The Core Curriculum

Health and Physical Education

Health

 

Curriculum Focus

In Health, students will work in conjunction with the Wellbeing program and look at personal identity and character strengths, drug education, respectful relationships and sexual health.

 

Learning Outcomes

Students will improve their knowledge of the factors shaping personal identity and relationships. They will build on their understanding of health issues and resources relevant to teenagers and will develop their ability to communicate their ideas and understandings in class discussions, presentations and reports.

 

Unit Requirements

  • Involvement in class activities and discussions.
  • Cooperative and collaborative learning

Assessment Tasks

  • Personal Identity: 70th Birthday Speech
  • Researching and presenting a City Experience Radio Segment on Youth Health Issues

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

 

Curriculum Focus

Students will participate in badminton, fitness testing and developing a personal fitness program, handball, basketball, netball, AFL, lacrosse, touch rugby, ultimate frisbee and minor games. 

 

Learning Outcomes

In Physical Education, students will learn how to improve their skills in each of the sports as well as learning the rules, tactics, game strategies, teamwork and leadership.

Students will be taught the skills and knowledge to develop their own fitness program that can be taken into the senior levels of the school.

 

Unit Requirements

  • Practical participation
  • Bringing and wearing correct equipment for activity classes
  • Ability to work in a team

Assessment Tasks

  • Application of skills in Badminton
  • Application of tactics and strategies in Invasion Games

 

Mathematics

Curriculum Focus

This subject focuses on developing students’ sense of mathematical inquiry: problem posing and problem solving, modelling and investigation and reasoning with mathematics. Skills and concepts are developed for the purposes of mathematical problem solving, investigation and appreciation, as well as being essential prerequisites to any further study of this subject. The skills and concepts include: Number Theory, Trigonometry, Algebraic Manipulation, Geometry, Pythagoras’ Theorem, Linear and Quadratic Equations.

 

Learning Outcomes

  • Development of Problem Solving Use of ICT
  • Concept Development Critical Thinking and Reflection
  • Skill Development and Recall

Unit Requirements

  • Workbook
  • Use ICT to Evaluate and Develop
  • Mathematical Concepts and Skills
  • Common Tests and Semester Exams

Assessment Tasks

  • Problem Solving Tasks, Tests and Semester Exams

Science

Curriculum Focus

This subject is completed by all year 9 students and covers the knowledge aspects of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Earth and Space Science. These disciplines are explored through a variety of activities and investigations, which are also designed to assist students to develop their scientific thinking and investigative skills. Students learn and apply the scientific method and engage in activities that promote critical, creative and reflective thinking in both team‐work and individual contexts. Students are given responsibility for their own learning and develop their decision‐making skills. A conscious effort is also made to develop students’ ICT and scientific communication skills, both with other students and parents, and with the wider community.

 

Learning Outcomes

  • Scientific knowledge and understanding
  • Scientific methodology and investigative skills
  • Personal and Interpersonal skills
  • Critical, creative and reflective thinking
  • Communication using appropriate scientific language and conventions
  • Use of ICT

Unit Requirements

  • Completion of Assessment Tasks
  • Participation in classroom activities and practical work
  • Data interpretation tasks
  • Homework tasks

Assessment Tasks

  • Student designed experiments
  • Tests
  • Investigations
  • City Experience Research Project