The senior level units are written by the Cosmos for
Schools team in Australia.
Advanced body systems
In 2014 the world was frightened when a deadly disease took hold in West Africa. Finding a vaccine was a top priority. Understanding what causes diseases and how our bodies fight back was essential knowledge in that search.
Dogs have an amazing sense of smell that can detect cancers and other diseases. Now this ability is inspiring scientists to develop electronic detectors that could save lives. To understand how these devices work you’ll first need to learn the basics about the nervous system.
Finding it hard to sleep at night? It could be because of your hormones – the chemicals that work around the clock to keep your body running smoothly. New research stresses the importance of darkness for a good night’s sleep.
In this biological sciences unit students will learn about the nervous system, the endocrine system and the immune system. This unit is most suitable for students who have already learnt about microbes and the basics of cells. An understanding of the circulatory and nervous systems would be helpful but is not essential.
Reactions & Energy
We don’t really understand chemical reactions until we understand the energy changes that occur in them. If we can use chemical reactions to efficiently store energy from the Sun, it can have a huge impact on our environment and way of life.
In this chemical sciences unit students will learn about combustion reactions, the difference between exothermic and endothermic reactions as well as photosynthesis and respiration. This is a chemistry unit most suitable for students who have already learnt about the basics of chemical reactions and how to balance chemical equations. An understanding of different types of energy and energy transformations would also be useful.