Year 7 and 8 Curriculum

She

who dares

YEARS 7&8 CURRICULUM HANDBOOK S T C AT H E R I N E ’ S S C H O O L | 2 0 2 4

Introduction

Contents Contents Introduction Subject Progression in Years 9 to 12 Assessment and Reporting Learning Plus Department Educational Support ES Year 7 Art Year 7 Drama Year 7 English Year 7 Geography Year 7 History – The Ancient World Year 7 Languages Chinese (Non-Heritage and Heritage) French (Foundation and Continuing) Japanese (Foundation) Year 7 Mathematics Year 7 Music (Combined with Year 8 Music) Year 7 Health & Physical Education Year 8 Art Year 8 Drama Year 8 English Year 8 Geography Year 8 History – The Ancient to the Modern World Year 8 Languages Chinese French Japanese Year 8 Mathematics Year 8 Music (Combined with Year 7 Music) Year 8 Health and Physical Education

St Catherine’s School

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St Catherine’s School maintains an enviable position amongst girls’ schools in Australia, distinguished by its reputation for embracing an innovative and outstanding academic program and the richness and depth of opportunities offered to our students. The professional expertise and warmth of our highly qualified staff ensures an intimate understanding of the learning journey through the Junior and Senior years.

The provision of a stimulating, tailored and future-focused education for which St Catherine’s is nationally renowned, defines the School as a leader in girls’ wellbeing and academic achievement.

At the heart of an engaged, dynamic, and inclusive community, our focus is on academic learning and individual care, and our commitment is to a liberal education – an education which, at its core, develops rigorous thinking and the practice of inquiry. At St Catherine’s, our academic approach to learning aims to empower girls and prepare them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change, to teach girls to think, both creatively and critically.

Learning needs are paramount in Years 7 and 8, with an emphasis on developing a deeper understanding of issues and higher-level learning outcomes. The curriculum is designed as a two-year sequence enabling students to complete a set of core/compulsory subjects over two years. Whilst students adjust to a new academic journey and their secondary schooling experience, they are introduced to a range of learning opportunities that focus on enabling students to become lifelong learners, to manage complex ways of thinking, reasoning and problemsolving.

The development of students’ higher-order intellectual skills and cognitive thinking abilities are the most important educational task of schools today. Our rigorous academic program prioritises the core curriculum areas of English, Mathematics, Humanities and Science in Years 7 to 10 with the intent to build a greater depth of knowledge and improved readiness for VCE. Students in Years 7 and 8 are exposed to a broad-based curriculum that provides experiences in all the key learning areas, laying a foundation for students to make choices from a wide range of elective studies at senior level. As they transition to Year 9, elective offerings and global exchanges encourage students to experiment, explore, challenge, and discover new curriculum areas. By Year 10, the academic programs connect more closely with the VCE subjects by narrowing the curriculum offerings but allocating more time to provide depth of study enabling students to sharpen their focus and to provide an improved platform for the heightened needs of VCE academic programs.

Years 7 and 8 Curriculum Handbook | 1

St Catherine’s School Years 7 and 8 Curriculum Handbook | 2

English or English Language Support Mathematics Health & Physical Education

Humanities (History & Geography) Science Visual Arts The Arts (Visual & Performing Arts)

English or English Language Support Mathematics Health & Physical Education

Humanities (History & Geography) Science Visual Arts The Arts (Visual & Performing Arts)

SELECT ONE (ONE FOR WHOLE YEAR) Languages • Chinese (Non-Heritage) • Chinese (Heritage) • French • Japanese

Academic Honours Program (by invitation) • English • Maths • Science • Humanities

AUTOMATIC SELECTION (ONE PER SEMESTER) Languages • Chinese (Non-Heritage) • Chinese (Heritage) • French • Japanese

Academic Honours Program (by invitation) • English • Maths • Science • Humanities

Selection is based on academic testing, specialist reports, teacher recommendations and a defined learning need.

Learning Plus classes are offered at Years 7 to 12

Learning Plus (Teacher Selected)

YEAR 8

YEAR 7

ELECTIVE SUBJECTS

YEAR 8

YEAR 7

CORE SUBJECTS

• VCE General Mathematics 1 & 2 • VCE General Mathematics 3 & 4 • VCE Mathematical Methods 1 & 2 • VCE Mathematical Methods 3 & 4 • VCE Specialist Mathematics 1 & 2 VET (Vocational Education Training) • Eg. Hospitality, Fashion, IT, Carpentry, etc.

• HPE (Semester 1) • HPE (Semester 2) • VCE Health & Human Development 1 & 2 • VCE Physical Education 1 & 2 Mathematics • VCE General Mathematics 1 & 2 • VCE Mathematical Methods 1 & 2

VET (Vocational Education Training) • Eg. Hospitality, Fashion, IT, Carpentry, etc.

• Advanced HPE (Sport Science)

Mathematics • Algorithmics

Mathematics

• VCE Health & Human Development 1 & 2 • VCE Health & Human Development 3 & 4 • VCE Physical Education 1 & 2 • VCE Physical Education 3 & 4

Health & Physical Education

Health & Physical Education

• VCE Literature 1 & 2

English

Visual Arts • VCE Art Creative Practice 1 & 2 • VCE Media 1 & 2 • VCE Visual Communication Design 1 & 2

Health & Physical Education

• Literature

Commerce • Globalisation • Commerce (Business Management/Accounting) • VCE Accounting 1 & 2 • VCE Business Management 1 & 2 • VCE Economics 1 & 2 English

Commerce • VCE Accounting 1 & 2 • VCE Accounting 3 & 4 • VCE Business Management 1 & 2 • VCE Business Management 3 & 4 • VCE Economics 1 & 2 • VCE Economics 3 & 4

Humanities Pure Humanities • Geography • History • Philosophy • Globalisation • VCE Geography 1 & 2 • VCE Legal Studies 1 & 2 • VCE Politics 1 & 2 • VCE Modern History 1 & 2

Humanities • Financial Literacy & Entrepreneurship • Australian Politics & Economics • Philosophical & Critical Thinking

English

Humanities Pure Humanities • VCE Geography 1 & 2 • VCE Geography 3 & 4 • VCE Legal Studies 1 & 2 • VCE Legal Studies 3 & 4 • VCE Politics 1 & 2 • VCE Global Politics 3 & 4 • VCE Modern History 1 & 2 • VCE History Revolutions 3 & 4 • VCE Philosophy 1 & 2

Performing Arts • Music • Theatre Studies • VCE Theatre Studies 1 & 2

Performing Arts • Music • Theatre Studies

• Literature

Performing Arts • VCE Music 1 & 2 • VCE Theatre Studies 1 & 2

Visual Arts • Art • Media • Visual Communication Design

Visual Arts • Art • Media • Visual Communication Design

Arts

Arts

Arts

• VCE Biology 1 & 2 • VCE Chemistry 1 & 2 • VCE Physics 1 & 2 • VCE Psychology 1 & 2 • VCE Biology 3 & 4 • VCE Psychology 3 & 4

Science

• VCE Chinese SL & SLA (Advanced) 1 & 2 • VCE French 1 & 2 • VCE Japanese 1 & 2

• Biology • Chemistry • Physics • Psychology • VCE Biology 1 & 2 • VCE Psychology 1 & 2

Science

MUST SELECT FOR WHOLE YEAR (COUNTS AS TWO) • Chinese SL & SLA (Advanced) • French • Japanese

Languages

SELECT SIX (MAY SELECT ONE VCE UNIT 3/4 ON APPROVAL)

Languages

YEAR 11 (Units 1 & 2)

SELECT EIGHT (FOUR PER SEMESTER) (MAY SELECT ONE OR TWO VCE UNITS 1/2 ON APPROVAL)

English or EAL

YEAR 11 VCE Unit 1 & 2 Subjects

YEAR 10

• Personal Fitness (including elite sports programs) • GSV (including Rowing) • HPE Semester 1 & / or 2 • VCE HHD 1 & 2 or VCE PE 1 & 2

Must select one each Semester from list below:

Mathematics

English or EAL

YEAR 10

• Advanced Biology • Advanced Psychology

Accelerated Science

MUST SELECT FOR WHOLE YEAR (COUNTS AS TWO) • Chinese (Non-Heritage) • Chinese (Heritage) • French • Japanese

Languages

SELECT SIX (THREE PER SEMESTER)

YEAR 9

Science

Humanities (History & Geography)

Health & Physical Education

Mathematics

English or EAL

YEAR 9

• Eg. Hospitality, Fashion, IT, Carpentry, etc.

VET (Vocational Education Training)

• VCE General Mathematics 3 & 4 • VCE Mathematical Methods 3 & 4 • VCE Specialist Mathematics 3 & 4

Mathematics

• VCE Health & Human Development 3 & 4 • VCE Physical Education 3 & 4

Health & Physical Education

• VCE Literature 3 & 4

English

Commerce • VCE Economics 3 & 4 • VCE Business Management 3 & 4 • VCE Accounting 3 & 4

Pure Humanities • VCE Geography 3 & 4 • VCE Global Politics 3 & 4 • VCE History Revolutions 3 & 4 • VCE Philosophy 3 & 4 • VCE Legal Studies 3 & 4

Humanities

Performing Arts • VCE Theatre Studies 3 & 4 • VCE Music Reportoire Performance 3 & 4

Visual Arts • VCE Art Creative Proctice 3 & 4 • VCE Media 3 & 4 • VCE Visual Communication Design 3 & 4

Arts

• VCE Biology 3 & 4 • VCE Chemistry 3 & 4 • VCE Physics 3 & 4 • VCE Psychology 3 & 4

Science

• VCE Chinese SL & SLA (Advanced) 3 & 4 • VCE French 3 & 4 • VCE Japanese 3 & 4

Languages

SELECT FIVE

YEAR 12 (Units 3 & 4)

English or EAL

YEAR 12 VCE Unit 3 & 4 Subjects

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Subject Progression in Years 9 to 12

St Catherine’s School

Years 7 and 8 Curriculum Handbook | 3

Assessment and Reporting

Learning Plus Department

St Catherine’s provides continuous reporting and end of semester Academic and Wellbeing Reports. The Reports contain the Academic Transcript, the Student Reflection, the House Tutor Comment, the Participation and Awards Report and details regarding our Academic Advisory and Wellbeing Modules.

Years 7 and 8 Academic Honours Program

Our learning management system, accessible through mystcatherines, has the capacity for teachers to provide information about girls’ learning in regular instalments in place of semester reports. Teachers will publish feedback on assessments completed at regular intervals during a school term rather than just at the end of a semester.

Parent Teacher Student Conferences provide parents and guardians with the opportunity to discuss their daughter’s progress with their teachers.

They are held each semester in the Senior School. An email with a weblink and procedures for online bookings is sent to parents a few weeks prior to each interview period and parents are encouraged to make interview times.

The Honours Program is a subject specific extension and enrichment program offered to select, high achieving students in Years 7 and 8. The subjects offered in the Honours Program are English, Humanities, Mathematics and Science.

Philosophy The philosophy underlying the Academic Honours Program is the implementation of developmentally appropriate curriculum for identified talented girls to maximise their learning outcomes. The Program aims to deepen students’ knowledge and skills through fostering a culture of curiosity and the explicit teaching of 21st Century thinking skills.

The Academic Honours Program encourages academic rigour in learning through the application of creative strategies. Where possible, curriculum will be interdisciplinary to enhance the transfer of learning and allow students the opportunity to make authentic connections.

The Academic Honours Program encourages students to reflect on their learning journey. With teacher guidance students set their own knowledge and skills objectives. The Honours Program is adaptive and responsive to the students involved in the Program.

Identification Procedures A variety of criteria is utilised to select students to participate in the Academic Honours Program. The selection is consistent and transparent across the English, Humanities, Science and Mathematics Faculties.

Students are selected to participate in the Academic Honours Program based on the steps outlined below: Step One: All student data is reviewed. At least two normed standardised assessments are used for identification and selection, St Catherine’s uses a combination of tests including NAPLAN results and AAS testing.

Step Two: Classroom teachers are consulted for input on the suitability of students and their academic performance in class. Classroom teacher feedback and comments are taken into consideration.

St Catherine’s School

Years 7 and 8 Curriculum Handbook | 4

Step Three: Heads of Year and Heads of Faculty are consulted to discuss the suitably of each selected student. The pastoral needs of each student are reviewed.

Step Four: Academic Honours teachers and students are assigned an Honours group. Only highly organised capable students will be offered an opportunity to work across different Faculty Areas.

Step Five: Academic Honours students are invited to participate in their nominated group. Student participation in the Academic Honours Program is voluntary.

Step Six: By way of tracking both the academic and pastoral development of the Academic Honours students a case management system is utilised. The case management process ensures personalised attention, ensuring both the academic and pastoral needs of students are met, reviewed, and adjusted where necessary. Student cases are reviewed by individual Academic Honours teachers and are discussed as a team.

The Academic Honours program is offered in the following subject areas: •

English

•

Humanities

•

Mathematics

•

Science

Educational Support ES Students are identified for Educational Support (ES) through set criteria, including testing and academic reports. Participation in this program is made by the Head of Learning Plus.

The Years 7 and 8 courses are developed according to the assessed needs of the students. This course is conducted by the Learning Plus Department. Generally, the support in ES consists of working with students to develop students' literacy and language skills utilising evidence-based programs.

At this level, the skills being taught are there to assist and support students to access the Years 7 and 8 Curriculum effectively.

An important component of ES is the consultation between the ES teacher and subject specific teachers, providing assistance where possible.

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Year 7 Art Students use a range of starting points to generate and develop real, imaginary, and abstract ideas. They explore and communicate ideas using a range of media and technologies to develop skills and techniques in the creation and making of art works.

Students are guided in forming and expressing opinions about their own artworks, as well as art within the wider local and global community. The meaning of artworks from a range of styles, times and cultures is explored, developing appropriate art vocabulary. Learning takes place both individually and collaboratively to develop creative, critical, and reflective skills.

Year 7 Drama Students develop skills in shaping their Drama and media products. They do this by exploring the many facets of Drama such as mime, movement, performance, and voice. Students also investigate the different performance and expressive skills to help increase their understanding of performance. Students experiment with ways in which stagecraft elements such as sound, set and costuming can be used and manipulated to create different effects.

Students work individually and in groups, to develop class presentations by collaborating with each other to develop a given topic. Through discussion students learn to assess the effectiveness of Drama in conveying intended meaning.

Year 7 English In Year 7 English students study a range of texts, genres, read widely and explore themes and issues through their text study.

Students develop their skills in writing through planning, editing, and producing a range of texts and using appropriate language to express their ideas and arguments.

Students develop their grammatical and language skills in the context of their writing and through specific grammar and comprehension units.

Students learn to speak to a range of audiences, sharing and discussing their ideas both formally and informally with a focus on debating.

Years 7 and 8 Curriculum Handbook | 5

Year 7 Geography

Year 7 History – The Ancient World

Geography is the study of physical and human environments from a spatial perspective. It provides students with the knowledge and skills to observe and describe places on the surface of the earth and to analyse and provide explanations of human and physical phenomena and their complex interactions. Students’ evolving understanding of their world provides a basis for evaluating strategies for the sustainable use and management of the world’s resources.

Year 7 History provides a study from the time of the earliest human communities to the end of the ancient period, approximately 60 000 BC (BCE) – c.650 AD (CE). It was a period defined by the development of cultural practices and organised societies. The study of the ancient world includes the discoveries and the mysteries about this period of history.

This course focuses on water as an example of a renewable environmental resource. This unit examines the many uses of water, the ways it is perceived and valued and its different forms as a resource.

Water use and management is investigated at a local, national, and global scale.

The second unit of study focuses on the concept of place through an investigation of liveability. This unit examines factors that influence liveability and how it is perceived and how spaces are planned and managed by people. It develops students’ ability to evaluate the liveability of their own place and to investigate whether it can be improved through planning. The liveability of places is investigated using studies drawn from Australia, including a local fieldwork.

Students develop a knowledge and understanding of ancient societies and their role in providing the foundations of modern society. This enhances students' knowledge and use of historical concepts and develops a broad historical map. Students begin to use a variety of sources that record the features of these past societies.

They investigate daily life, the role and work of various groups, education, rituals, and family. They explore the values and beliefs of societies through their religions, myths and legends and their social and political structures.

Students examine the ways the culture was expressed through art, music, literature, drama, festivals, and education. They learn about key events, significant individuals and the influence of trade and contact with other cultures.

Through their investigations, students develop their understanding of change and continuity over time, and the open-ended nature of historical inquiry.

St Catherine’s School

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Year 7 Languages

French (Foundation and Continuing)

In Year 7 students select two languages. Each language is studied for one semester. Students learn about the structure and conventions of the language, its cultural context, and practices, making comparisons between Australia and the second language of acquisition.

In this introduction to the French language, students become acquainted with aspects of France’s rich culture and history and become more aware of the links between French and English language and cultural practices.

Chinese (Non-Heritage and Heritage) In this introduction to Mandarin Chinese students learn about aspects of China’s rich culture and history. Through everyday topics students develop their knowledge of the writing script and system of tones and engage in simple conversations with each other.

They learn to read short passages effectively and write characters and sentences using appropriate conventions.

The students also learn about the geography, festivals, and special events of China, make comparisons with Australia, and learn why there are differences and similarities between languages.

Students with Chinese heritage or who have attended weekend school should enrol in Chinese Heritage. This course continues to Chinese SECOND LANGUAGE ADVANCED in VCE. Overseas born students whose first language is Chinese may consider studying Chinese First Language externally as it is not offered at St Catherine’s.

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Students will communicate orally and in writing about themselves and their personal world. They quickly learn to exchange information with each other, begin writing short paragraphs and perform role plays.

Students who have completed two or more years of French should select French Continuing

Japanese (Foundation) In this introduction to the Japanese language students learn about aspects of Japan’s rich culture and history. Through everyday topics students develop their knowledge of the writing script and engage in simple conversations with each other.

They learn to read short passages effectively and write characters and sentences using appropriate conventions.

The students also learn about the geography, festivals, and special events in Japan, make comparisons with Australia and learn why there are differences and similarities between languages.

Years 7 and 8 Curriculum Handbook | 7

Year 7 Mathematics Year 7 students work with increasingly general representations of material in each of the content strands of Number and Algebra, Statistics and Probability and Measurement and Geometry.

The proficiency strands of Understanding, Fluency, Problem Solving and Reasoning are an integral part of the Mathematics content across all areas.

Mathematics and Learning Plus staff may recommend students to undertake additional support classes in Mathematics.

Year 7 Music (Combined with Year 8 Music) This course develops the students’ individual understanding of the expressive qualities of music with exploration of playing, listening, responding, composition and improvisation, aural analysis, singing and performance. Contrasting musical styles are investigated, along with the relevant cultural, historical, and social contexts.

The focus for Music in Years 7 and 8 is learning by doing, with a large proportion of practical classwork allowing students to perform collaboratively and in solo settings. Students share their skills with the wider St Catherine’s community through significant assessed performance opportunities. Students explore percussion instruments from Africa, with the preparation of a student led composition in the style of an African Percussion group.

Years 7 and 8 join for curriculum delivery in this subject. It is a two-year course – Year ‘A’ and Year ‘B.’

Year 7 Health & Physical Education Health and Physical Education is uniquely positioned to provide opportunities for students to adopt lifelong healthy and physically active living.

Health Education is a key part of the overall development and education of a child and adolescent. Health Education focuses on developing students' awareness of themselves as an individual, who take increasing responsibility for their own wellbeing and their relationships with others.

Students learn about their own personal health and that of others, focusing on adolescent changes and challenges, making healthy food choices, skin care and fostering SunSmart behaviours, exploring rights and responsibilities, and Consent and Values education. Students develop knowledge, skills and behaviours that enable them to maintain good health and wellbeing, live a healthy lifestyle, develop protective St Catherine’s School

behaviours and resilience, collaborate with others in teams, build positive relationships and resolve conflict situations, in ever-changing contexts.

Physical Education is a key part of the overall development and education of a child. It encourages the learning and discovery of the human body and the benefits of lifelong physical activity for individuals and others in the wider community. Students experience a range of physical activities, sports, and recreational activities, which provide opportunities for skill development, fitness, competition, social and cultural interaction, relaxation, enjoyment, and recreation in a diversity of environments. Units of work completed in Year 7 Physical Education include Aquatics, Dance, Soccer, Hockey, Basketball and Hitting and Striking.

Year 7 Science In Year 7 students explore the diversity of life on Earth. They use and develop models to represent and analyse the flow of energy and matter through ecosystems and investigate the impact of changing components within these systems. Students explore how biological diversity is ordered and organized and investigate plant reproduction. Students study relationships in the Earth-sun-moon system and use models to predict and explain events. They consider the effects of multiple forces when explaining changes in an object’s motion. They use particle theory to explain the physical properties of substances and develop processes that separate mixtures.

Students make accurate measurements and analyse relationships between system components. They begin to understand the relationship between science and society and appreciate the need for ethical and cultural considerations when acquiring data. Students explore how scientific knowledge can develop and change over time and consider the impact that scientific responses can have on society.

Students plan and conduct safe, reproducible investigations to test relationships and aspects of scientific models. They use equipment to generate and record data with precision. They select and construct appropriate representations to organise data and information. Students process data and information and analyse it to describe patterns, trends and relationships. They identify possible sources of error in methods and identify unanswered questions in conclusions and claims. They identify evidence to support their conclusions and construct arguments to support or dispute claims. They learn to select and use language and text features appropriately for their purpose and audience when communicating their ideas and findings.

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Year 8 Art

Year 8 Geography

In Year 8, students use a range of starting points to generate and expressively develop real, imaginary, and abstract ideas. Students are encouraged to extend their abilities to undertake deeper technical, aesthetic, and conceptual investigations in visual media. They will use their observations of the world around them and the use of Art elements and Art principles to manipulate visual representations to express ideas.

Students are given the opportunity to explore and communicate ideas using a range of media and technologies to develop skills and techniques in the creation of artworks.

Geography is the study of physical and human environments from a spatial perspective. It provides students with the knowledge and skills to observe and describe places on the surface of the earth and to analyse and provide explanations of human and physical phenomena and their complex interactions. Students’ evolving understanding of their world provides a basis for evaluating strategies for the sustainable use and management of the world’s resources.

Students are guided in forming and expressing opinions about their own artworks, as well as Art within wider local and global communities. The meaning of artworks from a range of styles, times and cultures are explored. Throughout Year 8 Art, students develop appropriate art vocabulary, individual systems of inquiry and an understanding of their own capacity for self-expression of creative ideas.

Year 8 Drama Students develop and enhance their acting, design, and performance skills. Students engage with a range of theatrical styles to develop rich and engaging performances. Students experiment with ways in which different production roles, such as sound, set and direction, can be used and manipulated to create different effects.

Students also investigate different theatre styles and elements of theatre composition to help increase their understanding of its history and learn to assess the effectiveness of Drama in conveying intended meaning for different audiences.

Year 8 English In Year 8, English students develop further the skills and writing genres they learnt in Year 7 English. The students study a range of texts, read widely, and explore complex themes and issues through this study through literary and visual texts.

Students focus on investigating geomorphology through a study of landscapes and their landforms and examine the processes that shape individual landforms and management of landscapes. Students explore the concept of environment and the significance of landscapes to people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

The unit investigates the changing human geography of countries, as revealed by shifts in population distribution and explores the process of urbanisation, drawing on a study of a country of the Asia region to show how urbanisation changes the economies and societies of low and middle-income countries. The unit then examines issues related to the management and future of Australia’s urban areas.

Year 8 History – The Ancient to the Modern World Year 8 History provides a study from the end of the ancient period to the beginning of the modern period, c.650 AD (CE) – 1750. This was when major civilisations around the world came into contact with each other.

Social, economic, religious, and political beliefs were often challenged and significantly changed. It was the period when the modern world began to take shape.

In Year 8 English there is more of an emphasis on essay writing, extended writing, and independent learning tasks.

Students develop their skills in writing through planning, editing, and producing a range of texts and using appropriate language to express and extend their ideas and arguments.

Students develop their grammatical and language skills in the context of their writing and through specific grammar and comprehension units.

They learn to speak to a range of audiences, sharing and discussing their ideas both formally and informally with a focus on public speaking.

St Catherine’s School

Years 7 and 8 Curriculum Handbook | 9

Year 8 Languages

Japanese

Students study one language for the whole year. In Year 8 students develop their capacity to use language to communicate with their peers and to reflect on aspects of culture which enhance their intercultural understanding.

In Year 8 students continue to use Japanese within the world of their experience.

Chinese In Year 8, students continue to understand and use Chinese within the world of their own experience. They exchange simple personal information, talking about themselves in response to questions and learning to ask questions. The students build their knowledge of characters using the Chinese writing system. They begin to read and write extended paragraphs, dialogues, and speech scripts.

As students learn the language, they also learn about traditional Chinese culture. In the unit of pets, they become familiar with the animals of the Chinese zodiac calendar. As they learn about food they also learn about traditional Chinese cuisine.

Students who studied Chinese Heritage in Year 7 should select Chinese Heritage in Year 8.

French In Year 8 students continue to use French within the world of their experience.

They exchange simple personal information, talk about themselves in response to questions and learn to ask questions. They begin to write longer paragraphs and perform role plays, using language in a range of contexts.

The students learn more about the life of young people in France and in the Francophone world, making comparisons with their own experience.

Students who studied French Continuing in Year 7 should select French Continuing in Year 8.

They exchange simple personal information, talk about themselves in response to questions and learn to ask questions using tone and gesture.

They begin to write longer paragraphs using Japanese script and perform role plays, using language in a range of contexts.

The students learn more about the life of young people in Japan, including cultural practices and traditions, making comparisons with their own experience.

Year 8 Mathematics Year 8 students continue to develop their ability to manage the more abstract concepts in the Mathematics course. The proficiency strands of Understanding, Fluency, Problem Solving and Reasoning are an integral part of the Mathematics content across the three strands of Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry and Statistics and Probability.

Mathematics and Learning Plus staff may recommend students to undertake additional support classes in Mathematics.

Year 8 Music (Combined with Year 7 Music) This course develops the students’ individual understanding of the expressive qualities of music with exploration of playing, listening, responding, composition and improvisation, aural analysis, singing and performance. Contrasting musical styles are investigated, along with the relevant cultural, historical, and social contexts.

The focus for Music in Years 7 and 8 is learning by doing, with a large proportion of practical classwork allowing students to perform collaboratively and in solo settings. Students share their skills with the wider St Catherine’s community through significant assessed performance opportunities. Students explore percussion instruments from Japan, with the preparation of a student led ensemble performances in the Japanese Taiko drumming tradition.

Years 7 and 8 join for curriculum delivery in this subject. It is a two-year course – Year ‘A’ and Year ‘B.’

St Catherine’s School

Years 7 and 8 Curriculum Handbook | 10

Year 8 Health and Physical Education

Year 8 Science

Health and Physical Education is uniquely positioned to provide opportunities for students to adopt lifelong healthy and physically active living. Health Education is a key part of the overall development and education of a child. This subject focuses on developing students’ awareness of themselves as individuals who take increasing responsibility for their own wellbeing and their relationships with others.

Students learn about their own personal health, focusing on areas such as developing resilience, cyber bullying, online safety, building and maintaining healthy relationships, consent education and problem solving in relation to risk taking behaviours.

In Year 8 students explain the role of specialised cell structures and organelles in cellular function and analyse the relationship between structure and function at organ and body system levels. They apply an understanding of the theory of plate tectonics to explain patterns of change in the geosphere. They investigate how light and sound can be described as waves, and how the human body can detect them. They explain how the properties of rocks relate to their formation and influence their use. They compare different forms of energy and represent transfer and transformation of energy in simple systems. They classify and represent different types of matter and distinguish between physical and chemical change. Students analyse how different factors influence development of and lead to changes in scientific knowledge. They analyse the key considerations that inform scientific responses and how these responses impact society. They analyse the importance of science communication in shaping viewpoints, policies and regulations.

Students develop knowledge, skills and behaviours that enable them to maintain good health and wellbeing, live a healthy lifestyle, develop riskassessment techniques and protective behaviours, collaborate with others in teams, build positive relationships, manage, and resolve conflict situations.

Physical Education is a key part of the overall development and education of a child. It encourages the learning and discovery of the human body and the benefits of physical activity for self and others in the wider community.

Students experience a range of physical activities, sports and recreational activities which provide opportunities for fitness, competition, social and cultural interaction, relaxation, enjoyment, and recreation in a diversity of environments. Involvement in physical activities, sports, and recreation aids in the development of movement competence and fitness, provides challenges to groups and individuals, promotes growth, provides teamwork and leadership opportunities, and allows discovery through play. Units of work completed in Year 8 Physical Education include Badminton, Aquatics, Soccer, Aerobics, Hitting & Striking and Hockey.

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Students plan and conduct safe, reproducible investigations to test relationships and explore models. They describe potential ethical issues and intercultural considerations needed for specific field locations or use of secondary data. They select and use equipment to generate and record data with precision. They select and construct appropriate representations to organise and process data and information. They analyse data and information to describe patterns, trends and relationships and identify anomalies. They identify assumptions and sources of error in methods and analyse conclusions and claims with reference to conflicting evidence and unanswered questions. They construct evidence-based arguments to support conclusions and evaluate claims. They select and use language and text features appropriately for their purpose when communicating their ideas, findings and arguments to specific audiences.

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St Catherine’s School 17 Heyington Place Toorak VIC 3142 Telephone +61 3 9822 1285 Email info@stcatherines.net.au www.stcatherines.net.au CRICOS 00574F ABN 90 004 251 816