BEST (age 7 to 9) Chemistry

A big idea in chemistry is the idea of how substances behave and change. This is important because we are surrounded by objects made from different materials, each with their own physical properties that make them suitable or unsuitable for different purposes. How substances behave helps us to categorise them into three common states (solid, liquid or gas) and this, in turn, can help us to understand and classify the materials around us. Similarly, an understanding of how substances change helps us to recognise that some materials change state if heated or cooled and that one substance can exist in three different states.

Each key concept contains a progression toolkit which includes:

• appropriately-sequenced steps for learning progression
• diagnostic questions to reveal preconceptions and common misunderstandings
• response activities to challenge misunderstandings and encourage conceptual development

Published in 2024, States of Matter was the first key concept for chemistry for seven to nice year olds, and will be joined by further key concepts throughout 2025.