How does Inheritance Impact on Diversity?

Students explore reproduction and the transmission of biological information from generation to generation and the impact this has on species diversity. They apply their understanding of chromosomes to explain the process of meiosis. Students consider how the relationship between genes, and the environment and epigenetic factors influence phenotypic expression. They explain the inheritance of characteristics, analyse patterns of inheritance, interpret pedigree charts and predict outcomes of genetic crosses.

Students analyse the advantages and disadvantages of asexual and sexual reproductive strategies, including the use of reproductive cloning technologies. They study structural, physiological and behavioural adaptations that enhance an organism’s survival. Students explore interdependences between species, focusing on how keystone species and top predators structure and maintain the distribution, density and size of a population. They also consider the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and perspectives in understanding the survival of organisms in Australian ecosystems.

Areas of study

• How is inheritance explained?

• How do inherited adaptations impact on diversity?

• How do humans use science to explore and communicate contemporary bioethical issues?

Outcomes

• Explain and compare chromosomes, genomes, genotypes and phenotypes, and analyse and predict patterns of inheritance.

• Analyse advantages and disadvantages of reproductive strategies, and evaluate how adaptations and interdependencies enhance survival of species within an ecosystem.

• Identify, analyse and evaluate a bioethical issue in genetics, reproductive science or adaptations beneficial for survival.

How do Cells Maintain Life?

Students investigate the workings of the cell from several perspectives. They explore the relationship between nucleic acids and proteins as key molecules in cellular processes. Students analyse the structure and function of nucleic acids as information molecules, gene structure and expression in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and proteins as a diverse group of functional molecules. They examine the biological consequences of manipulating the DNA molecule and applying biotechnologies.

Students explore the structure, regulation and rate of biochemical pathways, with reference to photosynthesis and cellular respiration. They explore how the application of biotechnologies to biochemical pathways could lead to improvements in agricultural practices.

Students apply their knowledge of cellular processes through investigation of a selected case study, data analysis and/or a bioethical issue. Examples of investigation topics include, but are not limited to: discovery and development of the model of the structure of DNA; proteomic research applications; transgenic organism use in agriculture; use, research and regulation of gene technologies, including CRISPR-Cas9; outcomes and unexpected consequences of the use of enzyme inhibitors such as pesticides and drugs; research into increasing efficiency of photosynthesis or cellular respiration or impact of poisons on the cellular respiration pathway.

Areas of study

• What is the role of nucleic acids and proteins in maintaining life?

• How are biochemical pathways regulated?

Outcomes

• Analyse the relationship between nucleic acids and proteins, and evaluate how tools and techniques can be used and applied in the manipulation of DNA.

• Analyse the structure and regulation of biochemical pathways in photosynthesis and cellular respiration, and evaluate how biotechnology can be used to solve problems related to the regulation of biochemical pathways.

How does Life Change and Respond to Challenges?

Students consider the continual change and challenges to which life on Earth has been, and continues to be, subjected to. They study the human immune system and the interactions between its components to provide immunity to a specific pathogen. Students consider how the application of biological knowledge can be used to respond to bioethical issues and challenges related to disease.

Students consider how evolutionary biology is based on the accumulation of evidence over time. They investigate the impact of various change events on a population’s gene pool and the biological consequences of changes in allele frequencies. Students examine the evidence for relatedness between species and change in life forms over time using evidence from paleontology, structural morphology, molecular homology and comparative genomics. Students examine the evidence for structural trends in the human fossil record, recognising that interpretations can be contested, refined or replaced when challenged by new evidence.

Students demonstrate and apply their knowledge of how life changes and responds to challenges through investigation of a selected case study, data analysis and/or bioethical issue. Examples of investigation topics include, but are not limited to: deviant cell behaviour and links to disease; autoimmune diseases; allergic reactions; development of immunotherapy strategies; use and application of bacteriophage therapy; prevention and eradication of disease; vaccinations; bioprospecting for new medical treatments; trends, patterns and evidence for evolutionary relationships; population and species changes over time in non-animal communities such as forests and microbiota; monitoring of gene pools for conservation planning; role of selective breeding programs in conservation of endangered species; or impact of new technologies on the study of evolutionary biology.

Areas of study

• How do organisms respond to pathogens?

• How are species related over time?

• How is scientific inquiry used to investigate cellular processes and/or biological change?

Outcomes

• Analyse the immune response to specific antigens, compare the different ways that immunity may be acquired and evaluate challenges and strategies in the treatment of disease.

• Analyse the evidence for genetic changes in populations and changes in species over time, analyse the evidence for relatedness between species, and evaluate the evidence for human change over time.

• Design and conduct a scientific investigation related to cellular processes and/or how life changes and responds to challenges, and present an aim, methodology and methods, results, discussion and a conclusion in a scientific poster.

What affects Earth’s Capacity to Sustain Life?

In this unit students consider pollution as well as food and water security as complex and systemic environmental challenges facing current and future generations. They examine the characteristics, impacts, assessment and management of a range of pollutants that are emitted or discharged into Earth’s air, soil, water and biological systems, and explore factors that limit and enable the sustainable supply of adequate and affordable food and water.

Areas of study

• How can we manage pollution to sustain Earth’s systems?

• How can we manage food and water security to sustain Earth’s systems?

• How do scientific endeavours contribute to minimising human impacts on Earth’s systems?

Outcomes

• Explain how the chemical and physical characteristics of pollutants impact on Earth’s four systems, and recommend and justify a range of options for managing the local and global impacts of pollution.

• Compare the advantages and limitations of different agricultural systems for achieving regional and global food security, evaluate the use of ecological footprint analysis for assessing future food and/or water security, and recommend and justify a range of options for improving food and/or water security for a nominated region.

• Investigate and explain how science can be applied to address the impacts of natural and human activities in the context of the management of a selected pollutant and/or the maintenance of food and/or water security.

How can Biodiversity and Development be Sustained?

In this unit students focus on environmental management through the application of sustainability principles. They explore the value of the biosphere to all living things by examining the concept of biodiversity and the ecosystem services important for human health and well-being. They analyse the processes that threaten biodiversity and evaluate biodiversity management strategies for a selected threatened endemic animal or plant species. Students use a selected environmental science case study with reference to sustainability principles and environmental management strategies to explore management from an Earth systems perspective, including impacts on the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere.

Areas of study

• Why is maintaining biodiversity worth a sustained effort?

• When is development sustainable?

Outcomes

• Explain the importance of Earth’s biodiversity and how it has changed over time, analyse the threats to biodiversity, and evaluate management strategies to maintain biodiversity in the context of one selected threatened endemic species.

• Explain how sustainability principles relate to environmental management, analyse how stakeholder perspectives can influence environmental decision-making, and evaluate the effectiveness of environmental management strategies in a selected case study.

How can Climate Change and the Impacts of Human Energy Use be Managed?

In this unit students explore different factors that contribute to the variability of Earth’s climate and that can affect living things, human society and the environment at local, regional and global scales. Students compare sources, availability, reliability and efficiencies of renewable and non-renewable energy resources in order to evaluate the suitability and consequences of their use in terms of upholding sustainability principles. They analyse various factors that are involved in responsible environmental decision-making and consider how science can be used to inform the management of climate change and the impacts of energy production and use.

Measurement of environmental indicators often involves uncertainty. Students develop skills in data interpretation, extrapolation and interpolation and test predictions. They recognise the limitations of contradictory, provisional and incomplete data derived from observations and models. They explore relationships and patterns in data, and make judgments about accuracy and validity of evidence.

Areas of study

• How can we respond to climate change?

• What might be a more sustainable mix of energy sources?

• How is scientific inquiry used to investigate contemporary environmental challenges?

Outcomes

• Analyse the major factors that affect Earth’s climate, explain how past and future climate variability can be measured and modelled, and evaluate options for managing climate change.

• Compare the advantages and disadvantages of using a range of energy sources, and evaluate the suitability and impacts of their use in terms of upholding sustainability principles.

• Design and conduct a scientific investigation related to biodiversity, environmental management, climate change and/or energy use, and present an aim, methodology and method, results, discussion and a conclusion in a scientific poster.

What Makes Water Such a Unique Chemical? - Unit 2

Water is the most widely used solvent on Earth. In this unit students explore the physical and chemical properties of water, the reactions that occur in water and various methods of water analysis. Students examine the polar nature of a water molecule and the intermolecular forces between water molecules. They explore the relationship between these bonding forces and the physical and chemical properties of water. In this context students investigate solubility, concentration, pH and reactions in water including precipitation, acid-base and redox.

Students are introduced to stoichiometry and to analytical techniques and instrumental procedures, and apply these to determine concentrations of different species in water samples, including chemical contaminants. They use chemistry terminology including symbols, units, formulas and equations to represent and explain observations and data from experiments, and to discuss chemical phenomena. Students explore the solvent properties of water in a variety of contexts and analyse selected issues associated with substances dissolved in water.

Areas of study

• How do substances interact with water?

• How are substances in water measured and analysed?

• Practical investigation

Outcomes

• Relate the properties of water to its structure and bonding, and explain the importance of the properties and reactions of water in selected contexts.

• Measure amounts of dissolved substances in water and analyse water samples for salts, organic compounds and acids and bases.

• Design and undertake a quantitative laboratory investigation related to water quality, and draw conclusions based on evidence from collected data.

How can Chemical Processes be Designed to Optimise Efficiency? - Unit 3

The global demand for energy and materials is increasing with world population growth. In this unit students explore energy options and the chemical production of materials with reference to efficiencies, renewability and the minimisation of their impact on the environment.

Students compare and evaluate different chemical energy resources and investigate the combustion of fuels. They consider the purpose, design and operating principles of galvanic cells, fuel cells and electrolytic cells and calculate quantities in electrolytic reactions. Students analyse manufacturing processes with reference to factors that influence their reaction rates and extent. They apply the equilibrium law and Le Chatelier’s principle to predict and explain the conditions that will improve the efficiency and percentage yield of chemical processes.

Areas of study

• What are the options for energy production?
• How can the yield of a chemical product be optimised?

Outcomes

• Compare fuels quantitatively with reference to combustion products and energy outputs, apply knowledge of the electrochemical series to design, construct and test galvanic cells, and evaluate energy resources based on energy efficiency, renewability and environmental impact.Apply rate and equilibrium principles to predict how the rate and extent of reactions can be optimised, and explain how electrolysis is involved in the production of chemicals and in the recharging of batteries.
• Apply rate and equilibrium principles to predict how the rate and extent of reactions can be optimised, and explain how electrolysis is involved in the production of chemicals and in the recharging of batteries.

Chemistry at Work - Unit 4

Carbon is the basis of the diverse compounds found in living tissues and in the fuels, foods, medicines and many of the materials we use in everyday life. In this unit students investigate the structural features, bonding, reactions and uses of the major families of organic compounds including those found in food.

Students process data from instrumental analyses to confirm or deduce organic structures, and perform volumetric analyses to determine the concentrations of organic chemicals in mixtures. They predict the products of reaction pathways and design pathways to produce particular compounds from given starting materials. Students investigate key food molecules including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and vitamins and use calorimetry to determine the energy released in the combustion of food.

Areas of study

• How can the diversity of carbon compounds be explained and categorised?
• What is the chemistry of food?
• Practical investigation

Outcomes

• Compare the general structures and reactions of the major organic families of compounds, deduce structures of organic compounds using instrumental analysis data, and design reaction pathways for the synthesis of organic molecules.Distinguish between the chemical structures of key food molecules, analyse the chemical reactions involved in the metabolism of the major components of food including the role of enzymes, and calculate the energy content of food using calorimetry. Design and undertake a practical investigation related to energy and/or food, and present methodologies, findings and conclusions in a scientific poster.
• Distinguish between the chemical structures of key food molecules, analyse the chemical reactions involved in the metabolism of the major components of food including the role of enzymes, and calculate the energy content of food using calorimetry. Design and undertake a practical investigation related to energy and/or food, and present methodologies, findings and conclusions in a scientific poster.
• Design and undertake a practical investigation related to energy and/or food, and present methodologies, findings and conclusions in a scientific poster.

Physics - Unit 2

Students explore the power of experiments in developing models and theories. They investigate a variety of phenomena by making their own observations and generating questions, which in turn lead to experiments. Students make direct observations of physics phenomena and examine the ways in which phenomena that may not be directly observable can be explored through indirect observations. In the core component of this unit students investigate the ways in which forces are involved both in moving objects and in keeping objects stationary.

Students choose one of twelve options related to astrobiology, astrophysics, bioelectricity, biomechanics, electronics, flight, medical physics, nuclear energy, nuclear physics, optics, sound and sports science. The option enables students to pursue an area of interest by investigating a selected question. Students design and undertake investigations involving at least one independent, continuous variable. A student- designed practical investigation relates to content drawn from Area of Study 1 and/or Area of Study 2 and is undertaken in Area of Study 3.

Areas of study

• Motion

• Focus study

• Practical investigation

Outcomes and assessment

• Investigate, analyse and mathematically model the motion of particles and bodies.

• Twelve options are available for selection in Area of Study. Each option is based on a different observation of the physical world. One option is to be selected by the student.

• Design and undertake an investigation of a physics question related to the scientific inquiry processes of data collection and analysis, and draw conclusions based on evidence from collected data.

Physics - Unit 3

Students explore the importance of energy in explaining and describing the physical world. They examine the production of electricity and its delivery to homes. Students consider the field model as a construct that has enabled an understanding of why objects move when they are not apparently in contact with other objects. Applications of concepts related to fields include the transmission of electricity over large distances and the design and operation of particle accelerators. They explore the interactions, effects and applications of gravitational, electric and magnetic fields.

Students use Newton’s laws to investigate motion in one and two dimensions, and are introduced to Einstein’s theories to explain the motion of very fast objects. They consider how developing technologies can challenge existing explanations of the physical world, requiring a review of conceptual models and theories. Students design and undertake investigations involving at least two continuous independent variables.

Areas of study

• How do things move without contact?

• How are fields used to move electrical energy?

• How fast can things go?

Outcomes and assessment

• Analyse gravitational, electric and magnetic fields, and use these to explain the operation of motors and particle accelerators and the orbits of satellites.

• Analyse and evaluate an electricity generation and distribution system.

• Investigate motion and related energy transformations experimentally, analyse motion using Newton’s laws of motion in one and two dimensions, and explain the motion of objects moving at very large speeds using Einstein’s theory of special relativity.

Physics - Unit 4

In this unit, students explore the use of wave and particle theories to model the properties of light and matter. They examine how the concept of the wave is used to explain the nature of light and explore its limitations in describing light behaviour. Students further investigate light by using a particle model to explain its behaviour. A wave model is also used to explain the behaviour of matter which enables students to consider the relationship between light and matter. Students learn to think beyond the concepts experienced in everyday life to study the physical world from a new perspective. Students design and undertake investigations involving at least two continuous independent variables.

Areas of study

• How can waves explain the behaviour of light?

• How are light and matter similar?

• Practical investigation

Outcomes and assessment

• Apply wave concepts to analyse, interpret and explain the behaviour of light.

• Provide evidence for the nature of light and matter, and analyse the data from experiments that supports this evidence.

• Design and undertake a practical investigation related to waves or fields or motion, and present methodologies, findings and conclusions in a scientific poster.

How do External Factors Influence Behaviour and Mental Processes? - Unit 2

This unit investigates how perception enables us to interact with the world and how stimuli perception can be distorted. Students evaluate the role social cognition plays in a person’s attitudes, perception of themselves and relationships with others. They examine the contribution research has made to the understanding of human perception and why people in groups behave in specific ways.

Areas of study

• What influences a person’s perception of the world?
• How are people influenced to behave in particular ways?
• Student-directed practical investigation

Outcomes

• Students should be able to compare the sensations and perceptions of vision and taste, and analyse factors that may lead to the occurrence of perceptual distortions.
• Students should be able to identify factors that influence individuals to behave in specific ways, and analyse ways in which others can influence individual to behave differently.
• Design and conduct a practical investigation related to external influences in behaviour.

How Does Experience Affect Behaviour and Mental Processes? - Unit 3

In this unit students examine both macro-level and micro-level functioning of the nervous system to explain how the human nervous system enables a person to interact with the world around them. They explore how stress may affect a person’s psychological functioning and consider the causes and management of stress. Students investigate how mechanisms of memory and learning lead to the acquisition of knowledge, the development of new capacities and changed behaviours. They consider the limitations and fallibility of memory and how memory can be improved. Students examine the contribution that classical and contemporary research has made to the understanding of the structure and function of the nervous system, and to the understanding of biological, psychological and social factors that influence learning and memory.

Areas of study

• How does the nervous system enable psychological functioning?
• How do people learn and remember?

Outcomes

• Students should be able to compare the sensations and perceptions of vision and taste, and analyse factors that may lead to the occurrence of perceptual distortions.
• Students should be able to identify factors that influence individuals to behave in specific ways, and analyse ways in which others can influence individual to behave differently.
• Design and conduct a practical investigation related to external influences in behaviour.

How is Wellbeing Developed and Maintained? - Unit 4

Students examine the nature of consciousness and how changes in levels of consciousness can affect mental processes and behaviour. They consider the role of sleep and the impact that sleep disturbances may have on a person’s functioning. Students explore the concept of a mental health continuum and apply a biopsychosocial approach, as a scientific model, to analyse mental health and disorder. They use specific phobia to illustrate how the development and management of a mental disorder can be considered as an interaction between biological, psychological and social factors. Students examine the contribution that classical and contemporary research has made to the understanding of consciousness, including sleep, and the development of an individual’s mental functioning and wellbeing.

Areas of study

• How do levels of consciousness affect mental processes and behaviour?
• What influences mental wellbeing?

Outcomes

• Student should be able to explain consciousness as a continuum, compare theories about the purpose and nature of sleep, and elaborate on the effects of sleep disruption on a person’s functioning.
• Student should be able to explain the concepts of mental health and mental illness including influences of risk and protective factors, apply a biopsychosocial approach to explain the development and management of specific phobia, and explain the psychological basis of strategies that contribute to mental wellbeing.