Year 11 science

Science is able to inform problem solving and decision making in many areas of life. Many of the major challenges and opportunities that confront our world need to be approached from a scientific perspective, taking into account social and ethical considerations.

By studying science you will:

• develop an understanding of the world, built on current scientific theories

• learn that science involves particular processes and ways of developing and organising knowledge and that these continue to evolve

• use your current scientific knowledge and skills for problem solving and developing further knowledge

• use scientific knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about the communication, application, and implications of science as these relate to your own life and culture and to the sustainability of the environment.

You will develop the ability to:

•  think as a scientist, work cooperatively, use scientific language, symbols and text

•  plan practical scientific investigations, process and interpret scientific information

•  communicate scientific information, gather and report scientific information

•  use scientific knowledge and understanding to describe/explain scientific phenomena;

• apply scientific knowledge and understanding in a variety of contexts.

Science has two courses:

• 11SCI - Students in this course can also opt for a single Science subject (L1 Biology, Physical Sciences or Physics).

• 11SCN -  This is not a course that students can select - students in this course will have been selected on the recommendation of their Year 10 teacher.  The programme provides students with opportunities to: acquire a body of basic scientific knowledge and an understanding of some important scientific ideas, develop basic experimental and investigative abilities, and recognise the difference between scientific and non-scientific ideas and explanations. Students in 11SCN can not opt for a single Science subject (L1 Biology, Physical Sciences or Physics)

Most students will be doing 11SCI - this course will have four major units. 

• Chemistry for the Environment (9 - 10 weeks)

• Everyday Physics (9 - 10 weeks)

• Earth and Space Science (5 - 6 weeks)

• Biology: From Cells to Solutions (9- 10 weeks)

The Chemistry, Physics and Biology components of the 11Sci course provide a solid foundation for students to then go on to study Chemistry, Physics and / or Biology in Year 12, NCEA Level 2.

Both courses will contain practical work where you learn what science is and how scientists work. You will develop the skills, attitudes, and values to build a foundation for understanding the world.  

Extra Curricular STEM opportunities

There are a number of extra-curricular opportunities in the STEM subjects, details can be found on the following website. https://sites.google.com/wc.school.nz/wc-science-extracurricular/home

Year 10 Science

Both courses are assessed using our WC Learning Progression Framework