Learning Areas > Science
Leader of Learning - Science: Ms Krista Bayliss
P: +61 3 9816 1351 E: krista.bayliss@carey.com.au
About the Learning Area
Middle School Science at Carey aims to foster an appreciation of the wonder and beauty of Science, and to equip students with the understandings and skills they need to become scientifically literate in a world that is increasingly dominated by, and dependent on, scientific innovation and discovery. The program uses the individual learning needs and context of every student to provide challenge, extension and meaningful learning experiences. It is an opportunity for students to develop a broad general understanding of the nature of Science and the tools scientists use in the process of conducting their research and communicating their findings to the world.
The Science program at all levels within Middle School encourages active engagement in the learning process through an emphasis on contextualised learning, personal inquiry and experimental investigative approaches. The program also fosters the development of the complex personal skills required to work collectively as a member of a team by providing opportunities for students to work collaboratively on projects that require co-operation, negotiation and complex organisation. All units emphasise the development of skills in experimental design, the collection, analysis and evaluation of data, and science communication as well as the use of technologies and software with specific application to the sciences. The Science curriculum at all year levels embraces aspects of Biology, Chemistry and Physics in an integrated program that allows students to appreciate the broad scope of scientific inquiry, the nature of specialisation within the sciences and the fundamental principles that guide scientific inquiry in all areas of specialisation.
Year 7 Science
Students are introduced to the Nature of Science and the scientific method. They learn laboratory safety and the skills required to use key items of scientific equipment. The skills learned early in the program provide the foundation for the experimental investigations that drive the exploration of content including the concept of a universe made of particles and subject to forces. The program also takes students on a journey through the diversity of life on Earth leading into an investigation of the complex nature of relationships between living things and their environment, and the role of our own species in Earth’s ecosystem.
Year 8 Science
In Year 8, students probe more deeply into the nature of our physical, chemical and biological universe in a wide-ranging program that examines the nature of chemical changes, the processes contributing to the formation and transformation of materials in the Earth’s crust, the nature of energy, the cellular basis of life and the organisation of cells into tissues and organ systems.
Year 9 Science
The focus of our scientific exploration in Year 9 is on materials, electricity and the chemical reactions of life. Students investigate the properties and applications of materials and electrical energy, the photosynthetic reactions that are essential to the maintenance of life on the planet, and the process of cellular respiration by which living organisms extract energy from organic molecules. Aspects of co-ordination, disease, ecology and plate tectonics are explored in a comprehensive program that is designed to ensure that students establish a sound understanding of the fundamental principles of Science, and the distinction between the major scientific disciplines.
Core Enrichment
In addition to the core science subjects, students in Years 8 and 9 may select an optional Core Enrichment unit for a semester. In these units, students learn the processes of experimental design, data analysis and evaluation of evidence.
- In Year 8, Astroscience is offered, focussing on the field of astronomy with an emphasis on all disciplines of science.
- In Year 9, CSI: Carey Science Investigation is offered, focussing on the study of forensic science.
We encourage Year 8 and 9 students to select studies that have a particular appeal to them, given that each unit provides a wide range of scientific content and skills oriented towards everyday experiences.
