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Year 7 Science Achievement Standard – Australian Curriculum v9
Year 7 Science ASSCIY7

Year 7 Science Achievement Standard – Australian Curriculum v9

This Achievement Standard describes what students are expected to know and do in Year 7 Science by the end of the year. Teachers can use it to guide assessment design, collect evidence of learning, and ensure planning stays aligned with the Australian Curriculum v9.

What Students Should Know

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.

Content Descriptors by Strand

This standard is supported by 18 Content Descriptors:

Science as a human endeavour

Nature and development of science

AC9S7H01 explain how new evidence or different perspectives can lead to changes in scientific knowledge AC9S7H02 investigate how cultural perspectives and world views influence the development of scientific knowledge

Use and influence of science

AC9S7H03 examine how proposed scientific responses to contemporary issues may impact on society and explore ethical, environmental, social and economic considerations AC9S7H04 explore the role of science communication in informing individual viewpoints and community policies and regulations

Science inquiry

Questioning and predicting

AC9S7I01 develop investigable questions, reasoned predictions and hypotheses to explore scientific models, identify patterns and test relationships

Planning and conducting

AC9S7I02 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 AC9S7I03 select and use equipment to generate and record data with precision, using digital tools as appropriate

Processing, modelling and analysing

AC9S7I04 select and construct appropriate representations, including tables, graphs, models and mathematical relationships, to organise and process data and information AC9S7I05 analyse data and information to describe patterns, trends and relationships and identify anomalies

Evaluating

AC9S7I06 analyse methods, conclusions and claims for assumptions, possible sources of error, conflicting evidence and unanswered questions AC9S7I07 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

Communicating

AC9S7I08 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

Science understanding

Biological sciences

AC9S7U01 investigate the role of classification in ordering and organising the diversity of life on Earth and use and develop classification tools including dichotomous keys AC9S7U02 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

Earth and space sciences

AC9S7U03 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

Physical sciences

AC9S7U04 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

Chemical sciences

AC9S7U05 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 AC9S7U06 use a particle model to describe differences between pure substances and mixtures and apply understanding of properties of substances to separate mixtures

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 0
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 18 106

Frequently Asked Questions

What should students know by the end of Year 7 Science?
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.
How many Content Descriptors support this standard?
18 Content Descriptors support this Achievement Standard (Science as a human endeavour: 2, Science as a human endeavour: 2, Science inquiry: 1, Science inquiry: 2, Science inquiry: 2, Science inquiry: 2, Science inquiry: 1, Science understanding: 2, Science understanding: 1, Science understanding: 1, Science understanding: 2).
How does this compare to Year 6?
The Year 6 Science standard (ASSCIY6) covers the preceding year level. Standards build progressively, with Year 7 expectations extending what was introduced in Year 6.
Is this from the latest Australian Curriculum?
Yes, this Achievement Standard is from the Australian Curriculum version 9.0 (AC v9), the most current version published by ACARA.