NZ Curriculum · Year 10 Science · Junior Secondary

Year 10 Science Lesson Plan & Curriculum Map

A full-year Year 10 science lesson plan for the New Zealand Curriculum (Science learning area). 149 lessons across the school year from February to December, set out week by week for 1, 2, 3 or 4 lessons a week, covering heredity, genetics and evolution, atomic structure, the periodic table and chemical reactions, forces, motion and Newton's laws and Earth and space, global systems and science in society.

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Year 10 Science learning map

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1 day/week · steady pace2–3 days/week · guided practice

February · Heredity, genetics and evolution

Year 10 Science — February Lesson Plan

New Zealand Curriculum · Science

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week	4 Day/Week
February 1st week (Science)	Cell Division — Mitosis 1. Purpose of mitosis (growth, repair, asexual reproduction)	Cell Division — Mitosis 1. Purpose of mitosis (growth, repair, asexual reproduction) 2. Stages of mitosis (prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase)	Cell Division — Mitosis 1. Purpose of mitosis (growth, repair, asexual reproduction) 2. Stages of mitosis (prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase) 3. Chromosome behaviour during mitosis	Cell Division — Mitosis 1. Purpose of mitosis (growth, repair, asexual reproduction) 2. Stages of mitosis (prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase) 3. Chromosome behaviour during mitosis 4. Comparing a body cell before and after mitosis (same chromosome number)
February 2nd week (Science)	Cell Division — Mitosis 1. Stages of mitosis (prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase)	Cell Division — Mitosis 1. Chromosome behaviour during mitosis 2. Comparing a body cell before and after mitosis (same chromosome number)	Cell Division — Mitosis 1. Comparing a body cell before and after mitosis (same chromosome number) 2. Practice: sequencing/redrawing the stages of mitosis in the correct order Cell Division — Meiosis 1. Purpose of meiosis (producing gametes/sex cells)	Cell Division — Mitosis 1. Practice: sequencing/redrawing the stages of mitosis in the correct order Cell Division — Meiosis 1. Purpose of meiosis (producing gametes/sex cells) 2. Stages of meiosis (two divisions) 3. How meiosis halves the chromosome number
February 3rd week (Science)	Cell Division — Mitosis 1. Chromosome behaviour during mitosis	Cell Division — Mitosis 1. Practice: sequencing/redrawing the stages of mitosis in the correct order Cell Division — Meiosis 1. Purpose of meiosis (producing gametes/sex cells)	Cell Division — Meiosis 1. Stages of meiosis (two divisions) 2. How meiosis halves the chromosome number 3. How fertilisation restores the full chromosome number when gametes from both parents combine	Cell Division — Meiosis 1. How fertilisation restores the full chromosome number when gametes from both parents combine 2. Comparing mitosis and meiosis directly (purpose, number of divisions, resulting cells, chromosome number) Chromosomes, DNA & the Discovery of the Double Helix 1. Structure of a chromosome (DNA wrapped around histone proteins) and what a karyotype shows 2. Structure of DNA (double helix, base pairs)
February 4th week (Science)	Cell Division — Mitosis 1. Comparing a body cell before and after mitosis (same chromosome number)	Cell Division — Meiosis 1. Stages of meiosis (two divisions) 2. How meiosis halves the chromosome number	Cell Division — Meiosis 1. Comparing mitosis and meiosis directly (purpose, number of divisions, resulting cells, chromosome number) Chromosomes, DNA & the Discovery of the Double Helix 1. Structure of a chromosome (DNA wrapped around histone proteins) and what a karyotype shows 2. Structure of DNA (double helix, base pairs)	Chromosomes, DNA & the Discovery of the Double Helix 1. The history of discovering DNA's structure — Watson, Crick and Rosalind Franklin's X-ray data (Photo 51) 2. Discussing the ethical issue of how Franklin's data was obtained and credited 3. Practice: labelling a diagram showing the chromosome → DNA → gene relationship Genes, Mutations & Genetic Disease 1. What a gene is (a section of DNA coding for a trait)

March · Heredity, genetics and evolution

Year 10 Science — March Lesson Plan

New Zealand Curriculum · Science

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week	4 Day/Week
March 1st week (Science)	Cell Division — Mitosis 1. Practice: sequencing/redrawing the stages of mitosis in the correct order	Cell Division — Meiosis 1. How fertilisation restores the full chromosome number when gametes from both parents combine 2. Comparing mitosis and meiosis directly (purpose, number of divisions, resulting cells, chromosome number)	Chromosomes, DNA & the Discovery of the Double Helix 1. The history of discovering DNA's structure — Watson, Crick and Rosalind Franklin's X-ray data (Photo 51) 2. Discussing the ethical issue of how Franklin's data was obtained and credited 3. Practice: labelling a diagram showing the chromosome → DNA → gene relationship	Genes, Mutations & Genetic Disease 1. Alleles, dominant/recessive, genotype vs phenotype, homozygous vs heterozygous 2. What a mutation is and how it can occur during cell division 3. Effects of mutations (beneficial, neutral, harmful) with real examples 4. Practice: researching a genetic disease and how it arises from a mutation or inherited allele
March 2nd week (Science)	Cell Division — Meiosis 1. Purpose of meiosis (producing gametes/sex cells)	Chromosomes, DNA & the Discovery of the Double Helix 1. Structure of a chromosome (DNA wrapped around histone proteins) and what a karyotype shows 2. Structure of DNA (double helix, base pairs)	Genes, Mutations & Genetic Disease 1. What a gene is (a section of DNA coding for a trait) 2. Alleles, dominant/recessive, genotype vs phenotype, homozygous vs heterozygous 3. What a mutation is and how it can occur during cell division	Mendelian Inheritance — Monohybrid Crosses 1. Background: Mendel's pea plant experiments 2. Using a Punnett square for a monohybrid cross 3. Predicting genotype ratios from a cross 4. Predicting phenotype ratios from a cross
March 3rd week (Science)	Cell Division — Meiosis 1. Stages of meiosis (two divisions)	Chromosomes, DNA & the Discovery of the Double Helix 1. The history of discovering DNA's structure — Watson, Crick and Rosalind Franklin's X-ray data (Photo 51) 2. Discussing the ethical issue of how Franklin's data was obtained and credited	Genes, Mutations & Genetic Disease 1. Effects of mutations (beneficial, neutral, harmful) with real examples 2. Practice: researching a genetic disease and how it arises from a mutation or inherited allele Mendelian Inheritance — Monohybrid Crosses 1. Background: Mendel's pea plant experiments	Mendelian Inheritance — Pedigrees & Real Human Traits 1. Reading a pedigree chart to track inheritance across generations 2. Applying Mendelian inheritance to real human characteristics (e.g. earlobe attachment, eye colour, or a genetic condition) 3. Practice: completing a pedigree analysis Gene Technology & Biotechnology 1. What gene technology is and common applications (genetic engineering, GMOs, gene therapy)
March 4th week (Science)	Cell Division — Meiosis 1. How meiosis halves the chromosome number	Chromosomes, DNA & the Discovery of the Double Helix 1. Practice: labelling a diagram showing the chromosome → DNA → gene relationship Genes, Mutations & Genetic Disease 1. What a gene is (a section of DNA coding for a trait)	Mendelian Inheritance — Monohybrid Crosses 1. Using a Punnett square for a monohybrid cross 2. Predicting genotype ratios from a cross 3. Predicting phenotype ratios from a cross	Gene Technology & Biotechnology 1. Ethical and societal considerations around gene technology 2. Practice: discussing a real, current gene-technology application and its implications Evidence for Evolution — Fossils, Anatomy & Biochemistry 1. Fossil evidence (transitional fossils, the geological timescale) 2. Comparative anatomy (homologous vs analogous structures) and comparative embryology

April · Heredity, genetics and evolution

Year 10 Science — April Lesson Plan

New Zealand Curriculum · Science

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week	4 Day/Week
April 1st week (Science)	Cell Division — Meiosis 1. How fertilisation restores the full chromosome number when gametes from both parents combine	Genes, Mutations & Genetic Disease 1. Alleles, dominant/recessive, genotype vs phenotype, homozygous vs heterozygous 2. What a mutation is and how it can occur during cell division	Mendelian Inheritance — Pedigrees & Real Human Traits 1. Reading a pedigree chart to track inheritance across generations 2. Applying Mendelian inheritance to real human characteristics (e.g. earlobe attachment, eye colour, or a genetic condition) 3. Practice: completing a pedigree analysis	Evidence for Evolution — Fossils, Anatomy & Biochemistry 1. DNA/molecular evidence for common ancestry 2. Observed evolution happening in real time (e.g. antibiotic resistance, pesticide resistance, the peppered moth) Natural Selection — Mechanism, Speciation & Investigation 1. The 4 conditions for natural selection (variation, inheritance, selection pressure, differential survival/reproduction) 2. How natural selection over time can lead to a new species (speciation)
April 2nd week (Science)	Cell Division — Meiosis 1. Comparing mitosis and meiosis directly (purpose, number of divisions, resulting cells, chromosome number)	Genes, Mutations & Genetic Disease 1. Effects of mutations (beneficial, neutral, harmful) with real examples 2. Practice: researching a genetic disease and how it arises from a mutation or inherited allele	Gene Technology & Biotechnology 1. What gene technology is and common applications (genetic engineering, GMOs, gene therapy) 2. Ethical and societal considerations around gene technology 3. Practice: discussing a real, current gene-technology application and its implications	Natural Selection — Mechanism, Speciation & Investigation 1. Working through a natural selection scenario (e.g. Darwin's finches) 2. Planning and conducting a selection-pressure simulation investigation (hypothesis, variables, sources of error) 3. Analysing and graphing the simulation's data to identify a trend Term 1 Assessment & Consolidation 1. Revision workshop — cell division, DNA/genes/mutations and inheritance

The learning framework

Anatomy of a focused lesson

Each session moves from a clear focus to guided practice and a quick check for understanding.

10 minutes

Connect and question

Link the week's idea to what your child already knows and to a real New Zealand context, then pose the question the lesson will answer.

25 minutes

Model and investigate

Work through the science with diagrams, models and worked examples, then plan, carry out or analyse a short investigation.

10 minutes

Check for mastery

Close with exam-style questions or a short explanation task that shows what is secure and what to revisit next lesson.

Student learning toolkit

Resources for Year 10 Science

Concept lessons

Clear, visual lessons on each New Zealand Curriculum science topic.

Practice activities

Short questions and checks matched to each week’s focus.

Science inquiry

Observation, investigation and recording skills built up through the year.

Progress notes

A clear record of what your child has mastered and what comes next.

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