School science Introduction Science is a one of the subject that teaches in school in Malaysia.

Science been teaches to the students starting from standard three until form five students in school in Malaysia. The science curriculum aims at producing active learners which to this end, students are given ample opportunities to engage in scientific investigations through hands-on activities and experimentations. The inquiry approach, incorporating thinking skills, thinking strategies and thoughtful learning, should be emphasised throughout the teaching-learning process. The content and contexts of this subject that suggested are chosen based on their relevance and appeal to students so that their interest in the subject is enhanced as the mastering of students in this subject are crucial. The aims of the science curriculum are to introduce and provide the students with the knowledge and skills in science and technology and enable them to solve problems and make decisions in everyday life based on scientific attitudes and noble values.

Topics Here we highlighted the theme Energy in Life which consists of learning area of energy and chemical change, nuclear energy, light, colour and sight. Energy in Life is a theme of science form four students that will include in their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM). The first learning area under the theme of Energy in Life is Energy and Chemical Changes. The learning area of energy and chemical changes consists of 8 subtopics which mean under the first learning area energy and chemical change, there are 8 learning objectives which is: Understanding physical and chemical changes Analysing heat change in chemical reactions Synthesising the reactivity series of metals Applying the concepts of reactivity series of metals Understanding electrolysis Understanding the production of electrical energy from chemical reactions

Understanding chemical reactions that occur in the presence of light Appreciating the innovative efforts in the design of equipment using chemical reactions as sources of energy.

In the learning area of energy and chemical change, the student will be exposed to understanding of physical and chemical changes in substance and material. This learning objective the students will be taught and discussing about the physical and chemical changes burning of paper, melting of ice, change in colour of sliced apples and also the evaporation process of water. In the syllabus also mentioned that the teacher would carry out the following activities to study physical and chemical changes where it is the heating iron with sulphur, burning magnesium in air, mixing zinc with copper sulphate solution, soaking clean iron nails in water until they rust, heating copper carbonate, mixing potassium iodide with lead nitrate, dissolving sugar in water, crystallising sodium chloride from its saturated solution, heating iodine crystals in a closed container and the slow heating of wax. All the following activities would make the students enhance their understanding rather than normal explanation from the teacher. By the activity the students will see the process by their own eyes and can tell what happened to the situations the process involves in it. The educator also suggested carrying out an activity to compare and contrast physical change and chemical change and illustrating the similarities and differences in a graphic organiser, also to enhance the students understanding. The learning outcomes of this learning area are the students will be able to explain what physical change is, explain what chemical change is, give examples of physical changes in daily life, give examples of chemical changes in daily life, they will be able to compare and contrast between the physical changes and chemical changes. For the second objective, the analysing heat change in chemical reactions, the teacher are suggested to carry out activities to study heat changes in chemical reactions which is dissolving ammonium chloride in water and dissolving sodium hydroxide in water. The discuss about the relationship between heat loss or heat gain and changes in

temperature and also exothermic and endothermic reactions based on changes in heat ape preferred in the classroom. They also suggested having to view computer simulations then gather and interpret data on heat changes that occur during industrial chemical reactions,

such as the production of ammonia from ammonium products and the production of sulphuric acid. After studying this subtopic, the students should be able to state that chemical reactions involve heat change, identify reactions involving heat loss, identify reactions involving heat gain, relate changes in temperature of reactants to exothermic reactions, relate changes in temperature of reactants to endothermic reactions, and explain through examples heat changes that occur during industrial chemical reactions. Then the students will be exposed to synthesising the reactivity series of metals which they will learn about the reaction of sodium, calcium, magnesium, aluminium, zinc and copper with water, magnesium, aluminium, zinc and copper with dilute acids and the last is the reaction of magnesium, aluminium, zinc, and copper with oxygen. The class also will carry out activities to compare and contrast the reactivity of metals with water, acids and oxygen. The teacher also will illustrate the similarities and differences in a graphic organiser. Then they will discuss and arrange metals in order of reactivity collect and interpret data on the reactivity of metals with oxygen to construct the reactivity series of metals and also will carry out an experiment to determine the position of carbon in the reactivity series. After learning this subtopic, students should be able to describe the reactivity of metals with water, describe the reactivity of metals with acids, describe the reactivity of metals with oxygen, compare and contrast the reactivity of metals with water, acids and oxygen, arrange metals in order of reactivity, construct the reactivity series of metals based on reactivity of metals with oxygen and also able to identify the position of carbon in the reactivity series. The next objective if this learning area is to applying the concepts of reactivity series of metals which they will view computer simulations or videos on methods of extracting metals from their ores and then carry out the activities to relate the position of metals in the reactivity series to the method of extracting metals from their ores, such as using carbon and by electrolysis and discuss the process of extracting tin from its ore and they also will discuss the importance of the reactivity series in class. A students should be able to relate the position of metals in the reactivity series to the method of extraction of metals from their ores, explain with examples the process of extraction of a metal from its ore using carbon and state the importance of the reactivity series by the end of this lesson.

Next they will learn about the process of electrolysis which they will learn about the definition of electrolysis, what anode, cathode, anion, cation and electrolyte are, the process and product of electrolysis of an electrolyte using carbon electrodes, and the last, the use of electrolysis in electroplating metal objects. Under this learning area also will teach the students to understand the production of electrical energy from chemical reactions. They also will carry out an activity to study the production of electrical energy by using simple cell. They also will examine various types of cells such as dry cells, lead-acid accumulators, alkaline batteries, silver oxide-mercury batteries and nickel-cadmium batteries and discuss about their uses and also the advantages and disadvantages in using each of these types of cells. Student should be able to describe how a simple cell works, list the various types of cells and their uses, state the advantages and disadvantages of various types of cells after they learn this topic. Lastly they will learn about chemical reactions that occur in the presence of light and appreciating the innovative efforts in the design of equipment using chemical reactions as sources of energy. This learning area will discuss about chemical reactions which require light for example photosynthesis in green plants, the effect of light on photosensitive chemicals, how energy obtained from chemical reactions should be used efficiently to prevent wastage and how equipment utilising chemical reactions as sources of energy should be disposed to reduce environmental pollution. Previous lesson on energy Before this, the students have previous lesson on energy where they learned about energy during their time in form one. During form one; they learned about types and sources of energy and also about heat energy. In the chapter types and sources of energy, they exposed about to understanding energy, the forms and sources of energy. They also will learn about renewable and non-renewable energy and the last is about the importance of conserving energy sources. In the chapter of heat energy they learn about how heat causes solids, liquids and gases to expand and contract. Besides that they also learned about heat flows by the way of conduction, convection and radiation and heat conductor & insulator. At last they learned about the change in state of matter in physical processes.

Mean while during form three the students been exposed about electrical energy under the learning area of generation of electricity. They learn about types of generators that consist of thermal, hydroelectric, diesel, nuclear and gas turbine. They also learn about producing electrical energy in various types of power stations and also alternative sources of energy such as solar energy and biomass. During this time the students also learned about the similarities and differences in the generation of electrical energy in various types of power stations and utilisation of solar energy using devices such as solar box or solar cell. They also learn how to calculate the cost of electrical energy usage using the equation of P=VI where power = voltage x current and also Energy = Power x Time.

The second learning area under the theme of Energy in life is Nuclear Energy. In this learning area the student will learn nuclear energy in general. There are three subtopics under this learning area of nuclear energy. The students will learn about radioactive substance, the production of nuclear energy and the usage of nuclear energy and the last is awareness of the need for proper handling of radioactive substances.

In the first subtopic the students will learn about the examples of radioactive substances, the process of radioactive decay, types and characteristics of radioactive radiations, radioisotopes and the examples of radioisotopes and the uses of radioactive substances.

In the second subtopic the student will learned about the production of nuclear energy through fission and fusion, the uses of nuclear energy, the process of generating electricity from nuclear energy, and also the effects of nuclear energy production.

In the last subtopic they learn about the effects of radioactive radiations on living things, how to handle radioactive substances the correct way of and the need for proper handling of radioactive substances and radioactive waste.

The topic of nuclear energy also been teaches in the subject of physics form five in chapter five entitle Radioactivity. Nuclear energy is a subtopic under the main topic of radioactivity. In physics they also learn about nuclear fission and fusion, chain reactions, and also energy in nuclear reaction using the Einsteins equation of E=mc2. At the end they learn about the process of generating electricity using nuclear reaction and proper management of radioactive substance.