Year 8 Term 3 Overviews
Term 3 Overviews
English Year 8
In Term 3, Year 8 English students will study the novel Crow Country by Kate Constable. The story follows Sadie, a young girl who moves to the country town of Boort with her mother. As Sadie settles into her new home, she uncovers a mystery that connects her to the land, its history, and the local Aboriginal community. Throughout the unit, students will read the novel and use Cornell Notes to record important ideas, questions, and evidence from the text. They will explore how the novel reflects historical, social, and cultural contexts, and discuss how these influence the characters, events, and messages within the text.
At the end of the unit, students will critique the novel by developing a detailed and analytical evaluation of the author’s choices and effectiveness. Students will analyse key elements such as mood, imagery, themes, characterisation, and the purpose and message of the novel. Their responses will include specific evidence from the text, explanations of how these elements contribute to the reader’s understanding, and an evaluation of how effectively Kate Constable communicates the ideas and issues explored throughout the novel
Health Year 8
This term focuses on first aid, personal safety, and effective help-seeking. Students will build on their knowledge of responding to emergency situations and develop a deeper understanding of when and how to seek help. They will also explore the role of support networks and services, and practise making informed decisions in challenging situations.
PE and Sport and Movement Year 8
This term focuses on territory games including basketball, netball, soccer, and handball. Students will deepen their understanding of creating and defending space, applying attacking and defensive strategies, and working within team roles and transitions. A strong emphasis will be placed on decision-making and adapting to changing game situations. Sport and Movement classes will focus on matchplay situations and modified games experience in Basketball.
Humanities Year 8
In Term 3, year 8s will get to explore the exciting history of Polynesian People. Throughout the term, students will examine concepts such as travel across the Pacific Ocean, survival on remote islands and the values that were present within daily life. Students will work with sources from Polynesian time and examine them using a variety of techniques (including the fishbone structure) to allow them to think critically about “how” and “why” these sources are related to Polynesian history. By the end of the term, students will apply their knowledge of sources during this time to an analysis activity focusing on how these artefacts were significant to Polyneisan people as well as to us in modern day to help increase our understanding of life in the past.
Mathematics Year 8
This term, Year 8 Mathematics will focus on three key learning areas, with each topic taught over approximately 3–4 weeks and followed by a Common Assessment Task (CAT).
Students will begin by exploring Ratios and Rates, applying mathematical modelling to solve practical problems involving rates, distance–time relationships, and financial situations. They will then investigate Transformations, Congruence, Similarity and Location, where they will identify and justify the properties of congruent and similar shapes, apply the properties of quadrilaterals, and describe the position of objects in three-dimensional space. In the final unit, students will develop their understanding of Irrational Numbers and Pythagoras’ Theorem, recognising irrational numbers in real-world contexts and using Pythagoras’ theorem to solve problems involving right-angled triangles.
Throughout the term, students will strengthen their mathematical reasoning, problem-solving, and communication skills, with each CAT providing an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding and application of the concepts covered.
Science Year 8
In Term 3, Year 8 Science students will explore Earth and Space Science and Biology through the study of Plate Tectonics, Ecology and Ecosystems, and Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources. Students will investigate how Earth's tectonic plates move to form geological features such as volcanoes, earthquakes and mountain ranges, using scientific evidence to explain the theory of plate tectonics.
Students will also explore ecosystems by investigating food webs and the flow of matter and energy. They will examine how factors such as habitat loss, climate change and introduced species affect populations and ecosystem stability.
In the final unit, students will distinguish between renewable and non-renewable resources and evaluate the environmental, social and economic impacts of resource extraction and energy production. As part of this learning, students will complete a major design project where they will design and construct a passive house model, applying their understanding of sustainability, energy efficiency and environmentally responsible building practices to create a home that minimises energy use.
Throughout the term, students will participate in practical investigations, analyse scientific evidence, interpret data, and communicate their understanding using scientific language, diagrams and models while developing their critical and creative thinking skills.
Design and Technology
Food science Year 8
In Semester 2, Year 8 students explore how food science can help create a more sustainable future. Through hands-on cooking, gardening, and inquiry-based investigations, students examine the science behind everyday foods while exploring the environmental impacts of the food system.
Throughout the semester, students will also think and work like Food Scientists by investigating questions about everyday foods, such as Why does ice cream stay soft in the freezer?, Why does bread rise?, or How do food companies keep food fresh? They will research the science behind these questions and present their findings to the class. Students will also investigate the ingredient lists of their favourite and everyday foods, researching the purpose of different ingredients and additives to better understand how they affect the taste, texture, appearance, and shelf life of food.
By the end of the semester, students will understand how science influences the way food is grown, produced, and consumed. They will be able to connect everyday food choices to environmental sustainability, understand the science behind the foods they eat, and recognise how food scientists contribute to creating healthier, safer, and more sustainable food systems.
Woodtech Year 8
This term, Year 8 students will continue developing their confidence and skills in the wood technology workshop. Building on what they already know, students will learn new and more advanced techniques, with a focus on accuracy, problem-solving, and safe tool use. Students will begin creating and using simple working drawings and will learn how to evaluate design features such as strength, function, and appearance. These skills will be put into practice through the construction of a small storage box, where students will plan, build, and refine their work from start to finish. By the end of the term, students will have begun a project that reflects their growing independence, craftsmanship, and understanding of the design process.
VISUAL ART Year 8
Visual Arts will develop an understanding of three dimensional visual art and design through ceramics with a focus on consolidating hand-building and construction techniques. They will be exposed to a variety of ceramics skills such as: pinch, slab, coil, kneading,wedging and glazing clay. Students will investigate ceramics in visual arts and design practices using their visual diaries to document their learning journey and look at contemporary and historical ceramic artworks, sculptures and artists to develop their own personal style. The unit will culminate in producing a final ceramic artwork that will be displayed at the annual school art exhibition.
DRAMA Year 8
Performing Arts Drama explored how expressive skills and stagecraft bring scripted and improvised performances to life. Early in the term, students learned how to use voice, facial expression, movement, and gesture to communicate character, emotion, and intention. These skills were applied to the creation of dramatic dioramas where students designed miniature performance spaces, considering stage layout, lighting, mood, and set design. Following this, students worked in groups to rehearse and perform short, scripted scenes. They explored the full performance process interpreting dialogue, blocking movement, managing props, and working with cues. Rehearsals focused on collaboration, refinement, and problem-solving, with students learning to adjust their performances based on peer and teacher feedback. Through performance and reflection, students developed their understanding of how actors and designers work together to create compelling drama.