AC9S7U03 Year 7 Science

AC9S7U03 – Year 7 Science: Earth and space sciences

Strand

Science understanding

Substrand

Earth and space sciences

This Content Descriptor from Year 7 Science provides the specific knowledge and skills students should learn. Use it to plan lessons, create learning sequences, and design assessments that align with the Australian Curriculum v9.

Content Descriptor

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

• 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
• 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
• using physical models or virtual simulations to explain the cyclic patterns of lunar phases and eclipses of the sun and moon
• researching knowledges held by First Nations Australians regarding the phases of the moon and the connection between the lunar cycle and ocean tides
• investigating First Nations Australians’ calendars and how they are used to predict seasonal changes
• 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

Achievement Standard This Supports

This Content Descriptor contributes to the following Achievement Standard:

Year 7 ASSCIY7

Year 7 Science Achievement Standard

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.