Course Profile Science, Grade 9 academic, Public

Course Overview

Course Profiles are professional development materials designed to help teachers implement the new Grade 9 secondary school curriculum. These materials were created by writing partnerships of school boards and subject associations. The development of these resources was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training. This document reflects the views of the developers and not necessarily those of the Ministry. Permission is given to reproduce these materials for any purpose except profit. Teachers are encouraged to amend, revise, edit, cut, paste, and otherwise adapt this material for educational purposes.

Any references in this document to particular commercial resources, learning materials, equipment, or technology reflect only the opinions of the writers of this sample Course Profile, and do not reflect any official endorsement by the Ministry of Education and Training or by the Partnership of school Boards that supported the production of the document.

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Acknowledgments

Public District School Board Writing Teams - Science

Course Profile Writing Team

Arthur Prudham, Lead Writer, Waterloo Region District School Board and

Science Co-ordinators and Consultants Association of Ontario

Tom Card, Peel District School Board

Nancy Clarke, York Region District School Board

Chuck Hammill, Peel District School Board

Heather Troup, Peel District School Board

Peter Tse, York Region District School Board

Reviewers

Dave Arthur, Ontario Society for Environmental Education (OSEE); Cecil Knight, Kawartha Pine Ridge DSB; Phil Logan, Ed Mahfouz, Patricia Thomas, Ottawa Carleton DSB; Paulette Luft, Philip Marsh, Elaine Sturm, Peel DSB; Dennis Wendland, Waterloo Region DSB and OSEE; Fiona White, Kawartha Pine Ridge DSB and STAO

Lead Board

Peel District School Board

Allan Smith, Project Manager

Partner Boards

Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, Ottawa Carleton District School Board, Waterloo Region District School Board, York Region District School Board

Associations

Ontario Society for Environmental Education (OSEE)

Science Co-ordinators and Consultants Association of Ontario (SCCAO)

Science Teachers Association of Ontario (STAO)

Course Overview

Academic Science Course, Grade 9

Description

This course enables students to understand basic concepts in biology, chemistry, earth and space science, and physics to develop skills in the processes of scientific inquiry and to relate science to technology, society and the environment. Student learning will include scientific theory and investigations related to cell division and reproduction, atomic and molecular structures and properties of elements and compounds, the universe and space exploration, and the principles of electricity.

Unit Titles with Sequence and Timing

This Grade 9 Academic Science course profile has been developed to link units through a progression of skills and in some cases content. Local circumstances may dictate some variation in the sequence suggested below, but it is essential to begin with Unit 1, the skill development unit, since the skills developed are applied in other units. Unit 6, the final assessment task, must be the last unit of the course.

The profile structure is one suggestion. It would also be possible to develop themes which address Expectations from a number of the science strands. For example, an alternate course profile might develop units with titles such as “Nutrition”, which would address Expectations from the Biology and Chemistry strands, or “Science: A Changing Discipline”, which would address Expectations from all four strands.

Observing the skies in the astronomy unit is best done sometime between late November and early February, when nights are long and there is the option to do direct observation in the early evening or morning. It may be necessary for semestered schools to deliver parts of both Units 1 and 5 near the beginning of semester 2 to do this.

The teacher is responsible for creating long-range plans, detailed timing for units and activities, and making decisions about the best order of activities in a given unit. It is important to read through an entire unit prior to making specific plans, since later activities may require introduction early in the unit.

Unit Name and Timing	Unit Title	Skill Development
Unit 1 (14 hours)	Weird Water and Skill Builders	• selected cognitive and manipulative skills for diagnosis of prior learning and skill development
Unit 2 (22 hours)	Reproduction	• inquiry, with a research focus
Unit 3 (22 hours)	Atoms and Elements	• inquiry, with an experimental focus
Unit 4 (22 hours)	Characteristics of Electricity	• inquiry, with a design focus
Unit 5 (22 hours)	Study of the Universe	• developing investigative skills beyond the laboratory
Unit 6 (8 hours)	Making Connections	• final assessment task

Unit Descriptions

Unit 1: Weird Water - Skill Builders

Time: 14 hours

Description

This unit uses some of the unique properties of water as a unifying theme and provides an opportunity for the teacher to assess the current competence of students in science inquiry, their knowledge of the safe and appropriate use of equipment, and their ability to work independently, in small groups and as a whole class during instruction. The second Overall Expectation in each Strand describes the development of cognitive and manipulative science skills. These are the focus of this unit.

Overall Expectations: BYV.01, BYV.02, PHV.01, PHV.02, CHV.01, CHV.02, ESV.01,

ESV.02, ESV.03

Specific Expectations: BY1.01, BY2.01, BY2.02, PH1.01, PH2.01, PH2.02, PH2.03,

PH2.04, PH2.06, CH1.07, CH1.13, CH2.02, CH2.03, CH2.06,

CH2.09, ES1.03, ES2.04, ES2.05, ES2.06, ES3.04

Unit 2: Reproduction

Time: 22 hours

Description

This unit is introduced by examining how developments in reproductive biology have had an impact on society. The focus is on reproductive technology, using current issues to develop student interest in sexual and asexual reproduction. Students will gain a greater appreciation of the Cell Theory, and the importance of mitosis. In addition to proper handling of equipment (such as the light microscope), this unit also provides opportunity for students to improve their inquiry skills through research, analysis, interpretation and evaluation of scientific information, as well as skills for communicating the information.

Overall Expectations: BYV.01, BYV.02, BYV.03

Specific Expectations: BY1.01 to .10, BY2.01 to .09, BY3.01 to .04

Unit 3: Atoms and Elements

Time: 22 hours

Description

In this unit, students will design and conduct investigations into the properties of common elements and compounds with a focus on laboratory and environmental safety. The topics of this unit lend themselves naturally to experimentation and provide opportunities for students to collect, record, organize, analyze and interpret data. The culminating activity of the unit addresses economic and environmental issues and relates to the reactions and properties of common elements and compounds.

Overall Expectations: CHV.01, CHV.02, CHV.03

Specific Expectations: CH1.01 to .15; CH2.01 to .10; CH3.01 to .04

Unit 4: Characteristics of Electricity

Time: 22 hours

Description

In this unit, students will gain an understanding of concepts of static and current electricity. Using a variety of instruments and tools, they will develop skill in gathering qualitative and quantitative data. They will use the relationships among current/electrical resistance /potential difference, and energy/power/time to solve simple problems. Students will apply their knowledge to the design and construction of an electrical circuit which performs a specific function. Safety concerns related to static and current electricity in daily life, and the safe use of tools and electrical equipment, are addressed. Students will evaluate social, economic and environmental costs and benefits associated with electrical energy production and distribution in Canada.

Overall Expectations: PHV.01, PHV.02, PHV.03

Specific Expectations: PH1.01 to .13; PH2.01 to .11; PH3.01 to .03

Unit 5: Study of the Universe

Time: 22 hours

Description

This unit builds on students’ curiosity about space and their place in the universe and develops their observational skills in situations other than the laboratory. Students will study the methods scientists use to study space and explore theories on the origin of the universe and the development of technologies used in space studies. Skills of inquiry, problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration and communication are developed. Current space work is emphasized, such as the construction of the new international space station. As a culminating activity, the students develop a proposal for a space mission.

Overall Expectations: ESV.01, ESV.02, ESV.03

Specific Expectations: ES1.01 to .07; ES2.01 to .09; ES3.01 to .04

Unit 6: Making Connections

Time: 8 hours

Description

This unit, which comprises the summative assessment tasks, occurs towards the end of the course. It accounts for 30% of the students’ overall course grade, and assesses all three goals of the science course (relating science to technology, society and the environment; inquiry and communication skills; and basic concepts). The course has been designed to allow students to practise skills, and to identify and correct misconceptions in preparation for the final assessment. This assessment also allows the teacher to establish how well students have achieved expectations according to the Achievement Chart for Science (The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: Science, 1999, pp. 46-47). The remaining 70% of the course grade will be based on assessments and evaluations conducted throughout the course.

Course Notes

There is a common misconception that science consists solely of a basic set of agreed-upon facts that every student should know. This perception ignores the rapid expansion of knowledge, especially in the areas of science and technology. The established core of science education is not one of facts alone, but of the concepts, skills, attitudes and dispositions which enable learners to interpret and respond to the events, changes and challenges of their world. It is important that all students achieve such scientific literacy, however the path they follow will differ, reflecting local issues and situations, community-based planning and management, and individual student interest.

• The paramount task of science education is to equip all students with scientific literacy – that combination of values, knowledge and skills that will enable them to think creatively, reason logically, evaluate information critically and communicate effectively. This is an essential base for making productive and ethical decisions, not only about scientific and technological issues but in all areas of life. At the same time, science education must prepare students who require scientific knowledge and skills for employment or further education in trades, technology and other science related fields.

• To help students achieve this vision, Grade 9 Science is grounded in three goals which parallel those of The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Science and Technology, and which are in turn reflected directly in the three overall expectations for each unit in the course. These goals for students are:

• To relate science to technology, society and the environment;

• To develop skills, strategies and habits of mind required for scientific inquiry; and,

• To understand basic concepts of science

The three goals are of equal importance, and the activities and assessment tasks in this profile reflect that balance.

• An emphasis on science inquiry skills is maintained throughout the course. Through a variety of

investigations, students describe objects and events, ask questions, construct explanations, test those explanations against current scientific knowledge, and communicate their ideas to others. They identify their assumptions, use critical and logical thinking, and consider alternative explanations.

• The expectations are central to all aspects of this course profile. The context in which each unit

is delivered, the skills and concepts developed and the assessment tasks used are interconnected, and linked to the Expectations. The assessment data accumulated throughout the course must be sufficient (in kind and number) to permit teachers to evaluate the consistent level of performance for each student in each of the categories in the Achievement Chart for Science (policy document, pages 44-47).

• Students should be made fully aware, in advance, of the processes by which they will be assessed

and evaluated in each unit of the course and in the summative course evaluation. Use of the Achievement Chart for Science is the basis of assessment of all aspects of the course, and is introduced and discussed in Unit 1.

• This profile describes a science course in which students are taught how, and are actively

encouraged, to ask their own questions, and in many cases to find their own answers by inquiry – through experiment, research or the innovation of a device or process. The teacher must make decisions about when and how to intervene to ensure that students are being successful, without usurping their opportunities to find their own way. In this model the teacher is a facilitator of learning, rather than the only source of knowledge - the ‘guide on the side’, not the ‘sage on the stage’. The teacher spends more class time refocusing groups and individual students; less directing whole-class activities.

• Although there is still the need for direct instruction for some skills and concepts, that strategy is

only one of a wide range of instructional strategies promoted in this profile. Consequently, there is a much reduced emphasis on traditional laboratory activities in which students are provided step-by-step instructions, and more emphasis on developing students’ ability to devise and carry out their own procedures within well-defined limits. Again, the teacher’s role is to decide what knowledge and skills students must have for them to proceed safely and successfully in a laboratory setting, without reducing their part in the process to being followers of recipes with entirely predictable results.

• Research across a variety of disciplines indicates that each student interprets new information in

terms of what he or she already knows. The student tries to make sense of what is taught by trying to fit it with his or her experience. This implies that teachers must engage students in activities from which the students construct meaning. This does not imply, however, that students must always ‘reinvent the wheel’. For example, basic computation and algorithms "were invented precisely so that people would not have to count on their fingers and toes to solve each problem." (Sykes, 1995). Formulas in science serve similar practical purposes. However the formulas and algorithms should be viewed by students as tools for solving problems not as problems to be solved, and should not dominate the curriculum.

• The need for students to interact with others as they expand their experience with new concepts

is so vital that co-operative learning is a primary teaching strategy. Co-operative learning allows individuals to examine their current thinking and to make adaptations in light of input from others. Learners need time to experience, reflect on their experiences in relation to what they already know, and resolve any problems that arise. Accordingly, learners need time to clarify, elaborate, describe, compare, negotiate, and reach consensus on what specific experiences mean to them. Educating students to be effective learners is an important priority in the science program.

• Not all specific expectations are of equal value. Those that are critical to the development of

scientific literacy are emphasized in the learning activities, and are often revisited. These are expectations which are taught, assessed, evaluated and where necessary revisited using alternate instructional strategies in a cyclic process that stops only when students have achieved the expectations.

• The course begins with a unit which assesses and develops prior knowledge and skills. This

pattern is continued by beginning each unit with activities which help students build the necessary background to succeed and which help teachers determine areas for remediation to be addressed during instruction.

• Safety issues should be introduced as appropriate throughout the course. Teachers should consult

local and Ministry policy documents, and conform with local Health and Safety practices. Refer also to The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: Science (p. 43).

• As implementation of the Grade 1-8 program proceeds, teachers of Grade 9 Science will find that

some of the introductory activities now required to assess and develop student background knowledge and skills will be less time consuming, leaving more time for enhancements and extensions. A chart is provided in the Teacher Support Materials (TSM - Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1 - 8: Science and Technology) which outlines succinctly the areas of the Grade 1-8 program which relate to Expectations in Grade 9 Science.

• There are many opportunities for students to do inquiry by research in this profile. Where

activities suggest particular resources and techniques for research, the teacher must decide if the suggestions are feasible, and if not, to adjust them so that the intent of the activity is maintained even if the details are altered to accommodate local circumstances.

Students should be taught how to use all available tools to access information – from people, print, other media and online sources, both within the school and beyond in the community. They should also be given opportunities to use those skills, and to experience the frustrations that invariably accompany the location and acquisition of quality information.

However, care must be taken that student time is spent primarily on processing information rather than accessing information, so that the research does not become an end in itself. It is more time efficient for students to be provided with appropriate resource materials for some activities, rather than having them search them out. For example, a selection of appropriate books, magazines, vertical files and other media on a topic could be located in advance by the teacher and/or teacher librarian and brought to the classroom. Where Internet access if limited, or slow, whole sites can be downloaded to the hard drive of a computer using a commercial software package like WebWhacker (Classroom Connect - ISBN 0932577-39-3 -- web site http://www.classroom.net) then used in the classroom. Teachers should also develop collections of articles from various sources that could be maintained in a classroom vertical file for use by students as required, or bundled into packages specific to particular activities.

• The instructional plan for each unit encourages connections to a broad range of community resources. These may include print or electronic sources of information, sites for field trips, resource people, physical resources, commercial enterprises and post-secondary institutions. These can also be resources for students planning for careers and further education.

• The implementation of Grade 9 Science is a process, not an event. The program will take a number of years to become institutionalized in schools. Beginning in September 1999, it will be necessary that those involved at all levels in the education system make continuous and measurable progress towards the implementation.

• Students who successfully complete Grade 9 Science, whether the Academic or the Applied course, may choose either course option in Grade 10. To ensure that all students have the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in Grade 10, there is considerable similarity in the learning activities described for both the Academic and Applied courses.

Teaching/Learning Strategies

Most learning activities in this profile focus on the inquiry process, draw on scientific skills and concepts and are set in a context of science as it relates to technology, society and the environment. This approach is a significant, intentional change from past practice which tended to focus first on content, and is critical to the development of scientific literacy for all students. There has been a conscious effort to address the principles of best practice in instruction, as outlined below, in the student activities throughout this profile.

Instructional strategies in Grade 9 Science:

• include whole class, small group and individual instruction

• promote the role of teacher as guide and facilitator in the classroom

• use electronic technology in investigations as appropriate (including computer software, laboratory interface devices, calculators, video and digital cameras)

• address a variety of learning styles in each unit

• can be modified for special needs students

• promote direct involvement in a variety of concrete experiences with the natural world which enable students to construct their own understanding of concepts and principles

• provide challenging experiences appropriate to the needs of a broad spectrum of students