SciExSix
Ages 11 to 12

Semester One

Week 1-5
Unit - Introducing Science
Discipline - General Science
Unit Description - This unit will introduce students to the history of science, how science is done and why science is important to everyone.
Foundational Reading - Selected Chapters from "A Brief History of Science"
Experiment - Live Lab: The personal transport of hot & cold liquids in our daily lives.
Writing - Essay: How do I apply the scientific method in my own life?

Week 6-10
Unit - States of Matter
Discipline - Physics
Unit Description - This unit will explore the foundational scientific concepts of particle theory and energy, emphasizing the relationships between the various properties of matter.
Foundational Reading - John Dalton & Atomic Theory
Experiment - Digital Lab: The relationship between state, temperature, volume & pressure
Writing - Report: How does the modern energy industry (LNG) use the principles of state change?

Week 11-15
Unit - Chemical Reactions
Discipline - Chemistry
Unit Description - This unit will examine the basis of our chemical knowledge, focusing on historical thought, the differences between physical and chemical change, and the applications of chemical bonding.
Foundational Reading - Boyle & The Sceptical Chemist
Experiment - Digital Lab: The formation of chemical compounds from individual elements.
Writing - Essay: What is the most important of the world's compounds?

Semester Two

Week 1-5
Unit - Energy
Discipline - Physics
Unit Description - This unit will introduce students to the concept of energy and its various forms. Students will also explore the importance of energy conversion in their daily lives, with an emphasis on the production of electricity.
Foundational Reading - Thomas Young & the first use of the word "energy."
Experiment - Digital Lab: The variation in efficiency of generating electricity
Writing - Essay: What is the ideal way to produce electricity?

Week 6-10
Unit - Organisms & Obtaining Energy
Discipline - Biology
Unit Description - This unit will examine the foundational unit of organisms, the cell. The unit will focus on the two different types of cells, animal and plant, and examine the different ways these cells obtain the energy necessary for life.
Foundational Reading - Hooke & Cell Theory
Experiment - Digital Lab: The factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis
Writing - Report: How to improve urban farming through an understanding of photosynthesis?

Week 11-15
Unit - Organisms in the Environment
Discipline - Ecology
Unit Description - This unit will introduce students to the interdisciplinary study of nature, looking at the interconnections between biotic and abiotic aspects of the environment. The unit will emphasize the flows of matter and energy needed to support the ecological communities.
Foundational Reading - Linnaeus & The Economy of Nature
Experiment - Digital Lab: Energy transfer through trophic level of the environment.
Writing - Essay: Should humans be vegetarians?