Integrated Science Book 2

Integrated Science, from the Wreake Valley Academy, is a series of three books designed to support science teaching of students aged 11 to 14. They provided a balanced science curriculum that included biology, chemistry, physics and encouraged scientific investigation as a way of promoting scientific thinking and engagement in science.

Book 2 was for use with students in the second year of secondary education (now referred to as year eight). Each section of the book had extension work for the more able students.

The chapters in the book cover the following areas of science:

1. Getting metals from rocks: properties of metals, metal ores, reduction of metal ores, electrolysis.

2. The X and Y machines: comparing plants and animals, what plants need to live, relating structure to function, transpiration, photosynthesis, phototropism, geotropism.

3. Energy: chemical energy, heating, fuels, electrical energy, storage, electrical heating.

4. A candle burns: investigation of burning, changes in a burning candle, wax changes of state, burning needs air.

5. Particles: what ‘stuff’ is made of, explaining dissolving, melting, freezing, evaporation, condensation, diffusion, explaining filtration in terms of particles.

6. Air and burning: changes in weight during burning, phlogiston and oxygen theory.

7. Water: water cycle, water supply, water towers, water treatment.

8. Living things depend on one another: breathing, oxygen from plants, plants use carbon dioxide, photosynthesis, respiration in plants.

9. The struggle for survival: competition, survival of the fittest, population explosions, variation, adaptation to niches, plant variation, behavioural adaptation.

10. Heat is energetic: heat transfer from burning gas, loss of heat from hands, measuring changes in mixing water at different temperatures, heat and temperature, heating solids, expansion, contraction, heating liquids, heating gases, measuring heat energy.

11. Evaporation: comparing acetone and water, particle explanation of evaporation.

12. Hot bodies: body temperature, heat loss, generating heat, heat balance, keeping warm, animal hair/fur, sweating.