Course Syllabus

 

 

Course Description

Grade 10 is the last year when Chemistry, Biology and Physics are studied together within the general Science 10 course. Students will experience a subject rotation during the year wherein they will study each discipline. In Grade 11, students will make a decision to enroll in one or more senior science courses (Chemistry 11, Physics 11, Biology 11, or other) to meet their graduation requirements in obtaining a Science 11 course. 

 

The Science 10 course is aligned with the BC Ministry of Education Science 10, and it is here that much information regarding the Big Ideas, Competencies and Standards associated with the course can be obtained.

 

Science 10 aims to investigate four overarching big ideas:

• Genes are the foundation for the diversity of living things
• Chemical processes require energy changes as atoms are rearranged
• Energy is conserved and its transformation can affect living things and the environment
• The formation of the universe can be explained by the Big Bang Theory

Learning Resources

Resources that will be used as part of this course include:

• Course Canvas page - primary source for assignments, handouts, announcements, and other important information
• BC Science Connections 10 Textbook
• BC Science Connections 10 Workbook

Course Expectations

St. George’s School expects all students at the Senior School to be interested and motivated in achieving their personal best while at the School. We expect students will be engaged in their endeavours, responsible to their studies, classmates and teachers, and demonstrate integrity in their pursuit of learning.

Workload

Each unit will have 4-5 assessment tasks, with regular homework assigned for practice and review.  Some homework will be collected for feedback prior to assessments.

Submitting work

Students in this course are expected to complete work assignments on the date assigned and to submit their work on Canvas.

If circumstances prevent the student from completing a work assignment on the assigned due date, the student must inform the teacher prior to the due date for the work assignment. The teacher will provide a second due date through the 5th block system.

 

Instructional Aims

Based on the B.C. Ministry of Education curriculum, students will learn through a variety of experiences, such as:

•  Labs
•  Discussions
•  Problem Solving
•  Reflections
•  Inquiry or Design Projects
•  Presentations

 

Learning Outcomes and Assessment

Based on the B.C. Ministry of Education curriculum, students will learn and be evaluated on the knowledge and skills outlined in this document.

Assessment in Science 10 is consistent with the school’s philosophy of providing multiple opportunities to demonstrate their mastery of learning outcomes. 

Assessment in the Science Department focuses on student learning by assessing their performance on the Science 10 learning outcomes. Learning outcomes are divided into two categories, Content (which focuses on factual knowledge, problem-solving ability, and applications of science) and Skills (which focus on inquiry skills, communication, and modelling and data analysis). Tests, quizzes, and assignments are typically used to collect evidence on student performance that relate to understanding content. Labs, inquiry activities and other projects contribute to the skills portion of the students’ mark. Each learning outcome uses a decaying average model, where the most recent attempt is worth 65% of the score on that outcome, with any previous attempts making up the remaining 35%.

 

Assessment & Marks Weighting
Assessment Categories		Number of Learning Outcomes	Portion of Overall Grade
Content	Biology	6	25%
	Chemistry	6	25%
	Physics	4	20%
	Astronomy	3	5%
Skills		6	25%
Total		25	100%

 

We anticipate adjustments may be made throughout the year due to possible continued extenuating circumstances due to COVID-19. Any adjustments will be posted here and discussed as a class.

Both the school’s assessment expectations and supports that teachers provide can be found online. Academic dishonesty to any degree is not acceptable.

There are a variety of academic supports available at St. George’s for students. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the range of supports available to them which include:

• Faculty support
• 5th Block
• Head of Grade
• Student Success Centre
• Personal Counselling

 

First Peoples Principles

We would like to acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are honoured to live, work, and play on this land together.

As part of contribution to reconciliation, this course makes First Peoples Principles of Learning visible in class by understanding that learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place). Learning involves recognizing the consequences of one’s actions. Learning requires exploration of one’s identity.

 

Literacy/Numeracy

This course makes literacy/numeracy visible by using a variety of strategies found in the Skills outcomes outlined above.  Students will continue to work with the scientific inquiry method, which will require them to ask questions, make observations, analyze data, and communicate their findings. Students will also be required to comprehend information presented orally, textually, and visually to gain an understanding of the course’s key content and concepts. Finally, students will be asked to give oral presentations, visually represent data and ideas, and share written versions of their ideas and conclusions.

Expectations

My expectations of you are really quite simple:

• Open and honest communication.  I can't know what you are thinking if you don't tell me, especially if we move fully online at some point this year.  Tell me if you're struggling.  Tell me if you have ideas for improving the course or the way we do things.
• You will always do your best.  I assume that you are in Fusion because there is something about the program that interests you.  While there are times in every course where things aren't "fun" for a bit, you had your reasons for joining Fusion, make the most of it!
• Support each other.  Every member of our community has something to offer.  Take the time to get to know each other and get the most out of each others' skills and expertise.  And also take the time to help each other.  Often you learn more as a teacher than a student!

Evaluation

You are getting credit for Technology Explorations 10 by taking the Fusion course.  Everything this year will be graded on a pass/fail basis.  If you initially fail an assignment, we treat this as a learning opportunity and we keep working on it until you pass.  We will, where appropriate, make a distinction between proficient (pass) and extending (going above and beyond a pass in some way).  Each report card will indicate your progress in achieving the required tasks of the course.  You will see an A (for achieving) or an NA (not achieving) on your term report.  You can easily check to see if you are achieving or not by clicking on the Grades option on the left.  You will not see a percentage throughout the year and the comments on your report card will always indicate what you need to do to improve your NA standing to an A (or dig deeper to extend your proficiency in a particular area).

At the end of the year, we will translate your work for the year into a percentage.  This percentage will be determined based on a few factors:

• Your mastery of the outcomes that Technology Explorations 10 requires.
• Your self-assessment of your work based on criteria generated by the class at the end of the year.
• My assessment of your work based on these same criteria.

Note that it is important to me that you are part of the assessment process.  What you get out of the course will be different than what the next person does based on your needs, interests, prior experience, and effort.  It seems fair to me that you are assessed based on what you actually learn, regardless of how it compares to others.