Year 9 Subject Selection Guide 2020

Subject Outline by Semester: YEAR 9 - SEMESTER ONE TOPICS: • Relationships in Ecology

Ecology and human impact on ecosystems is explored through the Global Context of Fairness and Development. Students will understand that the natural environment is a dynamic community of organisms that changes over time in response to variations in environmental conditions and the interactions of different species. • Relationships between Energy Transfer and Electricity The transformation of energy in electrical circuits is the basis of many Scientific and Technical Innovations. Students will explore and understand the role of resistors in the transformation of energy in electrical circuits. • Changes in Chemical Reactions An exploration of basic chemical laws and processes through the Global Context of Scientific and Technical Innovation. Students will understand how atoms combine in various ways to produce new compounds. YEAR 9 - SEMESTER TWO TOPICS: • Systems and Consequences in Plate Tectonics The theory of plate tectonics is presented to explain global patterns of geological activity and continental movement. The role of Scientific and Technical Innovation in understanding seismic events is explored. • Changes in Waves, Heat Transfer and Light The observation of the behaviour of waves as energy transmitters leads to an understanding of the nature of waves and how they can be used in various Scientific and Technical Innovations. Energy transfer through different mediums can be explained using wave and particle models. • Relationships between Atoms and Radiation Scientific and technological advances such as in nuclear energy affect the relationship between humans and the natural environment. Students will understand that all matter is made of atoms and that natural

radioactivity arises from the decay of atomic nuclei. • Systems involved with Maintaining Homeostasis

Homeostasis is the mechanism for maintaining constant internal environments; the consequences of uncoordinated body systems can lead to systems failure. Students will learn that multi-cellular organisms rely on coordinated and interdependent internal systems to respond to changes to their environment.

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