Page 7 - Science - Grade 9, DE-STREAMED COURSE (SNC1W)

In summary, the Ontario Grade 9 science course aims to provide all students with the skills and knowledge required to:
• apply research, experimentation, and engineering design skills to help find solutions to complex problems in their own lives and in the lives of those in their communities;
• understand the cross-curricular and cross-disciplinary nature of problem solving within the STEM fields;
• appreciate the wonder and awe of the world and be optimistic and realistic about the power and limitations of science to solve environmental and social problems;
• consider carefully the intended and unintended consequences of scientific progress;
• develop scientific literacy and skills that will allow them to be discerning citizens and find answers
to scientific questions;
• see themselves as future contributing members of STEM fields and sectors, including skilled
trades;
• see themselves as confident, effective science learners, with rich social and cultural backgrounds
that can help them to contribute to scientific discovery and related technological innovation;
• discover effective, equitable, inclusive, and sustainable solutions to scientific and technological
problems that impact their lives and the lives of those in their communities;
• recognize the importance of Indigenous knowledges and ways of knowing, and of bringing diverse
perspectives to current challenges within STEM fields.
The three main goals of the Grade 9 science course are for students:
Achieving these three goals will enable students to develop a high degree of scientific literacy.
The Importance of STEM Education
STEM education is the cross-curricular study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and the application of those subjects in real-world contexts. As students engage in STEM education, they develop the transferable skills that they need to meet the demands of today’s global economy and society, and to become scientifically literate citizens.
STEM education helps students develop an understanding and appreciation of each of the core subjects of science, technology, and mathematics. At the same time, it supports a more holistic understanding and application of skills and knowledge related to engineering design and innovation. STEM learning integrates and applies concepts, processes, and ways of thinking associated with these subjects to
1. to develop the skills and make the connections needed for scientific investigation
2. to relate science to our changing world, including technology, society, the economy, and the
environment
3. to investigate and understand scientific concepts
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