Year 7 Term 1 Overviews

Year 7: 

English: (Danielle)

This term in Year 7 English, students are diving into the art of writing by exploring how authors craft engaging and imaginative stories. Through the study of different genres—including fantasy, science fiction, and gothic literature—students will examine how writers use language, structure, and literary techniques to bring their ideas to life.

By analysing a range of texts, students will not only develop their reading comprehension skills but also learn how to apply these techniques to their own writing. They will experiment with building vivid settings, developing compelling characters, and crafting atmosphere to enhance their storytelling.

As we progress through the term, students will also prepare for the upcoming NAPLAN tests, refining their skills in reading, writing, and language conventions. Our focus will be on strengthening their confidence and their ability to interpret texts, structure responses effectively, and apply grammatical knowledge.

With a balance of creativity and critical thinking, this term’s work will help students become more thoughtful readers and skilled writers.

Humanities: Medieval History (History)

Year 7s will undertake Medieval History as their first unit of Humanities in 2025. Over the course of the history unit, they will develop skills required to meet the achievement standards divided across both years 7 year and 8. Students will make connections between Medieval Europe and modern day through topics such as the Black Plague. They will develop historical skills through inferencing, analysing historical sources and collaboration. The key historical knowledge the students will learn includes; the geography of Medieval Europe, the above mentioned Black Plague, the feudal system, daily life in Medieval Europe, religion, law and war. Towards the end of the unit students will create a piece of media compiling information on a particular topic, analysing its historical significance. By the end of the unit students will show emerging knowledge in curiosity, empathy, critical thinking, open-mindedness and accountability. These skills will be highly beneficial to students in further studies and life in the wider world beyond school. Along with note taking skills, students will have many opportunities to practice and improve their literacy skills through this process. 

Maths: (Dilpreet)

In Term 1, Year 7 students will express natural numbers in expanded form and as products of prime factors using exponent notation. They will handle problems with perfect square integers and their square roots. They will provide linkages between whole numbers and index notation, as well as the relationship between perfect squares and their square roots. They will also tackle problems that require integer comparison, addition and subtraction. In addition, they will get to employ all four operations in calculations involving positive fractions and decimals, utilising efficient mental and written calculating procedures. Year 7 students will employ algebraic expressions to illustrate situations, define the relationships between variables based on genuine data, and substitute values into formulas to get unknown values.

Moreover, students will organise and carry out statistical investigations with discrete and continuous numerical data, utilising appropriate presentations. They will interpret data using the shape of the distribution and summary statistics to identify potential outliers and will determine which measure of central tendency is most appropriate and explain their reasoning.

Science: (Zaituna)

In Term 1, Year 7 students will explore how scientific knowledge changes with new evidence. They will examine the role of different perspectives in shaping scientific understanding. Year 7 students will also consider ethical, social, and environmental factors in scientific decision-making. Students will develop key scientific inquiry skills. Students will learn to ask investigable questions, make predictions, and plan reproducible experiments. Year 7 students will record and analyse data using tables, graphs, and models. Students will evaluate scientific claims by identifying errors and conflicting evidence.

Later in the term, students will study biological classification. Year 7 students will learn how scientists group organisms based on similarities and differences. Students will use dichotomous keys to classify species. Students will communicate findings using scientific language and digital tools. Lastly, students will present evidence-based arguments and develop critical thinking skills.

Technologies: (Abby/Mary)

Woodtech: In Term 1, the year 7 cohort will explore where timber comes from and the processes it must undergo to become usable for various purposes. Students will learn about timber defects, properties of the different types of wood that make them suitable for different purposes. They will develop an understanding of the correct operating procedures for different hand tools as well as exploring safety considerations associated with each. Students will be introduced to joinery and explore the features that make different joints suitable for different types of furniture projects. Students will develop their joinery and hoot toll skills by making finger joints, mortise and tenon joints and halving joints. 

Food Technology: 

This term, the Year 7 students will begin by making cheese toasties, focusing on basic kitchen skills, safety, and hygiene. They will then progress to cooking a variety of dishes, including fried rice, creamy spinach and tomato pasta, brownies, chicken biryani, and cupcakes, allowing them to develop confidence in using different ingredients and techniques. Alongside practical cooking lessons, students will explore the design aspect of technology by selecting a country and creating a three-course meal. They will research traditional meals, their cultural significance, and how they have evolved over time in terms of preparation and presentation. Additionally, students will analyse food and fibre production, exploring ways to make them more sustainable. Through this combination of practical and theoretical learning, students will enhance their culinary skills while gaining a deeper understanding of global cuisines and sustainable food practices.