Australia · ACARA Content Descriptions
Year 9 Science
Students explore the interconnected nature of biological, chemical, and physical systems. This course emphasizes evidence-based modeling of atomic structures, plate tectonics, and physiological regulation to explain how matter and energy transform the world.
Control and Coordination
An investigation into how multicellular organisms respond to their environment through the nervous and endocrine systems.
Examining the structure of neurons and the pathway of reflex arcs in response to external stimuli.
Exploring how glands produce chemical messengers to regulate long-term growth and homeostasis.
Analyzing how the body identifies and fights off infectious diseases through specialized cellular defenses.
Atomic Architecture
Developing models of atomic structure to explain the properties of elements and the nature of radioactivity.
Mapping the evolution of the atomic model from solid spheres to the proton-neutron-electron configuration.
Understanding why certain atoms are unstable and how they release energy as they transform.
Chemical Transformations
Investigating how matter rearranges during chemical reactions and the role of energy in these changes.
Using symbolic equations to demonstrate that matter is neither created nor destroyed in reactions.
Comparing rapid and slow oxidation reactions and their impact on energy release.
Exploring the properties of corrosive substances and the neutralization reactions that occur between them.
Shifting Continents
Analyzing the theory of plate tectonics and the geological events that shape the Earth's surface.
Examining the evidence for continental drift and the mechanisms of mantle convection.
Investigating how interactions at plate boundaries lead to sudden energy releases and landform creation.
Energy on the Move
Exploring the transfer of energy through waves, specifically focusing on the properties of sound and light.
Understanding how longitudinal waves travel through mediums and how we perceive pitch and volume.
Investigating reflection, refraction, and the electromagnetic spectrum.
Electrical Circuits
Applying physics principles to build and analyze series and parallel circuits using voltage, current, and resistance.
Defining current and voltage and exploring how energy is transferred in a closed loop.
Building and testing circuits to compare the efficiency of series and parallel configurations.