2022 Elementary science and technology curriculum: an overview

In all grades of the science and technology curriculum, the learning related to the STEM Skills and Connections area is applied to learning related to the other four areas of the curriculum.

Here are some of the knowledge and skills that students are expected to learn.

Life systems

Students explore a natural environment, such as a trail, a river or a woodland, where both living and non-living things exist together. They also learn about the importance of, and ways to contribute to, a healthy environment – for example, the importance of staying on marked trails and of leaving the natural environment as it is found. Understanding the basic needs of living things, such as air, water and nutritious food, rounds out the learning.

Matter and energy

Students are introduced to the importance and use of energy in their lives, such as how energy can move and change, can help trees and other plants grow, and can keep our homes warm. They learn about how the Sun warms the air, land, and water, and provides light as the principal source of energy for Earth. Additionally, students deepen their understanding of how they can contribute to responsible energy use.

Structures and mechanisms

Students begin to examine characteristics of structures, such as their texture, height, and shape and the types of materials used in their construction. They learn about everyday objects, such as clothing, toys, pencils, paper, crayons, as well as structures such as bridges, barns, housing, and streetlights.

Earth and space systems

Students are introduced to the cycle of day and night and the cycle of seasons and how these are the result of Earth’s rotation and its orbit around the Sun. They also build their learning on how the seasons affect living things, like animals hibernating in the winter, leaves changing colours in the fall, buds growing on trees and tree sap flowing in the spring.

Here are some of the knowledge and skills that students are expected to learn.

Life systems

Students learn that animals grow and change throughout their lifecycles and that animals have distinct characteristics such as scales on fish, fur on cats, feathers on birds and shells on turtles. As students research animals in their local environment, they begin to acknowledge the interconnectedness of animals and the natural environment in which they live. They build their understanding of the effects humans have on animals and learn how they can exercise care and respect for animals and their natural environment or habitats.

Matter and energy

Students learn about the properties and physical changes of liquids and solids. They deepen their learning by testing various structures and the interaction or changes between solids and liquids. They also assess ways in which liquids and solids and their uses can have an impact on society and the environment.

Structures and mechanisms

Students explore the uses of simple machines by designing and testing simple machines, such as a moving toy with a wheel and axle. They also begin to understand the importance of simple machines that can be found in their homes and communities, such as a pencil sharpener, a pair of scissors, a wheelbarrow, or a ramp.

Earth and space systems

Students begin to explore the properties of air and water, including water in its solid, liquid, and gaseous states in the environment. Students pursue their understanding of the importance of air and water by examining ways in which living things depend on air and water for their survival, such as that humans and other living things need air to survive, and that fish need clean water to thrive. Students develop an awareness that some communities do not have safe drinking water in their taps and learn that water is a resource that humans should use responsibly.

Here are some of the knowledge and skills that students are expected to learn.

Life systems

Students begin to investigate the basic parts of plants and their specific functions. For example, the roots of a plant absorb water and minerals from the soil, and the stem supports the plant and transports water and nutrients from the ground to all the other parts of the plant. Students continue their study of plants by exploring their importance to humans and other living things in terms of the food, oxygen, medicine, and other products they provide, and by learning how human activity can impact plants and their habitats in a local environment.

Matter and energy

Students comprehend that forces cause motion and changes in motion, and how forces are used in daily life. They deepen their learning by designing, building, and testing devices that use forces to create controlled movement. They also assess the impacts of various forces on society and the environment, and identify ways in which human activities can help to reduce or enhance the effects of these forces.

Structures and mechanisms

Students demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of strength and stability of structures, and learn about the relationship between the form and function of various structures. They design, build, and test a strong and stable structure that serves a purpose. This helps support their understanding of the importance, to society and the environment, of form, function, strength, and stability in structures that are built by humans and animals.

Earth and space systems

Students actively engage in the study of soils by investigating types of soils in a local area, their composition, and how soils are constantly changing. They deepen their understanding of soils as they consider its importance in agriculture and in growing different types of crops for food, and identify ways of maintaining soil health to help ensure good crop production.

Here are some of the knowledge and skills that students are expected to learn.

Life systems

Students continue to develop their understanding of the natural environment as they explore various local habitats, examine the different organisms interacting within them, and describe how communities are formed. Their knowledge and understanding are deepened as they are introduced to the concept of food chains and learn to categorize organisms in the environment according to their diet. They continue to assess the impact of human activities on habitats and communities and explore ways of addressing these.

Matter and energy

Students demonstrate their understanding of light and sound as forms of energy   that have specific characteristics and properties, and assess the impact of technological innovations in light and sound on society and the environment. They also deepen their learning on vibrations as the cause of sound waves, and explore how materials interact with light and sound energy.

Structures and mechanisms

Students explore the basic principles and functions of machines and their mechanisms and assess their impact on society and the environment. They also deepen their learning on how mechanisms transmit and transform various types of motion, and how forces are changed, such as raising a flag with a pulley system or pressing down on a piano key.

Earth and space systems

Students continue their investigation of the natural environment as they are introduced to Earth processes that result in the formation of different types of rocks. They deepen their understanding of rocks and minerals as they engage in classifying them using various tests and criteria. They also look at the importance of rocks and minerals in our everyday lives and their relationship to the environment.

Here are some of the knowledge and skills that students are expected to learn.

Life systems

Students deepen their understanding of human body systems as they investigate the structures, functions, and connections between various body systems. For example, they explore how the circulatory system works in conjunction with the respiratory system to ensure all organs receive sufficient oxygen. They also look at various social and environmental factors and the impacts of emergent technologies on human health.

Matter and energy

Students learn about properties of matter, changes of state, physical and chemical change, and why specific physical properties of various solids, liquids, and gases make them useful for particular applications. They also assess the impacts of various processes and materials used in manufacturing common products, and ways to mitigate any negative impacts.

Structures and mechanisms

Students expand their understanding of the forces acting on structures and how various structures might withstand them. They explore how the physical characteristics of various animal and plant species help protect them from potentially harmful effects of forces. Students also analyse and assess ways to mitigate the social and environmental impacts of forces acting on structures, and describe how protective equipment helps keep humans safe.

Earth and space systems

Students learn about the conservation of energy, and the forms, sources, and uses of energy and resources. They increase their understanding of the effects of energy and resource use on society and the environment.

Here are some of the knowledge and skills that students are expected to learn.

Life systems

The concept of biodiversity is a key focus as students examine different forms of life on Earth from animals, to plants, and to microorganisms, and investigate their importance to humans, society, and to the environment. In this area of study, students classify organisms using specific criteria. They also begin to make connections between the impact of climate change on biodiversity and how protecting it can have a positive effect.

Matter and energy

Students learn about electrical phenomena, the principles of electrical energy and its transformation into and from other forms of energy. They design, build and test electrical devices and deepen their learning on parallel and series circuits. They also grow their understanding on the generation and use of electrical energy and its impact on society and the environment.

Structures and mechanisms

Students learn how the properties of air are applied in flight, and how the four forces of flight make flight possible. They also learn about flying machines and various living things that use balanced and unbalanced forces to control their flight. Students also deepen their understanding of the environmental impact of different flying machines.

Earth and space systems

Students are introduced to our solar system, learning about the Sun, and the planets, comets and asteroids that orbit around it. They examine technologies used in space exploration, and how these technologies contribute to everyday life, such as satellites, global positioning system (GPS) and cell phone cameras. Equally important are how these technological innovations have contributed to our understanding of space and the universe.

Here are some of the knowledge and skills that students are expected to learn.

Life systems

Students are introduced to the concept of the ecosystem by examining the interactions of living organisms and their natural habitat. Analysis of the natural life of matter and energy in ecosystems and their importance in maintaining balance in an ever-changing environment is a key focus. In addition, students look at the impacts of human activities contributing to climate change locally and globally.

Matter and energy

Students learn about particle theory and the properties of pure substances and homogenous and heterogenous mixtures. They analyse factors that affect the rate at which a solid substance dissolves in a liquid solvent to determine the concentration of a saturated solution. Learning is expanded by understanding the processes used to separate mixtures. Students also assess the environmental and social impacts of the use and disposal of various pure substances and mixtures.

Structures and mechanisms

Students examine the relationship between structural forms and the forces acting on them. They learn about frame and shell structures and examine how the centre of gravity of a structure affects its stability. They deepen their learning on the role of symmetry in structures, the suitability of materials, and factors that contribute to a structure’s failure. Students assess environmental, social and economic factors that need to be considered when designing and building structures, and evaluate ergonomic designs for tools, objects and work spaces.

Earth and space systems

Students are introduced to the concept of heat as a form of energy in the Earth’s natural systems and explore different ways heat can be transferred in solids, liquids and gases. They begin to make connections between heat, particle theory, and the movement of particles. Through their investigations, students assess the environmental impacts, including those related to climate change, of energy transformations resulting in heat from renewable and non-renewable sources.

Here are some of the knowledge and skills that students are expected to learn.

Life systems

Building on the knowledge that the cell is the basic unit of life as part of the introduction to cell theory, students examine the structure and function of plant and animal cells and their components. They investigate simple cell processes and the impact of emergent technologies in the field of cell biology on society and the environment.

Matter and energy

Students examine basic fluid mechanics principles, and the properties and uses of fluids. They explore how fluid compression affects its use in technological applications, and examine the buoyancy of an object in a variety of fluids. They deepen their learning on how forces are transferred in fluids, and identify factors affecting the flow of fluids. They also assess the impact of various technologies that rely on the properties of fluids, learn about pneumatic and hydraulic systems, and explore how flow is regulated in mechanical devices and in living systems.

Structures and mechanisms

Students explore different types of mechanical systems, and the factors that contribute to their safe and efficient operation. They also describe the conditions that are required for work to be done, analyse the mechanical advantage of various systems, and describe technological innovations that make these systems more efficient. They assess personal, social, and environmental impacts of various systems.

Earth and space systems

Students investigate different water systems, such as local watersheds and municipal water management facilities, and learn about sustainability by examining the impact of human activities on natural water systems. They examine factors, including climate change, that have contributed to the melting of glaciers and polar ice caps and describe the effects of this phenomenon on local and global water systems.