JUNE 2021

MEMORANDUM
NATURAL SCIENCES

GRADE 7

Time: 90 Minutes
Marks: 60 Marks
No. Of Pages: 5

________________________________________________________________________________

1
QUESTION 1 [5]
Give one word for each of the following definitions.

1.1 A group of plants or animals within a species that have a similar appearance due to planned
selection. breed 
1.2 The process in which waste materials are used to make new materials. recycling 
1.3 The difference in characteristics of the same species. variation 
1.4 Animals without a backbone. invertebrate 
1.5 The passing on of characteristics between parents and children. inheritance 

QUESTION 2 [4]
Complete the drawing by labeling it.
a stigma 
b anther 
c filament 

d ovary 

QUESTION 3 [20]
Answer the following questions.
3.1 Why is it important to know your family history? (1)

You need to make informed decisions about your medical care. / Your family history puts you at
greater risk of developing certain diseases. 

3.2 Name and describe two of the components of the biosphere. (4)
(any two of the components)

Atmosphere – gasses that sustain life.


Hydrosphere – all the water on earth. 
Lithosphere – Soil and rock. 
3.3 List three differences between angiosperms and gymnosperms. (6)

Angiosperms Gymnosperms
 Produce flowers   Male and female cones 
 The ovules are enclosed in an ovary   The ovules are not enclosed in an ovary

 After fertilization, the ovules become seeds  Once fertilization has occurred, seeds will
and the ovary becomes the fruit form, some of which will grow into a new
 plant 

3.4 Study the drawing. Describe the structure and function of the uterus. (2) 
Hollow, pear-shaped structurethat is able to expand in order to hold a growing foetus.

3.5 Thato is a 14 years old girl and have an older boyfriend. They are planning on having sex, but
2
 when Thato told her cousin, Lebo, about their plans Lebo explained very worried that it might not
be such a good idea. Which reasons could Lebo have given Thato? (2)
(any two of the reasons)
Early sexual activity can result in pregnancy at an age when you are not financially or
emotionally equiped to care for a baby. 
A risk for both men and women is to become infected with HIV 
A risk for both men and women is to become infected with a sexually-transmitted disease. 

3.6 What is a mixture? (1)

A mixture is an impure substance. /
It is made up of two or more substances or materials that have different physical properties. 

3.7 Why won’t you cover your school books with tissue paper? (1)
It is not a strong material and will tear easily. 

3.8 What is an element? (1)

An element is a pure substance that cannot be broken down further. 

3.9 The fruit of an angiosperm is important for the survival of a species. Explain this statement? (1)
The function of the fruit is to carry the seeds as far away from the parent plant as possible so that
the new plants have room to grow. 

3.10 What are contraceptives? (1)

Methods used to prevent pregnancy. 

QUESTION 4 [5]
Complete the table for any of the five groups of vertebrates.
Characteristic Description
(any one of the groups)
Class Fish Amphibians Reptiles Birds Mammals

Head, trunk Head and Head, trunk Head, neck, Head, neck,
Body structure and tail trunk and tail trunk and tail trunk and tail /
 four legged
Body covering Scales Moist, naked Scales Feathers Hair
 skin
Movement Swim Swim and Walk Fly and walk Walk, swim,
 walk crawl, fly
Reproduction Lay eggs Lay eggs Lay eggs Lay eggs Live birth

QUESTION 5 [7]

5.1 Study the table and complete it. Indicate what kind of substance it is with a tick. (6 x ½ = 3)

Name of substance pH-reading Acid Base Neutral

Battery acid 1 
Ammonia 13 
Pure water 7 
Wine 4 
Baking soda 8 


3
 


Lemon juice 2 

5.2 Draw a pH-scale to indicate where the strongest acid and strongest base can be found on the
scale. (3)

 

5.3 With what can you test whether a substance is an acid or base? (1)

acid-base indicator / litmus paper / red cabbage water 

QUESTION 6 [6]

Use your knowledge of the periodic table of elements to complete the information table below.
(12 x ½ = 6)
Atomic number Element symbol Element name
6.1  12 Mg Magnesium
6.2  20 Ca Calcium
6.3   9 F Fluorine
6.4  6 C Carbon

6.5   14 Si Silicon
6.6  7 N Nitrogen
6.7   8 O Oxygen

QUESTION 7 [7]
Draw a mind map to name the seven physical properties of matter.

Strength 

Texture  Boiling and melting points 

Colour  Physical Flexibility

properties 
of
Costs  materials Conductivity


4
QUESTION 8 [6]
8.1 Study the table and use the information to complete the bar graph. (4)
Kind of material recycled Percentage recycled in one month
Metal (cans) 69%
Plastic (bags, bottles) 27%
Glass 31%
Paper (paper, cardboard) 55%

   
Percentage %

meta

plasti

glass

pape
c
l

Recycled materials

8.2 Which material is recycled the most according to your graph? (1)
metal

8.3 Give a possible reason why none of the substances are 100% recycled. (1)
People throw anything in their rubbish bins. The content of the bins are collected, compressed
and taken to a landfill site where it is dumped to decompose and not recycled. 