Science / Year 7 / Science inquiry / Planning and conducting

Curriculum content descriptions

plan and conduct reproducible investigations to answer questions and test hypotheses, including identifying variables and assumptions and, as appropriate, recognising and managing risks, considering ethical issues and recognising key considerations regarding heritage sites and artefacts on Country/Place (AC9S7I02)

Elaborations
  • comparing the method with the hypothesis and examining the reasonableness of the method for testing that hypothesis
  • discussing why it is important to identify variables and assumptions when planning an investigation
  • examining the features of reproducible investigations, constructing methods and reviewing other students’ methods
  • identifying assumptions relating to variables that are assumed to be constant, such as ambient temperature, properties of materials used or purity of substances
  • identifying risks to themselves and others in investigations and considering actions that can be taken to avoid or manage those risks
  • considering ethical issues relating to interactions with living things
  • recognising state and territory laws as they relate to First Nations Australians’ heritage sites and artefacts
  • collaborating with First Nations Australians communities and organisations to conduct investigations about ecosystems, ensuring mutually beneficial outcomes
  • acknowledging and recognising First Nations Australians’ artefacts and heritage sites, such as human stonework and scatter sites in comparison with rocks changed by natural processes, and understanding not to harm or disturb sites
General capabilities
  • Ethical understanding Ethical understanding
Cross-curriculum priorities
ScOT terms

Independence (Experiments),  Ethics,  Safety,  Experiments,  Scientific control

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Cardboard train wheels | Questacon

In this activity, students explore how train wheels are designed for stability on straight or curved rail. Students make two different models of train wheels from paper cups, observe how they perform on their homemade rail and compare the behaviour of their designs. The activity includes a list of what is required, suggestions ...

Downloadable

Construct a lifting machine - teacher resource kit

This activity kit challenges students to design and create a machine to lift a load to a height of at least 50cm. Activities are guided by the design thinking process, and scaffold students to undertake research on the applications of various simple machines, and the combinations of simple machines they might use to help ...

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Work sample Year 7 Science: Water purification

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Year 7 Science. The primary purpose for the work sample is to demonstrate the standard, so the focus is on what is evident in the sample not how it was created. The sample is an authentic representation of ...

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Water quality

This lesson explores the concept that the way humans use land and water can cause water quality degradation. Students investigate the factors that influence water quality, the effects of poor water quality and management options for some water quality issues.

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Sandcastle ratios

In this lesson students think like geotechnical engineers, exploring the properties of sand and the ways in which those properties can be used in building and construction.

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Industrial design challenge – separating materials lesson

is lesson provides a great introduction to the idea of separating mixtures and enables students to consider separation as a process that operates on macroscopic levels. Students also learn about waste management and recycling processes in Australia. The lesson provides students with an opportunity to engage in hands-on ...

Online

Catchment management: what’s in a drop?

Water is a precious resource, yet water is also wasted every day. This activity investigates water consumption and how you can reduce the amount of water wasted. OUTCOMES of this learning activity are for students to: understand the urban water cycle; learn different ways to reduce water usage; discover how much water is ...

Online

Catchment management: water sustainability

Water is an important resource, and is required by all living species to survive. Water is also important for many industries and businesses. This activity investigates the different land uses over time across your local catchment. OUTCOMES are for children to: understand the natural and urban water cycle; learn about the ...

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Stomp Rocket Design Challenge

This resource provides a scaffold for students to complete a design challenge. The design challenge requires students to create a stomp rocket that can travel to a chosen planet in the solar system. The design challenge can also be used to investigate forces and energy. It can be delivered over a number of lessons, or it ...

Video

Friction: Friend or foe?

What part does the force of friction play in our everyday lives? Friction can be an advantage (friend) or a problem (foe). Join interviewer Doug Traction and professors Static, Slide, Rolling and Fluid at the National Tribology Research Centre as they have forceful fun investigating friction. This video won a prize in the ...

Interactive

National Science Week flight special

This resource contains lessons plans containing instructions and teachers' notes for fun experiments focusing on the science of flight. Try them in your classroom and watch Elliot and the Surfing Scientist tackle them on Roller-coaster. A wide ranges of activities with clear directions and illustrations based on a range ...

Interactive

experiMENTALS: Levitating balloon

This resource contains a materials and instruction list and brief explanation for students about the process of levitating a balloon.

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Seahorses

This six and a half minute video segment from Catalyst shows one of the most beautiful and bizarre creatures under the sea, the seahorse. Their highly unusual reproduction has not been sufficient to overcome the impacts of habitat destruction and human predation.

Interactive

experiMENTALS: Keys on a shoelace

This resource contains a materials and instruction list and brief explanation for students to show that keys on a shoelace can do some unexpected things.

Interactive

experiMENTALS: ink chromatography

This resource contains a materials and instruction list and brief explanation for students about the process of separating ink mixtures using paper chromatography.

Interactive

DIY Lava Lamp

This resource contains lessons plans containing instructions and teachers' notes for an activity based on a chemical reaction that occurs when a soluble aspirin tablet dissolves and the fact that oil and water do not mix are used to create a model of a lava lamp. Students have fun while they learn about density of fluids. ...

Interactive

experiMENTALS: Relightable candle

This resource contains a materials and instruction list and brief explanation for students about the process of relighting a candle. This activity is most likely to be done as a teacher demonstration for safety and classroom management reasons, particularly at primary school level. Do this experiment to learn how a candle ...

Video

Experimentals: Building with different shapes

Did you know that the shape of an object can affect its strength? Watch as Ruben Meerman tests two columns of different shapes to see which can carry the greater load. Consider how engineers might use this information to build tall structures.

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Elliot and the Surfing Scientist: Properties and behaviour of gases

All substances are made up of tiny particles. A change in temperature can change the way these particles behave. Watch as the Surfing Scientist demonstrates how a gas behaves when it is heated. Find out whether the balloon gets sucked or pushed into the bottle!

Online

Catchment management: the story of a river

Water moves through the environment by the Water Cycle. This activity investigates the journey of a river through the catchment. It is part of a sequence of 5 individual learning activities designed to support understandings of catchment management. Follow water through the environment and explore the changes to water quality ...