Science Support
The Science Domain
Introduction to Science
Learning focus and standards Levels 1 2 3 4 5 6
The P-10 Curriculum and Standards section of this website introduces the Science domain including information about its structure, the dimensions, the stages of learning, pathways to VCE, VCE VET and VCAL. It also includes the learning focus statements and standards applicable to Levels 1 to 6.
Teaching and Learning
Relationships with other domains
This advice identifies how concepts and skills in this domain complement student learning in other domains.
Assessment
Standards and Progression points
This resource supports teachers in making on-balance judgments about student achievement for use on reporting software.
Assessment maps (Annotated student work)
The assessment maps are a tool to help teachers assess student work using the VELS. They provide a range of annotated student work samples that can be used by teachers in conjunction with the progression point examples to develop a common understanding of the standards and make consistent, on-balance judgments about student achievement.
Discussion paper: Science Curriculum Area
Science Curriculum Area (PDF - 698KB)
As part of the preliminary work for the development of the VELS, the VCAA commissioned a paper designed to lead discussion on the essential elements of the Science domain. The discussion paper provided theoretical and historical background for the development of the new standards.
- Section 1: Vision
- Section 2: What is science?
- Section 3: An agenda for change
- Section 4: Intellectual challenge
- Section 5: Focus at different stages of schooling
- Section 6: Four dimensions of scientific capability
- Section 7: Integrated skills, values, attributes and habits of mind
- Section 8: Scientific Capability dimensions for the lower primary school
- Section 9: Scientific Capability dimensions for the secondary school
- Section 10: Assessment
- Section 11: Writing the standards
- Section 12: An enabling pedagogy
- Section 13: A curriculum planning framework
- Section 14: Planning to enable scientific capability — some examples
- Section 15: The nature and extent of the change envisaged in school curricula
- Section 16: Teacher professional learning
- Section 17: Support for implementation
- References
- Appendix: Unpacking the dimensions
- Endnotes
Other Resources
Prep to Year 10 Resources – Science Domain
Science domain (www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/teachingresources/science/default.htm)
This Department of Education Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECT) web page contains links to Science related learning and teaching support materials and professional learning support, and identifies current research in the area of Science education.
Science continuum P-10
Science continuum P-10 (www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/teachingresources/science/scicontinuum/default.htm)
The Department of Education has evidence-based indicators of progress and teaching strategies aligned with Mathematics standards and progression points.
Statements of Learning – Science
MCEETYA Statements of Learning (www.mceetya.edu.au/mceetya/statements_of_learning,22835.html)
The Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) requested that National Statements of Learning be developed in English, Mathematics, Science, Information and communication technologies and Civics and citizenship. All states and territories have agreed to incorporate in their curriculum agreed Statements of Learning at Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 by 2008.
STAV
The Science Teachers Association of Victoria (STAV) (www.stav.vic.edu.au/home)
The STAV is the professional association for science teachers in Victoria. Apart from publishing resources for science teachers, the association conducts annual conferences (STAVCON, VCE subject conferences, beginning Science teacher conferences), offers regular professional development workshops and seminars about the Victorian Essential Learning Standards, publishes professional journals for science teachers (LabTalk and Contact) and laboratory technicians (LabLines), and holds student competitions (Science Talent Search, Science Drama Awards).
Australian Academy of Science
Australian Academy of Science (www.science.org.au)
Amongst its numerous activities, the Australian Academy of Science produces materials for teachers including an on-line educational website Nova: Science in the news (www.science.org.au/nova/index.htm) for schools, a primary science program Primary Investigations (www.science.org.au/pi/index.htm), a resource for linking the teaching of science with the teaching of literacy in primary schools, including a professional learning program Primary Connections: linking science with literacy (www.science.org.au/primaryconnections/index.htm), on-line transcripts of interviews with Australian scientists and an annotated list of selected science book titles for children ages 3-12 Good science books for children (www.science.org.au/pi/goodbooks/index.htm).
CSIRO
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) (www.csiro.au/org/ps1w.html)
A number of resources are available for teachers, including Teacher Workshops and Training that provide updates on scientific knowledge, new ways of teaching science and ideas for classroom use, Teacher Guides that provide references to science information, worksheets and other activities for use by students, excursion and incursion opportunities, supported schemes, award and competition programs such as the BHP Billiton Awards and CREST awards; classroom materials such as fact sheets and presentations; ScienceImage Online for science and environment images; Double Helix Science Club for schools, student and teacher research schemes, and an on-line newsletter Science by Email.
