National Curriculum Statement (NCS)
Curriculum and Assessment
NATURAL SCIENCES
Policy Statement
Senior Phase
Grades 7-9
, Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement
GRADES 7-9
NATURAL SCIENCES
CAPS
,NATURAL SCIENCES GRADES 7-9
DISCLAIMER
In view of the stringent time requirements encountered by the Department of Basic Education to effect the necessary editorial changes and layout
to the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements and the supplementary policy documents, possible errors may occur in the said documents
placed on the official departmental websites.
There may also be vernacular inconsistencies in the language documents at Home-, First and Second Additional Language levels which have been
translated in the various African Languages. Please note that the content of the documents translated and versioned in the African Languages are
correct as they are based on the English generic language documents at all three language levels to be implemented in all four school phases.
If any editorial, layout or vernacular inconsistencies are detected, the user is kindly requested to bring this to the attention of the Department of
Basic Education.
E-mail: or fax (012) 328 9828
Department of Basic Education
222 Struben Street
Private Bag X895
Pretoria 0001
South Africa
Tel: +27 12 357 3000
Fax: +27 12 323 0601
120 Plein Street Private Bag X9023
Cape Town 8000
South Africa
Tel: +27 21 465 1701
Fax: +27 21 461 8110
Website: http://www.education.gov.za
© 2011 Department of Basic Education
Isbn: 978-1-4315-0528-9
Design and Layout by: Ndabase Printing Solution
Printed by: Government Printing Works
2 CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT POLICY STATEMENT (CAPS)
, NATURAL SCIENCES GRADES 7-9
FOREWORD by the minister
Our national curriculum is the culmination of our efforts over a period of seventeen
years to transform the curriculum bequeathed to us by apartheid. From the start of
democracy we have built our curriculum on the values that inspired our Constitution
(Act 108 of 1996). The Preamble to the Constitution states that the aims of the
Constitution are to:
• heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic
values, social justice and fundamental human rights;
• improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person;
• lay the foundations for a democratic and open society in which government is
based on the will of the people and every citizen is equally protected by law;
and
• build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of
nations.
Education and the curriculum have an important role to play in realising these aims.
In 1997 we introduced outcomes-based education to overcome the curricular divisions of the past, but the experience
of implementation prompted a review in 2000. This led to the first curriculum revision: the Revised National Curriculum
Statement Grades R-9 and the National Curriculum Statement Grades 10-12 (2002).
Ongoing implementation challenges resulted in another review in 2009 and we revised the Revised National
Curriculum Statement (2002) and the National Curriculum Statement Grades 10-12 to produce this document.
From 2012 the two National Curriculum Statements, for Grades R-9 and Grades 10-12 respectively, are combined
in a single document and will simply be known as the National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12. The National
Curriculum Statement for Grades R-12 builds on the previous curriculum but also updates it and aims to provide
clearer specification of what is to be taught and learnt on a term-by-term basis.
The National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12 represents a policy statement for learning and teaching in South
African schools and comprises of the following:
(a) Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) for all approved subjects listed in this document;
(b) National policy pertaining to the programme and promotion requirements of the National Curriculum Statement
Grades R-12; and
(c) National Protocol for Assessment Grades R-12.
MRS ANGIE MOTSHEKGA, MP
MINISTER OF BASIC EDUCATION
CAPS
Curriculum and Assessment
NATURAL SCIENCES
Policy Statement
Senior Phase
Grades 7-9
, Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement
GRADES 7-9
NATURAL SCIENCES
CAPS
,NATURAL SCIENCES GRADES 7-9
DISCLAIMER
In view of the stringent time requirements encountered by the Department of Basic Education to effect the necessary editorial changes and layout
to the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements and the supplementary policy documents, possible errors may occur in the said documents
placed on the official departmental websites.
There may also be vernacular inconsistencies in the language documents at Home-, First and Second Additional Language levels which have been
translated in the various African Languages. Please note that the content of the documents translated and versioned in the African Languages are
correct as they are based on the English generic language documents at all three language levels to be implemented in all four school phases.
If any editorial, layout or vernacular inconsistencies are detected, the user is kindly requested to bring this to the attention of the Department of
Basic Education.
E-mail: or fax (012) 328 9828
Department of Basic Education
222 Struben Street
Private Bag X895
Pretoria 0001
South Africa
Tel: +27 12 357 3000
Fax: +27 12 323 0601
120 Plein Street Private Bag X9023
Cape Town 8000
South Africa
Tel: +27 21 465 1701
Fax: +27 21 461 8110
Website: http://www.education.gov.za
© 2011 Department of Basic Education
Isbn: 978-1-4315-0528-9
Design and Layout by: Ndabase Printing Solution
Printed by: Government Printing Works
2 CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT POLICY STATEMENT (CAPS)
, NATURAL SCIENCES GRADES 7-9
FOREWORD by the minister
Our national curriculum is the culmination of our efforts over a period of seventeen
years to transform the curriculum bequeathed to us by apartheid. From the start of
democracy we have built our curriculum on the values that inspired our Constitution
(Act 108 of 1996). The Preamble to the Constitution states that the aims of the
Constitution are to:
• heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic
values, social justice and fundamental human rights;
• improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person;
• lay the foundations for a democratic and open society in which government is
based on the will of the people and every citizen is equally protected by law;
and
• build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of
nations.
Education and the curriculum have an important role to play in realising these aims.
In 1997 we introduced outcomes-based education to overcome the curricular divisions of the past, but the experience
of implementation prompted a review in 2000. This led to the first curriculum revision: the Revised National Curriculum
Statement Grades R-9 and the National Curriculum Statement Grades 10-12 (2002).
Ongoing implementation challenges resulted in another review in 2009 and we revised the Revised National
Curriculum Statement (2002) and the National Curriculum Statement Grades 10-12 to produce this document.
From 2012 the two National Curriculum Statements, for Grades R-9 and Grades 10-12 respectively, are combined
in a single document and will simply be known as the National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12. The National
Curriculum Statement for Grades R-12 builds on the previous curriculum but also updates it and aims to provide
clearer specification of what is to be taught and learnt on a term-by-term basis.
The National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12 represents a policy statement for learning and teaching in South
African schools and comprises of the following:
(a) Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) for all approved subjects listed in this document;
(b) National policy pertaining to the programme and promotion requirements of the National Curriculum Statement
Grades R-12; and
(c) National Protocol for Assessment Grades R-12.
MRS ANGIE MOTSHEKGA, MP
MINISTER OF BASIC EDUCATION
CAPS
