Environmental Science

Do you have a taste for the outdoors and are passionate about our planet? Then Environmental Science is the course for you. In this unit, we will discover what drives change in different ecosystems. We explore the important role that fire has in the Australian landscape, the key threats to Australian ecosystems and wildlife, how scientists are working to save threatened species from extinction and what climate change is and how it is affecting our planet. This subject is a good stepping stone to careers in biology, environmental science and zoology.

Life Science (Biology and Psychology)

This unit is designed to lead on to VCE Biology and Psychology.

The focus of the psychology unit is to introduce students to key concepts and ideas found within the VCE psychology course. Students will study the neuron as the primary functional unit of the nervous system, including the role of glial cells in supporting neural function. They will examine neurotransmitters, how they transmit neural information across a synapse using the lock and key process and the effect changes in neurotransmitter levels have on the body.

The biology unit will allow students to evaluate and interpret evidence for evolution, including the fossil record, chemical and anatomical similarities, and the geographical distribution of species. They will examine the processes involved with natural selection, including variation, isolation and selection pressures. 

The unit will finish will the study of biochemistry involving an understanding of the macromolecules of life – proteins, carbohydrates and lipids.

Physical Science (Physics and Chemistry) 

This unit is designed for students wishing to pursue Physics and/or Chemistry in Year 11 and draws a lot of material from these two Year 11 subjects.

The main focus of the Chemistry unit is Organic Chemistry, which is the study of compounds that contain carbon atoms (such as fuels like methane, octane, kerosene, and glucose). They will learn how atoms bond covalently to form molecules and why atoms can bond only in certain combinations and configurations.

In the Physics unit, students will study various aspects of the topic of Energy. They will study heating and cooling, light and waves, and radioactivity.