13SCI

Level 3 Science

Course Description

Teacher in Charge: Mrs S. Fairweather.

Year 13 Senior Science is an Achievement Standard course with one and Unit Standard.  It aims to provide students a wide range of Science based skills, which relate to environmental issues.  With a variety of achievement standards on offer, including one unit standard on report writing, this course will help students develop an understanding of the issues affecting the world around them.  Aspects of astronomy and problem solving are a major part of this course.  Learning opportunities can be used in pursuing further education such as offered by tertiary courses at university and polytechnic.  This is an internally assessed course, which provides students with a range of opportunities within the different branches of science: Earth and space science, biology, physics and senior sciences.  

Should school calendar commitments coincide with learning and the teaching timeline, there is time built in to accommodate changes.



Course Overview

Term 1
US 3491:
You will have the opportunity to gain report writing skills, by using a science topic (TBC). These skills will support the remaining achievement standards on this course.

AS 91527:
New Zealand has been nuclear free for many decades. What are the reasons for this?; What is nuclear power, how is it generated and disposed of?; What are the pros and cons of this form of energy?; How does this relate to the principles of physics? Yo will be finding out about the main principles of nuclear physics (mātai ahupūngao karihi), and what it is used for, and potentially what can go wrong. How would it affect our taiao (environment), and what would we do as Kaitiaki?

Term 2
AS 91522:
If you designed an arawhata (bridge), what would it look like? How could you design it to withstand a tremendous amount of weight? What material would you use and how could you calculate the physics forces (tōpana taurite) related to help you with its shape and load bearing potential? Let’s make use of LEGO (poro kapiti) to help illustrate the physics principles.

AS 91415:
Matariki (The Pleiades) rises just before dawn. You can find the star cluster in this way. Look for Puanga (Rigel) or Tautora (Orion’s belt) in the Eastern sky. Look to the left (heading North-East) to find a bright orange star called Taumata-kuku (Aldebaran) and continue left to find Matariki. What influence does Matariki have and what is its significance? What is Matariki?

Term 3
AS 91602:
New Zealand has a unique ecosystem with many endemic species: species found nowhere else in the World! There are introduced species which have decimated our plant and animal species. Why is this? What is being done to change this and will NZ be predator free by 2050? As kaitiaki, what can we do to support our taiao and prevent introduced pests (riha rāwaho) such as possum, wallabies, rats and other non-endemic species from over-running Aotearoa?

Term 4
There will be time available to check that all of your assessments are up-to-date.

Recommended Prior Learning

The pre-requisites for this enrolling on this course are:  Year 12 Unit Standard US 2990 and any two of the Achievement Standards from Year 12 Science OR one Level 2 External Achievement Standard from Biology, Chemistry and/or Physics.  Consideration will be given to students interested in enrolling on this Year 11(I) Science course in consultation with the Teacher in charge (Mrs Fairweather) and the HOF (Mr Wood).  



Contributions and Equipment/Stationery

2B5 OR 2B8
Pens (black and blue)
Ruler
2 x HB pencils
Eraser
Highlighter

Credit Information

You will be assessed in this course through all or a selection of the standards listed below.

Total Credits Available: 17 credits.
Internally Assessed Credits: 17 credits.

Assessment
Description
Level
Internal or
External
Credits
L1 Literacy Credits
UE Literacy Credits
Numeracy Credits
U.S. 3491 v8
NZQA Info
Write a report
Level: 3
Internal or External: Internal
Credits: 4
Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
University Entrance Literacy Credits: 0
Numeracy Credits: 0

Assessments:
Term: 1, Week: 5

A.S. 91415 v2
NZQA Info
Earth and Space Science 3.6 - Investigate an aspect of astronomy
Level: 3
Internal or External: Internal
Credits: 4
Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
University Entrance Literacy Credits: 4r *
Numeracy Credits: 0

Assessments:
Term: 3, Week: 5

A.S. 91522 v2
NZQA Info
Physics 3.2 - Demonstrate understanding of the application of physics to a selected context
3
3
3
3
Level: 3
Internal or External: Internal
Credits: 3
Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
University Entrance Literacy Credits: 0 *
Numeracy Credits: 0
A.S. 91527 v2
NZQA Info
Physics 3.7 - Use physics knowledge to develop an informed response to a socio-scientific issue
3
3
3
3
Level: 3
Internal or External: Internal
Credits: 3
Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
University Entrance Literacy Credits: 3r *
Numeracy Credits: 0

Assessments:
Term: 2, Week: 5

A.S. 91602 v2
NZQA Info
Biology 3.2 - Integrate biological knowledge to develop an informed response to a socio-scientific issue
3
3
3
Level: 3
Internal or External: Internal
Credits: 3
Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
University Entrance Literacy Credits: 3r *
Numeracy Credits: 0

Assessments:
Term: 2, Week: 10

Credit Summary
Total Credits: 17
Total Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
Total University Entrance Literacy Credits: 10
Total Numeracy Credits: 0