NEW SENIOR SChOOL SCIENCE COuRSES

Julie Weber & Allan Knight

About the Authors

Julie Weber taught in metropolitan and regional schools in Western Australia for more than 30 years before moving to the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (WA) in 2018 in the role of Principal Consultant for Human Biology and Integrated Science, and Learning Area contact for 7-10 Science.

Allan Knight is the current editor of the SCIOS Magazine. See the Editor article for more information.

schools to access an agricultural production system, such as a farm, to be successfully delivered.)

• cater for rural students but also provide courses accessible to all schools

• provide greater clarity about the breadth and depth to which syllabus content needs to be taught – a key piece of feedback received from teachers of the current agricultural courses

• help provide students a pathway to tertiary studies in agriculture.

The School Curriculum and Standards Authority has approved two new Senior School Science courses –ATAR Agricultural Science and Technology (AST) and General Science in Practice (SIP) – for implementation in 2024 (Year 11) and 2025 (Year 12).

ATAR Agricultural Science and Technology

This new course (together with ATAR Agribusiness) replace the two existing Agricultural courses – Animal Production Systems (APS) and Plant Production Systems (PPS).

The aim of developing the new ATAR agricultural courses was to

• create courses with appeal not only to the agricultural colleges and schools currently teaching ATAR APS and PPS but also to a wider range of schools (The course does not require

Agriculture for the production of food and fibre is the world’s biggest industry and is one of the most exciting as it embraces science and technology in response to the need to supply product to an estimated 50 per cent more people by 2050.

The AST ATAR course enables students to develop knowledge and skills related to the sustainable use of resources for a wide variety of agricultural production systems, explore ways that people manage natural resources, such as plants, animals, soil and water, to meet global societal needs, and explore how new developments in science and technology can increase productivity, efficiency and sustainability whilst responding to evolving domestic and global demands.

Unit Content

units 1 and 2 (Year 11) units 3 and 4 (Year 12)

In Unit 1, students learn about approaches to agriculture in Australia over time as well as comparing intensive farming systems with extensive farming systems. They learn about resource conservation and management in food and natural fibre production systems, and about plant structures and functions. Genetics and the inheritance of traits from one generation of organisms to the next, and a variety of agricultural plant reproduction techniques and their advantages and disadvantages are also covered in Unit 1.

In Unit 2, students learn about animal anatomy and physiology. They learn about the variety of pest and disease causing organisms in food and fibre production systems, the importance of understanding their life cycle in order to control them, the impact of resistance to pesticides and biosecurity measures used to reduce their risk. As well, they learn about the variety of pest management options available through integrated pest management, and about some pests and diseases common to agricultural plants and animals and their control to maintain animal welfare, health and productivity. Students also learn about the application of technology in maintaining and improving productivity in food and fibre production systems.

Unit 3 covers the challenges associated with food and fibre security and opportunities for developments and improvements that can be used to address the issues of food security. Students also learn about the challenges to food and fibre production caused by climate change and strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change. As well, they learn about influences of plant processes, plant hormones and environmental factors on plant growth and development, and the important role of the growth medium in healthy plant growth and development. They also learn about the breeding aims in food and fibre production systems, genetic techniques used in breeding new plant varieties, the role of hormones in reproduction and behaviour, artificial animal breeding techniques and the factors that influence animal breeding decisions.

In Unit 4, students learn about animal digestion and the changing nutritional needs of animals during different development stages. They learn about the impact on plant health and on animal health of a regionally relevant pest or disease. As well, they learn about strategies used in integrated pest management (IPM) programs, and develop IPM programs for a plant pest or disease or an animal pest or disease. They also evaluate existing and emerging technologies in food and fibre production systems and learn about constraints to the adoption of technology.

The Years 11 and 12 syllabuses for this new course are available on the School Curriculum and Standards website here

General Science in practice

General Science in Practice (SIP) is a new course that will replace the General Integrated Science course (ISC).

General Science in Practice is grounded in the belief that science is a practical activity providing students with transferable skills focusing on capabilities and skills with a real-world context. The course;

• seeks to develop science understanding through science inquiry enabling students to investigate science issues in the context of the world around them

• encourages student collaboration and cooperation with each other and the wider community

• encourages students to be questioning, reflective and critical thinkers about scientific issues, enabling them to make informed decisions about questions that directly affect their lives and the lives of others

Unit Content

The Science in Practice course develops student learning through four main content areas: Scientific Method, Workplace Health and Safety, Scientific Literacy and Science Understanding. These content areas should be taught in an integrated way.

Content is specified for Scientific Method, Workplace

Health and Safety and Scientific Literacy. The content for Science Understanding is context specific.

Scientific Method

The scientific method involves asking questions about the natural and technological world, preparing a plan to collect, process and interpret data; making conclusions; evaluating the procedures and findings; and communicating findings.

Workplace Health and Safety

Knowledge of safety rules and safe working procedures is important to reduce the risk of potential of incidents and injuries when participating in science activities.

Scientific Literacy

Informed participation in society requires knowledge of the relevant science concepts, skills and practice, consideration of ethical implications of science and technological research, and making evidence-based arguments.

Science Understanding

Science understanding is evident when a person selects and integrates appropriate science concepts, models and theories to explain and predict phenomena, and applies these to unfamiliar situations.

The Science Understanding content in each unit develops students’ understanding of the key concepts, models and theories that underpin the context being studied.

Units

The syllabus is divided into two units, each of one semester duration. Each unit should integrate at least two of the science disciplines – Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science and Physics, with a minimum of three different science disciplines integrated into the pair of units.

long as the context specific content being covered is different and the cognitive complexity of the syllabus content has increased.

Schools may choose from the list of Authority-approved units or develop their own units. A list of Authorityapproved units will be published on the Science in Practice course page and resources for these units provided via the Extranet. The list will continue to be updated as new units become available.

To ensure the units are being taught at the appropriate standard for the course, only Authority-approved units can be delivered. Schools developing their own units or modifying approved units will need to seek approval from the Authority via the published on the Science in Practice course page.

Each unit could be taught in different contexts or one context could be taught over the year. Contexts covered in Year 11 may be studied again in Year 12 as

About the Authors

Jo Tregonning (Science Teacher/AEP Coordinator, Pinjarra Senior High School). Jo has a background in fisheries research, botany and environmental management prior to becoming a Science teacher nine years ago. She is a Teacher Leader in the PRIMED project for the Department of Education and an enthusiastic advocate of student-driven project-based learning.

Nathan Curnow (Director – Science, John Curtin College of the Arts). Nathan has been teaching for 18 years and is the Director of Science at John Curtin College of the Arts, a role he has held since 2019. He is a Teacher Leader in the PRIMED project for the Department of Education, has been the coordinator for a Teacher Development School – Science and is also a former President of the Australian Science Teachers Association (ASTA).