11–12Earth and Environmental Science 11–12 Syllabus (2025)
The new Earth and Environmental Science 11–12 Syllabus (2025) is to be implemented from 2028 and will replace the Earth and Environmental Science Stage 6 Syllabus (2017).
2026 and 2027
- Plan and prepare to teach the new syllabus
2028, Term 1
- Start teaching the new syllabus for Year 11
- Start implementing new Year 11 school-based assessment requirements
- Continue to teach the Earth and Environmental Science Stage 6 Syllabus (2017) for Year 12
2028, Term 4
- Start teaching the new syllabus for Year 12
- Start implementing new Year 12 school-based assessment requirements
2029
- First HSC examination for new syllabus
Content
Life Skills
- EES-LS-01
identifies features and structures of the Earth
- EES-LS-02
identifies changes to features and structures of the Earth
Through collaborative curriculum planning, it may be decided that Life Skills outcomes and content are the most appropriate option for some students with intellectual disability.
Teachers select relevant Working scientifically outcomes and content to integrate with this focus area based on the strengths and needs of individual students.
LoadingIdentify natural and human made features of the local environment
Identify natural features of the Earth
Identify natural features of the local area that have remained the same for years or decades
Recognise the Earth’s surface is covered with land and water
Identify changes to land and water on the Earth’s surface over time
Engage with models to identify the layers of the Earth
Engage with Aboriginal Dreaming Stories and Torres Strait Islander Legends about the formation of the Earth
Recognise scientists study rocks to identify the age of the Earth
Recognise younger layers of sedimentary rock are deposited on top of older layers over time
Participate in a scientific investigation to explore evidence used to estimate the age of the Earth
Use models to describe the relative age of Earth’s layers
Use the order of rock layers to determine which are older
Identify familiar examples of things that can be separated and put back together
Recognise the Earth’s surface is made of pieces that fit together
Engage with a model that depicts the Earth’s plates
Participate in a practical investigation to represent movement of the Earth’s plates and the creation of landforms and how these have changed over time