Page 171 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Science, 2008 (revised)

B2.3 plan and conduct an inquiry, using appro- priate technology, to compare water quality in natural and disturbed environments (e.g., com- pare the pH, ion content, temperature, dissolved oxygen content, hardness, turbidity, biological oxygen demand [BOD], and/or fecal coliform of tap water, water from a pond or stream, and water from a drainage ditch) [IP, PR, AI]
B2.4 analyse and interpret data on particulate matter in air samples from several different regions of Canada, using prepared data from a variety of sources (e.g., the Ontario Ministry of the Environment – Air Quality Ontario, Environment Canada) [AI]
B2.5 plan and conduct a waste audit of their home or school [IP, PR]
B. Understanding Basic Concepts
By the end of this course, students will:
B3.1 identify the basic components of soil, water, and air, and describe some of the effects of hu- man activity on soil, water, and air quality (e.g., the effects of industrial or vehicle emissions on air quality; of chemical spills on soil quality; of chlorination on water quality)
B3.2 explain the concept of the cycling of substan- ces in ecosystems (e.g., fertilizers made from biosolids leach into ground water or run off into rivers and streams, where the chemicals are absorbed by aquatic life, which is in turn consumed by humans)
B3.3 explain common methods of sampling soil, water, and air for analysis (e.g., soil core sam- pling, depth integrated sampling, stack sampling systems) and of monitoring soil, water, and air quality over time
B3.4 explain the concept of a “carbon footprint” and how it is used to measure the impact on the environment of a range of human activities
B3.5 explain the effects of human activity on an aquatic or terrestrial ecosystem (e.g., the impact of fertilizer run-off, acid precipitation, or an oil spill on an aquatic ecosystem)
B3.6 explain how human activities (e.g., agriculture, travel, the purchase of exotic pets, importing and exporting, releasing domesticated fish into fresh water environments, the use of live bait) have led to the introduction of invasive species, and why it is important to measure and monitor the impact of invasive species on native species
HUMAN IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT
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Environmental Science
SVN3E