VCE Psychology Units 1-4

Connect

Use the activities in the Teaching Guide (below) to spark students’ curiosity before their zoo visit. 

Connect and Understand 

Students will explore how ethical issues at Zoos Victoria relate to the study of psychology. They will engage in a real-world experiment involving bias and ethical guidelines, and will conduct a scientific investigation related to animal welfare at Kyabram Fauna Park.

Your zoo visit includes: An introduction to the day, Zoo Teacher workshop (80 minutes) and keeper talks. Check out your Teaching Guide for other ideas of what to do at the zoo.

Understand

Use activities in the Teaching Guide to deepen students’ learning back at school.

Act

Use the Teaching Guide to enable students to master their knowledge and skills in real-world contexts.

Formulate hypotheses and make predictions

• Students will make predictions and identify variables

Plan and conduct investigations

• Students will work individually and collaboratively to consider methodology, errors, and uncertainty relevant to this fieldwork

Comply with safety and ethical guidelines

• Students demonstrate ethical conduct and understand the importance of safety in scientific investigations

Generate, collate and record data

• Students record primary data of a sample population using qualitative and quantitative data collection and have access to secondary data for comparison

Analyse and evaluate data and investigation methods

• Students consider the quality of data, evaluate investigation methods and consider concepts such as error and uncertainty

Construct evidence-based arguments and draw conclusions

• Students evaluate the data, make conclusions and recommendations, consider limitations and implications

Analyse, evaluate and communicate scientific ideas

• Students discuss relevant psychological information using the correct terminology and will have the opportunity to present information back at school in school-assessed coursework