The grade 9 Science Course is entirely online and does not require or rely on any textbook. Students may obtain appropriate books as reference texts for the SNC1D course outline, but any text is optional. Not optional, however, is an internet connection.

• Students will be engaged when they are able to see the connection between the scientific concepts they are learning and their application in the world around them and in real-life situations.
• Grade 9 Students in a science class typically demonstrate diversity in the ways they learn best. It is important, therefore, that students have opportunities to learn in a variety of ways – individually, cooperatively, independently, with teacher direction, through hands-on experiences, and through examples followed by practice.
• When planning science programs, teachers will provide activities and challenges that actively engage students in inquiries that honor the ideas and skills students bring to them, while further deepening their conceptual understandings and essential skills.
• Students will investigate scientific concepts using a variety of equipment, materials, and strategies. Activities are necessary for supporting the effective learning of science by all students. These active learning opportunities invite students to explore and investigate abstract scientific ideas in rich, varied, and hands-on ways. Moreover, the use of a variety of equipment and materials helps deepen and extend students’ understanding of scientific concepts and further extends their development of scientific investigation skills.

At Spadina International school all Grade 9 Science curriculum overall expectations outlined by the Ontario Ministry of Education are accounted for instruction and accordingly for evaluation. A student’s achievement of the overall expectations is evaluated on the basis of his or her achievement of related specific expectations. Likewise, Teachers develop learning goals based on the curriculum expectations and share them with students through the Science Course Syllabus.

Evidence of SIS student achievement for evaluation is continually collected on every lesson from three different sources: observations, conversations, and student products. Observations are gathered from discussion areas or video evidence. Effective conversations will be fostered through apps that enable forums, discussions, or feedback. Student products may be in the form of tests or exams and/or assignments for evaluation. Assignments for evaluation may include rich performance tasks, demonstrations, projects, and/or essays, contributions to online discussions, completion of online assignments, portfolio submissions, projects and presentations, website development, electronic presentations, Online collaborative projects, oral presentations, interviews, dissertations or Student-led conferencing or Student-led conferencing

Achievement Chart

Spadina International school student learning is assessed and evaluated in a balanced manner with respect to four levels of the achievement chart, defined as follows:

Level Below 50%: represents achievement way below the provincial standard

Level 1 represents achievement that falls much below the provincial standard, obtained if Performance is under 59% of marks.

Level 2 represents achievement that approaches the provincial standard, obtained if performance is between 60% and 69% of marks.

Level 3 represents the provincial standard for achievement, attained if performance is between 70% and 79% of marks.

Level 4 identifies achievement that surpasses the provincial standard,  reached if performance is over 80% of marks

Categories of Knowledge and Skills

The following are the four broad areas of knowledge and skills within which SIS subject/course expectations are organized. The categories are to be considered interrelated, reflecting the wholeness and interconnectedness of learning, therefore each one accounts for 25%:

1. Knowledge and Understanding: Subject-specific content acquired in each grade/course (knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding)
2. Thinking: The use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes
3. Communication: The conveying of meaning through various forms
4. Application: The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various contexts

Learning Skills and Work Habits

The development of learning skills and work habits is an integral part of a Spadina International school student’s learning, and are Responsibility, Organization,  Independent Work, Collaboration, Initiative and Self-regulation, and will be evaluated and reported as E – Excellent, G Good, S Satisfactory, N Needs improvement.

SIS students will develop most of their duties and responsibilities online, such as consult the course syllabus, access the reading material and teacher’s lectures, watch videos or conferences, participate in forums or discussions, upload student products and write exams. Students products and homework assignments could be developed offline depending on the task but will have an online component to upload the results.

The evaluation for SNC1D – Science course is based on the student’s achievement of curriculum expectations and the demonstrated skills required for effective learning. The final percentage grade represents the quality of the student’s overall achievement of the expectations for the Grade 9 Science course and reflects the corresponding level of achievement as described in the achievement chart for the discipline. A credit is granted and recorded for this course if the student’s grade is 50% or higher. The final grade will be determined as follows:

70% of the grade will be based on evaluations conducted throughout the SNC1D course. This portion of the grade will reflect the student’s most consistent level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration will be given to more recent evidence of achievement.
30% of the grade will be based on final evaluations administered at the end of the course. The final assessment may be a final exam, a final project, or a combination of both an exam and a project.

Spadina International School will issue a Report Card following the guidelines of the Ontario Ministry of Education. It will contain information about the SNC1D – Grade 9 Science course, the percentage mark, the evaluation of the six learning skills and work habits, strengths, and steps for improvement. The report card will be issued once the SIS Student has completed 50% of the Grade 9 Science course and at the end.

SIS report cards ensure that all SIS Students and their parents receive standard, clear, detailed, and straightforward information about student progress and achievement based on the expectations and standards outlined in the Ontario curriculum.

Classroom teachers are the key educators of students who have special education needs. They have a responsibility to help all students learn, and they work collaboratively with special education resource teachers, where appropriate, to achieve this goal. Special Education Transformation: The Report of the Co-Chairs With the Recommendations of the Working Table on Special Education, 2006 endorses a set of beliefs that should guide program planning for students with special education needs in all disciplines.

In Online High Schools in Canada classroom, students may demonstrate various strengths and needs. Teachers plan programs that recognize this diversity and give students perform tasks that respect their particular abilities so that all students can derive the most significant possible benefit from the teaching and learning process. The use of flexible groupings for instruction and the provision of ongoing assessment are important elements of programs that accommodate a diversity of learning needs.

Spadina International School is one of the best online schools in Canada, and as such delivers English as a Second Language (ESL) programs for students whose first language is a language other than English, or is a variety of English significantly different from that used for instruction.  Appropriate adaptations include:

Modification of some or all of the subject expectations so that they are challenging but attainable for the learner at his or her present level of English proficiency, given the necessary support from the teacher;

Use of a variety of instructional strategies (e.g., extensive use of visual cues, graphic organizers, 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 close sentences instead of essay questions and other assessment tasks that depend heavily on proficiency in English).

When learning expectations in any course are modified for an English language learner, this information must be clearly indicated on the student’s report card.

The implementation of antidiscrimination principles in Spadina International school influences all aspects of school life. It promotes a school climate that encourages all students to work to attain high standards, affirms the worth of all students, and helps students strengthen their sense of identity and develop a positive self-image. SIS encourages staff and students alike to value and show respect for diversity in the school and the wider society. As an Online High School in Canada, SIS adopts measures to provide a safe environment for learning, free from harassment, violence, and expressions of hate.

Antidiscrimination education encourages SIS students to think critically about themselves and others in the world around them in order to promote fairness, healthy relationships, and active, responsible citizenship.

Financial literacy strategy is a fundamental component to gaining the OSSD diploma in  Spadina International School and includes the four key components of citizenship, economic understanding, personal finances, and consumer awareness. Financial literacy builds students’ understanding of personal finances, the local and global economy, and the results of their choices as consumers

Financial literacy means having the knowledge and skills to make responsible economic and financial decisions with confidence. In today’s complex world, young people need a wide range of skills and knowledge to make informed choices. Financial literacy will help students to:

Carefully consider their financial choices. This can apply to everyday decisions, like buying groceries to bigger investments, like paying for tuition or buying a car.

Understand basic money management.

Develop their own perspectives on financial matters, such as interest rates, mortgage rules or the Canadian or global economy.

Participate fully in society as knowledgeable, responsible citizens who can confidently make decisions about where and how to invest their money.

Stay financially stable and healthy throughout life.

Understand the impact of economic choices on the world they live

Teachers who are planning a program in SNC1D – Science will make an effort to take into account considerations for Gaining the High School Diploma online accredited in Ontario Canada, which aligns with the Ontario Ministry of Education policy and initiatives in a number of important areas.

Literacy, mathematical literacy, and investigation skills are critical to students’ success in all subjects of the curriculum and in all areas of their lives. Many of the activities and tasks that students undertake in the science curriculum involve literacy skills related to oral, written, and visual communication. Communication skills are fundamental to the development of scientific literacy, and fostering students’ communication skills is an important part of the teacher’s role in the science curriculum

Critical thinking is the process of thinking about ideas or situations in order to understand them fully, identify their implications, and/or make a judgment about what is sensible or reasonable to believe or do. Critical thinking includes skills such as questioning, predicting, hypothesizing, analyzing, synthesizing, examining opinions, identifying values and issues, detecting bias, and distinguishing between alternatives.

Spadina International School is a Canadian Online School where Students use critical thinking skills in science when they assess, analyze, and/or evaluate the impact of something on society and the environment; when they form an opinion about something and support that opinion with logical reasons; or when they create personal plans of action with regard to making a difference. In order to do these things, students need to examine the opinions and values of others, detect bias, look for implied meaning in their readings, and use the information gathered to form a personal opinion or stance.

Of the nature of Spadina International school being an Online School in Ontario – Canada, SIS students´ personal computers and the internet become the most valuable lab and resource. SIS teachers will guide students to reach pedagogic, scientific, academic and practical material on the internet. To follow the pedagogical approach of Spadina International school, students will develop skills to find updated statistical data produced by reliable public and private institutions, as well as current investigations published by recognized institutions as research labs, universities or recognized scholars.

Information and communications technology provide a range of tools that can significantly extend and enrich teachers’ instructional strategies and support students’ learning. For Spadina International school as a Canadian Online School, technology plays a fundamental role, and it’s inherent to its e-learning pedagogical model  The use of technology helps SIS students collect, organize, and sort the data they gather and 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. Students can also use digital or video cameras to record laboratory inquiries or findings on field trips, or for multimedia presentations on scientific issues.

Although the Internet is a powerful learning tool, SIS students must be made aware of issues of privacy, safety, and responsible use, as well as of the potential for abuse of this technology, particularly when it is used to promote hatred.

The Ontario Skills Passport (OSP) is a free, bilingual, web-based resource that provides teachers and students with clear descriptions of the “Essential Skills” and work habits important in work, learning, and life. Spadina International School as a compliment to the High School Diploma Online can engage students by using OSP tools and resources to show how what they learn in class can be applied in the workplace and in everyday life. For further information on the Ontario Skills Passport, including the Essential Skills and work habits, visit the Skills website.

Cooperative education programs allow students to earn High School Ontario Credits while completing a work placement in the community. These programs complement students’ academic programs and are valuable for all students, whatever their post-secondary destination. A cooperative education program comprises, at a minimum, one cooperative education course and its related course on which the cooperative education course is based.

The cooperative education course consists of a classroom component and a placement component. The classroom component includes pre-placement sessions and classroom integration sessions. The pre-placement sessions prepare students for the workplace and include instruction in areas of key importance, such as health and safety. The classroom integration sessions provide opportunities for students to reflect on and reinforce their learning in the workplace as the program progresses.

A personalized placement learning plan (PPLP) must be developed for all students in a cooperative education program. A student’s progress in achieving the curriculum expectations and in meeting the requirements identified in the PPLP must be assessed and evaluated by a teacher through regular workplace monitoring meetings with the student and the student’s workplace supervisor.

Education and career/life planning helps students develop the knowledge and skills they need to make informed choices for their education, career, and life outside school. Spadina International School students get a chance to learn more about themselves and their opportunities, set goals, and make plans to achieve them, as part as their High School Diploma in Canada. This program helps students choose the courses and activities that support their goals and interests

The goals are to:

Ensure that students develop the knowledge and skills they need to make informed education and career/life choices through the effective application of a four-step inquiry process;

Provide opportunities for this learning both in and outside the classroom;

Engage parents and the broader community in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the program, to support students in their learning.

The guidance and career education program have three areas of learning – student development (i.e., the development of habits and skills necessary for learning), interpersonal development (i.e., the development of the knowledge and skills needed in getting along with others), and career development (i.e., the development of the knowledge and skills needed to set short-term and long-term goals in planning for the future). Student development and interpersonal development areas are integrated within the learning skills and work habits in all the courses in SIS.

Pursuing a High School Diploma at Spadina International School is a major challenge that must also include self-care. The major health and safety concerns associated with computer use are musculoskeletal injuries (including repetitive strain injuries) and eye strain. Teachers should not only ensure that workstations are ergonomically arranged but also encourage students to maintain good posture and to take regular breaks to stand and stretch. It is also important to inform students of the mental and emotional health risks associated with social isolation – a familiar condition among heavy computer users. Various kinds of health and safety issues can arise when learning involves field trips. Out-of-school field trips can provide an exciting and authentic dimension to students’ learning experiences. They also take the teacher and students out of the predictable classroom environment and into unfamiliar settings. Teachers must preview and plan these activities carefully to protect students’ health and safety.

Online Courses Curriculum in Ontario provides varied opportunities for Spadina International School students to learn about ethical issues and explore the role of ethics in both public and personal decision-making. During the inquiry process, students may need to make ethical judgments when evaluating evidence and positions on various issues, and when drawing their own conclusions about issues, developments, and events.

Spadina International School teachers ensure that they thoroughly address the issue of plagiarism with students. In a digital world in which we have easy access to abundant information, it is very easy to copy the words of others and present them as one’s own. Students need to be reminded of the ethical issues surrounding plagiarism, and the consequences of plagiarism should be clearly discussed before students engage in an inquiry.