Ontario Science Curriculum

Grade 12 - University Preparation

 
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: Homeostasis describe and explain the physiological and biochemical mechanisms involved in the maintenance of homeostasis     Homeostasis, Compare Homeostasis
analyse, through experiments and the use of models, the feedback mechanisms that maintain chemical and physical homeostasis in animal systems     see model in Feedback Systems
Biology: Evolution analyse evolutionary mechanisms, and the processes and products of evolution   Biodiversity, Biodiversity screens Plant and Animal Adaptations screens
define the concept of speciation and explain the mechanisms of speciation   Biodiversity, Biodiversity screens  
explain, using examples, the process of adaptation of individual organisms to their environment see Plant and Animal Adaptations for examples of adaptations   see Plant and Animal Adaptations for examples of adaptations
Biology: Population Dynamics explain the concepts of interaction (e.g., competition, predation, defence mechanisms, symbiotic relationships, parasitic relationships) among different species of animals and plants   Dependency Types  
investigate, individually or collaboratively, the effects of human population growth on the environment and the quality of life (e.g., effects on ecosystems, such as the elimination of wildlife, plants, and farm-land; causes and effects of ozone depletion or acid rain) Endangered Wetlands screens: Conservation, Habitat, Pollution, Migration Human Impact, all Impact screens Human Impact, Impact on the Desert, Desertification
Earth & Space Science: Introduction to Earth Sciences assess the impact of natural forces and systems on the Earth’s physical and human environments, as well as the impact of human activities on natural systems Wetlands Mechanism screens, Endangered Wetlands screens: Conservation, Habitat, Pollution, Migration Mechanisms screens, Human Impact, all Impact screens Mechanisms screens, Human Impact, Impact on the Desert, Desertification
explain the interactions of the atmosphere & hydrosphere in the water cycle, & the impact of these interactions on humans   Water Cycle  
Earth & Space Science: Earth Materials distinguish between minerals and rocks, and describe the formation and characteristics of both     Rocks and Minerals
demonstrate an understanding of society’s dependence on Earth materials, of the effects of developments in technology on the exploration and mining of Earth materials, and of the ways in which the use and extraction of Earth materials have affected natural and human-made environments   Impact screens: Mining Impact on the Desert
explain (e.g., by interpreting a rock cycle diagram) how rocks and their constituent minerals are continuously being recycled     Rocks and Minerals (workbook), Landscape Formation screens
Earth & Space Science: Internal & Surficial Earth Processes identify the processes at work within the Earth (e.g., plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanism) and on its surface (e.g., running water, weathering and erosion, mass wasting, glaciation), and describe the role of both types of processes in shaping the Earth’s surface     Landscape Formation, Landforms Quiz, Weathering, Water screens, Wind screens
distinguish between erosion and weathering, and describe the processes and effects of physical, chemical, and biological weathering     Weathering, Landscape Formation, Wind screens, Water screens
identify types of sediment transport (e.g., wind, water, glacial), & compare the particle size & shape, degree of sorting, & sedimentary structures resulting from each     Wind transportation
demonstrate an understanding of the importance of aquifers and of their fragility in terms of contamination and depletion.     Water Availability