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Science

Course Description

This course enables students to enhance their understanding of concepts in biology, chemistry, earth and space science, and physics, and of the interrelationships between science, technology, society, and the environment. Students are also given opportunities to further develop their scientific investigation skills. Students will plan and conduct investigations and develop their understanding of scientific theories related to the connections between cells and systems in animals and plants; chemical reactions, with a particular focus on acid/base reactions; forces that affect climate and climate change; and the interaction of light and matter.

Teaching & Learning Strategies:

Teaching and learning strategies assist both teachers and students in achieving specific learning objectives. A number of methods have been used to create an online learning environment that will engage students in a variety of ways and support their understanding of scientific concepts. These strategies may include:

  • Clearly described unit expectations

  • Hands-on lab activities

  • Virtual lab activities

  • Virtual field trips

  • Animations and simulations

  • Creative problem solving

  • Case Studies

  • Assessment FOR learning activities

  • Student reflection and self-assessment

  • Discussions of issues relating science to technology, society, and the environment

  • Research Reports

  • Opinion-based Reports

  • Concept-supporting games

  • Model building

  • Field observations

Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting Strategies of Student Performance:

Our theory of assessment and evaluation follows the Ministry of Education's Growing Success document, and it is our firm belief that doing so is in the best interests of students. We seek to design assessment in such a way as to make it possible to gather and show evidence of learning in a variety of ways to gradually release responsibility to the students, and to give multiple and varied opportunities to reflect on learning and receive detailed feedback.

Growing Success articulates the vision the Ministry has for the purpose and structure of assessment and evaluation techniques. There are seven fundamental principles that ensure best practices and procedures of assessment and evaluation by Daryk High School teachers. DHS assessments and evaluations,

  • are fair, transparent, and equitable for all students;

  • support all students, including those with special education needs, those who are learning the language of instruction (English or French), and those who are First Nation, Métis, or Inuit;

  • are carefully planned to relate to the curriculum expectations and learning goals and, as much as possible, to the interests, learning styles and preferences, needs, and experiences of all students;

  • are communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the course and at other points throughout the school year or course;

  • are ongoing, varied in nature, and administered over a period of time to provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning;

  • provide ongoing descriptive feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful, and timely to support improved learning and achievement;

  • develop students’ self-assessment skills to enable them to assess their own learning, set specific goals, and plan next steps for their learning.

The Final Grade:

The evaluation for this course is based on the student's achievement of curriculum expectations and the demonstrated skills required for effective learning. The final percentage grade represents the quality of the student's overall achievement of the expectations for the course and reflects the corresponding level of achievement as described in the achievement chart for the discipline. A credit is granted and recorded for this course if the student's grade is 50% or higher. The final grade will be determined as follows:

  • 70% of the grade will be based upon evaluations conducted throughout the course. This portion of the grade will reflect the student's most consistent level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration will be given to more recent evidence of achievement.

  • 30% of the grade will be based on final evaluations administered at the end of the course. The final assessment may be a final exam, a final project, or a combination of both an exam and a project.

The Report Card:

Student achievement will be communicated formally to students via an official report card. Report cards are issued at the midterm point in the course, as well as upon completion of the course. Each report card will focus on two distinct, but related aspects of student achievement. First, the achievement of curriculum expectations is reported as a percentage grade. Additionally, the course median is reported as a percentage. The teacher will also provide written comments concerning the student's strengths, areas for improvement, and next steps. Second, the learning skills are reported as a letter grade, representing one of four levels of accomplishment. The report card also indicates whether an OSSD credit has been earned. Upon completion of a course, DHS will send a copy of the report card back to the student's home school (if in Ontario) where the course will be added to the ongoing list of courses on the student's Ontario Student Transcript. The report card will also be sent to the student's home address.

Program Planning Considerations:

Teachers who are planning a program in this subject will make an effort to take into account considerations for program planning that align with the Ontario Ministry of Education policy and initiatives in a number of important areas.

Cheating and Plagiarism Policy

Students must understand that they have to submit their own work on the assignments and projects. Plagiarism is considered a serious academic misconduct. Any form of cheating on the tests or the exams is strictly prohibited. If a student is caught plagiarizing or cheating, there will be consequences depending the maturity of the student, the frequency of incidents, individual circumstances of the student and also the grade level. In the case of the first incident, the student needs to provide explanation as to the incident has been intentional or not. Proper instruction will be given and then, the assignment is given to be redone. In the case of a second incident, there will be mark deduction and the student is reported to the principal. The amount of deduction will depend on some criteria. If a student is caught cheating, they will also have to stay after class and discuss with the teacher the reason they cheated. It will be the aim of the teacher to help the student realize why it is important not to cheat, be honest, do the best in his/her ability and accept the results.

Late and Missed Assignments Policy

Students are responsible for handing in their assignments on time. Special care will be taken to divide up very large projects into smaller parts. Also the overall workload of the students will be considered in setting deadlines. However, if a student were to miss a due date, they will be asked to clarify the reason for not completing the assignment. It will be required of the student to provide an official Doctor's note in case of sickness. It will be the aim of the teacher to explain to the student the importance of time-management and its direct correlation with success and achievements. Furthermore, the teacher will work with the student to develop better time-management skills. Meanwhile, for late assignments, the will be a mark deducted, up to and including the full value of the assignment.

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