Ontario Science Curriculum

Grade 10 - Academic

 
Reference Expectations The Digital Field Trip to The Wetlands The Digital Field Trip to The Rainforest The Digital Field Trip to The Desert
  By the end of this course, students will:  
Biology: The Sustainability of Ecosystems demonstrate an understanding of the dynamic nature of ecosystems, including the relationship between ecological balance and the sustainability of life Web Game Web Game Build-a-Desert
investigate factors that affect ecological systems and the consequences of changes in these factors Web Game, Productivity, Nutrient Cycles, Web Game, Succession, Tree Fall Gaps, Soils & Decomposition, Forest Strata, Seasonality, Water Cycle Build-a-Desert Game, Climatic Influences screens, Water Availability, What is a Desert?, Aridity Types
analyze issues related to environmental sustainability and the impact of technology on ecosystems Conservation, Pollution, Endangered Wetlands Human Impact, Impact screens, Succession Human Impact, Impact screens, Desertification
describe the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration as they relate to the cycling of energy, carbon, and oxygen through abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem Photosynthesis, Nutrient Cycles    
illustrate the cycling of matter through biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem by tracking nitrogen Nutrient Cycles (Nitrogen)    
explain the process of bioaccumulation and assess its potential impact on the viability and diversity of consumers at all trophic levels Decomposer, Producer, Consumer, Food Chains Soils and Decomposition, Productivity  
examine the factors (natural & external) that affect the survival and equilibrium of populations in an ecosystem (e.g., resource limits of an ecosystem, competing populations, bioaccumulation, selective decline) Web Game, Conservation, Pollution Web Game, Climate, Human Impact, Impact screens Build-a-Desert, Human Impact, Desertification, Impact on the Desert
examine how abiotic factors affect the survival & geographical location of biotic communities (e.g., explain why deserts exist in different parts of the world) Plant Adaptations, Nutrient Cycles, Mechanisms Tropical Types screens, Tropical vs. Temperate, Mechanisms screens, What is a Desert, World Desert screens, Climatic Influences screens
explain why different ecosystems respond differently to short-term stresses and long-term changes Wetlands Mechanisms, Adaptations (Plant & Animal) Human Impact, Impact screens Impact screens, Desertification
explain how soil composition and fertility can be altered in an ecosystem and identify the possible consequences of such changes.   Soils and Decomposition Weathering, Impact on the Desert
Earth and Space Science: Weather Dynamics demonstrate an understanding of the factors affecting the fundamental processes of weather systems   Climate Climatic Influences screens
describe and explain heat transfer in the hydrosphere and atmosphere and its effects on air and water currents     High Pressure Zones, Cold Ocean Currents, Rain Shadows
investigate factors which affect the development, severity, and movement of global and local weather systems (e.g., the ozone layer, El Niño, bodies of water, glaciers, smog, rain forests   Climate Climatic Influences screens
 

Grade 10 - Applied

 
Reference Expectations The Digital Field Trip to The Wetlands The Digital Field Trip to The Rainforest The Digital Field Trip to The Desert
  By the end of this course, students will:      
Biology: Ecosystems and Human Activity demonstrate an understanding of ecosystems, including the relationship between ecological balance and the sustainability of life Web Game Web Game Build-a-Desert
analyze natural and human threats to a local ecosystem and propose viable solutions to restore ecological balance Web Game, Productivity, Nutrient Cycles, Conservation, Pollution Web Game, Succession, Soils & Decomposition, Seasonality, Water Cycle, Human Impact, Impact screens Build-a-Desert, Climatic Influences screens, What is a Desert?, Aridity Types, Water Availability, Impact screens, Desertification
relate issues to environmental sustainability with a particular focus on issues in Ontario and Canada Conservation, Pollution, Adopt-A-Pond    
describe the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration as they relate to the cycling of energy, carbon, and oxygen through abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem Photosynthesis, Nutrient Cycles    
illustrate the cycling of matter through biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem by tracking nitrogen Nutrient Cycles (N)    
illustrate the process of bioaccumulation and assess its potential impact on the viability and diversity of consumers at all trophic levels Decomposer, Producer, Consumer, Food Chains Soils and Decomposition, Productivity  
explain why ecosystems with similar characteristics can exist in different geographical locations (e.g., explain why deserts exist in different parts of the world); link to Wetland Types screens Climate, Rainforest of the World, Tropical Rainforests, Temperate Rainforest, Tropical Types Deserts of the World, Climatic Influences screens
describe how different ecosystems respond differently to short-term stresses and long-term changes Plant & Animal Adaptations (seasonal stress), Conservation, Pollution, Migration Mechanisms screens, Biodiversity Screens, Human Impact, Impact screens Impact screens, Desertification
explain how soil composition and fertility can be altered in an ecosystem and identify the possible consequences of such changes   Soils and Decomposition, Impact screens Weathering, Impact on the Desert
Earth and Space Science: Weather Systems demonstrate an understanding of the factors affecting the fundamental processes of weather systems   Climate Climatic Influences screens
describe and illustrate the factors affecting heat transfer within the water cycle in the atmosphere (e.g., temperature, pressure, humidity, winds)   Climate, Water Cycle High Pressure Zones, Rain Shadows
describe the factors relating to the rotation of the Earth that cause the movement of air masses and variations in the Earth’s temperature     High Pressure Zones
describe and explain heat transfer in the hydrosphere and atmosphere and its effects on air and water currents     High Pressure Zones, Rain Shadows, Cold Ocean Currents