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Christ’s College
Canterbury
30
Chemistry
YEAR 9
Status
Compulsory
Prerequisites
None
Periods per week
Five for 1/3 of the year
Description
Although most students will have been introduced
to Chemistry as “making sense of the material
world” in the Science curriculum in their junior
school, the formal study of Chemistry is treated
as a new subject. A variety of contexts designed to
emphasise the practical applications of Chemistry
are used to teach the scientific method, laboratory
skills and the simple language of Chemistry.
The subject matter is elementary and largely
descriptive, and students are always encouraged to
practise safe laboratory procedures.
Topics covered include:
• the nature of matter
• elements, mixtures and compounds
• physical and chemical changes
• acids and bases
• separation techniques
Practical skills introduced include:
• working safely in a laboratory
• using Bunsen burners to heat and combust
materials
• using scientific equipment tomakemeasurements
• carrying out chemical reactions
• testing for chemical substances
Assessment
The discipline of written reports of work carried
out in the laboratory is encouraged and assessed,
and factual material is tested during the term. An
examination completes assessment at the end of
the module.