Finland

The Science Curriculum in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades

In the first through fourth grades, Environmental and Natural Studies is taught as an integrated subject encompassing the fields of biology, geography, physics, chemistry, and health education. Instruction in the subject group includes a focus on sustainable development. The objective of instruction is that students come to know and understand nature and the manmade environment, themselves and other people, human diversity, and health and disease.

Instruction in environmental and natural studies relies on an investigative, problem-centered approach in which the starting points include students’ existing knowledge, skills, and experiences, and things, phenomena, and events connected to their environment and the students. With the aid of experiential instruction, the students develop a positive relationship with nature and the environment. From the fifth through ninth grades, science is taught as separate subjects, including biology, geography, physics, chemistry, and health.

During the first four years, the core content of studies in environmental and natural studies includes:⁵

• Organisms and Living Environments—The basic features of living and nonliving things; various living environments and the adaptation of organisms to them; common species of plants, fungi, and animals in the students’ immediate environment; nature through the seasons; life stages of flora and fauna; and sources and production of food
• Immediate Environment, Home Region, and the Globe as Human Living Environments—The immediate environment; times of the day and the seasons; maps and main features of the terrain; home region and province: natural conditions, landscapes, manmade environment, and human activity; and Finland, the Nordic countries, other nearby regions, and the globe as places where people live
• Natural Phenomena—Phenomena related to sound and light; protection of hearing and eyesight; phenomena related to heat; heat sources; functioning principles of simple devices; the strength of various structures; and magnetic and electrical phenomena
• Substances Around Us—Substances and materials that are part of everyday life; recycling and conservation; properties of air; combustion and fire safety; properties and changes of state of water; utilization of water; and the water cycle
• The Individual and Health—The human body and the stages of human growth and development in general terms; everyday health habits and caring for one’s health; being ill and common children’s diseases; emergency preparedness and simple first-aid measures; and the importance of family, friendship, interaction, and the recognition of one’s own feelings to one’s well-being and mental health
• Safety—Preventing bullying and violence, respecting physical inviolability, safety in school, behavior in traffic, and avoiding dangerous situations and accidents at home and in leisure time; and agreements and rules, good manners and taking other people into account, using money, and respecting the property of others

Instruction in each subject is described below for Grades 7 to 9. In biology, life and its phenomena and prerequisites come under investigation. Instruction develops students’ knowledge of nature and guides understanding of basic natural phenomena. The objective is that students also are introduced to evolution, the fundamentals of ecology, and the structure and vital functions of human beings. The core content in biology instruction for Grades 7 to 9 includes:

• Nature and Ecosystems—Identification of major species of plants, fungi, and animals in students’ home regions, and guided collection of plants; the ecosystem and its structure and operation, distinctive features of forest and aquatic ecosystems, and independent research on one ecosystem; introduction to forestry, crop husbandry, and biodiversity
• Life and Evolution—Structure and activity of the cell; emergence, development, and organization of the population; biological and cultural evolution of human beings, and distinctive features of the human species; and potentials of biotechnology, including related ethical questions
• The Human Being—Structure and major vital functions of the human body; human sexuality and reproduction; and importance of genotype and the environment in the development of human characteristics
• The Common Environment—Ecologically sustainable development and objectives of environmental protection; and investigation of the conditions of, and changes in, one’s living environment, examination of measures to improve the condition of one’s immediate environment, and consideration of ways to improve one’s environmental behavior

In geography instruction, the world and its various regions and regional phenomena come under investigation. The objective of geography instruction is to develop students’ ability to examine natural, manmade, and social environments, and the interaction between people and the environment, from the local to the global level. The core content in geography instruction for Grades 7 to 9 includes:

• Earth—Humanity’s home planet, including identifying the physical geographic and human geographic map views of the world and analyzing the world regionally; major internal and external events of Earth; and the continents, including comparison of natural conditions, human activity, and cultural features
• Europe—Basic features of Europe’s geography, natural conditions, landscape, and human activity; interaction of those features in different regions of Europe; and geographic study of Europe as a part of the world and the future of Europe
• Finland in the World—Finland’s geography and landscape; interaction of nature and human activity in different regions of Finland, the manmade environment and traditional landscapes; population of Finland and its minority cultures; opportunities for influence in planning and developing one’s environment; Finland as a part of the world; and small scale research into one’s immediate environment or home municipality, including natural, manmade, and social environments
• The Common Environment—Environmental and developmental questions, locally and globally; consideration of possible solutions to problems; environmental questions in the Baltic region; and human beings as consumers of natural resources

The core objective of physics instruction is to broaden students’ knowledge and concepts of the nature of physics, and to strengthen skills in the experimental acquisition of information. The starting points for physics instruction are prior student knowledge, skills, and experiences, and student observations and investigations of objects, substances, and phenomena in nature. The core content in physics instruction for Grades 7 to 9 includes:

• Motion and Force—Interactions and the corresponding forces, including the phenomena of motion and equilibrium that arise from those interactions and occurrence of those phenomena in nature; motion and models of uniform and uniformly accelerating motion; work done by a force; and mechanical energy and power
• Vibrations and Wave Motion—Various basic phenomena of vibrations and wave motion; production, detection, observation, and reflection and refraction of wave motion; related properties, quantities, and laws of waves; importance and applications of sound and light; and functioning principles of optical instruments
• Heat—Phenomena associated with heating and cooling of objects and substances; description of those phenomena with appropriate concepts and laws; importance and applications of thermal phenomena; and conservation and degradation of energy, and heat as a form of energy
• Electricity—Electrical and magnetic forces between objects; direct current circuits; basic phenomena of electrical circuits; safe application of those phenomena in everyday life and technology; electromagnetic induction and its use in energy transmission; and use of electricity at home
• Natural Structures—Natural structures and proportions; interactions that keep structural components together; binding and release of energy in processes occurring between components; radioactive decay; fission and fusion; ionizing radiation and its effect on animate nature; and protection from radiation

The objectives of chemistry instruction are to expand students’ knowledge of chemistry and the nature of chemical information, and to guide scientific thinking, knowledge acquisition, and application of that knowledge in different life situations. Instruction relies on an experimental approach that starts with the observation and investigation of substances and phenomena associated with the living environment. The core content in chemistry instruction for Grades 7 to 9 includes:

• Air and Water—Atmospheric substances and their importance to the individual and the equilibrium of nature; water and its properties, such as acidity and alkalinity; flammability of substances; combustion reaction and its description using the symbolic language of chemistry; and properties of the products of combustion and their effects on the environment
• Raw Material and Products—Key elements and compounds found in Earth’s crust and their properties, and the manufacture, use, efficiency, and recyclability of products; electrochemical phenomena, the electrochemical cell and electrolysis, and their applications; symbolic designation, classification, and distinction of elements and compounds; comparison of reaction rates; interpretation of reaction equations and balancing of simple reaction equations; and explanation of properties and structures of elements and compounds with the aid of an atomic model or the periodic table
• Living Nature and Society—Photosynthesis and combustion; energy sources; oxidation reactions and reaction products of organic compounds such as alcohols and carboxylic acids, and properties and uses of these products; hydrocarbons, proteins, and lipids, and their composition and importance as nutritional substances and industrial raw materials; detergents and cosmetic materials; and textiles

Health education is based on a multidisciplinary foundation of knowledge. The intent of health instruction is to promote students’ competence regarding health, well-being, and safety. Instruction develops cognitive, social, functional and ethical capabilities, and capabilities for regulating emotions. The starting point for instruction is an understanding of health as a physical, psychological, and social phenomenon. The core content in health education during Grades 7 to 9 includes:

• Growth and Development—Birth, death, and the different stages of life; physical growth and development, including daily rhythm, sleep, rest and stress, health-enhancing physical activity, and nutrition and health; psychological growth and development, including self-knowledge and self-esteem; family and social relationships; mental health and its changes, and the balance of mind and body; social growth and development, including individuality and diversity, individual obligations and responsibilities within the community, tolerance, and caring; needs and special features in the development of young people and development of sexuality; and taking care of one’s health
• Healthy Choices in Daily Living—Nutritional needs and problems in different situations; common allergies and special diets; smoking, alcohol, drug abuse, and the use of other intoxicating substances; pleasure, dependency, and making choices; solving conflicts and talking about issues; sexual health, including human relations, sexuality, behavior, and related values and norms; common infectious diseases and illnesses, recognition of symptoms, being ill, and self-care; and traffic safety and behavior in traffic, dangerous situations, and accidents and first aid
• Resources and Coping Skills—Health, work skills, and functional abilities as personal resources; emotions and their expression, social support and safety nets, and interaction skills; changes related to development and life span; and crises and coping with them
• Health, Society, and Culture—National diseases; environment and health, on-the-job welfare, culture, and health; main healthcare and welfare services, careers in nongovernmental organizations; and rights of children and young people and legislation regarding limitations on activities and consequences