Science Pre-Course Task 1
Subject Knowledge Auditing: PGCE Science
Developing subject knowledge in Science
Science, and therefore the science curriculum, is constantly evolving. As curricula are updated, it is important that your subject knowledge keeps pace so you can not only be confident with your understanding of topics being taught but are also able to make well-informed pedagogical choices.
During the course, there are many ways of developing your subject knowledge including:
- Making use of the expertise of other PGCE students all of whom will have different strengths. Your own understanding of topics at an appropriate level will be challenged by trying to explain them to others to help them learn too.
- Subject workshops which will explore subject content at KS3 and KS4 as well as some of the pedagogical approaches that can be taken.
- Subject knowledge development tasks provided by tutors
- During school placements, you may need to quickly update your knowledge of particular topics before teaching them. ‘Winging it’ is not a safe option.
- Your own targeted subject knowledge development. You might refer to textbooks or revision guides, explore the professional journals just as School Science Review, or make use of video or web resources.
The subject knowledge audit
To support your subject knowledge development, you will use this document to maintain a log of your preparedness to teach the different topic areas across the science curriculum and the actions you take to develop this.
By updating this document at several key points during the year, you will:
- Help yourself to focus on and target important areas
- Demonstrate to your tutors your commitment to self-development
- Develop your understanding of the breadth of the science curriculum
- Increase your awareness of the links between different curriculum areas
- Develop a summary of activity that can support demonstration of aspects of the Teachers’ Standards.
This audit covers key stages 3 and 4. You should also use your specialist sessions and KS5 school experience to review your subject knowledge across relevant A level or BTEC curricula.
Tutors will identify useful resources during sessions, and further information and links to resources will be available on Blackboard.
5 review points
The audit is shown below but you will need your own copy to edit, since you will revisit it at several points during the year.
You can download a copy here: https://tinyurl.com/UoLPGCE-SciAudit
You should complete the audit for KS3 and KS4 across all the sciences at the following points:
| Precourse | September- based on pre-course auditing and your own development work |
| A1 | October – end of phase A1 and in light of subject development days during university sessions and doing your own development work. |
| A2 | December- at end of phase A2 and based on your teaching experience and own development work |
| B1 | February – at end of phase B1 and in the light of subject development days during university sessions and doing your own development work |
| B2 | June – at end of phase B2 and based on your teaching experience and own development work |
Once the course starts, you will set up your e-portfolio using your university OneDrive account and a file structure that will be provided. You will share access with me. This document can then be saved in your subject studies folder and can be updated as appropriate throughout the year. I will review your audit at several key points during the year: in September, January and June.
Updating your audit
Note – at review points A1-B2, you do not need to address the whole document. You can focus on areas you have addressed either in curriculum sessions or during your teaching.
5 review points
You should complete the audit for KS3 and KS4 across all the sciences at the following points:
| Precourse | September- based on pre-course auditing and your own development work |
| A1 | October – end of phase A1 and in light of subject development days during university sessions and doing your own development work. |
| A2 | December- at end of phase A2 and based on your teaching experience and own development work |
| B1 | February – at end of phase B1 and in the light of subject development days during university sessions and doing your own development work |
| B2 | June – at end of phase B2 and based on your teaching experience and own development work |
Once the course starts, you will set up your e-portfolio using your university OneDrive account and a file structure that will be provided. You will share access with me. This document can then be saved in your subject studies folder and can be updated as appropriate throughout the year. I will review your audit at several key points during the year: in September, January and June.
Updating your audit
Note – at review points A1-B2, you do not need to address the whole document. You can focus on areas you have addressed either in curriculum sessions or during your teaching.
Assessing your subject knowledge
You may find it difficult at first to assess your subject knowledge. This will become easier as you become more familiar with both the content of the curriculum and the level at which you find yourself pitching your teaching. An important part of reviewing your knowledge of a particular topic is to question whether you can anticipate likely misconceptions pupils may have and whether you can choose specific pedagogies that will help unlock pupil understanding.
At each of the 5 review points, you will assess your subject knowledge relating to particular topics in terms of your preparedness to teach them according to the following 5 levels. NB this is not only about your own knowledge of the subject, but also your ability to use appropriate pedagogy to teach it.
| Level 1 | Very little familiarity with this aspect of the curriculum. I would not be confident teaching this yet. |
| Level 2 | Limited familiarity with this aspect of the curriculum. I would need to thoroughly revise this at an appropriate level in order to be able to teach it. |
| Level 3 | I am familiar with this aspect of the curriculum and would be able to teach this with some revision at the appropriate level. |
| Level 4 | I am very familiar with this aspect of the curriculum, have some ideas about pedagogy and would feel confident to teach this with minimal revision. |
| Level 5 | I am very confident with this topic and feel I could now make good pedagogical choices in preparing to teach it. |
Do not worry during your first audit if you find that many of your initial estimations of preparedness are quite low – this is to be expected, but from this you can focus your own pre course preparation. Over the course we will revisit this and you will then be able to demonstrate progress in your subject knowledge.
Science Subject Knowledge Audit
For each topic area in the left-hand column, assess your familiarity and preparedness to teach using the 5 point scale shown on page 2. Record this in the column appropriate to the current stage of the course.
In the right hand column, keep notes of how you have addressed your knowledge relating to this topic area either before or during the course.
An example is shown below. Note that some topics will naturally receive more attention by the end of the course than others. This is fine but you should try to plan appropriately to address all areas to develop your preparedness to teach less well-developed topics in future.
This is a large document – feel free to do it in stages rather than attempting it all in one go.
Organisation is key! Keep comments short.
Example:
| Topic | Pre course | A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | Comments |
| Viral action in cells | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | Revised pre-course Taught in phase A |
Science audit: Key Stage 3
Complete this in conjunction with the current National Curriculum accessed at:
| Knowledge of Subject | Precourse | A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | Comments |
| Cells & Organisation | ||||||
| The Skeletal & Muscle Systems | ||||||
| Human Nutrition, Diet and Digestion | ||||||
| The Breathing (Gas Exchange) System. | ||||||
| Health | ||||||
| Photosynthesis | ||||||
| Cellular Respiration | ||||||
| Relationships in an Ecosystem | ||||||
| Reproduction in Humans | ||||||
| Reproduction in Plants | ||||||
| Inheritance, Chromosomes, DNA Genes and Evolution | ||||||
| Pure & Impure Substances | ||||||
| The Particulate nature of matter | ||||||
| Atoms, Elements, Compounds | ||||||
| Chemical Reactions | ||||||
| Energetics | ||||||
| Acids, Alkalis & Neutralisation | ||||||
| The Periodic Table | ||||||
| Materials | ||||||
| Earth Science and the Atmosphere | ||||||
| PHYSICS | ||||||
| Energy Changes and Transfers. | ||||||
| Energy, Fuel and the Cost of Fuel | ||||||
| Auditing Change (change in systems/ describing energy changes) | ||||||
| Forces & Motion: Describing Motion | ||||||
| Forces | ||||||
| Pressure Forces | ||||||
| Balanced Forces | ||||||
| Observing waves | ||||||
| Sound waves | ||||||
| Energy and waves | ||||||
| Light waves | ||||||
| Current Electricity | ||||||
| Static Electricity | ||||||
| Magnetism | ||||||
| Matter – Physical Change | ||||||
| Particle Model | ||||||
| Energy in Matter | ||||||
| Space, Stars, Galaxies and Seasons |
Science audit: Key Stage 4
Complete in conjunction with this AQA link: AQUA
Use the same levels as for the Key stage 3 audit:
| Level 1 | Very little familiarity with this aspect of the curriculum. I would not be confident teaching this yet. |
| Level 2 | Limited familiarity with this aspect of the curriculum. I would need to thoroughly revise this at an appropriate level in order to be able to teach it. |
| Level 3 | I am familiar with this aspect of the curriculum and would be able to teach this with some revision at the appropriate level. |
| Level 4 | I am very familiar with this aspect of the curriculum, have some ideas about pedagogy and would feel confident to teach this with minimal revision. |
| Level 5 | I am very confident with this topic and feel I could now make good pedagogical choices in preparing to teach it. |
| Knowledge of Subject | Precourse | A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | Comments |
| Balanced diets, malnourishment and diabetes | ||||||
| Metabolism and metabolic rates | ||||||
| Inherited factors of health, like cholesterol | ||||||
| Impact and importance of exercise | ||||||
| Contribution by Semmelweiss | ||||||
| Antibiotics and Immunity | ||||||
| Epidemics and Pandemics | ||||||
| Microorganisms and Pathogens | ||||||
| Viral Action in cells | ||||||
| Role and function of White Blood Cells | ||||||
| Function of Penicillin | ||||||
| Antibiotic Resistance including MRSA | ||||||
| In-vitro Fertilisation (IVF) | ||||||
| Use of Plant Hormones | ||||||
| Stimuli and receptors | ||||||
| Reflex Actions | ||||||
| Synapses and effectors | ||||||
| Water levels, sweat and ion balance | ||||||
| Temperature and Effect on Enzymes | ||||||
| Blood Sugar Levels | ||||||
| Activity of hormones such as LH, FSH | ||||||
| Uses of those named hormones | ||||||
| Statins and Cardiovascular Disease | ||||||
| Prescribed, non-prescribed, recreational and hard drugs | ||||||
| Drugs in sport | ||||||
| Development of new Drugs | ||||||
| Thalidomide: Use and effects | ||||||
| Cannabis: Use and effects | ||||||
| How Organisms Adapt and Survive | ||||||
| Extremophiles: Arctic and Desert | ||||||
| Plant Adaptations | ||||||
| How environmental change affects the distribution of animals | ||||||
| Living organisms as indicators of pollution (lichen/ invertebrates) | ||||||
| Biotic and abiotic factors | ||||||
| Pyramids of biomass | ||||||
| Loss of energy within feeding relationships | ||||||
| Importance of decay and the conditions for it | ||||||
| Processes that remove carbon from the atmosphere | ||||||
| Process that add carbon to the atmosphere | ||||||
| Use of gametes in passing on characteristics | ||||||
| Impact of genetic and environmental factors for an individual | ||||||
| Similarities and differences between asexual and sexual reproduction | ||||||
| Use of cuttings and tissue culture in plant reproduction | ||||||
| Embryo transplants and adult cell cloning | ||||||
| Genetic modification and the uses of this technique | ||||||
| Darwin’s theory of natural selection and the gradual acceptance of it | ||||||
| Other evolutionary theories such as Lamarck’s | ||||||
| Cell constituents and the comparisons between animal, bacterial and yeast cells | ||||||
| Process of diffusion and the uses of it | ||||||
| Structure and function of muscular, glandular and epithelial tissue | ||||||
| Relate tissues to the organs they are found in | ||||||
| Structures and functions of organs in the digestive system | ||||||
| How the leaf is an example of an organs including details of the cells and tissues inside it | ||||||
| Specific tissues such as mesophyll , xylem and phloem | ||||||
| Word equation for Photosynthesis | ||||||
| Limiting factors of Photosynthesis | ||||||
| Use of the glucose formed during Photosynthesis | ||||||
| Factors that influence the distribution of organisms | ||||||
| Sampling techniques with quadrats | ||||||
| Sampling techniques with transects | ||||||
| Structure of a protein and the uses of them | ||||||
| Effect of temperature on enzyme activity | ||||||
| Effect of pH | ||||||
| Activity of enzymes amylase and also proteases | ||||||
| Activity of lipases | ||||||
| Uses of enzymes in the home and in industry | ||||||
| Word equation for aerobic respiration | ||||||
| Uses of respiration for the organism | ||||||
| Effect of exercise on breathing/ heart rate | ||||||
| Anaerobic respiration the comparisons with aerobic | ||||||
| Influence and work of Mendel | ||||||
| Construct and use monohybrid crosses | ||||||
| Ethical issues about stem cell technology | ||||||
| Function of chromosomes | ||||||
| Mechanism of mitosis | ||||||
| Formation and uses of stem cells | ||||||
| Sexual reproduction and variation | ||||||
| XX and XY | ||||||
| Different forms of genes called alleles | ||||||
| DNA and the double helix | ||||||
| Genes and amino acids | ||||||
| DNA fingerprinting | ||||||
| Formation and uses of fossils | ||||||
| Causes of extinction | ||||||
| Isolation and speciation | ||||||
| Substances are made atoms. Contain a central nucleus | ||||||
| Atoms of each element are represented by a chemical symbol | ||||||
| Relative charges of protons, neutrons and electrons | ||||||
| The importance and use of proton number | ||||||
| Elements in the same group have the same numbers of electrons in outer shells | ||||||
| Group 0 are the noble gases and their electron configuration explains activity | ||||||
| Formation of molecules using ionic bonds | ||||||
| Formation of molecules using covalent bonds | ||||||
| Representing chemical reactions using word/symbol equations | ||||||
| Conservation of mass | ||||||
| Implications of using limestone as a building material | ||||||
| Advantages and disadvantages of concrete over other materials | ||||||
| Formula of calcium carbonate and the decomposition of it | ||||||
| Using limewater to test for carbon dioxide | ||||||
| Making cement | ||||||
| Impact of exploiting metal ores | ||||||
| Economic considerations of extracting metal ores | ||||||
| Metals less reactive than carbon can be extracted using reduction | ||||||
| Reactive metals and electrolysis | ||||||
| Smelting and copper extraction including phytomining | ||||||
| Formation of steel | ||||||
| Uses of steel and other alloys | ||||||
| Uses and properties of some transition metals | ||||||
| Specific uses of aluminium and titanium | ||||||
| Understand the impact of burning hydrocarbons | ||||||
| Separation of mixtures (and crude oil) by distillation | ||||||
| Formula of general alkane and structural fomula of an alkanes such as C2H6 | ||||||
| Properties of alkanes based on the size of their molecules | ||||||
| Products of combustion an the production of energy | ||||||
| Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides and their roles in pollution | ||||||
| Removal of sulphur dioxide | ||||||
| Biofuels and biodiesel | ||||||
| Cracking | ||||||
| Social advantages and disadvantages of the products of crude oil (plastics) | ||||||
| Producing ethanol from renewable and non-renewable sources | ||||||
| Formula and structure of alkenes like C3H6 | ||||||
| Reacting alkenes with bromine water | ||||||
| Cracking and the fuels obtained | ||||||
| Transforming monomers in to polymers (polymerisation) | ||||||
| Uses of polymers | ||||||
| Advantages and Disadvantages of polymers | ||||||
| Production of ethanol by hydration | ||||||
| Production of ethanol by fermentation | ||||||
| General principle of extracting oils from vegetables/ nuts | ||||||
| Using oils for energy | ||||||
| Properties of vegetable oils compared with water | ||||||
| Use of oils to make emulsions | ||||||
| Hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties of emulsifiers | ||||||
| Composition of vegetable oils, carbon-carbon bonds | ||||||
| Formation of hardened veg oils using Hydrogen addition/ catalysts | ||||||
| The Earth consists of the core, mantle and the crust | ||||||
| Tectonic plates and movement by convection | ||||||
| Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions | ||||||
| Composition of current atmosphere | ||||||
| Atmosphere in the first billion years of Earth’s history | ||||||
| How the atmosphere evolved in to its current composition | ||||||
| Formation of the oceans | ||||||
| Products formed from the fractional distillation of the air | ||||||
| Represent electronic structure of ions | ||||||
| Represent covalent bonds in molecules | ||||||
| Charges formed when some bonds are formed | ||||||
| Group 1 metals and ionic bonds | ||||||
| Group 7 halogens and their reactions with alkali metals | ||||||
| Ionic bonds and lattices formed | ||||||
| Energy levels in the shells of metal atoms | ||||||
| Simple molecules and weak intermolecular forces | ||||||
| Simple molecules and electricity | ||||||
| Properties and ionic structures | ||||||
| Giant macromolecules like diamond and graphite | ||||||
| Properties of the macromolecules | ||||||
| The structure and properties of fullerenes | ||||||
| How metals conduct heat | ||||||
| Shape memory alloys like Nitinol | ||||||
| LD and HD poly(ethene) | ||||||
| Thermosetting polymers | ||||||
| Definition of nanoscience | ||||||
| Potential uses of nanoscience | ||||||
| Relative atomic mass and 12C isotope | ||||||
| Relative formula mass | ||||||
| Instrumental methods used for detection of elements and compounds | ||||||
| Identification of additives in food | ||||||
| Method and uses of gas chromatography | ||||||
| Mass spectrometry | ||||||
| Calculation of % of an element in a compound | ||||||
| Empirical formula | ||||||
| Masses of reactants and products | ||||||
| Calculation of yield | ||||||
| Reversible reactions | ||||||
| 2 ways to calculate rate of reaction | ||||||
| Collision theory (particles colliding) | ||||||
| Effect of increasing temperature | ||||||
| Effect of increasing pressure | ||||||
| Effect of increasing concentrations in solutions | ||||||
| Effect of increasing surface area | ||||||
| Use of catalysts and why they are important | ||||||
| Details of exothermic reactions and their everyday uses | ||||||
| Endothermic reactions and everyday uses | ||||||
| Use and recognise state symbols in equations (s) (l) (g) | ||||||
| Forming soluble salts by reacting acids (eg) with metals etc | ||||||
| Forming precipitates (insoluble salts) | ||||||
| Formations of acids and bases | ||||||
| Formations of salts based on the acid/ metal combinations | ||||||
| Use of pH scales and properties of it | ||||||
| Neutralisation reactions | ||||||
| Passing an electric current through an ionic substance | ||||||
| Electroplating | ||||||
| Products formed at cathode and anode | ||||||
| Electrolysis of aluminium and sodium chloride | ||||||
| Emission and absorption of infrared radiation | ||||||
| Good and poor absorbers/ emitters of infrared radiation | ||||||
| Kinetic theory to explain states of matter | ||||||
| Transfer of energy by conduction, convection and radiation | ||||||
| Factors that affect evaporation and condensation | ||||||
| Effect of SA, material and surface on rate of energy transfer | ||||||
| U values and the use of them | ||||||
| Use and design of solar panels | ||||||
| Specific heat capacity of a substance | ||||||
| Compare the efficiency, cost of methods to reduce ‘energy consumption’ | ||||||
| Describe energy transfers in a range of appliance | ||||||
| Interpret and draw Sankey diagrams | ||||||
| Calculate the efficiency of a device | ||||||
| Consider implications of electricity not being available | ||||||
| Compare different electrical appliances | ||||||
| Calculation of energy transferred using E=Pxt | ||||||
| Calculate the cost of mains electricity | ||||||
| Methods using fossil fuels and nuclear fuels | ||||||
| Methods using wind and water | ||||||
| Methods using Sun’s radiation | ||||||
| Methods using volcanic areas/ steam | ||||||
| Comparing methods : noise production, pollution and wildlife destruction | ||||||
| Use of transformers in National Grid | ||||||
| Relationship of voltage and current to reduce energy loss | ||||||
| Understand properties of transverse and longitudinal waves | ||||||
| Properties of electromagnetic waves | ||||||
| Compression and rarefaction | ||||||
| Reflection, refraction and diffraction of waves | ||||||
| Use wave equation v = fxƛ | ||||||
| Using radio and microwaves for communication | ||||||
| Angle of incidence and angle of reflection | ||||||
| Formation of an image | ||||||
| Pitch of sound | ||||||
| Echoes | ||||||
| Doppler effect | ||||||
| Observation of distant galaxies and effect on wavelength | ||||||
| Big Bang theory | ||||||
| Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation | ||||||
| Resultant forces | ||||||
| Application of acceleration relationships between acceleration, force and mass ( a = F/m) | ||||||
| Calculation of acceleration using:a = v-u/t | ||||||
| Calculation of speed of an object | ||||||
| Calculation of acceleration using a velocity time graph | ||||||
| Calculation of distance travelled using velocity time graph | ||||||
| Stopping distance and the calculation of them | ||||||
| Reaction time and how/ why these can be altered | ||||||
| Frictional forces in fluids | ||||||
| Falling objects and acceleration in a fluid | ||||||
| Drawing velocity time graphs | ||||||
| Weight and its calculation by W = m x g | ||||||
| Stretching and storing elastic potential energy in a spring | ||||||
| Extension of an elastic object and the relationship F = k x e | ||||||
| Evaluate the benefits of breaking systems such as regenerative energy and also air bags | ||||||
| Energy is transferred when work is done | ||||||
| Work against frictional forces | ||||||
| Use and understand P = E/t | ||||||
| Gravitational potential energy and use of its formula | ||||||
| Kinetic energy and use of its formula | ||||||
| Understand and use the momentum formula p = m x v | ||||||
| Understand the law of conservation of momentum | ||||||
| Static electricity and charges | ||||||
| Understand that electric current is a flow of electrical charge I=Q/t | ||||||
| Understand that pd (voltage) is energy transferred between 2 points; V = W/Q | ||||||
| Know and draw out the 14 main circuit symbols | ||||||
| Draw/understand current: voltage(p.d) graphs for different resistors | ||||||
| Understand the effect of temperature on resistors | ||||||
| Understand resistance in a circuit and/ or a component | ||||||
| Use formula V = IR | ||||||
| Calculate resistance in a series circuit | ||||||
| Calculate resistance in a parallel circuit | ||||||
| Uses of thermistors | ||||||
| Uses of LDRs | ||||||
| Cells, batteries and direct current (d.c) | ||||||
| Alternating current (a.c) | ||||||
| Structure of an electrical cable | ||||||
| Structure a wiring of a 3 pin plug | ||||||
| Fuses and circuit breakers | ||||||
| Use and understand P = I X V | ||||||
| Understand why resistors get hot when electrical charge flows through | ||||||
| Understand and use E = V x Q | ||||||
| Origins of background radiation | ||||||
| Properties of alpha, beta and gamma radiation | ||||||
| Nuclear equations to show alpha and beta decay | ||||||
| Detection and dangers of radiation | ||||||
| Half-life of radioactive sources | ||||||
| Use of uranium 235 and plutonium 239 in fission reactors | ||||||
| Understand the process of fission and chain reactions | ||||||
| Understand the process of fusion | ||||||
| Relate fusion to the formation and functions within stars | ||||||
| Life cycle of a star |