Our world is an ever changing place. The relationship between the living and non-living components of our environment affects us all. There are many career opportunities related to science.
At Castle Hill High School we have a team of motivated, dedicated and experienced science teachers who are leading the way in public education. During the last 3 years, the science faculty has designed new exciting programs with interesting context that support inquiry based learning that are differentiated to meet the needs of all students.
The study of science develops students' scientific knowledge, skills and understanding so that students can develop values and attitudes within areas of science that encompass physics, chemistry, biology and earth sciences. By studying the past, present and future of science, students learn to appreciate and understand themselves and the environment.
Students at Castle Hill High School are encouraged to be creative, responsible, scientifically literate, confident and ready to take their place in society. Students work individually and as part of a team to plan and conduct research, investigations and experiments. They are engaged in thinking scientifically and using techniques and technology to develop problem solving activities.
Students in Year 11 and 12 are offered courses in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Senior Science.
Facilities
At Castle Hill High School we have state of the art science laboratories with lab benches, fume cupboards, tables, chairs, emergency safety switches for electrical and gas as well as data projectors or Interactive Whiteboards. This allows Science students to conduct experiments safely and learn using the latest technology making science fun.
Science Trivia
The annual science super quiz is an opportunity for students to flex their Science knowledge muscle, as well as being in the running to win some fantastic prizes. There are Science trivia questions as well as physical science challenges. Students organise and enter teams to take part in the quiz. It's a fun and interesting way to promote science.
Competitions
Within the science facility we provide the opportunity for interested students to enter these competitions:
Australia Science Competition
RACI Titration Competition
Chemistry competition
Excursions
Taronga Zoo
Each year the Year 7 classes go to Taronga Zoo to study animal behaviour and look at the features used to classify animals.
Field of Mars
As part of their Year 11 courses, the Biology and Senior Science students go to the Field of Mars Education Research Centre to study a local ecosystem. During the day they are split into groups and are involved in three separate activities. The first activity is walking along the boardwalk through the mangroves to study the adaptations of the trees and they also calculate the population of crabs that live in the mud. Students then walk through the bushlands studying animal adaptations and interactions. Lastly, they set up a transect to study the effects of fire on the abundance of native trees up in the hills within the sclerophyll ecosystem.
Australian Museum
The Year 11 Biology students also go to the Australian Museum and Botanical Gardens to study Australian flora, fauna, fossils and complete ‘hands on' activities in these areas to support the theory being studied in the classroom.
Human Disease Museum
The Year 12 Biology students went to the Human Disease Museum at University of NSW to study human diseases and add depth of knowledge to their HSC answers.
Australian National Maritime Museum
As part of their studies on the chemistry of shipwrecks and corrosion, the Year 12 Chemistry students went to the Australian National Maritime Museum. During the day the students completed a number of activities. In the morning, they begin in the education centre where they explain how an artefact is processed, from where it is found to the placement within the museum. The students also participate in some ‘hands on' activities. After this, they go on a tour of the museum where they look at particular artefacts on display and learn more about preservation techniques for particular materials. Lastly, they get to see first-hand how the ships try to prevent the effects of corrosion.
JUNIOR SCHOOL Stages 4/5 Science Courses
The new National Curriculum for Science has been implemented across Stages 4 and 5 recently.
Stage 4 Science (year 7 & 8)
Students studying Science in Years 7 and 8 will study a range of topics from the different disciplines; Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Earth Science.
Topics
- Forensic Science
- In The Wild
- Survivor
- Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
- Bionics Man
- Kitchen Chemistry
- Theme Parks
- Third Rock from the Sun
Student's scientific knowledge and skills acquired throughout Stage 4 are tested at the end of Year 8 by a VALID examination.
Stage 5 Science (year 9 & 10)
Students studying Science in Years 9 and 10 will study a range of topics from the different disciplines; Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Earth Science.
Topics:
• Powered Up
• Elementary My Dear Watson
• Pandemics
• Disasters
• Brave New World
• Iman 2.0
• Consumer Chemistry
• Window to the Universe