top of page

Chemistry

Course Description

This course enables students to deepen their understanding of chemistry through the study of the properties of chemicals and chemical bonds; chemical reactions and quantitative relationships in those reactions; solutions and solubility; and atmospheric chemistry and the behavior of gases. Students will further develop their analytical skills and investigate the qualitative and quantitative properties of matter, as well as the impact of some common chemical reactions on society and the environment.

Teaching and Learning Strategies

A wide variety of instructional strategies are used to provide learning opportunities to accommodate a variety of learning styles, interests and ability levels. These strategies include, but are not limited to:

  • Oral Presentation Activity Learning Centers

  • Discussion Think Pair Share Lecture

  • Socratic Lesson Visual Stimuli Worksheet

  • Independent Study Note Making Inquiry Process

  • Research Process Scientific Method

  • Computer Assisted Instruction Media Presentation

  • Brainstorming

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.

Program Planning

1. ESL Students: Teachers must adapt the instructional program in order to facilitate the success of these students in their classrooms. Appropriate adaptations include:

  • Use of a variety of instructional strategies (e.g., extensive use of visual cues, graphic organizers, and scaffolding; previewing of textbooks; pre-teaching of key vocabulary; peer tutoring; strategic use of students’ first languages);

  • Use of a variety of learning resources (e.g., visual material, simplified text, bilingual dictionaries, and materials that reflect cultural diversity);

  • Use of assessment accommodations (e.g., granting of extra time; use of oral interviews, demonstrations or visual representations, or tasks requiring completion of graphic organizers or cloze sentences instead of essay questions and other assessment tasks that depend heavily on proficiency in English).

2. Role of Technology: Information and communications technology (ICT) provides a range of tools that can significantly extend and enrich teachers’ instructional strategies and support students’ learning in science. Computer programs can help students collect, organize, and sort the data they gather and to write, edit, and present multimedia reports on their findings. Technology also makes it possible to use simulations – for instance, when field studies on a particular topic are not feasible or dissections are not acceptable.


3. Career Education: Ongoing scientific discoveries and innovations coupled with rapidly evolving technologies have resulted in an exciting environment in which creativity and innovation thrive, bringing about new career opportunities. Today’s employers seek candidates with strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills and the ability to work cooperatively in a team – traits that are developed through participation in the science program. Through science courses, students will develop a variety of important capabilities, including the ability to identify issues, conduct research, carry out experiments, solve problems, pre- sent results, and work on projects both independently and as a team. Students are also given opportunities to explore various careers related to the areas of science under study and to research the education and training required for these careers.

bottom of page