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Science as a human endeavour
Science as a human endeavour — Australian Curriculum v9.0, Year 10 Science.
This strand is about how science knowledge is built, how it connects to technology and engineering, and how it interacts with society.
AC9S10H01 — Validating and refining knowledge
Students learn to: explain how scientific knowledge is validated and refined, including the role of publication and peer review.
Core ideas
- Claims become more reliable when methods and data are transparent and can be checked by others.
- Peer review helps identify errors, bias, and overstated conclusions before ideas spread widely.
Learning checkpoints
- What is one purpose of peer review?
Sample answer: Other experts scrutinise methods and reasoning to improve quality and catch mistakes before publication.
AC9S10H02 — Science, technologies and engineering
Students learn to: investigate how advances in technologies enable advances in science, and how science has contributed to developments in technologies and engineering.
Core ideas
- New instruments (e.g. imaging, sensors, computing) can make previously invisible phenomena measurable.
- Scientific models and discoveries underpin many engineered systems (materials, energy, transport, medicine).
Learning checkpoints
- Give one example of technology helping scientific discovery.
Sample answer: Space telescopes collecting light from distant galaxies to test cosmological models.
AC9S10H03 — Science and society
Students learn to: analyse the key factors that contribute to science knowledge and practices being adopted more broadly by society.
Core ideas
- Adoption depends on evidence strength, cost, regulation, values, communication, trust, and access to expertise and tools.
Learning checkpoints
- Name two factors that might slow adoption of a well-supported scientific recommendation.
Sample answer: High cost of change; conflicting values; misinformation; lack of trust in institutions.
AC9S10H04 — Values, needs and research priorities
Students learn to: examine how the values and needs of society influence the focus of scientific research.
Core ideas
- Funding, policy, and public concern steer effort toward areas such as health, environment, defence, or industry innovation.
Learning checkpoints
- How might a disease outbreak affect research priorities?
Sample answer: More funding and researcher attention shift toward vaccines, treatments, and surveillance for that disease.