At Ellenbrook Secondary College, the Science Department aims to engage all students, provide for a creative atmosphere, and promote both quality teaching and learning. The ongoing challenge is to get students to understand more about how they learn. The scientific method develops practical, analytical, and problem-solving skills, providing for a common language that students and teachers can use to reflect on and articulate the process of learning. Through investigating the scientific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Physics and conducting experiments, all students are provided with a framework of skills to better understand their world. By providing meaningful, rigorous teaching and learning programmes, with explicit attention to the above-mentioned skills, alongside the many other strategies including both State and National STEM priorities, we facilitate and encourage our students to become lifelong learners and thinkers.
All lower school year groups complete courses of study in Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences and Physics. These courses provide a constructive foundation in all scientific disciplines including Science Inquiry Skills, enabling students to enjoy, value and grow in both their knowledge and appreciation of science in everyday life.
We provide for a variety of upper school General and ATAR courses of study. Students can select from the following courses for both Years 11 and 12.
General Chemistry
The Chemistry General course provides students with the opportunity to develop their understanding of the chemistry of materials encountered in their lives and everyday chemical reactions. Students apply chemical language by using symbols and formulae for common substances. The role of chemistry in contributing to a sustainable future, and in assisting in the protection of the natural environment, is considered; and students explore the chemistry of a range of materials, including crude oil, vegetable oils, biofuels and polymers. An appreciation of the experimental nature of chemistry is developed through laboratory activities.
General Human Biology
An understanding of Human Biology is essential for making good life decisions and contributing effectively to discussions related to health issues in the community. In the Human Biology General course, students engage in activities and investigations to explore the interdependence of body systems for maintaining life and how personal decisions can affect a human body’s functions and their quality of life.
Practical activities are an integral part of this course and students develop a range of laboratory skills. Practical activities will be used to explore the body systems through practical examination of cells, organs and systems and model processes. Students will 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, vaccination and the manipulation of fertility. Students will be encouraged to use digital technologies to interpret and communicate their findings in a variety of ways.
General Science in Practice
Science in Practice is a course grounded in the belief that science is multidisciplinary and, in essence, a practical activity. The Science in Practice course encourages students to be questioning, reflective and critical thinkers about scientific issues, enabling them to make informed decisions about questions that directly affect their lives and the lives of others. Students will engage in activities and investigations on science issues in the context of the world around them and are encouraged to collaborate and cooperate with others in the community.
General Psychology
In the Psychology General course students will be introduced to psychological knowledge which supports an understanding of the way individuals function in groups. Students learn about well-known psychological models and theories, and the methods used to conduct scientific investigations in the discipline of psychology. Acquiring this foundation of scientific method and critical thinking is a valuable skill which students can apply throughout their study, work and everyday lives.
ATAR Biology
A unique appreciation of life and a better understanding of the living world are gained through studying the Biology ATAR course. This course encourages students to be analytical, to participate in problem-solving and to systematically explore fascinating and intriguing aspects of living systems, from the microscopic level through to ecosystems.
Students develop a range of practical skills and techniques through investigations and fieldwork in authentic contexts, such as marine reefs, endangered species, urban ecology, or biotechnology. Scientific evidence is used to make informed decisions about controversial issues.
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 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.
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.