Unit 1: Biodiversity and the interconnectedness of life Biology
The current view of the biosphere as a dynamic system composed of Earth’s diverse, interrelated and interacting ecosystems developed from the work of eighteenth and nineteenth century naturalists, who collected, classified, measured and mapped the distribution …
Unit 1 | Biology | Science | Senior secondary curriculum
Unit 2: Cells and multicellular organisms Biology
The cell is the basic unit of life. Although cell structure and function are very diverse, all cells possess some common features: all prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells need to exchange materials with their immediate external environment in order to maintain …
Unit 2 | Biology | Science | Senior secondary curriculum
Unit 3: Heredity and continuity of life Biology
Heredity is an important biological principle as it explains why offspring (cells or organisms) resemble their parent cell or organism. Organisms require cellular division and differentiation for growth, development, repair and sexual reproduction. In …
Unit 3 | Biology | Science | Senior secondary curriculum
Unit 4: Maintaining the internal environment Biology
In order to survive, organisms must be able to maintain system structure and function in the face of changes in their external and internal environments. Changes in temperature and water availability, and the incidence and spread of infectious disease, …
Unit 4 | Biology | Science | Senior secondary curriculum
Unit 1: Chemical fundamentals: structure, properties and reactions Chemistry
Chemists design and produce a vast range of materials for many purposes, including for fuels, cosmetics, building materials and pharmaceuticals. As the science of chemistry has developed over time, there has been an increasing realisation that the properties …
Unit 1 | Chemistry | Science | Senior secondary curriculum
Unit 2: Molecular interactions and reactions Chemistry
In this unit, students develop their understanding of the physical and chemical properties of materials including gases, water and aqueous solutions, acids and bases. Students explore the characteristic properties of water that make it essential for physical, …
Unit 2 | Chemistry | Science | Senior secondary curriculum
Unit 3: Equilibrium, acids and redox reactions Chemistry
The idea of reversibility of reaction is vital in a variety of chemical systems at different scales, ranging from the processes that release carbon dioxide into our atmosphere to the reactions of ions within individual cells in our bodies. Processes that …
Unit 3 | Chemistry | Science | Senior secondary curriculum
Unit 4: Structure, synthesis and design Chemistry
Current and future applications of chemistry include the development of specialised techniques to create, or synthesise, new substances to meet the specific needs of society, including pharmaceuticals, fuels, polymers and nanomaterials. In this unit, …
Unit 4 | Chemistry | Science | Senior secondary curriculum
Unit 1: Introduction to Earth systems Earth and Environmental Science
The Earth system involves four interacting systems: the geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. A change in any one ‘sphere’ can impact others at a range of temporal and spatial scales. In this unit, students build on their existing knowledge …
Unit 1 | Earth and Environmental Science | Science | Senior secondary curriculum
Unit 2: Earth processes – energy transfers and transformations Earth and Environmental Science
Earth system processes require energy. In this unit, students explore how the transfer and transformation of energy from the sun and Earth’s interior enable and control processes within and between the geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. …
Unit 2 | Earth and Environmental Science | Science | Senior secondary curriculum
Unit 3: Living on Earth - extracting, using and managing Earth resources Earth and Environmental Science
Earth resources are required to sustain life and provide infrastructure for living (for example, food, shelter, medicines, transport, and communication), driving ongoing demand for biotic, mineral and energy resources. In this unit, students explore renewable …
Unit 3 | Earth and Environmental Science | Science | Senior secondary curriculum
Unit 4: The changing Earth - the cause and impact of Earth hazards Earth and Environmental Science
Earth hazards occur over a range of time scales and have significant impacts on Earth systems across a wide range of spatial scales. Investigation of naturally occurring and human-influenced Earth hazards enables prediction of their impacts, and the development …
Unit 4 | Earth and Environmental Science | Science | Senior secondary curriculum
Unit 1: Thermal, nuclear and electrical physics Physics
An understanding of heating processes, nuclear reactions and electricity is essential to appreciate how global energy needs are met. In this unit, students explore the ways physics is used to describe, explain and predict the energy transfers and transformations …
Unit 1 | Physics | Science | Senior secondary curriculum
Unit 2: Linear Motion and Waves Physics
In this unit, students develop an appreciation of how an understanding of motion and waves can be used to describe, explain and predict a wide range of phenomena. Students describe linear motion in terms of position and time data, and examine the relationships …
Unit 2 | Physics | Science | Senior secondary curriculum
Unit 3: Gravity and electromagnetism Physics
Field theories have enabled physicists to explain a vast array of natural phenomena and have contributed to the development of technologies that have changed the world, including electrical power generation and distribution systems, artificial satellites …
Unit 3 | Physics | Science | Senior secondary curriculum
Unit 4: Revolutions in modern physics Physics
The development of quantum theory and the theory of relativity fundamentally changed our understanding of how nature operates and led to the development of a wide range of new technologies, including technologies that revolutionised the storage, processing …
Unit 4 | Physics | Science | Senior secondary curriculum