Work samples

Science

Year 7

Above satisfactory

Researching a scientific discovery

Summary of task

In previous teaching and learning units, students practiced researching scientific topics online and they were taught how to judge the quality of the information they found. Students were given opportunities to write research reports that included bibliographies.

In this task, students were asked to research the history and societal benefit of a scientific discovery of their own choosing. They were asked to create a research report detailing the scientific nature of the discovery, when it was made, who made it, how it benefited society, and if it led to further discoveries or inventions. Students were asked to include images or diagrams where appropriate and a bibliography of the resources they used during their research.

Students worked on their assignments individually over the course of two weeks in class and at home.

Achievement standard

By the end of Year 7, students describe techniques to separate pure substances from mixtures. They represent and predict the effects of unbalanced forces, including Earth’s gravity, on motion. They explain how the relative positions of Earth, the sun and moon affect phenomena on Earth. They analyse how the sustainable use of resources depends on the way they are formed and cycle through Earth systems. They predict the effect of human and environmental changes on interactions between organisms and classify and organise diverse organisms based on observable differences. Students describe situations where scientific knowledge from different science disciplines and diverse cultures has been used to solve a real-world problem. They explain possible implications of the solution for different groups in society.

Students identify questions that can be investigated scientifically. They plan fair experimental methods, identifying variables to be changed and measured. They select equipment that improves fairness and accuracy and describe how they considered safety. Students draw on evidence to support their conclusions. They summarise data from different sources, describe trends and refer to the quality of their data when suggesting improvements to their methods. They communicate their ideas, methods and findings using scientific language and appropriate representations.

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