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COURSE OUTLINE

Course Title: Science
Course Code: SNC2D
Grade: 10
Course Type: Academic
Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: SNC1D
Curriculum Policy Document: Science, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10, 1999
Department: Science
Course Developer: Mrs. Felicia Palage and Sherrie Bayne
Development Date: Winter 2007
Course Revised by: -
Revision Date: -

Course Description:

This course enables students to develop a deeper understanding of concepts in biology, chemistry, earth and space science, and physics; to develop further their skills in scientific inquiry; and to understand the interrelationships among science, technology, and the environment. Students will conduct investigations and understand scientific theories related to ecology and the maintenance of ecosystems; chemical reactions, with particular attention to acid-base reactions; factors that influence weather systems; and motion.

Unit	Titles and Descriptions	Time and Sequence
Unit 1	Ecosystems Students will begin the course by examining the concept of diversity through food chains. Nutrient cycles and nutrient balance and responses to short and long term effects will then be examined. Regulating population size through materials and energy, food chains, competition and density will conclude the Diversity topic. Students will then discover Terrestrial and Aquatic ecosystems and conclude the unit by examining the social issues such as the impact of natural and technological changes, physical and chemical processes of clean up and the responsibility of all humans to preserve and to protect the environment.	27 hours
Unit 2	Chemistry: Processes This unit is divided into four sub-topics followed by a test. The first sub-topic: Looking for Patterns has students seeing patterns in chemical reactivity, the periodic table, electron dot diagrams, and in forming ionic, molecular and polyatomic compounds. In the second sub-topic chemical Equations and reactions, students will learn how to write chemical equations, and what synthesis, decomposition, single and double displacement, reactions with carbon, and chemical reaction factors entail. The final two sub-topics are Acids and Bases and Water, Soaps and Detergents.	27 hours
Unit 3	Earth and Space: Weather dFour major topics will be pursued in this unit. They are The Earth and Weather, Severe Weather, Humans and Weather and Earth and Space.	27 hours
Unit 4	Physics: Motion The unit begins with an introduction to Physics basics. This introduction is followed by work on scalars including the concepts of motion, distance time and speed. Vectors and operations with them will follow. Linear Motion including distance, speed, position, displacement and velocity will be examined. Motion in a plane, uniform motion, velocity and acceleration are the final set of concepts introduced. The unit concludes with students developing equations.	27 hours
	Final Evaluation The final assessment task is a proctored two hour exam worth 30% of the student’s final mark.	2 hours
	Total	110 hours

Teaching / Learning Strategies:

Students will gain much of their understanding in this course by reading, note-taking and then using their new knowledge to communicate and to apply it in new situations. Specifically the written assignments take many forms including questions and answers, one page summaries, blogs, research and reporting and multi-step action plans. Students will use the visuals embedded in the course to make what they are learning clearer. Students will balance equations, interpret graphs, complete charts and do calculations. In addition, unit tests help the student understand what they know and can do as a result of the teaching. Students will need to complete a minimum number of experiments. Some will be kitchen experiments and some will be virtual.

Assessment and Evaluation Strategies of Student Performance

Assessment is a systematic process of collecting information or evidence about a student’s progress towards meeting the learning expectations. Assessment is embedded in the instructional activities throughout a unit. The expectations for the assessment tasks are clearly articulated and the learning activity is planned to make that demonstration possible. This process of beginning with the end in mind helps to keep focus on the expectations of the course. The purpose of assessment is to gather the data or evidence and to provide meaningful feedback to the student about how to improve or sustain the performance in the course. Scaled criteria designed as rubrics are often used to help the student to recognize their level of achievement and to provide guidance on how to achieve the next level. Although assessment information can be gathered from a number of sources (the student himself, the student’s course mates, the teacher), evaluation is the responsibility of only the teacher. For evaluation is the process of making a judgment about the assessment information and determining the percentage grade or level.

Assessment is embedded within the instructional process throughout each unit rather than being an isolated event at the end. Often, the learning and assessment tasks are the same, with formative assessment provided throughout the unit. In every case, the desired demonstration of learning is articulated clearly and the learning activity is planned to make that demonstration possible. This process of beginning with the end in mind helps to keep focus on the expectations of the course as stated in the course guideline. The evaluations are expressed as a percentage based upon the levels of achievement.

Overall Expectations - SNC2D

Biology: The Sustainability of Ecosystems
Overall Expectations
SBE.01	demonstrate an understanding of the dynamic nature of ecosystems, including the relationship between ecological balance and the sustainability of life;
SBE.02	investigate factors that affect ecological systems and the consequences of changes in these factors;
SBE.03	analyse issues related to environmental sustainability and the impact of technology on ecosystems.
Chemistry: Chemical Processes
Overall Expectations
SCC.01	demonstrate an understanding of chemical reactions, the symbolic systems used to describe them, and the factors affecting their rates;
SCC.02	design and conduct investigations of chemical reactions, using standard scientific procedures, and communicate the results;
SCC.03	determine why knowledge of chemical reactions is important in developing consumer products and industrial processes and in addressing environmental concerns.
Earth and Space Science: Weather Dynamics
Overall Expectations
SES.01	demonstrate an understanding of the factors affecting the fundamental processes of weather systems;
SES.02	investigate and analyse trends in local and global weather conditions to forecast local and global weather patterns;
SES.03	evaluate how technology has contributed to our understanding of the physical factors that affect the weather.
Physics: Motion
Overall Expectations
SPM.01	demonstrate an understanding of different kinds of motion and of the quantitative relationships among displacement, velocity, and acceleration, and solve simple problems involving displacement, velocity, and acceleration;
SPM.02	design and conduct investigations on the displacement, velocity, and acceleration of an object;
SPM.03	analyse everyday phenomena and technologies in terms of the motions involved.

The Final Grade

The evaluation of the student’s achievement in this course is based on the student’s achievement of the curriculum expectations. The percentage grade represents the student’s overall achievement and reflects the corresponding level of achievement as described in the Achievement chart for this discipline. A credit will be granted if the final percentage awarded is 50% or more. The final grade will be determined as follows:

• 70% of the grade will be based upon evaluations conducted throughout the course. This portion of the grade will reflect the student's most consistent level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration will be given to more recent evidence of achievement.



• 30% of the grade will be based on a final examination administered at the end of the course. This exam will be based on an evaluation of achievement from all four categories of the Achievement Chart for the course and of expectations from all units of the course. This exam includes well-formulated multiple-choice questions as well as long-answer type questions.

The Report Card

The report card will focus on two distinct but related components of student achievement: the achievement of curriculum expectations and the development of learning skills. The report card will contain separate sections for the reporting of these two aspects.

A Summary Description of Achievement in Each Percentage Grade Range and Corresponding Level of Achievement
Percentage Grade Range	Achievement Level	Summary Description
80-100%	Level 4	A very high to outstanding level of achievement. Achievement is above the provincial standard.
70-79%	Level 3	A high level of achievement. Achievement is at the provincial standard.
60-69%	Level 2	A moderate level of achievement. Achievement is below, but approaching, the provincial standard.
50-59%	Level 1	A passable level of achievement. Achievement is below the provincial standard.
below 50%	Level R	Insufficient achievement of curriculum expectations. A credit will not be granted.

Achievement Chart: Science, Grades 9-12

Categories	50-59% (Level 1)	60-69% (Level 2)	70-79% (Level 3)	80-100% (Level 4)
Knowledge and Understanding - Subject-specific content acquired in each course (knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding)
	The student:
understanding of concepts, principles, laws, and theories (e.g., identifying assumptions;eliminating misconceptions; providing explanations)	demonstrates limited understanding of concepts, principles, laws, and theories	demonstrates some understanding of concepts, principles, laws, and theories	demonstrates considerable understanding of concepts, principles, laws, and theories	demonstrates thorough understanding of concepts, principles, laws, and theories
knowledge of facts and terms	demonstrates limited knowledge of facts and terms	demonstrates some knowledge of facts and terms	demonstrates considerable knowledge of facts and terms	demonstrates thorough knowledge of facts and terms
transfer of concepts to new contexts	infrequently transfers simple concepts to new contexts	sometimes transfers simple concepts to new contexts	usually transfers simple concepts to new contexts	routinely transfers simple concepts to new contexts
understanding of relationships between concepts	demonstrates limited understanding of relationships between concepts	demonstrates some understanding of relationships between concepts	demonstrates considerable understanding of relationships between concepts	demonstrates thorough and insightful understanding of relationships between concepts
Thinking and Inquiry - The use of critical and creative thinking and inquiry skills and/or processes
	The student:
application of the skills and strategies of scientific inquiry (e.g., initiating and planning, performing and recording, analysing and interpreting, problem solving)	applies few of the skills and strategies of scientific inquiry	applies some of the skills and strategies of scientific inquiry	applies most of the skills and strategies of scientific inquiry	applies all or almost all of the skills and strategies of scientific inquiry
application of technical skills and procedures (e.g., microscopes)	applies technical skills and procedures with limited competence	applies technical skills and procedures with moderate competence	applies technical skills and procedures with considerable competence	applies technical skills and procedures with a high degree of competence
use of tools, equipment, and materials	uses tools, equipment, and materials safely and correctly only with supervision	uses tools, equipment, and materials safely and correctly with some supervision	uses tools, equipment, and materials safely and correctly	demonstrates and promotes the safe and correct use of tools, equipment, and materials
Communication - The conveying of meaning through various forms
	The student:
communication of information and ideas	communicates information and ideas with limited clarity and precision	communicates information and ideas with some clarity and precision	communicates information and ideas with considerable clarity and precision	communicates information and ideas with a high degree of clarity and precision
use of scientific terminology, symbols, conventions, and standard (SI) units	uses scientific terminology, symbols, conventions, and SI units with limited accuracy and effectiveness	uses scientific terminology, symbols, conventions, and SI units with some accuracy and effectiveness	uses scientific terminology, symbols, conventions, and SI units with considerable accuracy and effectiveness	uses scientific terminology, symbols, conventions, and SI units with a high degree of accuracy and effectiveness
communication for different audiences and purpose	communicates with a limited sense of audience and purpose	communicates with some sense of audience and purpose	communicates with a clear sense of audience and purpose	communicates with a strong sense of audience and purpose
use of various forms of communication (e.g., reports, essays)	demonstrates limited command of the various forms	demonstrates moderate command of the various forms	demonstrates considerable command of the various forms	demonstrates extensive command of the various forms
use of information technology for scientific purposes (e.g., specialized databases)	uses technology with limited appropriateness and effectiveness	uses technology with moderate appropriateness and effectiveness	uses appropriate technology with considerable effectiveness	uses appropriate technology with a high degree of effectiveness
Application - The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various contexts
	The student:
understanding of connections among science, technology, society, and the environment	shows limited understanding of connections in familiar contexts	shows some understanding of connections in familiar contexts	shows considerable understanding of connections in familiar and some unfamiliar contexts	shows thorough understanding of connections in familiar and unfamiliar contexts
analysis of social and economic issues involving science and technology	analyses social and economic issues with limited effectiveness	analyses social and economic issues with moderate effectiveness	analyses social and economic issues with considerable effectiveness	analyses complex social and economic issues with a high degree of effectiveness
assessment of impacts of science and technology on the environment	assesses environmental impacts with limited effectiveness	assesses environmental impacts with moderate effectiveness	assesses environmental impacts with considerable effectiveness	assesses environmental impacts with a high degree of effectiveness
proposing of courses of practical action in relation to science and technology-based problems	extends analyses of familiar problems into courses of practical action with limited effectiveness	extends analyses of familiar problems into courses of practical action with moderate effectiveness	extends analyses of familiar problems into courses of practical action with considerable effectiveness	extends analyses of familiar and unfamiliar problems into courses of practical action with a high degree of effectiveness

Resources:

Students will need note-taking equipment, access to the Virtual Labs as explained at the time of registration, and access to some kitchen equipment and supplies for an experiment. Students are also sent to visit some prescribed external websites when researching.

• SNC2D online course of study
• various computer programs; wordprocessor, spreadsheet, etc.
• scanner
• materials for labs found around homes or general stores
• animations
• visuals
• various internet websites

Possible Reference Texts:

• SciencePower 10: Science * Technology * Society * Environment; Grace, Eric; McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2000
• Nelson Science 10; Ritter et al., Nelson Thomson Learning, 2000

Program Planning Considerations for Science:

Teachers who are planning a program in Science must take into account considerations in a number of important areas. Essential information that pertains to all disciplines is provided in the companion piece to this document, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12: Program Planning and Assessment, 2000. The areas of concern to all teachers that are outlined there include the following:

• types of secondary school courses
• education for exceptional students
• the role of technology in the curriculum
• English as a second language (ESL) and English literacy development (ELD)
• career education
• cooperative education and other workplace experiences
• health and safety

Considerations relating to the areas listed above that have particular relevance for program planning in Science are noted here.

Education for Exceptional Students. In planning courses in Science, teachers should take into account the needs of exceptional students as set out in their Individual Education Plan. All Science courses reflect the real world, which offers a vast array of opportunities for exceptional students. Students who use alternative techniques for communication may find a venue for their talents as they go about researching the nature of their world.

The Role of Technology in the Curriculum. Information technology is considered a learning tool that must be accessed by Science students when the situation is appropriate. As a result, students will develop transferable skills through their experience with word processing, internet research, presentation software, and telecommunication tools, as would be expected in any environment.

English As a Second Language and English Literacy Development (ESL/ELD). This Science course can provide a wide range of options to address the needs of ESL/ELD students. Assessment and evaluation exercises will help ESL students in mastering the English language and all of its idiosyncrasies. In addition, since all occupations require employees with a wide range of English skills and abilities, many students will learn how the operation of their own physical world can contribute to their success in their social world.

Career Education. Science definitely helps prepare students for employment in a huge number of diverse areas. The skills, knowledge and creativity that students acquire through this course are essential for a wide range of careers. Being able to express oneself in a clear concise manner without ambiguity, solve problems, make connections between this Science course and the larger world, etc., would be an overall intention of this Science course, as it helps students prepare for success in their working lives.

Cooperative Education and Other Workplace Experiences. By applying the skills they have developed, students will readily connect their classroom learning to real-life activities in the world in which they live. Cooperative education and other workplace experiences will broaden their knowledge of employment opportunities in a wide range of fields. In addition, students will increase their understanding of workplace practices and the nature of the employer-employee relationship. Teachers of Science should maintain links with community-based workers to ensure that students have access to hands-on experiences that will reinforce the knowledge they have gained in school.

Health and Safety. The Science program provides the reading and analytical skills for the student to be able to explore the variety of concepts relating to health and safety in the workplace. Teachers who provide support for students in workplace learning placements need to assess placements for safety and ensure that students can read and understand the importance of issues relating to health and safety in the workplace.