Year 8

Agriculture – Full Year Course

Course Description
Students will have both theory and practical lessons, experiencing an introduction to the wide range of Agriculture enterprises offered at Urrbrae. This subject will enthuse curiosity, interest and enjoyment in agriculture whilst developing agricultural skills, terminology, concepts and processes. Throughout the year each class will have responsibility for managing the broiler enterprise. Students follow the Urrbrae Middle School Agriculture Curriculum Guide.

Content

• Animal Studies- Goats/Alpacas/Sheep
• Farm Environment
• Home/School Investigation Project
• Introduction to Horticulture and Cereal Crops
• Poultry/Broilers
• Vegetable/Plant Propagation
• Adelaide/Country Shows
• Pigs
• Careers/Pathways

Assessment Components

• Practical/Reports and skills
• Theory/Application Tasks/Class work
• Tests
• Home/School Investigation Project

Additional Information
Students are involved in specialised Practical Rotations. Fieldtrips and Excursions in a variety of areas are conducted.

visual Art – Term Course

Course Description
This course continues to build on foundation skills learnt in Year 7 and explores a variety of skills and techniques. Through research, idea development, and problem-solving, students refine their artistic abilities and develop knowledge and understanding of various artists and art practices.

Content

• Drawing
• Printmaking
• Clay
• Painting and Colour Theory
• Design / Digital Art

Assessment Components

• 40% Practical
• 40% Folio
• 20% Visual Study

Drama – Term Course

Course Description
In this class students have the opportunity to gain an understanding of dramatic techniques and terminology while developing short performances. Students study three scripts and explore backstage roles in order to support their performances.

Content

• Theatre History
• Mime and Movement
• Script Learning
• Stage Craft

Assessment Components

• Written/oral responses to some class activities and performances
• Group devised and/or scripted performances

Additional Information
When possible, students will see a live performance as part of their Drama studies.

Music – Semester or full year Course

Assumed Knowledge
You may have had experience playing and instrument/singing but it is not a requirement.

Course Description
Students learn an instrument and perform as part of a class band as well as performing short pieces in front of the class. Students develop knowledge of music history, theory (reading notation and understanding the science/language of music) and compose and arrange music for different types of instruments and genres.

Content

• Ensemble performance
• Solo performance
• Composition
• Theory and aural
• Music in context

Assessment Components

• Solo Performance
• Ensemble Performance
• Theory Tests
• Composition
• Analysis

Additional Information
All students must attend a weekly instrumental or vocal lesson either through DfE or a private teacher. Instruments available to study through Year 8 music include: woodwind (flute, clarinet and saxophone), brass (trumpet and trombone), classical strings (violin, viola and cello), voice, piano, bass guitar and percussion. Students wishing to study guitar or drum kit must negotiate this with the music teachers (Vinnie Symes and/or Scott Gunn).

Design Technology – Semester Course

Course Description
Students design and make products from a variety of materials, solve practical problems and learn to work safely in a workshop environment. Students move through different areas and complete work in electronics, Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM), wood, sheet metal and plastics.

Content

• Sheet Metalwork
• Wood Technology
• CAD/CAM
• Electronics/Plastics

Assessment
Tasks will be weighted and judged by the Australian Curriculum achievement standards.

English – Full Year Course

Assumed Knowledge
Classes are mixed ability.

Course Description
The curriculum is built around the Australian Curriculum strands of Language, Literature and Literacy, to develop students’ knowledge, understanding and skills in listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and creating. Teachers revisit and strengthen concepts, skills and processes developed in earlier years as needed. Students interpret, create, evaluate, discuss and perform a wide range of texts, including texts designed to inform and persuade.

Content

• Study of print, visual and multimodal texts
• Text production
• Language study

Assessment Components
Eight to ten summative assessment tasks over the year:

• Responding to texts (written or oral)
• Creating texts (written or oral)
• Written tasks performed under timed conditions
• Tests

Additional Information
Students attend one or more performances. Students complete ACER
PAT-Reading assessments to inform teaching and learning.

Health & Physical Education – 3 Terms or Semester Course

Course Description
Through a range of teaching strategies students learn how to take positive action to enhance their own and others’ health, safety and wellbeing.  There is a focus on developing movement competence and confidence.  Students develop specialised movement skills and understanding in a range of Physical activity settings.

Content

• Alcohol & Other drugs
• Mental Health & Wellbeing
• Being Healthy, Safe and Active
• Safety, Challenge & Adventure
• Games & Sports
• Lifelong Physical Activities
• Expressive Movement
• Health Benefits of Physical Activity

Assessment Components

• Students are assessed on performance in theory and practical formats. Performance checklists covering two strands:  Movement and Physical Education and Personal, Social and Community Health.

Additional Information
Students are expected to be changed into the Physical Education uniform and are expected to participate fully. Modifications to our program will be made for individuals with long term medical problems.​

Food & Nutrition – Term Course

Course Description
Through a range of teaching strategies students learn how to take positive action to enhance their own and others’ health, safety and wellbeing. There is a focus on developing a toolbox of skills to make choices to create a sustainable life.  Food and nutrition explores the role of food and nutrition in enhancing health, wellbeing, and performance.

Content

• Hygiene & Preparing Food Safely
• Weighing and Measuring
• Foods from different culture
• Healthy Food Choices
• Paddock to Plate – Foods from our Farm
• Sustainable Food Choices and Reducing Food Waste
• Foods from Different Cultures

Assessment Components

• Students are assessed on performance in theory and practical formats. Performance checklists covering Personal, Social and Community Health are used.

Humanities – Full Year Course

Course Description
This course provides students with an overview of a variety of areas including History, Geography and Civics and Citizenship. This course allows students to study a number of historical changes that have occurred through the world from Ancient to Modern times, explore geographical processes, and recognise the environmental, social and economic factors that attribute to change. Students are exposed to a number of skills they will require through their studies including ethical research, group work, critical thinking and field work.

Content

• Japan Under the Shoguns
• The Black Death
• Medieval History
• Landforms and Landscapes
• Changing Nations
• Government and Democracy​

Assessment Components

• Research Skills
• Source Analysis
• Film Study
• Essay Writing
• Tests
• Field Work
• Oral Presentations

Mathematics – Full Year Course

Assumed Knowledge
There are three levels of Mathematics classes. A small Foundation Mathematics class provides extra support for students with particular numeracy needs. All remaining students are offered either Standard or Advanced Mathematics based on achievement in Year 7. Students are able to move between classes based on teacher recommendations only. Advanced Mathematics in Year 8 is only available to those students who are in the Advanced class in Semester 2 of Year 7.
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Course Description
The proficiency strands understanding, fluency, problem-solving and reasoning are an integral part of mathematics content across the three content strands: The proficiencies reinforce the significance of working mathematically within the content and describe how the content is explored or developed. Teachers use a variety of assessment approaches to accurately reflect student understanding.
An expectation of mathematical proficiency has been embedded into curriculum content across all strands to ensure that students develop mastery in mathematics through the development and application of increasingly sophisticated and refined mathematical understanding and fluency, reasoning, and problem-solving skills. The concepts, skills, procedures and processes essential to the learning of mathematics are organised under the three interrelated strands, in a sequence of development that increases in depth and breadth across the years of schooling.
The three content strands also specify content aimed at progressively developing students’ knowledge and use of mathematical, statistical and computational thinking through the processes of mathematical modelling, computational thinking, statistical investigation, probability experiments and simulations. When students are actively engaged in learning experiences involving the mathematical processes, they draw upon and further develop their mathematical understanding, fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills in an integrated way.

Content

• Number and Algebra
• Space and Measurement
• Statistics and Probability

Assessment Components

• Tests
• Investigations
• Group Work
• Projects
• Observations
• Online Tasks

Additional Information
Calculators and appropriate IT will be used throughout the year. Mathematical competitions run throughout the year to extend students’ knowledge and understanding.

Science – Full Year Course

Course Description
Year 8 Science covers the four branches of science (Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Physics) in easily accessible units that are designed to make science relevant to students’ experiences and appropriate to the Urrbrae setting.

Content

• Classifying Matter
• Using Energy
• Cells and Microscopes
• The Rock Cycle
• Body Systems
• Plate Tectonics
• Chemical Changes

Assessment Components

• Major Assignments
• Quizzes
• Practical Reports
• Oral Presentations
•  End of Topic Tests