Planning, programming and assessing science 7–10
Resources to help you plan, program, and assess science in Years 7–10.
Science 7–10 Syllabus (2023)
The Science 7–10 Syllabus (2023) is to be implemented in 2026.
2024 and 2025 – Plan and prepare to teach the new syllabus
2026 – Start teaching new syllabus
There is a range of implementation models. The department recommends a staggered implementation to ensure continuity of learning for Years 7 to 10. It is recommended for the Science 7-10 (2023) syllabus that:
- in 2024 and 2025, teachers will engage with the syllabus, and plan and prepare for the implementation of the curriculum
- in 2026, implementation commences in schools for Year 7 and Year 9
- in 2027, implementation commences in schools for Year 8 and Year 10.
These resources have been developed to assist teachers in creating learning that is contextualised to their classroom. They can be used as a basis for the teacher’s own program, assessment, or scope and sequence, or as an example of how the new curriculum could be implemented.
You should adapt resources to best suit your students' diverse needs and consider where the learning activity fits into learning and teaching programs.
Science Years 7–10 Syllabus (2018)
These resources have been developed to support the implementation of the Science 7–10 Syllabus (2018). The Science Years 7–10 Syllabus (2018) emphasises inquiry-based learning. Students explore the physical world, earth and space, living world, and chemical world embedding the working scientifically skills of:
- questioning and predicting
- planning investigations
- conducting investigations
- processing and analysing data and information
- communicating.
Programming includes sample scope and sequences and advice on developing contexts in learning units.
The following sample scope and sequences are fluid documents that can be easily adapted as information is gathered through ongoing assessment practices.
- Year 7–10 sample scope and sequence (PDF 204 KB)
- Year 7 sample scope and sequence (DOCX 43 KB)
- Stage 5 sample scope and sequence (DOCX 41 KB)
You can find further sample scope and sequences on programming (NESA).
Teaching and learning programs should reflect students' progression in relation to the stage content as well as the context of individual students and schools.
Developing contexts in learning units (DOC 41 KB) explores the importance of both the local and global environment, student experience, teacher interests, using narrative as a tool for student engagement and learning through inquiry.
Teachers make connections, where relevant, across syllabus strands to assist students in seeing the connections between concepts and their real life applications. In science, units of work should focus on working scientifically and integrate knowledge and understanding outcomes across different strands to reflect the interconnectedness of science.
The blank template (DOC 55 KB) can be used to plan a science teaching program including an overview, outcomes, learning activities, registration and evaluation.
- Introduction to biomechanics, vertical jump (DOCX 346 KB) explores the action of forces on the human body by analysing a standing jump
- Amusement park physics explores the forces behind fun parks
- Sport science – exploratorium provides a number of lesson ideas and projects for science in sports
- Ausgrid's online electricity resource is appropriate for both Stages 4 and 5
- it provides teachers with a unit for students to work through at their own pace
- it provides information, online quizzes, animation and sample experiments.
- The physics classroom includes simulations, movies and animations arranged in topics
- The Rainbow challenge (DOCX 1.9 MB) uses lenses, mirrors and prisms to create a rainbow on a given target
- WebElement explores the chemical elements through the periodic table
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) provides educational and syllabus-focused resources, posters, scientific profiles and more
- Metal and acid investigation (DOCX 657 KB) addresses a variety of working scientifically outcomes including planning investigations, conducting investigations, processing and analysing data and information, and communicating
- The periodic table (DOCX 3.6 MB) explores the periodic table and the application of modelling in science
- The periodic table supporting document (PPTX 2.7 MB) contains teacher support for delivering The periodic table lesson sequence
- Stage 5 assessment task –temperature and reaction rate (DOCX 282.9 KB) builds upon students’ understanding of conducting valid and reliable experiments and writing scientific reports
- Interactive sites for education – body systems contains animations and resources on body systems
- Cells alive – animal cell meiosis uses interactive animations to demonstrate the stages of meiosis
- Plant requirements for growth (DOCX 3126 KB) allows students to investigate the requirements for plant growth using an inquiry-based learning activity
Enhance students' critical thinking skills by examining conspiracy theorists' claims about flat Earth and the Moon landing through a scientific lens in Space conspiracy theories (DOCX 666 KB).
These resources were developed by teachers from schools in Orange and Illawarra to assist with the implementation of the Science Years 7–10 and Stage 6 Earth and Environmental Science syllabuses.
The following websites are useful for classroom use.
- At home astronomy includes hands-on science experiments
- Cool cosmos explores the world and universe as seen through infrared light
- Earth science Australia includes images, case studies and information about geological topics
- Oresome resources is an Australian website that provides resources on minerals and energy
- Murray Darling Basin Authority contains resources and lesson plans for teaching the water cycle, disasters, water quality and more
- The Mars lab (PDF 1706 KB) is a Year 9 project-based learning resource about the search for life on Mars and the technologies that enable it
Learning across the curriculum
Learning across the curriculum includes general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities that should be incorporated into your science programming in Stages 4 and 5.
Resources and professional learning to support the successful integration of literacy into science programming can be accessed through the Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions.
How to use our resources
Prior to planning for teaching and learning, please consider the following:
- How will I provide authentic, relevant learning opportunities for students to connect with lesson content personally?
- How will I support every student to grow in independence, confidence and self-regulation?
- How will I facilitate every student to have high expectations for themselves?
- How will I identify and provide the support each student needs to sustain their learning efforts?
- What are different ways I can present content to enable every student to access and understand it?
- How will I identify and address language and/or cultural considerations that may limit student access to content?
- How will I make lesson content and learning materials more accessible?
- How will I plan learning experiences that are relevant and challenging for the full range of students in the classroom?
- How will I provide multiple ways for students to respond and express what they know?
- What tools and resources can students use to demonstrate their understanding?
- How will I know every student understands the concepts and language in each lesson?
- How will I monitor whether every student has achieved learning outcomes and growth?