3.4 Time allocation The minimum number of hours of timetabled school time, including assessment, for a course of study developed from this syllabus, is 55 hours per semester. A course of study will usually be completed over four semesters (220 hours). 3.5 Planning a course of study When planning a course of teachers should refer to the scientific priorities, focus areas and key concepts, the general objectives, and should incorporate and apply the organising principles. The planned sequence of of work provides the means for students to explore systematically the key concepts of Science21 in at least two purposeful contexts for learning. A unit of work may be between four weeks and a semester in length, and should allow students the opportunity to develop depth of understanding through the exploration of the key concepts and associated elaborations. When key concepts are substantially revisited, the depth and sophistication of understanding and/or the complexity should be increased. 3.5.1 Course organisation summary 6–12 of work over the four semester course of study Each unit of work developed using a purposeful context for learning across at least two focus areas Each key concept incorporated in at least two different units of work The sequencing of contexts and associated units of work ensure that the course of study develops in complexity, scope and depth over the four semesters The course of should be written to suit the resources, both physical and human, of the school 3.6 Developing a unit of work 3.6.1 Developing contexts as units of work Learning occurs best when the learner considers it to be real and relevant. In Science21, this is done through contextual units of work. Sources or stimuli for contexts are the four scientific priorities of: technology, health and wellbeing, catalysts for discovery, and environment (see Section 3.3). Therefore, a context for Science21 must allow the exploration of: big scientific ideas and explanatory frameworks important local and/or global societal issues how scientific knowledge is established. A context can be developed using: a key question or series of questions investigation(s) hypotheses to be tested a problem or problems to be solved design challenges
3.4 Time allocation The minimum number of hours of timetabled school time, including assessment, for a course of study developed from this syllabus, is 55 hours per semester. A course of study will usually be completed over four semesters (220 hours). 3.5 Planning a course of study When planning a course of teachers should refer to the scientific priorities, focus areas and key concepts, the general objectives, and should incorporate and apply the organising principles. The planned sequence of of work provides the means for students to explore systematically the key concepts of Science21 in at least two purposeful contexts for learning. A unit of work may be between four weeks and a semester in length, and should allow students the opportunity to develop depth of understanding through the exploration of the key concepts and associated elaborations. When key concepts are substantially revisited, the depth and sophistication of understanding and/or the complexity should be increased. 3.5.1 Course organisation summary 6–12 of work over the four semester course of study Each unit of work developed using a purposeful context for learning across at least two focus areas Each key concept incorporated in at least two different units of work The sequencing of contexts and associated units of work ensure that the course of study develops in complexity, scope and depth over the four semesters The course of should be written to suit the resources, both physical and human, of the school 3.6 Developing a unit of work 3.6.1 Developing contexts as units of work Learning occurs best when the learner considers it to be real and relevant. In Science21, this is done through contextual units of work. Sources or stimuli for contexts are the four scientific priorities of: technology, health and wellbeing, catalysts for discovery, and environment (see Section 3.3). Therefore, a context for Science21 must allow the exploration of: big scientific ideas and explanatory frameworks important local and/or global societal issues how scientific knowledge is established. A context can be developed using: a key question or series of questions investigation(s) hypotheses to be tested a problem or problems to be solved design challenges