallic as well as nonmetallic materials. It deals with
strength and hardness.
P4 G-force
In this item students see that a
greater force increases the
length of a stretchy material
C2.2 Why is crude oil important
as a source of new materials
such as plastics and fibres?
C5 Fibres and fabrics
In this item students distinguish
natural and synthetic fibres
C12 Fuels
This item describes the
distillation of crude oil as a
source of fuels.
C2.3 Why does it help to know
about the molecular structure of
materials such as plastics and
fibres?
The Entry level course largely
excludes explanations in terms
of atoms and molecules
C2.4 When buying a product,
what else should we consider
besides its cost and how well it
does its job? How should we
manage the wastes that arise
from our use of materials?
C11 Rubbish
C2 Material choices
This item covers different ways
of getting rid of waste, the four
Rs as well as the use of energy
and materials in the birth, life
and death of a familiar product.
Twenty First Century Science - 2006
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P2 Radiation and life
Science module
Entry level items
Notes on the entry level
content
P2.1 What types of
electromagnetic radiation are
there? What happens when
radiation hits an object?
P12 Full spectrum
This item covers selected effects
and uses for parts of the
electromagnetic spectrum
including visible light, infrared,
microwaves and radiowaves.
P13 Medical rays
This item features UV radiation,
X-rays and gamma rays and
their effects on living tissues.
P12 Full spectrum
This item covers the heating
effect of radiation but not
chemical effects.
P13 Medical rays
This item covers the harmful
effects of UV radiation and the
use of sunscreens
P2.3 How does electromagnetic
radiation make life on Earth
possible?
B8 Creepy crawlies
This items shows that plants
need light to grow and that they
make their food from carbon
dioxide and water.
P2.4 What is the evidence for
global warming, why might it be
occurring and how serious a
threat is it?
Global warming does not
feature in the entry level course.
P2.5 What ideas do citizens and
scientists have about risk?
P1 Digital age
P2.2 Which types of radiation
harm living tissue and why?
P13 Medical rays
This item mentions possible
risks associated with mobile
phones.
This item features risks and
benefits of UV and ways to
reduce the risks.
B3 Life on Earth
Science module
Entry level items
Notes on the entry level
content
B3.1 How did life on Earth
begin and evolve?
B3 Extinction
This item uses fossils as
evidence that life on earth has
changed.
B10 Green and growing
B3.2 How have scientists
developed explanations of
evolution?
B3 Extinction
This item shows that life on
Earth has changed because of
evolution.
B3.3 How did humans evolve?
How are our nervous systems
organised?
Human evolution and the
nervous system are not covered
at Entry level.
B3.4 Why do some species
become extinct, and does it
matter? What is the importance
of biodiversity?
B3 Extinction
This items deals with extinction.
This item shows that scientists
do not always agree on an
explanation.
B8 Creepy crawlies
This items shows how living
things in a habitat can depend
on each other.
Twenty First Century Science - 2006
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C3 Food matters
Science module
Entry level items
Notes on the entry level
content
C3.1 What is the difference
between intensive and organic
farming?
B11 From field to plate
This item features the
commercial ‘food chain’. It
covers farming with fertilizers
and organic farming.
C3.2 Why are chemicals
deliberately added to food?
C13 Food chemicals
This item covers food additives :
antioxidants, colours and
flavours.
C3.3 How can we make sure
that our food does not contain
chemicals that may be harmful
to health?
C13 Food chemicals
The items shows that additives
with E numbers have been
tested and approved.
C3.4 Why does what we eat
affect our health?
B6 Control systems
This item features diabetes and
its control.
P3 Radioactive materials
Science module
Entry level items
P3.1 Why are some materials
radioactive?
Atomic structure and the nature
of the radiation from radioactive
materials is not included in
Entry level.
P3.2 How can radioactive
materials be used and handled
safety, including wastes?
P11 Nuclear power
This item shows that radioactive
materials are harmful. It
describes alpha, beta and
gamma radiation.
P3.3 How can electricity be
generated? What can be done
with nuclear wastes?
P2 Power on!
This item features high-voltage
transmission lines to transfer
electricity from power stations
P7 The burning question
This item covers renewable
energy sources for generating
electricity.
P11 Nuclear power
This item deals with power
generation using nuclear energy.
It also identifies plutonium as a
hazardous product of the nuclear
industry.
P11 Nuclear power
This item identifies risks
associated with the nuclear
industry.
P3.4 What are the health risks
from radioactive materials?
Notes on the entry level
content