Real Life Science
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The Real Life Science course provides students with a variety of contemporary real world contexts in which they can investigate science concepts. Students are required to use scientific skills such as curiosity, observation and data collection to explore these contexts. The study of Real Life Science encourages students to develop and conduct practical investigations based on the knowledge gained in lessons. These investigations will be in real world contexts to encourage students to recognise the impact of science on society. The course is structured as discrete units covering a large variety of contexts. Some possible contexts could be:
- cosmetics
- rocketry
- kitchen chemistry
- marine biology
- robotics
- sustainability and biodiversity
- water
- biotechnology
- environmental degradation
- mining
- first aid
- infectious disease
- local ecosystem studies
- aquaculture
- horticulture
- vehicle design and safety
- climate change
Assessments in the course are mostly project based investigations that will require the development of science inquiry skills as well as 21st century / STEM skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, data analysis, initiative, communication, flexibility, creativity and collaboration.
Future Curriculum Links The Real Life Science course focuses on developing students’ ability to investigate science issues in the context of the world around. The course allows students to explore many of the science disciplines including Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
Additional Information The study of Real Life Science is designed to be inclusive and as such is highly relevant to further studies in many fields. The course aims to be attractive to students with a wide variety of backgrounds, interests and career aspirations.
We definitely recommend Real Life Sciences as an elective for those who want to explore the many other non-curriculum topics in science through a fun hands-on experience. So far, our Year 9 class has studied cosmetics, marine biology and psychology. It has been great choosing the topics we wanted to study for the year, which has made each lesson super interesting, from creating face masks and bath bombs, to testing the limits of our intelligence in psychology. This elective has boosted our STEM skills and has changed the way we appreciate science in our everyday life. Kassandra Avedikian, Mia Stefanelli and Sannidhi Rao