• COURSE DESCRIPTION

    This course enables students to develop a deeper understanding of concepts in biology, chemistry, earth and space science, and physics, and to apply their knowledge of science in real-world situations. Students are given opportunities to develop further practical skills in scientific investigation. Students will plan and conduct investigations into everyday problems and issues related to human cells and body systems; chemical reactions; factors affecting climate change; and the interaction of light and matter.

    This course is broken down into four different units:

    Unit A:   Scientific Investigation Skills and Career Exploration 

    • 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);
    • 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. 

    Unit B:   Biology:  Tissues, Organs and Systems 

    • analyse some current technologies or substances that have an impact on human tissues, organs, or systems, and evaluate their effects on human health;
    • investigate cell division, cell specialization, and the organization of systems in animals, including humans, using various laboratory techniques;
    • demonstrate an understanding of the hierarchical organization of cells, from tissues, to organs, to systems in animals, including humans. 

    Unit C:   Chemistry:  Chemical Reactions and Practical Applications 

    • analyse how chemical reactions are employed in common products and processes, and assess the safety and environmental hazards associated with them;
    • investigate, through inquiry, the characteristics of simple chemical reactions; 
    • demonstrate an understanding of simple chemical reactions and the language and ways to represent them. 

    Unit D    Earth and Space Science:  Earth’s Dynamic Climate 

    • analyse effects of human activity on climate change, and effects of climate change on living things and natural systems;
    • investigate various natural and human factors that have an impact on climate change and global warming;
    • demonstrate an understanding of various natural and human factors that contribute to climate change and global warming. 

    Unit E    Physics:  Light and Applications of Optics 

    • analyse how properties of light and colour are applied in technology and the impact of these technologies on society; 
    • investigate, through inquiry, properties of light, and predict its behaviour in mirrors and as it passes through different media;  
    • demonstrate an understanding of characteristics and properties of light, particularly with respect to reflection and refraction and the addition and subtraction of colour.