The Year 9 English Curriculum encompasses three areas of content and skills; Reading & Viewing, Writing and Speaking and Listening. The explore language features, images and the ways in which vocabulary affects meaning. They explain issues and ideas from a variety of sources, analysing supporting evidence and implied meaning. They select specific details from texts to develop their own response, recognising that texts reflect different viewpoints.

Students will draw on personal knowledge, textual analysis and other sources to express or challenge a point of view. They create and analyse texts showing how language features, text structures, and images from other texts can be combined for effect. They create structured and coherent texts for a range of purposes and audiences. Students explore a range of stimulus texts, including novels, film and other print.

Health in Year 9 attempts to develop the skills students need in order to not just survive, but to thrive. An emphasis will be placed on the unique health needs of adolescents. Students will analyse how different contexts and situations influence personal values, beliefs and behaviours and how groups or individuals may seek to influence the behaviour of others. Students will spend time developing an understanding of what makes up a person’s sexuality while understanding the importance of navigating safe and supportive relationships. Students will also analyse drug education and how social factors influence an individual’s risk taking factors and strategies that the students can utilise to limit these influences.

Humanities in Year 9 explores Australia’s place in a global world. Geography firstly explores the interconnectedness of people around the world. This connection can occur through different transport modes, international trade, modern communication means (e.g. internet) and tourism. Students explore different Australian biomes and then look at the availability of food worldwide. In History students will firstly explore the Movement of Peoples around the world as a result of the Industrial Revolution, including slaves to America and convicts to Australia. There will also be a focus on the experiences of free settlers who travelled to Australia in the early days of settlement. They will study World War I – its causes, the experiences of Australian soldiers (including at Gallipoli), and the impact of WWI on Australian life.

Students will compare techniques for collecting data in primary and secondary sources and describe and interpret this data. Students will experiment with algebra, as well as sketching linear and non-linear relations. They will find the distance between points on the Cartesian plane and find the gradient and midpoint of a line segment. Students will calculate the area, volume and surface area of various shapes, and use Pythagoras’ Theorem and trigonometry to find unknown sides of right-angled triangles. They will interpret ratio and scale factors in similar figures and explain similarity of triangles. Students will calculate relative frequencies and estimate probabilities, listing outcomes of two-step experiments and assigning probabilities to those outcomes. They will also construct histograms and back-to-back stem-and-leaf plots.

The students will have the opportunity to develop skills and attitudes relating to physical activity and fitness through participation in a variety of sports and activities, with emphasis on enjoyment and cooperative behaviour. The range of activities includes: Tennis, Fitness, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Hockey, Soccer, Football, Volleyball, Aerobics and Weight Training.

Science is a huge part of everyday life and it is important to know about it. It will help you choose the right doctor or buy the right car. It could help you catch fish or make your own jewellery. Year 9 science aims to give you an overview of the various science topics throughout the year. You will learn content from Biology, Chemistry and Physics. There will be plenty of experiments to solidify your key science skills using state of the art scientific equipment.

Ceramics is the art and technology of forming, firing and glazing clay to make a range of products. Clay, the basic material used in this process, is inexpensive, abundant and found in many locations throughout the world. The Year 9 ceramics course consists of production, development and refinement of skills and the study of cultural and historical works. The study of materials involves planning, organising and the development of an initial idea to a finished three dimensional form.

Students explore dance in a creative and safe environment. Building on their flexibility, coordination, and confidence. Students perform what they have learned throughout the semester to an audience of their peers. Students study stretching safely, gain flexibility and all styles of dance, no matter their level of dance training, from students who have never danced before, to students who have been dancing their entire lives.

To be or not to be, is that the question? In Year 9 Drama, we develop character, develop script writing skills and develop confidence through rehearsal and performance. Learn how to use your speaking voice effectively. Year 9 Drama is a really fun class where students are offered opportunities to develop performance skills through various games and creative activities.

In Year 9 Media, students will explore both practical and theory-based learning. Students will study photography, film analysis, and film production over the course of one semester. Throughout this time, students will gain insight into photography – through both theory and practice. They will learn how to use a camera and take quality photos through practical work and guided instruction. Students will delve into film analysis and get a glimpse into the codes and conventions of film and television. They will work as a “film crew” to produce a short film that uses appropriate codes and conventions of their chosen genre.

Music is for those students with a real interest in music performance (public and/or private). The class is about confidence building and creating opportunities to improve skills. Working in groups, students develop skills in song arranging through practice and performance. They learn how to work as an ensemble in order to create good performances. Students will explore how a musical instrument has been developed historically and, via analysis, how it is used in recordings.

The Year 9 Art course has two components, the production of artworks or ‘the folio’ and the study of artists and art works. The folio focus explores ideas of communication and expression. Students develop ideas using research and refine skills using a range of materials and techniques. The study of artists and artworks enables students to critically analyse artworks from different cultural and historical influences. Art terms and language skills are developed. Students participate in an art excursion to further develop ideas of art.

Students will study the founding Elements of Design through various practical projects. Throughout the semester students gain skills in various drawing methods and both manual and digital design mediums. Students explore sustainable packaging while gaining an understanding of the Communication design field through developing their own surface graphics for a packaging net. Students are also introduced to the design process as a means of organising their thinking about approaches to solving design problems and presenting ideas. Students have the opportunity to develop their own logo while exploring digital design software and different print processes.

The Excellence in Sport (EIS) Program’s vision is to develop students’ sport specific skills, knowledge and practical application in their chosen sports of Australian Rules, Soccer and Volleyball. Additionally, the program will develop skills in other important aspects of sport, such as coaching, umpiring, wellbeing, nutrition and physical conditioning.

The EIS program will develop skills for students to live a balanced and healthy lifestyle, as well as allowing students to strive towards their personal sporting and academic goals.

This is an exciting unit for students to be introduced to the outdoor environments and to participate in challenging and fun activities. You will start to learn about various outdoor activities and what it means to be environmentally friendly while using the great outdoors. Students will learn about the risks, environmental impacts and skills required for recreation in our local environment. Students will participate in both practical and theoretical studies of the following activities – surfing, mountain biking, snorkelling, rock climbing, bush skills and exploring around the Geelong foreshore and Serendip Sanctuary.

This subject looks at Australia as a Global Nation and how this relates to the individual. Students will do work on the Australian economy and how Australia interacts with the rest of the world as part of the global economy. Students will look at the workforce and how to earn money and then cover work on managing financial risk. Finally students will look at the Australian Marketplace and how competition affects the economy.

Civics and Citizenship explores Australia’s political system through the study of democracy and law making. Students investigate the different ways citizens participate in the forming of Government and ways to influence Government decisions. Students explore the responsibilities of the different levels of Government as well as the roles of Parliament and the Courts in relation to making laws that represent society views. Students will understand their rights as citizens and how to be active and informed citizens in different contexts.

Students will explore First Nations culture, history and connections to the land and community. The focus will be on the local Wadawurrung community and wider Koorie communities. Students will participate in a range of excursions, incursions and class tasks in which they engage with the local and wider First Nations communities. The subject will also allow for other community based school programs as opportunities arise.

Calling all History Buffs! Why is King Arthur and Robin Hood a legend and stories of Thor a myth? Why did the Trojan war change from myth to history? All of these will be explored as well as how they helped shape cultural systems of human purpose. This subject will use the six major historical thinking concepts as the framework for structure.

Guten Tag! Up until now students have been focusing on using the present tense to talk about themselves and the world around us. Year 9 German not only continues to refine these skills, but finally we begin to learn about using past tense! Students extend themselves by keeping a ‘Tagebuch’ (Diary), and are given weekly topics to write about. Students finally realise that making mistakes is a good thing! Megakrass! Students have opportunities to enter several competitions from poetry recitals to German short films. All in all we have lots of fun while being super productive!

In Year 9, students of Japanese consolidate their skills in reading and writing hiragana ひらがな and build on their repertoire of kanji characters 漢字。With detailed study on housing in Japan and shopping, students become confident in asking for directions and seeking assistance. Students deepen their understanding of culture by exploring Japanese Pop culture and travel. Building life skills they plan a hypothetical trip to Japan. They continue to refine their everyday conversation skills to talk about the world around them and share opinions and preferences with their peers using increasingly complex grammar. There is an overnight excursion to Melbourne and the chance to compete in a range of fun competitions to hone their skills. Tanoshii deshou! 楽しいでしょう！

Ready Steady Cook!! Students work in the Food Technology classrooms to produce more challenging meals and other products including both sweet and savoury items. The course has two main themes. Firstly the focus is on Meal Planning, with students participating in a “Ready Steady Cook” challenge, based on the long-standing television program. Students also investigate the various components of the menu and prepare and produce a range of courses. This is done both individually and in pairs. The second half of the program focuses on multicultural Australia. Students investigate the impact of indigenous cuisine, immigration and modern culture on Australian eating.

In today’s ever changing digital world, people rely more and more on various forms of tech to get through the day. In Year 9 IT, students will develop their knowledge and skills in using Information and Communication technology. Students will learn a variety of skills to help in the development of a software program, this includes learning key aspects of software design, how to program and effectively document code and how to perform user experience testing.

This course provides the opportunity to become confident in the use and care of the sewing machine. Students engage in a wide variety of practical tasks including choosing and using commercial sewing patterns. Focus areas such as soft furnishing, sleepwear and learning printmaking techniques enable students to be creative and confident designers.

Year 9 Wood Technology focuses on learning the design process and producing timber projects. Students focus on the processes, techniques, knowledge and skills a designer uses to develop a solution to a given problem. Students then investigate the design process and create designs to accommodate their needs and build them safely using hand tools, cordless power tools and large industrial machinery. To finalise the design process, students reflect on their work and evaluate if their final product(s) fulfilled their initial design brief.

If you like to build and program practical solutions to real world problems then Systems Engineering is for you. You will have many opportunities to develop your engineering skills via project-based learning. Initially you will create teacher directed projects then build, program and test your own solutions based on real life robotics technology using LEGO EV3 Robotic Mindstorms components and software. Your system will incorporate the Intelligent EV3 Brick, a compact and powerful programmable computer that makes it possible to control motors and collect sensor feedback using the intuitive icon-based programming software.

Real world problems - can you find the solution? This subject has a focus on the engineering aspects of STEM. Students work through various real life tasks in which they have to logically work through problems to find solutions. The tasks often allow students to design and build models as well as requiring them to collect and analyse data. It also aims to improve students’ skills in areas such as leadership, organisation and teamwork, all of which are important across many curriculum areas.