Environmental Science – National 5

Welcome to the National 5 Environmental Science page.

We have made a start uploading resources for experimental work that could help to support teaching of the course.

The resources are accessed from the unit pages which you can get to from the tabs below.

Alternatively you can use the search facility.

Living Environment

The Living Environment unit looks at: Investigating ecosystems and biodiversity, Interdependence of living things within ecosystems and at human influences on biodiversity

The resources can be accessed by clicking HERE to download the curricular mapping tool (PDF).

Earth's Resources

The Earth’s Resources unit looks at the structures and processes involved in the functioning of the: geosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere.

The resources can be accessed from the links below.

1 Overview of Earth systems and their interactions

2 Geosphere

Rocks to Riches – An experiment to extract copper from copper ore using an electrowinning process.

3 Hydrosphere

Density of Ice – A simple demonstration of the anomalous density of ice.

4 Biosphere

Biodiesel – Preparation and testing of biodiesel in the laboratory

5 Atmosphere

Sustainability

The Sustainability unit looks at the way the natural world and people interact in the areas of: food, water, energy and waste management.

The resources can be accessed from the links below.

1 Introduction to sustainability

2 Food

Controversial biological procedures – GM crops (Scroll down)

3 Water

Water Testing – A series of experiments to determine the level of chemicals in water (boron, calcium, carbonate, iron, magnesium, nitrate, nitrite, phosphorus)

4 Energy (Learning Resource part 1, part 2, part 3)

When a Fossil Fuel is Burned – demonstration of the production of carbon dioxide and water when a hydrocarbon is burned.

5 Waste management

SSERC have developed a Learning Activity pack to support the delivery of the Sustainability unit of Environmental Science. This includes learning resources developed from a host of organisations, as well as some practical activities from SSERC.