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What a 12-year-old learns

147 topics open up at age 12, across 12 subjects. They are listed in the order they build on each other, not by importance: each one needs the ones above it.

age 11age 13
What should a 12-year-old be learning?

At age 12, 147 topics open up across Science, Mathematics, History, Computing, English, Life Skills, Personal & Social Development, Arts & Music, Languages, Design & Technology, Civics & Economics, Geography. Each one has prerequisites that come first, so the order matters more than the list: How Diffusion Works is a typical starting point.

How do I know what a 12-year-old already knows?

LightMySky starts by assuming everything below the learner’s level is already known, then checks the assumption as they practise. What holds up stays lit; what does not comes back for review.

Science

  1. How Diffusion WorksOrganisms & Life Processes
  2. Gas Exchange & BreathingOrganisms & Life Processes
  3. Aerobic RespirationOrganisms & Life Processes
  4. Anaerobic RespirationOrganisms & Life Processes
  5. Pathogens & the Immune SystemOrganisms & Life Processes
  6. Human ReproductionOrganisms & Life Processes
  7. Chromosomes, Genes & DNAEcosystems & Habitats
  8. Genetic MutationEcosystems & Habitats
  9. Ohm's Law: voltage, current, resistanceEnergy
  10. Series vs parallel circuitsEnergy
  11. Power: watts and energy per secondEnergy
  12. Efficiency, Sankey diagrams, and work doneEnergy
  13. Heating experiments and Q = mcΔTEnergy
  14. Deformation & Fluid PressureForces & Motion
  15. Moments, Pressure & Hooke's LawForces & Motion
  16. Newton's First & Second LawsForces & Motion
  17. Investigating ForcesForces & Motion
  18. Newton's Third LawForces & Motion
  19. Universal GravitationSpace Systems & Earth's History
  20. Orbital MechanicsSpace Exploration
  21. Galaxies and the universeSpace Systems & Earth's History
  22. ElectromagnetsForces & Motion
  23. Electromagnetic induction and generatorsEnergy
  24. Drawing Ray DiagramsWaves, Light & Sound
  25. Ray Diagrams & ImagesWaves, Light & Sound
  26. The Electromagnetic SpectrumWaves, Light & Sound
  27. Waves & Different MaterialsWaves, Light & Sound
  28. Hazard Assessment & EvacuationVolcanoes & Earthquakes
  29. Conduction, convection, and radiationEnergy
  30. Where Elements Come FromSpace Exploration
  31. Acids, Alkalis & pHMatter & Materials
  32. Types of Chemical ReactionMatter & Materials
  33. Acid Reactions & SaltsMatter & Materials
  34. Reactions That Release or Absorb HeatMatter & Materials
  35. The Reactivity SeriesMatter & Materials
  36. Plant ReproductionOrganisms & Life Processes
  37. Species Distribution & ChangeEcosystems & Habitats
  38. Toxins in Food Chains and Organisms Changing HabitatsEcosystems & Habitats
  39. Biodiversity & ResilienceEcosystems & Habitats
  40. Variation in SpeciesEcosystems & Habitats
  41. Deep-Sea SurvivalAnimals of the World
  42. Mates, Kin and Animal StrategiesAnimals of the World
  43. The Biodiversity CrisisAnimals of the World
  44. How Natural Selection WorksEcosystems & Habitats
  45. Evidence for EvolutionEcosystems & Habitats
  46. Extinction & Rapid ChangeEcosystems & Habitats
  47. Mass Extinctions in Earth HistoryDinosaurs & Paleontology
  48. The Carbon CycleEcosystems & Habitats
  49. Earth's Atmosphere & CO2Matter & Materials
  50. Renewable vs non-renewable energyEnergy
  51. Finite Resources & RecyclingMatter & Materials
  52. Predator Loss and Ecosystem EffectsOcean Life
  53. Coral Bleaching & AcidificationOcean Life
  54. Tables, charts, and graphsScientific Inquiry
  55. Drawing conclusions from evidence (age 12+)Scientific Inquiry
  56. Reconstructing Ancient EcosystemsDinosaurs & Paleontology
  57. Reading Ancient Climate RecordsWeather & Climate
  58. Hurricanes, Tornadoes & MonsoonsWeather & Climate
  59. Supervolcanoes & Volcanic WinterVolcanoes & Earthquakes
  60. The Rock CycleMatter & Materials
  61. Gut Bacteria & DigestionOrganisms & Life Processes
  62. Heart Structure & Double CirculationOrganisms & Life Processes
  63. Body Temperature RegulationOrganisms & Life Processes
  64. DNA & GenesThe Human Body
  65. How the Body Stays in BalanceThe Human Body

Mathematics

  1. Angles with parallel linesGeometry
  2. Adding and Subtracting Negative NumbersAddition & Subtraction
  3. Powers of Ten NotationNumber Representation & Place Value
  4. Two-Way TablesData & Statistics
  5. Circles: Circumference & AreaGeometry
  6. Laws of ExponentsAlgebra
  7. Linear Function GraphsAlgebra
  8. Venn Diagrams and Counting OutcomesProbability
  9. Similarity and enlargementGeometry
  10. Ruler and compass constructionsGeometry
  11. Triangle congruence criteriaGeometry
  12. Ratio Notation and RelationshipsRatio & Proportion
  13. ProportionRatio & Proportion
  14. Percentages (age 12+)Ratio & Proportion
  15. Bounds and error in rounded valuesNumber Representation & Place Value
  16. Factorising ExpressionsAlgebra
  17. Nth-Term RulesAlgebra
  18. Simple formulaeAlgebra
  19. Plotting Linear GraphsAlgebra
  20. Sets & Venn DiagramsProbability
  21. Tree diagramsProbability
  22. From Examples to a General ArgumentMathematical Thinking

History

  1. Fall of the Roman RepublicAncient Greece & Rome
  2. Egypt and Its NeighboursAncient Egypt
  3. Who Really Built the PyramidsAncient Egypt
  4. Baghdad, Cordoba and the Work of TranslationWorld History
  5. Gold, Salt and the Kingdoms of the SahelWorld History
  6. The Indian Ocean and the Swahili CoastWorld History
  7. The Mongol CenturyWorld History
  8. When Plague Crossed a ContinentWorld History
  9. Cities of the Americas Before 1500World History
  10. Votes for Women and the Long Fight for the BallotBritain Through Time
  11. Britain After the WarBritain Through Time

Computing

  1. How a Chatbot Picks Its Next TokenArtificial Intelligence
  2. Events: Programs That React to What the User DoesComputing Fundamentals
  3. Conditions That Combine: And, Or and NotComputing Fundamentals
  4. Inside the Box: Input, Processing, Storage and OutputComputing Fundamentals
  5. Random Numbers and Programs That Differ Each RunComputing Fundamentals
  6. Finding a Bug by Changing One Thing at a TimeComputing Fundamentals
  7. Why a Computer Works with Only Two SymbolsComputing Fundamentals
  8. An Agreed Code: How the Same Bits Mean Letters or ColoursComputing Fundamentals
  9. Sorting and Filtering a Table to Answer a QuestionDigital Literacy
  10. Why a Chatbot Can Be Confidently WrongArtificial Intelligence

English

  1. Verb Voice and MoodGrammar & Punctuation
  2. Grammar for EffectGrammar & Punctuation
  3. Verbals: Gerunds, Participles and InfinitivesGrammar & Punctuation
  4. Analysing Connections in Informational TextsReading Comprehension
  5. Comparing Texts Across MediaReading Comprehension
  6. Advanced Collaborative DiscussionsSpeaking & Listening
  7. Choosing How to Read a TextEnglish Thinking
  8. Multimedia in PresentationsSpeaking & Listening
  9. Formal DebatesSpeaking & Listening

Life Skills

  1. Your First Bank Account and CardMoney & Finance
  2. Finding Out If Anyone Wants ItEntrepreneurship
  3. Pricing So the Numbers WorkEntrepreneurship
  4. Comparing Prices ProperlyMoney & Finance
  5. Saving for Something Months AwayMoney & Finance
  6. The True Cost of a PhoneMoney & Finance
  7. Spending Inside Games and AppsMoney & Finance
  8. Doing It Right When Nobody Is WatchingEntrepreneurship

Personal & Social Development

  1. Honest Conversations and Conflict RepairFriendship & Cooperation
  2. Identity and belonging in adolescenceEmotional Literacy
  3. Habits and MotivationSelf-Regulation & Resilience
  4. Sympathy Versus EmpathyEmpathy & Social Awareness
  5. Online Identity and MisinformationResponsible Decision-Making
  6. Body Image and the Pictures You Scroll PastEmotional Literacy

Arts & Music

  1. Chords and HarmonyMusic
  2. Music Traditions Around the WorldMusic
  3. The Shape of a PieceMusic
  4. Perspective and the Illusion of DepthVisual Art
  5. The Camera as an Art ToolVisual Art

Languages

  1. Reading Material Written for Native SpeakersTexts, Media & Translation
  2. Politeness and Everyday CultureTexts, Media & Translation
  3. Writing to Someone Who Will ReplyLanguage Learning
  4. Knowing Where You Are and What to FixLanguage Learning

Design & Technology

  1. Systems: Input, Process, OutputDesigning & Making
  2. Why Food Goes Bad and How to Stop ItFood & Cooking
  3. Planning Meals for a Whole WeekFood & Cooking

Civics & Economics

  1. Inflation, Unemployment and GrowthEconomics
  2. Trade Policy and BarriersEconomics

Geography

  1. What the Ice Left BehindPhysical Geography
  2. Reading a Landscape Off a MapPhysical Geography
What a 12-year-old learns · LightMySky