Page 9 - Math 9-10 (2009)

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THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9 AND 10: MATHEMATICS
Curriculum Expectations
The expectations identified for each course describe the knowledge and skills that students are expected to acquire, demonstrate, and apply in their class work, on tests, and in various other activities on which their achievement is assessed and evaluated.
Two sets of expectations are listed for each strand, or broad curriculum area, of each course.
• The overall expectations describe in general terms the knowledge and skills that students are
expected to demonstrate by the end of each course.
• Thespecificexpectationsdescribetheexpectedknowledgeandskillsingreaterdetail.The specific expectations are arranged under subheadings that reflect particular aspects of the required knowledge and skills and that may serve as a guide for teachers as they plan learn- ing activities for their students. The organization of expectations in subgroupings is not meant to imply that the expectations in any subgroup are achieved independently of the expectations in the other subgroups. The subheadings are used merely to help teachers focus on particular aspects of knowledge and skills as they develop and present various lessons and learning activities for their students.
In addition to the expectations outlined within each strand, a list of seven “mathematical process expectations” precedes the strands in all mathematics courses. These specific expecta- tions describe the knowledge and skills that constitute processes essential to the effective study of mathematics. These processes apply to all areas of course content, and students’ proficiency in applying them must be developed in all strands of a mathematics course. Teachers should ensure that students develop their ability to apply these processes in appropriate ways as they work towards meeting the expectations outlined in the strands.
When developing detailed courses of study from this document, teachers are expected to weave together related expectations from different strands, as well as the relevant process expectations, in order to create an overall program that integrates and balances concept devel- opment, skill acquisition, the use of processes, and applications.
Many of the expectations are accompanied by examples and/or sample problems, given in parentheses. These examples and sample problems are meant to illustrate the kind of skill, the specific area of learning, the depth of learning, and/or the level of complexity that the expec- tation entails. They are intended as a guide for teachers rather than as an exhaustive or manda- tory list.Teachers do not have to address the full list of examples or use the sample problems supplied. They might select two or three areas of focus suggested by the examples in the list or they might choose areas of focus that are not represented in the list at all. Similarly, they may incorporate the sample problems into their lessons, or they may use other problems that are relevant to the expectation.