Year 8 Science – Term 2 (WA Curriculum): Chemical Sciences - Elements, Compounds and Chemical Changes

What this unit covers

In Term 2, Year 8 Science in the WA Curriculum centres on the unit “Chemical Sciences - Elements, Compounds and Chemical Changes”.

Students explore the periodic table, classify elements as metals and non-metals, represent compounds using symbols and formulae, and distinguish between physical and chemical changes.

Lesson sequence (30 lessons)

The unit breaks down into the following lesson-by-lesson sequence — each title below is a teachable lesson, in order:

1. Introduction to the Periodic Table and Element Symbols
2. Learning Common Element Symbols and Their Properties
3. Exploring the Structure and Organization of the Periodic Table
4. Identifying Metals and Non-metals on the Periodic Table
5. Investigating Physical Properties of Metals
6. Testing the Conductivity and Malleability of Metals
7. Examining Physical Properties of Non-metals
8. Comparing Melting and Boiling Points of Metals vs Non-metals
9. Investigating Density and Lustre in Metals and Non-metals
10. Testing Hardness, Brittleness and Ductility of Elements
11. Creating a Classification Chart for Metals and Non-metals
12. Introduction to Atoms, Molecules and Compounds
13. Understanding Chemical Formulae and What They Tell Us
14. Reading Chemical Formulae to Identify Elements Present
15. Counting Atoms in Chemical Formulae
16. Using Chemical Formulae to Name Common Compounds
17. Building Models of Simple Elements and Molecules
18. Constructing Models of Common Compounds
19. Comparing Different Ways to Represent Chemical Substances
20. Introduction to Physical and Chemical Changes
21. Identifying Examples of Physical Changes in Everyday Life
22. Recognizing Indicators of Chemical Changes
23. Investigating Color Changes as Evidence of Chemical Reactions
24. Observing Temperature Changes During Chemical Reactions
25. Identifying Gas Formation and Precipitates in Chemical Changes
26. Detecting Odour and Light as Signs of Chemical Reactions
27. Distinguishing Reactants and Products in Chemical Equations
28. Classifying Changes as Physical or Chemical Through Experiments
29. Investigating Reversible and Irreversible Changes
30. Review and Assessment of Chemical Sciences Concepts

Curriculum codes in this unit

Content codes:

Reading the codes: WA codes (the ones starting with WA) pack the year level, learning area, strand and content number into one string, while the national Australian Curriculum v9 uses a different anatomy that starts with AC9 — same content family, different labels. Our complete WA Curriculum guide decodes both, character by character.

Planning notes for Term 2

WA terms run roughly 9–11 weeks, and in 2026 Term 2 runs from Monday 20 April to Friday 3 July — 11 weeks for WA public schools. With 30 lessons in this unit, that leaves breathing room for assessment, moderation and the weeks that disappear to carnivals, camps and public holidays — plan the assessable work to land two to three weeks before the end of term rather than in the final week.