Grades 5 to 8 Science
Manitoba Curriculum Framework of Outcomes
Manitoba Foundations for Scientific Literacy
To develop scientifically literate students, science learning experiences must incorporate the essential aspects of science and related applications. These essential aspects, the foundations for scientific literacy, have been adapted from the Pan-Canadian Science Framework to address the needs of Manitoba students. Manitoba science curricula are built upon the following five foundations for scientific literacy:
- Nature of Science and Technology
- Science, Technology, Society, and the Environment (STSE)
- Scientific and Technological Skills and Attitudes
- Essential Science Knowledge
- Unifying Concepts
Producing science knowledge is an intrinsically collective endeavour. There is no such thing as stand-alone science. Scientists submit models and solutions to the assessment of their peers who judge their logical and experimental soundness by reference to the body of existing knowledge. (Larochelle, M. and J. Désautels, 1992)
In the following pages each foundation is described and accompanied by general learning outcomes, which further define expectations for student learning. These general learning outcomes constitute a global picture of science learning from Kindergarten to Senior 4.
The following conceptual organizer (see Figure 4) summarizes the relationships among the Manitoba Foundations for Scientific Literacy and shows how they are translated into general and specific student learning outcomes at Kindergarten to Senior 4.
Figure 4: Manitoba Science Curriculum Conceptual Organizer
