Science (Version 8.4)

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Rationale

Science provides an empirical way of answering interesting and important questions about the biological, physical and technological world. The knowledge it produces has proved to be a reliable basis for action in our personal, social and economic lives.

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Aims

The Australian Curriculum: Science aims to ensure that students develop:

an interest in science as a means of expanding their curiosity and willingness to explore, ask questions about and speculate on the changing world in which they live.

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Key ideas

In the Australian Curriculum: Science, there are six key ideas that represent key aspects of a scientific view of the world and bridge knowledge and understanding across the disciplines of science, as shown Figure 1 below. These are embedded within each year level description and guide the teaching/learning emphasis for the relevant year level.

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Structure

The three interrelated strands of science
The Australian Curriculum: Science has three interrelated strands: science understanding, science as a human endeavour and science inquiry skills.

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Content and achievement sequences

Resources and support materials for the Australian Curriculum: Science.

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Glossary

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Year 7

Year 7 Level Description

The science inquiry skills and science as a human endeavour strands are described across a two-year band. In their planning, schools and teachers refer to the expectations outlined in the achievement standard and also to the content of the science understanding strand for the relevant year level to ensure that these two strands are addressed over the two-year period. The three strands of the curriculum are interrelated and their content is taught in an integrated way. The order and detail in which the content descriptions are organised into teaching and learning programs are decisions to be made by the teacher.

Incorporating the key ideas of science

Over Years 7 to 10, students develop their understanding of microscopic and atomic structures; how systems at a range of scales are shaped by flows of energy and matter and interactions due to forces, and develop the ability to quantify changes and relative amounts.

In 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, food webs and the water cycle to represent and analyse the flow of energy and matter through ecosystems and explore the impact of changing components within these systems. They consider the interaction between multiple forces when explaining changes in an object’s motion. They explore the notion of renewable and non-renewable resources and consider how this classification depends on the timescale considered. They investigate relationships in the Earth-sun-moon system and use models to predict and explain events. Students make accurate measurements and control variables to analyse relationships between system components. They explore and explain these relationships through appropriate representations and consider the role of science in decision making processes.


Year 7 Content Descriptions

Biological sciences

Classification helps organise the diverse group of organisms (ACSSU111 - Scootle )
  • investigating classification systems used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and how they differ with respect to approach and purpose from those used by contemporary science (OI.3, OI.5)

  • considering the reasons for classifying such as identification and communication
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • grouping a variety of organisms on the basis of similarities and differences in particular features
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • considering how biological classifications have changed over time
    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • classifying using hierarchical systems such as kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
    Literacy

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • using scientific conventions for naming species
    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

  • using provided keys to identify organisms surveyed in a local habitat
    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

Interactions between organisms, including the effects of human activities can be represented by food chains and food webs (ACSSU112 - Scootle )
  • Sustainability
  • investigating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' responses to the disruptive interactions of invasive species and their effect on important food webs that many communities are a part of, and depend on, for produce and medicine (OI.2, OI.5, OI.6)

  • using food chains to show feeding relationships in a habitat
    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • constructing and interpreting food webs to show relationships between organisms in an environment
    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • classifying organisms of an environment according to their position in a food chain
    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

  • recognising the role of microorganisms within food chains and food webs
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

  • investigating the effect of human activity on local habitats, such as deforestation, agriculture or the introduction of new species
    • Sustainability
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

  • exploring how living things can cause changes to their environment and impact other living things, such as the effect of cane toads
    • Sustainability
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

  • researching specific examples of human activity, such as the effects of palm oil production in Sumatra and Borneo

    • Sustainability
    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Intercultural Understanding

    Recognising culture and developing respect
    • Explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices

Chemical sciences

Mixtures, including solutions, contain a combination of pure substances that can be separated using a range of techniques (ACSSU113 - Scootle )
  • investigating separation techniques used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, such as hand picking, sieving, winnowing, yandying, filtering, cold-pressing and steam distilling (OI.5)

  • recognising the differences between pure substances and mixtures and identifying examples of each
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • identifying the solvent and solute in solutions
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

  • investigating and using a range of physical separation techniques such as filtration, decantation, evaporation, crystallisation, chromatography and distillation
    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • exploring and comparing separation methods used in the home
    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

Earth and space sciences

Predictable phenomena on Earth, including seasons and eclipses, are caused by the relative positions of the sun, Earth and the moon (ACSSU115 - Scootle )
Numeracy

Recognising and using patterns and relationships
  • Recognise and use patterns and relationships

Using spatial reasoning
  • Visualise 2D shapes and 3D objects

Using measurement
  • Operate with clocks, calendars and timetables

  • researching knowledges held by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples regarding the phases of the moon and the connection between the lunar cycle and ocean tides (OI.3, OI.5)

  • researching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' oral traditions and cultural recordings of solar and lunar eclipses and investigating similarities and differences with contemporary understandings of such phenomena (OI.3, OI.9)

  • Investigating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ calendars and how they are used to predict seasonal changes (OI.3, OI.5)

  • investigating natural phenomena such as lunar and solar eclipses, seasons and phases of the moon

    Numeracy

    Using measurement
    • Operate with clocks, calendars and timetables

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

  • comparing times for the rotation of Earth, the sun and moon, and comparing the times for the orbits of Earth and the moon
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Numeracy

    Using measurement
    • Operate with clocks, calendars and timetables

  • modelling the relative movements of the Earth, sun and moon and how natural phenomena such as solar and lunar eclipses and phases of the moon occur
    Numeracy

    Using measurement
    • Operate with clocks, calendars and timetables

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • explaining why different regions of the Earth experience different seasonal conditions
    Literacy

    Grammar knowledge
    • Use knowledge of sentence structures

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Ethical Understanding

    Reasoning in decision making and actions
    • Consider consequences

    Exploring values, rights and responsibilities
    • Consider points of view

    Numeracy

    Using spatial reasoning
    • Interpret maps and diagrams

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

Some of Earth’s resources are renewable, including water that cycles through the environment, but others are non-renewable (ACSSU116 - Scootle )
  • exploring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ connections with, and valuing of, water and water resource management (OI.2, OI.3)

  • considering what is meant by the term ‘renewable’ in relation to the Earth’s resources
    • Sustainability
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

  • considering timescales for regeneration of resources
    • Sustainability
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

    Numeracy

    Using measurement
    • Operate with clocks, calendars and timetables

  • comparing renewable and non-renewable energy sources, including how they are used in a range of situations
    • Sustainability
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

  • considering the water cycle in terms of changes of state of water
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
    • Apply logic and reasoning

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

  • investigating factors that influence the water cycle in nature
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

    Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
    • Apply logic and reasoning

    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

  • exploring how human management of water impacts on the water cycle
    • Sustainability
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Consider alternatives
    • Imagine possibilities and connect ideas
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

    Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
    • Draw conclusions and design a course of action
    • Apply logic and reasoning

    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Ethical Understanding

    Exploring values, rights and responsibilities
    • Consider points of view

    Reasoning in decision making and actions
    • Consider consequences

Physical sciences

Change to an object’s motion is caused by unbalanced forces, including Earth’s gravitational attraction, acting on the object (ACSSU117 - Scootle )
Literacy

Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
  • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
  • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
  • Comprehend texts

Word Knowledge
  • Understand learning area vocabulary

  • investigating the effect of forces through the application of simple machines, such as the bow and arrows used by Torres Strait Islander Peoples or the spear throwers used by Aboriginal Peoples (OI.5, OI.7)

  • investigating the effects of applying different forces to familiar objects
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

  • investigating common situations where forces are balanced, such as stationary objects, and unbalanced, such as falling objects
    Numeracy

    Using measurement
    • Estimate and measure with metric units

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • investigating a simple machine such as lever or pulley system
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

  • exploring how gravity affects objects on the surface of Earth
    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

  • considering how gravity keeps planets in orbit around the sun
    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

Nature and development of science

Scientific knowledge has changed peoples’ understanding of the world and is refined as new evidence becomes available (ACSHE119 - Scootle )
  • investigating the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' knowledge in the identification of medicinal and endemic plants (OI.9)

  • investigating how advances in telescopes and space probes have provided new evidence about space
    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

  • researching different ideas used in the development of models of the solar system developed by scientists such as Copernicus, Khayyám and Galileo
    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

    Intercultural Understanding

    Recognising culture and developing respect
    • Explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices

  • researching developments in the understanding of astronomy, such as the predictions of eclipses and the calculation of the length of the solar year by Al‑Battani in the tenth century
    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Intercultural Understanding

    Recognising culture and developing respect
    • Explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

    Numeracy

    Using measurement
    • Operate with clocks, calendars and timetables

Science knowledge can develop through collaboration across the disciplines of science and the contributions of people from a range of cultures (ACSHE223 - Scootle )
Personal and Social Capability

Social management
  • Work collaboratively

  • investigating how land management practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples informs sustainable management of the environment to protect biodiversity (OI.5, OI.9)

  • considering how water use and management relies on knowledge from different areas of science, and involves the application of technology
    • Sustainability
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • identifying the contributions of Australian scientists to the study of human impact on environments and to local environmental management projects
    • Sustainability
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

  • studying transnational collaborative research in the Antarctic
    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Intercultural Understanding

    Recognising culture and developing respect
    • Explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

Use and influence of science

Solutions to contemporary issues that are found using science and technology, may impact on other areas of society and may involve ethical considerations (ACSHE120 - Scootle )
Ethical Understanding

Understanding ethical concepts and issues
  • Explore ethical concepts in context

  • researching the development of commercial products that are founded on the traditional knowledge and practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and discussing related ethical considerations associated with biopiracy and intellectual property rights (OI.9)

  • relating regulations about wearing seatbelts or safety helmets to knowledge of forces and motion
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

  • considering issues relating to the use and management of water within a community
    • Sustainability
    Ethical Understanding

    Reasoning in decision making and actions
    • Reason and make ethical decisions

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Personal and Social Capability

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

  • considering decisions made in relation to the recycling of greywater and blackwater
    • Sustainability
    Ethical Understanding

    Reasoning in decision making and actions
    • Reason and make ethical decisions

    Personal and Social Capability

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • considering how human activity in the community can have positive and negative effects on the sustainability of ecosystems
    • Sustainability
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

    Ethical Understanding

    Reasoning in decision making and actions
    • Reason and make ethical decisions

  • investigating ways to control the spread of the cane toad
    • Sustainability
    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

People use science understanding and skills in their occupations and these have influenced the development of practices in areas of human activity (ACSHE121 - Scootle )
Ethical Understanding

Reasoning in decision making and actions
  • Consider consequences

Understanding ethical concepts and issues
  • Explore ethical concepts in context

Exploring values, rights and responsibilities
  • Examine values

  • investigating how the knowledge and experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are being used to inform scientific decisions, such as the care of Country/Place (OI.2, OI.9)

  • investigating everyday applications of physical separation techniques such as filtering, sorting waste materials, reducing pollution, extracting products from plants, separating blood products and cleaning up oil spills
    • Sustainability
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

  • investigating how advances in science and technology have been applied to the treatment of water in industrial and household systems
    • Sustainability
    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Ethical Understanding

    Exploring values, rights and responsibilities
    • Examine values

    Understanding ethical concepts and issues
    • Explore ethical concepts in context

    Reasoning in decision making and actions
    • Consider consequences

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

  • researching the different scientific responses to the rabbit plagues in Australian agricultural areas
    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

  • recognising that water management plays a role in areas such as farming, land management and gardening
  • investigating how separation techniques are used in the food and wine industries
  • considering how seasonal changes affect people in a variety of activities such as farming
  • considering how sports scientists apply knowledge of forces to improve performance

Questioning and predicting

Identify questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on scientific knowledge (ACSIS124 - Scootle )
Literacy

Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
  • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
  • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
  • Comprehend texts

Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
  • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts
  • Compose texts

Grammar knowledge
  • Use knowledge of sentence structures

Word Knowledge
  • Understand learning area vocabulary

Critical and Creative Thinking

Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
  • Seek solutions and put ideas into action

Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
  • Identify and clarify information and ideas
  • Pose questions

  • working collaboratively to identify a problem to investigate
    Literacy

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Use language to interact with others
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Grammar knowledge
    • Use knowledge of sentence structures

    Personal and Social Capability

    Social management
    • Make decisions
    • Work collaboratively

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Think about thinking (metacognition)

  • recognising that the solution of some questions and problems requires consideration of social, cultural, economic or moral aspects rather than or as well as scientific investigation
    Ethical Understanding

    Understanding ethical concepts and issues
    • Explore ethical concepts in context

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

    Personal and Social Capability

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

  • using information and knowledge from previous investigations to predict the expected results from an investigation
    Ethical Understanding

    Understanding ethical concepts and issues
    • Explore ethical concepts in context

    Reasoning in decision making and actions
    • Consider consequences

    Exploring values, rights and responsibilities
    • Examine values

    Literacy

    Grammar knowledge
    • Use knowledge of sentence structures

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Transfer knowledge into new contexts

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

Planning and conducting

Collaboratively and individually plan and conduct a range of investigation types, including fieldwork and experiments, ensuring safety and ethical guidelines are followed (ACSIS125 - Scootle )
Personal and Social Capability

Self-management
  • Work independently and show initiative

Social management
  • Work collaboratively
  • Make decisions

Literacy

Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
  • Compose texts
  • Use language to interact with others
  • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

Word Knowledge
  • Understand learning area vocabulary

Critical and Creative Thinking

Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
  • Seek solutions and put ideas into action

Reflecting on thinking and processes
  • Reflect on processes

Ethical Understanding

Reasoning in decision making and actions
  • Reason and make ethical decisions

  • collaborating with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in planning scientific investigations, and seeking guidance regarding culturally sensitive locations during fieldwork

  • consulting with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land councils in planning scientific investigations, and seeking guidance regarding land access rights

  • collaborating with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations to conduct research investigations about ecosystems, ensuring mutually beneficial outcomes

  • working collaboratively to decide how to approach an investigation
    Personal and Social Capability

    Social management
    • Make decisions
    • Work collaboratively

    Literacy

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts
    • Use language to interact with others

    Grammar knowledge
    • Express opinion and point of view

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Ethical Understanding

    Understanding ethical concepts and issues
    • Explore ethical concepts in context
    • Recognise ethical concepts

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
    • Draw conclusions and design a course of action

  • learning and applying specific skills and rules relating to the safe use of scientific equipment
    Literacy

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

  • identifying whether the use of their own observations and experiments or the use of other research materials is appropriate for their investigation
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Reflect on processes

    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

  • developing strategies and techniques for effective research using secondary sources, including use of the internet
    Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability

    Communicating with ICT
    • Collaborate, share and exchange

    Investigating with ICT
    • Select and evaluate data and information
    • Locate, generate and access data and information
    • Define and plan information searches

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Reflect on processes

    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

Measure and control variables, select equipment appropriate to the task and collect data with accuracy (ACSIS126 - Scootle )
Numeracy

Using measurement
  • Estimate and measure with metric units

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability

Managing and operating ICT
  • Select and use hardware and software

  • recognising the differences between controlled, dependent and independent variables
  • using a digital camera to record observations and compare images using information technologies
    Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability

    Managing and operating ICT
    • Manage digital data
    • Select and use hardware and software

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • using specialised equipment to increase the accuracy of measurement within an investigation
    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Numeracy

    Using measurement
    • Estimate and measure with metric units

Processing and analysing data and information

Construct and use a range of representations, including graphs, keys and models to represent and analyse patterns or relationships in data using digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS129 - Scootle )
Numeracy

Recognising and using patterns and relationships
  • Recognise and use patterns and relationships

Interpreting statistical information
  • Interpret data displays

Literacy

Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
  • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts
  • Compose texts

Visual Knowledge
  • Understand how visual elements create meaning

Word Knowledge
  • Understand learning area vocabulary

Text knowledge
  • Use knowledge of text cohesion
  • Use knowledge of text structures

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability

Managing and operating ICT
  • Select and use hardware and software

Creating with ICT
  • Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks

Investigating with ICT
  • Locate, generate and access data and information

Critical and Creative Thinking

Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
  • Organise and process information

  • collaborating with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the production of calendars that demonstrate seasonal patterns and relationships using digital technologies

  • understanding different types of graphical and physical representation and considering their advantages and disadvantages
    Numeracy

    Interpreting statistical information
    • Interpret data displays

    Using spatial reasoning
    • Visualise 2D shapes and 3D objects
    • Interpret maps and diagrams

    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Reflect on processes

  • using spreadsheets to aid the presentation and simple analysis of data
    Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability

    Managing and operating ICT
    • Select and use hardware and software
    • Manage digital data

    Creating with ICT
    • Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks

    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Numeracy

    Recognising and using patterns and relationships
    • Recognise and use patterns and relationships

    Interpreting statistical information
    • Interpret data displays

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • describing the trends shown in collected data
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Literacy

    Grammar knowledge
    • Use knowledge of sentence structures

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

Summarise data, from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, and use scientific understanding to identify relationships and draw conclusions based on evidence (ACSIS130 - Scootle )
Numeracy

Using spatial reasoning
  • Interpret maps and diagrams

Interpreting statistical information
  • Interpret data displays

Literacy

Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
  • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
  • Comprehend texts
  • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
  • Compose texts
  • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

Word Knowledge
  • Understand learning area vocabulary

Critical and Creative Thinking

Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
  • Draw conclusions and design a course of action

Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
  • Organise and process information

  • acknowledging, analysing and interpreting data and information from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ understandings of Earth’s systems and cycles

  • using diagrammatic representations to convey abstract ideas and to simplify complex situations
    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Visual Knowledge
    • Understand how visual elements create meaning

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Numeracy

    Using spatial reasoning
    • Interpret maps and diagrams

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • comparing and contrasting data from a number of sources in order to create a summary of collected data
    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Numeracy

    Interpreting statistical information
    • Interpret data displays

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • identifying data which provides evidence to support or negate the hypothesis under investigation
    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

  • referring to relevant evidence when presenting conclusions drawn from an investigation
    Literacy

    Grammar knowledge
    • Use knowledge of words and word groups
    • Use knowledge of sentence structures

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
    • Apply logic and reasoning

Evaluating

Reflect on scientific investigations including evaluating the quality of the data collected, and identifying improvements (ACSIS131 - Scootle )
Numeracy

Interpreting statistical information
  • Interpret data displays

Literacy

Word Knowledge
  • Understand learning area vocabulary

Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
  • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts
  • Compose texts

Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
  • Comprehend texts
  • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
  • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

Critical and Creative Thinking

Reflecting on thinking and processes
  • Reflect on processes

Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
  • Evaluate procedures and outcomes

  • discussing investigation methods with others to share ideas about the quality of the inquiry process
    Literacy

    Grammar knowledge
    • Use knowledge of words and word groups
    • Use knowledge of sentence structures
    • Express opinion and point of view

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts
    • Use language to interact with others

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
    • Evaluate procedures and outcomes

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Reflect on processes

    Personal and Social Capability

    Social management
    • Work collaboratively
    • Make decisions

  • identifying and considering indicators of the quality of the data when analysing results
    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
    • Evaluate procedures and outcomes

  • suggesting improvements to inquiry methods based on experience
    Literacy

    Grammar knowledge
    • Express opinion and point of view
    • Use knowledge of sentence structures
    • Use knowledge of words and word groups

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Reflect on processes

    Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
    • Evaluate procedures and outcomes

Use scientific knowledge and findings from investigations to evaluate claims based on evidence (ACSIS132 - Scootle )
Literacy

Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
  • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts
  • Compose texts

Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
  • Comprehend texts
  • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
  • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

Word Knowledge
  • Understand learning area vocabulary

Critical and Creative Thinking

Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
  • Evaluate procedures and outcomes

  • using the evidence provided by scientific investigations to evaluate the claims or conclusions of their peers
    Literacy

    Grammar knowledge
    • Express opinion and point of view

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
    • Apply logic and reasoning
    • Evaluate procedures and outcomes

Communicating

Communicate ideas, findings and evidence based solutions to problems using scientific language, and representations, using digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS133 - Scootle )
Literacy

Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
  • Use language to interact with others
  • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts
  • Deliver presentations
  • Compose texts

Word Knowledge
  • Use spelling knowledge
  • Understand learning area vocabulary

Grammar knowledge
  • Use knowledge of words and word groups
  • Use knowledge of sentence structures

Visual Knowledge
  • Understand how visual elements create meaning

Text knowledge
  • Use knowledge of text cohesion
  • Use knowledge of text structures

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability

Creating with ICT
  • Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks

Communicating with ICT
  • Collaborate, share and exchange
  • Understand computer mediated communications

  • presenting the outcomes of research using effective forms of representation of data or ideas and scientific language that is appropriate for the target audience
    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary
    • Use spelling knowledge

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts
    • Use language to interact with others
    • Deliver presentations

    Text knowledge
    • Use knowledge of text structures
    • Use knowledge of text cohesion

    Grammar knowledge
    • Use knowledge of sentence structures
    • Use knowledge of words and word groups

    Visual Knowledge
    • Understand how visual elements create meaning

    Numeracy

    Interpreting statistical information
    • Interpret data displays

  • using digital technologies to access information and to communicate and collaborate with others on and off site
    Personal and Social Capability

    Social management
    • Communicate effectively
    • Work collaboratively

    Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability

    Managing and operating ICT
    • Select and use hardware and software
    • Manage digital data

    Communicating with ICT
    • Collaborate, share and exchange
    • Understand computer mediated communications

    Investigating with ICT
    • Locate, generate and access data and information
    • Select and evaluate data and information

    Literacy

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Use language to interact with others
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts


Year 7 Achievement Standards

By the end of Year 7, students describe techniques to separate pure substances from mixtures. They represent and predict the effects of unbalanced forces, including Earth’s gravity, on motion. They explain how the relative positions of Earth, the sun and moon affect phenomena on Earth. They analyse how the sustainable use of resources depends on the way they are formed and cycle through Earth systems. They predict the effect of human and environmental changes on interactions between organisms and classify and organise diverse organisms based on observable differences. Students describe situations where scientific knowledge from different science disciplines and diverse cultures has been used to solve a real-world problem. They explain possible implications of the solution for different groups in society.

Students identify questions that can be investigated scientifically. They plan fair experimental methods, identifying variables to be changed and measured. They select equipment that improves fairness and accuracy and describe how they considered safety. Students draw on evidence to support their conclusions. They summarise data from different sources, describe trends and refer to the quality of their data when suggesting improvements to their methods. They communicate their ideas, methods and findings using scientific language and appropriate representations.


Year 7 Work Sample Portfolios