Integrated Science (綜合科學)

This Unit aims to develop in students understanding of basic concepts of scientific experiments and measurement, while also strengthening their safety awareness and scientific attitude. Students will conduct experiments such as heating solids and liquids or mixing solutions, using common laboratory apparatus such as stopwatches, measuring cylinders, thermometers, and electronic balances. Through these activities, students will learn the importance of measurement errors and the concepts of "accuracy" and "precision". Safety in the laboratory is another learning focus of this unit. Students will learn to identify common hazards (factors that can potentially cause harm) and risks (possibility of causing harm), and recognise the meaning of hazard warning symbols. While learning about the concept of the "Fire Triangle", students will understand the necessary conditions for combustion and learn ways to reduce or control accidents. These learning contents will help students become familiar with the proper use of laboratory apparatus and chemicals, learn to deal with common laboratory accidents, and establish positive values on responsibility and safety during experiments. Students can record and analyse experimental data, and present their data using tables or simple charts. Through this process, students will learn about control variables, analyse cause-and-effect relationships, and come up with ways to improve experimental design. These activities can help students develop collaborative skills in problem-solving. Students can develop and master operating simple experimental apparatus, making qualitative observations and quantitative measurements, commenting accuracy and precision in a scientific measurement and reporting data honestly.

This Unit engages students in observing different organisms and cultivates students’ ability to make scientific observation and in identifying and summarising key biological features. Students will learn to classify fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals based on their external features, and recognise the key features of non-vascular and vascular plants, seed and seedless plants, flowering and non-flowering plants. These learning activities help students understand the overarching concept of “form and function”. Through activities such as examining photos and conducting a biodiversity survey on the school campus, students can learn about the concepts of biodiversity, and develop the proper values of respecting nature and cherishing life. Learning about the life cycles of animals through observing the changes in the growth process of birds or frogs, can help students understand more about the patterns of growth and reproduction of organisms. This Unit also introduces cells as the basic unit of living things,teachers may teach the relevant concepts via the use of practical activities, such as providing opportunities for students to prepare slides and examine plant and animal tissues under a microscope, which students could experience the process of scientific inquiry and master relevant experimental skills. Besides, students can develop and master the following skills: a) observing an organism over a period of time and noticing relevant details. b) using a set of general observations, trend or model to deduce a specific result c) identifying similarities and differences of organisms d) classifying organisms according to their external features e) using tables and graphs for data analysis and f) referring information from reliable sources.