Course Overview

Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation, SNC3M

Prerequisite: Science, Grade 10, Academic or Applied

Course Description

This course explores relationships among Science, Technology, Society, and the Environment. Selected scientific and technological innovations - genetic modification of food and other food technologies, development of synthetic materials, habitation of space - are investigated to highlight contemporary issues including those related to waste management. The course concludes with personal research projects in which students apply knowledge and skills to explore phenomena, identify issues and propose solutions.

This Profile offers one set of suggestions for achieving the Learning Expectations of the SNC3M curriculum document. Teachers must adapt the Profile to suit their circumstances and to match the students’ needs while ensuring that all Learning Expectations of the Guideline are addressed fully.

Course Notes

Scientific Literacy for All Students

The paramount task of science education is to equip all students with scientific literacy – the combination of knowledge, skills and habits of mind that 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 also in all areas of life.

The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12, Science notes that, “Achieving excellence in scientific literacy is not the same as becoming a science specialist.” This statement is particularly appropriate to Grade 11 Science, where achievement of scientific literacy is the prime goal of the course. The policy document goes on to note, “The newer aspects of the science curriculum – especially those that focus on science, technology, society, and the environment (STSE) – call for students to deal with the impacts of science on society and the environment, which includes both the natural environment and the workplace environment. This requirement brings in issues that relate to human values. Science can therefore not be viewed as merely a matter of “facts”; rather, it is a subject in which students learn to weigh the complex combinations of fact and value that developments in science and technology have given rise to in modern society” (p. 4). This perspective is consistent with the vision advanced in this profile.

Guideline Directions

The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Science contains recommendations regarding teaching approaches and curriculum expectations that are reflected clearly in this profile and should be evident in courses developed using this profile as a template. (p. 8-10)

· “The expectations in science courses call for an active, experimental approach to learning, and require all students to participate regularly in laboratory activities;”

· “Where opportunity allows, students might be required, as part of their laboratory activities, to design and conduct research on a real scientific problem for which the results are unknown;”

· “Where possible, concepts should be introduced in the context of real-world problems and issues;”

· “In all courses, a list of expectations is given that precedes the strands. These Expectations describe skills that are considered to be essential for scientific investigation e.g., skills in research, in the use of materials, and in the use of units of measurement, and skills required for investigating possible careers in the subject area. These skills apply to all areas of course content and must be developed in all strands of the course…. Assessment of students’ mastery of these skills must be included in the evaluation of students’ achievement of the expectations for the course.” In this profile, these expectations will be called Science Investigative Skills. When developing detailed course plans, use these SISs as a primary guide.

The Goals of Grade 11 Science

As in the Grade 1 to 8 Science and Technology courses, and the Grade 9 and 10 Science courses, SNC3M is based on three goals:

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

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

· To understand basic concepts of science.

The activities and assessment tasks in this profile reflect the importance of the three goals and have been developed to address clusters of specific expectations that encompass all three goals. In all science courses every attempt should be made to place learning in an STSE context – inquiry skills should be built through issues first, with content assembled later. In addressing STSE expectations such as ‘evaluate technologies…’, ‘analyse relationship with issues…’, ‘analyse costs and benefits…’ and ‘analyse impacts…’ students should have opportunities to discuss issues, examine values and attitudes, and propose solutions and actions.

The Audience for Grade 11 Science

· Grade 11 Science is a departure from courses available in the past to Grade 11 students in Ontario. Its cross-disciplinary nature makes it ideal for students who are destined for post-secondary programs in universities and colleges that do not have specialized science courses as prerequisites. Individuals must be scientifically literate to thrive in a science-based world as persons and citizens regardless of career path. For future journalists, historians, lawyers, business people, hospitality workers, those in recreation – and many others – Grade 11 Science provides an excellent overview of content from a variety of science disciplines and a focus on the process of science and its role in society.

· Grade 11 Science is also an ideal course for adult students who require senior secondary school science credits to pursue further education.

· SNC3M is accessible to students who have completed Grade 10 Science, Applied as well as those who have completed Grade 10 Science, Academic.

· For many students, Grade 11 Science can provide the third Science/Technology credit required for their diploma.

· Science courses should be recommended to students who will take only one or two of the more specialized biology, chemistry or physics courses in Grades 11 and/or 12. It will provide them with a broad range of scientific concepts from across science disciplines. It will require them to consider the role of science and technology in daily life and in relation to social and environmental issues.

· Grade 11 and 12 Science courses are ideally suited to students who plan to prepare for a career in elementary education in a non-science degree program. Science courses in Grades 11 and 12 are directed at building the skills, attitudes, knowledge and habits of mind of the scientifically literate citizen who is equipped to thrive in a science-based world. As such, they are appropriate courses for most secondary school students.

Planning and Implementing Grade 11 Science

· SNC3M is by definition a Science course, with an emphasis on inquiry skills. A degree of scientific rigour should be clearly evident in the delivery of 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. How science influences and is influenced by society is clearly evident throughout the guideline and in this profile, but the course should not be delivered so that sociology overshadows the process of science in developing understanding of key concepts and scientific principles.

· The breadth of content in SNC3M is such that teachers must make decisions regarding the depth to which any given topic should be addressed. The opportunity for students to be exposed to the broad scope of science must not be jeopardized by extending the study of any one aspect to excess. All topics in the course are important. At the same time, the study of a few key topics in greater depth, suggested by class interest or teacher expertise, is appropriate, as long as the overall scope of the course does not suffer.

· 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.

· A number of activities in this profile have a research focus which requires accessing information beyond the laboratory or field trip. Students should be taught explicitly how to use all available sources of information – people, print, online sources and other media, both within the school and 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 search does not become an end in itself.

· The expectations are central to all aspects of this profile. The context in which each unit is delivered, the skills and concepts developed and the assessment tasks used must be 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.

· Some of the expectations in the guideline, and the SISs (Science Investigative Skills), are so critical to the development of scientific literacy that they are given special emphasis in learning activities and are often revisited (e.g., those related to technology and its role in society). These are Expectations that are taught, assessed, evaluated and revisited using alternate instructional strategies in a cyclic process that stops only when students have achieved them. They describe curriculum priorities/enduring learnings/core learnings which students must be given opportunities to explore in depth rather than just to acquire familiarity.

· 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. Understanding a key concept results when the student has opportunities to develop skills and construct understanding through concrete experiences and then to create generalizations from those personal experiences. Teachers must be aware of the experiences that students have already had from their work prior to Grade 11, and use those as building blocks to new and more complex concepts. Students may also arrive with misconceptions from their experience that will interfere with their ability to understand new concepts. Identifying and eliminating misconceptions through concrete experiences may be required at times.

· Terminology, formulae and algorithms should be viewed by students as tools for solving problems and communicating ideas, not as problems to be solved, and should not dominate the curriculum. SNC3M is intended more to promote scientific literacy than to build a detailed background in a science discipline. It is particularly important to emphasize key skills and concepts without obscuring them by expecting students to memorize a multitude of facts and formulae. Students could be encouraged to develop reference sheets of significant formulae, algorithms and concepts for use in class and on tests or examinations. When the size of the sheet is limited (to a single sided sheet of paper, handwritten, for example) preparation requires that students review their work, then identify and summarize critical information. Such reference sheets may be submitted for assessment and evaluation as part of an End-of-Unit Task or a component of the Final Summative Assessment Tasks for the course. Use of reference sheets allows teachers to move the focus of assessment away from factual recall and toward higher level thinking skills.

· This profile describes a science course in which students are 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. Fundamental to the skill set of a scientifically literate person/citizen is the ability to ask quality questions and to interpret the answers critically, including identifying unstated assumptions.

Rationale for the Unit Sequence of the Course Profile

Many of the Expectations in the Technologies in Everyday Life strand in the guideline can be addressed using content in the other strands of Grade 11 Science. A cluster of Expectations chosen from that strand, supplemented by a few from the other strands, forms the basis of Unit 1 of this profile. Unit 1 is the chain that links all parts of the course together. Although it is described as a single unit, it is to be delivered in two components, one at each end of the course. Before beginning work on Units 2 through 5, students recognize what they are expected to demonstrate in the Final Assessment Tasks at the end of the course.

The placement of Unit 2 was made so that students would, near the start of the course, review and extend their laboratory and data management skills while learning key concepts in chemistry that would be used directly in following units. Components of the Waste Management strand are introduced where they logically belong – chemical processes involve disposal of waste, both material and energy.

Unit 3 builds on the chemical principles developed in Unit 2, and again draws from expectations in the Waste Management Unit – this time attending to biological wastes which result from the digestive process.

Unit 4 first addresses the physics associated with gravitation on the Earth’s surface and the similarities and differences that are encountered in a space environment. Units 2 and 3 are revisited when students consider how chemical and biological systems behave differently in reduced gravity and atmosphere. Again, the environment of space presents new challenges to the issue of waste disposal.

Unit 5 focuses on Waste Management. A number of the Expectations for this strand have been addressed in Units 1 to 4, and Unit 5 provides an opportunity to tie elements of the course together by consolidating skills and using knowledge from the other units. Current issues to study and research abound in this unit, as do opportunities for laboratory studies.

The course profile concludes by returning to Unit 1 to allow students to demonstrate their learning through a project which they define and develop themselves, and present not only to their teacher and classmates, but also to an outside audience where feasible. This project is a major component of the final Summative Assessment for the course, which is the basis of 30% of each student’s final mark.

Units: Titles and Times

* Unit 1	Technologies in Everyday Life	18 hours
Unit 2	Everyday Chemicals	22 hours
Unit 3	Body Input and Body Functions	20 hours
Unit 4	Science and Space	20 hours
Unit 5	Waste Management	20 hours
Final Assessment Tasks		10 hours

* This unit is fully developed in this Course Profile.

Unit Overviews

Key to Abbreviations used in Unit Overview Charts

AC = Achievement Chart

K = Knowledge/Understanding

I = Inquiry

C = Communication

MC = Making Connections

LS = Learning Skills

WI = Works Independently

WH = Work Habits/Homework

I = Initiative

O = Organization

TW = Team Work

Unit 1: Technologies In Everyday Life

Time: 18 hours

Unit Description

Technology and its many influences on society provide the connecting thread throughout the Grade 11 Science course. As such, the course begins and ends with expectations from the Technologies in Everyday Life strand. This first unit introduces the students to technology, its link to science, and its inherent benefits and risks. Students review inquiry skills from previous Science courses by designing and carrying out an experiment to determine factors which affect the frequency of a pendulum. They also research the evolution of a certain technology through time and present their findings in a timeline, or similar format, as the End-of-Unit Task. Students are also introduced to the design process as it applies to technology by inventing and refining a time-keeping device. The Final Assessment Tasks for the course are introduced during this unit.

The remaining four units focus on chemistry, nutrition, space, and waste management. Activities in these units stress links to technology and expectations from the Technologies in Everyday Life strand not included in the first unit are completed.

Unit Overview Chart

A number of Expectations listed here and in the developed unit appear in more than one activity. In each activity a given Expectation may not be fully addressed, but over the series of activities students are expected to achieve fully each Expectation.

Activity/ Time	Title	Expectations	Assessment AC LS
1.1 2.5 h	Technology – Past and Present	TEV.01, TEV.03, TE1.01, TE3.01, TE3.02, TE3.04	K, MC	TW, I, WH, O
1.2 4.5 h	Scientific Method and the Pendulum	TEV.01, TEV.02, TEV.03, TE1.01, TE1.02, TE1.03, TE2.03, TE3.03	K, I, C MC	TW, I, WH, O, WI
1.3 4.5 h	Designing a Time Keeping Device	TEV.01, TEV.02, TE1.01, TE1.02, TE1.03, TE1.04, TE2.02, TE2.03	K, I, C, MC	K, I, C, MC
1.4 2 h	Cost-Benefit Analysis	TEV.01, TEV.02, TEV.03, TE1.01, TE2.01, TE3.04	C, MC	WH, WI, O
1.5 4.5 h	Timelines of Technology	TEV.01, TEV.02, TEV.03, TE1.02, TE1.03, TE1.04, TE2.01, TE3.01, TE3.02, TE3.04	K, I, C, MC	WI, I, O, WH

Unit 2: Everyday Chemicals and Their Use

Time: 22 hours

Unit Description

Students continue the explorations of chemicals that began in Grade 10. Further investigations into the properties and reactions of everyday chemicals serve as the basis for discussions leading toward the detection, classification of these materials as well as an explanation of their properties and reactions.

Technologies associated with the production, detection and use of chemicals will be highlighted along with environmental concerns related to production and disposal.

The unit culminates in an activity where students compile information on the properties, preparation, uses and hazards associated with a chosen material.

Unit Overview Chart

Activity/ Time	Title	Expectations	Assessment AC LS
2.1 7.0 h	Chemical Reactions and Their Products	CPV.01, CPV.02, CPV.03, CP1.01, CP1.03, CP1.04, CP1.05, CP1.06, CP2.01, CP2.02, CP2.03, CP2.05, CP3.01, CP3.02, CP3.03, TEV.01, TEV.03, TE2.05, WMV.01	K, I, C, MC	T, O, I
2.2 1.5 h	Detection of Products Formed in Chemical Reactions	CP1.03, CP1.06, CP2.01, TEV.01, TEV.02	K, I, C	T, O, I
2.3 2.0 h	Examining the Properties and Classifying Everyday Materials	CPV.01, CP1.02, CP1.04, CP1.06, CP2.01, CP2.02	K, I, C, MC	T, O, I, WI
2.4 4.0 h	Bonding and Properties of Metals	CPV.01, CPV.02, CPV.03, CP1.02, CP1.04, CP1.05, CP1.06, CP2.01, CP2.02, CP2.03, CP2.04, CP2.05, CP3.02, TEV.01, TE2.05	K, I, MC	T, O, I
2.5 5.5 h	Bonding and Properties of Non-Metallic Substances	CPV.01, CPV.02, CPV.03, CP1.01, CP1.02, CP1.04, CP1.05, CP2.04, CP2.05, TEV.01	K, I, C, MC	WI, I, WH
2.6 2.0 h	End-of-Unit Task: Materials Science and Its Impact on Society	CPV.01, CPV.03, CP1.02, CP1.04, CP2.05, CP3.01, CP3.02, CP3.03, TEV.01, TEV.02, TEV.03, WMV.01	K, C, MC	WI, O, WH, I

Details of Activities

Act. 2.1.1 Lab Activity: Solubility and Chemical Wastes

Review terms associated with solubility, particle theory and the dissolving process. Discuss disposal of organic wastes, dry cleaning solvents, leaching of chemicals into aquifers. Students perform mini-lab to observe solubility. Reinforce ‘like dissolves like’ concept.

Act. 2.1.2 Discuss monomers, polymers, synthetic materials and their impact on society and the problems associated with waste disposal.

Act. 2.1.3 Lab Activity: The Synthesis of Slime. Students prepare a slime-like polymer and observe physical properties (http://matse1.mse.uiuc.edu/~tw/polymers/e.html and http://www.tlchm.bris.ac.uk/goodwin/polymer.htm have recipes for this activity)

Act. 2.1.4 Demonstrate Decomposition – water (electrolysis) and/or hydrogen peroxide. Discuss implications/ applications, which could include hydrogen as a fuel.

Act. 2.1.5 Lab Activity: Combustion of acetylene or hydrogen. Students burn acetylene or hydrogen. Discuss complete vs. incomplete combustion, incineration of waste materials and loss of energy. (Be aware of safety issues.)

Act. 2.1.6 Lab Activity: Displacement Reactions

Students perform a variety of reactions illustrating displacement (single, double, neutralization) producing both visible products in the form of precipitates and ‘invisible’ products. Discuss the types of reactions performed, their applications (corrosion, antacids, acid rain) and emphasize that waste products are not necessarily observable (for example - gases, soluble products).

Act. 2.1.7 Introduce the End-of-Unit Task and remind students to continue working on their Final Assessment Task.

Act. 2.2.1 Review methods of detection of products – gas tests, flame tests, selective precipitation.

Act. 2.2.2 Lab Activity: Identifying the Presence of Selected Products. Students perform a variety of chemical reactions and identify the products formed in each by using the methods described above.

Act. 2.3.1 Lab Activity: Physical Properties of Commonly Found Materials. Students examine a variety of materials (baby powder, play-dough, metals, table salt) and classify their properties (melting point, solubility, conductivity, hardness) based on forces of attraction.

Act. 2.3.2 Discuss the criteria for classification of materials and discuss general properties of metals and non-metals.

Act. 2.3.3 Discuss the relationship of physical properties to the relative strength of attractive forces existing between the particles making up the material in question.

Act. 2.4.1 Discuss metallic bonding and relate mobile electrons to the physical properties observed – malleability, lustre, ductility etc.

Act. 2.4.2 Discuss formation of alloys and semi-conductors and their application and use.

Act. 2.4.3 Lab Activity: Altering the Properties of Steel

Students perform lab and observe the effect of temperature in the process of tempering of steel.

Act. 2.4.4 Discuss the importance of variables in the production of materials (temperature, pressure, etc.).

Act. 2.4.5 Lab Activity: Corrosion

Students perform a lab to observe corrosion and design an extension to observe cathodic protection.

Act. 2.4.6 Discuss the activity series of metals, sacrificial anodes and discuss applications (galvanizing, bridge/aircraft design, dental fillings, and surgical implants).

Act. 2.5.1 Provide students with a list of ionic compounds and their physical properties. Students create a list of general properties of ionic compounds. Students relate the above physical properties of ionic compounds to their internal bond strength.

Act. 2.5.2 Review covalent bonding and the formation of molecules. Students examine properties of giant covalent molecules (network solids). Provide models of 2-D and 3-D solids and discuss their internal forces of attraction and their use in society.

Act. 2.5.3 Students examine the properties of substances composed of small molecules (molecular substances) and discuss the relative bond strength between these molecules. Students examine properties of substances composed of large molecules (proteins, natural and synthetic fibres, plastics, asphalt, slime) and discuss the relative bond strength between these molecules.

Act. 2.5.4 Students review unit concepts by creating a concept map. Practical lab component may include categorizing a variety of everyday substances in terms of the strengths of the bonds between particles and within particles.

Act. 2.6.1 Discuss expectations and develop a rubric for assessment in collaboration with the students.

Act. 2.6.2 Students prepare a brochure or write a magazine article on a chosen material. The physical and chemical properties, bonding, preparation, uses of and hazards associated with the material are to be discussed. Problems associated with waste disposal of the material (including in the manufacturing process) are to be examined. (Knowledge, Making Connections, Communication)

Unit 3: Body Input and Body Function

Time: 20 hours

Unit Description

Body Input (nutrients and non-nutrient additives) is examined in terms of structure and function in the body. The impact of eating patterns on regulation of internal functions will act as the central focus as students will monitor and analyse their own eating habits. Standard nutrient energy tables and the Canada Food Guide will be introduced to students and methods of analysis (relative food energy from student designed calorimeters) will be explored. Finally, the unit explores the effects of technology on food science and health assessment and how this has shaped present eating patterns in society.

Unit Overview Chart

Activity/ Time	Title	Expectations	Assessment AC LS
3.1 1.5 h	Are you what you eat?	BIV.02, BIV.03, BI2.01, BI2.04, BI3.02, TEV.01, TE1.03, WM1.03	K, I	WI, O, WH, C, I
3.2 6.5 h	What is a Nutrient?	BIV.01, BIV.02, BI1.01, BI1.02, BI1.05, BI2.01, TEV.02, TE2.04, TE2.05, CPV.01, CPV.02, CP1.03, CP2.02, CP2.03, CP2.04	K, I, C, MC	WI, WH, O
3.3 3 h	Energy from Food?	BIV.01, BIV.02, BI1.04, BI2.01, CPV.02, CP2.01, CP2.02	K, I, MC	WI, TW, I, O, WH
3.4 4 h	Nutrition and Health	BIV.01, BIV.02, BI1.06, BI1.07, BI2.02, BI2.03, BI2.05, BI3.02, TEV.02, TEV.03, TE2.04, TE2.05, TE3.03	K, I, MC	TW, O, WH, WI
3.5 3 h	Technology and Food Science	BIV.01, BIV.03, BI1.03, BI3.01, BI3.03, TEV.02, TE2.01, TE2.02	K, I, C, MC	TW, WH, O, I
3.6 2 h	End-of-Unit Task	BIV.01, BIV.02, BIV.03, BI1.07, BI2.05, BI3.01, BI3.02, BI3.03, TEV.02, TEV.03, TE2.02, TE3.04	K, C, MC	WI, I, WH

Details of Activities

Act. 3.1.1 Dietary Log – Discussion of “diet”, food science, role of technology. Students to record a 24-hour (or longer) personal log of diet (and activity) as data for the End-of-Unit Task. Work on this log will occur at various stages throughout the unit (see 3.2.3, 3.3.3, 3.5.3, and 3.6.3).

Act. 3.1.2 Composition of a Sample Food (e.g., high profile ‘hamburger’ from a fast food outlets) Brainstorm as to the nutrient content (lipid, protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, water) and non-nutrient food additives.

Act. 3.1.3 Review of digestive process (input, chemical digestion, re-synthesis, storage, waste).

Act. 3.1.4 Remind students to continue working on Final Assessment Task.

Act. 3.2.1 Discussion of Essential Nutrients. Use 3-D and 2-D Hawthorn, then move to simplified models of each. Distinguish between polymer and monomer, synthesis and hydrolysis (for example, use properties of starch, cellulose and glucose to illustrate the changes that occur with polymerization).

Act. 3.2.2 Functions of Nutrients – Importance? Basic role in the body? Folklore? Deficiency/excess syndromes?

Act. 3.2.3 Lab Activity: Introduce Canada Food Guide and analyse personal log for nutrient content. Nutrient analysis programs can be found on the Internet.

Act. 3.3.1 Role of Enzymes in Digestion. Lab activity to show enzyme functions (diastase, catalase, peroxidase…) and the factors that affect enzyme action.

Act. 3.3.2 Lab Activity. Have students design apparatus for and measure relative energy release from various food groups.

Act. 3.3.3 Analyse personal log for energy value in daily diet. Use standard tables to convert food items into nutrient volumes and energy in calories and joules.

Act. 3.4.1 Discuss how health is monitored. Introduce and practise using available technologies: stethoscope, sphygmomanometer, and respirometer. Discuss the role of blood pressure, heart rate, and lung capacity in diagnosing fitness.

Act. 3.4.2 Lab Activity: Factors that affect health. Students monitor the effects of such factors as exercise and caffeine using the equipment provided. Lung capacity can be measured and analysed relative to size, smokers and relative activity level.

Act. 3.4.3 Indicators of Health: How is BP, HR, weight, BMR affected by diet. Discuss role/effect of food additives, supplements (power gels, electrolyte replacement drinks (“sports” drinks), excessive intake and insufficient intake.

Act. 3.5.1 Jigsaw Activity: A look at food science. In specialist groups have students look at various aspects of the food industry, examples: fortifying food, preservatives, additives, processing, biotech-GM foods, and empty calories. Discuss cost/benefit to society.

Act. 3.5.2 Activity: Use home groups from jigsaw-students design a food product that is healthy and cost effective.

Act. 3.5.3 Discuss “popular” diets for age groups. Refer to personal logs. Look at differing nutritional requirements for men and women, nursing mothers, extreme athletes, and older populations.

Act. 3.6.1 Full analysis of personal diet, generally in the form of a written report, but other formats are possible (nutrient content, energy values, gap analysis).

Act. 3.6.2 Design a new diet inclusive of appropriate nutrient content for age group/activity level. Includes full rationale and comparison to “popular” diet.

Act. 3.6.3 Research: Effects of unbalanced diet/eating disorders on personal health. Implications for society/health care system. (Knowledge, Making Connections, Communication)

Unit 4: Science and Space

Time: 20 hours

Unit Description

This unit develops students’ understanding of the space environment and the effects of micro-gravity on space exploration. Students explore the human and technological benefits, and the limitations, of developing technologies for use in space, or of using existing technologies in space. They also demonstrate safe use of scientific equipment to explore qualitatively the differences in space of various processes and of the behaviour of various materials.

Unit Overview Chart

Activity/ Time	Title	Expectations	Assessment AC LS
4.1 4 h	Space Exploration – Is it Worth the Cost?	SSV.03, SS3.02, SS3.03, SS3.04, TEV.02, TEV.03, TE2.01, TE3.03, TE3.04	K, I, C, MC	WI, TW, O, WH
4.2 5 h	The Science Behind Space Exploration – Newtonian Mechanics	SSV.01, SSV.02, SS1.01, SS1.02, SS1.03, SS1.06, SS2.03	K, I, C, MC	T, O, I, WH
4.3 4 h	Materials in Space	SSV.01, SSV.02, SS1.01, SS1.05, SS1.06, SS2.02, SS2.04, TEV.03, TE2.03, TE3.01, TE3.02	K, I, C, MC	TW, O, I, WI, WH
4.4 3 h	People in Space	SSV.01, SSV.03, SS1.04, SS2.01, SS3.03, SS3.04, BIV.02, BI2.05, WM1.03	K, I, C, MC	I, WH, TW
4.5 4 h	End-of-Unit Task: Space Exploration – (Is it Worth it?) Revisited	SSV.03, SS3.01, SS3.02, SS3.03, SS3.04, TEV.02, TEV.03, TE2.01, TE3.03, TE3.04	K, I, C, MC	I, WH, O, WI

Details of Activities

Act. 4.1.1 Introduction to End-of-Unit Task (and make reference to Final Assessment Tasks)

Act. 4.1.2 Discussion/research: Review the cost/benefit analysis. Student Activity: conduct a simple cost/benefit analysis. (e.g., car vs. bus)

Act. 4.1.3 Discussion/research: how does it apply to space exploration?

Direct (monetary, communication) vs. Indirect (environment, space age materials, societal implications)

Act. 4.1.4 Begin a cost/benefit analysis of International Space Station with reference to Canadian contributions, and with a view to the components of the End-of-Unit Task

Assessment: Design of cost/benefit analysis (checklist) (Inquiry, Making Connections)

Act.4.2.1 Escaping Gravity: Why are space vehicles launched as close to the equator as possible? Discussion/research

Act.4.2.2 Newton’s Laws of Motion: What stops/starts an object?

Student activity: application of force (e.g., air track)

Qualitative analysis of relationship among force, mass, and acceleration. Action/Reaction (Spring loaded cart activity)

Act. 4.2.3 Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation: What holds us on the Earth?

Qualitative analysis of: F=Gm₁m₂/d²

How could we possibly reduce the strength of gravity? (micro-gravity and “weightlessness”)

Act. 4.2.4 Free Fall: What is the effect of elevator motion on the time required for an object to fall a fixed distance? (Student Activity)

Act. 4.2.5 Free Fall: What is the effect of free fall on the shape of a fluid? (Stroboscopic observation of a thin stream of water droplets)

Assessment: Quiz/ laboratory report (Knowledge, Communication)

Act. 4.3.1 Water Free Fall—Continue from 4.2.5

Why did water take on a spherical shape?

Review of chemical bonding types, specifically surface tension.

Act. 4.3.2 Effect of Temperature on Fluids

- observe the resulting viscosity of a shallow container of oil left on dry ice
(Caution: safety concerns)

- time a dropped ball bearing in several graduated cylinders of oil at different temperatures.

- use melting point tubes to examine capillary action of fluids at different temperatures.

Explain how these examples can be applied to an everyday technology.

Act. 4.3.3 Investigation: growth of crystals on Earth.

Space Station Crystallization: compare and contrast crystal growth in micro-gravity and on the Earth (Internet research: NASA).

Act. 4.3.4 Research and brainstorm materials used in the home and for recreation that were developed for use in space.

Act. 4.3.5 Effect of Micro-gravity on robotic arm.

Simulation: How much mass can a string lift in air vs. under water? (Student Activity)

Act. 4.3.6 Limits of Materials

What is the effect of extreme changes in temperature on materials? Demonstration of putting hot glass under cold water. (Caution: safety concerns) Explain how this could be applied to an everyday technology.

Assessment: Oral report on the behaviour of materials in space. (Inquiry, Communication, Knowledge)

Act. 4.4.1 Research/brainstorm the effects of lift-off, long-term habitation in space, re-entry and landing on the human body.

Act. 4.4.2 Activity: “puffy-head, bird’s-legs syndrome”

Act. 4.4.3 Monitoring and Maintaining the Body: What probes are used to monitor human systems? What diets, exercise equipment and exercise regimes are used in space and why? (Newton’s Laws/Universal Gravitation)

Research/brainstorm/reflect/discuss

Act. 4.4.4 Astronaut waste: What happens to human waste? Disposal considerations?

Brainstorm/research/discuss

Assessment: Written report on the effect of space travel on the human body (rubric) (Communication, Making Connections)

Act. 4.5.1 Review and revise the cost/benefit analysis begun in Activity 4.1 in the light of Activities 4.2-4.4. The analysis includes references to the impact of space research and technologies on society, the challenges associated with human survival in space and how they are addressed.

Assessment: Oral report on revised cost/benefit analysis (rubric) (Knowledge, Inquiry, Communications, Making Connections).

Unit 5: Waste Management

Time: 20 hours

Unit Description

Students explore the question: Will humans eventually die because of their inability to deal with their own waste? Students examine the sources of waste, why wastes are a concern, current waste treatment practices and decision making, and alternative strategies for waste management. The use of a graphic organizer throughout the unit allows students to summarize the information of the unit. The End-of-Unit Task directs students to research one alternative waste management strategy and perform a cost/benefit analysis.

Unit Overview Chart

Activity/ Time	Title	Expectations	Assessment AC LS
5.1 2 h	Where do wastes come from?	WMV.01, WMV.02, WM1.01, WM2.02	K, C	T, WI, O
5.2 4 h	Why are wastes a concern?	WMV.01, WMV.02, WMV.03, CPV.01, WM1.01, CP1.05, WM3.01, WM3.03, WM2.01	K, I, C, MC	T, WI, O, I, WH
5.3 4 h	What do we do with the wastes now?	WMV.01, WMV.02, CPV.01, CPV.02, CPV.03, TEV.01, TEV.03, WM1.02, WM1.03, WM1.04, WM2.01, WM2.03, CP1.06, CP2.01, CP3.01, TE1.03, TE3.04	K, I, C	WI, WH
5.4 4 h	What goes into making a waste management decision?	WMV.03, TEV.02, TEV.03, WM3.02, WM3.03, WM3.04, TE2.01, TE3.04	C, MC	I, WH, WI
5.5 2 h	What else can we do with the waste?	WMV.01, WMV.02, WM1.05, WM2.04	K
5.6 4 h	End-of-Unit Task: Research project	WMV.02, WMV.03, TEV.02, TEV.03, WM3.02, WM2.02, WM3.03, WM3.04, TE2.01, TE3.04	C, MC

Details of Activities

Act. 5.1.1 Students brainstorm sources of waste.

Act. 5.1.2 Expert groups examine specific sources and identify the types of wastes produced that they post on chart paper. Individuals create a graphic organizer which summaries the information.

Act. 5.1.3 Students examine a “pollution free” fuel (e.g., hydrogen fuel, electric cars) and map backwards to examine the sources of the fuel for pollution and waste.

Act. 5.1.4 Introduce the End-of-Unit Task and remind students to continue working on the Final Assessment Task.

Act. 5.2.1 Students extend their research from Activity 5.1 into the effects of the wastes on the environment and post in the classroom. Individuals extend their graphic organizer from Activity 1 to include the environmental impact.

Act. 5.2.2 Students design and conduct an experiment into the effects of household wastes on the population of yeast over time.

Act. 5.3.1 Students participate in a field trip to a specific site (e.g., sewage treatment plant, recycling depot, septic tank pumper, industry, farm) to look at waste management practices.

Act. 5.3.2 Students participate in a teacher directed lesson about current practices (videos, newspapers, etc.) including demonstrations by teacher (e.g., alum) of waste treatment. Individuals extend their graphic organizers to include current treatment methods.

Act. 5.4.1 Students examine a case study of a local waste management issue in which students examine all the components of the decision making process (political, economic, environmental, societal, etc.).

Act. 5.4.2 Students participate in a role play of a town hall meeting or other decision making process. Each student makes and supports a decision about the issue (risk/benefit analysis).

Act. 5.5.1 Students listen to a guest speaker or watch a video addressing state of the art waste management or a company waste management program. Individuals add to the graphic organizer alternative suggestions for waste treatment such as high temperature incineration, composting, recycling, use of the waste for another purpose, sending waste to space, recycling grey water, etc.

Act. 5.6.1 Students research one alternative waste management strategy and produce a pamphlet, webpage, audio tape, video, etc. about the process including a risk/benefit analysis. (Making Connections, Communication).

Final Assessment Tasks

By curriculum policy, the Final Summative Evaluation of the course accounts for 30% of the final grade recorded for the course. The Final Assessment Tasks must take place towards the end of the course, but do not have to be limited to an end-of-year project or single event such as an examination. The tasks for Science should reflect that the course is intended for both university and college bound students, and that the prime focus of the course is the development of scientific literacy. Summative assessment tasks should require assessment of performance in all four categories of the Achievement Chart for Science, and address expectations from all units of the course.

Time	Assessment AC LS		Assessment Activity
1.5 h	K, I, MC, C	WI, O, I, WH	Written Component This component should consist of a variety of assessment instruments, such as: multiple choice, extended response, short answer and laboratory based questions (e.g., design an experiment). Content should come from all units of the course and focus on key concepts and skills that can be assessed with a pencil-and-paper exam.
	K, I, MC, C	WI, O, I, WH	Journal During the course students collect information on ten different current issues in science and technology, two from each of the five units. The sources of information should include a variety of media: current newspaper and magazine articles, websites, television programs, movies, advertisements, editorial cartoons and comics. Each piece of information requires a summary that demonstrates an understanding of the issue and a supported opinion paragraph that clearly reflects the student’s point of view. Communication skills and Making Connections are the focus of evaluation.
8.5 h	K, I, MC, C	WI, O, I, WH	Research/Presentation Component Students develop their own questions from content throughout the course in preparation for this activity. Once questions have been identified, students design and carry out a plan to answer them, record and analyse their findings in a variety of ways determined in conference with the teachers. The inquiry process can focus on research, experimental design, or a combination of the two. The format of the product could be a written report, webpage, video or presentation made to the Science class or another student group. An oral examination or teacher conference should be included. Topics should go beyond the scope of the course material but can be extensions from lessons or activities. Students should be encouraged to have technology as a central theme but to draw applications from as many of the four other units as possible. Expectations that are covered should include TEV.01, TEV.02 and TEV.03.

Seventy per cent of the grade will be based on assessments and evaluations conducted throughout the course. Thirty per cent of the grade will be based on a final evaluation in the form of an examination, performance, essay, and/or other method of evaluation.

Teaching/Learning Strategies

Need for Variety and Balance

Since the over-riding aim of this course is to develop scientific literacy in all students, a wide variety of instructional strategies is needed to provide learning opportunities that accommodate a variety of learning styles, interests and ability levels.

In planning activities for science class make sure that your students will have:

· opportunities to work individually, in pairs and small groups, and in large groups;

· direct-instruction as well as open-ended exploration;

· opportunities to develop concepts themselves from observed data;

· tasks in which they define some of the parameters (such as scope or procedure);

· opportunities to acquire knowledge and apply that knowledge in a variety of contexts;

· opportunities to communicate using standard formats (such as lab reports) as well as opportunities to choose and develop the format;

· opportunities to complete activities related to their different learning styles;

· opportunities to design, perform and evaluate experimental activities.

Skills are Developed through Experience and Refined with Practice

Many of the learning expectations describe Inquiry Skills. Give students repeated opportunities to carry out genuine inquiries in which they are responsible for defining one or more of the components of the inquiry: the topic or question, the methodology, the mode of presentation, the criteria of success. Students should have multiple opportunities to practise a variety of inquiry styles, including the following.

· Research involves accessing information that has already been gathered elsewhere, selecting what is needed, and analysing that information for patterns and meaning. This will require instruction and practice in techniques for effective use of Library/Resource Centre resources, searching the Internet and interviewing experts.

· Experimentation involves identifying controls and variables, designing the experimental procedure, observing and measuring and analysing the data for patterns and meaning. This may occur in laboratories or the field. Laboratory techniques and safety procedures must be taught and assessed, including WHMIS and its application to the home and workplace.

· Design/Innovation in which knowledge is applied to define a problem or challenge, set criteria for a satisfactory solution, devise and execute a procedure, and assess the result.

Every inquiry should be driven by a clear question that is manageable and has relevance to the students. Students must be given instruction and repeated practice in: identifying and refining good inquiry questions; developing testable hypotheses; setting the parameters of the solutions to be sought; assessing results.

All forms of inquiry as well as other activities throughout the course develop Communications Skills. Although the traditional written report is one form of communication, students need to describe what they do and what they learn in other formats - poster presentations; computer presentations, video, music. Through various formats of cooperative learning they discuss, debate and reflect on their own thinking and learning.

In addition to key scientific concepts, every learning activity should identify a technique or skills that will be taught or reinforced and assessed. Over the length of the course, all skills required to meet the Learning Expectations should be practised repeatedly in a variety of contexts.

Use of Computer Technology

Computer applications should be taught and used whenever they enhance learning by enabling students to do something more efficiently or that they could not otherwise do. A wide variety of software tools should be used to record and display information, including word-processing (e.g., reports), spreadsheets (e.g., class data from measurements taken in the laboratory), graphics (e.g., flow charts, concept maps, diagrams in place of written reports of investigations), databases (e.g., to gather observations taken by small groups or individuals into a class set; collections of data from replicated experiments), and presentation programs (e.g., an alternative for reporting on investigations, particularly by groups). Probe-ware should be used to collect data (e.g., to permit replications of experiments where complex procedures would limit students to single experiments). Simulations may substitute for experiences but should not be used to replace direct experiences that are safe, ethical and available (e.g., nuclear reaction simulations; reactions that are either too fast or too slow to observe directly). The portability of calculator-based laboratory systems makes them useful for work outside the classroom.

Learning Skills

While not evaluated for marks, Learning Skills - Works Independently, Teamwork, Organization, Work Habits/Homework, Initiative - are keys to success in school and beyond. As with other skills, they should be taught, practised, and assessed in the Science classroom. Variety is essential: individual assignments foster independence; small-group cooperative learning (including laboratory work done in pairs) provides opportunities to develop teamwork. Cooperative Small Group Learning (CSGL) structures are discussed in some detail in Appendix 1 at the end of this profile.

Making Connections

The knowledge expectations of this course have intrinsic worth as useful information, but they also serve as vehicles for developing other expectations.

· Acquisition of knowledge through inquiry develops Inquiry Skills;

· Connecting scientific concepts to social and environmental issues develops the habits of mind for Making Connections;

· Applying scientific knowledge to practical problems makes connections to technology; considering how scientific knowledge is acquired brings understanding of the role that technology plays in scientific discovery.

Assessment & Evaluation of Student Achievement

Assessment is a systematic process of collecting information or evidence about student learning; evaluation is the judgment we make about the assessments of student learning based on established criteria.

The purpose of assessment is to improve student learning. This means that judgments of student performance must be criterion-referenced so that feedback can be given that includes clearly-expressed next steps for improvement. This can be facilitated by tools of varying complexity.

· Where completion or non-completion is the issue, a checklist is sufficient;

· Where quality of performance is easily identifiable, a rating scale can be used;

· For more complex tasks, the criteria may be incorporated into a rubric where levels of performance for each criterion are stated in language that can be understood by students. Rubrics describe performance of a generalized skill (such as Inquiry) or can be task-specific.

Checklists, rating scales and rubrics become powerful tools for improving learning when students understand the criteria and levels of performance before they undertake the task. Discussion of the criteria for success should be part of every learning task. Wherever possible, involve your students in the development of the rating scale or rubric (identifying criteria and setting levels of achievement in terms they understand).

Note: The following references are useful in expanding both teacher and student understanding of rubrics as a powerful tool in Assessment.

1. The public Course Profile for SCH3U includes Appendix 1 with samples of generic rubrics which can be adapted for use in Science courses across the curriculum. Each sample relates to a section of the Achievement Chart for Science and to the goals of this Science Course.

· Rubric for Declarative Knowledge (Knowledge/Understanding of concepts, generalizations, facts - related to the first goal in this course)

· Rubric for Procedural Knowledge (Knowledge/Understanding and Inquiry – related to the second goal in this course which focuses on the skills required for performance using manipulative, thinking and reasoning skills.)

· Checklist for Collaborative Group Work (Learning Skills)

· Partial Rubric for an Experimental Inquiry

· Partial Rubric for a Research Inquiry

· Rubric for a Written Report

2. Task-specific rubrics See TSM 5C: Developing Task-Specific Rubrics, p. 16 of the Teacher Support Materials in the Grade 10 Science, Public Academic profile.

Assessment must be embedded within the instructional process throughout each unit rather than being an isolated event at the end. Often, the learning and assessment tasks are the same, with formative assessment provided throughout the activity. In every case, the desired demonstration of learning is articulated at the beginning and the learning activity is planned to make that demonstration possible. When planning learning activities for Science, this process of beginning with the end in mind helps to keep focus on the Expectations and to reduce the inclination to expand what is taught beyond what is required by the guideline.

Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting are tied to the Learning Expectations and Achievement Chart for Science, pp. 172-175 in the Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Science, 2000. Every learning activity and its assessment should collect data for making judgments about performance in one or more of the Achievement Categories: Knowledge and Understanding, Inquiry, Communications and Making Connections. Within each unit and across the course, teachers must collect sufficient data (in kind and number) to make valid judgments about each student’s performance in all categories.

In the end, the final grade must be expressed as a percent based on the Achievement levels, that judgment must be based on each student’s performance based on the criteria, not relative to other students’ performances. Final evaluations should reflect the teacher’s informed, professional judgment of each student’s most consistent level of performance in each category of the Achievement Chart.

A wide and balanced range of assessment strategies is needed to accommodate the varied learning styles of all students, to meet the needs of students with special needs, and to encompass a broadened range of knowledge and skills Expectations.

There must be opportunities for students to demonstrate learning at all levels of the Achievement Chart. Strategies include:

· diagnostic, formative and summative assessments;

· performance tasks and pencil-and-paper instruments. Both are needed to assess the full range of Expectations;

· both teacher assessment and student (self- and peer) assessment. With clearly articulated criteria, students become partners in the assessment process;

· both individual and group assessment. When students are engaged in group tasks it is appropriate to consider group interaction as an indicator of each student’s learning skills. However, assessment must focus primarily on each student’s individual demonstration of the Learning Expectations.

By Curriculum Policy, the Final Summative Evaluation of a course accounts for 30 per cent of the final grade recorded for the course. In this course, one component of that grade may be based on a final examination. The format of the examination should conform with suggestions in the OAC Ontario Teacher Inservice Program. All Secondary Schools in Ontario participated in the OAC Examination review process in the 1990s in both Chemistry and Physics, and the documents distributed for the review have excellent advice on Assessment and Evaluation practices. [Refer to your board’s Superintendent of Program for further information if documents are not located in your school.] Examination questions should be equally distributed across the course units, and consideration should be given to a range of question types, such as multiple choice, short and extended answer, laboratory-based and higher-order questions. The other components which contribute to the Final Summative Evaluation are described in chart form following the Unit Overview charts.

Accommodations

Students with special needs, whether identified formally or not, need additional supports to succeed in Grade 11 Science. For each identified student, read the Individual Education Plan (IEP) for information about specific accommodations designed to compensate for specific disabilities. The following are examples of accommodations and aids that may be helpful. Where there are specific accommodations required in an activity, the suggestions are noted with the activity.

· ensure that peer helpers are available when students are working in small groups

· provide handout sheets with sample calculations and specific skill instructions

· help students create data charts into which they record information

· advise special education staff in advance when students are working on major assignments

· record key words on the board when students are expected to make their own notes

· allow students to report verbally to a scribe (teacher or student) who can then help in note making

· permit students a wide range of options for recording and reporting their work to utilize student strengths (e.g., drawings, diagrams, flow charts, concept maps)

· timelines may need to be extended to give students more time to process language and put their thoughts into words

· where an activity requires reading, give it in advance to students or provide a selection of materials at different reading levels

· extended timelines could be provided in situations where students do not have access to computers outside of school

· the IEPs of all identified students should be checked for specific modifications in teaching methodologies and evaluation

· Students in English as a Second Language/English Literacy Development programs may require additional supports.

· have students keep a science dictionary of terms using pictures and first language words

· where an activity requires reading, give it in advance to students

· permit the use of a translation dictionary on assessments

· provide additional time on assessments for dictionary use and processing language

· have the library staff identify resources with appropriate reading level when research is required

· advise ESL/ESD staff in advance when significant written work is required

Resources

The community is an excellent resource for this course; the wide range of topics is ideal for guest speakers and for field trips. Several suggestions have been made in the overviews but certainly more are possible and encouraged.

General References on Science Education

Armstrong, Thomas. Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 1994. ISBN 0-87120-230-1

Brown, John L. Observing Dimensions of Learning in Classrooms and Schools. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 1995. ISBN 0-87120-255-7

Burke, Kay. How to Assess Thoughtful Outcomes. Palatine, Illinois: IRI/Skylight Publishing, Inc., 1993. ISBN 0-932935-58-3 (1-800-348-4474)

Herman, Aschbacher and Winters. A Practical Guide to Alternative Assessment. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 1992. ISBN 0-87120-197-6

McDonald, Joseph P., et al. Graduation by Exhibition: Assessing Genuine Achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 1993. ISBN 0-87120-204-2

Zemelman, Daniels and Hyde. Best Practice: New Standards for Teaching and Learning in America’s Schools. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 1993. ISBN 0-435-08788-6

Internet Resources

Note: The URLs for the websites have been verified by the writers prior to publication. Given the frequency with which these designations change, teachers should always verify the websites prior to assigning them for student use.

Schools should develop and maintain websites on which selected resources are listed, particularly those which have links to other science references. One site, with very extensive links, is The Internet Public Library (http://www.ipl.org – lower case necessary).

Other useful science sites include the following.

American Association for the Advancement of Science – http://www.aaas.org/

Association for Science Education (UK) – http://www.ase.org.uk

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development - variety of high quality publications and videos on a wide variety of topics - many principals and superintendents have memberships and can purchase materials at reduced rates. Also the home of Educational Leadership magazine. –
http://www.ascd.org/

Canadian government and research sites related to science and engineering – http://www.nserc.ca/relate.htm

CBC Educational Resources – http://www.cbc.ca/insidecbc/educational/

Education Network of Ontario – http://www.enoreo.on.ca/

Education resources on the web (Canadian site) –
http://www.educ.uvic.ca/depts/snsc/pages/weblinks/weblinks.htm

EDU Web Index - to find anything on the Ministry’s website. –
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/webmap.html

Gateway to Educational Materials – http://www.thegateway.org/

Glenbrook South Physics Class - One lesson dealing with misconceptions regarding weightlessness –
http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbssci/phys/class/circles/u614d.html

Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators. – http://discoveryschool.com/schrockguide/

Midwest Mathematics and Science Consortium (MSC) – http://www.ncrel.org/msc/msc.htm

Microgravity Research Program Office with further links to e.g., fluid physics, materials science, combustion science – http://samson2.msfc.nasa.gov/

National Science Foundation (USA) – http://www.nsf.gov/

National Staff Development Council - issues of implementation – http://www.nsdc.org/

Online Resources for Assessment – http://www.rmcdenver.com/useguide/assessme/online.htm

Ontario Ministry of Education (EDU) - curriculum documents page –
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/curricul/curricul.html

Regional Education Laboratories in the USA - focus on educational research –
http://www.sedl.org/RELs.html

Science Museum, London, England – http://www.nmsi.ac.uk/science_museum_fr.htm

Science Museum, Munich, Germany (Deutsches Museum) –
http://www.deutsches-museum.de/e_index.htm

Science Teachers Association of Ontario (STAO) links to science sites –
http://www.stao.org/hotlinks.htm

STAR Centre for Academic Renewal (Texas) – http://www.starcenter.org/

USA National Academy of Sciences – http://www.nas.edu/

OSS Policy Considerations

Students can apply and refine the skills, knowledge and habits of mind they acquire in SNC3M through Cooperative Education, work experience and service placements within the community. They also have the opportunity to explore various science related careers related to the course and consider them when they are developing their Annual Education Plan (AEP).

· A work site placement must be directly connected to the Expectations of SNC3M if it is to contribute to a student’s perspective of future careers or educational opportunities. The wording in the document Cooperative Education and Other forms of Experiential Learning (Ontario, Ministry of Education, 2000) provides clear direction, and should be the focus of the personalized learning plans for students. “[The personalized learning plan must include the following: the Curriculum Expectations of the related course that describe the knowledge and skills the student will extend and refine through application and practice at the workplace” (p. 23, emphasis added)]. The placement is not intended to introduce the student to the Expectations, but should connect closely enough that significant Expectations are clearly extended and refined in a workplace setting. Both workplace and community experiences may offer unique opportunities for students to achieve the goal of SNC3M “To relate science to technology, society, and the environment” and to gain experience in the Science Investigative Skills defined at the beginning of the course description in the guideline. The personalized placement learning plan of a student who has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) must be developed with direct reference to the IEP.

· Students are required to complete 40 hours of community involvement activities prior to graduation. Volunteer work in elementary school science and technology classrooms; in hospitals, retirement residences, nursing homes; in health and safety or waste management departments of municipalities or school boards; or with environmental action and nature conservation groups would provide connections to the goals of SNC3M while supporting the intent of the service to encourage students to develop awareness and understanding of civic responsibility and the role they can play in supporting and strengthening their communities.

· Students graduating from Ontario schools must be technologically literate. Through the study of this Science Course students must come to understand and apply technological concepts, to use computers in various applications, and to analyse the implications of technology on individuals and society.

Coded Expectations, Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation, SNC3M

Scientific Investigation Skills

SIS.01 · demonstrate an understanding of safety practices consistent with Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) legislation by selecting and applying appropriate techniques for handling, storing, and disposing of laboratory materials (e.g., safely handle acids, bases, and other aqueous solutions);

SIS.02 · select appropriate instruments and use them effectively and accurately in collecting observations and data (e.g., laboratory glassware, balances, pH meters, data loggers);

SIS.03 · demonstrate the skills required to plan and carry out investigations using laboratory equipment safely, effectively, and accurately (e.g., investigate the acid-base reactions of some household cleaners);

SIS.04 · select and use appropriate numeric, symbolic, graphical, and linguistic modes of representation to communicate scientific ideas, plans, and experimental results (e.g., data tables illustrating the caloric content of various diets; concept maps);

SIS.05 · locate, select, analyse, and integrate information on topics under study, working independently and as part of a team, and using appropriate library and electronic research tools, including Internet sites (e.g., compile a cost-benefit analysis of the environmental impact of a technology);

SIS.06 · compile, organize, and interpret data, using appropriate formats and treatments, including tables, flow charts, graphs, and diagrams;

SIS.07 · communicate the procedures and results of laboratory investigations and research for specific purposes, using data tables and laboratory reports (e.g., present the findings of an investigation of the physical and chemical properties of everyday chemicals or of the effects of modern technologies on food preservation);

SIS.08 · research and evaluate specialized knowledge, and apply it to the world outside the school (e.g., evaluate the costs and benefits of an everyday technology to an individual and to society; explain the development of advanced composite materials as a result of research in space);

SIS.09 · select and use appropriate SI units (units of measurement of the Système international d’unités, or International System of Units);

SIS.10 · identify and collect information on careers related to the subject area under study (e.g., information on the educational background, aptitudes, required skills, typical tasks, and salary range for a career in the manufacturing of chemical products).

Everyday Chemicals and Safe Practice

Overall Expectations

CPV.01 · demonstrate an understanding of the properties, benefits, and hazards of everyday chemicals, and of the safe use of these products in the home, the workplace, and industry;

CPV.02 · investigate, through laboratory experiments and computer simulations, the chemical and physical properties of representative types of everyday chemicals, using appropriate equipment safely and accurately;

CPV.03 · evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the use of common types of chemicals in everyday life, and analyse the environmental/economic impact of their use.

Specific Expectations

Understanding Basic Concepts

CP1.01 – define and give examples of such chemical terms as corrosive product, acid, base, organic solvent, fuel;

CP1.02 – explain how chemical and physical characteristics of everyday substances are the result of differences in the bonding of their constituent parts (e.g., covalent, polar covalent, ionic bonds, metallic bonding);

CP1.03 – give evidence for, and classify the types of, reactions involving everyday chemicals (e.g., combustion, displacement, acid-base reactions);

CP1.04 – explain the properties and current uses of everyday chemicals (e.g., corrosive products, solvents, fuels, household products);

CP1.05 – describe the effects of everyday chemicals (e.g., acid emissions, carbon emissions, CFCs, PCBs) on the well-being of organisms, including humans;

CP1.06 – explain the hazards and safe handling of everyday chemicals as outlined on material safety data (MSD) sheets (e.g., safe practices in the mixing, storage, and transportation of chemicals in an experimental investigation).

Developing Skills of Inquiry and Communication

CP2.01 – use laboratory equipment and handle everyday chemicals (e.g., mix, store, transport them) in accordance with accepted safety practices (e.g., practices in WHMIS legislation, the Fire Code, the Occupational Health and Safety Act);

CP2.02 – design and conduct experiments to illustrate the chemical and physical properties of representative types of everyday chemicals (e.g., household products such as vinegar and baking soda);

CP2.03 – identify, using data collected through experimentation or computer simulation, the types of chemical reactions displayed by everyday chemical products (e.g., precipitation, neutralization);

CP2.04 – represent, using simple models of certain compounds, the relationship between structure and physical/chemical properties (e.g., in acids, bases, gasoline);

CP2.05 – predict the benefits and dangers associated with the everyday use of chemicals (e.g., the use of vinegar to clean glass), drawing on information from a variety of sources, including experimental findings and information printed on container labels.

Relating Science to Technology, Society, and the Environment

CP3.01 – explain the different chemical waste management strategies used in urban, rural, and industrial situations (e.g., strategies for managing septic tanks, grey water, sewer systems);

CP3.02 – analyse the costs and benefits to society of selected chemical products (e.g., corrosive products such as acids and bases), and assess the impact of their use in the community;

CP3.03 – assess the environmental impact of the increased use of chemicals in the manufacturing of new products used in the home, workplace, and industry.

Body Input and Body Function

Overall Expectations

BIV.01 · demonstrate an understanding of food components and their effects on body functions;

BIV.02 · make inferences regarding the impact of eating patterns on body function, based on an analysis of data gathered through laboratory investigations and from print and electronic sources;

BIV.03 · explain how personal and societal factors affect eating behaviours, and evaluate the social and economic impact of the use of non-nutrient food additives.

Specific Expectations

Understanding Basic Concepts

BI1.01 – define such terms as the following, and give examples of each: lipid (e.g., saturated fatty acid), carbohydrate (e.g., monosaccharide, polysaccharide), protein (e.g., the amino acid building blocks, essential amino acid), vitamin (e.g., fat-soluble vitamin), mineral;

BI1.02 – identify the sources, basic chemical structure, and function in the body of the principal food nutrients (e.g., carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, minerals);

BI1.03 – explain the role and importance of fibre in the diet (e.g., fruit fibre, bran);

BI1.04 – identify the factors that contribute to energy use in the body (e.g., exercise, diet, drug use/abuse);

BI1.05 – describe the role of non-nutrient food additives (e.g., lecithin, monosodium glutamate [MSG], food colouring), and explain their impact on body function;

BI1.06 – explain how diets that include excessive amounts of certain foods may influence the balance of body functions (e.g., examine diets high in cholesterol and salt, and explain their relationship to blood pressure and heart function);

BI1.07 – describe the causes and symptoms of a number of eating disorders (e.g., anorexia, bulimia).

Developing Skills of Inquiry and Communication

BI2.01 – determine, through investigations, the nutrient or energy content in selected food samples (e.g., hamburger, bread);

BI2.02 – determine, through investigations, how certain factors affect body function (e.g., the impact of exercise and tobacco on cardiovascular function);

BI2.03 – determine the effect of non-nutrient food additives (e.g., caffeine) on the body through analysis of data collected with a variety of information-gathering devices (e.g., a sphygmomanometer, stethoscope, respirometer);

BI2.04 – assess a variety of popular diets with respect to their inclusion of the main nutrient groups in appropriate amounts (e.g., gather and integrate information on calories and nutrients in representative diets in relation to Canada’s Food Rules, and assess their adequacy);

BI2.05 – assess strategies for monitoring and maintaining personal health (e.g., analyse data from a case study on symptoms of fatigue, high blood pressure, and chest pain, and explain how the data may be used to help maintain personal health).

Relating Science to Technology, Society, and the Environment

BI3.01 – analyse the social and economic costs and benefits of the use of non-nutrient food additives in food preservation and food enhancement techniques (e.g., the use of non-nutrient food additives to preserve food/fruit freshness; additives for flavour/colour enhancement);

BI3.02 – evaluate the impact of some personal and societal factors (e.g., allergies, disease, body image) on eating behaviours (e.g., assess the relationship between ideas of beauty and students’ interest in “fad” diets), and describe some of the benefits of a nutritious diet for personal health and lifestyle;

BI3.03 – assess the costs and benefits to society of certain eating behaviours (e.g., eating of highly processed foods, natural foods; adoption of a vegetarian diet).

Waste Management

Overall Expectations

WMV.01 · demonstrate an understanding of the nature and types of waste and of their management in industry and the community;

WMV.02 · conduct investigations/research and make inferences regarding the effectiveness of various waste management practices;

WMV.03 · describe and analyse the interaction of science, society, and government in the development of various waste management strategies, and assess the impact of various wastes on the environment.

Specific Expectations

Understanding Basic Concepts

WM1.01 – define, and when appropriate give examples of, such terms as the following: solid/liquid/gaseous waste, toxic waste, heavy metals, chlorinated hydrocarbons, acid rain, ozone, greenhouse effect;

WM1.02 – explain the principles related to the management of solid waste (e.g., industrial, toxic, medical, nuclear solid waste);

WM1.03 – explain the principles related to the management of liquid waste (e.g., gather data on a field trip to a sewage treatment facility and explain the scientific basis of the procedures involved in the management of human waste);

WM1.04 – explain the principles related to the management of gaseous waste (e.g., principles underlying management strategies aimed at minimizing global ozone depletion);

WM1.05 – explain how science and technology are used in the development of new waste management strategies (e.g., explain the scientific and technological principles related to biological filters, catalytic converters, lead-free gasolines, and industrial scrubbers).

Developing Skills of Inquiry and Communication

WM2.01 – investigate, through experimentation, the relationship between a type of waste produced (e.g., solid, liquid, gas) and waste management strategies (e.g., conduct an experiment to maximize nutrient levels in a closed composting system; minimize acidity in a closed bog system in an aquarium; or regulate methane gas levels in a closed system of decomposing grass in a bottle);

WM2.02 – communicate effectively the results of research on the use and management of a resource and the resulting waste that is generated (e.g., select and integrate information on the disposal of waste in mining or forestry);

WM2.03 – describe and explain, through research and reporting, the use of bacteria as waste decomposers (e.g., write an essay on the use of bacteria in sewage treatment plants, septic-tank systems, and the clean-up of oil spills);

WM2.04 – evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of alternative waste management systems (e.g., assess the evidence for the assumed benefits of reclaiming sulphur from exhaust gases for selected industries).

Relating Science to Technology, Society, and the Environment

WM3.01 – illustrate, through research into a category of household waste, the effects of waste on the environment (e.g., the effects of solids, liquids, and gases resulting from the use of cleaning agents or paint strippers);

WM3.02 – analyse the impact of economic and political considerations on the choice of waste management strategies and ultimately on the environment (e.g., analyse and assess the policies of a local sewage treatment plant);

WM3.03 – evaluate the short- and long-term impact of a specific waste on the environment, and make recommendations for change (e.g., assess the possible effects of nuclear waste and its disposal, and suggest alternatives to nuclear energy);

WM3.04 – advocate for an improved waste management system at the local, regional, or national level of government (e.g., create a local action plan outlining suggested changes).

Science and Space

Overall Expectations

SSV.01 · demonstrate an understanding of the space environment and the effects of microgravity (or of the elimination of gravity-driven phenomena) on space exploration;

SSV.02 · demonstrate safe use of scientific equipment to explore qualitatively the differences in space of various processes and of the behaviour of various materials;

SSV.03 · explore the human and technological benefits, and the limitations, of developing technologies for use in space, or of using existing technologies in space.

Specific Expectations

Understanding Basic Concepts

SS1.01 – define, and when appropriate give examples of, such concepts as the following: gravity, microgravity, Newton’s law of universal gravitation, crystallization, surface tension;

SS1.02 – describe how Newton’s laws of motion and his law of universal gravitation explain the phenomenon of gravity and the necessary conditions of microgravity and “weightlessness”;

SS1.03 – compare, by conducting research, the various ways of simulating a microgravity environment (e.g., through the use of aircraft, rockets, drop towers, and orbiting spacecraft);

SS1.04 – describe the medical effects of space flight on the human body (e.g., produce a chart to show the cause-and-effect relationships between prolonged exposure to the space environment and bone demineralization, muscle degradation, and motion sickness);

SS1.05 – explain the scientific principles involved in the crystallization of certain materials (e.g., alum, d-mannitol, phenyl salicylate, triglycine sulphate) on the Earth’s surface;

SS1.06 – identify the scientific principles involved in the behaviour of fluids on the Earth’s surface, and describe how that behaviour would change in an orbiting spacecraft (e.g., describe the effects of changes in temperature on the surface tension of cooking oil).

Developing Skills of Inquiry and Communication

SS2.01 – simulate the effects of space flight on the human body (e.g., simulate the effect of space on fluid shift, or “puffy-head, bird’s-legs” syndrome, by elevating the feet, while prone, for fifteen minutes);

SS2.02 – illustrate, through laboratory investigation, the characteristics of crystal growth on Earth and compare results, where possible, to those achieved in space (e.g., collect and record data on the growth of alum, and hypothesize how the data would be similar or different if the process were repeated in a microgravity environment);

SS2.03 – illustrate, through laboratory investigation, the effects of Earth’s gravity on the behaviour of fluids (e.g., conduct an experiment on the effects of gravity on surface tension and the effects of differences in surface tension on fluid flows);

SS2.04 – investigate, through experimentation, the nature of materials incorporated in the design of instruments and tools used in space (e.g., design and build a robot arm and describe tests to evaluate its performance in a space environment versus a one-g environment, or on Earth).

Relating Science to Technology, Society, and the Environment

SS3.01 – describe how research into the behaviour of solids or liquids in space has benefited society (e.g., research on calcium and bone loss with extended time in space has implications for the treatment of osteoporosis);

SS3.02 – explain the benefits to society of a recent example of space technology developed by Canada or by another country (e.g., the societal benefits of a space technology such as Radarsat);

SS3.03 – investigate challenges related to survival of humans in space (e.g., the impact of radiation, lower gravity, and atmospheric conditions on the human body in space);

SS3.04 – propose, on the basis of research and group discussion, various solutions to one or more survival challenges to humans in space (e.g., explain how regular exercise can minimize muscle degradation in humans during extended stays in space).

Technologies in Everyday Life

Overall Expectations

TEV.01 · demonstrate an understanding of the principles of science underlying applications of technology in everyday life;

TEV.02 · analyse, organize, and present information on everyday technologies, using the appropriate laboratory, research, and reporting skills;

TEV.03 · identify and analyse issues involving societal impact and change related to modern everyday technologies.

Specific Expectations

Understanding Basic Concepts

TE1.01 – formulate definitions of such terms as the following: science, technology, information technology, reverse engineering, system, testing, feedback, control, human interface, cost-benefit-risk analysis;

TE1.02 – describe the historical development of specific examples of everyday technology (e.g., information technology, biotechnology);

TE1.03 – explain fundamental scientific principles (e.g., electrical resistance, gene mutation) related to an example of an everyday technology (e.g., the microprocessor, in vitro fertilization);

TE1.04 – demonstrate an understanding of the historical relationship between science and technology by tracing the evolution of a common technology over time in relation to developments in science (e.g., pumps to take water from mines; vacuum tubes; cathode ray tube [CRT] displays; transistors and integrated circuits).

Developing Skills of Inquiry and Communication

TE2.01 – demonstrate, through their own research and its presentation, an understanding of ethical, environmental, and economic issues that involve various viewpoints on the use of technologies in everyday life (e.g., issues in forestry, agriculture, manufacturing, medicine, transportation);

TE2.02 – evaluate the design and function of an everyday technology using identified criteria (e.g., safety, cost, environmental impact, appearance);

TE2.03 – analyse a principle of physics (e.g., capillary action, heat expansion of metal) through laboratory investigation, and explain how it can be applied to an everyday technology (e.g., a motion detector, a thermostat);

TE2.04 – analyse a biological process through laboratory investigation, and explain how it can be applied to an everyday technology (e.g., ask a testable question, propose a hypothesis, and conduct an experiment related to the control of bacterial growth and food preservation);

TE2.05 – analyse a chemical phenomenon (e.g., oxidation/reduction reactions) through laboratory investigation, and explain how it can be applied to an everyday technology (e.g., investigate the components of a simple galvanic cell).

Relating Science to Technology, Society, and the Environment

TE3.01 – describe the changes in lifestyle created by assumed labour-saving technologies in the home (e.g., online banking, in-home Internet shopping);

TE3.02 – identify and describe the effect of technologies on the development of specific recreational or cultural activities (e.g., computerization in the music industry, new materials used in ski equipment or clothing);

TE3.03 – describe the importance of contributions of Canadian scientists (e.g., W. Penfield, Michael Smith) to the development of modern everyday technologies;

TE3.04 – assess the costs and benefits to society of recent technologies (e.g., the impact of new technologies on human mortality, longevity, health care).

Unit 1 | Course Profiles Main Menu

Acknowledgments

Prerequisite: Science, Grade 10, Academic or Applied

Course Description

Course Notes

Scientific Literacy for All Students

Guideline Directions

The Goals of Grade 11 Science

The Audience for Grade 11 Science

Planning and Implementing Grade 11 Science

Rationale for the Unit Sequence of the Course Profile

Units: Titles and Times

Unit Overviews

Key to Abbreviations used in Unit Overview Charts

Unit 1: Technologies In Everyday Life

Unit 2: Everyday Chemicals and Their Use

Unit 3: Body Input and Body Function

Unit 4: Science and Space

Unit 5: Waste Management

Final Assessment Tasks

Teaching/Learning Strategies

Need for Variety and Balance

Use of Computer Technology

Learning Skills

Making Connections

Assessment & Evaluation of Student Achievement

Accommodations

Resources

General References on Science Education

Internet Resources

OSS Policy Considerations

Scientific Investigation Skills

Everyday Chemicals and Safe Practice

Overall Expectations

Specific Expectations

Body Input and Body Function

Overall Expectations

Specific Expectations

Waste Management

Overall Expectations

Specific Expectations

Science and Space

Overall Expectations

Specific Expectations

Technologies in Everyday Life

Overall Expectations

Specific Expectations