Science Standards

The standards focus on the content essential for preparing students to be engaged and productive citizens. Critical thinking, enquiry and reasoning are emphasized in all grades to ensure that students develop the ability to work creatively, think analytically and solve problems.

• The branches in the science standards for Grades K to 9 are: scientific enquiry; life science; materials; Earth and space (beginning in Grade 4); physical processes.
• The foundation and advanced standards for science for Grades 10 to 12 include biology; chemistry; physics; and a scientific enquiry branch.
   

Download Curriculum Standards   To download a full copy of the Science Curriculum Standards, you will need to extract (unzip) the following: Full Science Curriculum Standards (Zip) The following is a listing of the Science Curriculum scope and sequence charts: Kindergarten to Grade 4 (PDF) Grades 5 to 9 (PDF) Grades 10 to 12 (foundation) PDF Grades 10 to 12 (advanced) (PDF)   The following is a listing of the Science Curriculum standards by grade:
Kindergarten (PDF)	Grade 8 (PDF)
Grade 1 (PDF)	Grade 9 (PDF)
Grade 2 (PDF)	Grade 10 (PDF)
Grade 3 (PDF)	Grade 11 (PDF)
Grade 4 (PDF)	Grade 12 (PDF)
Grade 5 (PDF)	Grade 10 (advanced) (PDF)
Grade 6 (PDF)	Grade 11 (advanced) (PDF)
Grade 7 (PDF)	Grade 12 (advanced) (PDF)

• The mathematics standards are organized in strands as follows:

• reasoning and problem solving;

• number and algebra, plus calculus from Grade 10;

• geometry and measures, which includes trigonometry from Grade 9;

• data handling, which is divided into statistics and probability from Grade 10 onwards.

The overall aims of science standards are that students should:

• develop and sustain an interest in science and it applications;
• be proficient in the use of a range of scientific methods and techniques and in handling apparatus;
• use ICT effectively in the pursuit and communication of science;
• have a sound and systematic knowledge of important scientific facts, concepts and principles, and possess the skills needed to apply these in new and changing situations in a range of personal, domestic, industrial and environmental contexts;
• recognize the importance of the application of scientific knowledge in the modern world and be aware of the moral, ethical, social and environmental implications;

Teaching the standards requires teaching methods that are varied and experiential. Effective lessons will concert and incorporate with: Practical work and the science standards, the place of information and communications technology in the science standards, teaching about science, technology and society, the mathematical requirements of the science standards.

The assessment of the science standards

There are three assessment objectives in science:

• knowledge and understanding; application of knowledge and understanding, analysis and evaluation of information;
• scientific enquiry skills and procedures.
• The weightings of the assessment objectives change at various grade levels.