Grade 9 Integrated Science Course
Electronic first day handout
Teachers- Mr. Highland, Mr. Mawer, Mr. Malik, Mr. Hobbins, Ms. Patrikios,
Ms. Hardeman
Welcome to Grade 9 Integrated Science. This is a course that all 9th graders at ISM must
take in order to advance onto the next level of science. Integrated Science is a blending of
physics, chemistry, and biology that will give you the foundations to help you in the
future with scientific concepts. In this course you will learn to observe, question,
formulate and test hypotheses, collect and present data, and finally analyze data.
Equipment Expectations
You will need to bring the following to EVERY class:
Pens (+spares)
Pencil (Sharp)
Clear plastic 30cm ruler
Science Binder with paper/notebook
Eraser
Calculator
Hair band (if you have long hair)
When you come into a science lab you must be safe so
You MUST wear closed toed shoes that are held to your heel, if you don’t you might cut,
scald or burn your feet and you won’t be able to do labs.
Work Expectations
You are here to find things out- the more effort you put in the more you will find out!
You will find it helps if you are always:
Punctual, Polite, Prepared
Attentive Awake and Alert
Safe
Respectful (to each other and your teachers)
Responsible
It is
your responsibility to keep up with work and do homework.
If you are absent because of IASAS, sickness etc. you are expected to find out what you
missed and catch up.
We run tutorial sessions …… Use them!
The major topics covered in the Integrated Science course in grade 9 are:Scientific Method
Energy
Structures
Waves
If you continue with this course in year 10 you will cover the following topics:Charges
Oceans
Systems
21st Century Science
Assessment
Do NOT ask for extra credit, it is damaging to your health! 
Category
Knowledge
Factors in
assessment
Recall
Application and Problem solving
Understanding
Examples
of
assessment
Weight
Grade 9 Assessment Categories
Descriptor
Quizzes
25%
Tests and
Performance
tasks
25%
This category assesses the student’s ability
to recall facts, structures, names,
definitions and other foundational
information necessary for understanding
and applying the scientific principles of
this course.
This category assesses the student’s ability
to apply knowledge, concepts, formulae
and techniques in new contexts. Students
will solve problems by building models,
designing experiments, extracting evidence
from data, evaluating data, and drawing
conclusions.
This category assesses the student’s ability
to:
1) continually become more ethical,
balanced, self-directed, responsible, caring,
and creative by: a) setting goals; b)
planning work; c) implementing work; d)
reflecting upon work; and e) modifying
goals and strategies.
2) communicate understanding in multiple
ways such as: drawing, writing, speaking,
dramatizing, animating, poster-making,
PowerPointing, PodCasting.
3) Use Laboratory equipment competently,
accurately and safely.
4) Works well as a member of a team.
This category assesses the student’s ability
to:
1) collect sufficient relevant raw data;
2) record appropriate quantitative and
qualitative raw data, including units and
uncertainties where relevant;
3) process quantitative raw data correctly;
4) present processed data appropriately.
5) develop research questions and design
experiments
6) draw valid conclusions
7) evaluation procedures and results
TransDisciplinarySkill
Research
Communication
Personal
management
and reflection
Connection and
Collaboration
Critical thinking
Safety in a
lab, posters,
presentations,
Manipulating
equipment
accurately,
Performance
tasks
25%
Lab Reporting
Identifying
variables,
hypothesizing,
Designing
experiments,
Making tables,
processing the
data, using data
to create graphs
Drawing
conclusions
Evaluating
Lab reports
25%