Year 9 Term 1 Overviews

In Term 1, students will be exploring the genre of dystopian fiction. To develop their understanding of the genre, students will first watch and read excerpts from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This will allow students to identify key dystopian conventions, analyse how authors and filmmakers create mood and tension, and make connections between fictional societies and real-world issues.

Throughout the term, students will continue to analyse and explore a range of multimodal dystopian texts, such as movies, books, graphic novels, and short stories, and will be guided to recognise the variety of ways in which authors create meaning through language, sound, and visual features. Students will continue to develop their understanding of symbolism and imagery, and will be able to recite various features of Dystopian society by the end of the unit, for example, conformity, authority, scarcity, and heavy surveillance.

Across the unit, students will experiment with crafting short, precise, and impactful texts, developing a writing portfolio that showcases a range of dystopian features and communicates a warning message for the future

Humanites Year 9: Charlotte

In Term 1, students will study how the government works, who holds power, how decisions are made, and how money and economic systems affect everyday life and democracy. Students will learn about Australia’s democratic system and compare it with other forms of government, leadership, and economic structures in other countries. By investigating real-world examples and current issues, they will explore how different systems impact citizens’ rights, freedoms, and opportunities, as well as the ways people can participate in society through voting, protest, media, and civic action. The unit also examines challenges facing modern democracies, such as misinformation, corruption, and social division, and considers how democratic systems can be strengthened to remain fair, resilient, and inclusive. Throughout the term, students will develop critical thinking and communication skills by analysing evidence, considering multiple perspectives, and presenting informed opinions, helping them understand why active and informed citizenship is essential in today’s world.

Maths Year 9: Roland

In Term 1, Year 9 students will get off to a cracking start with the study of Real Number and Operations which will act as a review of skills and exercise students in carrying through equations to solutions using a set order of steps. Next on the agenda will be Indices where logic, reasoning, abstraction skills, formula selection and application, number evaluation and representing the very large and very small will be on the menu. Data and Statistics will be covered next where numerical and categorical variables will be considered, estimating means and medians along the way. Students will progress to sampling, comparing and describing data sets, choosing appropriate displays and findings to support conclusions. NAPLAN comes knocking in early March before the term wraps up with Algebra Conventions - a most fitting way to welcome a short recharge! As always we encourage students to take lots of notes, ask lots of questions, work lots of problems and push hard on their assessments so they are doing their best and learning lots.

Science Year 9: Jag

In Term 1, students will be exploring key scientific concepts that help explain how knowledge is developed, how life is sustained, and how the universe began. To build a strong foundation, students will first focus on the scientific method, learning how scientists ask questions, design fair tests, collect and analyse data, and draw valid conclusions. This will support students in developing critical thinking skills and understanding how scientific knowledge is constructed and evaluated.

As the term progresses, students will explore Earth and Space Science, with a particular focus on the Big Bang Theory. Through models, simulations, and evidence-based discussions, students will investigate current scientific explanations for the origin and expansion of the universe. They will analyse evidence such as red shift, cosmic background radiation, and the distribution of galaxies, and will be encouraged to consider how scientific theories evolve as new evidence becomes available. In the second half of the term, students will study Biology, focusing on human body systems, with an emphasis on reproduction. Students will examine the structure and function of the male and female reproductive systems, explore the processes involved in human reproduction, and discuss how body systems work together to support life. Scientific terminology, diagrams, and ethical considerations will be used to deepen understanding.

Across the term, students will engage in practical investigations, collaborative discussions, and scientific communication tasks. They will develop skills in questioning, analysing evidence, and clearly explaining scientific ideas using appropriate language and representations. By the end of the unit, students will be able to apply the scientific method, explain key ideas about the universe’s origins, and demonstrate an understanding of human reproductive systems and their role in sustaining life.

HAPE, Sport and PE

Year 9 Health	Ash	In Health Term 1, Year 9 students are learning to identify complex emotions, personal strengths, positive coping strategies, stress handling and help seeking. Students are discovering different words and feelings and identifying when they might feel different emotion intensities. They will practice empathy by working through scenarios with peers and understanding different perspectives.
Year 9 PE	Salim Said	In Physical Education Term 1, Year 9 students are focusing on developing their’ physical competence, teamwork, and understanding of how to improve performance through reflection and collaboration. The term begins with a strong emphasis on “learning to learn” through cooperative games and problem-solving activities that build communication, leadership, resilience, and effective teamwork. Year 9 students will transition into an Athletics unit where they will develop technique and performance in events focusing on personal improvement, correct technique, safety, and understanding training principles.
Smash and Rally Master Class	Tim	“Smash & Rally: Court Games of Today & Tomorrow” is a practical Year 9 Master Class elective where students explore a wide range of traditional and emerging court sports, including squash, tennis, badminton, volleyball, pickleball, padel, beach volleyball, beach tennis and spikeball. The course focuses on refining movement skills, applying tactics across different environments, and analysing performance to improve outcomes. Students will participate in practical sessions, peer coaching, umpiring, performance analysis and excursions to Melbourne sporting facilities. Throughout the semester, students will work towards a major project that includes sport management, coaching, playing, umpiring and sports science components. In the second half of the unit, the class will collaboratively plan, manage and compete in a student-led net and wall tournament. The unit concludes with students compiling their learning into an analytical report, showcasing their understanding and practical experience.
Coaches Corner Master Class	Kevin Ngo	This Master Class explores the role of a coach in developing sports skills in young people and develops their own leadership and coaching skills. To begin, students will review the motivation of why young people participate in sports and how the coach influences student participation and skill development. Students will move on to explore equipment management, safety and how to adapt coaching methods to different challenges that could arise. They will develop a lesson plan portfolio around a specific sport and will engage in peer teaching where they will provide each other some peer feedback before coaching primary school aged students developing their skills in assessing movement performance and giving constructive feedback to others.

Art / Performing Arts

Visual Arts Year 9: Fiona Reeve

Year 9 : 2D Visual Art, students expand their technical and creative abilities through a focused exploration of drawing and printmaking. Students will develop confidence using a wide range of markmaking tools and mediums, experimenting with graphite, charcoal, conte, and soft pastels to produce expressive and observational drawings. They will learn and apply a variety of drawing techniques, such as blending, hatching, crosshatching, tonal rendering, and expressive mark making, to communicate mood, texture, and form. The course introduces students to dry point etching where they will learn how to prepare a plate, create incised line work, and produce a series of prints that show refinement and craftsmanship. Visual diaries are used to document experimentation, artist research, reflections, and the development of personal artistic ideas. By the end of the course, students will demonstrate improved technical skill, creativity, and confidence in expressing ideas through 2D art forms.

Year 9 : 3D Visual Art, students explore sculptural processes through handson experimentation with form, texture, and construction techniques. The course begins with the creation of a papier-mâché form, where students learn to build strong armatures and embellish their finished surface using natural materials such as twigs, twine, and fibres to enhance visual and tactile qualities. Students are then introduced to paper clay, learning how to mix and prepare their own clay body and use it to create a vessel or small sculpture. They explore methods of modelling, joining, carving, and refining their forms with a focus on craftsmanship and structural stability. Throughout the semester, students investigate artists who work with papiermâché, paper clay, and natural materials, examining how these artists use the elements of art; form, texture, space, shape, and colour, to communicate ideas and meaning. Students learn how to discuss sculpture using appropriate terminology and develop confidence in analysing both their own work and the work of others.