Science Program Philosophy and Purpose

The philosophy and spirit of science education in Saskatchewan is reflected in this curriculum, in the documents developed to support the new curriculum, and in materials designed and utilized for implementation. In addition, the philosophy for science education builds on and supports the concept of Core Curriculum in Saskatchewan.

The purpose of the Science 10 curriculum is to help all students, regardless of gender or cultural background, develop scientific literacy. Scientific literacy is an evolving combination of the science-related attitudes , skills , and knowledge students need to develop inquiry, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities, to become lifelong learners, and to maintain a sense of wonder about the world around them. A person who is scientifically literate is able to distinguish science from pseudoscience, evidence from propaganda, fact from fiction, knowledge from opinion, theory from dogma, and data from myth and folklore (Hurd, 1998).

Diverse learning experiences based on the foundational objectives in this curriculum guide will provide students with many opportunities to explore, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, appreciate, and understand the interrelationships among science, technology, society, and the environment ( STSE ) that will affect their personal lives, their careers, and their future.

Although the particular context of these learning experiences will vary among classrooms, the overall scope and focus of Science 10 will include the following broad areas of emphasis:

a science inquiry emphasis, in which students address questions about the nature of things, involving broad exploration as well as focussed investigations
a problem-solving emphasis, in which students seek answers to practical problems requiring the application of their science knowledge in new ways
a decision-making emphasis, in which students identify questions or issues and pursue science knowledge that will inform the question or issue.

Each of these areas of emphasis provides a potential starting point for engaging in an area of exploration within Science 10. These studies may involve a variety of learning approaches for exploring new ideas, for developing specific investigations, and for applying the ideas that are learned.

To achieve the vision of scientific literacy, students must increasingly become engaged in the planning, development, and evaluation of their own learning activities. In the process, students should have the opportunity to work collaboratively with others, to initiate investigations, to communicate findings, and to complete projects that demonstrate learning.

Science 10 Topics

The topics of study in Science 10, which will serve as the context for developing scientifically literate students, include:
• Sustainability of Ecosystems
• Chemical Reactions
• Motion in Our World
• Weather Dynamics.

Philosophy and Purpose

Foundation Statements - An Overview

Foundation Statements - In-depth

Foundation Statements for Scientific Literacy - An Overview

In light of the vision for scientific literacy and the need to develop scientifically literate students in Canada , four foundational statements delineate the four critical aspects of students' scientific literacy. These foundations are outlined in the Common Framework of Science Learning Outcomes K to 12 (Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, 1997). The foundational and related learning objectives for each of the units of study derive from these four foundational areas.

Foundation 1: Science, technology, society, and the environment (STSE)

Students will develop an understanding of the nature of science and technology, of the relationships between science and technology, and of the social and environmental contexts of science and technology.

Foundation 2: Knowledge

Students will construct knowledge and understandings of concepts in life science, physical science, and earth and space science, and apply these understandings to interpret, integrate, and extend their knowledge.

Foundation 3: Skills

Students will develop the skills required for scientific and technological inquiry, for solving problems, for communicating scientific ideas and results, for working collaboratively, and for making informed decisions.

Foundation 4: Attitudes

Students will be encouraged to develop attitudes that support the responsible acquisition and application of scientific and technological knowledge to the mutual benefit of self, society, and the environment.

Philosophy and Purpose

Foundation Statements - An Overview

Foundation Statements - In-depth

Foundation Statements for Scientific Literacy - In-depth

Foundation 1: Science, technology, society, and the environment (STSE)

This foundation is concerned with understanding the scope and character of science, its connections to technology, and the social context in which it is developed. Three major dimensions address this foundation.
Nature of science and technology
Science provides an ordered way of learning about the nature of things, based on observation and evidence. Through science, we explore our environment, gather knowledge, and develop ideas that help us interpret and explain what we see. Scientific activity provides a conceptual and theoretical base that is used in predicting, interpreting, and explaining natural and technological phenomena. Science is driven by a combination of specific knowledge, theory, and experimentation. Science-based ideas are continually being tested, modified, and improved as new knowledge and explanations supersede existing knowledge and explanations.
Relationships between science and technology
Technology is concerned with solving practical problems that arise from human needs. Historically, the development of technology has been strongly linked to the development of science, with each making contributions to the other. While there are important relationships and interdependencies, there are also important differences. Where the focus of science is on the development and verification of knowledge, in technology the focus is on the development of solutions, involving devices and systems that meet a given need within the constraints of the problem. The test of science knowledge is that it helps us explain, interpret, and predict; the test of technology is that it works - it enables us to achieve a given purpose.
Social and environmental contexts of science and technology
The history of science shows that scientific development takes place within a social context. Many examples can be used to show that cultural and intellectual traditions have influenced the focus and methodologies of science, and that science in turn has influenced the wider world of ideas. Today, societal and environmental needs and issues often drive research. As technological solutions have emerged from previous research, many of the new technologies have given rise to complex social and environmental issues. Increasingly, these issues are becoming part of the political agenda. The potential of science to inform and empower decision making by individuals, communities, and society is a central role of scientific literacy in a democratic society.

Foundation 2: Knowledge

This foundation focuses on the subject matter of science including the theories, models, concepts, and principles that are essential to an understanding of each science area. For organizational purposes, this foundation is framed using widely accepted science disciplines.
Life Science
Life science deals with the growth and interactions of life forms within their environments in ways that reflect the uniqueness, diversity, genetic continuity, and changing nature of these life forms. Life science includes such fields of study as ecosystems, biological diversity, the study of organisms, the study of the cell, biochemistry, genetic engineering, and biotechnology.

Physical Science
Physical science, which encompasses chemistry and physics, deals with matter, energy, and forces. Matter has structure, and there are interactions among its components. Energy links matter to gravitational, electromagnetic, and nuclear forces in the universe. The conservation laws of mass and energy, momentum, and charge are addressed in physical science.

Earth and Space Science
Earth and space science brings global and universal perspectives to student knowledge. Earth, our home planet, exhibits form, structure, and patterns of change as does our surrounding solar system and the physical universe beyond it. Earth and space science includes such fields of study as geology, meteorology, and astronomy.

Foundation 3: Skills

This foundation is concerned with the skills that students develop in answering questions, solving problems and making decisions. While these skills are not unique to science, they play an important role in the development of scientific understandings and in the application of science and technology to new situations. Four broad skill areas are outlined in this curriculum. Each skill area is developed at each grade level with increasing scope and complexity of application.
Initiating and planning
These are the skills of questioning, identifying problems, and developing preliminary ideas and plans.

Performing and recording
These are the skills of carrying out a plan of action, gathering evidence by observation, and manipulating materials and equipment.

Analyzing and interpreting
These are the skills of examining information and evidence, processing and presenting data so that it can be interpreted, and interpreting, evaluating, and applying the results.

Communication and teamwork
In science, as in other areas, communication skills are essential at every stage where ideas are being developed, tested, interpreted, debated, and agreed upon. Teamwork skills are also important as the development and application of science ideas is a collaborative process both in society and in the classroom.

Foundation 4: Attitudes

This foundation focuses on encouraging students to develop attitudes that support the responsible acquisition and application of scientific and technological knowledge to the mutual benefit of self, society, and the environment. This foundation identifies six categories in which science education can contribute to the development of attitudinal growth.
Appreciation of science
Students will be encouraged to appreciate the role and contributions of science in their lives, and to be aware of its limits and impacts.

Interest in science
Students will be encouraged to develop enthusiasm and continuing interest in the study of science.
Scientific inquiry
Students will be encouraged to develop attitudes that support active inquiry, problem solving, and decision making.
Collaboration
Students will be encouraged to develop attitudes that support collaborative activity.
Stewardship
Students will be encouraged to develop responsibility in the application of science and technology in relation to society and the natural environment.
Safety
Students will be encouraged to demonstrate a concern for safety in science and technology contexts.