Science
Welcome back to all our RVSSC parents, community members, and students. I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing break and time was spent with loved ones. I’m looking forward to meeting all the students as they return for the year and welcoming the year 7 cohort to the school as they embark on the next phase of their education. I am also looking forward to working with our year 11 students as they commence their senior pathways.
As the school continues to grow we’ve also added a few new staff members to the science faculty this year. I’d like to formally welcome Ms C Newton and Ms T Writer to the Science faculty, as well as Mrs Ellen Grant, who will joining the team in Week 3 as our new Head of Department – Science. I’d also like to thank the continuing staff of Mr S Sogarthur, Miss C McKendry, Ms A Constable, Miss O Roberts, Ms S Wang, Ms K Hansen, and Mrs S Saini for their continuing support to the faculty and helping new staff find their feet so quickly.
This year our focus will continue to be on providing quality and engaging learning opportunities for all students and to help them connect the learning in the classroom to their lives outside of school. Whilst we will focus on particular areas of science knowledge, it is vital that we teach the inquiry skills that underpin science. The beauty of science is the framework of asking questions and then working through a process to determine an answer to that question. We hope this year to light the fire of curiosity and inquisitiveness in students as they interact with the world around them and help them discover the answers to the questions they pose.
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Year 7 |
Our year 7 students start the year with their Chemistry unit, investigating the water cycle, states of matter and the particle model, and separation techniques. This unit develops their experimental and inquiry skills, with multiple lessons dedicated to practising these skills throughout the term. Students will complete an experiment to separate a mixture into clean, reusable water as their assessment. |
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Year 8 |
Year 8 students will be covering their Biology unit on Cells and Reproduction. This unit will focus on human reproduction and physiology, with a particular emphasis on topics such as the menstrual cycle. At all times, this unit is in alignment with the demands of the Australia Curriculum, and will be taught scientifically. As educators, cultural understanding and sensitivity will be held with upmost importance. If there are any queries about the content within this unit or the resources used, please do not hesitate to contact your student’s teacher. Assessment for this term is an exam. |
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Year 9 |
Year 9 students investigate matter as a changing state between solids, liquids and gases. Students investigate how the particles in each state interact and are able to discuss methods of heat transfer including convection, conduction and radiation. Students investigate the wave model to explain how particles move, describe how light travels and how this affects the way we see the world around us. The assessment for this unit sees students design and create a heat shield. |
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Year 10 Foundation |
In Science Foundation, students will look at Science inquiry skills, modelled around the senior Science in Practise subject. Students will explore concepts such as The Big Bang and Evolution. |
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Year 10 Core |
In Science Core, students will investigate the Periodic Table and Ionic compounds, and see how changing temperature, concentration, and surface area effects the rate of reactions. Students will then modify a rates of reaction experiment already conducted previously in class for their assessment to further study variability in experiments. |
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Year 10 Extension |
Students in both Science extension classes will cover content from the year 10 Science curriculum, as well as start to develop senior science technical and inquiry skills. Students will also be exposed to specific senior curriculum and rigour surrounding senior assessment. |
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Year 11 Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, and Physics |
Year 11 students studying senior Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Psychology will start the term reviewing key concepts and skills before delving into their units. Senior units of work bring a much higher workload, and it is paramount students stay on top of their studies, seeking clarification and assistance as soon as possible. Senior sciences offer a wonderful array of experiments and topics for students to be part of, and it will be exciting to see them grow in their individual pursuits and interests in science. |
As a team, we look forward to another exciting year and wish all our students the best as they get back in to the learning routines within all their classes.
Tim Barclay
Acting Head of Department - Science - Year 8F to 8I