Year 8 Science Assessment Task 4 Notification and Study Guide

Assessment Task Overview and Administration

• Institution: Bethany College

• Course and Level: Year 8 Science (2026)

• Task Name: Assessment Task 4 Notification

• Nature of Task: Semester Exam

• Task Date: Friday 30th October (Week 3A, Term 4)

• Duration: 50 minutes total (including 5 minutes of designated reading time)

• Task Structure and Format:

  • Administered strictly in class during the scheduled lesson time.

  • Features a combination of multiple-choice and short-answer questions.

• Topics Covered:

  • Essential Energy

  • Our Rocky Planet

• Required Equipment:

  • Pens

  • Pencils

  • Eraser

  • Sharpener

  • Calculator

Class Schedule and Testing Locations

• Class 8SCI.M (30 students):

  • Period: Period 3

  • Teacher: Devlin

  • Room: MC311

• Class 8SCI.I (30 students):

  • Period: Period 2

  • Teacher: Underhill

  • Room: MC202

• Class 8SCI.N (30 students):

  • Period: Period 3

  • Teacher: Underhill

  • Room: MC204

• Class 8SCI.D (30 students):

  • Period: Period 1

  • Teacher: Wehbie

  • Room: MC312

• Class 8SCI.S (24 students):

  • Period: Period 2

  • Teacher: Devlin (in Geography – Ms Rizzo)

  • Room: CH101

• Class 8SCI.E (24 students):

  • Period: Period 4

  • Teacher: Sweeney

  • Room: MC310

• Class 8SCI.T (24 students):

  • Period: Period 3

  • Teacher: Wehbie

  • Room: PE103

Assessed Syllabus Outcomes

• Earth and Space (ES):

  • SC4-12ES: Describes the dynamic nature of models, theories and laws in developing scientific understanding of the Earth and solar system.

  • SC4-13ES: Explains how advances in scientific understanding of processes that occur within and on the Earth influence the choices people make about resource use and management.

• Physical World (PW):

  • SC4-10PW: Describes the action of unbalanced forces in everyday situations.

  • SC4-11PW: Discusses how scientific understanding and technological developments have contributed to finding solutions to problems involving energy transfers and transformations.

• Working Scientifically (WS):

  • SC4-4WS: Identifies questions and problems that can be tested or researched and makes predictions based on scientific knowledge.

  • SC4-7WS: Processes and analyses data from a first-hand investigation and secondary sources to identify trends, patterns and relationships, and draw conclusions.

  • SC4-8WS: Selects and uses appropriate strategies, understanding and skills to produce creative and plausible solutions to identified problems.

  • SC4-9WS: Presents science ideas, findings and information to a given audience using appropriate scientific language, text types and representations.

Absence and Illness Procedures

• Variation Submission Requirement: Any student absent on the date of the examination must complete and submit the official Stage 4 Assessment Variation Form.

• Procedural Compliance: All protocols and instructions stipulated in the Stage 4 Assessment Handbook must be strictly followed.

• Consequence of Non-Compliance: Failure to adhere to the required variation process may result in the awarding of a zero mark for the assessment.

Preparation Checklist and Key Study Concepts

• Scientific Inquiry and Data Analysis:

  • Extract and interpret information accurately from tables and graphs.

  • Identify trends, patterns, and relationships within first-hand investigation data and secondary sources.

• Energy Fundamentals and Circuits:

  • Distinguish objects that possess energy due to motion (kinetic energy) from those possessing stored energy due to other properties (potential energy).

  • Relate the flow of electricity to energy transfer within a simple electrical circuit.

  • Construct and accurately draw circuit diagrams featuring a range of components to illustrate electrical transfer.

• Energy Transformations and Efficiency:

  • Describe everyday energy transformations that produce changes in systems, involving motion, electricity, heat, sound, and light.

  • Recognize that most energy transformations are inefficient and result in the unintended production of heat energy (for example, thermal losses in incandescent light bulbs).

  • Discuss how scientific knowledge and engineering innovations contribute to solving contemporary issues, such as modifying device designs to improve the efficiency of energy transfers and conversions.

• Earth Science and Geology:

  • Describe the structural layers of the Earth, including the core, mantle, crust, and lithosphere.

  • Outline the origins, geological processes, and interrelationships between sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks.

  • Identify that sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rock varieties are composed of minerals.

  • Classify common rocks and minerals into distinct groupings based on observable physical and chemical properties.