The aim of Science is to provide learning experiences through which students will:
- acquire scientific knowledge and skills and develop understanding about phenomena within and beyond their experience
- develop an appreciation of science as a human activity and apply their understanding to their everyday life
- develop positive values about and attitudes towards themselves, others, lifelong learning, science and the environment..
Topics:
Chemical World
A student describes the observed properties and behaviour of matter in a local context. Each student will perform experiments to create and discover models about the movement and arrangement of particles in everyday objects. They will be required to research the properties of indigenous materials, discuss the costs and benefits to society and outline some of the major historical developments in this scientific field.
Living World
A Student relates the structure and function of living things to their classification, survival and reproduction systems. They will look at their local environment and design simple keys to identify a range of living things that are important to the area. They are required to research and critique human impact on the environments with respect to both indigenous and non-indigenous people/development.
Earth and Space
Whilst exploring this topic, a student learns to describe the dynamic nature of models, theories and laws in developing scientific understanding of the Earth and solar system. Students should be able to explain how advances in scientific understanding of processes that occur within and on the Earth, influence the choices people make about resource use and management. Students also investigate examples of how scientific knowledge has developed through collaboration of experts from across the disciplines of Science, eg space exploration and resource management as well as describe the effect of the forces of the sun and moon on the hydrosphere, investigate the role of forces and energy in the formation of different types of rocks and minerals, debate the economic and environmental impacts of mining and resource exploration and describe ways in which technology has increased the variety of made resources.
Physical World
Students will be able to describe the action of unbalanced forces in everyday situations and discuss how scientific understanding and technological developments have contributed to finding solutions to problems involving energy transfers and transformations. They will investigate characteristics of specific forces in terms of size and direction, levers, pulleys, gears or inclined planes and trace the history of the development of particular devices or technologies, eg circuitry through to micro circuitry To ensure an aboriginal perspective students describe the scientific principles used in some traditional technologies used and developed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.