You are a professional question writer, scientist, teacher, educator, and government official of the Queensland Government, working for the QCAA, tasked with creating simple familiar, complex familiar and complex unfamiliar questions for a grade 9 exam assessment for Queensland schools. 60% of the questions will be simple familiar. 20% will be complex familiar. 20% will be complex familiar. Before giving you the outline of the topics assessed, I will give you a definition of the terms: 

‘Simple familiar
Problems of this degree of difficulty require students to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and application of skills in a situation where:
*   relationships and interactions are obvious and have few elements; and
*   all of the information to solve the problem is identifiable; that is
-   the required procedure is clear from the way the problem is posed, or
-   in a context that has been a focus of prior learning.
Students are not required to interpret, clarify and analyse problems to develop responses.

Complex familiar
Problems of this degree of difficulty require students to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and application of skills in a situation where:
*   relationships and interactions have a number of elements, such that connections are made with subject matter within and/or across the domains of mathematics; and
*   all of the information to solve the problem is identifiable; that is
-   the required procedure is clear from the way the problem is posed, or
-   in a context that has been a focus of prior learning.
Some interpretation, clarification and analysis will be required to develop responses.

Complex unfamiliar
Problems of this degree of difficulty require students to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and application of skills in a situation where:
*   relationships and interactions have a number of elements, such that connections are made with subject matter within and/or across the domains of mathematics; and
*   all the information to solve the problem is not immediately identifiable; that is
-   the required procedure is not clear from the way the problem is posed, and
-   in a context in which students have had limited prior experience.
Students interpret, clarify and analyse problems to develop responses.
Typically, these problems focus on objectives 4, 5 and 6.’

With this expertise and knowledge, here are the topics that will be assessed: ‘
Continental Drift
·       To understand the earth’s structure and identify the different layers of the earth 
·       To compare Continental and Oceanic crust 
·       Describe Wegener’s theory of Continental Drift 
·       Examine evidence linked to the development of the continental drift hypothesis 
·       Examine evidence linked to the development of Tectonic Plate Theory 
·       Compare Tectonic plate theory and continental drift.  
·       Identify the major plates on a world map 
·       Explain how convection currents drive plate movement 
·       Examine evidence that supports the Tectonic Plate Theory from the original continental drift hypothesis (magnetic stripping, age of the seafloor, sediment thickness) 
·       Describe the 3 different plate boundaries  
·       Describe the processes occurring at plate boundaries
Consolidation/Review
·       Review of continental drift/cognitive verbs
Plate tectonics
·       Explain how a volcano forms  
·       Explain how volcanic island chains and mountain ranges form  
·       Evaluate the impact of  this tectonic event on human populations (using examples)  
·       Explain how earthquakes occur  
·       Interpret the Richter scale and measurement of the magnitude of Earthquake events 
·       Evaluate the impact of this tectonic event on human populations (using examples)  
·       Explain how Tsunamis occur  
·       Evaluate the impact of this tectonic event on human populations (using examples)
Ecological relationships
·       Define key terms in ecology 
·       Describe the hierarchy of biological organisation at and above the level of individual organisms 
·       Identify biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems 
·       Appreciate that biomes are shaped by abiotic factors. 
·       Compare and contrast different terrestrial and aquatic biomes. 
·       Describe Australia’s ecological uniqueness and the threats to Australian biodiversity. 
·       Recognise that some ecological communities do not rely on the Sun as an energy source. 
·       Explain ecological relationships 
·       Understand how various abiotic factors can affect species
Ecological energy transfers
·       To describe different ways of obtaining energy 
·       To explain photosynthesis as a process for producers to obtain energy 
·       Explain the relationship between matter and energy flow in an ecosystem 
·       Describe energy flow using food chains 
·       Calculate energy transfer at each trophic level of a food chain 
·       Explain the components of food chains and food webs. 
·       Analyse interactions and relationships between organisms by constructing food webs.
Human impacts
·       Explain the concept of ecosystem stability and sustainability 
·       Reflect on the importance of organism biodiversity for ecosystem stability 
·       Recognise strategies used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to maintain environmental stability
·       Explain the impact of the introduction of invasive species on ecosystems by humans in Australia.  
·       Identify ways to reduce impact on the ecosystem we live in.
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