Science

Science knowledge and skills underpin a multitude of career pathways.  Not only that, but learning about Science is learning about the world we live in, how it works and how we all interact with each other.

Curriculum Information

Year 7

Students explore the diversity of life on Earth and continue to develop their understanding of the role of classification in ordering and organising information. They use and develop models, such as food chains and food webs to represent energy flow in ecosystems and predict impacts of human activity. They use the particle theory to explain the motion and arrangement of atoms and molecules in the different states of matter and select appropriate techniques to separate pure substances from mixtures. They explore different types of celestial objects, investigate relationships in the Earth-sun-moon system and use models to predict and explain events. They consider the impact of forces acting on objects, represent and predict the effects of unbalanced forces on motion and determine the type of mechanical advantage provide by simple machines.

Year 8

Students are introduced to cells and explore specialised flowering plant and vertebrate systems. They are also introduced to the structure of atoms and use representations to distinguish between elements and compounds. They classify elements as metals and non-metals based on their physical properties and distinguish between physical and chemical changes. They continue to develop a view of Earth as a dynamic system exploring the interactions between processes occurring at plate boundaries and the rock cycle and explore how these processes explain patterns of change on Earth. They use physical properties to classify rocks and minerals and examine how properties of rocks reflect their formation and influence their use. They classify different forms of energy as kinetic or potential and represent energy transfer and transformation in simple systems. They explore in more detail how heat is transferred, and electrical energy is transferred and transformed.

Year 9

Students explore how adaptations enable organisms to survive and respond to changes in their external environment and the impact of abiotic and biotic components on ecosystems. They use the structure and properties of atoms to determine the atomic and mass numbers for elements and the arrangement of elements on the periodic table. They use chemical formula to represent covalent and ionic compounds and chemical equations to represent chemical reactions. They explore how interactions within and between Earth’s spheres affect the carbon cycle, water cycle and global climate. They begin to develop a more sophisticated view of energy transfer by exploring wave and particle models of energy transfer for light and sound.

Year 10

Students investigate processes that underpin heredity and natural selection to understand the continuity of life. They develop a more sophisticated understanding of atomic theory and explore patterns and relationships within the periodic table to explain ionic and covalent bonding. They predict the effect of changing reactant and reaction conditions and use chemical equations to predict reaction products. They explore the key events in the formation of stars, galaxies and solar systems and how space exploration has contributed to knowledge of the formation and evolution of the universe and improved life on Earth. They understand that motion and forces are related by applying physical laws and mathematical models. They apply the law of conservation of energy to analyse system efficiency.