Science
These make use of the latest Flash technology in order to assess a wide range of pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding. They allow teachers to assess their pupils’ against National Curriculum levels at Key Stages One, Two and Three. They have the optional facility of screening questions to determine the level of assessment for each individual pupil. Alternatively, fixed level assessments can be selected instead.
A benefit of utilising Flash technology is that different ways of answering can be built in to the design of the questions, such as drag and drop, tick boxes, direct entry of text and numbers and highlighting words or relevant areas of a picture. Most of the questions include some animation which helps engage pupils with the assessments and helps to illustrate some of the concepts being assessed.
Structure of the Science Interactive National Curriculum Progress Assessments
The assessments contain questions on levels 1 to 8 of the national curriculum. There is also a Goal level W which is working towards national curriculum level 1.
In general there will be 10 questions at each of three consecutive national curriculum levels. For example there are assessments covering levels 123, levels 234, through to levels 678. The levels WW1 will show as 111 on the teacher’s page.
Each level will have 10 questions, one on each of the topics below on the right. These are referred to as Goal strands. The strands are grouped in the appropriate attainment targets or curriculum areas.
| Curriculum Area | Strand | |
|---|---|---|
| Sc2 Life processes and living things (Biology) | 1 2 3 |
Cells and Animals Cells and Plants Environment and Inheritance |
Sc3 Materials and theirproperties (Chemistry) |
4 5 6 |
Classifying Materials Changing Materials Patterns of Behaviour |
| Sc4 Physical processes (Physics) | 7 8 9 |
Electricity and Magnetism Forces and Motion Waves, Radiation and Energy |
| Sc1 Scientific enquiry | 10 | Scientific Investigation |
At Key Stage 3, the questions have been written to match the secondary framework for science
| Framework Strand | Goal Strands |
|---|---|
| How Science Works | 10: Scientific Enquiry |
| Organisms, Behaviour and Health | 1: Humans and Other Animals 2: Green Plants |
| Chemical and Material Behaviour | 4: Grouping Materials 6: Patterns and Behaviour and Mixtures |
| Energy, Electricity and Forces | 7: Electricity and Magnetism 9: Light, Sound and Energy |
| The environment, Earth and the Universe | 3: Life, Environment and Variation 5: Changing Materials 8: Forces, Motion and the Earth in Space |
In any assessment there will be three questions on each Goal strand.
Pupils are presented with the 10 questions from the lowest level first. These will be presented in a random order so that no two pupils taking an assessment at the same level will receive the questions in the same order.
The middle level questions are presented next and finally the questions from the highest level.
Teachers can select one of four versions of the assessment.
Questions from the four versions or banks are clones of each other, assessing the same thing in the same way at the same level of difficulty. The four versions are thus equivalent in difficulty. This is different from the multiple choice assessments where each question is selected from one of four banks.
The advantages of having four versions are:
- When the teacher selects a different version the questions will all be different.
- Two pupils who take, for example a level 234 and a level 345 assessment, will receive the same questions in the levels that are common to the two assessments, in this case levels 3 and 4.
Level W
| Question | Description | Goal Strand | Report Statement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Identifying types of animal | Cells and Animals | identify different types of animal |
| 2 | Identifying parts of a plant | Cells and Plants | identify parts of a plant |
| 3 | Identifying environments | Environment and Inheritance | identify different environments |
| 4 | Describing materials | Classifying Materials | describe features of materials |
| 5 | What bends? | Changing Materials | identify changes in materials |
| 6 | What feels soft? | Classifying Materials | identify properties of materials |
| 7 | Electricity makes things work | Electricity and Magnetism | identify things that use electricity |
| 8 | Pushing down on clay | Forces and Motion | recognise different types of force |
| 9 | Looking at the sun | Waves, Radiation and Energy | identify ways of finding things out safely |
| 10 | Finding things out | Scientific Investigation | explore in an appropriate and safe way |
Level 1
| Question | Description | Goal Strand | Report Statement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Identifying parts of the body | Cells and Animals | identify parts of the body |
| 2 | Identifying plants | Cells and Plants | identify different plants |
| 3 | Identifying environments | Environment and Inheritance | identify different environments |
| 4 | Describing materials | Classifying Materials | describe materials |
| 5 | Changing shapes | Changing Materials | identify changes in materials |
| 6 | What bends? | Changing Materials | identify changes in materials |
| 7 | Electricity makes things work | Electricity and Magnetism | identify things that use electricity |
| 8 | Pulling a toy | Forces and Motion | identify forces that affect objects |
| 9 | Source of light | Waves, Radiation and Energy | identify where light comes from |
| 10 | Safety in field work | Scientific Investigation | recognise safe ways of finding things out |
Level 2
| Question | Description | Goal Strand | Report Statement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The senses | Cells and Animals | identify the different senses |
| 2 | Identifying groups | Cells and Plants | identify similarities and differences |
| 3 | Where animals live | Environment and Inheritance | identify differences between environments |
| 4 | Identifying materials | Classifying Materials | recognise types of material and their uses |
| 5 | Heat and cold | Changing Materials | recognise changes to materials |
| 6 | Solids | Patterns of Behaviour | recognise similarities and differences in materials |
| 7 | Safety and electricity | Electricity and Magnetism | recognise safe ways of working with electricity |
| 8 | Pushes | Forces and Motion | recognise the cause of changes in movement |
| 9 | Grouping instruments by their sound | Waves, Radiation and Energy | recognise where sounds come from |
| 10 | Measuring mass | Scientific Investigation | make simple comparisons |
Level 3
| Question | Description | Goal Strand | Report Statement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teeth | Cells and Animals | recognise the functions of different teeth |
| 2 | Plant structure | Cells and Plants | recognise parts of a plant and their roles |
| 3 | Animal habitats | Environment and Inheritance | understand why different animals live in different places |
| 4 | Suitability of materials | Classifying Materials | understand uses for different materials |
| 5 | Reversing changes | Changing Materials | understand reversible and non-reversible changes to materials |
| 6 | Separating a mixture using a sieve | Patterns of Behaviour | understand how to separate solid particles of different sizes |
| 7 | Conductors and insulators in a switch | Electricity and Magnetism | understand how a switch works |
| 8 | Direction of forces | Forces and Motion | understand how opposing forces are caused |
| 9 | Transparent and opaque materials | Waves, Radiation and Energy | understand that light is reflected from surfaces |
| 10 | Fair tests when measuring forces | Scientific Investigation | understand what makes a fair test |
Level 4
| Question | Description | Goal Strand | Report Statement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pulse and heart rates | Cells and Animals | understand effects of exercise on pulse rate |
| 2 | Plant growth | Cells and Plants | understand the needs of plants for growth |
| 3 | Food chains | Environment and Inheritance | understand food chain and feeding relationships |
| 4 | Conductors and insulators | Classifying Materials | understand materials as conductors and insulators |
| 5 | Properties of water | Changing Materials | understand evaporation and condensation in the water cycle |
| 6 | Separating mixtures using filtration | Patterns of Behaviour | understand how to separate solids from liquids by filtration |
| 7 | Circuits | Electricity and Magnetism | understand effects of changing components on a series circuit |
| 8 | Air resistance | Forces and Motion | understand how friction slows down the movement of objects |
| 9 | Vibration and sound | Waves, Radiation and Energy | recognise that sounds are made when objects vibrate |
| 10 | Exercise and heart rate | Scientific Investigation | draw conclusions from and explain data |
Level 5
| Question | Description | Goal Strand | Report Statement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Healthy food | Cells and Animals | identify types of food and sources of nutrition |
| 2 | Plant fertilisation | Cells and Plants | understand fertilisation process in plants |
| 3 | Variation and classification | Environment and Inheritance | classify different animals |
| 4 | Recrystallisation | Changing Materials | explain how crystals are formed |
| 5 | Metal or non-metal | Classifying Materials | understand classification of metals and non-metals |
| 6 | Use of indicator | Patterns of Behaviour | classify solutions on the pH scale |
| 7 | Ammeters in a series circuit | Electricity and Magnetism | understand what affects current in a series circuit |
| 8 | Earth’s orbit and seasons | Forces and Motion | understand the Earth’s movement around the Sun |
| 9 | Fossil fuels | Waves, Radiation and Energy | understand different sources of energy |
| 10 | Graphs from results | Scientific Investigation | understand appropriate methods for showing data |
Level 6
| Question | Description | Goal Strand | Report Statement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Labelling parts of cells | Cells and Plants | understand structure of plant cells |
| 2 | Respiration | Cells and Animals | understand what happens in the process of respiration |
| 3 | Pyramid of numbers | Environment and Inheritance | understand how food chains can be measured using pyramids of numbers |
| 4 | Particle arrangement | Classifying Materials | understand how the arrangement of particles explains the properties of materials |
| 5 | Combustion | Changing Materials | understand how to summarise chemical reactions |
| 6 | Formation of salts | Patterns of Behaviour | understand how metals react with an acid |
| 7 | Measuring volts and amps | Electricity and Magnetism | understand how to measure current and voltage |
| 8 | Forces on a sailboard | Forces and Motion | understand the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces |
| 9 | Reflection of light from a moon | Waves, Radiation and Energy | understand that some bodies reflect light |
| 10 | Drawing graphs from results | Scientific Investigation | understand how to present evidence |
Level 7
| Question | Description | Goal Strand | Report Statement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arm movement | Cells and Animals | understand the roles of skeleton, joints and muscles in movement |
| 2 | Photosynthesis | Cells and Plants | understand the process of photosynthesis |
| 3 | Keeping genes in cuttings | Environment and Inheritance | understand requirements of plants for growth |
| 4 | Formula of an element | Classifying Materials | understand the classification of elements |
| 5 | Cooling curve | Changing Materials | relate changes of state to energy transfers |
| 6 | Sedimentary rock cycle | Patterns of Behaviour | understand the processes involved in rock formation |
| 7 | Conduction and convection | Electricity and Magnetism | understand how energy is transferred |
| 8 | Unit of pressure | Forces and Motion | understand how forces are measured |
| 9 | Colours in coloured light | Waves, Radiation and Energy | understand the effects of coloured light on objects |
| 10 | Controlling variables with precision | Scientific Investigation | aware of the factors involved when collecting evidence |
Level 8
| Question | Description | Goal Strand | Report Statement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smoking and its effects | Cells and Animals | understand the effects of smoking on the lung structure |
| 2 | Plant chemical requirements | Cells and Plants | understand elements essential for plant growth |
| 3 | Photosynthesis and respiration balance | Environment and Inheritance | understand the requirements for photosynthesis and respiration in plants |
| 4 | Balancing equations (KS4) | Classifying Materials | use balanced equations to show chemical reactions |
| 5 | Neutralisation and combustion reactions | Changing Materials | recognise and understand patterns in chemical reactions |
| 6 | Finding reactivity series | Patterns of Behaviour | determine a reactivity series of metals from given reactions |
| 7 | Electromagnetism | Electricity and Magnetism | understand electromagnets and electromagnetism |
| 8 | Moments on a see-saw | Forces and Motion | understand the principle of moments and its action on a pivot |
| 9 | Refraction of light | Waves, Radiation and Energy | understand how light is refracted |
| 10 | Precision of magnetism | Scientific Investigation | recognise an appropriate level of precision when recording an experiment |
