Overview
Syllabus overview
Organisation of Science 7–10
Figure 1 shows the organisation of the Science 7–10 Syllabus.
The organisation of the syllabus illustrates the important role Working scientifically plays across all areas of Science and the connection to scientific knowledge and concepts.
Content has been included in focus areas which represent the interdisciplinary nature of science.
Image long description: The 16 focus areas of Science 7–10 are split into 2 sets of columns for Stage 4 and Stage 5. The focus areas for Stage 4 include: Observing the Universe; Forces; Cells and classification; Solutions and mixtures; Living systems; Periodic table and atomic structure; Change; and Data science 1. The focus areas for Stage 5 include: Energy; Disease; Materials; Environmental sustainability; Genetics and evolutionary change; Reactions; Waves and motion; and Data science 2. A rectangle at the bottom of the image, extending across Stage 4 and 5, states that a depth study is to be conducted from one or more focus areas. All these items are enveloped by a box labelled Working scientifically.
Life Skills outcomes and content
Students with disability can access the syllabus outcomes and content in a range of ways. Decisions regarding curriculum options should be made in the context of collaborative curriculum planning.
Some students with intellectual disability may find the Years 7–10 Life Skills outcomes and content the most appropriate option to follow in Stage 4 and/or Stage 5. Before determining whether a student is eligible to undertake a course based on Life Skills outcomes and content, consideration should be given to other ways of assisting the student to engage with the Stage 4 and/or Stage 5 outcomes, or prior stage outcomes if appropriate. This assistance may include a range of adjustments to teaching, learning and assessment activities.
Life Skills outcomes cannot be taught in combination with other outcomes from the same subject. Teachers select specific Life Skills outcomes to teach based on the needs, strengths, goals, interests and prior learning of each student. Students are required to demonstrate achievement of one or more Life Skills outcomes.
Protocols for collaborating with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities and engaging with Cultural works
NESA is committed to working in partnership with Aboriginal Communities and supporting teachers, schools and schooling sectors to improve educational outcomes for young people.
It is important to respect appropriate ways of interacting with Aboriginal Communities and Cultural material when teachers plan, program and implement learning experiences that focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Priorities.
Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) protocols need to be followed. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ ICIP protocols include Cultural Knowledges, Cultural Expression and Cultural Property and documentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Identities and lived experiences. It is important to recognise the diversity and complexity of different Cultural groups in NSW, as protocols may differ between local Aboriginal Communities.
Teachers should work in partnership with Elders, parents, Community members, Cultural Knowledge Holders, or a local, regional or state Aboriginal Education Consultative Group. It is important to respect Elders and the roles of men and women. Local Aboriginal Peoples should be invited to share their Cultural Knowledges with students and staff when engaging with Aboriginal histories and Cultural Practices.
Creating written texts supports learning
The development of the Science 7–10 Syllabus follows Recommendation 2: ‘Clarify and strengthen writing content in syllabus documents’ from Teaching Writing: Report of the Thematic Review of Writing (NESA 2018).
Creating written texts facilitates learning as it promotes explicitness, encourages the integration of ideas, supports reflection, fosters personal engagement and aids learners to think about the significance and implication of ideas. Each subject has particular and specific writing demands relevant for communicating within and about the discipline. Writing about content enhances understanding across subjects and stages.
The secondary curriculum includes:
- systematic development of expectations for creating written texts which align with the English K–10 Syllabus (2022)
- explicit writing content to support students to become fluent creators of texts and to deepen their understanding of the subject area
- opportunities to practise the process of creating written texts to develop and communicate knowledge, understanding and ideas
- a focus on development of word consciousness and precise use of subject-specific terminology.
Creating written texts refers to the act of composing and constructing a text for a particular purpose, audience and context.
Various methods of transcription may be employed, and a student’s preferred communication form(s) should be considered when teaching.
Balance of content
The amount of content associated with a given outcome is not necessarily indicative of the amount of time spent engaging with the respective outcome. Teachers use formative and summative assessment to determine instructional priorities and the time needed for students to demonstrate expected outcomes.
The knowledge, understanding and skills described in the outcomes and content of each focus area provide a basis for students to successfully progress to the next stage of learning. Focus areas may be reordered if required in line with instructional priorities and learner needs.
The ‘in context’ content groups are designed to provide students with opportunities to apply their learning in context. This content group could provide the basis for depth studies.