The Science Curriculum in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades

The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1 to 8 Science and Technology, and Le curriculum de l’Ontario—Sciences et technologie, de la 1re à la 8e année are consistent with Canada’s goals of science education outlined in the Common Framework of Science Learning Outcomes K–12, which aim to develop the scientific literacy of Canadian students.12,13,14

Ontario’s elementary science and technology curriculum is structured around the relationships among fundamental concepts, big ideas, and the goals of science and technology to provide a framework for teaching overall and specific expectations. The French-language curriculum for science and technology is developed, implemented, and revised in parallel with the English-language curriculum, and follows the aforementioned Aménagement Linguistique policy.15

Ontario’s elementary science and technology curriculum has three goals: relate science and technology to society and the environment; develop the skills, strategies, and habits of mind required for scientific investigation and technological problem solving; and understand the basic concepts of science and technology. These three goals and their interrelationship within the curriculum expectations reinforce the notion that learning in science and technology cannot be viewed as merely learning facts. Rather, science and technology is a subject in which students learn, in age appropriate ways, to consider the knowledge and skills that will help them understand and critically consider the impact of developments in science and technology on modern society and the environment.

The science and technology curriculum expectations are organized into four strands: Understanding Life Systems, Understanding Structures and Mechanisms, Understanding Matter and Energy, and Understanding Earth and Space Systems. Through scientific investigation and technological problem solving, students engage in learning activities that allow them to develop knowledge and understanding of scientific and technological ideas in much the same way scientists would. Through inquiry, experimentation, and problem solving, students engage in exploration, experimentation, and investigations to develop their ability to design solutions to problems and to make connections to society and the environment.

In fourth grade science, students are expected to develop knowledge and skills in the following four science strands:

  • Understanding Life Systems—Learn about habitats and communities, human impact on habitats, and the relationships among humans, plants, and animals in these communities
  • Understanding Matter and Energy—Learn about the properties of light and sound as forms of energy and their interactions with the environment, and examine technologies that use sound and light and their impact on daily life and on society
  • Understanding Structures and Mechanisms—Learn about pulleys and gears and broaden understanding of simple machines; and learn that pulleys and gears can transfer motion from one object to another, change the speed and direction of an object’s motion, and change the amount of force needed to move an object
  • Understanding Earth and Space Systems—Study rocks and minerals as an introduction to the science of geology; examine types of rocks and minerals; and learn that their unique properties and characteristics are the result of the process of their formation

In eighth grade science, students are expected to develop knowledge and skills in the following four science strands:

  • Understanding Life Systems—Develop knowledge of organisms, focusing on the structure and function of plant and animal cells; use microscopes; and examine cells, the basic units of life, to broaden understanding of living things
  • Understanding Matter and Energy—Learn about properties of fluids as a basis for understanding hydraulics and pneumatics; and investigate the concepts of fluid viscosity and density, developing an understanding of the diverse applications of these properties in fluid mechanics
  • Understanding Structures and Mechanisms—Become familiar with the fundamental concepts of systems in the natural, mechanical, and human worlds; learn to calculate mechanical advantage, overall efficiency, and effectiveness of various systems; and assess the personal, social, and environmental impacts of various systems
  • Understanding Earth and Space Systems—Study water, a crucial resource for life on Earth that must be managed sustainably; develop an understanding of Earth’s water systems; and explore the individual’s role in preserving this precious resource