Nova Scotia

Environmental Action

• Learners will analyse particle theory in relation to substances in environments.

  • Investigate pure substances and mixtures in relation to particle theory

  • Investigate methods of separation in solutions and mixtures

  • Analyse the factors that affect solubility and concentration

    • Compare concentrations of solutions (7-H.1)

  • Measure the indicators of health of a local waterway with probeware

  • Analyse the health of a local waterway

  • Investigate methods of water purification and pollution cleanup

• Learners will analyse the interconnectiveness of living things and the environment, in relation to the concept of Netukulimk.

  • Analyse the interactions of various organisms within an ecosystem

    • Describe populations, communities and ecosystems (7-N.1)
    • Use food chains to predict changes in populations (7-O.4)
    • Classify symbiotic relationships (7-O.5)

  • Analyse the impact of humans on ecosystems, including pollution and green technologies

    • Coral reef biodiversity and human uses: explore a problem (7-P.1)

  • Analyse choices about resource management and sustainability in relation to Netukulimk

    • Coral reef biodiversity and human uses: evaluate solutions (7-P.2)

  • Investigate energy input and matter recycling in an ecosystem

    • How do plants use and change energy? (7-M.1)
    • Identify the photosynthetic organism (7-M.2)
    • How does matter move in food chains? (7-O.1)
    • Interpret food webs I (7-O.2)
    • Interpret food webs II (7-O.3)

  • Analyse the interconnectiveness of biotic and abiotic components in nature, inclusive of a Mi'kmaw perspective

    • Identify ecosystems (7-N.2)
    • Describe ecosystems (7-N.3)

  • Investigate biological indicators of environmental health

• Learners will investigate factors that affect species adaptation and evolution.

  • Investigate multiple ways that species can be classified

    • Describe, classify and compare kingdoms (7)
    • Use scientific names to classify organisms (7)

  • Hypothesize ways in which organisms may adapt in response to environmental and predation factors

    • How can animal behaviours affect reproductive success? Identify evidence to support a claim (7-J.1)
    • Introduction to natural selection (7-J.2)

  • Investigate the concept of natural selection and its role in evolution

    • Introduction to natural selection (7-J.2)
    • Construct explanations of natural selection (7-J.5)

  • Investigate evidence of evolution

    • Compare fossils to modern organisms (7-K.1)
    • Compare ages of fossils in a rock sequence (7-K.2)

• Learners will implement an environmental stewardship plan.

  • Select strategies for conservation and sustainability

  • Investigate community environmental stewardship initiatives

    • Coral reef biodiversity and human uses: explore a problem (7-P.1)

  • Formulate an environmental stewardship plan to mitigate environmental harm in relation to the concept of Netukulimk

    • Coral reef biodiversity and human uses: evaluate solutions (7-P.2)

Engineering Structures

• Learners will test the strength and efficiency of shapes and materials used in construction.

  • Evaluate the strength of a variety of shapes and materials

  • Evaluate the applications of shapes and materials used in construction

  • Investigate properties of materials used in construction

  • Compare features of manufactured and natural structures

• Learners will test various forces affecting structures.

  • Investigate forces that act on and within structures

  • Test structures to determine failure points

  • Analyse forces that lead to structural failure

  • Compare static and dynamic forces that impact structures

    • Balanced and unbalanced forces (8-E.4)

• Learners will construct a structure in response to a design challenge.

  • Apply concepts of shapes, forces, strength, stability and efficiency to a design challenge

  • Evaluate materials in relation to a design challenge

  • Implement a plan for a structural design challenge

    • Identify parts of the engineering-design process (8-C.1)
    • Evaluate tests of engineering-design solutions (8-C.2)
    • Explore the engineering-design process: going to the Moon! (8-C.4)

  • Test a constructed structure according to design challenge criteria

    • Use data from tests to compare engineering-design solutions (8-C.3)

Geological Evolution

• Learners will analyse how geographic features are formed and changed.

  • Analyse the relationship between geographic features and plate boundaries

    • Label Earth features at tectonic plate boundaries (7-S.2)
    • Describe tectonic plate boundaries around the world (7-S.3)

  • Analyse the evidence for plate movement

  • Investigate erosion and deposition

  • Investigate technologies used to measure geological change

• Learners will analyse factors that affect coastline change.

  • Investigate weathering and erosion

  • Analyse the impact of waves and tides on rivers and coastlines

  • Compare possible strategies for mitigating coastal degradation