Australian Australian Curriculum: Curriculum:

Science!Science!

PurposePurpose Curriculum leaders develop their capacity Curriculum leaders develop their capacity

to lead change and support schools and to lead change and support schools and their network of schools with the their network of schools with the implementation of implementation of Australian Curriculum: Australian Curriculum: ScienceScience

Teachers improve their confidence with Teachers improve their confidence with teaching science content of the teaching science content of the Australian Australian CurriculumCurriculum

Australian CurriculumAustralian Curriculum Familiarisation phase Semester 1 / 2012Familiarisation phase Semester 1 / 2012 Implementation Semester 2 / 2012Implementation Semester 2 / 2012 Phase 1 - Literacy, Numeracy, Science & Phase 1 - Literacy, Numeracy, Science &

History expecting to be fully implemented History expecting to be fully implemented and running by 2014and running by 2014

Phase 2 - Languages, Geography & The ArtsPhase 2 - Languages, Geography & The Arts Phase 3 - Health, Physical Education, Phase 3 - Health, Physical Education,

Technologies & the remainder of the Technologies & the remainder of the Humanities (S&E)Humanities (S&E)

KEY MESSAGESKEY MESSAGES During Semester 1 it was expected that teachers During Semester 1 it was expected that teachers

and schools were preparing for implementation and schools were preparing for implementation of the of the Australian Curriculum.Australian Curriculum.

Schools will not be required to use the Schools will not be required to use the Australian Australian CurriculumCurriculum Achievement Standards to make a Achievement Standards to make a summative assessment of their students’ summative assessment of their students’ achievement during 2012.achievement during 2012.

The Department’s The Department’s Curriculum, Assessment and Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting PolicyReporting Policy is current at this point in time. is current at this point in time.

For most teachers, this means that what they For most teachers, this means that what they teach and how they teach it will mean using teach and how they teach it will mean using both the K-7 Syllabus and the Australian both the K-7 Syllabus and the Australian Curriculum to plan and teach content until Curriculum to plan and teach content until formal AC documents are created for reporting formal AC documents are created for reporting and assessment.and assessment.

Formal implementation has now commenced at Formal implementation has now commenced at the beginning of Semester 2 as the total the beginning of Semester 2 as the total curriculum package, is now available.curriculum package, is now available.

This is comprised ofThis is comprised of• Curriculum ContentCurriculum Content• Achievement Standards Achievement Standards • Resources, including annotated work samplesResources, including annotated work samples

ACARA have indicated that NAPLAN tests will ACARA have indicated that NAPLAN tests will draw from the draw from the Australian CurriculumAustralian Curriculum from 2014. from 2014.

SUPPORT FOR SCHOOLSSUPPORT FOR SCHOOLS

62 Teacher Development Schools provide 62 Teacher Development Schools provide targeted support to schools and school networks.targeted support to schools and school networks.

State-wide School Services and the Institute for State-wide School Services and the Institute for Professional Learning play a key role in brokering Professional Learning play a key role in brokering and co-ordinating support for teachers and and co-ordinating support for teachers and administrators.administrators.

Teachers have access to digital resources through Teachers have access to digital resources through the K-12 Resources website and Resources the K-12 Resources website and Resources Online.Online.

Structure of the CurriculumStructure of the Curriculum

There are three key design features of There are three key design features of the AC: the AC: ScienceScience

General Capabilities General Capabilities Cross Curriculum Priorities; andCross Curriculum Priorities; and Overarching IdeasOverarching Ideas

General CapabilitiesGeneral Capabilities LiteracyLiteracy Numeracy Numeracy ICTICT Critical and Creative ThinkingCritical and Creative Thinking Intercultural UnderstandingIntercultural Understanding Personal and Social Competence; andPersonal and Social Competence; and Ethical BehaviourEthical Behaviour

Cross Curriculum Cross Curriculum PrioritiesPriorities

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures Islander Histories and Cultures

Asia & Australia’s Engagement Asia & Australia’s Engagement with Asia; andwith Asia; and

SustainabilitySustainability

Both the General Capabilities and the Cross Both the General Capabilities and the Cross Curriculum Priorities are displayed throughout the Curriculum Priorities are displayed throughout the AC as ‘tags’ that can be selected as a filterAC as ‘tags’ that can be selected as a filter

Please refer to your handout!

Science: Overarching IdeasScience: Overarching Ideas The science curriculum promotes six overarching The science curriculum promotes six overarching

ideas that highlight certain common approaches ideas that highlight certain common approaches to a scientific view of the world.to a scientific view of the world.

These overarching ideas are: These overarching ideas are:

Patterns, Order and organisation; Patterns, Order and organisation; Form and function; Form and function; Stability and change; Stability and change; Systems; Systems; Scale and measurement; and Scale and measurement; and Matter and energy. Matter and energy.

How do the How do the Overarching Ideas Overarching Ideas

underpin my underpin my science lessons?science lessons?

Current Science StructureCurrent Science StructureWorking Scientifically Working Scientifically

– Investigating, – Investigating, Science in Daily Science in Daily Life, Communicating Life, Communicating Scientifically, Scientifically, Acting Responsibly Acting Responsibly and Science in and Science in SocietySociety

Concept Strands – Concept Strands – Earth & Beyond, Earth & Beyond, Life & Living, Life & Living, Energy & Change, Energy & Change, and Natural & and Natural & Processed MaterialsProcessed Materials

The Australian The Australian CurriculumCurriculum

Science is organised Science is organised around three around three

interrelated strands: interrelated strands: Science inquiry Science inquiry

skills; Science as a skills; Science as a Human Endeavour; Human Endeavour;

andandScience Science

Understanding. Understanding.

Each strand is of Each strand is of equal importance.equal importance.

How is science structured now?How is science structured now?

Science Science Understanding Understanding

Science as a Science as a Human Human EndeavourEndeavour

Science Inquiry Science Inquiry SkillsSkills

Each year of Each year of learninglearning

Science is made up of 3 StrandsScience is made up of 3 Strands

Taught across Taught across two year bands two year bands of developmentof development

The sub-strands of Science The sub-strands of Science Understanding are:Understanding are:

Biological sciencesBiological sciences - Life & Living - Life & Living Chemical sciencesChemical sciences - Natural & Processed - Natural & Processed

MaterialsMaterials Earth and Space sciencesEarth and Space sciences - Earth & Beyond - Earth & Beyond Physical sciencesPhysical sciences - Energy & Change - Energy & Change

The sub-strands of The sub-strands of Science Science as a Human Endeavouras a Human Endeavour are: are:

Nature and development of scienceNature and development of science Use and influence of scienceUse and influence of science

The sub-strands of Science Inquiry The sub-strands of Science Inquiry Skills are:Skills are:

Questioning and predictingQuestioning and predicting Planning and conductingPlanning and conducting Processing and analysing data and Processing and analysing data and

informationinformation EvaluatingEvaluating CommunicatingCommunicating

Differences in ScienceDifferences in Science Science as Human Endeavour has not previously Science as Human Endeavour has not previously

been assessed, graded and reported in WA been assessed, graded and reported in WA

Content is pitched differently in some years. For Content is pitched differently in some years. For example, some Chemical Sciences content that is example, some Chemical Sciences content that is usually taught in Year 8 in WA is now included in usually taught in Year 8 in WA is now included in Year 7Year 7

Emphasis on digital technologies in Science Emphasis on digital technologies in Science Inquiry SkillsInquiry Skills

All four Science Understanding content strands to All four Science Understanding content strands to be taught each yearbe taught each year

Communicating is now part of the Science Skills Communicating is now part of the Science Skills strandstrand

Strands & Sub StrandsStrands & Sub Strands

Content descriptorsContent descriptorsElaborations; andElaborations; andAchievement standardsAchievement standards

Achievement StandardsAchievement Standardshttp://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Science/Curriculum/F-http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Science/Curriculum/F-

1010

Expected Standard: C Grade Descriptor – Science Year 3

Science Inquiry Skills: InvestigatingBy the end of Year 3, students, with guidance from the teacher, generate simple questions based on familiar contexts and make predictions. They make suggestions as to how to test their ideas and collaboratively conduct investigations. They use some standard units of measurement and record data using teacher designed tables. They begin to use simple diagrams, models and text to communicate ideas and share their thoughts about their investigations with others.

Science UnderstandingStudents describe changes to and differences between properties of objects or events they have experienced. They describe properties of solids and liquids that influence the use of materials. They describe types of energy and their use in everyday situations. They identify features of the day and night sky and are aware of the relative sizes of the Earth, Moon and Sun. They have some understanding of plant and animal systems at an observable level, including the relationship between their major structures and functions.

C Grade DescriptorsC Grade Descriptors

ExemplarsExemplars

http://det.wa.edu.au/curriculumsupport/detcms/portal/ http://det.wa.edu.au/curriculumsupport/detcms/portal/

Work SamplesWork Samples

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Science/Curriculum/F-http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Science/Curriculum/F-1010

MAPPING DOCUMENTMAPPING DOCUMENT

Comparison of the Australian Curriculum and WA K-Comparison of the Australian Curriculum and WA K-10 Syllabus: A focus for familiarisation10 Syllabus: A focus for familiarisation

Teachers might use this information to identify what Teachers might use this information to identify what content to include, omit or modify in their content to include, omit or modify in their programsprograms

These are accessible at the These are accessible at the Curriculum Support Curriculum Support websitewebsite

Other mapping tools see Other mapping tools see Queensland Schools Queensland Schools AuthorityAuthority

Time Time toto

‘Tear & Share’ ‘Tear & Share’

Accessing the ACAccessing the AC acara.edu.auacara.edu.au australiancurriculum.edu.auaustraliancurriculum.edu.au det.wa.edu.au/curriculumsuppordet.wa.edu.au/curriculumsuppor

tt

Please refer to your handout…Please refer to your handout…

Accessing ResourcesAccessing Resources http://portal.det.wa.edu.au/ http://portal.det.wa.edu.au/ www.scootle.edu.au www.scootle.edu.au australiancurriculum.edu.auaustraliancurriculum.edu.au det.wa.edu.au/det.wa.edu.au/

curriculumsupportcurriculumsupport Please refer to your handout…Please refer to your handout…

Year Level Overview

Content descriptions

Achievement Standard

http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/13634.htmlhttp://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/13634.html

http://www.ais.sa.edu.au/teaching-learning http://www.ais.sa.edu.au/teaching-learning

Helpful ToolsHelpful ToolsAudit documents and many other Audit documents and many other

fantastic resources can be found at the fantastic resources can be found at the following websites…following websites…

Please refer to your handout…Please refer to your handout…

Questions?Questions?

Happy Happy Science Science

Teaching!Teaching!