Grade 7 Natural Science develops scientific literacy through the four knowledge strands: Life and Living, Matter and Materials, Energy and Change, and Planet Earth and Beyond. Learners plan and conduct increasingly independent investigations, interpret data, and draw evidence-based conclusions. Grade 7 introduces more sophisticated biological concepts (photosynthesis, reproduction), chemistry concepts (mixtures, solutions, physical and chemical change) and physics concepts (forces, energy transfer and the electromagnetic spectrum).
- Photosynthesis: word equation, requirements, products, site (chloroplasts)
- Leaf structure: cross-section — palisade cells, spongy mesophyll, stomata, guard cells
- Comparison of photosynthesis and respiration
- Food and nutrition: macro- and micronutrients, balanced diet, malnutrition
- Digestive system: organs, functions — mouth to anus
- Absorption of nutrients in the small intestine: villi structure
- Excretion: role of kidneys, skin, lungs — removing metabolic waste
- Investigation: test leaves for starch using iodine solution
- Difference between physical and chemical change — revision and extension
- Evidence of chemical change: heat produced/absorbed, gas, colour change, precipitate
- Reactions of acids with metals: acid + metal → salt + hydrogen gas
- Reactions of acids with carbonates: acid + carbonate → salt + water + CO₂
- Neutralisation: acid + base → salt + water
- Indicators: litmus, universal indicator — pH scale introduction
- Flame test: identifying metal ions from colour (demonstration)
- Investigation: reactions of vinegar with different substances
- Contact and non-contact forces: friction, gravity, magnetism, electrostatic
- Newton's Laws — introduction to force and motion concepts
- Pressure: force ÷ area — Pascal and everyday applications
- Simple machines: lever, pulley, wheel and axle, inclined plane — mechanical advantage
- Electric circuits: revision and extension — series and parallel, resistors
- Ohm's Law: introduction — voltage, current, resistance relationship
- Electrical energy: power, energy cost calculation (kWh)
- Investigation: factors affecting the extension of a spring (Hooke's Law)
- Structure of the Earth: crust, mantle, outer core, inner core
- Plate tectonics: tectonic plates, continental drift, evidence
- Earthquakes: causes, Richter scale, seismograph, SA context
- Volcanoes: types, formation, effects on environment and people
- The rock cycle: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic rocks — formation and transformation
- Weather and climate: jet stream, global wind patterns, Hadley cells (introduction)
- Beyond Earth: the electromagnetic spectrum — radio, microwave, IR, visible, UV, X-ray, gamma
- Space technology: satellites, GPS, weather forecasting, communication
Know the fair test formula. Change one variable, keep all others constant, measure the outcome. Every investigation question follows this pattern.
Labelled diagrams earn marks. Draw and label: leaf cross-section, digestive system, electric circuit, Earth layers. Practise until automatic.
Learn the key equations. Pressure = Force ÷ Area. Power = Voltage × Current. These appear in tests every year.
Connect science to SA contexts. Earthquakes, water scarcity, load shedding — Natural Science connects directly to South African life.
Physical vs chemical change is examinable every year. Physical: reversible, no new substance. Chemical: irreversible, new substance formed. Know examples of both.