Year 9

By the end of year 9, students develop knowledge, understanding and skills of dance as an art form through choreography and performance. They make and respond to dance works, working in small groups to manipulate the elements of dance to communicate intent. They discover new movement possibilities and develop proficiency as they refine technical and expressive skills to convey different dance techniques, such as Hip Hop, Jazz and Contemporary.

Technique: Developing skills in jazz, contemporary/traditional and hip hop dance styles.

Composition: Students learn skills to create their own dance choreography pieces by exploring movement through a variety of tasks based on themes, ideas and choreographic devices.

Performance: Students have the opportunity to perform at various school and community events, as well as ongoing presentations in class.

Appreciation: students develop evaluative skills as they reflect on their own and other choreographers’’ use of the elements of dance to communicate intent. They investigate dance in Australia and make connections to international contexts.

ASSESSMENT

Participation in workshops, technique execution, composition tasks, performance or presentation, process journal and written responses using IBMYP criteria aligned with the Australian curriculum

By the end of Year 9 students will be familiar with various styles of theatre and theatre conventions. They will have undertaken practical workshop activities to develop their understanding of theatre styles. Students will collaborate with one another to apply this knowledge to devise, interpret and create performances to share in class. Students will attend live theatre and analyse the various stage craft and performance elements both in verbal discussion and in written reviews. This greater understanding will be applied to their performances of scripted drama in the development of various roles and characters and in the manipulation of the performance space.

Students will collaborate with others to plan, direct, produce, rehearse and refine performances. They will select and use the elements of drama, narrative and structure in directing, blocking and acting in order to engage audiences. They will refine performance and expressive skills in voice and movement to convey dramatic action.

ASSESSMENT

Workshops, improvisation, performance and small group production, written reviews, reflective journals and written reports using IBMYP criteria aligned with the Australian curriculum.

This subject is for students who enjoy being creative and would like to explore the exciting and varied world of Design in the context of Graphics and Digital Media.

• Students use the Design Process to produce a range of products like logos, posters, and packaging
• Students explore creative thinking processes and the elements and principles of design
• Students develop skills with Photoshop and other digital technologies

ASSESSMENT

Finished Design works and process journal, folio of skill development on Photoshop, and written reviews using IBMYP criteria aligned with the Australian curriculum.

Music in Year 9 provides students with the opportunity to extend their musical knowledge through workshops, performances, composition tasks and theoretical classes. By the end of Year 9 music, students will be able to read and write music using basic notation and will begin to use this knowledge to form their own original compositions. Students will be taught analytical skills and begin to interpret the different elements of music including aural analysis, pitch, notation, rhythm defining characteristics from different musical styles and cultures.

Students will be asked to focus on their instrument of their choice for practical lessons and performances, both in class and publicly at school assemblies. To assist with this, it is highly advisable that students have their own instrument so they can practice at home. Instrumental lessons are provided to all music students for a variety of instruments free of charge. These lessons will take place within school hours and are required to support students with the practical component of the course. If a student is already receiving lessons privately, school based instrumental lessons are not necessary.

This course caters for students of all ability levels and experience and provides an excellent foundation for further music study in later school years.

ASSESSMENT

Performances, tests and written assignments using IBMYP criteria aligned with the Australian curriculum.

In year 9, students evaluate how visual art form communicates artistic intentions in artworks that the students make and view. They evaluate artworks and displays from different cultures, times and places. Students analyse connections between visual conventions, practices and viewpoints that represent their own and others ideas. They identify influences of other artists’ on their own artworks.

Students manipulate materials, techniques and processes to develop and refine these to represent ideas and subject matter in their artworks.

ASSESSMENT

Finished Art pieces, written and oral responses that demonstrate a student’s specialized vocabulary, IBMYP Process journal.

This course will introduce students to aspects of engineering, construction and maritime shipbuilding industry. Students will learn welding, fabrication and machining skills and processes. Students use the design and realisation process to engineer solutions for the development of products or systems.

Students will be given the opportunity to:

• Learn to create a design brief that provides the basis for the development of potential solutions to design problems.
• Review design features, processes, materials and production techniques to assist with the realisation of the solution. A solution in this subject is an outcome of the design and realisation process in relation to the chosen context.
• Analyse influences on a product or system including ethical, legal, economic, and/or sustainability issues.
• Consider the practical implication of these issues on society or design solutions.
• Use new and evolving technologies.
• Apply appropriate skills, processes, procedures and techniques whilst implementing safe work practices in the creation of the solution. Learn to use the industry standard Autodesk Inventor software to design, create, model and assemble 3-dimensional objects.

Assessment:

Students are assessed against the MYP Design Cycle and Australian Curriculum Standard 9/10.

Technologies aims to develop creative and innovative problem solving. Students will analyse problems, design and create solutions and evaluate their outcomes. Students will engage in contemporary and emerging technologies using design thinking strategies.

Students will be given the opportunity to:

• Produce designed solutions using a variety of material options (wood/metal/plastic/paper) within a workshop environment
• Work independently and collaboratively to develop innovative solutions using the Design Cycle.
• Analyse influences on a product or system including ethical, legal, economic, and/or sustainability issues.
• Engage in the product development process using design thinking
• Design products using industry standard 3D modelling software

Assessment:

Students are assessed against the MYP Design Cycle and Australian Curriculum Standard 9/10.

Digital Technologies provides students with practical opportunities to use design thinking and to be innovative developers of digital solutions and knowledge. The subject helps students to become innovative creators of digital solutions, effective users of digital systems and critical consumers of information conveyed by digital systems.

This subject is an integrated approach to teaching technology. The Digital Technologies Curriculum is introduced to students via the following:

· Programming Structures – Sequence, Selection & Iteration

· Excel Spreadsheets – Performing Simple Coded Functions

· Text-based Game Design & Construction using a General-purpose Programming Language – Python

· Pseudo Code – Plain English planning using both Written & Graphical means

· Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Robotics – LEGO Mindstorms

ASSESSMENT

Students will be assessed using the ‘Design Cycle’ approach to projects, design, make, evaluate using IB criterion (A,B,C,D)

Students to use entrepreneurial capabilities and the design cycle to create their own small business concept and product.

Student will design, create, brand and market a product. Products could have a social issues focus or recycle/new focus. Products created could come under the headings of jewellery, home solutions/decor, fashion, textiles, wood, metal or mixed materials.

2 Full Design cycles in the semester. 1 for product design – 1 for branding/marketing.

End of semester showcase/ market afternoon of products to school community.

The main two areas of study are:

• Food Preparation enables students to extend their skills introduced in Year 8. Students will work in a team environment and share equipment and resources. Gourmet breakfast meals, vegetarian and cereal-based dishes will be prepared by the students. Health risks associated with take away, high fat, sugar and low fibre diets are also researched and discussed
• Textiles, design and construction enables students to extend their knowledge of textiles and practical skills developed in Year 8. Use of commercial patterns and construction of a designer bag to save the environment is the main focus. A major research assignment on a man-made fibre of choice is undertaken to extend the student’s understanding of construction and design concepts.

ASSESSMENT

Students are assessed on the design cycle using IB criteria

A: Inquiring and analyzing

B: Developing Ideas

C: Creating the solution

D: Evaluating; assessment tasks, practical work and evaluations.

In Year 9 English, students will read, view and analyse a range of texts eg Poetry, Prose, Drama, Visual, Short Pieces, Multimedia and Electronic texts

Listen to, evaluate and produce a range of spoken texts, eg Anecdotes, Debates, Multimedia Presentations, Poetry Performances, Formal Speeches and Social Issue Reports

Compose a range of texts – written and multimedia for particular audiences, purposes and contexts.

The nature of the texts students study and produce will become more complex from Year 8 to Year 9. There will always be an emphasis on exploring issues relevant to adolescents and an approach that allows students to engage with aspects of our society including its diverse cultural aspects. At each year level, students will develop skills in understanding the language of different texts and acquire strategies to help them compose their own texts.

ASSESSMENT

Students will be assessed according to the International Baccalaureate Assessment Criteria and will:

• Listen to spoken texts, examine spoken texts and produce spoken texts
• Read and view texts
• Compose written and multimedia texts
• Engage in associated language activities

In Year 9 students will study 2 terms of History and 2 terms of Geography:

History: The course consists of an overview and 3 in depth studies. Students will study the Modern World (1750 -1918) including Making a Nation, Industrial Revolution and World War 1. A strong emphasis will be placed on bringing history alive and examining the relevance of how history informs the present. Issues in present day society that have their roots in these time periods will be analysed.

Geography: The course adopts an inquiry based approach to Biomes and Food Security and Global Connections. A strong emphasis will be placed on interactivity and creative ways of exploring the world around us.

ASSESSMENT

Students will be assessed according to the International Baccalaureate Assessment Criteria and will complete Source and Data Analyses, Investigative Reports, Immersive Assignments, Imaginative and Analytical Essays, Visual and Oral Presentations

“You live a new life for every new language you speak. If you know only one language, you live only once.” ‒ Czech Proverb

Being able to communicate in another language is available to everyone at Le Fevre High School.

Students will leave this course with the ability to communicate in Indonesian on a wide variety of topics which are both relevant and useful to them. Their confidence and ability with speaking, listening, reading, and writing in Indonesian will provide them with intercultural competence and problem-solving skills for the workforce and life.  Their understanding of English will be enhanced through the learning experiences they are provided with.

They will journey further through Indonesia’s culture via the arts, food and many other learning experiences made available to them.

ASSESSMENT

Students will be assessed using the IBMYP Criteria in the following areas:

• Comprehending spoken and visual text
• Comprehending written and visual text
• Communicating in response to spoken, written and visual text
• Using language in spoken and written form

In Year 9 Mathematics, students solve problems involving simple interest. They interpret ratio and scale factors in similar figures. Students explain similarity of triangles. They recognise the connections between similarity and the trigonometric ratios. Students compare techniques for collecting data from primary and secondary sources. They make sense of the position of the mean and median in skewed, symmetric and bi-modal displays to describe and interpret data.

Students apply the index laws to numbers and express numbers in scientific notation. They expand binomial expressions. They find the distance between two points on the Cartesian plane and the gradient and midpoint of a line segment. They sketch linear and non-linear relations. Students calculate areas of shapes and the volume and surface area of right prisms and cylinders. They use Pythagoras’ Theorem and trigonometry to find unknown sides of right-angled triangles. Students calculate relative frequencies to estimate probabilities, list outcomes for two-step experiments and assign probabilities for those outcomes. They construct histograms and back-to-back stem-and-leaf plots.

CONTENT

The following topics provide the framework for learning in Year 9 Mathematics:

• Pythagoras and Trigonometry
• Indices
• Distributive Law
• Measurement
• Coordinate Geometry
• Linear Relationships
• Statistics
• Probability
• Financial Mathematics
• Similarity

ASSESSMENT

Evidence of student achievement will be gathered through tests, investigations and other assessment tasks.

In semester 1 students complete a research task on the surface area to volume ratio of cubes, “squared” cylinders and spheres in order to analyse why cargo ships are so large. There are tests for each topic covered.

In semester 2 collect data from other Year 9s and analyse it using statistical measures. They investigate the chance of certain events occurring. They use coordinate geometry to solve problems around the house. There are tests for each topic covered.

Students are assessed against the IB MYP Science assessment criteria:

Criteria A: Knowing and understanding

Criteria B: Investigating patterns

Criteria C: Communicating

Criteria D: Applying mathematics in real-life contexts.

The Healthy Lifestyle unit of Physical and Health Education is a compulsory curriculum for one semester for all Year 9 students at Le Fevre High School. Students will continue to build on leisure and social knowledge, understanding of movement skills and take positive action to enhance their own and others’ health, safety and wellbeing. Students will continue a semester of compulsory Health and Physical Education in Year 9 and in Year 10, as well as have the opportunity for further Physical Education experience by selecting an additional elective semester of Physical Education in Years 9 and 10.

CONTENT

MYP physical and health education aims to empower students to understand and appreciate the value of being physically active and develop the motivation for making healthy life choices. This course will provide students with opportunities to learn about and experience aspects of health and physical activity. The focus is on developing skills and improving performance in games and sports, fundamental movement challenges, tactical learning and spatial awareness as well as a lifelong healthy lifestyle. Topics covered in this course include:

• Field Invasion Games – Set up play and Defend the goal
• Court Invasion Games
• Challenge Games – Kayak
• Court Divided Games – Defend attack and Set up attack
• Safety
• Food and Nutrition
• Relationships and Sexual Health (Shine Program)

ASSESSMENT

Students are assessed using the MYP assessment criteria and levels of achievement. Students are assessed on the following:

• Knowledge and Understanding
• Planning for Performance
• Applying and Performing
• Reflecting and Improving

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

It is expected that students change into the PE uniform for all practical lessons and wear appropriate footwear, as directed by their PE teacher, they will be required to change back into their school uniform at the conclusion of the lesson.

This unit of Physical and Health Education is an elective unit for one semester for any Year 9 students wishing to choose to select a second unit of Physical Education at Le Fevre High School. The course is designed specifically to further extend the range of sports and activities that students have covered in the compulsory course and will increase student’s knowledge and understanding of movement skills, which will provide the foundations of learning to be successful in Physical Education in Year 11 and Year 12. Students will still be required to complete a semester of compulsory Health and Physical Education in Years 9 to 10 in addition to this elective subject.

CONTENT

MYP physical and health education aims to empower students to understand and appreciate the value of being physically active and develop the motivation for making healthy life choices. Physical Education elective course will develop and build on knowledge and understanding of human movement including:

• Data collection in Sport
• Sports Psychology
• Group Dynamics
• Individual Skill Development
• Volleyball
• Basketball

ASSESSMENT

Students are assessed using the MYP assessment criteria and levels of achievement. Students are assessed on the following:

• Knowledge and Understanding
• Planning for Performance
• Applying and Performing
• Reflecting and Improving

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

It is expected that students change into the PE uniform for all practical lessons and wear appropriate footwear, as directed by their PE teacher, they will be required to change back into their school uniform at the conclusion of the lesson.

This unit of Physical and Health Education is an elective unit for one semester for any Year 9 students wishing to choose to select a second unit of Physical Education with a specialist element of Football at Le Fevre High School. The course is designed specifically to extend student’s knowledge and understanding of movement skills with relation to Football, which will provide the foundations of learning to be successful in the Football program in Year 11. Students will still be required to complete a semester of compulsory Health and Physical Education in Years 9 and 10 in addition to this elective subject.

 CONTENT

The Specialist Football Program enables students with a passion for soccer to develop knowledge, understanding and skills in all aspects of football including playing, rules, and fitness components and training principles. Students within the program are given the opportunity to receive specialist skills coaching, fitness development and access to quality training facilities. Topics covered in this course include:

• Skill and Performance development
• Performance Analysis
• Fitness
• Psychology for Football
• Group Dynamics

ASSESSMENT

Students are assessed using the MYP assessment criteria and levels of achievement. Students are assessed on the following:

• Knowledge and Understanding
• Planning for Performance
• Applying and Performing
• Reflecting and Improving

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

It is expected that students change into the PE uniform for all practical lessons and wear appropriate footwear, as directed by their PE teacher. There is a $70 (plus GST) course fee for Football in Year 9 for students wanting to represent the school in regular competitions.

In Year 9 Science, students explain chemical processes and natural radioactivity in terms of atoms and energy transfers and describe examples of important chemical reactions. They describe models of energy transfer and apply these to explain phenomena. They explain global features and events in terms of geological processes and timescales. They analyse how biological systems function and respond to external changes with reference to interdependencies, energy transfers and flows of matter. They describe social and technological factors that have influenced scientific developments and predict how future applications of science and technology may affect people’s lives.

Students design questions that can be investigated using a range of inquiry skills. They design methods that include the control and accurate measurement of variables and systematic collection of data and describe how they considered ethics and safety. They analyse trends in data, identify relationships between variables and reveal inconsistencies in results. They analyse their methods and the quality of their data and explain specific actions to improve the quality of their evidence. They evaluate others’ methods and explanations from a scientific perspective and use appropriate language and representations when communicating their findings and ideas to specific audiences.

CONTENT

The following topics provide the framework for learning in Year 9 Science:

• Inside the Atom
• Chemical Change
• Energy on the Move
• Ecosystems
• Responding to the World
• Movement on the Earth’s Surfaces

ASSESSMENT

Students are assessed through a range of tests, assignments and practical reports.

In semester 1, students investigate come from and research and come up with their own opinion whether nuclear power should be used in Australia. Students measure the energy found in different foods. They research a contagious disease and how its spread can be minimised.

In semester 2 students investigate how their reaction times can be affected and how buildings can be better designed in earthquake prone areas. They research how bionic devices can improve the lives of their users and what the ideal car colour for Australia’s climate is.

During Year 9, all students will be given the opportunity to participate in the Kayaking Interdisciplinary Unit as part of their compulsory curriculum. Aspects of Science (Ecosystems) and HPE (Safety) are linked to create an engaging program that investigates the sustainable utilisation of the Port River Barler Inlet Estuary. Students will engage in both theoretical concepts at school and practical kayaking excursions at West Lakes and Garden Island.

Students are assessed against the IB MYP Science assessment criteria:

Criteria A: Knowledge and Understanding

Criteria B: Inquiring and Designing

Criteria C: Processing and Evaluating

Criteria D: Reflection on the Impact of Science