In Year 7 and 8 (Stage 4), students actively apply scientific inquiry through Working Scientifically. They formulate testable questions, employ appropriate methods and generate creative solutions. They conduct various investigations, analyse data, draw evidence-based conclusions and reflect on improvement. Communication of findings to specific audiences is done using scientific language and proper citation methods.
Year 7
The Year 7 students at Granville Boys High School will be studying the following topics in Science.
Term 1 - Being Scientific and Properties of Substances
Being Scientific and Properties of Substances introduces students to Science, covering basic experimental methods, laboratory skills, safety rules, and terminology. The boys will gain proficiency in conducting experiments individually and in teams, emphasising skills in design and research.
Term 2 - Forces, Fields and Simple Machines
Forces, Fields and Simple Machines enables students to understand that changes in an object's motion result from unbalanced forces. Through experiments, students will predict and analyse the effects of unbalanced forces, specifically exploring friction in everyday situations and factors affecting its size. The unit also covers the concept of forces acting at a distance, the distinction between mass and weight and the description of magnetic poles. Additionally, students will learn about situations where gravity acts as an unbalanced force.
Term 3 - Classification and Ecosystems
With Classification and Ecosystems, students delve into the concept of classification as a tool for organising living things. They learn to use keys to identify patterns and relationships, categorise plants and animals and understand the reasons behind classifying living organisms. The chapter covers the classification of living things based on structural features and outlines the key structural features used for grouping.
Additional topics include designing simple keys for identification, recognising instances where classification has evolved due to new evidence, and classifying plants and animals using a hierarchical system.
Term 4 - Earth and Space
Students explore Earth's day and night, seasons, eclipses, tides and models of the Solar System. They learn about technological advances contributing to our understanding of the Solar System and examine cultural contributions. Additionally, the boys investigate and classify Earth's resources as renewable or non-renewable, exploring conservation strategies for non-renewable resources.
The topic covers identification of alternative natural resources, understanding their role in environmental cycles, explaining related physical processes and examining technology's role in resource management. Furthermore, students engage in debates on intergenerational aspects of using non-renewable resources.
Year 8
Term 1 - Elements, compounds, Mixtures/SRP
The aims and objectives of Elements, compounds, Mixtures/SRP encompass the exploration of properties and uses of common elements (metals and non-metals), understanding internationally recognized symbols for elements, identifying common compounds, differentiating between elements, compounds, and mixtures based on particle type and arrangement.
Examining the impact of new technologies on our understanding of elements, investigating historical applications of elemental knowledge in various cultures, advocating for societal support in scientific research for new materials, and describing the collaborative process of making new substances through scientific knowledge and collaboration.
Term 2 - Physical and Chemical Changes
Physical and Chemical Changes aims to guide students in exploring physical and chemical changes, understanding the behaviour of matter in relation to particles, and explaining the connection between changes in physical properties (evaporation, condensation, boiling, melting, freezing) and heat energy.
The boys will also learn about chemical changes such as photosynthesis, respiration, and chemical weathering, and they'll compare particle arrangement in physical and chemical changes, considering the reversibility of the processes.
Term 3 - Cells, Growth and Body Systems
Cells, Growth and Body Systems aims to impart the understanding that living things consist of cells, enabling students to identify cell structures and their functions. Students will recognise that new cells form through cell division, essential for growth and repair. The distinction between unicellular and multicellular organisms will be explored, along with the realisation that different cell types compose tissues, organs and organ systems.
Additionally, the boys will describe the role of human body systems, explaining how these systems collaborate to facilitate processes such as gas exchange, waste removal, movement, digestion and circulation. The unit also covers the role of plant structures (flower, root, stem, and leaf) in plants.
Term 4 - Rocks, Minerals and Resources
Rocks, Minerals and Resources focuses on understanding the Earth's structure, exploring the origins of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks, describing fossil formation, interpreting geological history through sedimentary layers, recognising minerals in rocks, classifying common rocks and minerals, and gaining insight into mining and minerals in Australia.
Additional content, as per the New South Wales Syllabus, includes investigating relative rock layer ages, the nature of mineral crystals, mining and resource exploration, and the role of forces and energy in the formation of rocks and minerals.