There are seven life processes common to all living things: movement, growth, reproduction, feeding, excretion, respiration and sensitivity
Plants have a life cycle: germination – growth – pollination – fertilisation – seed dispersal
Plants have male and female reproductive parts – stamen and stigma
Plants make their own food using sunlight in a process called photosynthesis
Roots anchor the plant in the ground and take in water and nutrients
Plants take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen.
The Animal Kingdom is made up of vertebrates (animals with backbone) and invertebrates (animals without a backbone).
Vertebrates include fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals.
Humans have a life cycle: baby – child – adolescent – adult
Humans have a skeleton which supports the body and protects organs.
Organs in the human body include: heart, lungs, liver, stomach, brain and these organs all have specific functions.
Oxygen is carried around the body in the blood.
Humans breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide.
Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart and veins are blood vessels that carry blood to the heart.
Properties of materials include being waterproof, transparent, strong, flexible, rigid, easily breakable, malleable, and magnetic.
Materials are used for specific purposes on the basis of their properties i.e. a window is made of glass because it is waterproof, transparent and hard.
Materials can be grouped as metals, wood, plastics, glass, fabric and textiles.
Materials can be solid, liquid or gas.
In a solid, molecules are tightly packed together.
In a liquid, molecules are loosely packed together.
In a gas, molecules are very spread out.
A solid can become a liquid by melting.
A liquid can become a gas by evaporation.
A gas can become a liquid by condensation.
A liquid can become a solid by freezing.
In nature, the water cycle occurs due to evaporation and condensation.
Plastic is a is a good thermal insulator because it does not let as much heat to pass through.
Metal is a poor thermal insulator, but a good thermal conductor because it does allow heat to pass through.
Larger solids can be separated from smaller solids by sieving.
Some solids seem to disappear in a liquid. This is known as dissolving.
Insoluble solids can be separated from a liquid by filtering.
Soluble solids can be separated from a liquid by evaporation.
A magnet will only attract objects containing iron or steel.
Like poles on a magnet will repel i.e. North and North, South and South.
Unlike poles on a magnet will attract i.e. North and South.
Forces can be pushes or pulls.
A force can speed up, slow down or change the direction of a moving object.
Forces can be shown on a diagram as an arrow moving along the direction of the force.
Gravity pulls everything toward the centre of the Earth.
Weight measure the amount of force pulling down on an object. This is different to Mass.
Weight is measured using a forcemeter (or a Newtonmeter) and weighs in Newtons.
Mass is measured using scales in grams and kilograms.
There is less gravity on the moon, so we would weigh less there but our mass would remain the same.
There is no gravity in outer space so we would weigh nothing there, although our mass would remain the same.
Friction is caused when two surfaces rub together. This slows down a moving object.
Air resistance occurs when the air pushes against a moving object and slows it down e.g. as seen with a parachute.
When an object is placed in water, the object pushes some of the water out of the way. This is known as displacement. The volume of water pushed out of the way is the same as the volume of the object in the water. The water level rises.
In water, upthrust pushes up against the object which is why we feel “weightless” in a swimming pool.
The density of an object i.e. how closely packed the molecules in that material are, will affect whether or not the object sinks or floats in water.
If the object is spread out e.g. like a plasticine boat, there is more surface area for upthrust to work against and so it is more likely to float.
Light travels in straight lines.
A shadow is formed when the light is blocked.
If an object is near to the light source, the shadow will be bigger.
Transparent objects allow light to pass through so there is no shadow formed.
Translucent objects allow a little light through so a fuzzy shadow is formed.
Opaque objects allow no light through so a dark object is formed.
Sound travels in waves.
Sound becomes fainter the further you are from the source.
Sound vibrates through materials, including air, to reach your ear.
Pitch means how high or low a sound is.
Volume means how loud or quiet a sound is.
Electricity needs a complete circuit in order for a device to work.
Electricity needs a source of power to work. This is usually mains or battery.
All metals allow electricity to pass through. They are electrical conductors.
Plastic and wood do not allow electricity to pass through. They are electrical insulators.
There are symbols which must be used when drawing a circuit diagram.
Parallel and series circuits allow electricity to travel round the circuit in different ways.
The Earth takes 24 hours (1 day) to rotate once on its own axis.
The Earth takes 364 ¼ days (1 year) to orbit the sun.
The moon takes about 28 days (1 month) to orbit the Earth
When the sun is overhead (midday) a shadow is at its shortest.
When the sun is rising and setting the shadow is longer.
When the sun is in front of you, the shadow will be behind you. When the sun is behind you, the shadow will be in front of you.
The sun rises in the East and sets in the West.
The sun appears to move across the sky over the course of a day. It is in fact the Earth spinning on its axis that makes this happen.
