Course Content
The primary focus of this course is increasing student comfort with the processes of scientific inquiry. These are Questioning and Predicting, Planning and Conducting experiments, Processing and Analyzing data, Evaluating information, Applying and Innovating, and Communicating. Sample material will be drawn from a variety of topics in Biology, Physics, and Geology. There are four overarching ideas that guide the content of this course:
A significant portion of this course will be spent working in an inquiry-based project environment. Individual and collaborative study skills will be developed.
Materials
Each and every class, students will be expected to bring the appropriate materials. At the very least, an organized binder with paper, pens and pencils in assorted colours, an eraser, a calculator (not the one on your phone), a science text book, and a willingness to learn. Some other materials that will be needed on an occasional basis include scissors, glue, a USB or Flash drive, and some creativity.
Assessment
There are many different components to this course that will be assessed. The unifying theme is the application of the processes of science. Demonstration of learning will be achieved through written work such as vocabulary exercises, formal laboratory reports, or short answer questions, oral presentations of varying length, quizzes and tests, and a comprehensive final exam. An approximate breakdown of term marks is as follows:
Minor Assignments 15%
Laboratory Reports 25%
Major Projects 40%
Tests and Quizzes 20%
The assessment of all assignments, large or small, is based upon the performance rubric below. It establishes success with the major elements of scientific literacy including knowledge of content, ability to follow scientific processes, communication of learning, and completion.
The primary focus of this course is increasing student comfort with the processes of scientific inquiry. These are Questioning and Predicting, Planning and Conducting experiments, Processing and Analyzing data, Evaluating information, Applying and Innovating, and Communicating. Sample material will be drawn from a variety of topics in Biology, Physics, and Geology. There are four overarching ideas that guide the content of this course:
- Life processes are performed at the cellular level
- The behaviour of matter can be explained by the kinetic molecular theory and atomic theory
- Energy can be transferred as both a particle and a wave
- The theory of plate tectonics is the unifying theory that explains Earth's geological processes
A significant portion of this course will be spent working in an inquiry-based project environment. Individual and collaborative study skills will be developed.
Materials
Each and every class, students will be expected to bring the appropriate materials. At the very least, an organized binder with paper, pens and pencils in assorted colours, an eraser, a calculator (not the one on your phone), a science text book, and a willingness to learn. Some other materials that will be needed on an occasional basis include scissors, glue, a USB or Flash drive, and some creativity.
Assessment
There are many different components to this course that will be assessed. The unifying theme is the application of the processes of science. Demonstration of learning will be achieved through written work such as vocabulary exercises, formal laboratory reports, or short answer questions, oral presentations of varying length, quizzes and tests, and a comprehensive final exam. An approximate breakdown of term marks is as follows:
Minor Assignments 15%
Laboratory Reports 25%
Major Projects 40%
Tests and Quizzes 20%
The assessment of all assignments, large or small, is based upon the performance rubric below. It establishes success with the major elements of scientific literacy including knowledge of content, ability to follow scientific processes, communication of learning, and completion.