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Year 7 Unit Overview Australian Curriculum: Science

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), Australian Curriculum v3.0: Science for Foundation10, <www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Science/Curriculum/F-10>.
School name Unit title Duration of unit
Holy Family Forces 6 weeks

Unit outline
During this term students will investigate changes to an objects motion caused by unbalanced forces acting on the object. Students will
also investigate how Earths gravity pulls objects towards the centre of the Earth.

To achieve this, students will:
Study Newtons laws of motion
Examine how balanced and unbalanced forces work
Look at friction on different surfaces
Investigate simple machines
Study the effect of gravity to things on Earth
Look at why planets orbit the sun



2 | Year X unit overview Australian Curriculum: Science
Identify curriculum
Content descriptions to be taught
General capabilities and
cross-curriculum priorities
Science Understanding Science as a Human
Endeavour
Science Inquiry Skills
Physical Science
Change to an objects motion is
caused by unbalanced forces acting
on the object(ACSSU117)
Earths gravity pulls objects towards
the centre of the Earth (ACSSU118)

Scientific knowledge changes as
new evidencebecomes available, and
some scientific discoveries have
significantly changed peoples
understanding of the
world (ACSHE119)

Science knowledge can develop
through collaboration and connecting
ideas across the disciplines of
science (ACSHE223)

Questioning and predicting
Identify questions and problems that
can be investigated scientifically and
make predictions based on scientific
knowledge (ACSIS124)

Planning and conducting
Collaboratively and individually plan
and conduct a range
of investigation types, including
fieldwork and experiments, ensuring
safety and ethical guidelines are
followed (ACSIS125)
In fair tests, measure and control
variables, and select equipment to
collect data with accuracy appropriate
to the task (ACSIS126)
Processing and analysing data
and information
Construct and use a range of
representations, including graphs,
keys and models to represent
and analyse patterns or relationships,
including using digital technologies as
appropriate(ACSIS129)
Summarise data, from students own
investigations and secondary sources,
and use scientific understanding to
Literacy

Numeracy

ICT capability

Critical and creative
thinking

Ethical capability

Personal and social
capability

Intercultural capability


Sustainability

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Identify curriculum
identify relationships and draw
conclusions (ACSIS130)
Evaluating
Reflect on the method used to
investigate a question or solve a
problem, including evaluating the
quality of the data collected, and
identify improvements to the
method (ACSIS131)
Use scientific knowledge and findings
from investigations
to evaluate claims (ACSIS132)
Communicating
Communicate ideas, findings and
solutions to problems using scientific
language and representations
using digital technologies as
appropriate (ACSIS133)

Achievement standard
4 | Year X unit overview Australian Curriculum: Science
Identify curriculum
Year 7 Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 7, students describe techniques to separate pure substances from mixtures. They represent and predict the effects of unbalanced forces,
including Earths gravity, on motion. They explain how the relative positions of the Earth, sun and moon affect phenomena on Earth. Theyanalyse how
the sustainable use of resources depends on the way they are formed and cycle through Earth systems. They predict the effect of environmental changes on
feeding relationships and classify and organise diverse organisms based on observable differences. Students describe situations where scientific knowledge from
different science disciplines has been used to solve a real-world problem. They explain how the solution was viewed by, and impacted on, different groups in
society.
Students identify questions that can be investigated scientifically. They plan fair experimental methods, identifying variables to be changed and measured. They
select equipment that improves fairness and accuracy and describe how they considered safety. Students draw on evidence to support their conclusions. They
summarise data from different sources, describe trends and refer to the quality of their data when suggesting improvements to their methods. They communicate
their ideas, methods and findings using scientific language and appropriate representations.


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Relevant prior curriculum Curriculum working towards
Chemical sciences

Science at Year 8 Chemical sciences
1. Energy appears in different forms including movement (kinetic energy),
heat and potential energy, and causes change within systems(ACSSU155)
Bridging content
Identify bridging content (knowledge, skills and processes) needed to address gaps in student understandings.
Links to other learning areas
Maths units of measure, graphing - bar and line
English subject specific vocabulary
comprehension of information presented digitally, orally or in print
sentence structure through predicting and evaluating
-


Assessment Make judgments
Describe the assessment Assessment date
Short answer exam Week 6
6 | Year X unit overview Australian Curriculum: Science

Teaching and learning

Resources
Week 1 Newtons laws of motion
As a group talk about Sir Isaac Newton. What is he famous for?
Discuss forces students to write down a definition (Teacher background information)
Read through Handout: What are Newtons laws of motion? Have students write the
definition of each Law in their books.
Experiment: Water Wheel (or another similar experiment showing forces at work)
Homework What are Newtons laws of motion?

Week 2 Balanced and unbalanced forces
Mark homework
Read through Handout: How do balanced and unbalanced forces work? Have students
write the definition of balanced forces, unbalanced forces and friction in their books
(Teacher background information).
Students watch BBC video (2.36min) http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/balanced-
and-unbalanced-forces/10592.html
Experiment: investigating friction
Homework How do balanced and unbalanced forces work?

Week 3 Simple Machines
Mark homework
Discuss who Archimedes was. Does anyone know what he was famous for? Define
Machines and explain the five categories of simple machines inclined planes, levers,
wheels/axles, pulleys and screws. Have students write definitions in their books (Teacher
background information).

Website: http://splash.abc.net.au/topic/-/t/495116/forces
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/10_11/forces_acti
on.shtml
RIC Aust Curr Science p.122 - 124, What are Newtons laws of
motion?




RIC Aust Curr Science p.126 - 128, How do balanced and
unbalanced forces work?
YouTube clip: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/balanced-
and-unbalanced-forces/10592.html






RIC Aust Curr Science p.130 - 133 What are simple machines?
YouTube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEsH1iA20GM

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Read through Handout: What are simple machines?
Students watch Bill Nye video (5.36min) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEsH1iA20GM
Experiment: Lifting with levers (p133)
Homework What are simple machines?

Week 4 What does gravity do to things on Earth?
Mark homework
Read information sheet What does gravity do to things on Earth?
Define gravity and weight. Have students write definitions in their books (Teacher
background information).
Students watch gravity clip video (1.05 min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFgJ4q2J9mw
Experiment: Does gravity work the same on all objects (p137)
Homework What does gravity do to things on Earth?

Week 5 Planets orbit the sun
Mark homework
Read through Handout: Why do planets go around the sun?
Experiment: Students in orbit (p141)
Homework Why do planets go around the sun?

Week 6 Short answer exam






RIC Aust Curr Science p.134 - 137, What does gravity do to
things on Earth?
Youtube clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFgJ4q2J9mw







RIC Aust Curr Science p.138 - 141, Why do planets go around
the sun?