Junior School

Year 7 & 8 Curriculum

Year 7 & 8 English

The study of English helps to create confident communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed citizens. English is strongly focused on developing the essential skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Throughout Years 7 and 8, students will be expected to complete a variety of activities within each domain, including writing in a range of styles, as well as reading, analysing, and discussing various texts.

Students will study a selection of texts and complete extended writing units. They will use Education Perfect, an online resource, to help them develop a greater understanding of grammar, spelling, and vocabulary. Students will be assigned to the Library Reading Room for one period per week, where, with the support and commitment of the highly experienced Library staff, students will be encouraged to partake in wider reading and complete activities to build reading strategies. Students are expected to develop more extensive reading habits as they progress through secondary schooling, equipping them with strong literacy skills.

Literacy is an essential part of the College’s Strategic Plan, enabling students to develop the knowledge and skills needed for education, training, and the workplace.  With a range of assessment tools, teachers will work with students to set meaningful goals to develop their literacy skills and improve the quality of their reading and writing.

Students will be provided with opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills through a variety of formal and informal oral tasks. These include debating, book reports, speech presentations and oral comprehension activities.

Year 7 & 8 Mathematics

The Mathematics course initially reinforces and builds upon the four basic operational skills – addition, subtraction, multiplication and division – taught in primary school. All students are required to have a scientific calculator for the entire year.

Every attempt is made, where possible, to link mathematical concepts to real-world applications. Students are encouraged to present work clearly and logically through skills and practice exercises in class. They also complete several problem-solving tasks in our dedicated Numeracy room and then reflect on the methods used in attaining the solution. Students will also undertake On-Demand Testing across the various numeracy dimensions, enabling teachers to identify their skill levels and work extensively to assist students in improving their Victorian Curriculum progression scores. During the allotted weekly period, students will engage in higher-order thinking and Mathematical ideas, broadening their understanding of how Mathematics applies to everyday situations.

In Year 7, concepts of Algebra are first introduced, involving index laws, equation solving and graphs. Introductions to plane geometry, area and volume, measurement and methods of representing statistical data also form an essential part of the course.

Students work from College produced workbooks for each topic studied, and they are also expected to keep their own workbook in an organised format. The online Mangahigh computer program is used by students in all classes to reinforce coursework and to differentiate their learning. Students receive a password and have access to this program at home via the Internet.

Students will be required to complete one scaffolded Common Assessment Task (CAT) per term. This will be presented to students at an appropriate level and will focus on assessing each student’s capacity to demonstrate fluency, understanding, problem-solving, and reasoning in relation to numeracy tasks.

The college offers a Numeracy support program staffed by specialist teachers and explicitly tailored to meet the needs of students requiring intervention in Mathematics.

As a means to further extend Mathematics students, the College annually participates in the Australian Westpac Mathematics Competition. All students are welcome to sit this test and compete against students from across Australia.

Year 7 & 8 Science

In Year 7 Science, the students’ primary focus is to build on their Science Inquiry Skills and literacy skills. Science Inquiry skills involve identifying and posing questions, planning, conducting and reflecting on investigation processing, analysing and interpreting evidence, and communicating findings. There are five sub-strands of Science Inquiry skills that students will learn:

1. Questioning and Predicting: Students will identify and construct questions, propose hypotheses and suggest possible outcomes.
2. Planning and Conducting: Students will decide how to conduct an investigation or solve a problem, including data collection.
3. Recording and Processing: Students record and represent data in meaningful and valuable ways.
4. Analysing & Evaluating: Students will consider the quality of available evidence and the merit or significance of a claim, proposition, or conclusion, and identify trends, patterns, and relationships in data, with reference to the evidence.
5. Communicating: Students will convey information or ideas to others through appropriate representations, text types and modes.

At the end of each unit, students will be expected to complete a CAT (Common Assessment Task) that tests the inquiry skills they have learnt in class for each term. The CAT will run for approximately two weeks. With an additional week of feedback from teachers to each student on how they performed, to help improve their learning.

Each student in Term 1 will study the Earth and Space Science sub-strand entitled ‘Earth and Beyond’, focusing on five essential questions related to the Science Inquiry Skills and on literacy to improve student literacy skills. Students will look at moon phases, tides and seasons within this unit.

Term 2 focuses on the Physical Science sub-strand entitled ‘Gravity: a Force to be Reckoned With’. Students will gain an understanding of the nature of forces and motion, including how a range of contact and non-contact forces, such as friction, magnetism, gravity, and electrostatic forces, influence an object’s motion (direction, speed, and acceleration).

Term 3 sees the students studying the Chemical Science sub-strand entitled ‘The Matter of States’. Students will gain an understanding of the composition and behaviour of substances. Students will classify substances based on properties, such as solids, liquids and gases.

Term 4 is the study of the Biological Science sub-strand entitled ‘Interactions between Organisms’. Students investigate living things, including animals, plants and microorganisms and their interdependence and interactions within ecosystems.

Year 7 & 8 Humanities

Humanities involves the study of people and their place in the world. It includes the areas traditionally covered by History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, Economics and Business.

In Civics and Citizenship and Economics and Business, students explore the systems that shape Australian society, with a specific focus on legal and economic systems. Students learn about Australia’s role in global systems and are encouraged to appreciate democratic principles and to contribute as active, informed and responsible citizens.

In History and Geography, students explore the processes that have shaped and continue to shape different societies and cultures, appreciate the common humanity shared across time and distance, and evaluate how humans have faced and continue to face various challenges.

The Year 7 and 8 course is a two-year program designed to prepare students for greater specialisation in their subject choices as they move into senior years. Students are expected to work at a high level, developing and producing projects, research assignments and comprehensive workbooks.  Computer technologies and other multimedia resources are commonly used in Humanities classrooms at all year levels.

Year 7 & 8 Health and Physical Education

For PE practical classes, students are required to change into their College PE uniform to participate.  In PE, a wide variety of games and sporting activities are undertaken, including basketball, athletics, soccer, volleyball, softball, cricket, netball, and hockey. Students will also undertake a range of physical tests, including the 20m beep test and the 1.3km whole-school run. These tests determine a student’s fitness level and will be retested in the second semester to observe any fitness improvement.

PE games and activities are designed to develop hand-eye coordination, balance, general movement, fitness, and a basic knowledge of game strategies and rules.

Health theory classes will focus on health-related topics and personal development.  Students will also be required to complete one theory Common Assessment Task (CAT) per semester in Health.

Year 7 & 8 Languages Other Than English (LOTE) – German

In Years 7 and 8, each student is required to study German.

The course aims to provide students with an introduction to Germany and its surrounding countries through language and culture. Students will complete a range of writing, speaking and listening activities based on a variety of language themes. Themes studied include greetings and introductions, hobbies, animals, colours, numbers, seasons and family. Special attention is given to students speaking German in a range of contexts.

Cultural themes include a study of the geography, flag, coat of arms, special celebrations, and unique features of German-speaking countries.

To support students with the theory component, they will work from a range of resources supplied by the teacher, as well as from Education Perfect, which includes useful vocabulary, comprehension smart lessons, and listening lessons.

Students are expected to maintain an accurate record of the semester’s work and complete all set activities in a student workbook or on worksheets. Students will regularly be involved in role-play activities, dialogue creation, and class presentations. Regular testing also forms part of the student’s assessment.

Year 7 & 8 Art & Technology Program

The Art & Technology program runs over two years, providing students with the opportunity to experience a wide range of subjects in these areas. Students will work intensively in Visual Arts for 4 periods per week for 1 semester in Year 7 and again for 1 semester in Year 8. In the other semester each year, they will study the different technology subjects.

Year 7 & 8 Visual Arts Program

Throughout the two years, students will complete one semester of art in Year 7, followed by a semester of Visual Communication Design in Year 8. Both programs are designed to equip students with the skills needed to continue their studies in a range of visual arts areas in later years.

Year 7 Art

Throughout the semester, students are exposed to a range of materials, techniques and processes to create visual artworks that communicate, challenge and express their own and others’ ideas. Students engage in a journey of discovery, experimentation and problem-solving relevant to the study of Art while building visual language.

Year 8 Visual Communication Design

In Visual Communication Design, students develop conceptual and aesthetic understandings of design solutions in the world around them. With a focus on the design process, students are encouraged to apply creative, critical and reflective techniques as a fundamental introduction to learning in Visual Communication Design.

Year 7 & 8 Technology Program

The Technology program runs over two years, providing students with the opportunity to experience a wide range of subjects in these areas. Students will work intensively for 4 periods per week in Food Technology, Materials (wood, plastic, metal), and Digital Technology for 1 semester in Year 7 and again for 1 semester in Year 8. In the other semester each year, they will study the different technology subjects

They will develop their skills using The Design Process by designing, planning, making and evaluating a variety of products. The course will focus on the development of both theoretical skills and practical skills, techniques and confidence in the use of a range of tools and machinery.

Digital Technologies

In Years 7 & 8, all students undertake Digital Technologies where they study coding, learn about programming languages and explore how the internet is developed. This equips them with the skills to negotiate ICT throughout their life.

Year 7 Music

Music in Year 7 is a semester-based subject in which students are introduced to all areas of the subject. Students will explore the practical side of the subject by playing the drum kit, keyboard, and guitar, learning basic coordination skills and mastering different songs and rhythmic patterns.

Overall, the subject is intended as a starting point for many students to explore music as either a leisure activity or an avenue for further study and, ultimately, a career. Some students have the opportunity to apply for and become accepted into our Instrumental Music Program to develop their instrumental skills further and join the school band.

They are made aware of the links between music and other subjects such as graphics, Mathematics, Languages, and the Arts.

Instrumental Music

Instrumental Music tuition is available and takes place during class time. The fees are $125 per term (subject to change) for drums, percussion, piano, voice, violin, clarinet, flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, bass and guitar tuition, subject to the availability of private teachers. Students involved in learning a musical instrument are expected to participate in ensemble practice and performances. Some instruments are available for use during lessons at school, though it is desirable for students to obtain their own.

Year 8 Drama

In Drama, students learn the skills of non-competitive teamwork. They get to know each other as a class through warm-up activities and workshops. Students develop their expressive skills (voice, gesture, body movement and facial expression), collaboration and playbuilding skills.

The units of study cover Characterisation and Melodrama. Within these focused units, students will gain an understanding of creating and developing characters for performance, stereotypes, mime and movement, stagecraft elements and performance skills.

Based on the Australian Curriculum, students also learn to “shape drama for audiences using narrative and non-narrative dramatic forms and production elements, build on their understanding of role, character and relationships, use voice and movement to sustain character and situation and use focus, tension, space and time to enhance drama”.

Junior School Engagement Curriculum Program

Cranbourne Secondary College strives to educate our students holistically, and we encourage them to speak up and express their views and concerns in an open, honest and respectful manner. Avenues to raise concerns are regularly discussed with students. The College values student voice and has avenues for students to be active in all aspects of the College, including whole-school decision-making.

The Wellbeing Team, Coordinators, and Engagement Curriculum Teachers work in unison to deliver a range of proactive programs aimed at developing the resilience, empowerment, and safety of our students.

The College has a professional Student Wellbeing Team led by a Psychologist who regularly meets with coordinators to support our students. The College has well-defined referral processes for students and parents, all designed to support our students.

Parents are regularly contacted to inform them of their son/daughter’s progress. Parents are continuously encouraged to contact their son/daughter’s Engagement Curriculum Teacher should they have any queries or concerns.