Science and Technology, Grade 7

Unit 1: STEM Skills and Connections

Coding that involves planning and designing programs, thinking about how coding and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (including skilled trades) change everyday life, spotting science and technology in occupations and skilled trades, and analysing contributions from many communities.

• Planning and designing programs

• How coding and AI affect life and skilled trades

• Science and technology in occupations and skilled trades

• Analysing contributions from many communities

Unit 2: Interactions in the Environment

Ecosystems as networks of interactions, biotic and abiotic components, the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers, energy transfer in food chains, cycling of matter, succession, and limiting factors — plus assessing the impact of human activities and technologies on the environment and Indigenous sustainability practices.

• Impact of technologies on the environment
• Mitigating and enhancing human impact
• Indigenous practices and environmental sustainability

• Ecosystems as networks of interactions
• Biotic and abiotic components
• Producers, consumers, and decomposers
• Energy transfer in a food chain
• Cycling of matter
• Primary and secondary succession
• Limiting factors in ecosystems
• Agriculture, harvesting, and ecosystem balance

Unit 3: Pure Substances and Mixtures

The particle theory of matter, pure substances versus mixtures, homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures, solubility and rate of dissolving, saturated solutions, water as the universal solvent, separating mixtures, and elements and compounds as atoms — plus assessing the impacts of using and disposing of pure substances and separating mixtures.

• Impacts of using and disposing of pure substances
• Impacts of industrial separation methods

• The particle theory of matter
• Pure substances versus mixtures
• Homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures
• Solubility and rate of dissolving
• Saturated and unsaturated solutions
• Water as the universal solvent
• Separating mixtures
• Elements and compounds as atoms

Unit 4: Form and Function

Classifying solid, frame, and shell structures, centre of gravity and stability, analysing forces on a structure, symmetry, structural failure, material suitability, and how professionals assess structural safety — plus evaluating factors in designing structures and ergonomic design.

• Factors in designing and building structures
• Ergonomic design

• Solid, frame, and shell structures
• Centre of gravity and stability
• Analysing forces on a structure
• Symmetry in structures
• Why structures fail
• Choosing suitable materials
• Assessing structural safety

Unit 5: Heat in the Environment

Using particle theory to explain heat and its effect on particles and volume, how heat is generated, and heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation, including the role of radiation and greenhouse gases — plus assessing heat-loss technologies and the impacts of renewable and non-renewable energy.

• Benefits of heat-loss technologies
• Impacts of renewable and non-renewable energy

• Heat and the motion of particles
• How heat is generated
• Heat and volume (thermal expansion)
• Heat transfer by conduction
• Heat transfer by convection
• Heat transfer by radiation
• Radiation and the heating of Earth
• Greenhouse gases and radiated heat
• Sources of greenhouse gases