Slovenia Osnovna šola 8. razred Curriculum - Chemistry

This curriculum is based on the official document published by the Ministry of Education and Sport, Republic of Slovenia ( The curriculum is designed for 70 hours of instruction in the 8th grade and is part of a larger 134-hour curriculum spanning 8th and 9th grades.

Overall Goals:

The curriculum emphasizes developing:

• Understanding the relationship between the structure, properties, and uses of substances.
• Understanding natural processes and chemical methods of studying nature.
• Responsible use of substances and promoting chemical safety.
• Experimental and research skills.
• Scientific processes, critical thinking, and creativity.
• Spatial awareness and chemical visual literacy using models and ICT.
• Scientific literacy and awareness of the interdependence of social, socioeconomic, and scientific-technical processes.

Topics Covered in 8th Grade (and 9th where indicated):

• Chemistry is the World of Substances: Introduction to chemistry as a science, the importance of chemistry, substances (pure substances, mixtures), states of matter, elements and compounds, atoms and molecules, symbols and formulas.
• Atom and the Periodic Table of Elements: History of atomic structure research, atomic structure (nucleus, electron shells, valence electrons), isotopes, atomic and mass numbers, the periodic table (groups, periods), and ions (anions, cations).
• Bonding of Particles/Building Blocks: Ionic bonds, ionic compounds/crystals, covalent bonds (single, double, and triple), polar and nonpolar covalent bonds, and properties of ionic and covalent compounds.
• Chemical Reactions: Identifying chemical changes, chemical reactions as material and energy changes, reactants and products, exothermic and endothermic reactions, the law of conservation of mass, and chemical equations.
• Elements in the Periodic System: Natural sources of elements and compounds, relative atomic and molecular mass, mass fraction of elements in compounds, properties of elements based on their position in the periodic table, metallic and non-metallic properties, main groups of the periodic table (alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, selected transition elements, halogens, noble gases), and elements in modern technologies.
• Acids, Bases, and Salts: Identifying acidic, basic, and neutral substances using indicators, properties of acids and bases in aqueous solutions, pH scale, neutralization reactions, salts, solutions (concentrated, diluted, saturated), solubility, mass fraction of solute in solution, mass concentration, and the use and impact of acids, bases, and salts.
• The Family of Hydrocarbons with Polymers: Oil and natural gas as sources of organic compounds and energy, structure, classification, and nomenclature of hydrocarbons, properties of hydrocarbons, combustion reactions, substitution and addition reactions, polymerization, synthetic polymers, and environmental issues related to hydrocarbon use.
• Oxygen Family of Organic Compounds: Properties and uses of main groups of organic oxygen compounds (alcohols, carboxylic acids, esters), fats (composition, sources, properties), soaps, carbohydrates (monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides), and synthetic condensation polymers.
• Nitrogen Family of Organic Compounds: Nitrogenous organic compounds, amino group, amino acids, proteins (structure, function), and synthetic polyamide polymers.
• Amount of Substance: The concept of the mole, molar mass, and calculations involving moles and mass.

Didactic Recommendations:

The curriculum emphasizes experimental and inquiry-based learning, the use of models and ICT, working with various information sources, chemical safety, and project-based collaborative work. It also provides guidelines for individualization and differentiation of instruction, interdisciplinary connections, and assessment methods.