Year 11 Environmental Science Units 1 and 2
Overview
Environmental Science is a practical based subject where you got outside and collect data about the environment around you and learn to explain the science you see.
In Environmental Science Units 1 & 2 you will explore the interactions between humans and their environment, including the interactions between the atmosphere, water, earth and other living things.
In Unit 1, you will focus on learning about the Earth’s four systems and their components and how they are linked through their inputs, outputs and processes.
We focus on Ecology and ecosystems for Outcome 1 where we look at a Victorian ecosystem and analyse the food webs and chains that make up the biosphere in that region.
You will investigate Earth’s long timeline and the changes over this time that have created the environment we live in today, study climate models for sea level changes and analyse the temperature of the ocean around the Great Barrier Reef over time
In Unit 2, you will look at what affects Earth’s capacity to sustain life. This unit focuses on managing pollution, as well as how food and water security sustain Earth’s systems.
You’ll compare the advantages and limitations of how food is produced to help achieve regional and global food security, evaluate the use of ecological footprint analysis for assessing future food and water security.
For Outcome 3 you will investigate how scientific endeavours contribute to minimising human impacts on Earth’s systems. Students must complete 10 hours of practical logbook tasks in Unit 1 and in Unit 2 to demonstrate their ability to work scientifically and use the key scientific skills.
Who is it for?
This course is for students who enjoy learning about planet Earth.
It is for students who are curious about how Earth supports life.
This is a subject for students who like to go outside and do experiments.
This subject is for anyone who has wondered how the planet works to support life and is passionate about thinking of environmental solutions that help us live more sustainable.
What do you do?
- Go Outside
- Model the different environmental systems
- Explore the ecology of local areas
- Determine what makes something a pollutant
- Calculate your ecological footprint
- Analyse what threatens biodiversity on Earth
- Investigate sustainable farming practices used to produce food
- Complete student lead investigations into how Earth supports life and how to limit the impact of humans on Earth.
- Use a log book to record practical experiments results
There will be opportunities to come to VSV to complete practicals and investigations.
What skills do you need?
Curiosity.
A basic understanding of how to work scientifically.
What skills do you develop?
Key science skills including the collection, analysis and evaluation of environmental data and critical thinking.
- Design experiments to test different environmental solutions and
- Using Models to understand Environmental processes and develop critical thinking skills
Requirements
- 2 Exercise Books, one for your notes and one to act as your logbook.
- A ruler.
We will send a practical kit out at the start of the semester with any equipment you need including a thermometer and rain gauge.
You will need to find a few things around home to complete the practicals.
At the start of each week we will let you know if you need anything from around the house to complete the logbook tasks in that week.
Things to think about
This is a great course for students who like Science, it is not like Biology, Chemistry or Physics as it is a combination of these things that make up planet Earth and support life.
If you are little bit interested in why we have volcanoes and how soil is created to support live then this is a great subject to do with real life examples.
You’ll also complete experiments and go outside to collect data and samples.
Things you can do now
Read over this story about why we need to think about removing lead from paint and how lead can be a pollutant. Inside the push to eliminate lead from paint (unep.org)
Look over the list of Australia’s Endangered Animals (natureaustralia.org.au) and research the environment these animals are found.
Check out the careers you can achieve by studying Environmental science here: Careers in Environmental Science | EnvironmentalScience.org
Look over the Atlas of Living Australia and see what information is being collected about the different living organisms in Australia. See if you can find the animals and plants that have been found near where you live.
Atlas of Living Australia – Open access to Australia’s biodiversity data (ala.org.au)
Things to have a look at
Earth’s 4 systems
Global list of all the threatened species
Atlas of Living Australia