Curriculum

The observing projects included here were designed by students and their teachers and are particularly relevant to the NSW and Victorian Yr 7-12 Curricula.

New South Wales

Some aspects of NSW Syllabus prescribed focus areas and knowledge and understanding that are relevant to the basic modules and teaching modules are detailed below.

Stages 4 and 5 (Yr 7-10)

• Using examples (models, theories and laws): Use examples which show that scientists isolate a set of observations, identify trends and patterns and construct hypotheses or models to explain these.
• Components of the universe:
  
  • Describe some major features of the universe, including galaxies, stars, nebulae and solar systems.
  • Describe some changes that are likely to take place during the life of a star.
• Technology: Identify that technologies make tasks easier or more convenient.
• Skills: Performing first-hand investigations.

Stage 6 Physics (Yr 11-12)

• The Cosmic Engine: Stars have a limited life span and may explode to form supernovae.
  
  • Identify that the surface temperature of a star is related to its colour.
  • Identify energy sources characteristic of each star group, including Main Sequence, red giants, and white dwarfs.
• Observations made from Earth: Telescopes and ground-based astronomy.

Victoria

Some aspects of VELS (Victorian Essential Learning Standards) learning goals and scientific content for Years 7 - 10, and covered by these teaching modules, are detailed below.

• Scientists at work: Focuses on students experiencing and researching how people work with and through science. These teaching modules simulate how scientists actually "do" astronomy. This section also emphasises students designing experiments, formulating hypotheses and planning and conducting investigations.
• Interpersonal skills: Accepting responsibility as a team member; students working collaboratively to respect and build on ideas and opinions of team members; working with others to achieve agreed goals within set time frames.
• Use of ICT: Use of ICT for visualising thinking.
• Thinking skills: Processing and synthesising complex information; complete activities focusing on problem solving and decision making that involve a wide range and complexity of variables.
• Specific scientific content: expanding ideas in space science to comets, meteors, stars, galaxies and the Universe, and also to the evolution of the universe as an example of change over time.