middle school science
Science, Society and Environment
Year 5
In Year 5, as a transition from Integrated Studies in Junior School, students study integrated units in a subject called Science, Society and Environment. They are given an introduction to Science. They learn to ask scientific questions and present the work of Australian scientists and inventions in an inquiry about how science knowledge has developed.
Students also study aspects of traditional Indigenous Australian culture. They investigate the history of colonization and its effect on Indigenous Australians. Students will develop research skills as they identify the significant events from the arrival of European settlement through to Federation.
SCIENCE
Year 6
In Year 6, the science focus is on cause and effect and the students investigate this through the strands of Chemistry and Physics. Students will also explore how systems work and function together, using the connections between the systems within the human body. They will also begin to conduct experimental investigations in a more direct scientific process; developing skills in observation, designing and questioning.
Year 7
In Year 7, students investigate geological time and use time scales to study the changing Earth and its place in space. They also explore geological processes and the formation of rocks and minerals. As part of a Chemistry unit, students use the particle model to discover Solids, Liquids and Gases, with particular attention to the structure and properties of matter. Students will continue to build on their practical skills of observation and questioning through various experimental investigations.
Year 8
During Year 8, students explore cells and cellular systems in a comparison between plant and animal cell types, with emphasis on the differences between their structure and function. Students investigate the characteristics of living things and use these features to develop an understanding of the classification system. In a Physics unit, students will use practical and theoretical models to study the relationship between force and energy, as well as force and motion. They complete individual inquiries into simple machines as well as gear and pulleys through design and construction. Students will continue to build on their practical skills of observation and questioning through various controlled experiments.
(Last update January 20, 2011)