Scotch College

SCIENCE Year 9 — 2012

Rationale

The Science Units at Years 9 consolidate and develop the knowledge and skills introduced in Years 7 and 8, and together with the Science studied at Year 10 constitute a coordinated program with three broad aims.

These are to develop: 

• - Each student’s awareness and understanding of the working of the world about them, and to encourage and empower students to make informed decisions about themselves and their environment.
• - Skills in practical investigation, library (and other media) research, and written, graphic, and oral communication.
• - The groundwork which enables students to adequately undertake a VCE course which includes Science subjects.

The course is based on an extensive program of practical work. Students are encouraged to learn by doing, with emphasis on safety, the proper use of equipment, careful observation, enquiry, and deduction. While students must acquire a certain amount of factual knowledge, the emphasis is placed rather on their gaining a grasp of the basic underlying concepts and successfully applying them to new situations.  Computer technologies will be used in the laboratory with a data-logging interface for the collection, processing, and analysis of primary data.

Student Outcomes 

• study a broad cross-section of scientific topics ranging across the spectrum of scientific disciplines  
• participate in regular and varied practical work. These are designed to develop skills in practical   experimentation, and to challenge thinking and support effective learning in difficult conceptual territory 
• gain a broad understanding of key scientific theories as they apply to familiar situations and phenomena  
• extend their understanding of fundamental concepts previously introduced, and study several important new ideas
• increase their awareness of the importance of scientific theories and methods in the context of current and  

relevant social, economic and environmental issues 

• obtain information from a wide range of sources and learn to value, interpret, and critically analyze research data 
• use a variety of media and techniques to present results of experimentation and research  

Course Content 

This comprises short independent topics across the science disciplines.  Students are introduced to several key areas that lay important groundwork for future science studies within the specific disciplines of Chemistry, Physics, and Biology.  

These include: 

• The nature of chemicals and an awareness of both the usefulness and hazards of certain classes of chemicals, particularly acids and alkalis.

• The nature of the Earth’s atmosphere and the various related environmental threats faced.

• The relationship between the body’s energy input from food and output in exercise and the importance of a proper balance.

• The fundamental chemical concepts that govern our knowledge of chemical substances and chemical reactions.

• The fundamental ideas of electricity and magnetism.

• Diseases caused by microbes, and their transmission and treatment, and the importance of hygiene.

• The beneficial roles certain microbes play in food production.  

• The fundamental nature of light and sound as they apply to everything from human senses to communications technologies.

Assessment 

Assessment is both formative (aiding development) and summative (summarising achievement).  The formative assessment will include ongoing marking of notes, practical work and other tasks.

Examination

Research and Communicative Skills 

Class Tests 

Practical Work Skills