Year 7 Science Achievement Standard
16 statements aligned to content descriptors and elaborations
Achievement standard (as ACARA publishes it)
Achievement standard
Click any sentence to jump to its statement and linked content descriptors.
By the end of Year 7 students explain how biological diversity is ordered and organised. They represent flows of matter and energy in ecosystems and predict the effects of environmental changes. They model cycles in the Earth-sun-moon system and explain the effects of these cycles on Earth phenomena. They represent and explain the effects of forces acting on objects. They use particle theory to explain the physical properties of substances and develop processes that separate mixtures. Students identify the factors that can influence development of and lead to changes in scientific knowledge. They explain how scientific responses are developed and can impact society. They explain the role of science communication in shaping viewpoints, policies and regulations.
Students plan and conduct safe, reproducible investigations to test relationships and aspects of scientific models. They identify potential ethical issues and intercultural considerations required for field locations or use of secondary data. They use equipment to generate and record data with precision. They select and construct appropriate representations to organise data and information. They 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 select and use language and text features appropriately for their purpose and audience when communicating their ideas and findings.
The 16 achievement standard statements
Open a statement to see the content descriptors ACARA links to it, then open a descriptor's elaborations.
By the end of Year 7 students explain how biological diversity is ordered and organised.
Content descriptorAC9S7U01 Science understanding
investigate the role of classification in ordering and organising the diversity of life on Earth and use and develop classification tools including dichotomous keys
Elaborations (7)
- Elaboration observing and identifying the similarities and differences of particular features within and between groups of organisms
- Elaboration creating and modifying a dichotomous key to classify organisms into groups and groups within groups
- Elaboration naming and classifying species using scientific conventions from the Linnaean hierarchical classification system, such as kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
- Elaboration considering the reasons for classifying living things, such as identification and communication
- Elaboration examining how biological classification has changed over time through improvements in microscopy
- Elaboration using provided dichotomous keys to identify organisms surveyed on a field trip
- Elaboration investigating First Nations Australians’ systems of classifying living things and how these systems differ from those used by contemporary science
They represent flows of matter and energy in ecosystems and predict the effects of environmental changes.
Content descriptorAC9S7U02 Science understanding
use models, including food webs, to represent matter and energy flow in ecosystems and predict the impact of changing abiotic and biotic factors on populations
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration analysing food webs to show feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem and the role of microorganisms
- Elaboration modelling how energy flows into and out of an ecosystem via the pathways of food webs
- Elaboration predicting the effects on local ecosystems when living things such pollinators or predators are removed from or die out in an area
- Elaboration examining how events such as seasonal changes, destruction of habitat or introduction of a species impact abiotic and biotic factors and cause changes to populations
- Elaboration investigating First Nations Australians’ responses to invasive species and their effect on food webs that many communities are a part of, and depend on, for produce and medicine
- Elaboration considering how First Nations Australians’ fire management practices over tens of thousands of years have changed the distribution of flora and fauna in most regions of Australia
They model cycles in the Earth-sun-moon system and explain the effects of these cycles on Earth phenomena.
Content descriptorAC9S7U03 Science understanding
model cyclic changes in the relative positions of the Earth, sun and moon and explain how these cycles cause eclipses and influence predictable phenomena on Earth, including seasons and tides
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration using physical models or virtual simulations to explain how Earth’s tilt and position relative to the sun causes differences in light intensity on Earth’s surface, resulting in seasons
- Elaboration examining the effect of the gravitational attraction of the moon and the sun on Earth's oceans and describing how the relative positions of the moon and sun with respect to Earth result in tidal variations
- Elaboration using physical models or virtual simulations to explain the cyclic patterns of lunar phases and eclipses of the sun and moon
- Elaboration researching knowledges held by First Nations Australians regarding the phases of the moon and the connection between the lunar cycle and ocean tides
- Elaboration investigating First Nations Australians’ calendars and how they are used to predict seasonal changes
- Elaboration researching First Nations Australians’ oral traditions and cultural recordings of solar and lunar eclipses and investigating similarities and differences with contemporary understandings of such phenomena
They represent and explain the effects of forces acting on objects.
Content descriptorAC9S7U04 Science understanding
investigate and represent balanced and unbalanced forces, including gravitational force, acting on objects, and relate changes in an object’s motion to its mass and the magnitude and direction of forces acting on it
Elaborations (8)
- Elaboration investigating the effects of applying different forces to familiar objects of the same and different mass
- Elaboration analysing the effect of balanced and unbalanced forces on an object’s motion, such as starting, stopping and changing direction
- Elaboration measuring the magnitude of a force using a force meter and representing the magnitude and direction of forces acting on an object using force arrow diagrams
- Elaboration investigating how Earth's gravitational force is the attractive force which pulls objects to the centre of Earth and its magnitude is related to the mass of an object
- Elaboration investigating how simple machines such as levers and pulleys are used to change the magnitude of force needed to perform a task
- Elaboration examining how gravity affects objects in space, including moons, planets, stars, galaxies and black holes
- Elaboration analysing the forces acting on boomerangs and how early First Peoples of Australia designed an air foil profile which allowed for multiple variations and applications
- Elaboration investigating the effect of forces through the application of simple machines, such as the bow and arrows used by Torres Strait Islander Peoples or the spearthrowers used by First Peoples of Australia
They use particle theory to explain the physical properties of substances and develop processes that separate mixtures.
Content descriptorAC9S7U05 Science understanding
use particle theory to describe the arrangement of particles in a substance, including the motion of and attraction between particles, and relate this to the properties of the substance
Elaborations (7)
- Elaboration using and constructing models, diagrams or virtual simulations to represent changes in particle arrangement as substances change state
- Elaboration relating motion and energy of particles to distances between particles of the same substance in different states
- Elaboration comparing attractive forces in the solid, liquid and gaseous states of the same substance and relating this to relative position and movement of particles
- Elaboration examining how the changing motion and energy of particles is affected by the amount of heat energy absorbed or released
- Elaboration comparing the properties of different states of matter and explaining differences using particle theory
- Elaboration investigating properties of materials such as density, melting point and compressibility and explaining these in terms of particle arrangement
- Elaboration explaining the process of diffusion in a liquid and a gas in terms of particles
Content descriptorAC9S7U06 Science understanding
use a particle model to describe differences between pure substances and mixtures and apply understanding of properties of substances to separate mixtures
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration using representations of particles to show the difference between samples of pure substances and mixtures, and identifying examples of each
- Elaboration examining different solutions and identifying the solvent and solute
- Elaboration investigating and using a range of physical separation techniques such as filtration, decantation, evaporation, crystallisation, chromatography and distillation
- Elaboration exploring and comparing separation methods used in a variety of situations such as in the home, recycling industries and purifying water
- Elaboration analysing how the physical properties of substances in mixtures, such as particle size, density or volatility, determine the separation technique used
- Elaboration investigating separation techniques used by First Nations Australians, such as hand-picking, sieving, winnowing, yandying, filtering, cold-pressing and steam distilling
Students identify the factors that can influence development of and lead to changes in scientific knowledge.
Content descriptorAC9S7H01 Science as a human endeavour
explain how new evidence or different perspectives can lead to changes in scientific knowledge
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration exploring how scientists are re-examining the relationships between organisms to refine the classification of species as they discover new information or interpret evidence in new ways
- Elaboration investigating how the land management practices of First Nations Australians inform contemporary management of the environment to protect biodiversity
- Elaboration investigating how First Nations Australians’ traditional ecological and zoological knowledges inform sustainable harvesting practices of certain species, such as dugongs and turtles
- Elaboration researching developments in the understanding of astronomy, such as the predictions of eclipses and the calculation of the length of the solar year by Abu Abdallah Mohammad ibn Jabir ibn Sinan al-Raqqi al-Harrani al-Sabi al-Battani in the 10th century
- Elaboration investigating how aeronautical engineers’ understanding of the nature of the forces acting in flight have led to changes in the design of aircraft
Content descriptorAC9S7H02 Science as a human endeavour
investigate how cultural perspectives and world views influence the development of scientific knowledge
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration investigating classification systems used by First Nations Australians and how they differ in context and use from those used by contemporary science
- Elaboration investigating how First Nations Australians have developed sustainable harvesting practices and cultural protocols based on deep ecological understandings
- Elaboration exploring how the personal beliefs of a scientist may influence the questions they choose to pursue and how they investigate those questions, such as Richard Levins, whose political views led him to focus on population ecology, or Joseph Rotblat, a physicist who refused to work on science that might lead to development of an atomic bomb
- Elaboration considering why it is important to recognise that different people in society have different perspectives on the introduction of biological controls to eradicate an invasive species
- Elaboration exploring the work of Wang Zhenyi, an acclaimed female scholar of 18th-century China, including her experiments in studying lunar eclipses
- Elaboration exploring how David Unaipon, a Ngarrindjeri man from Coorong region of South Australia, used his cultural knowledge and understanding of the aerodynamic properties of boomerangs to conceptualise a ‘vertical lift flying machine’ in 1914
They explain how scientific responses are developed and can impact society.
Content descriptorAC9S7H03 Science as a human endeavour
examine how proposed scientific responses to contemporary issues may impact on society and explore ethical, environmental, social and economic considerations
Elaborations (7)
- Elaboration investigating how scientific knowledge that larger reserves are better for maintaining ecosystem function might interact with competing viewpoints, values and interests for land use when planning ecological reserves
- Elaboration examining how laboratory-grown meat might reduce impact on ecosystems and considering any social, ethical and economic implications of developing laboratory-grown meat for wide consumption
- Elaboration examining how the use of desalination plants to produce fresh water has impacted marine ecosystems where the desalination plants are located
- Elaboration investigating the contributions of First Nations Australians’ knowledges in the identification of medicinal properties of endemic plants and the ethical, environmental, social and economic implications of others using these knowledges
- Elaboration investigating the ethical, environmental, social and economic implications of proposed scientific responses that involve cross-cultural partnerships and build on First Nations Australians’ land management techniques
- Elaboration discussing how scientific knowledge of the forces involved in flight has led to changes in aircraft design and any ethical, environmental, social and economic considerations of these changes
- Elaboration researching how properties of gases were utilised in the gas warfare in the First World War and the subsequent development of the Geneva Protocol and the later adoption of the Chemical Weapons Convention international arms control treaty
They explain the role of science communication in shaping viewpoints, policies and regulations.
Content descriptorAC9S7H04 Science as a human endeavour
explore the role of science communication in informing individual viewpoints and community policies and regulations
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration investigating how, through two-way approaches, First Nations Australians are communicating their knowledge and viewpoints, such as Caring for Country and Place initiatives to influence related policies
- Elaboration examining how science communication of endangered species has led to policies and regulations related to fishing catch and hunting limits
- Elaboration exploring how Dame Jane Goodall’s communication of her research resulted in changed individual viewpoints and conservation policies
- Elaboration examining how global reporting on high-impact weather events such as cyclones, tidal surges and heatwaves has led to the development of warning systems and evacuation policies
- Elaboration reflecting on the role of contemporary First Nations Australians astronomers and astrophysicists, such as Wiradjuri astrophysicist and science communicator Kirsten Banks, in promoting First Nations astronomy knowledges and understandings
- Elaboration investigating how science communication of the impact of waste materials on the environment has led to the adoption of community policies for separating household waste and encouraged other recycling initiatives
Students plan and conduct safe, reproducible investigations to test relationships and aspects of scientific models.
Content descriptorAC9S7I01 Science inquiry
develop investigable questions, reasoned predictions and hypotheses to explore scientific models, identify patterns and test relationships
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration discussing the features of investigable and non-investigable questions, including consideration of school and web-based resources available, and examining their own and others’ questions
- Elaboration consulting with First Nations Australians to clarify questions based on their traditional ecological knowledges, such as predictions regarding the impact of invasive species
- Elaboration developing investigable questions to explore scientific models, such as: ‘How does particle theory explain the properties of substances?’
- Elaboration developing investigable questions to test relationships, such as: ‘How does the volume of a balloon change as it is heated and cooled? What happens to the height of the tide at different points of the lunar cycle?’
- Elaboration discussing the relationship between a reasoned prediction and a hypothesis, identifying essential elements of a hypothesis and using a provided scaffold to develop hypotheses
- Elaboration formulating hypotheses such as: ‘If the surface area of the parachute is decreased, the parachute will descend more quickly because there will be less air resistance’
Content descriptorAC9S7I02 Science inquiry
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
Elaborations (9)
- Elaboration comparing the method with the hypothesis and examining the reasonableness of the method for testing that hypothesis
- Elaboration discussing why it is important to identify variables and assumptions when planning an investigation
- Elaboration examining the features of reproducible investigations, constructing methods and reviewing other students’ methods
- Elaboration identifying assumptions relating to variables that are assumed to be constant, such as ambient temperature, properties of materials used or purity of substances
- Elaboration identifying risks to themselves and others in investigations and considering actions that can be taken to avoid or manage those risks
- Elaboration considering ethical issues relating to interactions with living things
- Elaboration recognising state and territory laws as they relate to First Nations Australians’ heritage sites and artefacts
- Elaboration collaborating with First Nations Australians communities and organisations to conduct investigations about ecosystems, ensuring mutually beneficial outcomes
- Elaboration 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
They identify potential ethical issues and intercultural considerations required for field locations or use of secondary data.
Content descriptorAC9S7I02 Science inquiry
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
Elaborations (9)
- Elaboration comparing the method with the hypothesis and examining the reasonableness of the method for testing that hypothesis
- Elaboration discussing why it is important to identify variables and assumptions when planning an investigation
- Elaboration examining the features of reproducible investigations, constructing methods and reviewing other students’ methods
- Elaboration identifying assumptions relating to variables that are assumed to be constant, such as ambient temperature, properties of materials used or purity of substances
- Elaboration identifying risks to themselves and others in investigations and considering actions that can be taken to avoid or manage those risks
- Elaboration considering ethical issues relating to interactions with living things
- Elaboration recognising state and territory laws as they relate to First Nations Australians’ heritage sites and artefacts
- Elaboration collaborating with First Nations Australians communities and organisations to conduct investigations about ecosystems, ensuring mutually beneficial outcomes
- Elaboration 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
They use equipment to generate and record data with precision.
Content descriptorAC9S7I03 Science inquiry
select and use equipment to generate and record data with precision, using digital tools as appropriate
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration selecting and using equipment appropriate to the investigation, such as ensuring a selected thermometer can measure within the range of temperatures expected, or selecting an appropriate-capacity measuring cylinder for the volume of liquid needed
- Elaboration examining how the use of digital tools such as stopwatches and digital scales can enable the generation of more precise data
- Elaboration constructing tables, spreadsheets and graphic organisers to collect data and information
- Elaboration using appropriate standard units and performing simple unit conversions when recording data
- Elaboration using digital tools such as sensors to measure abiotic factors and apps that use image or call recognition to make field identifications
They select and construct appropriate representations to organise data and information.
Content descriptorAC9S7I04 Science inquiry
select and construct appropriate representations, including tables, graphs, models and mathematical relationships, to organise and process data and information
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration using spreadsheets to aid the presentation and analysis of data
- Elaboration constructing food webs to represent feeding relationships and flows of energy and matter in an ecosystem
- Elaboration constructing representations of dichotomous keys, such as a creating a visual key or an interactive presentation, or coding a simple program
- Elaboration analysing data, including secondary data, to determine mathematical relationships, such as tidal variations over the course of a lunar cycle
- Elaboration distinguishing between discrete and continuous data and selecting appropriate data representations
- Elaboration acknowledging, analysing and interpreting data and information from First Nations Australians’ astronomical observations
They process data and information and analyse it to describe patterns, trends and relationships.
Content descriptorAC9S7I05 Science inquiry
analyse data and information to describe patterns, trends and relationships and identify anomalies
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration analysing change in predator and prey numbers over time to identify predator-prey cycles
- Elaboration identifying patterns and relationships in data sets such as identifying qualitative relationships between the mass of a planet and its gravity
- Elaboration analysing data to identify patterns in the proportions of a day spent in sunlight and in darkness and relating these patterns to the seasons
- Elaboration identifying anomalies in data and investigating their effect on observed patterns or relationships
- Elaboration collaborating with First Nations Australians communities to create a calendar as a representation of seasonal patterns and relationships using digital tools
They identify possible sources of error in methods and identify unanswered questions in conclusions and claims.
Content descriptorAC9S7I06 Science inquiry
analyse methods, conclusions and claims for assumptions, possible sources of error, conflicting evidence and unanswered questions
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration identifying and considering indicators of the quality of the data when analysing results to identify unanswered questions
- Elaboration evaluating the method used in an investigation, identifying assumptions made about variables that should be controlled, suggesting ways it could be improved and giving reasons for the suggested changes
- Elaboration analysing conclusions and claims to identify facts or premises that are taken for granted to be true, and considering their relevance to conclusions
- Elaboration considering the spread of repeated measurements and observations
- Elaboration identifying possible sources of error in the method used and describing how the method could be improved to remove these sources of error
- Elaboration identifying the evidence being cited to support a claim and evaluating conflicting evidence
They identify evidence to support their conclusions and construct arguments to support or dispute claims.
Content descriptorAC9S7I07 Science inquiry
construct evidence-based arguments to support conclusions or evaluate claims and consider any ethical issues and cultural protocols associated with using or citing secondary data or information
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration constructing an argument supported by evidence and reasoning to support or reject a hypothesis
- Elaboration drawing a logical conclusion in consideration of the method of data collection, quality of evidence and limitations or significance of a claim
- Elaboration exploring how to determine credibility of a source
- Elaboration investigating the cultural, historical and archaeological evidence used in the scientific debate about the role of early First Nations Australians in the extinction of Australian megafauna
- Elaboration researching the development of commercial products that are founded on the traditional knowledges and practices of First Nations Australians and discussing related ethical considerations associated with biopiracy and intellectual property rights
They select and use language and text features appropriately for their purpose and audience when communicating their ideas and findings.
Content descriptorAC9S7I08 Science inquiry
write and create texts to communicate ideas, findings and arguments for specific purposes and audiences, including selection of appropriate language and text features, using digital tools as appropriate
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration examining a range of scientific texts, inferring the purpose of the text and target audience, and identifying specific language and text features that support that inference
- Elaboration reporting on a scientific investigation, incorporating diagrams, graphical representations and data as appropriate, and including examination of the accuracy and reproducibility of the data
- Elaboration developing a prototype for a dichotomous key app to enable community members to classify plants or animals in a local park or reserve
- Elaboration writing a letter to the editor to express a view about an environmental issue affecting local ecosystems
- Elaboration creating an informative text for a younger audience to show how the tilt of Earth’s axis, rotation of Earth on that axis, and the revolution of Earth around the sun cause the seasons
- Elaboration creating an animation that explains particle theory to a peer audience
This achievement standard describes the expected learning for Year 7 Science. Use it to plan teaching and assessment with the Australian Curriculum v9.
At a Glance
| Strand | Substrand | CDs | Elaborations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Science as a human endeavour | Nature and development of science | 2 | 11 |
| Science as a human endeavour | Use and influence of science | 2 | 13 |
| Science inquiry | Questioning and predicting | 1 | 6 |
| Science inquiry | Planning and conducting | 2 | 14 |
| Science inquiry | Processing, modelling and analysing | 2 | 11 |
| Science inquiry | Evaluating | 2 | 11 |
| Science inquiry | Communicating | 1 | 6 |
| Science understanding | Biological sciences | 2 | 13 |
| Science understanding | Earth and space sciences | 1 | 6 |
| Science understanding | Physical sciences | 1 | 8 |
| Science understanding | Chemical sciences | 2 | 13 |
| Total | 18 | 112 | |