Iona Catholic Secondary School
Science, Grade 10, Academic
Course Overview
Course Description:
This course enables students to develop a deeper understanding of concepts in biology,
chemistry, earth and space science, and physics; to develop further their skills in
scientific inquiry; and to understand the interrelationships among science, technology,
and the environment. Students conduct investigations and understand scientific theories
related to biology, cells, tissues and organ systems; chemical reactions, with particular
attention to acid-base reactions; factors that influence weather systems; and light.
How this Course supports; The Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations
The study of science helps students to learn and to be reflective, critical, and creative
thinkers, as well as discerning believers, who can apply their knowledge to the world
around them. They can then make appropriate decisions in light of Gospel values and
Church teachings. Through the study of the techniques of science, particularly
experimentation, students learn to be collaborative contributors to an interdependent team,
respecting the rights, responsibilities, and contributions of others. Through career
exploration, students think critically about the meaning and purpose of work, find
meaning, dignity, and fulfillment, and contribute to the common good. Overall, through
the course, students become aware of the spiritual as will as the physical dimension of the
world and of their roles as stewards of God’s creation.
Unit Titles (Time & Sequence)
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 4
Unit 5**
Biology: Tissues, Organs, and Systems
of Living Things
Chemistry: Chemical Processes
Physics: Light and Geometric Optics
Earth and Space Science: Climate Change
Culminating Activities:
Total
26.25 hours
26.25 hours
28.0 hours
22.0 hours
7.5 hours
110.0 hours
Assessment/Evaluation Techniques
Assessment is the process of gathering information, from a variety of sources, that
accurately reflects how well a student is achieving the curriculum expectations. In
science these expectations include the Understanding of Basic concepts which ay be
assessed for Knowledge and Understanding; the Developing Skills of Inquiry and
Communication which may be assessed for Inquiry and Communication; and Relating
Science to Technology, Society, and environment which may be assess for Making
Connections.
Evaluation and assessment are based on the categories outline in the Achievement Chart
for The Ontario Curriculum Grades 9 and 10 Science. For this course, each component is
weighted as follows;
Revised: June 29/10
Evaluation (Total 100 %)
Term work (70 %)
Knowledge / Understanding
Inquiry
Application
Communication
Final (30 %)
CPT
Exam
Total
17.5 %
24.5 %
17.5 %
10.5 %
10.0 %
20.0 %
100.0 %
The above list constitutes a guideline within which student work will be assessed and
evaluated. In all other aspects, the School’s Policy on Evaluation and Assessment will be
followed. Please refer to the Student Handbook for further details.
Assessments Strategies
Personal Communication
- Essays
- Journals
- lab reports
- self-assessments
- student-teacher conferences
Paper and Pencil Tests
- quizzes
- unit tests
- final exams
Observation
- formal/informal by teacher
Performance Assessment
- research project/essay
- student-performed experiments
- portfolio of possible newspaper articles
- newspaper components
Assessment Tools
- checklists
- marking schemes
- rubrics
- anecdotal comments with suggestions for improvements
Revised: June 29/10
Resources: Nelson, Science Perspective 10
The Parent-Home Connection
Nelson Science 10 – Perspectives - recognizes the parent as an integral part of the
learning process. The Student text has been designed to provide parents with an easy-toread overview of what their child will know and be able to do at the end of each unit of
study. The Unit Summary and the Unit Review at the end of each unit provide parents
with a tool to assist their child to ensure concepts are understood, skills are developed,
and connections can be made between the concepts for science, technology, society, and
the environment.
The Nelson Science Website features an area for parents, that provides suggestions for
assisting their child’s learning and engaging them in discussions about concepts being
learned.
Definitions
Assessment involves gathering information about student performance using a variety of
tools and techniques. Teachers assess students by observing them and listening to them as
they complete a variety of tasks. Grant Wiggins encourages educators to regard
assessment as an ongoing process of providing feedback to students in order to coach
them to ward successful performance. Assessment also provides information to the
teacher about the next steps of instruction.
Evaluation involves making a judgment about the quality of student achievement based
on the evidence of student learning. It requires comparing student performance to a
known standard. Evaluation is necessary because students, and their parents, need to
know where students stand in relation to provincial standards. When teachers put a grade
on a test, they are informing students and parents about the degree to which the students
have met the provincial standard on this particular evaluation task.
Grading is a symbolic representation of the judgment made in evaluation.
Diagnostic assessment provides information to help guide instruction, but does not count
toward a student’s report card grade.
Formative assessment will reflect a student’s steadily improving performance. As such,
we can expect that a student’s performance will improve as a unit progresses.
Summative assessment occurs towards the end of each unit and should reflect the
student’s best performance. It should comprise the greater part of a student’s report card
grade.
Revised: June 29/10
Unit Organization
Unit 1: Biology: Tissues, Organs, and Systems of Living Things
In this unit the student will learn about cells, tissues, and organs and how they work
together in systems in plants and in animals. You will also learn about technologies
designed to diagnose, study, treat, and cure diseases affecting body systems.
Student will also use appropriate terminology related to cells, tissues, organs, and
systems of living things. Students will have an opportunity to examine cells under the
microscope to identify the various stages of mitosis, specialization of cells, and cancer
cells in plant and animal cells.
Overall Expectations:
- evaluate the importance o medical and other technological developments
related to systems biology, and analyse their societal and ethical implications;
- investigate cell division, cell specialization, organs, and systems in animals
and plants, using research and inquiry skills, including various laboratory
techniques;
- demonstrate an understanding of the hierarchical organization of cells, from
tissues, to organs, to systems in animals and plants.
Unit 2: Chemistry: Chemical Reactions and their Practical Applications
In this unit students demonstrate an understanding of chemical reactions and the factors
affecting their rates. Students design and conduct investigations of chemical reactions.
They apply their knowledge of chemical reactions to the development of consumer
products and industrial processes. As informed Catholic citizens and responsible
stewards, students use their knowledge of chemistry in addressing home safety issues
as well as the broad arena of pressing environmental concerns.
Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations:
Overall Expectations:
- analyse a variety of safety and environmental issues associated with chemical
reactions, including the ways in which chemical reactions can be applied to
address environmental challenges;
- investigate, through inquiry, the characteristics of chemical reactions;
- demonstrate an understanding of the general principles of chemical reactions,
and various ways to represent them.
Revised: June 29/10
Unit 3: Physics: Light and Geometric Optics
Students evaluate the contributions of optical devices to such areas as entertainment,
communications, and health and other technologies. Students study the properties of light
and the principles underlying the transmission of light through medium and from one
medium to another. They investigate the properties of light through experimentation
(reflection using straight, concave and convex mirrors), and illustrate and predict the
behaviour of light through the use of ray diagrams and algebraic equations.
Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations:
Overall Expectations:
- evaluate the effectiveness of technological devices and procedures designed to
make use of light, and assess their social benefits;
- investigate, through inquiry, the properties of light, and predict its behaviour,
particularly with respect to reflection in plane and curved mirrors and
refraction in converging lenses;
- demonstrate and understanding of various characteristics and properties of
light, particularly with respect to reflection in mirrors and reflection and
refraction in lenses.
Unit 4: Earth and Space Science: Climate Change
In this unit students will analyse current and/or potential effects, both positive and
negative, of climate change on human activity and natural systems. The students will
assess, on the basis of research, the effectiveness of some current individual, regional,
national, or international initiatives that address the issue of climate change.
Also students will use appropriate terminology related to climate change, and analyse
different sources of scientific data for evidence of natural climate change and climate
change influenced by human activity.
The students will get an understanding of the principal components of Earth’s climate
systems and how the systems work. They will also be able to describe and explain heat
transfer in the hydrosphere and atmosphere and its effects on air and water currents and
the natural greenhouse effect.
Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations: CGE 2a,b,c,d,e; 3c; 4a,f; 5a,e; 7b
Overall Expectations:
- analyse some of the effects o climate change around the world, and assess the
effectiveness of initiatives that attempt to address the issue of climate change;
- investigate various natural and human factors that influence Earth’s climate
and climate change;
- demonstrate an understanding o natural and human factors, including the
greenhouse effect, that influence Earth’s climate and contribute to climate
change.
Revised: June 29/10
Unit 5: Culminating Activity:
Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations:
Revised: June 29/10