Secondary Year 7 – Year 10: Science

Human Rights Examples for the Australian Curriculum: Secondary
Year 7 – Year 10

Science

SCIENCE YEAR 7
Code	Content Description	Human Rights Example
ACSSU112	Interactions between organisms can be described in terms of food chains and food webs; human activity can affect these interactions.	Investigating specific examples of the impacts of biodiversity loss on the rights of Indigenous peoples who rely on the forests for their food, shelter and livelihoods in Indonesia, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
ACSHE119	Scientific knowledge changes as new evidence becomes available, and some scientific discoveries have significantly changed people’s understanding of the world.	Researching the stories of scientists such as Galileo who have been silenced or persecuted for their work or opinions.
ACSHE223	Science knowledge can develop through collaboration and connecting ideas across the disciplines of science.	Investigating sustainable land management practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and how these have contributed to environmental sustainability, social and economic wellbeing and the maintenance of cultural rights.
ACSHE120	Science and technology contribute to finding solutions to a range of contemporary issues; these solutions may impact on other areas of society and involve ethical considerations.	Investigating ethical issues relating to the right to water in the Murray Darling Basin, including that the environment also needs water to stay healthy and to protect cultural values for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Comparing the impact of human activity on river health in different states and consider issues such as the rights of people in South Australia to have safe drinking water and the significant water use of irrigated agriculture upstream in NSW and Queensland.
ACSHE121	Science understanding influences the development of practices in areas of human activity such as industry, agriculture and marine and terrestrial resource management.	Exploring the CSIRO Indigenous engagement section to investigate how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge is used to inform scientific decisions to care for country.
ACSIS124	Identify questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on scientific knowledge.	Investigating a scientific and environmental issue such as air pollution and recognise the interconnection between cultural, economic or moral aspects of its impact on people’s right to the highest obtainable standard of health.

SCIENCE YEAR 8
Code	Content Description	Human Rights Example
ACSHE135	Science and technology contribute to finding solutions to a range of contemporary issues; these solutions may impact on other areas of society and involve ethical considerations.	Discussing human rights issues that may arise from organ transplantation if it is not effectively controlled including the role of relative power/powerlessness based on gender, race, class, education, citizenship, nationality in organ selling, transplant tour and internet brokering schemes.
ACSHE136	Science understanding influences the development of practices in areas of human activity such as industry, agriculture and marine and terrestrial resource management.	Investigating technology that can help protect peoples’ human rights such as water filters to protect the right to water and earthquake prediction equipment to help protect people from the impact of earthquakes. Investigating if the effect of a technology differs for different groups of people, based on their class, gender, race, disability, age, or geographic location.
ACSIS139	Identify questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on scientific knowledge.	Recognising solutions to an environmental science problem such as depleted fish stocks due to overfishing and the need to consider the cultural, economic and moral aspects that have human rights implications for local communities impacted by overfishing.

SCIENCE YEAR 9
Code	Content Description	Human Rights Example
ACSHE161	Advances in science and emerging sciences and technologies can significantly affect people’s lives, including generating new career opportunities.	Investigating how technological advancements such as accessible information technology have helped people with disability access their human rights to education and work. Considering if some technology has created any human rights conflicts such as one person’s right to privacy versus another person’s right to information.
ACSHE228	The values and needs of contemporary society can influence the focus of scientific research.	Investigating how scientific and technological advancements have been applied to minimise marine pollution in Australia and if this has been effective in protecting peoples’ right to a clean environment. For example, investigate pollution in Sydney harbour around the Sydney Olympic site and if this has led to restrictions on fishing due to health concerns. Considering how safe sound levels for humans at work are a human right as everyone has the right to a safe workplace.
ACSIS164	Formulate questions or hypotheses that can be investigated scientifically.	Investigating scientific and environmental problems that impact on human rights such as pollution. Consider how scientific knowledge and inquiry skills could be used to find a solution and identify the cause, rights violated and the groups of people most affected.

SCIENCE YEAR 10
Code	Content Description	Human Rights Example
ACSSU189	Global systems, including the carbon cycle, rely on interactions involving the biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere.	Investigating how climate change impacts on human rights including the right to life, health, adequate standard of living, property, self-determination and just and favourable conditions of work. Considering the long term effects of biodiversity loss on human rights including the right to life, the right to food, the right to water and cultural rights of Indigenous peoples.
ACSHE191	Scientific understanding, including models and theories, are contestable and are refined over time through a process of review by the scientific community.	Investigating the potential impact on people with disability regarding the increase in genetic knowledge and testing. Considering the role of science in identifying the impact of climate change on vulnerable populations such as people living in low lying areas including Indigenous peoples.
ACSHE195	Advances in science and emerging sciences and technologies can significantly affect people’s lives, including generating new career opportunities.	Investigating the impact that scientific research may have on different groups of people, based on their class, gender, race, disability, age, or geographic location. Investigating ethical considerations around genetic engineering including concerns about food security and seed patenting. Investigating if adequate safeguards are in place for nanotechnology application to protect human rights including the right to the highest attainable standard of health.
ACSHE230	The values and needs of contemporary society can influence the focus of scientific research.	Considering issues around the potential impact of genetic testing on the rights of people with disability or chronic medical conditions around issues such as discrimination and insurance.