Science

Science is about developing a greater understanding of the physical world in which we all live. It is a way of observing and thinking about how and why things happen. It answers questions through experiments, accurate recording of results and thoughtful evaluation based on past experiences.

What will students do in the junior years?

Science is a compulsory subject for students in Years 7 – 10. Each year group studies two topics per term, each taking approximately 5 weeks to complete. Students in stage 4 (Years 7 and 8), study topics from different areas of science including biology, chemistry, geology, physics and astronomy. These concepts are then extended in stage 5 (Years 9 and 10) in preparation for the School Certificate examination.

What can students do in the senior years?

Science in the senior years is not compulsory and the following courses are offered to Year 11 and 12 students.

• Biology (covers topics about ecosystems, evolution, genetics, living things and health and disease).
• Chemistry (covers topics about metals, chemical reactions, energy, acids and bases, production of materials and chemical monitoring).
• Physics (covers topics about communication, electricity and magnetism, motion, and space).
• Senior Science (covers topics about water, plants, environments, everyday chemicals and information systems).

Students can choose to study any combination of the first three subjects (ie Biology, Chemistry or Physics).  If they choose Senior Science, however, they cannot study another Science subject.

All science subjects comprise 4 topics in Year 11 (Preliminary Course) and 4 topics in Year 12 (HSC Course).

What other activities are available to students?

Students have the opportunity to participate in a number of extra curricular activities through the course of each year. The following are some of the activities that have been available to Science students at Bass High School recently:

• Science Week activities, including trivia competitions, poster competitions, researching famous scientists etc.
• Incursions, including liquid nitrogen, dry ice, cosmodome and Toronga Zoo mammal and reptile shows.
• Excursions, including trips to ANSTO, Sydney Aquarium, The Museum of Human Disease at University of New South Wales, and Ecological Science at Homebush.