Science

SCIENCE

Curriculum Purpose

Preparing students for careers and furthering social justice

Our curriculum and lessons will give students the opportunity to choose from a wide range of STEAM careers. To do this, our students will achieve a P8 score of +1. A thorough academic science education will also give the powerful knowledge to allow students to interact academically with peers, within science and other professional roles.

Knowledge acquisition as a measure of progress

Our curriculum and lessons will give students the knowledge (core, procedural and hinterland) to critically synthesise and analyse matters that involve science.

The needs of our community

Our curriculum and lessons will reflect positively the community of students within our school and actively question inequalities in science.

Teaching science for its intrinsic value

We believe that the world is an amazing place. Science helps us understand just how amazing it is. Our curriculum and lessons will give students the knowledge that will amaze, solve problems and develop a healthy scepticism.

Curriculum Rationale

What do we teach and why do we teach it?

We believe that having a thorough understanding of scientific concepts is vital for students to engage productively with the world. Not only does it equip students with powerful knowledge and open up a vast array of careers, it also develops problem solving and a healthy scepticism. Knowledge is broken down into core substantive knowledge (key facts and definitions), procedural knowledge (‘how to…’ such as mathematical procedures and practical methodologies) and hinterland knowledge (the narrative or stories that enrich our understanding of science). Underpinning all of this, are key concepts – scientific models and ideas that are both fundamental and profound to access much of the scientific curriculum. Examples of key concepts include the cell, photosynthesis, respiration, the atom, chemical equations, electronic structures, energy, charge, the particle model of matter and forces.

Why do we teach it in that order?

At Trinity the disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics are taught in discrete topics, with students moving from one discipline to another throughout the year. The explicit teaching of key concepts is prioritised in Year 7 and 8 with students learning about cells, particle theory and forces early on. As students move through the years, and as topics become more complex, relevant key concepts are revisited to support the introduction of conceptually challenging material. For example, before teaching about collision theory and enzyme action, students are reminded about the particle model and its implications.