WEDNESDAY BLOCK ELECTIVES | Dromana Secondary College (2024)

The Surf and Turf program offers an opportunity for students looking for adventure and personal development. The program runs for the full year and aims to help students develop valuable skills such as motivation, discipline, confidence, perseverance and respect for others.

Surf and Turf program components:

• Surfing – both practical and theory components
• Camp – coastal adventure camp (3 days, 2 nights)
• Volunteer work – working within the local community
• Environmental Conservation Awareness – theory component

Pre requisites for this elective are:

• Be a competent swimmer (able to swim 200m without stopping)
• Willingness to challenge yourself and be an active member of a team
• An interest in helping others

Approximate cost covering various excursions, transport and camp: $400

The Dromana College Cycling Program aims to foster a positive cycling culture to enable students to gain valuable skills and knowledge about Cycling, specifically recreational Mountain Biking and Racing.

The class also aims to provide students with challenging and positive experiences on and off the bike. A limit of 30 students will be accepted into the program, due to staffing limitations. Students would expect to improve on basic, intermediate and advanced off road riding skills through theory and practical sessions. Students who have participated in the Cycling Enhancement Program in Years 7 and 8 will be given priority in being accepted into the Cycling Academy program.

Students will undertake the following activities:

• Undergo an extensive skills based training regime tailored for individual needs undertaken at school and at followed up at home.
• Understand training and racing food requirements and the role of hydration.
• Care and maintenance of their personal equipment including the servicing and maintenance of their riding gear, and their mountain bikes.
• Study the theory behind gear ratios, tyre pressures, different lube characteristics, and hydraulic braking
• Learn descending and hill climbing techniques, accelerating and braking techniques and how to corner to negotiate obstacles.
• Become more environmentally aware of the impact of users such as mountain bikers on the native vegetaParents are required to organise the regular bringing of the mountain bike to school on a Wednesday morning. Cost: $75.00 per term, or $300.00 for 12 months’ involvement. This is to cover the reduced ratio of students to staff for risk management of cyclists. This subject is not offered beyond Year 10.
  Please note: This elective will run all year and take up 2 elective choices (one per semester)

In Years 9/10, students can access the Tip Off Basketball Program as part of their electives.

The program is run in association with the Southern Peninsula Basketball Association and focuses on building students basketball skills, ability to work in teams and to have an understanding of Health and Fitness.

The program offers students the opportunity to complete their referee accreditation and level 0 coaching course.

NOTE: This course is not offered beyond Year 10.

Cost: $480

Music Extension provides music students with the opportunity to learn extended musical concepts. Students perform regularly, including lunchtime performances and school concerts, which allow them to develop confidence in performances in a variety of settings.

Students are required to perform repertoire from the relevant themes or styles presented to them weekly. They use general listening and specific aural skills to enhance their performances and knowledge of the elements of music, style and notation to arrange, compose and share their music. Students are also required to analyse recordings and videos of their own performances, as a way to improve and self-evaluate their technical and performance skills.

In order to undertake this subject, it is compulsory for students to have prior/current experience playing an instrument (or voice) and ongoing music lessons.

Have you ever wished you could choose what you wanted to study at school?

The project offers you the opportunity to do that. YOU choose one of the following project types:

• An extended dissertation (2000-3000 words)
• Creating an artefact (a thing!)

Sample project ideas:

• Should human cloning be allowed? (dissertation)
• Is graffiti an art form? (dissertation)
• Why is the Ashes such an important cricket event? (dissertation)
• Create an illustrated children’s book (artefact)
• Design your own fishing lure (artefact)
• Create a website for a particular purpose (artefact)
• Build you own computer application/chat bot (artefact)

The project develops your skills in project management, time planning, research and referencing, essential skills for VCE and university.

Each project requires you to develop a project proposal, create a project log (diary) showing your progress and monitor your plans. You will include research from a variety of sources, both primary and secondary, and analyse your finding, using them to enhance your project.

After completing your project you will give a short presentation about your project and its outcomes.

You must be self motivated and able to work independently – the project is led and driven by you.

This course enables students to learn and apply practical skills in terms of workplace health and safety, responding to emergency situations and applying first aid, and organising personal work schedules through applying relative software packages in the Sport, Fitness and Recreation Industry.

Students who undertake VET Sport and Recreation in Year 10 (Unit 1) are eligible to undertake VET Sport and Recreation Unit 2 in Year 11.

*Please note: Dromana College DOES NOT offer Units 3 and 4.

Cracking the Code

• Do you like solving puzzles?
• Using computers?
• Cracking codes?
• Discovering secrets?
• Do you see yourself as a future hacker?

Cryptography is the art of writing and solving codes
In this subject students will learn complex encryption and decryption methods, developing their mathematics and problem solving skills. Students will first look at the history of cryptography and develop basic skills and knowledge relating to ancient ciphers (dating back to the time of Julius Caesar).

Students will delve into solving complex logic problems as well as learn new maths skills relating to number theory, binary and modular arithmetic.

Students will also develop their coding capabilities. Finally, with these skills, students will study modern cryptography methods and their role in IT security, and learn how to communicate their knowledge to other people.

Note: Students require their own laptop to undertake this subject.

Learning Areas

• English
• Mathematics
• History
• Digital Technologies

Capabilities

• Personal & Social Capability
• Ethical Capability
• Critical & Creative Thinking

Applied Computing students work within the problem solving methodology to analyse problems, design and develop solutions prior to evaluating their solution.

Students develop data analysis skills using spreadsheets and databases whilst also learning how to create infographics to visually represent information. The course further builds on Python concepts where participants create intermediate level programs.

Python is one of the most popular programming languages today and holds many career opportunities. Furthermore, students learn how a network functions in order to communicate and provide a global resource. This brings potential security issues and students investigate threats, security measures and harm reduction strategies.

The course provides an introduction to VCE Applied Computing (Data Analytics). The underpinning skills of analysis, research and critical/creative thinking support a variety of VCE subjects.

Building on skills gained in junior materials classes, this year long course builds both practical (hands on) and design skills. After ensuring appropriate workplace safety, students build a range of skills through a series of practical activities.For their chosen advanced furniture projects, students develop a portfolio including a design brief, research, design sketches and an evaluation.

Essential skills in measurements and calculations, quality standards, teamwork, communication, documentation, ethical and sustainable practices are developed supporting further VCE and VCE Vocational Major studies in the subject. Projects may also incorporate the use of CAD and laser cutting technologies. Students will consider a range of materials and different finishes will be explored and adapted to suit the needs of the project.

In this subject students continue developing their technique and choreographic skills. They will work both as a whole class and in small groups to both manipulate learnt phrases and create their own. These will then be performed in alternate spaces both around the school and out in the community. Whilst exploring dance in alternate spaces, students will learn about film techniques that are appropriate and and applicable for Dance film.

They will learn to film and edit their own dance film material, They will experience an incursion with a professional Dance cinematographer, where they will experience professional specialised equipment. The unit culminates with a final dance film to be presented at the schools media film night and the final dance performance evening for the year.

Senior Maths Enhancement is aimed at students enrolled in Mathematical Methods Unit 1 and 2, who wish to consolidate their skills and knowledge.
It will provide them with a baseline of mathematical knowledge that will support and improve their abilities in Mathematical Methods.

Students will complete an enhanced curriculum with activities and assessment tasks that aim to deepen understanding of concepts covered in their Senior Mathematics studies.

Mathematical Methods Unit 1 and 2 is a co-requisite of this subject**
**Students enrolling in this subject must also be undertaking Mathematical Methods Unit 1 and 2.

Please Note: This subject will not contribute to VCE units.

Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary science that explores the interactions and interconnectedness between humans and their environments and analyses the functions of both living and non living elements that sustain Earth systems.

Unit 1: How are Earth’s dynamic systems interconnected to support life?

In this unit students examine the processes and interactions occurring within and between Earth’s four interrelated systems: the Atmosphere, Biosphere, Hydrosphere and Lithosphere. They focus on how ecosystem functioning can influence many local, regional and global environmental conditions such as plant productivity, soil fertility, water quality and air quality. Students explore how changes that have taken place throughout geological and recent history are fundamental to predicting the likely impact of future changes. they consider a variety of influencing factors in achieving a solutions focused approach to responsible management of challenges related to natural and human induced environmental change. A student adapted or student designed scientific investigation is undertaken in Area of Study 3. The investigation involves the generation of primary data and is related to ecosystem components, monitoring and/or change. It draws on the key science skills and key knowledge from Area of Study 1 and/or Area of Study 2.

Unit 2:

This unit introduces students to the global community and the global actors that are part of this community. In Area of Study 1 students explore the myriad of ways lives have been affected by the increased interconnectedness, the global links of the world through the process of globalisation. Key questions are:

• How are citizens of the 21st Century linked – politically, socially and economically?
• How have people’s live been affected by globalisation?
• Do citizens and states have global responsibilities?
• Can the global community meet the challenges of the 21st Century or will interests of individual global actors compromise the needs of this global community.

In Area of Study 2, students consider the extent to which global actors cooperate and share visions and goals as part of the global community. Students will investigate the ability of the global community to manage areas of global cooperation and to respond to issues of global conflict and instability. This unit is contemporary in focus and students must use examples and case studies from within the last 10 years. Key questions are:

• How does the global community work in the 21st Century and what are its responsibilities?
• How effective is the global community in managing cooperation and conflict?
• What challenges do key global actors such as the United Nations and NGOs face in resolving issues such as war, conflict, environmental challenges, people movement and international crime?

Unit 1:

Media Forms, Representation and Australian Stories Students will investigate the relationship between audiences and the media and how they are constantly changing and how audiences engage with the media.

Students will develop research skills to investigate and analyse selected narratives focusing on the influence of media professionals on production genre and style with a focus on Australian fictional and non fictional narratives.

Students will develop an understanding of how media texts are constructed and put this onto practice with the development and production of media products in a variety of media forms.

Career Options

Actor, Journalist, Arts Administrator, Make-up Artist, Audio Visual Technician, Multimedia Developer, Camera Operator, Projectionist, Copywriter, Scriptwriter, Desktop Publisher, Set Designer, Film and TV Editor, Sound Mixer, Film and TV Lighting Operator, Sound Technician, Film and TV Producer, Stage Manager, Film Critic, Web Designer/Developer, Graphic Designer, Media Teacher

Visual Communication Design assists students in the understanding, use and interpretation of a range of visual communications. It involves a study of the vocabulary and grammar of visual communication, which includes an understanding and application of, drawing and drawing conventions, design elements, principles and function of design in communication. The study also provides the opportunity to develop an informed, critical and discriminating approach to visual communications encountered in everyday life.

Unit 1: Introduction to Visual Communication Design

In this unit, students focus on using visual language to communicate messages, ideas and concepts. Students practice their ability to draw what they observe and will use visualisation drawing methods to explore their own ideas and concepts. Through experimentation and exploration of the design elements and principles, students develop an understanding of how they affect visual messages.

Unit 2: Applications of Visual Communication Within Design Fields

In this unit, students focus on the application of visual communication design knowledge, design thinking and drawing methods to create visual communications to meet specific purposes in designated design fields. Students use presentation-drawing methods that incorporate the use of technical drawing conventions to communicate information and ideas associated with the environmental and industrial fields of design. They also investigate how typography and imagery are used in these fields as well as communication design.

Geography is the study of the human and natural worlds, and the influence that these have on one another. Students learn about the most recent world issues, from climate change to the impacts of current wars. Geography is a positive, forward-looking subject that offers students a chance to apply cutting edge technologies and study the latest approaches to social and environmental issues, thus preparing students to make positive change from a local to an international scale. Students undertake fieldwork in each unit to investigate the concepts learnt in the classroom.

Geography graduates are some of the most sought after employees in the modern workforce and have a vast array of career paths available to them, including: International Aid work, Disaster Management, Tourism, Town and Social Planning, Wildlife Management, Oceanography, Climatography and plenty more.

Unit 1: Hazards and disasters

In this unit students undertake an overview of hazards and disasters before investigating two contrasting types of hazards and disasters in detail. Some examples that may be studied include bushfires, floods, infectious diseases, and epidemics. Students then proceed to explore the ways in which humans have responded to selected hazards, including through specific measures such as prediction and warning programs and community preparedness.

Unit 2: Tourism

As the travel and tourism industry is directly responsible for one in every twelve jobs globally, the growth of tourism at all scales requires careful management to ensure environmentally sustainable and economically viable tourism. In this unit students investigate the characteristics of tourism, with particular emphasis on tourist destinations, the various types of tourism, how tourism has changed and continues to change over time, and its impacts on people, places and environments. They select two contrasting examples of tourism from within Australia and elsewhere in the world to investigate in detail. Students undertake fieldwork in this unit to evaluate the measures taken to enhance the positive impacts and minimise the negative impacts of tourism at our selected location.

NOTE: VCE Geography Unit 1 /2 can be undertaken in either the Wednesday block OR the normal blocks. VCE Geography 3 /4 runs in the normal blocks.

Unit 1 Sustainable Product Redevelopment
In this Unit 1 course students have undertaken a year of VCE Product Design and Technology Textiles. Students are asked to redevelop an existing commercial product to improve its purpose and function, and also to make it more sustainable. As part of their folio work students applied their knowledge to the product design process and the product design influences. This includes analysing the product chosen to redevelop it and to write a design brief.

Outcome 1 –
Sustainable redevelopment of a product.
On completion of this outcome the students are able to write a product analysis, design brief and evaluation criteria. They researched design ideas, created designs and developed a plan for production.

Outcome 2 –
Producing and evaluating a redeveloped product.
On completion of this outcome the students engaged in the production of the outfit, recording their progress and evaluating the product. Students are expected to enter their outfit into the annual Peninsula Teenage Fashion Expo held at Dromana College.

NOTE: VCE Product Design Unit 3 /4 is not offered at Dromana College

VCE Global Health examines the way humans interact with and relate to natural environments. The course explores a variety of environmental factors that contribute towards health inequalities on a global scale. Students investigate global action to improve worldwide health, with a focus on sustainability. The units enable students to make critically informed comments on questions of environmental sustainability and to understand the importance of environmental health to support the needs of all people.

At completion of this course, the objective is for students to receive a pass in both Unit 1 Outdoor and Environmental Studies and Unit 2 Health and Human Development.

Unit 1: How are behaviour and mental processes shaped?

Students investigate the structure and functioning of the human brain, and the role it plays in the mental processes and behaviour. They will also explore brain plasticity and the influence that brain damage may have on a person’s psychological functioning.

Students will predict and explain the development of thoughts, emotions and behaviours by using psychological models and theories. They will examine the contribution of classical and contemporary knowledge from Western and non-Western societies, including Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander peoples.

Unit 2:

This course is focused on having students assist in the running of events and learn and practice officiating and coaching skills. Students learn how to maintain and provide equipment and how to effectively provide

quality service to a variety of clients they may meet within the Sport, Fitness and Recreation Industry.

This is a VCE ,VCE Vocational Major or VCE Further Learning subject that contributes to a VET Certificate II in Sport and Recreation (completed over two years, units 1, 2, 3 and 4).

In order to receive the full Certificate, students must successfully complete all units over 3 years – Year 10 (Unit 1), Year 11 (Unit 2) and Year 12 (Units 3 and 4*).

Successful completion of this certificate provides entry into the sport and recreation industry. This is a highly theoretical course and while students will be participating in some practical activities, the focus of practical sessions will be on planning, conducting and coaching sessions versus participating in them.

Students who undertake VET Sport and Recreation in Year 10 (Unit 1) are eligible to undertake VET Sport and Recreation Unit 2 in Year 11.

*Please note: If you want VET Sport and Recreation to contribute towards your ATAR you will need to undertake these units 3 and 4 (Year 12) at Chisholm TAFE.
Dromana College DOES NOT offer units 3 and 4.