Carson Graham Secondary
North Vancouver School District
Science Courses

SCIENCE 8 (Year 3)

Through the MYP framework, students will start to develop the skills and attitudes necessary to become scientists.  Students will discover three key concepts underlying many scientific processes: systems, relationships, and change, while developing an understanding of the following topics: cell theory, photosynthesis and respiration, the immune system , kinetic molecular theory, atomic theory (protons, neutrons, electrons, leptons and quarks!), light and radiation, plate tectonics and First Peoples knowledge of local geological formations and events.

Throughout this course, students will get the opportunity to show off their learning in many ways.  They will show their knowledge and understanding of the key concepts through individual as well as group assignments, whether it be through written assessments or research projects.  They will develop lab skills through inquiring and designing scientific investigations, and learning methods for collecting, processing and evaluating data in order to draw their own conclusions. They will reflect on the impacts of science on our world; as they discover that science has ethical, economic, cultural and environmental impacts.

SCIENCE 9 (Year 4)

Students will continue to build on the scientific attitudes and the skills they met in Science 8. Students will delve deeper into three key concepts underlying many scientific processes: systems, relationships, and change, while developing an understanding of the following topics: cellular reproduction, the structure of the atom, the periodic table, electricity, and the interconnections of the four spheres (Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere and Geosphere).

Throughout this course, students will get the opportunity to show off their learning in many ways.  They will show their knowledge and understanding of the key concepts with individual and group assignments, whether it be through written assessments or research projects.  They will further develop lab skills through inquiring and designing scientific investigations, and continue learning methods for collecting, processing and evaluating data in order to draw their own conclusions. Students will continue to reflect on the impacts of science on our world, whether these impacts are ethical, social, economic, or environmental.

SCIENCE 10 (Year 5) 4 credits

Continuing from Science 9, students will keep building the skills and attitudes they will require for our senior science courses.  Students will study connections of the three key concepts underlying many scientific processes: systems, relationships, and change, while developing an understanding of the following topics: Conservation of energy and transformation and the affect on living things, DNA and the diversity of living things, Energy change with respect to chemical reactions and the formation of the Universe through investigating the Big Bang theory. Students will have the opportunity to participate in an interdisciplinary learning project that focuses on the Human Interactions, energy use and how it affects environmental sustainability. 

Throughout this course, students will show evidence of their learning in many ways.  They will show their knowledge and understanding of the key concepts with both individual and group assignments, whether these are written assessments or research projects.  They will further develop lab skills through inquiring and designing scientific investigations, and learn more sophisticated methods for collecting, processing and evaluating data in order to draw their own conclusions.    Throughout the course they will continue to reflect on the impacts of science on our world, be it: ethical, social, economic, political, cultural, or environmental impacts.

CHEMISTRY 11 4 credits

Chemistry 11 provides students with basic concepts required for future chemistry courses. The course is theory based with a strong emphasis on quantitative aspects. A strong background in math is recommended. Key concepts include: lab skills, writing chemical equations, the mole, predicting amounts in chemical reactions, atomic structure, chemical bonding and organic chemistry.

EARTH SCIENCE 11 4 credits

Earth Science 11 is an introductory course designed to explore the diverse aspects of Earth and Space Science, offering applications to the real world. Earth Science topics include climate change, rocks and minerals, plate tectonics, volcanoes, earthquakes, ocean and weather sciences, fossils, and the history of life on Earth.  This course uses hands-on samples to look at some of these aspects, with a focus on local perspectives. Astronomy topics include planets and the Solar System, stars, galaxies, and deep space objects such as quasars and black holes. If you enjoy learning about our planet and its place in space, this course would be an interesting way to obtain a Grade 11 science course credit  toward graduation. If you are possibly considering Geology or Geoscience as an academic career or vocation, then this course is an excellent introduction to the sciences of the Earth.

LIFE SCIENCES 11 4 credits

Life Sciences 11 will introduce you to the living world within and around you.  We will explore the origin, evolution and diversity of life.  We will focus on local organisms from all three domains, and the interrelationships between organisms through the lenses of western science and First Peoples knowledge and understanding.  This course presents the study of Biology as an open and growing field of challenging problems awaiting solutions.  Classroom activities include microscopic use, bacterial cultures, dissections, life drawings (some live specimens) and design labs.  The Big Ideas of this curriculum are: Life is a result of interactions at the molecular and cellular levels, Evolution occurs at the population level, and Organisms are grouped based on common characteristics.

PHYSICS 11 4 credits

Physics 11 is an introductory physics course, where students meet many core physics concepts with a focus on mechanics (motion and Newton's Laws), electric circuits and wave phenomena.  As well as introducing fundamental physics knowledge, the goal of this course is to teach students basic science and transferable skills.  These skills include critical thinking and problem solving skills, the skills to collect and interpret data and design good experiments.  All this will be done through a combination of hands-on learning and physical experiments, "thought experiments", and problem solving sessions.  Students will be expected to work both independently and in groups. By the end of this course students will be expected to:

  • Show a broad understanding of introductory physics concepts.
  • Solve physics problems in familiar and unfamiliar situations.
  • Collect, process, and interpret data.
  • Draw valid conclusions from data.

Physics is a science of logic and Mathematics is the language of logic.  Thus, Mathematics is a deeply ingrained part of physics, and students who struggle in math may find that they also struggle in physics class. A recommended co-requisite is Pre-Calculus 11 and some students may find that they must put extra effort into improving algebra skills in order to find success in this course. More information about this course can be found at: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/science/11/physics

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY 12  4 credits

This course is intended for students who have a high level of interest in the biological sciences. Students should excel at biology and enjoy examining living systems. Anatomy and Physiology 12 focuses on three big ideas: homeostasis and physiological processes, DNA processes, Gene expression and the interaction between genes and the environment, Cellular organization, and the complex interrelationships between human organ systems.  This course fosters student interest in understanding by looking at the processes that define living systems, most specifically the human body. Laboratory skills are practiced in both hypothetical and practical applications. Dissection may be used to examine organ systems. It is highly recommended that student have taken either Chemistry 11 or Life Sciences 11 before registering for this course. 

CHEMISTRY 12  4 credits

Chemistry 12 extends the concepts of Chemistry 11 and helps to prepare students for post-secondary studies in the field of chemistry. This course looks at the various applications of chemical equilibrium including solubility, acids plus bases and electrochemistry. Lab work will accompany the chemical theory and quantitative aspects of the course.  A strong foundation in Chemistry 11 is highly recommended.

GEOLOGY 12  4 credits

This inquiry-based course is for students interested in the science of the Earth - rocks, resources, and dinosaurs.  It is open to all grade 11 and grade 12 students, and expands on the geology units taught in Earth Science 11. This course prepares students for university courses in  Geology, Geophysics, Palaeontology, Volcanology, and the oil and mining resource industry. Using a scientific approach, geological evidence is interpreted to tell the story of the history of the Earth. The following topics are covered in the course: Earth's Minerals, Rocks, and Resources, Time and the Fossil Record, Plate Tectonics and Seismology, Surface Processes and Erosion, and Planetary Geology.  If you enjoy hands-on experiences, outdoor field exploration, storytelling and critical thinking, then this course is for you.

PHYSICS 12  4 credits

Through a combination of thought experiments, demonstrations, hands-on learning and lab experiments, this course will focus on building a student's critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students will explore topics such as relative motion, the postulates of special relativity, circular motion, gravitation, electrostatics, and electromagnetism. It is encouraged that students taking Physics 12 have already successfully completed Physics 11 (or similar) course. Students that struggled in Physics 11 have historically found Physics 12 even more challenging. More information about this course can be found at: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/science/12/physics