Research shows that students can have greater success in their studies when the information they learn is connected to key concepts. The Australian Curriculum: Science has identified nine key science concepts or big ideas that are developed through the curriculum content. It is expected that by the end of Year 10, all students will have an understanding of these big ideas. Each chapter in the Oxford Big Ideas Science series is engineered to build understanding of these big ideas.

The big ideas of science are:
Biological sciences – Diversity and evolution; interdependence; structure and function.
Chemical sciences – Properties and structure; interaction and change.
Earth and space sciences – Systems in space; dynamic earth.
Physical sciences – Forces and motion; energy and its transformations.

The exciting Oxford Big Ideas Science series will motivate and engage students. Its wide range of activities and sources will allow students to be successful in the science classroom and support independent study.

Oxford Big Ideas Science...

• organises learning around the big ideas of science and revisits these ideas with increasing complexity
• sorts content into meaningful inquiry-based big questions and establishes learning priorities
• focuses on developing scientific and inquiry skills
• is a truly integrated approach to Science Understanding, Science Inquiry Skills and Science as a Human Endeavour
• includes a brand new Discovering Ideas inquiry task at the start of every unit
• uses the six Overarching Ideas from the Australian Curriculum: Science to connect content across the disciplines
• seamlessly covers the big ideas, overarching ideas, general capabilities, cross-curricula priorities and three strands from the Australian Curriculum: Science
• engages students with topical stimulus material, stunning imagery and step-by-step instructional skills photography
• is supported by a workbook, obook and teacher kit to offer the complete teaching package at each year level
• offers innovative digital resources, including an interactive obook with Oxford’s new Virtual Laboratory that brings science experiments to life – perfect for those schools that teach Year 7 in primary school.

1 Life under a microscope
BIG IDEA: Structure and function
1.1 How do we know about cells?
1.2 What do we know about cells?
1.3 How do cells work together?

2 How does my body function?
BIG IDEA: Structure and function
2.1 How have we learned about the human body?
2.2 What are some of my major systems?
2.3 How are new organisms made?

3 Energy: Making things happen
BIG IDEA: Energy
3.1 How do we experience energy?
3.2 Does energy change from one type to another?
3.3 What is an engineer?

4 The nature of matter
BIG IDEA: Properties and structure
4.1 How can we describe the properties of matter?
4.2 How can we explain the properties of matter?
4.3 What is special about elements and atoms?

5 Making new substances
BIG IDEA: Interaction and change
5.1 What is chemistry?
5.2 How can you identify a chemical change?
5.3 How do we use chemical changes?

6 The changing Earth 
BIG IDEA: Dynamic Earth
6.1 What are the properties of rocks and minerals?
6.2 How do rocks form?
6.3 What can we learn by studying rocks?