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In Grade 10, learners conclude their Kindergarten to Grade 10 science learning and are prepared to continue on to optional science courses at the Grades 11 and 12 levels. The knowledge areas of matter, force, Earth science, space science, life systems, and evolution are explored. An active and practical approach to learning and doing science continues. This includes conducting scientific investigations, furthering tool and measurement skills, exploring science in everyday life, and looking into how science interacts with society and the environment. Learners strengthen their agency and sense of belonging in science, as well as their science literacy. In Grade 10, learners continue to explore Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing, including through interacting with the local community and learning in nature. The Grades 10 to 12 Nature of Science learning outcomes are introduced, with a more sophisticated inquiry into the purpose, method, application, and implications of science.
Inquiry questions to help guide learning and planning for the year may include the following:
Please see documents in the curriculum implementation resources section for more information on how to use this curriculum.
The Guiding Principles for the Design of Learning Experiences and Assessment Practices provide guidance to all Manitoba educators as they design learning experiences and classroom assessments to strengthen, extend, and expand student learning.
Please note, this website continues to evolve, so please visit regularly to keep current with what’s new in the Learning Experiences and Assessment Practices section.
The Guiding Principles for the Evaluation and Communication of Student Learning build shared understandings of what is needed to ensure equity, reliability, validity, and transparency in judgment and communication of student learning.
Please note, this website continues to evolve, so please visit regularly to keep current with what’s new in the Evaluation and Communication of Student Learning section.
Science learning outcomes are organized into five strands. These strands and learning outcomes are intended to be woven together throughout all learning experiences while supporting the development of global competencies. All strands equally and cohesively build scientific literacy, skills, and attitudes, inclusive of Indigenous ways and knowledge. Teachers can tailor curriculum implementation to the learners’ specific interests and needs.
Legend
Include the following = compulsory content
Examples/e.g.,= suggestions for learning
Learning Outcome Key
[SCI] Subject
[K] Grade level
[A] Strand
[1] Learning Outcome
SCI.10.A.1
Demonstrate an understanding of different First Nations, Métis, and Inuit ways of knowing, being, and doing by exploring Indigenous methods of observing and interpreting the world, applying scientific principles, and creating technologies within local traditional and contemporary contexts (e.g., wholistic, reciprocal, interconnected, and sustainable ways; land-based learning; outdoor learning; intersections with Western science).
SCI.10.B.1
Develop a sense of agency, identity, and belonging in science by
Science, Technology, Society, and Environment (STSE) Contexts
SCI.10.C.1
Take class, group or personal action on a local, provincial, Canadian or global STSE (Science, technology, society and the environment) issue.
Examples:
Scientific Measurement
SCI.10.C.2
Measure using the appropriate techniques, tools, and units. (Bold indicates items introduced for the first time at this grade level.)
Include the following:
Tools: thermometer, ruler, volumetric vessels, stopwatch, spring scale, caliper, digital scale, barometer, telescope
Attributes: temperature, length, mass, volume, time, speed, force, direction, energy, density, pressure
Units: length/distance (parsec, light year, astronomical unit, km, m, cm, mm, mm fractions), mass (kg, g, cg, mg), volume (L, mL), time (h, min, s), temperature (°C), speed (km/h, m/s), force (N), energy (J), density (kg/m3, g/cm3), pressure (kPa, Pa)
Skills and understanding of scientific measurement: measure and estimate using standard SI tools and units; select measurement tools; display quantitative data (charts, line graphs, tables, etc.); recognize importance of standard units; convert between SI length, time, and volume units; understand the meaning of SI prefixes and their symbols (micro, milli, centi, deci, deka, hecto, kilo, mega); describe the definition and relationship between SI units m and kg (historical and modern definitions); differentiate between base SI units (m, kg, s, A) and derived units (N, C, W, etc.); understand measurement precision, accuracy, and uncertainty (+/- notation); use unit/dimensional analysis techniques to check computation; use scientific notation and metric prefixes to represent large and small SI measurements
Action and Practice
SCI.10.C.3
Apply a range of scientific, technological or engineering practices (e.g., asking questions, identifying problems, observing, experimenting, measuring, classifying, collecting and analyzing data, engaging in scientific debate and argumentation, communicating results, designing and building) in a manner that demonstrates respect and ensures personal safety and the safety of others.
Examples:
Scientific Instruments
SCI.10.C.4
Use various materials and scientific equipment appropriately, competently, and safely while carrying out various scientific practices.
Examples: glassware, hot plate, chemical substances, Bunsen burner, telescope, craft and recycled materials, classroom materials, materials from nature, logbook, diagrams, charts, graphs, spreadsheets, safety procedures
Careers, Hobbies, and Activities
SCI.10.C.5
Make connections between scientific ideas and a range of careers, hobbies and activities.
Examples: chemist, firefighter, emergency medical technician (EMT), engineer, materials scientist, pharmacist, driver, astronomer, space scientist, rocket engineer, communications expert, roboticist, miner, ecologist, environmental scientist, waste management expert, gardening, ethnobotany, Indigenous teachings related to life interconnectedness, model building, skateboarding, biking, star gazing, nature walks, camping, nature photography, bowling, basketball, rock climbing, rock and mineral collecting
Purpose: Science is about finding the cause or causes of phenomena in the natural world.
SCI.10.D.1
Demonstrate the understanding that scientific evidence is gathered through experimentation, or systematic observations.
SCI.10.D.2
Demonstrate the understanding that patterns in data may reveal correlations among factors in phenomena.
SCI.10.D.3
Demonstrate the understanding that correlations in data suggest relations among factors but are not conclusive evidence that one factor is the cause of change in another because undiscovered factors could be causing both.
SCI.10.D.4
Demonstrate the understanding that in science, there is a difference between theories, models, hypotheses, and laws, including the fact that one does not become another, and all are important parts of the development of scientific understandings.
Method: Scientific explanations, theories, and models are those that best fit the evidence available at a particular time.
SCI.10.D.5
Demonstrate an understanding of how models are used in science.
Examples: prediction, simplification, representation, testing
SCI.10.D.6
Demonstrate the understanding that theories and models are created by humans using intuition, reason, imagination, and consideration of evidence.
SCI.10.D.7
Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of scientific theories and models and how they may change as new evidence becomes available.
Examples: modify, replace, discard, paradigm shift
SCI.10.D.8
Demonstrate the understanding that theories are tested by experiment and observation and may be strengthened, modified, or discarded, but they cannot be proven correct.
Include the following: problem of induction, black swan theory, falsifiability.
Application: The knowledge produced by science is used in engineering and technologies to create products and processes.
SCI.10.D.9
Demonstrate an understanding of how scientific knowledge and technological advancement enable and reinforce each other in a reciprocal fashion.
SCI.10.D.10
Demonstrate the understanding that while technologies may provide advantages, they also impact human and ecological systems in complex ways.
Examples: environmental impacts of energy technologies; effects of resource extraction and land use on ecosystems and biodiversity; impacts of chemicals, consumer goods, plastics, and waste systems on humans and Earth systems; social and environmental impacts of digital technologies
SCI.10.D.11
Demonstrate the understanding that some technologies consume rare and finite resources, requiring collaboration among scientists, engineers, governments, Indigenous Peoples, communities, and industry to design more sustainable, circular, and equitable systems through technological innovation, practices and policy.
Examples: circular economy innovations, renewable energy technologies, Indigenous-led land stewardship, materials science that supports conservation and regeneration, right-to-repair movement, biomimicry, urban mining, material recovery, ethical and sustainable sourcing, zero-waste systems; battery recycling; critical mineral stewardship; sustainable agriculture; water conservation and reuse systems; green building design; carbon capture and storage; ecosystem restoration technologies; low-carbon transportation systems; sustainable forestry and agricultural practices; biodegradable and compostable materials; community-based climate adaptation initiatives
Implication: Applications of science often have ethical, environmental, social, economic, and political implications.
SCI.10.D.12
Demonstrate the understanding that established science is not a matter of opinion; however, the application of scientific knowledge requires ethical and moral decisions that are outside the realm of science.
SCI.10.D.13
Demonstrate the understanding that technologies consume resources and interact with ecological, social, economic, and cultural systems, requiring considerations about thoughtful design, responsible use, and inclusive decision-making.
Examples: economic, social, health, ethical, political, and environmental sustainability; community-centered innovation; technologies that promote equity and wellbeing; systems thinking in design and policy
These outcomes are organized according to the big ideas of science. They are not grouped to form prescriptive clusters or units. Teachers are encouraged to regroup, reorganize and reorder the learning outcomes in this strand according to themes or units that meet the needs of their classes and their teaching.
Outcomes relating to the big ideas of matter: All matter in the universe is made of very small particles.
SCI.10.E.1
Demonstrate the understanding that chemical reactions involve the joining or rearrangement of atoms in the reacting substances, resulting in the formation of new substances.
Include the following: conservation of mass, reaction equations, balancing equations, chemical bonds.
SCI.10.E.2
Demonstrate the understanding that the observable properties and behaviours of elements and compounds can be explained in terms of the arrangement of electrons, and the bonds between atoms or molecules.
Examples: metals, non-metals, Bohr models, ionic compounds, molecules, solids, liquids, gasses, boiling point, melting point, reactivity
SCI.10.E.3
Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of the formation and properties of binary ionic compounds.
Include the following: metal, non-metal, valence electron, ionic bond, crystal, melting point, boiling point, electrolyte.
SCI.10.E.4
Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of the formation and properties of simple molecular compounds.
Include the following: valence shell, covalent bond, single bond, double bond, triple bond, melting point, boiling point, states of matter.
SCI.10.E.5
Demonstrate the understanding that scientists name molecular and ionic compounds systematically, according to International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) rules.
Include the following: prefix, suffix, Stock system.
Outcomes relating to the big ideas of force: Changing the movement of an object requires a net force to be acting on it.
SCI.10.E.6
Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of position, time, displacement, velocity, and constant acceleration.
Include the following: vector, scalar, distance, speed, and correct application of related SI units.
SCI.10.E.7
Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship among forces, masses, and changing velocities as described and understood through Newton’s three laws of motion.
Include the following: mass, kilogram, inertia, definition of newton (N), vector, acceleration, friction.
SCI.10.E.8
Demonstrate the understanding that pressure is a measure of force acting on a unit of area.
Include the following: pascal, kilopascal, m2, N.
SCI.10.E.9
Demonstrate the understanding that liquids, gases, and solids exert pressures, and that the amount of pressure depends on various factors.
Include the following: density, gravity, volume, temperature, depth, height.
Outcomes relating to the big ideas of earth science: The composition of Earth and its atmosphere and the processes occurring within them shape Earth’s surface and its climate.
SCI.10.E.10
Demonstrate an understanding of the nature and importance of the ozone layer.
Include the following: formation from oxygen, molecular composition, blocking ultraviolet (UV) rays, chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) damage.
SCI.10.E.11
Demonstrate an understanding of global efforts made to reverse ozone damage.
Include the following: ozone hole, and thinning of ozone layer, Montreal procotol.
SCI.10.E.12
Demonstrate an understanding of factors that influence Earth’s climate system.
Examples: latitude, Sun energy, landscape, prevailing wind, Coriolis effect, ocean currents
SCI.10.E.13
Demonstrate an understanding of the nature, importance, extraction and recycling of natural resources contained within Earth.
Include the following: fossil fuels, ores, minerals, metals.
SCI.10.E.14
Demonstrate an understanding of the mechanism and consequences (e.g., severe weather events, ocean acidification, desertification, loss of polar ice, wildfires, flooding, global warming) of human-induced climate change.
Include the following: greenhouse gas emissions, carbon cycling.
Outcomes relating to the big ideas of space science: Our Solar System is a very small part of one of billions of galaxies in the universe.
SCI.10.E.15
Demonstrate an understanding of the vast size of the universe, its varied contents, and evidence for its formation in the Big Bang, and subsequent evolution.
Include the following: light year, parsec, astronomical unit, doppler shift, galaxies.
SCI.10.E.16
Demonstrate an understanding of the formation and evolution of our Solar System, and the Solar System’s place and time in the larger universe.
Include the following: gravity, accretion, star, age of universe, age of Solar System, age of Earth.
SCI.10.E.17
Demonstrate an understanding of the varying nature of stars, including the formation, types, mechanism of energy production, and progression through a life cycle.
Include the following: types of stars, evolution of stars, star birth, main sequence, star death, nuclear fusion.
SCI.10.E.18
Demonstrate the understanding that celestial objects, and objects on Earth, all obey the same relatively simple laws of gravity and motion, which lead to mainly regular and predictable motions in the night sky, and occasionally to less predictable phenomena.
Example: meteor activity, apparent retrograde motion of the planets, heliocentrism/geocentrism
SCI.10.E.19
Demonstrate the understanding that evidence of life (as we define it) has not been found anywhere beyond Earth, to date.
Outcomes relating to the big ideas of life systems: Organisms require a supply of energy and materials for which they often depend on, or compete with, other organisms.
SCI.10.E.20
Demonstrate an understanding of the nature and functioning of resilient ecosystems.
Include the following: food chain, food web, ecological pyramids, biogeochemical cycles (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous), biodiversity, carrying capacity.
SCI.10.E.21
Demonstrate the understanding that many human activities have a detrimental effect on natural, healthy ecosystems.
Examples: unsustainable farming practices, forestry, mining, lake eutrophication, habitat destruction, bioaccumulation, climate change, urbanization, building dams, and dissemination of invasive species
SCI.10.E.22
Demonstrate the understanding that there are sustainable alternatives to most detrimental human activities.
Examples: sustainable agriculture practices, renewable energy resources
Outcomes relating to the big ideas of evolution: The diversity of organisms, living and extinct, is the result of evolution.
SCI.10.E.23
Demonstrate the understanding that the evolution of organisms is an aspect of a larger process called cosmic evolution, which has led to conditions favorable to life on Earth.
SCI.10.E.24
Demonstrate the understanding that human activity changes environments more quickly than organisms can naturally evolve.
Include the following: climate change, pollution, monoculture, biodiversity, Anthropocene extinction, pesticides, fertilization, habitat destruction.
SCI.10.E.25
Demonstrate the understanding that humans can intentionally or unintentionally influence the evolution of species.
Examples: selective breeding, domestication, genetic modification, antibiotic resistance, peppered moth
Curriculum Implementation Resources
Curriculum implementation resources will include supplementary documents to support implementation. This section and the support documents will continue to be updated, so you are encouraged to visit the site regularly.
