SUBJECTS at BLACKTOWN GIRLS
 
 

        

Select the subject you would like to know more about:
English            Visual Arts
Maths            Languages
Science            P/D/H/P/E/
History            The Social Sciences
Music            Technology and Applied Studies

English

Our central objective in teaching English is to provide you with learning activities in talking, listening, reading and writing. These activities aim at helping you grow towards excellence in your use of language and in your response to it. We try to provide interesting lessons that grow from your needs and abilities and make interesting demands on your language resources. Our aim is to provide a classroom environment in which you will be able to work constructively and in which it is possible to provide special assistance to students with particular talents or difficulties. In English you will experience a wide range of literature and you will be involved in using computers and practical activities such as Drama. Year 7 students are recommended to purchase a copy of a pocket dictionary.

Blacktown Girls High School also offers learning support for students with learning difficulties and students from non‑English speaking backgrounds.

To assist students with learning difficulties there is a Peer Tuition Reading Program, individual Literacy Plans and across the curriculum support. For students from non‑English speaking backgrounds there is cross‑curriculum E.S.L. support and parallel English classes in Years 8, 9,10 11 and 12.

 

Mathematics

Students in Mathematics are actively involved in learning, doing and using Mathematics to solve problems. Across the strands of Geometry, Measurement, Data Handling , Number and Algebra students develop knowledge, understanding and skills and an appreciation of Mathematics as an essential and relevant part of life.

Years 7 and 8 are activity‑centred ‑ creativity and originality are encouraged. We aim for students to develop a positive attitude to Mathematics as an interesting, enjoyable and challenging subject.

In Years 9 and 10 three levels of Mathematics are offered ‑ Standard, Intermediate and Advanced. Students will be placed in the appropriate level, based on their performance throughout Years 7 and 8 in this subject.

 

Science

The junior Science syllabus is a new one, incorporating all aspects of science, including chemistry, biology, geology, physics and astronomy. The course actively encourages the formation of sound values and opinions as well as developing a strong basis of scientific knowledge and skills. Literacy is incorporated into the framework of the science curriculum, as is the development of important technology, research and presentation skills. The science course at Blacktown Girls is an interesting and varied course that will provide students with a very good understanding of the importance, relevance and impact that science has on our society. Teaching of the junior course is varied and interesting, allowing for all ability levels and interests.

 

History

Those students who study History in Year 7 will be investigating the distant past. We will be looking at how historians are detectives who find evidence to investigate some of the greatest mysteries of the past. We will be studying Ancient Egypt or Greece, Famous Women from across the ages, Medieval Times and the Impact of European Exploration on peoples like American Indians, Aborigines and the Maori of New Zealand. Students will be developing skills in timelines, working with sources, researching and communicating. Excursions will complement the course.

 

The Social Sciences

Geography is compulsory for all students and is taken either in Year 7 or 8. This course concentrates on the study of people and their environments as well as our links with neighbouring countries and the rest of the world.

 

Languages

At Blacktown Girls High School, either French or Spanish is studied in Years 7 and 8. At the end of Year 8, you may elect to continue this language into Years 9 and 10. The emphasis in our teaching of French is on communication. We want our students to be able to use the language they are learning. To assist us in this aim much use is made of video and audio material within lessons. Outside the classroom, you will be encouraged to experience the language in a wide range of situations. You will watch television, write to penfriends in countries where French is spoken, participate in drama work, and visit exhibitions, plays and concerts. We also access French resources on the Internet and have conducted an annual Language Study excursion to France since 1996. Over the years we have found a sister school in Lyon which we visit regularly during our trips to France. In 2000 Blacktown Girls hosted 24 students from that school. Our aim is to create sound links between the two schools and encourage students to consider exchange programs in senior years.

 

Music

Music is an enjoyable subject that has a practical, hands‑on approach. Students are given opportunities to learn keyboard and guitar in class lessons. Students are also able to learn other instruments such as flute, clarinet, drums, saxophone and trumpet when they join the band and tuition programs are offered. The Music course encourages students to develop skills through listening and creating their own compositions. Students are exposed to a wide range of musical styles, and are encouraged to join the extra‑curricular activities such as band, choir, rock bands and school musicals.

 

Personal Development/Health/Physical Education

Our PD/Health/PE and Sports Programs emphasise variety, enjoyment and positive attitudes towards physical activity. In Year 7 you will participate in practical and theory lessons of PD/Health/PE. In Years 9 and 10, as well as the PD/Health/PE periods you will also be able to choose from a wide selection of competitive or recreational sports. In your PD/Health Education lessons we will try to help you develop an awareness of the importance of health. This will include learning how to ensure that your own lifestyle, and the lifestyle of the people around you, is the best that it can possibly be.

 

Technology and Applied Studies

In Years 7 & 8 you will begin your studies in the TAS Key Learning Area with a 2‑year course called Design & Technology. During this time you will design and make a variety of items using a range of materials such as textiles, food and timber. You will develop your research and problem solving skills as well as use the computer to help you with your Design Briefs. The course "Design & Technology" covers a range of context areas that you can study during Years 7/8 including:

Agriculture, The Built Environment, Clothing & Accessories, Engineered System, Food.

Health & Welfare, Information & Communication, Leisure and Lifestyle, Manufacturing Transport & Distribution.

All the units have a theory and practical aspect as well as including opportunities to develop your computing skills. Please see Contribution Schedule for material costs. In Years 9 & 10 you can select electives such as Computer Studies, Design & Technology or Food Technology.

 

Visual Arts

From our earliest times, man has communicated with others through visual images. In our changing world today, these images bombard our senses as part of our everyday lives.

The Visual Arts course guides students in their study of the relationships between the artist, the world, artworks and audiences, as they are taught to understand and interpret what they see. Their practical skills are developed in both two dimensional works [drawing, painting, printmaking] and three dimensional works [sculpture, ceramics] and they discover ways to think and find solutions to problems associated with their art making. This course encourages students to develop a personal style and technique when expressing their ideas and to appreciate the many forms of art relevant to their current learning and life after school.