c) The Humanities

The Humanities program places an emphasis on developing an awareness, knowledge, understanding and appreciation of human societies, people and their cultures in the past and the present and an insight into how people organise their world. The content is related to:

• General humanities (Years Prep – 4)
• History, Geography, and Economics (Years 5 & 6)
• Teaching and learning practices in all classrooms should :
• encourage students to act rationally, sensitively and responsibly in a changing world
• develop knowledge, skills, attitudes and values relevant to the topic
• enable students to make informed decisions and to take appropriate action
• use an inquiry approach to develop concept formation and thinking skills that include the following strategies: listing, grouping, categorising, generalising, hypothesising, drawing conclusions, making judgements

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Research Projects

Research Projects are to reflect the basics of inquiry learning;

• InvestigationÌý– locate, research, gather relevant information, process findings
• CommunicationÌý– spoken, written, visual and multi-media
• ParticipationÌý– collaborative, decision making

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Teachers should assist the boys in their progression from dependence to independence. This assistance should include the development of research skills and skills in presenting information.

Explicit instruction in and appropriate scaffolding for the planning, defining, locating and presenting of information is to be provided. Regular opportunities to practise and apply skills is expected.

The evaluation of research projects is to include the planning, the process, the product and the list of resources. An equal balance of school and homework time is to be provided.

Parents should be encouraged to make judgements on how best to assist their sons in moving towards independent research.

d) Languages Other Than English (LOTE): German

The LOTE program aims to motivate boys towards the learning of a second language. The German program is based on participating in regular classes from Year One to Year Six. These classes are conducted in the German room, while also taking advantages of out of class facilities. Key components are communicating in a language other that English and intercultural knowledge and language awareness.

• Teaching and learning practices in all classes should promote:
• Communication – for a range of purposes and in a range of contexts
• Sociocultural understanding – an understanding of the culture linked with the language
• Language awareness – an understanding of the way language works, its structure, role and effects
• Learning how to learn – students progressively learn to manage their learning
• General knowledge – student’s acquire knowledge of a range of subjects and concepts

e) Mathematics

A sequential mathematics program has been developed for all levels from Prep to Year 6. The programme covers the core areas of mathematics and provides ample opportunity for consolidation and extension activities.

The content consists of:

• Space
• Number
• Measurement and Chance Data
• Structures and Working Mathematically

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The teaching and learning of mathematics at Scotch, recognises that whilst there is no one best way to teach mathematics, several common themes are evident in recognised approaches:

• learning in mathematics occurs from a base of concrete experiences
• whilst mathematical ideas can be abstract and general in nature, it is expected that boys will apply general methods and algorithms systematically to problem solving situations
• mathematics should be taught using a variety of modes of classroom activity
• there is a need to appreciate the learning rates and individual differences of boys
• there needs to be an emphasis placed on using and applying mathematics in everyday contexts
• mathematics should be, wherever possible, linked and applied to practical situations
• mathematics is best learnt when adequate time is provided for boy’s understanding and growth to occur
• mathematics should be fun to learn

f) Science

The Science program places an emphasis on a hands on inquiry approach to capture and build on the boys’ interests and to develop related knowledge, skills, attitudes and values. The goal is stimulate, respond to and nourish curiosity, wonder and questioning.

Science investigations should be based on:

• Chemical Science
• Physical Science
• Earth and Space Sciences
• Biological Science
• Environmental Science

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Teaching and learning practices in all classrooms should develop an understanding of the skills and procedures required to successfully undertake scientific investigations that include:

• Observing
• Communicating
• Estimating
• Measuring
• Collecting Data
• Classifying
• Inferring
• Predicting
• Making Models
• Interpreting Data
• Creating Graphs
• Hypothesising
• Controlling Variables
• Defining and Investigating

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3. Interdisciplinary Learning

The Junior School curriculum provides a range of knowledge, skills and behaviors which cross disciplinary boundaries and are essential to ensuring students are prepared as active learners and problem-solvers for success at school and beyond. Students focus on ways of thinking, communicating, conceiving and realizing ideas and information. They develop the capacity to design, create and evaluate processes as a way of developing creativity and innovation.

The learning Domains are:

a) Communication

Communication is involved in all learning. It involves developing skills, behaviors and knowledge related to listening, viewing and responding in a range of contexts, using a variety of content . Presenting information is critical to enhancing the process of learning. The student displays the capacity:

• to demonstrate and convey what one has learned in different contexts and to different people.
• to understand that language and discourse differ in different disciplines and that there is a need to learn the particular literacies involved in each area.

b) Design, Creativity and Technology

The Technology program develops concepts that prepares boys for the changes and advances that the modern world will present.

Teaching and learning practices should involve boys in programs where:

• the phases of the technology process are used in the acquisition of knowledge and skills about materials, systems and information
• the technology process includes: investigating, designing, producing and evaluating.
• Technology provides a stimulus whereby students:
• generate and act on new ideas
• learn skills to operate materials, systems, information, equipment, machines and tools, and to reduce wastage
• gain an understanding of past and present technologies

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This will enable boys to:

• develop problem solving skills and generate technological solutions to questions
• develop knowledge and skills using a variety of equipment, resources and materials
• discover how to use a range of appropriate equipment, machines and tools safely and efficiently for each situation.

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Students:

• investigate and design using appropriate planning processes and design briefs;
• create and develop ideas, apply information, and seek and test innovative alternatives
• produce, including the selection and safe use of appropriate tools, equipment, materials and/or processes to meet the requirements of design briefs
• analyse and evaluate both processes and products including, where relevant, any broader environmental, social, cultural and economic factors.

c) Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Information Literacy is applied throughout the curriculum and should be seen as a key tool to encourage learning and skill acquisition to meet contemporary needs and outcomes. Information can be gained from electronic and other print sources.

Students use ICT:

• to access, process, manage and present information; model and control events; construct new understandings; and communicate with others.
• and strategies to monitor learning patterns, to process data to create solutions and information products that demonstrate understanding.
• To share their work with others in ethical, legal and respectful ways.

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ElectronicÌýActivities should be planned that utilise the following sources of information: the Internet, C-D Rom, data base, spreadsheets and E-mail.

Boys and teachers should be equipped with the skills to use the available technology in purposeful ways.

These sources of information should support active learning, questioning and problem solving through research, analysis, communication and production.

The boys will develop the ability:

• to communicate electronically, in words and pictures
• to enter, save and retrieve information using a variety of information technology tools and applications
• to organise and manage stored electronic information
• to apply a variety of software applications to solve problems
• to use appropriate terminology when using the technology
• to develop keyboarding skills that enable efficient and accurate data entry

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Other Sources

These sources include non fiction material, magazines, journals, specific organisations, guest speakers and excursions. The use of these sources of information will widen the base of information and enhance the boys ability to create their own interpretations and generalisations from more than one source. Opportunities to practise skills associated with the information process will be provided in the context of curriculum based work.

Boys will use the information process of:

1. Defining
2. Locating
3. Selecting
4. Organising
5. Presenting
6. Evaluation

d) Thinking Processes

Thinking encompasses a range of cognitive, affective and metacognitive knowledge, skills and behaviours. These are essential for effective functioning in society both within and beyond school. The study of thinking enables students to:

1. acquire strategies for thinking related to inquiry, processing information, reasoning, problem solving, evaluation and reflection.