AC9S8H01 Year 8 Science

AC9S8H01 – Year 8 Science: Nature and development of science

Strand

Science as a human endeavour

Substrand

Nature and development of science

This Content Descriptor from Year 8 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

explain how new evidence or different perspectives can lead to changes in scientific knowledge

Elaborations

• identifying how technological developments, such as those related to microscopes and medical imaging, have led to improved understanding of cells and organs
• considering how advances in technologies have enabled the repair and replacement of organs using synthetic materials
• analysing how sustainability priorities such as efficiency and limiting environmental impact have led to innovative practices in mining and mine site regeneration
• examining the evidence that led to the acceptance of the theory of plate tectonics over the idea of continental drift
• investigating how advances in deep Earth imaging techniques have enabled identification of mineral, energy and water resources beneath surface sedimentary rock
• discussing the story of Sir Isaac Newton’s discovery of gravity or the questions that Albert Einstein asked which led him to developing a new theory
• researching why Dmitri Mendeleev developed a different representation of the periodic table

Achievement Standard This Supports

This Content Descriptor contributes to the following Achievement Standard:

Year 8 ASSCIY8

Year 8 Science Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 8 students explain the role of specialised cell structures and organelles in cellular function and analyse the relationship between structure and function at organ and body system levels. They apply an understanding of the theory of plate tectonics to explain patterns of change in the geosphere. They explain how the properties of rocks relate to their formation and influence their use. They compare different forms of energy and represent transfer and transformation of energy in simple systems. They classify and represent different types of matter and distinguish between physical and chemical change. Students analyse how different factors influence development of and lead to changes in scientific knowledge. They analyse the key considerations that inform scientific responses and how these responses impact society. They analyse the importance of science communication in shaping viewpoints, policies and regulations. Students plan and conduct safe, reproducible investigations to test relationships and explore models. They describe potential ethical issues and intercultural considerations needed for specific field locations or use of secondary data. They select and use equipment to generate and record data with precision. They select and construct appropriate representations to organise and process data and information. They analyse data and information to describe patterns, trends and relationships and identify anomalies. They identify assumptions and sources of error in methods and analyse conclusions and claims with reference to conflicting evidence and unanswered questions. They construct evidence-based arguments to support conclusions and evaluate claims. They select and use language and text features appropriately for their purpose when communicating their ideas, findings and arguments to specific audiences.