SQA Website - Chemistry

Key Links: Curriculum for Excellence - Sciences

In Science, pupils have the opportunity to study topics which incorporate all the discrete Sciences and give them experiences which build on their work from primary school and prepare them for entering the senior phase.

In S1 they study 6 topics which form an all-round general knowledge of Biology, Chemistry & Physics and this includes topics such as: -

• Cells & Microbes – Learning about cell structure and the different types of cells that exist.
• The Chemical World – Pupils learn about non-living matter and the particle arrangement, and how chemical substances move between the 3 states of matter.
• Energy – Looks at the different forms of energy and their application in the real world.

In S2, pupils study a further 6 topics which include: -

• The Body Systems – looking at cell function within a variety of body systems such as the respiratory, cardiovascular and digestive systems.
• Atoms & The Periodic Table – looking at elements and their properties and at their atomic structure.
• Forces & Space – looking at what a force is and how you measure it and also how these forces relate to other planets in our solar system.

These S2 topics are progressive from the work covered during S1 and allow pupils to achieve an ongoing knowledge of Science which will prepare them for studying one or more Sciences going forward.

Science is vital to everyday life and allows us to understand and shape the world in which we live and influence its future. Scientists play a key role in meeting society’s needs in areas such as medicine, energy, industry, material development, the environment and sustainability.

The course contains the following units:

Science: Fragile Earth

Learners will focus on two choices from the following four:

• Energy
• Metals
• Water
• Food

They will investigate these resources through activities related to their source, origin, production and/or extraction. Learners will gain knowledge of how science is involved in environmental issues.

Science: Human Health

This Unit covers the individual’s immediate health, expanding to taking responsibility for the family’s health. It then looks at health within the community, and finally global issues affecting health.

Applications of Science

This Unit lets learners explore science’s contribution to communication technologies, new materials and how science helps the understanding of risk and how it can be reduced in modern life

Added Value Unit: Science Assignment

Learners will draw on and extend the skills they have learned from across the other Units.

This National Progression Award course provides an overview of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) sector.  It develops knowledge and understanding of biology, chemistry and physics. It will also develop science practical skills.  Pupils develop problem-solving skills in a scientific context and the practical skills needed to carry out experimental and investigative work.  They will also develop important transferable skills in analysis, research and planning that will enhance their employment prospects.  

There are four units:

1. Introduction to Biology
2. Introduction to Physics
3. Chemical changes and structure
4. Laboratory Science Practical Skills

There is no external exam for this course. Assessment is based on both performance and written evidence, through students performing a range of practical activities or through closed book internal assessment.

Pupils can progress to Nat 5 Health Sector (See Biology Department page) in S5 or Nat 5 Energy (See Physics Department page).

NPA Applied Sciences SCQF level 5

SQA Website - National 5 Chemistry

In S3 and S4 the chemistry course has been developed to allow students to experience an experimental and investigative approach to develop knowledge and understanding of chemistry concepts.

The course provides opportunities for learners to recognise the impact chemistry makes on developing sustainability, and its effects on the environment, on society and on the lives of themselves and others. 

Successful learners in chemistry think creatively, analyse and solve problems. Chemistry can produce responsible citizens through studying the impact it makes on developing sustainability, and its effect on the environment, society, and the lives of themselves and others.

The S3 course initially allows learners to develop scientific skills and knowledge of the chemical reactions in our world. Through practical experience, learners will investigate rates of chemical reactions and the chemistry of compounds due to their bonding type. They then progress onto “carbon” chemistry with understanding the structure of hydrocarbons and related reactions to everyday consumer products such as alcohols and carboxylic acids.

In S4 the course progresses from S3 with a review of S3 work and pupils gain further exam practise before studying Acids and Alkalis and develop experience of neutralisation reactions and titrations (a practical skill that permeates all chemistry courses.) They complete S4 with Metals, Nuclear Chemistry and Fertilisers and Chemical Analysis. The course allows for pupils to increase their resilience and problem solving skills as well as scientific literacy and numeracy.

Pupils must also complete a chemical assignment which contributes to 20% of the overall grade and is marked externally by the SQA. The exam is a written paper consisting of multiple choice and written questions and lasts 2.5 hours.

Pupils who pass National 5 chemistry can progress on to Higher Chemistry in S5.

SQA Website - Higher Chemistry

The Higher qualification in chemistry extends learners’ knowledge and understanding and skills that may have been initiated through National 5 Chemistry.

Pupils will develop knowledge and understanding and scientific analytical thinking skills, including scientific evaluation, in a chemistry context. This is achieved by studying a wide range of topics including Rates, Bonding and Structure of Elements and Compounds and their related properties.

A further two units allow students to appreciate the importance of organic chemistry in the food, toiletries and chemical industries. The course finishes with the importance of the chemical industry and calculations involved in the production and planning of synthetic routes. Pupils must also complete a chemical assignment which contributes to 20% of the overall grade and is marked externally by the SQA. The exam is a written paper consisting of multiple choice and written questions and lasts 3 hours.

A pass in the final exam could allow the pupils to continue to Advanced Higher in S6 or open up many career opportunities in the scientific world.

SQA Website - Advanced Higher Chemistry 

The Advanced Higher Chemistry Course serves to equip all learners with an understanding of the impact of chemistry on everyday life. The course builds on the knowledge and skills developed by candidates in the Higher Chemistry course and continues to develop their curiosity, interest and enthusiasm for chemistry in a range of contexts. Skills of scientific inquiry and investigation are developed throughout the course. The course offers opportunities for collaborative and independent learning set within familiar and unfamiliar contexts, and seeks to illustrate and emphasise situations where the principles of chemistry are used and applied in everyday life.

The course consists of three units, Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Researching Chemistry.

Pupils also have to complete a practical investigation which allows the pupils to research a chemical topic through practical experiments and must be written up and completed for SQA marking.

The exam consists of a written paper both multiple choice and written questions which lasts 3 hours. A pass in AH chemistry is needed for some university courses and for others will benefit the students for the courses they are applying to.