Page 18 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: Science, 2008 (revised)

THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9 AND 10 | science
Many of the specific expectations are accompanied by examples, given in parentheses, as well as “sample issues” and “sample questions”. The examples, sample issues, and sample questions are meant to illustrate the kind of knowledge or skill, the specific area of learning, the depth of learning, and/or the level of complexity that the expectation entails. They have been developed to model appropriate practice for the grade and are meant to serve as a guide for teachers rather than an exhaustive or mandatory list. Teachers can choose to use the examples and sample issues and questions that are appropriate for their classrooms, or they may develop their own approaches that reflect a similar level of complexity. Whatever the specific ways in which the requirements outlined in the expectations are implemented in the classroom, they must, wherever possible, be inclusive and reflect the diversity of the student population and the population of the province.
The Expectations and the Goals of the Science Program
The three overall expectations in the content strands of every course, and their corres- ponding groups of specific expectations, are closely connected with the three goals of the science program (see page 4). The relationship between the goals and the expectations is briefly described below:
Goal 1. To relate science to technology, society, and the environment
The first overall expectation in each content strand focuses on relating science to tech- nology, society, and the environment (STSE). These expectations and their related clusters of specific expectations are positioned at the beginning of the strands to better align the curriculum with the optimal approach to teaching and learning science, and to emphasize the importance of scientific, technological, and environmental literacy for all students. The STSE expectations provide the context for developing the related skills and conceptual knowledge necessary for making connections between scientific, technological, social, and environmental issues. The STSE expectations often focus on aspects of environmental education.
Goal 2. To develop the skills, strategies, and habits of mind required for scientific investigation
The skills needed for developing scientific literacy are described in the second overall expectation in each strand and elaborated in its corresponding group of specific expectations, found under the heading “Developing Skills of Investigation and Communication”.
Goal 3. To understand the basic concepts of science
The conceptual knowledge that students are expected to acquire in the strand is described in the third overall expectation and elaborated in its corresponding group of specific expecta- tions, found under the heading “Understanding Basic Concepts”.
The incorporation of the three goals and their interrelationships in the curriculum expecta- tions reinforces the idea that learning in science cannot be viewed as merely the learning of facts. Rather, it involves students’ making connections and acquiring, in age-appropriate ways, the knowledge and skills that will help them to understand and consider critically the role of science in their daily lives, and the impact of scientific developments on society and the environment.
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