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Year 9 Science Achievement Standard – Australian Curriculum v9
Year 9 Science ASSCIY9

Year 9 Science Achievement Standard – Australian Curriculum v9

This Achievement Standard describes what students are expected to know and do in Year 9 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 9 students explain how body systems provide a coordinated response to stimuli. They describe how the processes of sexual and asexual reproduction enable survival of the species. They explain how interactions within and between Earth’s spheres affect the carbon cycle. They analyse energy conservation in simple systems and apply wave and particle models to describe energy transfer. They explain observable chemical processes in terms of changes in atomic structure, atomic rearrangement and mass. Students explain the role of publication and peer review in the development of scientific knowledge and explain the relationship between science, technologies and engineering. They analyse the different ways in which science and society are interconnected.

Students plan and conduct safe, reproducible investigations to test or identify relationships and models. They describe how they have addressed any ethical and intercultural considerations when generating or using primary and secondary data. They select and use equipment to generate and record replicable data with precision. They select and construct appropriate representations to organise, process and summarise data and information. They analyse and connect data and information to identify and explain patterns, trends, relationships and anomalies. They analyse the impact of assumptions and sources of error in methods and evaluate the validity of conclusions and claims. They construct logical arguments based on evidence to support conclusions and evaluate claims. They select and use content, language and text features effectively to achieve their purpose when communicating their ideas, findings and arguments to specific audiences.

Content Descriptors by Strand

This standard is supported by 19 Content Descriptors:

Science as a human endeavour

Nature and development of science

AC9S9H01 explain how scientific knowledge is validated and refined, including the role of publication and peer review AC9S9H02 investigate how advances in technologies enable advances in science, and how science has contributed to developments in technologies and engineering

Use and influence of science

AC9S9H03 analyse the key factors that contribute to science knowledge and practices being adopted more broadly by society AC9S9H04 examine how the values and needs of society influence the focus of scientific research

Science inquiry

Questioning and predicting

AC9S9I01 develop investigable questions, reasoned predictions and hypotheses to test relationships and develop explanatory models

Planning and conducting

AC9S9I02 plan and conduct valid, reproducible investigations to answer questions and test hypotheses, including identifying and controlling for possible sources of error and, as appropriate, developing and following risk assessments, considering ethical issues, and addressing key considerations regarding heritage sites and artefacts on Country/Place AC9S9I03 select and use equipment to generate and record data with precision to obtain useful sample sizes and replicable data, using digital tools as appropriate

Processing, modelling and analysing

AC9S9I04 select and construct appropriate representations, including tables, graphs, descriptive statistics, models and mathematical relationships, to organise and process data and information AC9S9I05 analyse and connect a variety of data and information to identify and explain patterns, trends, relationships and anomalies

Evaluating

AC9S9I06 assess the validity and reproducibility of methods and evaluate the validity of conclusions and claims, including by identifying assumptions, conflicting evidence and areas of uncertainty AC9S9I07 construct arguments based on analysis of a variety of evidence to support conclusions or evaluate claims, and consider any ethical issues and cultural protocols associated with accessing, using or citing secondary data or information

Communicating

AC9S9I08 write and create texts to communicate ideas, findings and arguments effectively for identified purposes and audiences, including selection of appropriate content, language and text features, using digital tools as appropriate

Science understanding

Biological sciences

AC9S9U01 compare the role of body systems in regulating and coordinating the body’s response to a stimulus, and describe the operation of a negative feedback mechanism AC9S9U02 describe the form and function of reproductive cells and organs in animals and plants, and analyse how the processes of sexual and asexual reproduction enable survival of the species

Earth and space sciences

AC9S9U03 represent the carbon cycle and examine how key processes including combustion, photosynthesis and respiration rely on interactions between Earth’s spheres (the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere)

Physical sciences

AC9S9U04 use wave and particle models to describe energy transfer through different mediums and examine the usefulness of each model for explaining phenomena AC9S9U05 apply the law of conservation of energy to analyse system efficiency in terms of energy inputs, outputs, transfers and transformations

Chemical sciences

AC9S9U06 explain how the model of the atom changed following the discovery of electrons, protons and neutrons and describe how natural radioactive decay results in stable atoms AC9S9U07 model the rearrangement of atoms in chemical reactions using a range of representations, including word and simple balanced chemical equations, and use these to demonstrate the law of conservation of mass

At a Glance

Strand Substrand CDs Elaborations
Science as a human endeavour Nature and development of science 2 13
Science as a human endeavour Use and influence of science 2 14
Science inquiry Questioning and predicting 1 5
Science inquiry Planning and conducting 2 12
Science inquiry Processing, modelling and analysing 2 10
Science inquiry Evaluating 2 13
Science inquiry Communicating 1 6
Science understanding Biological sciences 2 12
Science understanding Earth and space sciences 1 9
Science understanding Physical sciences 2 14
Science understanding Chemical sciences 2 14
Total 19 122

Frequently Asked Questions

What should students know by the end of Year 9 Science?
By the end of Year 9 students explain how body systems provide a coordinated response to stimuli. They describe how the processes of sexual and asexual reproduction enable survival of the species. They explain how interactions within and between Earth’s spheres affect the carbon cycle. They analyse energy conservation in simple systems and apply wave and particle models to describe energy transfer. They explain observable chemical processes in terms of changes in atomic structure, atomic rearrangement and mass. Students explain the role of publication and peer review in the development of scientific knowledge and explain the relationship between science, technologies and engineering. They analyse the different ways in which science and society are interconnected. Students plan and conduct safe, reproducible investigations to test or identify relationships and models. They describe how they have addressed any ethical and intercultural considerations when generating or using primary and secondary data. They select and use equipment to generate and record replicable data with precision. They select and construct appropriate representations to organise, process and summarise data and information. They analyse and connect data and information to identify and explain patterns, trends, relationships and anomalies. They analyse the impact of assumptions and sources of error in methods and evaluate the validity of conclusions and claims. They construct logical arguments based on evidence to support conclusions and evaluate claims. They select and use content, language and text features effectively to achieve their purpose when communicating their ideas, findings and arguments to specific audiences.
How many Content Descriptors support this standard?
19 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: 2, Science understanding: 2).
How does this compare to Year 8?
The Year 8 Science standard (ASSCIY8) covers the preceding year level. Standards build progressively, with Year 9 expectations extending what was introduced in Year 8.
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.