Engadine High School

Telephone02 9520 0411

Emailengadine-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Science

At Engadine High School, our students build their critical thinking and problem solving skills through their experiences in Science. We want our students to understanding the natural world by utilising scientific ideas and processes.

Engadine students have achieved excellent results in all levels of Science, from the HSC to Year 7 VALID.  Our students have consistently achieved above or at the state average in Physics and Biology with outstanding results in Chemistry. This tradition has continued with implementation of the New HSC in 2018, with students in the new course, Investigating Science, also performing well. This has seen the introduction of Extension Science for 2020.

We emphasise a hands-on approach to learning in Science. Digital technology features regularly in our classrooms through Moodle, Google classroom and BYOD devices.  Our Junior Science programs are designed to build and develop student skills to prepare them for both Year 12 and the real world beyond the classroom.

Years 7 and 8 - Stage 4

In Stage 4 Science, the main aim is to harness students’ natural interest and inquisitiveness, and engage students in scientific methods and ideas (although we never provide as many explosions as students would like).

Year 9 and 10 - Stage 5

In Years 9 and 10, the better-performing students in Science are grouped in two graded classes. These students work on the same programs and learning outcomes as other students, but are offered study of the content to a greater depth and breadth, and are able to aim at higher levels of achievement of the course outcomes.

Year 11 and 12 - Stage 6

Years 11 and 12 students at Engadine High School are offered all five of the NSW Board of Studies’ Science subjects. All of these subjects can be studied for the NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC), and contribute towards the Australian Tertiary Entrance Rank (ATAR). 

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Earth and Environmental Science

  • Physics
  • Investigating Science
  • Extension Science

The broad variety of stage 6 Sciences allows all students at Engadine High School to extend their interests and abilities to prepare themselves for tertiary education and career opportunities. At Engadine High School, students perform at or above stage average in all course. Physics and Chemistry are considered the most appropriate courses for students planning a science or mathematically based tertiary pathway, while Biology, Investigating Science and Earth and Environmental Science cater to the needs and interests of a broader range of students. The introduction of Extension Science for 2020 is indicative of the excellence in Science achieved by Science students.

science project

Additional Activities

Numerous incursions, excursions and special events extend the experience for our students. Students may participate in activities such as the ICAS competitions, forensics days, engineering challenges, Science Week Primary School visits, UoW’s Learning Labs holiday programs, Victor Chang awards and university based work experience programs. The Science Faculty also supports many ATSI based activities such as the Indigenous Students STEM camp.

 

What we offer

  • Let’s Start Science – an introduction to the study of Science, measurement (units, scales and instruments) and the Science laboratory (equipment, techniques, and safe working practices).
  • Mixtures and Matter– a study of common substances, and methods of separating mixtures using a variety of laboratory methods.
  • Energy – the idea of energy, substances and objects that contain stored energy, the ways in which energy is changed from one form to another, and the ways in which people use energy.
  • The Earth’s Rocks – the rocks that form the Earth, weathering and erosion that change rocks and landforms, economically important ores and minerals in Australia, and Australian Aboriginal explanations for the origins of geological features.
  • Living Things – the variety of living things, microscopic observation and cells, and methods of description and classification that organise biological information.
  • Space – an introduction of astronomy, focusing on the Earth and the impact its place in space has on phenomenon on Earth, like tides and seasons.

  • Energy – students observe and describe how energy such as heat and electricity changes systems, and use the particle theory of matter to explain some observations.
  • Living Systems – how the systems of the human body work together to keep the cells that form the body alive.
  • Starting Chemistry – a study of chemical elements i.e. metals and non-metals, and introduces chemical reactions.
  • Ecosystems – the relationships between living things in ecosystems, human impacts on natural ecosystems, and resources from the Earth used by humans.
  • Forces – Introduces the physics of forces and how science explains the nature of the physical world.
  • The Earth in Space – objects in the universe, and how the motion of the Earth produces day, night, seasons and years.
  • Students also plan and carry out a group science research project during Year 8.

  • Staying Healthy – how the human body co-ordinates its actions through the nervous and endocrine systems, the causes and effects of disease, and how the body protects itself from disease.
  • Light, Sound and Waves– the behaviour of energy travelling as sound waves and light waves, the electromagnetic spectrum, and uses humans make of waves.
  • Atoms and Energy- introduces an understanding of the atom and some chemical ideas and techniques, as well as introducing nuclear chemistry.
  • Ecology – the relationships between the variety of plant and animal groupings that form Australian ecosystems, and the ways that ecosystems are managed including by Indigenous management techniques.
  • Electricity – using physics to explain electric phenomena and the safe use of electric current in DC circuits to transfer energy.
  • Plate Tectonics- explain the observations of geology activities and the impact of geological activities on the world.

  • Conquering Chemistry – the concept of a chemical reaction, and various examples of chemical reactions, including the reactions of acids with metals, carbonates and bases.
  • Motion – extends an understanding of the physics of forces students experience in their everyday lives, and scientific laws that explain these forces.
  • Genetics and Evolution – the impact of reproduction, genetics and natural selection on the living world over long periods of time, as well as modern techniques related to biology.
  • The Universe– how humans obtain information about stars and planets, and descriptions and explanations of various local and distant events in the universe by the Big Bang theory.
  • Students also plan and carry out at least one individual science research project during Year 10.
 

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We would like to pay our respects and acknowledge the Dharawal People, the traditional custodians of the land on which the school sits. We also pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal peoples.

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