A guide to the new Australian Curriculum (Version 9.0)
Science Years 7–10
This guide has been produced by the expert team of science teachers, authors and publishers at Oxford University Press. It contains a clear, concise overview of the key changes to the structure and content of the Australian Curriculum Science (Version 9.0) and is designed to save you time and help you plan and implement the new curriculum with confidence.
Why is the Australian Curriculum Science changing?
The Australian Curriculum is reviewed by ACARA every 6 years and the 2020–2021 review resulted in the Australian Curriculum, Version 9.0.
The review was conducted to ensure the curriculum was up to date, had a strong evidence base, and matched the high standards expected in other high-performing countries. According to ACARA, ‘Australian Curriculum, Version 9.0 is a more stripped-back and teachable curriculum that identifies the essential content our children should learn’.
In science, there is a stronger focus on students mastering the essential facts, skills, concepts and processes, and being introduced to these at the right time.
KEY FACTS
In May 2022, an updated version of Australian Curriculum Science for Years 7–10 (known as Version 9.0) was released by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)
From Term 1 2023, schools around Australia will begin to implement the Australian Curriculum Science (Version 9.0), most according to their own state and territory timelines.
Schools in some states and territories will be required to adopt the new curriculum in its entirety, while curriculum bodies in other states and territories will adapt the new curriculum and integrate it into their existing state curricula.
Regardless of the approach taken in your state, the Australian Curriculum forms the basis of all state and territory curricula, so this change will affect many aspects of teaching and learning across Australia.
The new Australian Curriculum Science has been designed around the assumption that students will study science in each year of schooling from Foundation to Year 10, but state and territory policies differ, so check with the curriculum or education authority before finalising your teaching programs. For more detailed information on the changes to Australian Curriculum Science (Version 9.0), visit the Australian Curriculum website (australiancurriculum.edu.au).
How is the structure changing?
The basic structure of the Australian curriculum remains unchanged, but most of the content descriptions and achievement standards have changed
The structure of Version 9.0 is still three-dimensional – meaning it includes Learning areas, General capabilities and Cross-curriculum priorities as shown in the table below:
How is the content changing?
Learning areas
The essential knowledge, understandings and skills that students should learn in 8 learning areas.
• English
• Humanities and Social Sciences
• Health and Physical Education
• Languages
• Mathematics
• Science
• Technologies
• The Arts
General capabilities
The knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions required to live and work successfully.
• Critical and creative thinking
• Digital literacy
• Ethical understanding
• Intercultural understanding
• Literacy
• Numeracy
• Personal and social capability
Cross-curriculum priorities
Priorities that reflect national, regional and global contexts.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
• Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
• Sustainability
Overall, there is a much greater emphasis on the cross-curriculum priority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.
The following table provides a brief overview of the key content that is changing in Australian Curriculum Science (Version 9.0) at Years 7–10.
Only content that has been added, moved or removed is listed here. Many other content descriptions have been refined or combined.
More detail on all content and assessment changes, together with course planners, scope and sequence charts, teaching programs, lesson plans, and assessment support will be available for schools implementing the Australian Curriculum with Oxford resources.
Year
7
What’s been added or moved?
Strand: Science understanding
• Models to represent matter and energy flow in ecosystems AC9S7U02
• Predicting the impact of changing abiotic and biotic factors on populations AC9S7U02
• Particle theory in relation to arrangement of particles, motion and attraction between particles and substance properties AC9S7U05
Strand: Science as a human endeavour
• The influence of cultural perspectives and world views on the development of scientific knowledge AC9S7H02
• The role of science communication in informing individual viewpoints and community policies and regulations
AC9S7H04
Strand: Science inquiry
• Planning and conducting reproducible investigations
AC9S7I02
• Identifying assumptions AC9S7I02
• Recognising key considerations regarding heritage sites and artifacts on Country/Place AC9S7I02
8
Strand: Science understanding
• Tectonic activity including formation of geological features at divergent, convergent and transform plate boundaries and the evidence for the theory of plate tectonics AC9S8U03
• Identify indicators of energy change in chemical reactions AC9S8U07
Strand: Science as a human endeavour
• The influence of cultural perspectives and world views on the development of scientific knowledge AC9S8H02
• The role of science communication in informing individual viewpoints and community policies and regulations
AC9S8H04
Strand: Science inquiry
• Planning and conducting reproducible investigations
AC9S8I02
• Identifying assumptions AC9S8I02
• Recognising key considerations regarding heritage sites and artifacts on Country/Place AC9S8I02
What’s been removed?
• The water cycle and resources
ACSSU116
• Science understanding and skills in occupations and how this has influenced the development of practices in areas of human activity
ACSHE121 & ACSHE136
• Properties of the different states of matter can be explained in terms of the motion and arrangement of particles ACSSU151
• Science understanding and skills in occupations and how this has influenced the development of practices in areas of human activity
ACSHE121 & ACSHE136
Year
What’s been added or moved?
9 Strand: Science understanding
• Form and function of reproductive cells and organs in animals and plants and how processes of sexual and asexual reproduction enable species survival AC9S9U02
• The carbon cycle and how processes including combustion, photosynthesis and respiration rely on interactions between Earth’s spheres AC9S9U03
• The law of conservation of energy to analyse system efficiency in terms of energy inputs, outputs, transfers and transformations AC9S9U05
Strand: Science as a human endeavour
• Explain how scientific knowledge is validated and refined including the role of publication and peer review AC9S9H01
Strand: Science inquiry
• Plan and conduct reproducible investigations AC9S9I02
• Identifying and controlling for possible sources of error AC9S9I02
• Developing risk assessments AC9S9I02
• Considering ethical issues and addressing key considerations regarding heritage sites and artifacts on Country/Place AC9S9I02
• Selecting and constructing appropriate representations to organise and process data and information AC9S9104
10
Strand: Science as a human endeavour
• Explain how scientific knowledge is validated and refined including the role of publication and peer review AC9S10H01
Strand: Science inquiry
• Plan and conduct reproducible investigations AC9S10I02
• Identifying and controlling for possible sources of error AC9S9I02 AC9S10I02
• Developing risk assessments AC9S9I02 AC9S10I02
• Considering ethical issues and addressing key considerations regarding heritage sites and artifacts on Country/Place AC9S10I02
• Selecting and constructing appropriate representations to organise and process data and information AC9S10104
Other changes across Years 7–10
• Addition of new elaborations for Science as a Human Endeavour
• Greater focus on the inclusion of First Nations science
What’s been removed?
• Interactions between organisms, including the effects of human activities can be represented by food chains and food webs ACSSU112
• Ecosystems consist of communities of interdependent organisms and abiotic components of the environment; matter and energy flow through these systems ACSSU176
• Use knowledge of scientific concepts to draw conclusions that are consistent with evidence ACSIS170 & ACSIS204
• Use knowledge of scientific concepts to draw conclusions that are consistent with evidence ACSIS170 & ACSIS204
When will the Australian Curriculum (Version 9.0) be implemented in my state or territory?
Education authorities in different states and territories around Australia will determine the timeline for the implementation of the new Australian Curriculum Science (Version 9.0).
Information specific to each state and territory can be found in the table. All information provided was correct at the time of printing. Please confirm your approach with the education authority in your state or territory prior to implementation.
State or territory Science 7–10
Australian Capital Territory
• All government, independent and Catholic schools in the ACT are required to adopt the Australian Curriculum Science (Version 9.0) at Years 7–10 from Term 1, 2024.
For more information visit: ACT Education Directorate
New South Wales
• NESA is currently undertaking a review of existing curriculum in NSW. It’s likely they will incorporate some or all of the Australian Curriculum Science (Version 9.0) content as part of that review.
• All government, independent and Catholic schools in NSW will be required to implement the new NSW Curriculum Science at Years 7–10 from Term 1, 2025.
• More formal implementation timelines and additional details will be made available by NESA from the start of 2023
For more information visit: NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)
Northern Territory
• All government, independent and Catholic schools in NT schools are required to adopt the Australian Curriculum Science (Version 9.0) at Years 7–10. Implementation dates are yet to be confirmed.
For more information visit: Northern Territory Board of Studies (NTBOS)
Queensland
• All government, independent and Catholic schools in Queensland are free to determine their own plan for the implementation of the Australian Curriculum Science (Version 9.0) at Years 7–10 (with a few conditions). Schools can begin teaching the new curriculum at any year level from Term 1, 2023 onwards, but must have completed full implementation by the end of the 2025 school year. That is, from Term 1, 2026 all schools must be teaching Version 9.0 across Years 7–10
For more information visit: Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA)
Tasmania
• All government, independent and Catholic schools in Tasmania are required to adopt the Curriculum Science (Version 9.0) at Years 7–10. Implementation dates are yet to be confirmed.
For more information visit: Department of Education Tasmania
South Australia • All government, independent and Catholic schools in SA will be required to adopt the Australian Curriculum Science (Version 9.0) at Years 7–10. Implementation dates are yet to be confirmed.
For more information visit: South Australia Department for education and learning
Victoria • VCAA is currently undertaking a review of Victorian Curriculum. It’s likely they will incorporate some or all of the Australian Curriculum Science (Version 9.0) content as part of that review.
• Government and Catholic schools are required to continue teaching the Victorian Curriculum at Years 7–10 until further notice.
• Non-government schools may choose to adopt or adapt elements of the Australian Curriculum Science (Version 9.0) at Years 7–10 from Term 1, 2023 onwards.
For more information visit: Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA)
Western Australia
• SCSA is currently undertaking a review of Western Australian Curriculum. It’s likely they will incorporate some or all of the Australian Curriculum Science (Version 9.0) content as part of that review.
• All government, independent and Catholic schools are required to teach the current Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline at Years 7–10 until advised otherwise.
For more information visit: School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA)
Oxford Science for the 7–10 Australian Curriculum
Oxford’s brand new series makes science accessible to all students and increases engagement by giving learners opportunities to achieve success at their individual skill level.
Key features:
Engaging Student Book content purposewritten for the new Australian Curriculum presented in a format that’s easy for students of all abilities to navigate
Questions and activities throughout that scaffold capabilities, model critical thinking and encourage discussions around ethics
‘Science as a Human Endeavour’ content integrated throughout and supported by skill application questions
A range of videos to engage students and support flexible teaching approaches
General capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities integarted throughout content and activities
All content structured logically in topics to make lesson planning and delivery easier – one concept, one spread, one lesson!
Science Inquiry scaffolded across Years 7–10
Assessment and Curriculum reports provide realtime visibility over student achievement and confidence.
The new Australian Curriculum Science is here… and Oxford has you covered!
Oxford Science 7–10 Australian Curriculum is a brand-new teaching and learning resource written for the new Australian Curriculum Science (Version 9.0).
An innovative suite of print and digital resources to guide students on a focused science journey and support teachers as they implement the new Australian Curriculum at Years 7–10.
