STEM Skills and Connections
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) skills and connections are integrated into all units in the course. Through scientific research, experimentation, and engineering design processes, students will conduct investigations, design solutions to problems, and communicate findings while discovering practical applications that pertain to science and technology. Students will make practical connections between the knowledge students gain and real-world issues in science and technology. Students will also analyse the contributions made by First Nations, Metis, and Inuit communities as their knowledge has led to the creation of Indigenous scientific and technical systems.
Growth and Changes in Plants
In the Growth and Changes in Plants Unit, students will identify major parts of plants and how the different parts help a plant meet its needs. Students will also learn where plants get energy and how plants and animals depend on each other. Students will describe the life cycle of a plant and how plants react to their environment. Students will germinate seeds and observe them as they grow. Students will identify and describe testing and debugging in real world and coding scenarios. Finally, students will learn how important plants are for humans. Students will assess the impact human activities have on plants and how humans can protect plants and their habitats.
Forces and Motion
In the Forces and Motion Unit, students will investigate forces that cause an object to change motion. Students will describe how forces can be exerted, assess which are used in daily life, and investigate the impact of safety devices. Students will design and build a device that uses forces to create controlled movement. Finally, students will assess the effects of forces in nature and how human activities can affect the impact of nature on the environment.
Strong and Stable Structures
In the Strong and Stable Structures Unit, students will describe what structures are and identify natural and human-made structures. Students will explore how structures support a load. Students will investigate what materials can help make a structure stable and strong. Students will also design and build a strong and stable structure. Students use code to creating repeating instructions. Then, students will explore how human-built structures impact the environment and determine the effects of strong and stable structures on society and the environment.
Soils in the Environment
In the Soils in the Environment Unit, students will explore where to find different types of soils and explain the process of erosion and its impact on soils. Students will learn how soil components can provide a variety of nutrients and minerals for living things. Students will also learn that soil needs both living and non-living things to remain healthy. Students will identify strategies used to maintain and improve soil health in Ontario and explain the benefits of composting. Students will assess the impacts of people’s action on soil, soil’s impact on society and the environment, and ways people can help protect soil.
