This course enables students to enhance their understanding of concepts in biology, chemistry, earth and space science, and physics, and of the interrelationships between science, technology, society, and the environment. Students are also given opportunities to further develop their scientific investigation skills. Students will plan and conduct investigations and develop their understanding of scientific theories related to the connections between cells and systems in animals and plants; chemical reactions, with a particular focus on acid–base reactions; forces that affect climate and climate change; and the interaction of light and matter.
By the end of this course, students develop the following skills in these different areas:
| 1. Scientific Investigation Skills and Career Exploration | |
| 1.1 | demonstrate scientific investigation skills (related to both inquiry and research) in the four areas of skills (initiating and planning, performing and recording, analysing and interpreting, and communicating); |
| 1.2 | identify and describe a variety of careers related to the fields of science under study, and identify scientists, including Canadians, who have made contributions to those fields. |
| 2. Biology: Tissues, Organs and Systems of Living Things | |
| 2.1 | evaluate the importance of medical and other technological developments related to systems biology, and analyse their societal and ethical implications; |
| 2.2 | investigate cell division, cell specialization, organs, and systems in animals and plants, using research and inquiry skills, including various laboratory techniques; |
| 2.3 | demonstrate an understanding of the hierarchical organization of cells, from tissues, to organs, to systems in animals and plants. |
| 3. Chemistry: Chemical Reactions | |
| 3.1 | analyse a variety of safety and environmental issues associated with chemical reactions, including the ways in which chemical reactions can be applied to address environmental challenges; |
| 3.2 | investigate, through inquiry, the characteristics of chemical reactions; |
| 3.3 | emonstrate an understanding of the general principles of chemical reactions, and various ways to represent them. |
| 4. Earth and Space Science: Climate | |
| 4.1 | analyse some of the effects of climate change around the world, and assess the effectiveness of initiatives that attempt to address the issue of climate change; |
| 4.2 | investigate various natural and human factors that influence Earth’s climate and climate change; |
| 4.3 | demonstrate an understanding of natural and human factors, including the greenhouse effect, that influence Earth’s climate and contribute to climate change. |
| 5. Physics: Light and Geometric Optics | |
| 5.1 | evaluate the effectiveness of technological devices and procedures designed to make use of light, and assess their social benefits; |
| 5.2 | investigate, through inquiry, the properties of light, and predict its behaviour, particularly with respect to reflection in plane and curved mirrors and refraction in converging lenses; |
| 5.3 | demonstrate an understanding of various characteristics and properties of light, particularly with respect to reflection in mirrors and reflection and refraction in lenses. |
| Time Allocated | Online/Offline Component | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Unit 0: Scientific Investigation Skills and Career Exploration | ||
Concepts will be interwoven through the content units, focussing on four areas: initiating and planning, performing and recording, analyzing and interpreting, and communicating. Students will learn to formulate scientific questions and hypotheses, plan investigations, gather, organize and analyze data, draw conclusions based on research findings and communicate all these accurately and effectively. | 8 hours | Online |
| 2. Unit 1: Biology | ||
Students will learn how plants and animals are made up of specialized cells, tissues and organs that are organized into systems. They will gain an understanding of the cell cycle and the process of cell division. Students will explore the ethical and social impact of biological and medical technologies. | 24 hours | Online |
| 3. Unit 2: Chemistry | ||
Students will learn to name and write formulae for molecular and ionic compounds. They will gain understanding of the predictable ways in which chemicals react and demonstrate an ability to write and balance simple chemical reactions. Students will explore the negative impact chemical reactions can have on the environment as well as how they can be applied to address environmental challenges. | 24 hours | Online |
| 4. Unit 3: Climate Change | ||
Students will learn about the interacting systems and processes that make up the earth’s climate as well as the natural and human factors that can affect it. They will understand the impact of human activity on climate change and investigate ways to lessen the impact. | 23 hours | Online |
| 5. Unit 4: Physics | ||
Students will investigate the characteristics and properties of light. They will learn to apply mathematical equations to determine the properties of images produced from the reflection and refraction of light. Students will investigate different optical devices and technologies and their benefits to society. | 21 hours | Online |
| 6. Final Evaluation | ||
Final Exam | 10 hours | Online |
| Total | 110 Hours | |
This course is organized into a semester format. Lessons and activities will be presented to students via the internet. Synchronous lessons will be provided through live online teaching.
A variety of strategies will be used in the online delivery of this course. Instructional strategies will include but are not limited to:
Learning goals will be discussed at the beginning of each lesson and success criteria be provided to students. The success criteria are used to develop the assessment tools in this course, including rubrics and checklists.
The overall aim of the secondary science program is to ensure scientific literacy for every secondary school graduate. To better achieve this aim, all courses in the program are designed to focus on science not only as an intellectual pursuit but also as an activity-based enterprise within a social context. A wide variety of instructional strategies are used to provide learning opportunities to accommodate a variety of learning styles, interests, and ability levels. Courses in the Grade 9 and 10 secondary science curriculum are organized into five strands. The first strand focuses on the essential skills of scientific investigation and on career exploration. The remaining four strands cover the content areas of science, each focusing on one of the scientific subdisciplines – biology, chemistry, earth and space science, and physics.
A variety of assessment and evaluation methods, strategies and tools are required as appropriate to the expectation being assessed. These include diagnostic, formative and summative within the course and within each unit. We strictly follow the Ministry of Education’s Growing Success document.
Assessment FOR Learning and Assessment AS Learning is obtained through a variety of means, including the following:
Evidence of student achievement (assessment OF learning) is collected through ongoing observations of most consistent work, with consideration given to most recent work from various sources.
Assessment and evaluation in this course will be based on the provincial Ontario Curriculum expectations. Students will be provided with numerous and varied opportunities to demonstrate the full extent of their achievement. Categories of assessment and breakdowns are as follows:
A final grade will be determined as follows:
Students with special needs and English Language Learners will be provided with accommodation, including additional time, assistive technology and scribe where available. Teachers who are planning a program in this subject make an effort to take into account considerations for program planning that align with the Ontario Ministry of Education policy and initiatives in a number of important areas.
Learning Skills listed below are key to student success. Learning Skills are assessed independently of achievement and are determined through observation and participation. A checklist and student conference will be used to determine the level in each category.
$549.00
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