Year 9 Curriculum
The new Flinders Year to RISE is an innovative curriculum program to inspire, challenge and engage our Year 9 students of Matthew Flinders Anglican College.
Designed as a bespoke Flinders program and launched in January 2023, the Year to RISE encourages students to ask questions, seek solutions and take action.
The RISE acronym symbolises the journey students will take to build Relationships, embrace Inquiry, explore Stewardship and learn Enterprise through authentic real-world opportunities and challenges.
On their year-long journey, students build skills towards mastery in various disciplines, engage in meaningful and transferable learning, and find purpose in key experiences while still readying themselves for the demands of senior schooling, from Years 10 to 12 at Flinders.
Based on Research
The Year to RISE project team used the underpinnings of Self-Determination Theory and the Five Paths of Student Engagement (Shirley & Hargreaves, 2021) to develop the Flinders RAMP principles (Relationships, Agency, Mastery and Purpose).
The Flinders RAMP principles (Relationships, Agency, Mastery and Purpose) and the Flinders Learning Wellbeing approach are both unique to Flinders.
By integrating these theories, principles and approaches, the College aims to maximise student motivation and engagement while bringing a sense of joy and wellbeing to the learning process.
The Year to RISE Journey
Over the Year 9 school year, the Flinders Year to RISE inspires, challenges and engages students in the classroom and beyond.
Through innovative classroom learning and a range of high-energy, interactive workshops and mini conferences, students are supported to:
- develop enterprise skills and explore the six Flinders Learner Traits (Collaboration, Character, Citizenship, Communication, Critical Thinking, Creativity)
- learn how to apply and transfer these skills
- gain confidence in establishing healthy connections with peers, teachers, guest presenters and mentors
- prepare for their culminating Year 9 iLead project, which is a student-driven and student-led capstone project.
In Term 4, students dedicate three weeks to design thinking for their iLead project. This involves embracing a challenge that has made them think, engage and act, and then aiming to deliver a solution in the form of a product, resource or presentation.
As their final assessment piece, students pitch or present their iLEAD project solution to a public audience.
Term 1
iLEAD Launch Day
On the first day of Term 1, 2023, Flinders pressed 'Go!' on the Year to RISE with an all-day interactive workshop experience. The Year 9 students learned what’s in store and collaborated on a Lego Maker Challenge, helping to regroup and build bonds as a cohort.
Collaboration Workshop
In this one-day workshop, students developed their skills in the Flinders Learner Trait of 'Collaboration'.
It was great fun (and hard work!) collaborating in ever-changing teams to problem solve high-pressure scenarios. Students had to think quickly and rely on their peers to perform skits, solve riddles, unscramble poetry and pitch fresh ideas.
Term 2
Character and Citizenship Workshops
Students developed skills in their Flinders Learner Traits of 'Character' and 'Citizenship' through intimate, interactive workshops with mentors, entrepreneurs and industry experts. Workshops explored how to be a better leader, solve stress and practise gratitude, and the value of giving.
iLEAD Aspire Workshops
Over two days of workshops, students chose their areas of passion to develop a range of skills across innovative industries, from Industry and Fabrication, to Media and Technology, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, and Production and Performance.
iLEAD Discovery Tours
Choose your own adventure! City, bush or island? Students were able to discover what matters to them and forge new friendships through the Year to RISE outdoor education and character development camp program over multiple days.
Communication Workshop
In this one-day workshop, students learned the features and skills of being top communicators, such as how to pitch their ideas with confidence and charisma. Guest speakers and mentors included Queensland entrepreneur Tim Adams and children's author Ross Watkins.
'Communication' is another key Flinders Learner Trait.
Term 3
Year to RISE Conference
Over a three-day conference-style event, students were challenged to be 'stewards of the future' and use design thinking to solve real-world problems they care about.
Day 1's theme was 'Inspiration' with keynotes and workshops by entrepreneurs, industry experts and Flinders students and staff.
Day 2 was focused on 'Creation' for students to brainstorm, problem-solve, ideate and test a product or resource to address their chosen topics.
And Day 3 was 'Presentation' time, with the students presenting elevator pitches to Year 6 students for feedback on their prototype, and then refining their solution to present an improved pitch to the Year 5 students. The results were incredible!
Fusion Electives
During their Fusion Courses (consisting of two subjects linked by a unifying concept) students are challenged to transfer their learning to other contexts and settings. Students have key problems to solve and must demonstrate their learning in authentic contexts, resulting in exhibitions, performances and product launches.
Critical Thinking Workshop
In this one-day workshop, students learn beyond the classroom as they explore the Flinders Learner Trait of 'Critical Thinking'.
Students are exposed to a range of conundrums and guided through a decision-making checklist to learn how to reach conclusions individually and collaboratively. In the absence of bias, the challenge is to produce an educational presentation, targeted at a range of audiences to show what they have learned.
Term 4
Creativity Workshop
What does it take to be creative? In this one-day workshop, students are guided to explore the Flinders Learner Trait of 'Creativity'. Students learn to work through two types of creativity: Creativity with purpose and Creativity with freedom!
This is the time to explore fresh ideas - individually and in collaboration - and to step beyond comfort zones to make, design, build, create, explore and dream!
iLEAD Projects & Exhibition
In Term 4, students dedicate three weeks to design thinking as they embrace a challenge that has made them think, engage and act. Their challenge is to deliver a solution in the form of a product, resource or presentation.
As their final assessment piece, students must pitch or present their iLEAD project solution to a public audience.
Driving Concepts of the Year to RISE
The Year to RISE supports students in developing a sense of self and responsibility in local and global communities so that they may develop the desire and capacity to be stewards in a future that is both inclusive and progressive. One of the mechanisms used to achieve this is Semester Two’s multidisciplinary curriculum design.
The Year to RISE prescribes five key multidisciplinary concepts through which subjects can contextualise learning. These concepts draw from a range of guiding principles, including the Round Square IDEALS and the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which focus on economic welfare, environmental quality and social coherence, (UN, 2015).
The five key concepts that subjects use to drive inquiry during Semester Two are:
Self-Expression and Physical and Mental Health and Wellbeing. Students explore the ways in which they discover and express ideas, feelings, belief systems and values.
Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Practices. Students investigate the impact of decision-making on humankind and the climate and efforts to advance worldwide sustainability.
Marine and Terrestrial Wildlife Biodiversity and Conservation. Students question and challenge practices that impact negatively on the environment and make suggestions as to how these practices can be improved.
Culture, Diversity, Inclusion and Governance. Students seek to embrace the similarities and differences between individual, cultural and national identities in ways that promote meaningful and respectful relationships, support freedom of thought and speech.
Economy, Employment, Technical Innovation and Infrastructure. Students explore the impact of technological advances and industrialisation oncommunities and built environments.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information, contact the Head of the Flinders Discovery Institute, Dr Louise McCuaig via email lmccuaig@mfac.edu.au
Latest news from Year to RISE
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Our Year 9 students accepted the challenge to be ‘Stewards of the Future’ in a three-day conference as part of their reinvigorated curriculum, Year to RISE, at Matthew Flinders AnglicanRead More - Year 9 Learns Collaboration with Year to RISE
“There is no I in TEAM!” was the take-away message our Year 9 students at Flinders learned firsthand at their all-day Collaboration Skills Workshop. It’s all part of our newRead More - Flinders Presses 'Go!' on New Year 9 Curriculum
Year 9 students and staff at Matthew Flinders Anglican College on the Sunshine Coast are pressing 'Go!' on the new Year to RISE curriculum program. The new program is customRead More
