Science 9

St. Joseph Catholic High School - Room 243

Ms. C. Lokseth
Email: [email protected]
Website: msloksethsclassroom.weebly.com

You will need the following supplies:
3 ring binder with lined paper
Pens, pencils, ruler, eraser
5 Dividers (to separate units)
Graph paper
Scientific calculator

Classroom Expectations
1) There will be a seating plan. You will be expected to follow it.
2) Food and Drinks: no food allowed and only drinks with lids are allowed in the classroom. You will need to
come ready for class with these items; you will not be allowed to leave class to get them.
3) Assignments/Labs: will be due the beginning of the next class unless I tell you otherwise. Every day that is
late will have a 10% penalty deducted from the mark. Anything after five days late will not be accepted and
is given a mark of zero. The only exception is extenuating circumstances that I approve. It is your
responsibility as a student to make me aware of any problems you are having with assignments or course
material.
4) It is your responsibility as a student to have someone in the class that will gather the assignments for you if
you miss a class. Even if you have an excused absence, it does NOT excuse you from the work. Come
see me to catch up.
5) Absences: Please see the student manual for the school policies about lates and absences. If you have an
excused absence that does not mean you are automatically excused from the work, you need to come see
me. It is the students responsibility to find out what they have missed.
6) Plagiarism, cheating, and academic misconduct: Please see the student manual for the school policies
regarding these issues.
7) Cell phones and music players: All cell phones must be turned off during class. If you are observed using
a cell phone during class it will be taken away and you will have to retrieve it from the Principal at the end
of the day. Music players are allowed at a low volume during individual work time only.
8) Lab: there will be strict rules regarding lab procedures that will be discussed thoroughly in class. These
rules are put in place for your safety and for that of your classmates. Any misconduct during labs will result
in you losing your lab privileges for that particular lab and you will have to complete the paper version of
the lab.





Course Philosophy
Science 9: Students graduating from Alberta schools require the scientific and related technological knowledge
and skills that will enable them to understand and interpret their world and become productive members of
society. They also need to develop attitudes that will motivate them to use their knowledge and skills in a
responsible manner. Science programs provide opportunities for students to develop knowledge, skills and
attitudes that they need to explore interests and prepare for further education and careers.
To become scientifically literate, students must develop a thorough knowledge of science and its relationship to
technologies and society. They must also develop the broad-based skills needed to identify and analyze
problems; explore and test solutions; and seek, interpret and evaluate information. To ensure that programs are
relevant to students as well as societal needs, a science program must present science in meaningful context
providing opportunities for students to explore the process of science, its applications and implications, and to
examine related technological problems and issues. By doing so, students become aware of the role of science
in responding to social and cultural change and in meeting needs for a sustainable environment, economy and
society.

Course Overview:
Unit A: Biological Diversity (Social and Environmental Emphasis)
Overview: Biological diversity is reflected in the range of species found in local and global environments and
by subtle variations in characteristics found within individual species. In this unit, students learn that diversity is
maintained through natural processes of sexual and asexual reproduction, though the survival of individual
speciesand variations within those speciesmay be influenced by ecological and human-caused factors.
Students examine trends toward loss of diversity and examine related issues concerning environmental quality
and the impact of technologies.


Unit B: Matter and Chemical Change (Nature of Science Emphasis)
Overview: Different materials have different properties. The ability to distinguish between different substances
and make sense of their properties, interactions and changes requires the development of ideas about chemical
substance.
In this unit, students are introduced to the formal study of chemical substance through laboratory investigations
and introductory studies of chemical theory. In the laboratory, students observe and compare chemical
substances and, with guidance on safety, investigate the properties of materials and the ways they interact. In
conjunction with these studies, students are introduced to ideas about elements and compounds, and
corresponding structural ideas about atoms and molecules. Theoretical ideas are introduced as means for
explaining, interpreting and extending their laboratory findings; these ideas include a general introduction to the
periodic table, chemical nomenclature and simplified ways of representing chemical reactions.

Unit C: Environmental Chemistry (Social and Environmental Emphasis)
Overview: Environments are often viewed from a physical and biological perspective, but to fully understand
how they function, it is important to view them from a chemical perspective as well. A study of environmental
chemistry helps students understand that chemical substances make up the underlying fabric of the world and
are part of the process in all natural cycles and changes. Through this unit, students also become aware of
human-produced chemical substances that enter and interact with environments, and they investigate potential
impacts of different substances on the distribution and abundance of living things.





Unit D: Electrical Principles and Technologies (Science and Technology Emphasis)
Overview: Electricity provides the means to energize many devices, systems and processes that are part of our
technological environment. Electrical devices are used to transfer and transform energy, to provide mechanisms
for control and to transmit information in a variety of forms. In this unit, students learn the principles that
underlie electrical technologies, by studying the form and function of electrical devices and by investigating
ways to transfer, modify, measure, transform and control electrical energy. Using a problem-solving approach,
students create and modify circuits to meet a variety of needs. Students also develop skills for evaluating
technologies, by comparing alternative designs and by considering their efficiency, effectiveness and
environmental impact.

Unit E: Space Exploration (Science and Technology Emphasis)
Overview: Technologies have played an essential role in the study of space and in the emerging use of space
environments. Our modern understanding of space has developed in conjunction with advances in techniques
for viewing distant objects, for transmitting images and data through space, and for manned and unmanned
space exploration. A study of space exploration provides an opportunity for students to examine how science
and technology interact and to learn how one process augments the other. Students become aware that
technologies developed to meet the challenges of space are applied to new purposes.


Unit Outline:
Unit D: Electrical Principles and Technology
Chapter 1 Static and Current Electricity, Safety, Cells, Batteries
Chapter 2 Flow, Measuring Electricity
Chapter 3 Forms and Transformations, Input and Output
Chapter 4 Sources and Alternatives, Electricity and Environment/Society
Unit B: Matter and Chemical Change
Chapter 1 - Safety Matter
Chapter 2 Theories of Matter, Elements, Periodic Table
Chapter 3 Naming Ionic and Molecular Compounds
Chapter 4 Chemical Reactions, Conservation of Mass
Unit E: Space Exploration
Chapter 1 Cosmos, Technology, Matter in Space, Planets
Chapter 2 Transport, Survival
Chapter 3 Telescopes, Distance
Chapter 4 Risks and Dangers, Canadian Contributions, Issues in Space Exploration
Unit C: Environmental Chemistry
Chapter 1 Chemicals, Acids, Bases, Substances
Chapter 2 Water, Air, and Atmosphere Quality
Chapter 3 Transport, Concentration, Hazardous Chemicals
Unit A: Biological Diversity
Chapter 1 Diversity, Interdependence, Variation
Chapter 2 Variation, Sexual and Asexual Reproduction
Chapter 3 DNA, Cell Division, Inheritance
Chapter 4 Traits, Impact and Reduction of Biological Diversity

Course Evaluation
Assignments 30%
Quizzes and Labs 30%
Unit Exams and Projects 30%
Final Exam (Provincial Achievement Exam) 10%
100%