Nazareth College is a Catholic Co-educational Regional Secondary College. Est, 1986
“And He returned to Nazareth, and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon Him.”
Luke 2:40
Nazareth College is a learning community centred on the person of Jesus Christ.
Through learning and teaching in the Catholic tradition we foster a culture of faith, wisdom and knowledge.
The Science discipline has two interrelated strands, each with their own sub-strands:
Biological Sciences
• Infectious and non-infectious diseases are caused by different organisms and agents; measures to control the transmission of infectious diseases include personal hygiene, quarantine protocols, medical treatment and public education programs
• The theory of evolution by natural selection includes the processes of variation, isolation and adaptation and is supported by evidence including the fossil record, biogeography, and comparative embryology; the theory explains past and present biodiversity and demonstrates how all organisms have some degree of relatedness to each other.
Chemical Sciences
• Chemical reactions are described by the Law of Conservation of Mass and involve the rearrangement of atoms: they can be modelled using a range of representations, including word and simple balanced chemical equations
• Chemical reactions include synthesis, decomposition and displacement reactions and can be classified as exothermic or endothermic; reaction rates are affected by factors including temperature, concentration, surface area of solid reactants, and catalysts.
• Carbon is cycled on Earth through key processes including photosynthesis, respiration, fire, weathering, vulcanism and the combustion of fossil fuels; these processes change the composition of Earth’s interrelated systems (atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere) over time
• The law of Conservation of Energy can be analyzed in systems, including Earth Systems, by assessing the efficiency of energy inputs, outputs, transfers and transformations.
• Space exploration seeks to expand knowledge of the origins and structure of the universe and to resolve the challenges of humans travelling and living away from the Earth’s surface.
• The universe contains features including galaxies, stars, solar systems and black holes; the big bang theory models the origin and evolution of the universe and is supported by evidence.
• Newtons Laws of Motion can be used to quantitatively analyze the relationship between force, mass and acceleration of objects
Students must choose a minimum of ONE Science subject at Year 10 Level.
The Science discipline has two interrelated strands, each with their own sub-strands:
Questioning and predicting
• Formulate questions or hypotheses that can be investigated scientifically, including identification of independent, dependent and controlled variables.
Planning and conducting
• Independently plan, select and use appropriate investigation types, including fieldwork and laboratory experimentation, to collect reliable data, assess risk and address ethical issues associated with these investigation types.
• Select and use appropriate equipment and technologies to systematically collect and record accurate and reliable data, and use repeat trials to improve accuracy, precision and reliability.
Recording and processing
• Construct and use a range of representations, including graphs, keys, models and formulas, to record and summarise data from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, to represent qualitative and quantitative patterns or relationships, and distinguish between discrete and continuous data.
Analysing and evaluating
• Analyse patterns and trends in data, including describing relationships between variables, identifying inconsistencies in data and sources of uncertainty, and drawing conclusions that are consistent with evidence.
• Use knowledge of scientific concepts to evaluate investigation conclusions, including assessing the approaches used to solve problems, critically analysing the validity of information obtained from primary and secondary sources, suggesting possible alternative explanations and describing specific ways to improve the quality of data.
Communicating
• Communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular purpose, including constructing evidence-based arguments and using appropriate scientific language, conventions and representations.
Students must choose a minimum of ONE Science subject at Year 10 Level.
It is recommended that students who
• do not wish to pursue a science pathway choose Real Life Science.
• who wish to study a VCE Science Subject choose TWO Science electives: including the appropriate feeder Year 10 subject as shown below.
For example, students interested in studying VCE Biology should choose the Genetics and Biological Sciences elective at Year 10 level.
Students who are accelerating into a Unit 1 and 2 VCE Science subject may choose another Year 10 Science subject as an elective but are not required to do so.
Real Life Science has a focus on scientific literacy and the application of science to everyday life. Students explore scientific concepts that are relevant and useful to their lives including Forensic Science, Mental Health and the Science of Road Safety.
In Forensic Science students develop an understanding of the scientific method by observing and investigating crime scenes. They analyse the information they can get from DNA to solve a crime. Students study a number of techniques such as finger printing, hair and fibre analysis, blood analysis and chromatography.
In the Science of Road Safety students study Newton’s Laws of Motion and gain an understanding of forces and inertia. Students relate speed to reaction and braking distances and calculate the stopping distance for various speeds. They learn how to explain how speed and car safety features affect road safety. Students also investigate and explore some of the ideas around driver distraction and the possible impacts on driving behaviour.
Students learn about adolescent mental health issues with a focus on coping strategies, and also have the opportunity to research a scientific topic of interest and communicate a relevant application.
A range of assessment methods will be used, which may include:
• Practical investigation activities and reports.
• Topic Tests.
• Scientific Poster communicating findings on a student designed experimental investigation.
• End of Semester Examination
In Pharmaceutical and Environmental Chemistry, students develop an understanding of the structure, function, and diversity of natural ecosystems on this planet and evaluate the impacts of human activities on these systems. They study global systems and investigate the impact of human activities such as the use of renewable and non-renewable energy sources. They look at how these affect systems on a local and global scale which enables them to predict how changes will affect equilibrium within these systems. Students learn to interpret data and differences between primary, secondary and proxy data.
Students will learn about the principles of pharmaceutical science, including drug discovery, formulation, and regulation. Students will extract and purify natural plant compounds as possible active ingredients for medicines, using solvent extraction and distillation. Students analyse the environmental impact of pharmaceutical compounds and evaluate ethical dilemmas related to pharmaceuticals and the environment. Students will explore the three perspectives of sustainability: sustainable development, green chemistry principles and the move from a linear economy towards a circular economy.
Assessment:
A range of assessment methods will be used, which may include:
• Practical investigation activities and reports
• Research assignments and presentations
• Quizzes and tests
• Group projects and debates
• End of Semester Examination
In Biological Sciences, students learn about the concepts of Immunology and the Theory of Evolution. Evolution studies will focus on changes to genetic material over time and the evidence for biological evolution. Students will consider how the field of evolutionary biology is based upon the accumulation of evidence over time. They will develop an understanding of how interpretations of evidence can change in the light of new evidence as a result of technological advances, particularly in molecular biology.
Students also have the opportunity to extend their scientific knowledge by applying it to the real-life context of disease – it’s diagnosis, defence and treatment. Science is the tool that empowers us to understand the causes of disease and allows us to come up with preventative measures or treatments to stop their spread in our society. Human lives have been saved thanks to scientific researchers developing drugs like antibiotics aligned with community vaccination programs that establish herd immunity.
Assessment
A range of assessment methods will be used, which may include:
• Practical reports
• Topic Tests
• Research Investigations
• End of Semester Examination
In Physical and Earth Sciences, students develop an understanding of the universe and why humans may want to explore it. They will study Stars and Planets, and what science can discover about these without travelling to them. Students distinguish between different features in the universe and sequence key events in the origin and evolution of the universe, including an outline of the supporting evidence for the big bang theory. Students also analyse and represent energy conservation, including efficiency; and use Newton’s laws to describe and predict the motion of objects in a system.
Assessment
A range of assessment methods will be used, which may include:
• Practical investigation activities and reports.
• Research and application tasks.
• Topic Tests.
• End of Semester Examination
Psychology is the scientific study of human thoughts, feelings and behaviour. The aim of this subject is to give students an overview to what psychology is and then to study the brain and behaviour, motivation and emotion and sleep and dreaming. This subject aims to develop student skills in understanding key concepts and scientific language as well as presenting the topics in an interactive, engaging and fun way.
Topics will include:
• Introduction to Psychology
• The Brain and Behaviour
• Motivation and Emotion
• Sleep and Dreaming
A range of assessment methods will be used, which may include:
• Practical investigation activities and reports.
• Topic Tests.
• Scientific Wall Chart communicating findings on a student designed experimental investigation.
• End of Semester Examination
The diagram below shows the possible pathways and prerequisites for each subject from Year 10 to Year 11 and then Year 12.
Students must choose a minimum of ONE Science subject at Year 10 Level. It is recommended that students who
• do not wish to pursue a Science pathway choose Real Life Science.
• who wish to study a VCE Science Subject choose TWO Science electives: including the appropriate feeder Year 10 subject as shown below.
For example, students interested in studying VCE Biology should choose the Genetics and Biological Sciences elective at Year 10 level.
Students who are accelerating into a Unit 1 and 2 VCE Science subject may choose another Year 10 Science subject as an elective but are not required to do so.
Real Life Science
& 2