Digital Technology

Year 7

Students work on developing their knowledge of the Microsoft 365 suite that enables them to effectively use programs across all of their subject areas. They explore a range of digital dilemmas that incorporate issues around the use of social media, cyberbullying and the fair use of media. Students distinguish between different types of networks and learn how the internet works. They learn the basics of coding and develop their understanding of programming languages, including block based and text. Students then develop, test and modify a text based adventure game applying their coding knowledge.

Year 8

Students further explore the impact of social media on their daily lives and delve deeper into the positives and negatives when using these applications. They explore ways in which they can limit the data that these companies collect. Students acquire data from a range of sources and evaluate their authenticity, accuracy and timeliness. They analyse and visualise data using software to create an information piece. Students extend their knowledge of programming and design a user experience through the use of a general programming language.

Drama Year 7

Students collaborate to devise, interpret and perform drama. Students develop and refine their expressive skills to convey ideas and dramatic action using conventions of different performance styles. They evaluate how they and others from different cultures, times and places communicate meaning and intent through drama. Students explore the origins and characteristics of a performance style, which culminates in an assessed Group Devised Performance and written evaluation and reflection.

In their practical work, students build upon their understanding of status, relationships and intentions through the use of voice and movement to sustain character and situation. In addition, they use focus, tension, space and time to enhance their performance work in both devised and scripted drama. Students also investigate and explore how stagecraft is used in a range of performance styles and apply this to shape their own dramatic works.

Year 8

Students identify and analyse how the elements of drama are used, combined and manipulated through an exploration of different performance styles. They apply this knowledge in the drama they make and perform. Students collaborate to devise, interpret and create drama. They are also encouraged to manipulate the elements of narrative and structure to control and communicate meaning.

They apply different performance styles and their conventions to convey status, relationships and intentions. They use performance skills and stagecraft to shape and present dramatic works to an audience. As they make and respond to drama, students explore ways meaning is created in drama and consider social, cultural and historical influences. They evaluate directors’ intentions, and the expressive and performance skills used by actors and actor-audience relationships in drama they view and perform.

This course builds on previous experience and examines a number of improvisational and scripted performance works. Students experiment with and apply the performance skills of focus, timing, energy and actor-audience relationships. They also explore use of conflict, contrast, symbol, rhythm and climax to enhance their performance works. Finally, students reflect upon their own performances and evaluate how they and others communicate meaning and intent through dram

English

The English curriculum is built around the three interrelated strands of Language, Literature and Literacy. Teaching and learning programs balance and integrate all three strands. Together the strands focus on developing students’ knowledge, understanding and skills in listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and creating. Learning in English builds on concepts, skills and processes developed in earlier years, and teachers will revisit and strengthen these as needed.

In Years 7 and 8, students communicate with peers, teachers, individuals, groups and community members in a range of face-to-face and online/virtual environments. They experience learning in both familiar and unfamiliar contexts that relate to the school curriculum, local community, regional and global contexts.

Students engage with a variety of texts for enjoyment. They listen to, read, view, interpret, evaluate and perform a range of spoken, written and multimodal texts in which the primary purpose is aesthetic, as well as texts designed to inform and persuade. These include various types of media texts including newspapers, magazines and digital texts, early adolescent novels, non-fiction, poetry and dramatic performances. Students develop their understanding of how texts, including media texts, are influenced by context, purpose and audience.

The range of literary texts comprises Australian literature, including the oral narrative traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as well as the contemporary literature of these two cultural groups, and classic and contemporary world literature, including texts from and about Asia.

Literary texts that support and extend students in Years 7 and 8 as independent readers are drawn from a range of realistic, fantasy, speculative fiction and historical genres and involve some challenging and unpredictable plot sequences and a range of non-stereotypical characters.

These texts explore themes of interpersonal relationships and ethical dilemmas within real-world and fictional settings and represent a variety of perspectives. Informative texts present technical and content information from various sources about specialised topics. Text structures are more complex including chapters, headings and subheadings, tables of contents, indexes and glossaries. Language features include successive complex sentences with embedded clauses, unfamiliar technical vocabulary, figurative and rhetorical language, and information supported by various types of graphics presented in visual form.

Students create a range of imaginative, informative and persuasive types of texts, for example narratives, procedures, performances, reports and discussions, and are beginning to create literary analyses and transformations of texts.

Year 7

Reading and viewing

Students understand how text structures can influence the complexity of a text and are dependent on audience, purpose and context. They demonstrate understanding of how the choice of language features, images and vocabulary affects meaning. They explain issues and ideas from a variety of sources, analysing supporting evidence and implied meaning. They select specific details from texts to develop their own response, recognising that texts reflect different viewpoints.

Writing

Students understand how the selection of a variety of language features can influence an audience. They understand how to draw on personal knowledge, textual analysis and other sources to express or challenge a point of view. They create texts showing how language features, text structures, and images from other texts can be combined for effect. They create structured and coherent texts for a range of purposes and audiences. When creating and editing texts they demonstrate understanding of grammar, use a variety of more specialised vocabulary, use accurate spelling and punctuation.

Speaking and listening

Students listen for and explain different perspectives in texts. They understand how the selection of a variety of language features can influence an audience. They understand how to draw on personal knowledge, textual analysis and other sources to express or challenge a point of view. They create texts showing how language features and images from other texts can be combined for effect. They create texts structured and coherent texts for a range purposes and audiences.

Year 8

Reading and viewing

Students understand how text structures are influenced by the selection of language mode and how this varies for different purposes and audiences. They explain how language features, images and vocabulary are used to represent different ideas and issues in texts. They interpret texts, questioning the reliability of sources of ideas and information. They select evidence from the text to show how events, situations and people can be represented from different viewpoints. Students compare different texts which explore similar themes.

Writing

Students understand how the selection of language features can be used for particular purposes and effects. They explain the effectiveness of language choices they use to influence the audience. Through combining ideas, images and language features from other texts students show how ideas can be expressed in new ways. They create texts for different purposes selecting language to influence audience response. When creating and editing texts for specific effects, they consider intended purposes and the needs and interests of audiences.

Speaking and listening

Students listen for and identify different emphases in texts, using that understanding to elaborate upon discussions. They understand how the selection of language features can be used for particular purposes and effects. They explain the effectiveness of language choices they use to influence the audience. Through combining ideas, images and language features from other texts students show how ideas can be expressed in new ways. They create texts for different purposes to influence audience response. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using language patterns fo