Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Science Curriculum in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades

In 2004, the Secretary of Education of the City of Buenos Aires approved the current curriculum for the primary education level that incorporates natural sciences content along with arts, social sciences, technology, civic education, physical education, mathematics, and Spanish (Resolution No. 365/SED/2004).

At the secondary level, different types of schools share a core biology curriculum, which was established in 2009.⁸

Exhibit 4 summarizes the science content objectives for Grade 4, and Exhibit 5 summarizes the biology content objectives for Grade 8 (first year of secondary school).

Exhibit 4: City of Buenos Aires Fourth Grade Science Curriculum Content

Subject Domains	Learning Content
Materials	Materials, electricity, and magnetism	Electric conductors Contact electrification Magnetism
	Materials and heat	Heat conductors
	Particular materials—metals	Properties of metals Collection, processing, and use of metals
Living Things	The diversity of living things	The classification of living things Microorganisms
	Reproduction and development	The development of animals and plants
Forces and Motion	Forces	Different forces The effect of different forces The application of different forces The concept of friction

Exhibit 5: City of Buenos Aires Eighth Grade Biology Curriculum Content (Lower Secondary Level)

Subject Domains	Learning Content
Living Things— Uniformity and Diversity	Classifying living things according to the following criteria: organization, metabolism, and reproduction Uniformity and diversity of functions and structures among living things The origin of life
Living Things as Open Systems—Exchanges of Matter and Energy	The composition of organisms Sources of matter and energy
Living Things and the Environment	Ecosystems—structure and interaction between living things and the environment Cycles of matter and energy flows Changes in ecosystems