Year 8 Science – Term 4 (WA Curriculum): Energy and Heat - Physical Science Investigations

What this unit covers

In Term 4, Year 8 Science in the WA Curriculum centres on the unit “Energy and Heat - Physical Science Investigations”.

Students explore energy transformations, heat transfer, and electrical circuits through hands-on investigations while developing scientific inquiry skills.

Lesson sequence (30 lessons)

The unit breaks down into the following lesson-by-lesson sequence — each title below is a teachable lesson, in order:

1. Classifying Energy as Kinetic or Potential
2. Investigating Gravitational Potential Energy Transformations
3. Exploring Chemical Energy to Thermal Energy Conversions
4. Measuring Elastic Potential Energy in Springs and Rubber Bands
5. Designing Investigations: How Does Car Colour Affect Internal Temperature?
6. Planning Fair Test Investigations for Energy Studies
7. Understanding Heat Transfer by Conduction in Solids
8. Investigating Heat Transfer by Convection in Liquids and Gases
9. Exploring Heat Transfer by Radiation in All States
10. Comparing Heat Conductors and Insulators
11. Testing Heat Absorption by Different Coloured Surfaces
12. Investigating Heat Reflection by Shiny and Dull Surfaces
13. Drawing Circuit Diagrams Using Standard Symbols
14. Constructing Series Circuits and Measuring Current
15. Building Parallel Circuits and Comparing Voltage
16. Researching Safety Switches and Circuit Breakers in Buildings
17. Using Digital Tools to Measure Temperature Precisely
18. Recording Data with Electronic Voltmeters and Ammeters
19. Constructing Graphs to Represent Energy Data
20. Creating Models of Energy Transformations
21. Analysing Patterns in Heat Transfer Data
22. Identifying Anomalies in Circuit Measurements
23. Drawing Evidence-Based Conclusions from Energy Experiments
24. Evaluating Investigation Methods for Accuracy
25. Reflecting on Data Quality and Suggesting Improvements
26. Constructing Arguments to Support Energy Claims
27. Creating Digital Reports on Heat Transfer Investigations
28. Investigating Professor Fiona Wood's Spray-on Skin Development
29. Exploring How Alloy Development Influences Engineering
30. Examining Energy Efficiency in Community Buildings

Curriculum codes in this unit

Content codes:

Reading the codes: WA codes (the ones starting with WA) pack the year level, learning area, strand and content number into one string, while the national Australian Curriculum v9 uses a different anatomy that starts with AC9 — same content family, different labels. Our complete WA Curriculum guide decodes both, character by character.

Planning notes for Term 4

WA terms run roughly 9–11 weeks, and in 2026 Term 4 runs from Monday 12 October to Thursday 17 December — 10 weeks for WA public schools. With 30 lessons in this unit, that leaves breathing room for assessment, moderation and the weeks that disappear to carnivals, camps and public holidays — plan the assessable work to land two to three weeks before the end of term rather than in the final week.