Planning, programming and assessing science 7–10
Resources to help you plan, program, and assess science in Years 7–10.
The new Science 7–10 Syllabus (2023) is to be implemented in 2026.
2024 and 2025 – Plan and prepare to teach the new syllabus
2026 – Start teaching new syllabus
Science 7–10 Syllabus (2023)
These resources have been developed to assist teachers in creating learning that is contextualised to their classroom. They can be used as a basis for the teacher’s own program, assessment, or scope and sequence, or as an example of how the new curriculum could be implemented.
They are categorised into the different aspects and strands of the syllabus and are to be used as a guide. You should adapt resources to best suit your students' diverse needs and consider where the learning activity fits into learning and teaching programs.
Science Years 7–10 Syllabus (2018)
The Science Years 7–10 Syllabus (2018) emphasises inquiry-based learning. Students explore the physical world, earth and space, living world, and chemical world embedding the working scientifically skills of:
- questioning and predicting
- planning investigations
- conducting investigations
- processing and analysing data and information
- communicating.
Programming includes sample scope and sequences and advice on developing contexts in learning units.
Resources Science Years 7–10 Syllabus (2018)
- Introduction to biomechanics, vertical jump (DOCX 346 KB) explores the action of forces on the human body by analysing a standing jump
- Amusement park physics explores the forces behind fun parks
- Sport science – exploratorium provides a number of lesson ideas and projects for science in sports
- Ausgrid's online electricity resource is appropriate for both Stages 4 and 5
- it provides teachers with a unit for students to work through at their own pace
- it provides information, online quizzes, animation and sample experiments.
- The physics classroom includes simulations, movies and animations arranged in topics
- The Rainbow challenge (DOCX 1.9 MB) uses lenses, mirrors and prisms to create a rainbow on a given target
- WebElement explores the chemical elements through the periodic table
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) provides educational and syllabus-focused resources, posters, scientific profiles and more
- Metal and acid investigation (DOCX 657 KB) addresses a variety of working scientifically outcomes including planning investigations, conducting investigations, processing and analysing data and information, and communicating
- The periodic table (DOCX 3.6 MB) explores the periodic table and the application of modelling in science
- The periodic table supporting document (PPTX 2.7 MB) contains teacher support for delivering The periodic table lesson sequence
- Stage 5 assessment task –temperature and reaction rate (DOCX 282.9 KB) builds upon students’ understanding of conducting valid and reliable experiments and writing scientific reports
- Interactive sites for education – body systems contains animations and resources on body systems
- Cells alive – animal cell meiosis uses interactive animations to demonstrate the stages of meiosis
- Plant requirements for growth (DOCX 3126 KB) allows students to investigate the requirements for plant growth using an inquiry-based learning activity
Enhance students' critical thinking skills by examining conspiracy theorists' claims about flat Earth and the Moon landing through a scientific lens in Space conspiracy theories (DOCX 666 KB).
These resources were developed by teachers from schools in Orange and Illawarra to assist with the implementation of the Science Years 7–10 and Stage 6 Earth and Environmental Science syllabuses.
The following websites are useful for classroom use.
- At home astronomy includes hands-on science experiments
- Cool cosmos explores the world and universe as seen through infrared light
- Earth science Australia includes images, case studies and information about geological topics
- Oresome resources is an Australian website that provides resources on minerals and energy
- Murray Darling Basin Authority contains resources and lesson plans for teaching the water cycle, disasters, water quality and more
- The Mars lab (PDF 1706 KB) is a Year 9 project-based learning resource about the search for life on Mars and the technologies that enable it
For additional support contact an adviser.