aims - chris poole€¦ · the australian curriculum: science has three interrelated strands:...
TRANSCRIPT
Science
Aims
TheAustralianCurriculum:Scienceaimstoensurethatstudentsdevelop:
aninterestinscienceasameansofexpandingtheircuriosityandwillingnesstoexplore,askquestionsabout
andspeculateonthechangingworldinwhichtheylive
anunderstandingofthevisionthatscienceprovidesofthenatureoflivingthings,oftheEarthanditsplacein
thecosmos,andofthephysicalandchemicalprocessesthatexplainthebehaviourofallmaterialthings
anunderstandingofthenatureofscientificinquiryandtheabilitytousearangeofscientificinquirymethods,
includingquestioning;planningandconductingexperimentsandinvestigationsbasedonethicalprinciples;
collectingandanalysingdata;evaluatingresults;anddrawingcritical,evidence-basedconclusions
anabilitytocommunicatescientificunderstandingandfindingstoarangeofaudiences,tojustifyideasonthe
basisofevidence,andtoevaluateanddebatescientificargumentsandclaims
anabilitytosolveproblemsandmakeinformed,evidence-baseddecisionsaboutcurrentandfutureapplications
ofsciencewhiletakingintoaccountethicalandsocialimplicationsofdecisions
anunderstandingofhistoricalandculturalcontributionstoscienceaswellascontemporaryscienceissuesand
activitiesandanunderstandingofthediversityofcareersrelatedtoscience
asolidfoundationofknowledgeofthebiological,chemical,physical,Earthandspacesciences,includingbeing
abletoselectandintegratethescientificknowledgeandmethodsneededtoexplainandpredictphenomena,to
applythatunderstandingtonewsituationsandevents,andtoappreciatethedynamicnatureofscience
knowledge.
Rationale
Scienceprovidesanempiricalwayofansweringinterestingandimportantquestionsaboutthebiological,physical
andtechnologicalworld.Theknowledgeitproduceshasprovedtobeareliablebasisforactioninourpersonal,
socialandeconomiclives.Scienceisadynamic,collaborativeandcreativehumanendeavourarisingfromour
desiretomakesenseofourworldthroughexploringtheunknown,investigatinguniversalmysteries,making
predictionsandsolvingproblems.Scienceaimstounderstandalargenumberofobservationsintermsofamuch
smallernumberofbroadprinciples.Scienceknowledgeiscontestableandisrevised,refinedandextendedasnew
evidencearises.
TheAustralianCurriculum:Scienceprovidesopportunitiesforstudentstodevelopanunderstandingofimportant
scienceconceptsandprocesses,thepracticesusedtodevelopscientificknowledge,ofscience'scontributionto
ourcultureandsociety,anditsapplicationsinourlives.Thecurriculumsupportsstudentstodevelopthescientific
knowledge,understandingsandskillstomakeinformeddecisionsaboutlocal,nationalandglobalissuesandto
participate,iftheysowish,inscience-relatedcareers.
Inadditiontoitspracticalapplications,learningscienceisavaluablepursuitinitsownright.Studentscan
experiencethejoyofscientificdiscoveryandnurturetheirnaturalcuriosityabouttheworldaroundthem.Indoing
this,theydevelopcriticalandcreativethinkingskillsandchallengethemselvestoidentifyquestionsanddraw
evidence-basedconclusionsusingscientificmethods.Thewiderbenefitsofthis"scientificliteracy"arewell
established,includinggivingstudentsthecapabilitytoinvestigatethenaturalworldandchangesmadetoitthrough
humanactivity.
Thesciencecurriculumpromotessixoverarchingideasthathighlightcertaincommonapproachestoascientific
viewoftheworldandwhichcanbeappliedtomanyoftheareasofscienceunderstanding.Theseoverarchingideas
arepatterns,orderandorganisation;formandfunction;stabilityandchange;systems;scaleandmeasurement;and
matterandenergy.
ContentStructure
TheAustralianCurriculum:Sciencehasthreeinterrelatedstrands:ScienceUnderstanding,ScienceasaHuman
EndeavourandScienceInquirySkills.
Together,thethreestrandsofthesciencecurriculumprovidestudentswithunderstanding,knowledgeandskills
throughwhichtheycandevelopascientificviewoftheworld.Studentsarechallengedtoexplorescience,its
concepts,natureandusesthroughclearlydescribedinquiryprocesses.
ScienceUnderstanding
Scienceunderstandingisevidentwhenapersonselectsandintegratesappropriatescienceknowledgetoexplain
andpredictphenomena,andappliesthatknowledgetonewsituations.Scienceknowledgereferstofacts,concepts,
principles,laws,theoriesandmodelsthathavebeenestablishedbyscientistsovertime.
TheScienceUnderstandingstrandcomprisesfoursub-strands.Thecontentisdescribedbyyearlevel.
BIOLOGICALSCIENCES
Thebiologicalsciencessub-strandisconcernedwithunderstandinglivingthings.Thekeyconceptsdeveloped
withinthissub-strandarethat:adiverserangeoflivingthingshaveevolvedonEarthoverhundredsofmillionsof
years;livingthingsareinterdependentandinteractwitheachotherandtheirenvironment;andtheformandfeatures
oflivingthingsarerelatedtothefunctionsthattheirbodysystemsperform.Throughthissub-strand,students
investigatelivingthings,includinganimals,plants,andmicro-organisms,andtheirinterdependenceandinteractions
withinecosystems.Theyexploretheirlifecycles,bodysystems,structuraladaptationsandbehaviours,howthese
featuresaidsurvival,andhowtheircharacteristicsareinheritedfromonegenerationtothenext.Studentsare
introducedtothecellasthebasicunitoflifeandtheprocessesthatarecentraltoitsfunction.
CHEMICALSCIENCES
Thechemicalsciencessub-strandisconcernedwithunderstandingthecompositionandbehaviourofsubstances.
Thekeyconceptsdevelopedwithinthissub-strandarethat:thechemicalandphysicalpropertiesofsubstancesare
determinedbytheirstructureatanatomicscale;andthatsubstanceschangeandnewsubstancesareproducedby
rearrangingatomsthroughatomicinteractionsandenergytransfer.Inthissub-strand,studentsclassifysubstances
basedontheirproperties,suchassolids,liquidsandgases,ortheircomposition,suchaselements,compounds
andmixtures.Theyexplorephysicalchangessuchaschangesofstateanddissolving,andinvestigatehow
chemicalreactionsresultintheproductionofnewsubstances.Studentsrecognisethatallsubstancesconsistof
atomswhichcancombinetoformmolecules,andchemicalreactionsinvolveatomsbeingrearrangedand
recombinedtoformnewsubstances.Theyexploretherelationshipbetweenthewayinwhichatomsarearranged
andthepropertiesofsubstances,andtheeffectofenergytransfersonthesearrangements.
EARTHANDSPACESCIENCES
TheEarthandspacesciencessub-strandisconcernedwithEarth'sdynamicstructureanditsplaceinthecosmos.
Thekeyconceptsdevelopedwithinthissub-strandarethat:Earthispartofasolarsystemthatispartofalarger
universe;andEarthissubjecttochangewithinandonitssurface,overarangeoftimescalesasaresultofnatural
processesandhumanuseofresources.Throughthissub-strand,studentsviewEarthaspartofasolarsystem,
whichispartofagalaxy,whichisoneofmanyintheuniverseandexploretheimmensescalesassociatedwith
space.TheyexplorehowchangesonEarth,suchasdayandnightandtheseasonsrelatetoEarth'srotationandits
orbitaroundthesun.StudentsinvestigatetheprocessesthatresultinchangetoEarth'ssurface,recognisingthat
Earthhasevolvedover4.5billionyearsandthattheeffectofsomeoftheseprocessesisonlyevidentwhenviewed
overextremelylongtimescales.TheyexplorethewaysinwhichhumansuseresourcesfromtheEarthand
appreciatetheinfluenceofhumanactivityonthesurfaceoftheEarthandtheatmosphere.
PHYSICALSCIENCES
Thephysicalsciencessub-strandisconcernedwithunderstandingthenatureofforcesandmotion,andmatterand
energy.Thetwokeyconceptsdevelopedwithinthissub-strandarethat:forcesaffectthebehaviourofobjects;and
thatenergycanbetransferredandtransformedfromoneformtoanother.Throughthissub-strandstudentsgainan
understandingofhowanobject'smotion(direction,speedandacceleration)isinfluencedbyarangeofcontactand
non-contactforcessuchasfriction,magnetism,gravityandelectrostaticforces.Theydevelopanunderstandingof
theconceptofenergyandhowenergytransferisassociatedwithphenomenainvolvingmotion,heat,sound,light
andelectricity.Theyappreciatethatconceptsofforce,motion,matterandenergyapplytosystemsranginginscale
fromatomstotheuniverseitself.
ScienceasaHumanEndeavour
Throughscience,humansseektoimprovetheirunderstandingandexplanationsofthenaturalworld.Science
involvestheconstructionofexplanationsbasedonevidenceandscienceknowledgecanbechangedasnew
evidencebecomesavailable.Scienceinfluencessocietybyposing,andrespondingto,socialandethicalquestions,
andscientificresearchisitselfinfluencedbytheneedsandprioritiesofsociety.Thisstrandhighlightsthe
developmentofscienceasauniquewayofknowinganddoing,andtheroleofscienceincontemporarydecision
makingandproblemsolving.Itacknowledgesthatinmakingdecisionsaboutsciencepracticesandapplications,
ethicalandsocialimplicationsmustbetakenintoaccount.Thisstrandalsorecognisesthatscienceadvances
throughthecontributionsofmanydifferentpeoplefromdifferentculturesandthattherearemanyrewardingscience-
basedcareerpaths.
ThecontentintheScienceasaHumanEndeavourstrandisdescribedintwo-yearbands.Therearetwosub-
strandsofScienceasaHumanEndeavour.Theseare:
Natureanddevelopmentofscience:Thissub-stranddevelopsanappreciationoftheuniquenatureofscienceand
scientificknowledge,includinghowcurrentknowledgehasdevelopedovertimethroughtheactionsofmanypeople.
Useandinfluenceofscience:Thissub-strandexploreshowscienceknowledgeandapplicationsaffectpeoples'
lives,includingtheirwork,andhowscienceisinfluencedbysocietyandcanbeusedtoinformdecisionsand
actions.
ScienceInquirySkills
Scienceinquiryinvolvesidentifyingandposingquestions;planning,conductingandreflectingoninvestigations;
processing,analysingandinterpretingevidence;andcommunicatingfindings.Thisstrandisconcernedwith
evaluatingclaims,investigatingideas,solvingproblems,drawingvalidconclusionsanddevelopingevidence-based
arguments.
Scienceinvestigationsareactivitiesinwhichideas,predictionsorhypothesesaretestedandconclusionsaredrawn
inresponsetoaquestionorproblem.Investigationscaninvolvearangeofactivities,includingexperimentaltesting,
fieldwork,locatingandusinginformationsources,conductingsurveys,andusingmodellingandsimulations.The
choiceoftheapproachtakenwilldependonthecontextandsubjectoftheinvestigation.
Inscienceinvestigations,collectionandanalysisofdataandevidenceplayamajorrole.Thiscaninvolvecollecting
orextractinginformationandreorganisingdataintheformoftables,graphs,flowcharts,diagrams,prose,keys,
spreadsheetsanddatabases.
ThecontentintheScienceInquirySkillsstrandisdescribedintwo-yearbands.Therearefivesub-strandsof
ScienceInquirySkills.Theseare:
Questioningandpredicting:Identifyingandconstructingquestions,proposinghypothesesandsuggesting
possibleoutcomes.
Planningandconducting:Makingdecisionsregardinghowtoinvestigateorsolveaproblemandcarryingoutan
investigation,includingthecollectionofdata.
Processingandanalysingdataandinformation:Representingdatainmeaningfulandusefulways;identifying
trends,patternsandrelationshipsindata,andusingthisevidencetojustifyconclusions.
Evaluating:Consideringthequalityofavailableevidenceandthemeritorsignificanceofaclaim,propositionor
conclusionwithreferencetothatevidence.
Communicating:Conveyinginformationorideastoothersthroughappropriaterepresentations,texttypesand
modes.
Relationshipbetweenthestrands
Inthepracticeofscience,thethreestrandsofScienceUnderstanding,ScienceasaHumanEndeavourand
ScienceInquirySkillsarecloselyintegrated;theworkofscientistsreflectsthenatureanddevelopmentofscience,
isbuiltaroundscientificinquiryandseekstorespondtoandinfluencesociety'sneeds.Students'experiencesof
schoolscienceshouldmirrorandconnecttothismultifacetedviewofscience.
Toachievethis,thethreestrandsoftheAustralianCurriculum:Scienceshouldbetaughtinanintegratedway.The
contentdescriptionsofthethreestrandshavebeenwrittensothatateachyearthisintegrationispossible.Inthe
earlieryears,the'Natureanddevelopmentofscience'sub-strandwithintheScienceasaHumanEndeavourstrand
focusesonscientificinquiry.Thisenablesstudentstomakeclearconnectionsbetweentheinquiryskillsthatthey
arelearningandtheworkofscientists.Asstudentsprogressthroughthecurriculumtheyinvestigatehowscience
understandinghasdeveloped,includingconsideringsomeofthepeopleandthestoriesbehindtheseadvancesin
science.
Theywillalsorecognisehowthisscienceunderstandingcanbeappliedtotheirlivesandthelivesofothers.As
studentsdevelopamoresophisticatedunderstandingoftheknowledgeandskillsofsciencetheyareincreasingly
abletoappreciatetheroleofscienceinsociety.ThecontentoftheScienceUnderstandingstrandwillinform
students'understandingofcontemporaryissues,suchasclimatechange,useofresources,medicalinterventions,
biodiversityandtheoriginsoftheuniverse.Theimportanceoftheseareasofsciencecanbeemphasisedthrough
thecontentoftheScienceasaHumanEndeavourstrand,andstudentscanbeencouragedtoviewcontemporary
sciencecriticallythroughaspectsoftheScienceInquirySkillsstrand,forexamplebyanalysing,evaluatingand
communicating.
Yearleveldescriptions
Yearleveldescriptionshavethreefunctions.Firstly,theyemphasisetheinterrelatednatureofthethreestrands,
andtheexpectationthatplanningascienceprogramwillinvolveintegrationofcontentfromacrossthestrands.
Secondly,theyre-emphasisetheoverarchingideasasappropriateforthatstageofschooling.Thirdly,theyprovide
anoverviewofthecontentfortheyearlevel.
Contentdescriptions
TheAustralianCurriculum:Scienceincludescontentdescriptionsateachyearlevel.Thesedescribetheknowledge,
concepts,skillsandprocessesthatteachersareexpectedtoteachandstudentsareexpectedtolearn.However,
theydonotprescribeapproachestoteaching.WhileScienceUnderstandingcontentispresentedinyearlevels,
whenunitsofworkaredevised,attentionshouldbegiventothecoverageofcontentfromScienceInquirySkillsand
ScienceasaHumanEndeavouroverthetwo-yearband.Thecontentdescriptionsensurethatlearningis
appropriatelyorderedandthatunnecessaryrepetitionisavoided.However,aconceptorskillintroducedatoneyear
levelmayberevisited,strengthenedandextendedatlateryearlevelsasneeded.
Contentelaborations
ContentelaborationsareprovidedforFoundationtoYear10toillustrateandexemplifycontentandassistteachers
todevelopacommonunderstandingofthecontentdescriptions.Theyarenotintendedtobecomprehensive
contentpointsthatallstudentsneedtobetaught.
Theoverarchingideas
Thereareanumberofoverarchingideasthatrepresentkeyaspectsofascientificviewoftheworldandbridge
knowledgeandunderstandingacrossthedisciplinesofscience.
IntheAustralianCurriculum:Science,sixoverarchingideassupportthecoherenceanddevelopmentalsequenceof
scienceknowledgewithinandacrossyearlevels.Theoverarchingideasframethedevelopmentofconceptsinthe
ScienceUnderstandingstrand,supportkeyaspectsoftheScienceInquirySkillsstrandandcontributeto
developingstudents'appreciationofthenatureofscience.
ThesixoverarchingideasthatframetheAustralianCurriculum:Scienceare:
Patterns,orderandorganisation
Animportantaspectofscienceisrecognisingpatternsintheworldaroundus,andorderingandorganising
phenomenaatdifferentscales.AsstudentsprogressfromFoundationtoYear10,theybuildskillsand
understandingthatwillhelpthemtoobserveanddescribepatternsatdifferentscales,anddevelopanduse
classificationstoorganiseeventsandphenomenaandmakepredictions.Classifyingobjectsandeventsintogroups
(suchassolid/liquid/gasorliving/non-living)anddevelopingcriteriaforthosegroupingsreliesonmaking
observationsandidentifyingpatternsofsimilarityanddifference.Asstudentsprogressthroughtheprimaryyears,
theybecomemoreproficientinidentifyinganddescribingtherelationshipsthatunderpinpatterns,includingcause
andeffect.Studentsincreasinglyrecognisethatscaleplaysanimportantroleintheobservationofpatterns;some
patternsmayonlybeevidentatcertaintimeandspatialscales.Forexample,thepatternofdayandnightisnot
evidentoverthetimescaleofanhour.
Formandfunction
Manyaspectsofscienceareconcernedwiththerelationshipsbetweenform(thenatureormake-upofanaspectof
anobjectororganism)andfunction(theuseofthataspect).AsstudentsprogressfromFoundationtoYear10,they
seethatthefunctionsofbothlivingandnon-livingobjectsrelyontheirforms.Theirunderstandingofformssuchas
thefeaturesoflivingthingsorthenatureofarangeofmaterials,andtheirrelatedfunctionsoruses,isinitially
basedonobservablebehavioursandphysicalproperties.Inlateryears,studentsrecognisethatfunctionfrequently
reliesonformandthatthisrelationshipcanbeexaminedatmanyscales.Theyapplyanunderstandingof
microscopicandatomicstructures,interactionsofforceandflowsofenergyandmattertodescriberelationships
betweenformandfunction.
Stabilityandchange
Manyareasofscienceinvolvetherecognition,descriptionandpredictionofstabilityandchange.Earlyintheir
schooling,studentsrecognisethatintheirobservationsoftheworldaroundthem,somepropertiesandphenomena
appeartoremainstableorconstantovertime,whereasotherschange.AstheyprogressfromFoundationtoYear
10,theyalsorecognisethatphenomena(suchaspropertiesofobjectsandrelationshipsbetweenlivingthings)can
appeartobestableatonespatialortimescale,butatalargerorsmallerscalemaybeseentobechanging.They
begintoappreciatethatstabilitycanbetheresultofcompeting,butbalancedforces.Studentsbecomeincreasingly
adeptatquantifyingchangethroughmeasurementandlookingforpatternsofchangebyrepresentingandanalysing
dataintablesorgraphs.
Scaleandmeasurement
Quantificationoftimeandspatialscaleiscriticaltothedevelopmentofscienceunderstandingasitenablesthe
comparisonofobservations.Studentsoftenfinditdifficulttoworkwithscalesthatareoutsidetheireveryday
experience-theseincludethehugedistancesinspace,theincrediblysmallsizeofatomsandtheslowprocesses
thatoccurovergeologicaltime.AsstudentsprogressfromFoundationtoYear10,theirunderstandingofrelative
sizesandratesofchangedevelopsandtheyareabletoconceptualiseeventsandphenomenaatawiderrangeof
scales.Theyprogressfromworkingwithscalesrelatedtotheireverydayexperiencesandcomparingeventsand
phenomenausingrelativelanguage(suchas'bigger'or'faster')andinformalmeasurement,toworkingwithscales
beyondhumanexperienceandquantifyingmagnitudes,ratesofchangeandcomparisonsusingformalunitsof
measurement.
Matterandenergy
Manyaspectsofscienceinvolveidentifying,describingandmeasuringtransfersofenergyand/ormatter.As
studentsprogressthroughFoundationtoYear10,theybecomeincreasinglyabletoexplainphenomenaintermsof
theflowofmatterandenergy.Initially,studentsfocusondirectexperienceandobservationofphenomenaand
materials.Theyareintroducedtothewaysinwhichobjectsandlivingthingschangeandbegintorecognisetherole
ofenergyandmatterinthesechanges.Inlateryears,theyareintroducedtomoreabstractnotionsofparticles,
forcesandenergytransferandtransformation.Theyusetheseunderstandingstodescribeandmodelphenomena
andprocessesinvolvingmatterandenergy.
Systems
Sciencefrequentlyinvolvesthinking,modellingandanalysingintermsofsystemsinordertounderstand,explain
andpredicteventsandphenomena.AsstudentsprogressthroughFoundationtoYear10,theyexplore,describe
andanalyseincreasinglycomplexsystems.
Initially,studentsidentifytheobservablecomponentsofaclearlyidentified'whole'suchasfeaturesofplantsand
animalsandpartsofmixtures.OverYears3to6theylearntoidentifyanddescriberelationshipsbetween
componentswithinsimplesystems,andtheybegintoappreciatethatcomponentswithinlivingandnon-living
systemsareinterdependent.InYears7to10theyareintroducedtotheprocessesandunderlyingphenomenathat
structuresystemssuchasecosystems,bodysystemsandthecarboncycle.Theyrecognisethatwithinsystems,
interactionsbetweencomponentscaninvolveforcesandchangesactinginopposingdirectionsandthatfora
systemtobeinasteadystate,thesefactorsneedtobeinastateofbalanceorequilibrium.Theyareincreasingly
awarethatsystemscanexistascomponentswithinlargersystems,andthatoneimportantpartofthinkingabout
systemsisidentifyingboundaries,inputsandoutputs.
ScienceacrossFoundationtoYear12
Althoughthecurriculumisdescribedyearbyyear,thisdocumentprovidesadviceacrossfouryeargroupingsonthe
natureoflearnersandtherelevantcurriculum:
Foundation–Year2:typicallystudentsfrom5to8yearsofage
Years3–6:typicallystudentsfrom8to12yearsofage
Years7–10:typicallystudentsfrom12to15yearsofage
Seniorsecondaryyears:typicallystudentsfrom15to18yearsofage.
Foundation–Year2
Curriculumfocus:awarenessofselfandthelocalworld
Youngchildrenhaveanintrinsiccuriosityabouttheirimmediateworld.Askingquestionsleadstospeculationand
thetestingofideas.Exploratory,purposefulplayisacentralfeatureoftheirinvestigations.
Inthisstageofschoolingstudents'explorationsareprecursorstomorestructuredinquiryinlateryears.Theyuse
thesensestoobserveandgatherinformation,describing,makingcomparisons,sortingandclassifyingtocreatean
orderthatismeaningful.Theyobserveandexplorechangesthatvaryintheirrateandmagnitudeandbeginto
describerelationshipsintheworldaroundthem.Students'questionsandideasabouttheworldbecomeincreasingly
purposeful.Theyareencouragedtodevelopexplanatoryideasandtestthemthroughfurtherexploration.
Years3–6
Curriculumfocus:recognisingquestionsthatcanbeinvestigatedscientificallyandinvestigatingthem
Duringtheseyearsstudentscandevelopideasaboutsciencethatrelatetotheirlives,answerquestions,andsolve
mysteriesofparticularinteresttotheiragegroup.Inthisstageofschoolingstudentstendtouseatrial-and-error
approachtotheirscienceinvestigations.Astheyprogress,theybegintoworkinamoresystematicway.Thenotion
ofa'fairtest'andtheideaofvariablesaredeveloped,aswellasotherformsofscienceinquiry.Understandingthe
importanceofmeasurementinquantifyingchangesinsystemsisalsofostered.
Throughobservation,studentscandetectsimilaritiesamongobjects,livingthingsandeventsandthesesimilarities
canformpatterns.Byidentifyingthesepatterns,studentsdevelopexplanationsaboutthereasonsforthem.
Students'understandingofthecomplexnaturalorbuiltworldcanbeenhancedbyconsideringaspectsoftheworld
assystems,andhowcomponents,orparts,withinsystemsrelatetoeachother.Fromevidencederivedfrom
observation,explanationsaboutphenomenacanbedevelopedandtested.Withnewevidence,explanationsmaybe
refinedorchanged.
Byexamininglivingstructures,Earth,changesofsolidstoliquidsandfeaturesoflight,studentsbegintorecognise
patternsintheworld.Theobservationofaspectsofastronomy,livingthings,heat,lightandelectricalcircuitshelps
studentsdeveloptheconceptofasystemanditsinteractingcomponents,andunderstandtherelationships,
includingthenotionofcauseandeffect,betweenvariables.
Years7–10
Curriculumfocus:explainingphenomenainvolvingscienceanditsapplications
Duringtheseyears,studentscontinuetodeveloptheirunderstandingofimportantscienceconceptsacrossthe
majorsciencedisciplines.Itisimportanttoincludecontemporarycontextsinwhicharicherunderstandingof
sciencecanbeenhanced.Currentscienceresearchanditshumanapplicationmotivatesandengagesstudents.
Withintheoutlinedcurriculum,studentsshouldundertakesomeopeninvestigationsthatwillhelpthemrefinetheir
scienceinquiryskills.Thequantitativeaspectsofstudents'inquiryskillsarefurtherdevelopedtoincorporate
considerationofuncertaintyinmeasurement.Inteachingtheoutlinedcurriculum,itisimportanttoprovidetimeto
buildthemoreabstractscienceideasthatunderpinunderstanding.
Studentsfurtherdeveloptheirunderstandingofsystemsandhowtheideaofequilibriumisimportantindynamic
systems.Theyconsiderhowachangeinoneofthecomponentscanaffectallcomponentsofthesystembecause
oftheinterrelationshipsbetweentheparts.Theyconsidertheideaofformandfunctionatarangeofscalesinboth
livingandnon-livingsystems.Studentsmovefromanexperientialappreciationoftheeffectsofenergytoamore
abstractunderstandingofthenatureofenergy.
Asstudentsinvestigatethesciencephenomenaoutlinedintheseyears,theybegintolearnaboutmajortheories
thatunderpinscience,includingtheparticletheory,atomictheory,thetheoryofevolution,platetectonictheoryand
theBigBangtheory.
Seniorsecondaryyears
Curriculumfocus:disciplinesofscience
Theseniorsecondarycoursesforphysics,chemistry,biology,andEarthandenvironmentalsciencebuildonprior
learningacrosstheseareasinFoundationtoYear10.
Achievementstandards
AcrossFoundationtoYear10,achievementstandardsindicatethequalityoflearningthatstudentsshouldtypically
demonstratebyaparticularpointintheirschooling.Achievementstandardscompriseawrittendescriptionand
studentworksamples.
Anachievementstandarddescribesthequalityoflearning(theextentofknowledge,thedepthofunderstandingand
thesophisticationofskills)thatwouldindicatethestudentiswellplacedtocommencethelearningrequiredatthe
nextlevelofachievement.
ThesequenceofachievementstandardsacrossFoundationtoYear10describesprogressinthelearningarea.This
sequenceprovidesteacherswithaframeworkofgrowthanddevelopmentinthelearningarea.
Studentworksamplesplayakeyroleincommunicatingexpectationsdescribedintheachievementstandards.
Eachworksampleincludestherelevantassessmenttask,thestudent'sresponse,andannotationsidentifyingthe
qualityoflearningevidentinthestudent'sresponseinrelationtorelevantpartsoftheachievementstandard.
Together,thedescriptionoftheachievementstandardandtheaccompanyingsetofannotatedworksampleshelp
teacherstomakejudgmentsaboutwhetherstudentshaveachievedthestandard.
Studentdiversity
ACARAiscommittedtothedevelopmentofahigh-qualitycurriculumforallAustralianstudentsthatpromotes
excellenceandequityineducation.
Allstudentsareentitledtorigorous,relevantandengaginglearningprogramsdrawnfromtheAustralianCurriculum:
Science.Teacherstakeaccountoftherangeoftheirstudents'currentlevelsoflearning,strengths,goalsand
interestsandmakeadjustmentswherenecessary.Thethree-dimensionaldesignoftheAustralianCurriculum,
comprisinglearningareas,generalcapabilitiesandcross-curriculumpriorities,providesteacherswithflexibilityto
caterforthediverseneedsofstudentsacrossAustraliaandtopersonalisetheirlearning.
MoredetailedadvicehasbeendevelopedforschoolsandteachersonusingtheAustralianCurriculumtomeet
diverselearningneedsandisavailableunderStudentDiversityontheAustralianCurriculumwebsite.
Studentswithdisability
TheDisabilityDiscriminationAct1992andtheDisabilityStandardsforEducation2009requireeducationand
trainingserviceproviderstosupporttherightsofstudentswithdisabilitytoaccessthecurriculumonthesame
basisasstudentswithoutdisability.
Manystudentswithdisabilityareabletoachieveeducationalstandardscommensuratewiththeirpeers,aslongas
thenecessaryadjustmentsaremadetothewayinwhichtheyaretaughtandtothemeansthroughwhichthey
demonstratetheirlearning.
Insomecasescurriculumadjustmentsarenecessarytoprovideequitableopportunitiesforstudentstoaccessage-
equivalentcontentintheAustralianCurriculum:Science.Teacherscandrawfromcontentatdifferentlevelsalong
theFoundationtoYear10sequence.Teacherscanalsousetheextendedgeneralcapabilitieslearningcontinuain
Literacy,NumeracyandPersonalandsocialcapabilitytoadjustthefocusoflearningaccordingtoindividualstudent
need.
Giftedandtalentedstudents
TeacherscanusetheAustralianCurriculum:Scienceflexiblytomeettheindividuallearningneedsofgiftedand
talentedstudents.
Teacherscanenrichstudentlearningbyprovidingstudentswithopportunitiestoworkwithlearningareacontentin
moredepthorbreadth;emphasisingspecificaspectsofthegeneralcapabilitieslearningcontinua(forexample,the
higherordercognitiveskillsoftheCriticalandcreativethinkingcapability);and/orfocusingoncross-curriculum
priorities.TeacherscanalsoacceleratestudentlearningbydrawingoncontentfromlaterlevelsintheAustralian
Curriculum:Scienceand/orfromlocalstateandterritoryteachingandlearningmaterials.
TeacherscanalsodevelopdepthandbreadthusingtheAustralianCurriculum:Scienceoverarchingideasasa
frame.Learninginscienceemphasisestheabilitytomakeconnectionsbetweendiverseconceptsandacross
contexts.Theoverarchingideasprovideavaluableframetosupportstudentstomaketheseconnectionsandto
developascientificviewoftheworld.
Englishasanadditionallanguageordialect
StudentsforwhomEnglishisanadditionallanguageordialect(EAL/D)enterAustralianschoolsatdifferentages
andatdifferentstagesofEnglishlanguagelearningandhavevariouseducationalbackgroundsintheirfirst
languages.WhilstmanyEAL/Dstudentsbringalreadyhighlydevelopedliteracy(andnumeracy)skillsintheirown
languagetotheirlearningofStandardAustralianEnglish,thereisasignificantnumberofstudentswhoarenot
literateintheirfirstlanguage,andhavehadlittleornoformalschooling.
WhiletheaimsoftheAustralianCurriculum:Sciencearethesameforallstudents,EAL/Dstudentsmustachieve
theseaimswhilesimultaneouslylearninganewlanguageandlearningcontentandskillsthroughthatnewlanguage.
Thesestudentsmayrequireadditionaltimeandsupport,alongwithteachingthatexplicitlyaddressestheirlanguage
needs.Studentswhohavehadnoformalschoolingwillneedadditionaltimeandsupportinordertoacquireskillsfor
effectivelearninginformalsettings
Generalcapabilities
IntheAustralianCurriculum,thegeneralcapabilitiesencompasstheknowledge,skills,behavioursanddispositions
that,togetherwithcurriculumcontentineachlearningareaandthecross-curriculumpriorities,willassiststudentsto
liveandworksuccessfullyinthetwenty-firstcentury.
Therearesevengeneralcapabilities:
Literacy
Numeracy
Informationandcommunicationtechnology(ICT)capability
Criticalandcreativethinking
Personalandsocialcapability
Ethicalunderstanding
Interculturalunderstanding.
IntheAustralianCurriculum:Science,generalcapabilitiesareidentifiedwherevertheyaredevelopedorappliedin
contentdescriptions.Theyarealsoidentifiedwheretheyofferopportunitiestoadddepthandrichnesstostudent
learningthroughcontentelaborations.IconsindicatewheregeneralcapabilitieshavebeenidentifiedinScience
content.Teachersmayfindfurtheropportunitiestoincorporateexplicitteachingofthecapabilitiesdependingon
theirchoiceofactivities.
Literacy
Studentsbecomeliterateastheydeveloptheknowledge,skillsanddispositionstointerpretanduselanguage
confidentlyforlearningandcommunicatinginandoutofschoolandforparticipatingeffectivelyinsociety.Literacy
involvesstudentsinlisteningto,reading,viewing,speaking,writingandcreatingoral,print,visualanddigitaltexts,
andusingandmodifyinglanguagefordifferentpurposesinarangeofcontexts.
Studentsdevelopliteracycapabilityastheylearnhowtoconstructanunderstandingofhowscientificknowledgeis
produced;toexplore,analyseandcommunicatescientificinformation,conceptsandideas;andtoplan,conduct
andcommunicateinvestigations.Scientifictextsthatstudentsarerequiredtocomprehendandcomposeinclude
thosethatprovideinformation,describeeventsandphenomena,recountexperiments,presentandevaluatedata,
giveexplanationsandpresentopinionsorclaims.Languagestructuresareusedtolinkinformationandideas,give
explanations,formulatehypothesesandconstructevidence-basedarguments.
Bylearningtheliteracyofsciencestudentsunderstandthatlanguagevariesaccordingtocontextandtheyincrease
theirabilitytouselanguageflexibly.Scientificvocabularyisoftentechnicalandincludesspecifictermsfor
conceptsandfeaturesoftheworld,aswellastermsthatencapsulateanentireprocessinasingleword,suchas
'photosynthesis'.Studentslearntounderstandthatmuchscientificinformationispresentedintheformofdiagrams,
flowcharts,tablesandgraphs.
Numeracy
Studentsbecomenumerateastheydeveloptheknowledgeandskillstousemathematicsconfidentlyacrossall
learningareasatschoolandintheirlivesmorebroadly.Numeracyinvolvesstudentsinrecognisingand
understandingtheroleofmathematicsintheworldandhavingthedispositionsandcapacitiestousemathematical
knowledgeandskillspurposefully.
ManyelementsofnumeracyareevidentintheScienceCurriculum,particularlyinScienceInquirySkills.These
includepracticalmeasurementandthecollection,representationandinterpretationofdatafrominvestigations.
Studentsareintroducedtomeasurement,firstusinginformalunitsthenformalunits.Latertheyconsiderissuesof
uncertaintyandreliabilityinmeasurement.Asstudentsprogress,theycollectbothqualitativeandquantitativedata,
whichisanalysedandrepresentedingraphicalforms.Studentslearndataanalysisskills,includingidentifying
trendsandpatternsfromnumericaldataandgraphs.Inlateryears,numeracydemandsincludethestatistical
analysisofdata,includingissuesrelatingtoaccuracy,andlinearmathematicalrelationshipstocalculateandpredict
values.
InformationandCommunicationTechnology(ICT)capability
StudentsdevelopICTcapabilityastheylearntouseICTeffectivelyandappropriatelytoaccess,createand
communicateinformationandideas,solveproblemsandworkcollaborativelyinalllearningareasatschool,andin
theirlivesbeyondschool.ICTcapabilityinvolvesstudentsinlearningtomakethemostofthetechnologies
availabletothem,adaptingtonewwaysofdoingthingsastechnologiesevolveandlimitingtheriskstothemselves
andothersinadigitalenvironment.
StudentsdevelopICTcapabilitywhentheyresearchscienceconceptsandapplications,investigatescientific
phenomena,andcommunicatetheirscientificunderstandings.Inparticular,theyemploytheirICTcapabilityto
accessinformation;collect,analyseandrepresentdata;modelandinterpretconceptsandrelationships;and
communicatescienceideas,processesandinformation.
Digitaltechnologycanbeusedtorepresentscientificphenomenainwaysthatimprovestudents'understandingof
concepts,ideasandinformation.Digitalaidssuchasanimationsandsimulationsprovideopportunitiestoview
phenomenaandtestpredictionsthatcannotbeinvestigatedthroughpracticalexperimentsintheclassroomand
mayenhancestudents'understandingandengagementwithscience.
Criticalandcreativethinking
Studentsdevelopcapabilityincriticalandcreativethinkingastheylearntogenerateandevaluateknowledge,
clarifyconceptsandideas,seekpossibilities,consideralternativesandsolveproblems.Criticalandcreative
thinkingareintegraltoactivitiesthatrequirestudentstothinkbroadlyanddeeplyusingskills,behavioursand
dispositionssuchasreason,logic,resourcefulness,imaginationandinnovationinalllearningareasatschoolandin
theirlivesbeyondschool.
Studentsdevelopcapabilityincriticalandcreativethinkingastheylearntogenerateandevaluateknowledge,ideas
andpossibilities,andusethemwhenseekingnewpathwaysorsolutions.IntheSciencelearningarea,criticaland
creativethinkingareembeddedintheskillsofposingquestions,makingpredictions,speculating,solvingproblems
throughinvestigation,makingevidence-baseddecisions,andanalysingandevaluatingevidence.Studentsdevelop
understandingsofconceptsthroughactiveinquirythatinvolvesplanningandselectingappropriateinformation,and
evaluatingsourcesofinformationtoformulateconclusions.
Creativethinkingenablesthedevelopmentofideasthatarenewtotheindividual,andthisisintrinsictothe
developmentofscientificunderstanding.Scientificinquirypromotescriticalandcreativethinkingbyencouraging
flexibilityandopen-mindednessasstudentsspeculateabouttheirobservationsoftheworld.Students'conceptual
understandingbecomesmoresophisticatedastheyactivelyacquireanincreasinglyscientificviewoftheirworld.
Personalandsocialcapability
Studentsdeveloppersonalandsocialcapabilityastheylearntounderstandthemselvesandothers,andmanage
theirrelationships,lives,workandlearningmoreeffectively.Thepersonalandsocialcapabilityinvolvesstudentsin
arangeofpracticesincludingrecognisingandregulatingemotions,developingempathyforandunderstandingof
others,establishingpositiverelationships,makingresponsibledecisions,workingeffectivelyinteamsandhandling
challengingsituationsconstructively.
Studentsdeveloppersonalandsocialcapabilityastheyengageinscienceinquiry,learnhowscientificknowledge
informsandisappliedintheirdailylives,andexplorehowscientificdebateprovidesameansofcontributingtotheir
communities.Thisincludesdevelopingskillsincommunication,initiativetaking,goalsetting,interactingwithothers
anddecisionmaking,andthecapacitytoworkindependentlyandcollaboratively.
TheSciencelearningareaenhancespersonalandsocialcapabilitybyexpandingstudents'capacitytoquestion,
solveproblems,exploreanddisplaycuriosity.Studentsusetheirscientificknowledgetomakeinformedchoices
aboutissuesthatimpacttheirlivessuchashealthandnutritionandenvironmentalchange,andconsiderthe
applicationofsciencetomeetarangeofpersonalandsocialneeds.
Ethicalunderstanding
Studentsdevelopethicalunderstandingastheyidentifyandinvestigatethenatureofethicalconcepts,values,
charactertraitsandprinciples,andunderstandhowreasoningcanassistethicaljudgment.Ethicalunderstanding
involvesstudentsinbuildingastrongpersonalandsociallyorientedethicaloutlookthathelpsthemtomanage
context,conflictanduncertainty,andtodevelopanawarenessoftheinfluencethattheirvaluesandbehaviourhave
onothers.
Studentsdevelopthecapacitytoformandmakeethicaljudgmentsinrelationtoexperimentalscience,codesof
practice,andtheuseofscientificinformationandscienceapplications.Theyexplorewhatintegritymeansin
science,andexploreandapplyethicalguidelinesintheirinvestigations.Theyconsidertheimplicationsoftheir
investigationsonothers,theenvironmentandlivingorganisms.
Theyusescientificinformationtoevaluateclaimsandtoinformethicaldecisionsaboutarangeofsocial,
environmentalandpersonalissues,forexample,landuseorthetreatmentofanimals.
Interculturalunderstanding
Studentsdevelopinterculturalunderstandingastheylearntovaluetheirowncultures,languagesandbeliefs,and
thoseofothers.Theycometounderstandhowpersonal,groupandnationalidentitiesareshaped,andthevariable
andchangingnatureofculture.Thecapabilityinvolvesstudentsinlearningaboutandengagingwithdiversecultures
inwaysthatrecognisecommonalitiesanddifferences,createconnectionswithothersandcultivatemutualrespect.
ThereareopportunitiesintheSciencelearningareatodevelopinterculturalunderstanding.Studentslearnto
appreciatethecontributionthatdiverseculturalperspectiveshavemadetothedevelopment,breadthanddiversity
ofscienceknowledgeandapplications.Studentsbecomeawarethattheraisingofsomedebateswithinculturally
diversegroupsrequiresculturalsensitivity.Theyrecognisethatincreasinglyscientistsworkinculturallydiverse
teamsandengagewithculturallydiversecommunitiestoaddressissuesofinternationalimportance.
Cross-curriculumpriorities
TheAustralianCurriculumisdesignedtomeettheneedsofstudentsbydeliveringarelevant,contemporaryand
engagingcurriculumthatbuildsontheeducationalgoalsoftheMelbourneDeclaration.TheMelbourneDeclaration
identifiedthreekeyareasthatneedtobeaddressedforthebenefitofbothindividualsandAustraliaasawhole.In
theAustralianCurriculumthesehavebecomeprioritiesthatprovidestudentswiththetoolsandlanguagetoengage
withandbetterunderstandtheirworldatarangeoflevels.Theprioritiesprovidedimensionswhichwillenrichthe
curriculumthroughdevelopmentofconsideredandfocusedcontentthatfitsnaturallywithinlearningareas.They
enablethedeliveryoflearningareacontentatthesametimeasdevelopingknowledge,understandingandskills
relatingto:
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures
AsiaandAustralia'sengagementwithAsia
sustainability.
Cross-curriculumprioritiesareaddressedthroughlearningareasandareidentifiedwherevertheyaredevelopedor
appliedincontentdescriptions.Theyarealsoidentifiedwheretheyofferopportunitiestoadddepthandrichnessto
studentlearningincontentelaborations.Theywillhaveastrongbutvaryingpresencedependingontheirrelevance
tothelearningarea.
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures
AcrosstheAustralianCurriculum,theAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandculturespriorityprovides
opportunitiesforalllearnerstodeepentheirknowledgeofAustraliabyengagingwiththeworld'soldestcontinuous
livingcultures.StudentswillunderstandthatcontemporaryAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderCommunitiesare
strong,resilient,richanddiverse.Theknowledgeandunderstandinggainedthroughthisprioritywillenhancethe
abilityofallyoungpeopletoparticipatepositivelyintheongoingdevelopmentofAustralia.
TheAustralianCurriculum:SciencevaluesAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures.It
acknowledgesthatAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderPeopleshavelongstandingscientificknowledgetraditions.
StudentswillhaveopportunitiestolearnthatAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderPeopleshavedeveloped
knowledgeabouttheworldthroughobservation,usingallthesenses;throughpredictionandhypothesis;through
testing(trialanderror);andthroughmakinggeneralisationswithinspecificcontexts.Thesescientificmethodshave
beenpractisedandtransmittedfromonegenerationtothenext.Studentswilldevelopanunderstandingthat
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderPeopleshaveparticularwaysofknowingtheworldandcontinuetobe
innovativeinprovidingsignificantcontributionstodevelopmentinscience.Theywillinvestigateexamplesof
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderscienceandthewaystraditionalknowledgeandwesternscientificknowledge
canbecomplementary.
AsiaandAustralia'sengagementwithAsia
AcrosstheAustraliancurriculum,thisprioritywillensurethatstudentslearnaboutandrecognisethediversitywithin
andbetweenthecountriesoftheAsiaregion.TheywilldevelopknowledgeandunderstandingofAsiansocieties,
cultures,beliefsandenvironments,andtheconnectionsbetweenthepeoplesofAsia,Australia,andtherestofthe
world.AsialiteracyprovidesstudentswiththeskillstocommunicateandengagewiththepeoplesofAsiasothey
caneffectivelylive,workandlearnintheregion.
IntheAustralianCurriculum:Science,thepriorityofAsiaandAustralia'sengagementwithAsiaprovidesrichand
engagingcontextsfordevelopingstudents'scienceknowledge,understandingandskills.
TheAustralianCurriculum:ScienceprovidesopportunitiesforstudentstorecognisethatpeoplefromtheAsiaregion
havemadeandcontinuetomakesignificantcontributionstothedevelopmentofscienceunderstandingsandtheir
applications.ItenablesstudentstorecognisethattheAsiaregionincludesdiverseenvironmentsandtoappreciate
thatinteractionbetweenhumanactivityandtheseenvironmentscontinuestoinfluencetheregion,including
Australia,andhassignificancefortherestoftheworld.
Inthislearningarea,studentsappreciatethattheAsiaregionplaysanimportantroleinscientificresearchand
development.Thesecanincluderesearchanddevelopmentinareassuchasmedicine,naturalresource
management,nanotechnologies,communicationtechnologiesandnaturaldisasterpredictionandmanagement.
Sustainability
AcrosstheAustralianCurriculum,sustainabilitywillallowallyoungAustralianstodeveloptheknowledge,skills,
valuesandworldviewsnecessaryforthemtoactinwaysthatcontributetomoresustainablepatternsofliving.It
willenableindividualsandcommunitiestoreflectonwaysofinterpretingandengagingwiththeworld.The
Sustainabilitypriorityisfutures-oriented,focusingonprotectingenvironmentsandcreatingamoreecologicallyand
sociallyjustworldthroughinformedaction.Actionsthatsupportmoresustainablepatternsoflivingrequire
considerationofenvironmental,social,culturalandeconomicsystemsandtheirinterdependence.
IntheAustralianCurriculum:Sciencethepriorityofsustainabilityprovidesauthenticcontextsforexploring,
investigatingandunderstandingchemical,biological,physicalandEarthandspacesystems.
TheAustralianCurriculum:Scienceexploresawiderangeofsystemsthatoperateatdifferenttimeandspatial
scales.Byinvestigatingtherelationshipsbetweensystemsandsystemcomponentsandhowsystemsrespondto
change,studentsdevelopanappreciationfortheinterconnectednessofEarth'sbiosphere,geosphere,hydrosphere
andatmosphere.Relationshipsincludingcyclesandcauseandeffectareexplored,andstudentsdevelop
observationandanalysisskillstoexaminetheserelationshipsintheworldaroundthem.
Inthislearningarea,studentsappreciatethatscienceprovidesthebasisfordecisionmakinginmanyareasof
societyandthatthesedecisionscanimpactontheEarthsystem.Theyunderstandtheimportanceofusingscience
topredictpossibleeffectsofhumanandotheractivityandtodevelopmanagementplansoralternativetechnologies
thatminimisetheseeffects.
Linkstootherlearningareas
Learninginscienceinvolvestheuseofknowledgeandskillslearntinotherareas,particularlyinEnglish,
mathematicsandhistory.
English
ThereisstrongsupportinschoolsacrossAustraliaforlinkinglearninginsciencewithlearningliteracyskills.The
sciencetraditionplacesahighpriorityonaccuratecommunication.TheAustralianCurriculum:Scienceissupported
byandinturnreinforcesthelearningofliteracyskills.Studentsneedtodescribeobjectsandevents,interpret
descriptions,readandgiveinstructions,explainideastoothers,writereportsandproceduralaccounts,participatein
groupdiscussionsandprovideexpositions.
Mathematics
Thesciencecurriculumcloselycomplementsthatofmathematics.Inscience,studentsprocessdatausingsimple
tables,lists,picturegraphs,simplecolumngraphsandlinegraphs.Inthemathematicscurriculumtheywillbe
developingtheseskillsatsimilaryearlevels.Inmathematics,students'dataanalysisskillswilldeveloptoinclude
scatterplots,lineargraphsandthegradientofgraphs.Thiswillenhancetheirabilitytoanalysepatternsandtrends
indataaspartofscientificinvestigations.
Studentsdeveloptheiruseofmetricunitsinboththemathematicsandsciencecurriculums.Theabilitytoconvert
betweencommonmetricunitsoflengthandmassandtheiruseofdecimalnotationinmathematicswillenablethem
torepresentandcomparedatainmeaningfulwaysinscience.Inmathematics,studentslearnsimplestatistical
methodsandtheseskillswillenablestudentstoapplyquantitativeanalysisofdataasrequiredinscience.The
conceptofoutliers,learntinmathematics,willhelpthemtoidentifyinconsistenciesinquantitativedatainscience.
Whenconsideringphenomenaandsystemsatavastrangeofscalesinscience,studentsusetheirmathematical
knowledgeoftimescalesandintervals.Theyusescientificnotationintherepresentationofthesevaluesas
required.Students'mathematicalabilitytosolveproblemsinvolvinglinearequationscanbeutilisedinsciencewhen
investigatingquantitativerelationships.
History
Historyprovidesanotheravenuetotheunderstandingofhowscienceworks.Scienceanditsdiscoveriesarea
sourceofhistoricalfactsandartefacts.ThestrandScienceasaHumanEndeavourisanimportantlinktohistorical
developments.Itisimportantthatstudentslearnthatscienceandtechnologyhavegrownthroughthegradual
accumulationofknowledgeovermanycenturies;thatallsortsofpeople,includingpeoplelikethemselves,useand
contributetoscience.HistoricalstudiesofscienceandtechnologyintheearlyEgyptian,Greek,Chinese,Arabic
andAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderculturesextendingtomoderntimeswillhelpstudentsunderstandthe
contributionsofpeoplefromaroundtheworld.
TheAustralianCurriculum:Sciencetakesaccountofwhatstudentshavelearntintheseareassothattheirscience
learningissupportedandtheirlearninginotherareasenhanced.
Implicationsforteaching,assessmentandreporting
Thesciencecurriculumemphasisesinquiry-basedteachingandlearning.Abalancedandengagingapproachto
teachingwilltypicallyinvolvecontext,exploration,explanationandapplication.Thisrequiresacontextorpointof
relevancethroughwhichstudentscanmakesenseoftheideastheyarelearning.Opportunitiesforstudent-ledopen
inquiryshouldalsobeprovidedwithineachphaseofschooling.
Assessmentencourageslonger-termunderstandingandprovidesdetaileddiagnosticinformation.Itshowswhat
studentsknow,understandandcandemonstrate.Italsoshowswhattheyneedtodotoimprove.Inparticular,
ScienceInquirySkillsandScienceasaHumanEndeavourrequireavarietyofassessmentapproaches.
TeachersusetheAustralianCurriculumcontentandachievementstandardsfirsttoidentifycurrentlevelsoflearning
andachievementandthentoselectthemostappropriatecontent(possiblyfromacrossseveralyearlevels)to
teachindividualstudentsand/orgroupsofstudents.Thistakesintoaccountthatineachclasstheremaybe
studentswitharangeofpriorachievement(below,atandabovetheyearlevelexpectations)andthatteachersplan
tobuildoncurrentlearning.
Teachersalsousetheachievementstandards,attheendofaperiodofteaching,tomakeon-balancejudgments
aboutthequalityoflearningdemonstratedbythestudents–thatis,whethertheyhaveachievedbelow,atorabove
thestandard.Tomakethesejudgments,teachersdrawonassessmentdatathattheyhavecollectedasevidence
duringthecourseoftheteachingperiod.Thesejudgmentsaboutthequalityoflearningareonesourceoffeedback
tostudentsandtheirparentsandinformformalreportingprocesses.
Ifateacherjudgesthatastudent'sachievementisbelowtheexpectedstandard,thissuggeststhattheteaching
programsandpracticeshouldbereviewedtobetterassistindividualstudentsintheirlearninginthefuture.Italso
suggeststhatadditionalsupportandtargetedteachingwillbeneededtoensurethatthestudentdoesnotfall
behind.
AssessmentoftheAustralianCurriculumtakesplaceindifferentlevelsandfordifferentpurposes,including:
ongoingformativeassessmentwithinclassroomsforthepurposesofmonitoringlearningandproviding
feedback,toteacherstoinformtheirteachingandforstudentstoinformtheirlearning
summativeassessmentforthepurposesoftwice-yearlyreportingbyschoolstoparentsandcarersonthe
progressandachievementofstudents
annualtestingofYears3,5,7and9students'levelsofachievementinaspectsofliteracyandnumeracy,
conductedaspartoftheNationalAssessmentProgram–LiteracyandNumeracy(NAPLAN)
periodicsampletestingofspecificlearningareaswithintheAustralianCurriculumaspartoftheNational
AssessmentProgram(NAP).
Glossary
Sciencev8.1Year8Syllabus
YearLevelDescription
Thescienceinquiryskillsandscienceasahumanendeavourstrandsaredescribedacrossatwo-yearband.Intheir
planning,schoolsandteachersrefertotheexpectationsoutlinedintheachievementstandardandalsotothe
contentofthescienceunderstandingstrandfortherelevantyearleveltoensurethatthesetwostrandsare
addressedoverthetwo-yearperiod.Thethreestrandsofthecurriculumareinterrelatedandtheircontentistaughtin
anintegratedway.Theorderanddetailinwhichthecontentdescriptionsareorganisedintoteachingandlearning
programsaredecisionstobemadebytheteacher.
Incorporatingthekeyideasofscience
OverYears7to10,studentsdeveloptheirunderstandingofmicroscopicandatomicstructures;howsystemsata
rangeofscalesareshapedbyflowsofenergyandmatterandinteractionsduetoforces,anddeveloptheabilityto
quantifychangesandrelativeamounts.
InYear8,studentsareintroducedtocellsasmicroscopicstructuresthatexplainmacroscopicpropertiesofliving
systems.Theylinkformandfunctionatacellularlevelandexploretheorganisationofbodysystemsintermsof
flowsofmatterbetweeninterdependentorgans.Similarly,theyexplorechangesinmatterataparticlelevel,and
distinguishbetweenchemicalandphysicalchange.Theybegintoclassifydifferentformsofenergy,anddescribe
theroleofenergyincausingchangeinsystems,includingtheroleofheatandkineticenergyintherockcycle.
Studentsuseexperimentationtoisolaterelationshipsbetweencomponentsinsystemsandexplainthese
relationshipsthroughincreasinglycomplexrepresentations.Theymakepredictionsandproposeexplanations,
drawingonevidencetosupporttheirviewswhileconsideringotherpointsofview.
ScienceUnderstanding
BIOLOGICALSCIENCES
Cellsarethebasicunitsofliving
things;theyhavespecialised
structuresandfunctions
(ACSSU149)
Multi-cellularorganismscontain
systemsoforganscarryingout
specialisedfunctionsthatenable
themtosurviveandreproduce
(ACSSU150)
CHEMICALSCIENCES
Propertiesofthedifferentstates
ofmattercanbeexplainedin
termsofthemotionand
arrangementofparticles
(ACSSU151)
Differencesbetweenelements,
compoundsandmixturescanbe
describedataparticlelevel
(ACSSU152)
Chemicalchangeinvolves
substancesreactingtoformnew
substances(ACSSU225)
EARTHANDSPACESCIENCES
Sedimentary,igneousand
metamorphicrockscontain
mineralsandareformedby
processesthatoccurwithinEarth
ScienceasaHumanEndeavour
NATUREANDDEVELOPMENTOFSCIENCE
Scientificknowledgehaschanged
peoples’understandingofthe
worldandisrefinedasnew
evidencebecomesavailable
(ACSHE134)
Scienceknowledgecandevelop
throughcollaborationacrossthe
disciplinesofscienceandthe
contributionsofpeoplefroma
rangeofcultures(ACSHE226)
USEANDINFLUENCEOFSCIENCE
Solutionstocontemporaryissues
thatarefoundusingscienceand
technology,mayimpactonother
areasofsocietyandmayinvolve
ethicalconsiderations
(ACSHE135)
Ethicalunderstanding
Peopleusescienceunderstanding
andskillsintheiroccupationsand
thesehaveinfluencedthe
developmentofpracticesinareas
ofhumanactivity(ACSHE136)
Ethicalunderstanding
ScienceInquirySkills
QUESTIONINGANDPREDICT ING
Identifyquestionsandproblems
thatcanbeinvestigated
scientificallyandmakepredictions
basedonscientificknowledge
(ACSIS139)
Literacy
Criticalandcreativethinking
PLANNINGANDCONDUCTING
Collaborativelyandindividually
planandconductarangeof
investigationtypes,including
fieldworkandexperiments,
ensuringsafetyandethical
guidelinesarefollowed
(ACSIS140)
Literacy
Criticalandcreativethinking
Personalandsocialcapability
Ethicalunderstanding
Measureandcontrolvariables,
selectequipmentappropriateto
thetaskandcollectdatawith
accuracy(ACSIS141)
Numeracy
PROCESSINGANDANALYSINGDATAANDINFORMATION
Constructandusearangeof
representations,includinggraphs,
overavarietyoftimescales
(ACSSU153)
PHYSICALSCIENCES
Energyappearsindifferentforms,
includingmovement(kinetic
energy),heatandpotentialenergy,
andenergytransformationsand
transferscausechangewithin
systems(ACSSU155)
keysandmodelstorepresentand
analysepatternsorrelationships
indatausingdigitaltechnologies
asappropriate(ACSIS144)
Literacy
Numeracy
InformationandCommunication
Technology(ICT)capability
Criticalandcreativethinking
Summarisedata,fromstudents’
owninvestigationsandsecondary
sources,andusescientific
understandingtoidentify
relationshipsanddraw
conclusionsbasedonevidence
(ACSIS145)
Literacy
Numeracy
Criticalandcreativethinking
EVALUATING
Reflectonscientificinvestigations
includingevaluatingthequalityof
thedatacollected,andidentifying
improvements(ACSIS146)
Literacy
Numeracy
Criticalandcreativethinking
Usescientificknowledgeand
findingsfrominvestigationsto
evaluateclaimsbasedon
evidence(ACSIS234)
Literacy
Criticalandcreativethinking
COMMUNICATING
Communicateideas,findingsand
evidencebasedsolutionsto
problemsusingscientific
language,andrepresentations,
usingdigitaltechnologiesas
appropriate(ACSIS148)
Literacy
InformationandCommunication
Technology(ICT)capability
Year8AchievementStandard
BytheendofYear8,studentscomparephysicalandchemicalchangesandusetheparticlemodeltoexplainand
predictthepropertiesandbehavioursofsubstances.Theyidentifydifferentformsofenergyanddescribehow
energytransfersandtransformationscausechangeinsimplesystems.Theycompareprocessesofrockformation,
includingthetimescalesinvolved.Theyanalysetherelationshipbetweenstructureandfunctionatcell,organand
bodysystemlevels.Studentsexaminethedifferentscienceknowledgeusedinoccupations.Theyexplainhow
evidencehasledtoanimprovedunderstandingofascientificideaanddescribesituationsinwhichscientists
collaboratedtogeneratesolutionstocontemporaryproblems.Theyreflectonimplicationsofthesesolutionsfor
differentgroupsinsociety.
Studentsidentifyandconstructquestionsandproblemsthattheycaninvestigatescientifically.Theyconsider
safetyandethicswhenplanninginvestigations,includingdesigningfieldorexperimentalmethods.Theyidentify
variablestobechanged,measuredandcontrolled.Studentsconstructrepresentationsoftheirdatatorevealand
analysepatternsandtrends,andusethesewhenjustifyingtheirconclusions.Theyexplainhowmodificationsto
methodscouldimprovethequalityoftheirdataandapplytheirownscientificknowledgeandinvestigationfindings
toevaluateclaimsmadebyothers.Theyuseappropriatelanguageandrepresentationstocommunicatescience
ideas,methodsandfindingsinarangeoftexttypes.