PPTA

(May 2009)  This is a new unit, rather than a current unit interrogated and then revised.   It concentrates on how planet Earth maintains a relatively stable temperature, suitable for life. It is an adaptation of a unit developed last year in response to the change in the Planet Earth and Beyond strand that now includes more systems thinking. The maintenance of a stable climate involves all of the spheres –the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. This unit will hopefully help students to understand that Planet Earth works as a whole, and that the ocean and atmosphere play a crucial part. This will enable students to gain background so that planetary problems can be discussed and possible solutions understood.   Author:    Jenny Pollock

(May 2009)  This is a new unit in response to the changed Science curriculum and is intended for students doing Science at Year 13 or doing an Environmental Science course.  While I have run parts of the unit before, I have not run the unit as a whole, but I anticipate it would take a term.   Each section would need to be broken down into lessons and some would take longer to do then others.  I teach skills as they seem relevant during the unit, so that by the time the assessment is reached students have all the skills needed to complete it.  My students are very average and need this type of scaffolding.  I have a range of templates they can use for the teaching tasks that I am developing.  Author:  Margaret Arthur

(April 2009)  The unit encourages the students to take control of their own learning. However to take into account the new curriculum, there have been some additions to the main section on the unit with a series of questions added on the end of the unit to allow to students to demonstrate the knowledge and scientific ideas they have gained in contexts that are relevant to them and encourages critical thinking about issues using scientific methodologies.  Author:  John Whakamoe

(April 2009)  This unit works well to link Physics concepts to everyday observations. There are practical applications and opportunities for the student to investigate phenomena in practical situations. The focus is qualitative ideas/understanding, rather than quantitative. Although the unit is, for most students, entirely new learning, the phenomena can be observed in everyday life.  Linking to experience is the key to building shared learning and connections to prior learning and experience.  Author:  Lee O’Neill

(April 2009) Organic Chemistry is the basis of all living life. It has significant implications for aspects of everyday life such as  cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, plastics and energy sources.  It should be an area that helps students relate to the life around them as most things around them are made up of organic compounds.  This is often addressed, not in the learning experiences, but by the teacher relating and telling those connections as the interesting “science stories” that teachers have.  This makes the subject real for the student although the student is not actively involved in the finding out of this “information / story”.  Author:  Fiona Lamberton

(April 2009)   The senior Biotechnology unit exemplifies the dynamic nature of our subject like no other. By its very nature, biotechnology is a rapidly evolving field in which the techniques and applications themselves are changing quickly in response to advances in science knowledge, materials technology, computing power etc. In addition, the human interest factor in Biotechnology offers a wide range of rich contexts which are likely to engage students. As a field of human activity, biotechnology is an organised and structured process that utilises science knowledge so can be understood using a systems thinking approach.  Author:  Terry Burrell

(April 2009)  This is a pretty basic unit on Planet Earth.  There are lots of practical bits that can be included and it lends itself to the new curriculum.  As this may be all the geology most students do, it is important to keep it in Years 9 and 10.    Author: Margaret Arthur