Science
Centre of Resources Excellence (CoRE)
Centre of Resources Excellence (CoRE) - this STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) based program focuses on Western Australia's place in the resources industry and provides quality hands on learning in the fields of mining, energy and earth sciences. It is an excellent continuation of the Kent Street - Curtin University Mining Challenge which many of our primary schools engage in whilst in years 5 or 6. This is a select entry program and students will need to submit a copy of their school reports demonstrating above average achievement in Science and Maths in particular to be considered for this program.
Senior School
ATAR - Chemistry
The Chemistry ATAR course equips students with the knowledge, understanding and opportunity to investigate properties and reactions of materials. Theories and models are used to describe, explain and make predictions about chemical systems, structures and properties. Students recognise hazards and make informed, balanced decisions about chemical use and sustainable resource management. Investigations and laboratory activities develop an appreciation of the need for precision, critical analysis and informed decision making.
This course prepares students to be responsible and efficient users of specialised chemical products and processes at home or in the workplace. It also enables students to relate chemistry to other sciences, including biology, geology, medicine, molecular biology and agriculture, and prepares them for further study in the sciences.
ATAR - Earth and Environmental Science
This ATAR course explores our planet as a dynamic global system involving interactions between the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and the biosphere. A multidisciplinary approach, including geological and environmental sciences, encourages students to be curious about the world around them and to apply scientific principles to develop a balanced view of the benefits and challenges presented by the utilisation of resources. Management of environmental issues is explored, with students having opportunities to discuss issues and draw evidence-based conclusions.
General - Earth and Environmental Science
This General course encourages students to develop their scientific skills of curiosity, observation, collection and analysis of evidence in the context of the dynamic planet Earth. A multidisciplinary approach, including geological and environmental sciences, encourages students to be curious about the world around them and to apply scientific principles to develop a balanced view of the benefits and challenges presented by the utilisation of resources. Sustainable management of resource use and its effects on the environment are a focus.
Students conduct practical investigations and have the opportunity to participate in field-based excursions that encourage them to apply what they have learnt in class to real world situations and ecosystems. This course provides an understanding of the minerals and energy industry and its contribution to Western Australia’s economy.
ATAR - Human Biology
The Human Biology ATAR course gives students a chance to explore what it is to be human—how the human body works, the origins of human variation, inheritance in humans, the evolution of the human species and population genetics. Through their investigations, students research new discoveries that increase our understanding of human dysfunction, treatments and preventative measures.
Practical tasks are an integral part of this course and develop a range of laboratory skills; for example, biotechnology techniques. Students learn to evaluate risks and benefits to make informed decisions about lifestyle and health topics, such as diet, alternative medical treatments, use of chemical substances and the manipulation of fertility.
General - Human Biology
The Human Biology General course gives students a chance to explore how the human body works. Students focus on bones, muscles, nerves and hormones, and how they maintain the body to act in a coordinated manner. The causes and spread of disease and how humans respond to invading pathogens are studied, as well as the role of males and females in the process of reproduction.
Students investigate the body systems through real or virtual dissections and practical examination of cells, organs and systems. They research contemporary treatments for dysfunctions of the body systems and are encouraged to use ICT to interpret and communicate their findings in a variety of ways. Second-hand data is used to investigate transmission of diseases from a historical perspective and recent global incidences.
General – Integrated Science
The Integrated Science General course is a course grounded in the belief that science is, in essence, a practical activity. From this stems the view that conceptual understandings in science derive from a need to find solutions to real problems in the first instance. The inquiring scientist may then take these understandings and apply them in a new context, often quite removed from their original field. This course seeks to reflect this creative element of science as inquiry. It should involve students in research that develops a variety of skills, including the use of appropriate technology, an array of diverse methods of investigation, and a sense of the practical application of the domain. It emphasises formulating and testing hypotheses and the critical importance of evidence in forming conclusions. This course enables them to investigate science issues in the context of the world around them, and encourages student collaboration and cooperation with community members employed in scientific pursuits. It requires them to be creative, intellectually honest, to evaluate arguments with scepticism, and to conduct their investigations in ways that are ethical, fair and respectful of others.
The Integrated Science General course is inclusive and aims to be attractive to students with a wide variety of backgrounds, interests and career aspirations.
ATAR - Physics
In the Physics ATAR course students will learn how energy and energy transformations can shape the environment from the small scale, in quantum leaps inside an atom’s electron cloud, through the human scale, in vehicles and the human body, to the large scale, in interactions between galaxies.
Students have opportunities to develop their investigative skills and use analytical thinking to explain and predict physical phenomena.
Students plan and conduct investigations to answer a range of questions, collect and interpret data and observations, and communicate their findings in an appropriate format. Problem-solving and using evidence to make and justify conclusions are transferable skills that are developed in this course.