Level 2 Practical Science

Course Description

This is a general science course that connects the specific strand of Earth and Space Science to the other learning areas and builds on the SCI100 programme. Students who have an interest in Science and enjoy practical experimental tasks but are unsure of which specific discipline to choose should select this course.  We like to encourage the students to investigate their passions alongside their teacher to maximise student engagement.

Standards may be offered from Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, and Physics. This course is made up of only internal assessment standards with no external standards being on offer to students. This means that students of SCI200 are unable to receive a course endorsement for SCI200.

Topics Covered

Standards will be offered topics from a range of science fields (Earth and Space Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics). 

• Practical Investigation in a Physics Context (INT): Collect and process data relating to a physical phenomena. Use accuracy improving and error reducing techniques, justify decisions, and explore limitations of experimental and theoretical understanding.

• Practical Investigation in a Biological Context (INT): Collect and process data related to a biological concept. Use accuracy improving and error reducing techniques to draw a conclusion based on collected data and justify this conclusion using biological knowledge.

• Identification of ions (INT): Dive into the world of qualitative analysis by identifying unknown solutions using patterns and observations involved in a chemical reaction. You'll gather and analyse data to link chemical species to their compounds while exploring their significance for people and the environment, enhancing your understanding of real-world chemistry.

• Socio-scientific Issue (INT): Linking key science ideas together to provide a coherent picture of the science relevant to the socio-scientific issue, and analysing and prioritising the science knowledge and other perspectives related to the issue to justify the response.

Assessment:  

This course offers a total of 15 Level 2 internal achievement standard credits.

Recommendation for subject entry

10 Level 1 Science credits

-OR-

Level 1 Literacy

Course Contribution

$15 for course consumables

Optional Field Trip to Tongariro - Approximate cost of $500 for 4 days (TBC)

Next Steps

This can lead to Level 3 specialist Science courses depending on results.