The goal of science education is more than just providing students with a knowledge of facts. Mastery of the subject can no longer be evaluated solely in terms of students’ ability to recall specialized terminology, memorize isolated facts, or repeat a theory. Rather, students must be given opportunities to learn through investigation. In doing so, they can practise and become proficient in various scientific investigation skills. These skills not only develop critical thinking and allow students to extend their understanding of science; they are also useful in students’ everyday lives and will help them in pursuing their postsecondary goals, whether in science or some other area of endeavour.

As students advance from grade to grade, they practise these skills more fully and independently and in increasingly demanding contexts. Initially, students become aware of and familiar with each new skill. With emerging understanding, students reflect on and practise aspects of these skills when conducting investigations. As their knowledge and confidence grow, students begin to implement the skills more fully. Through repeated use, they are able to increase and refine their understanding of and proficiency in each skill. Finally, once they become proficient, they can extend skills, incorporating them into other areas of study as well as everyday activities.​

PRE-AP GRADE 9 Science  - SNC1D5

The Pre-AP Grade9 Academic Science program (SNC 1D5) at Milliken Mills High School is based on the assumption that students who choose to pursue this course will have a set of high academic skills that includes STRONG PROBLEM SOLVING AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS. Students will be able to use abstract thinking to attain current concepts and content in a rigorous science curriculum that is run during one semester. It will also serve as a platform to prepare students for success in Advance Placement courses (when they are offered at Milliken Mills High School) and to strengthen independent learning skills. This Pre-AP G9 Science program will expose students to a range of rigorous assessment strategies that are considered fundamental for success in post-secondary settings (University, College and SHSM).

SNC 1D5 will enable students to extend their understanding of various concepts in four strands in science, Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science and Physics. Students will relate these concepts to technology, society and the environment and continue to apply their critical thinking skills in the process of scientific investigation and scientific reasoning. Students will apply their understanding of scientific theories when they conduct scientific investigations in the four strands in science.

Big Ideas 

This course is strongly recommended for students who have attained a L4 (80 and over) in G7 and G8 Science and have covered concepts in Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science and Physics on a regular basis. You should be recommended to take this course by your G8 guidance counselor. This should be done in collaboration with the MMHS G9 guidance counselor and the MMHS Department head of Science.

Concepts To Be Studied In Each Of The Four Strands

Biology  - Sustainable Ecosystems, Complexity of Ecosystems, Nutrient Cycles (Carbon cycle, Nitrogen Cycle and the Water cycle), Biodiversity, Positive and Negative Impacts (Anthropomorphic) on Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems and Sustainable Practices.

Chemistry – Contributions by Researchers to the Atomic Theory, properties of the modern Periodic Table, Properties of Elements and Compounds, Comparing Atomic and Molecular Structures and Writing Ionic and Covalent Formula. 

Earth and Space Science – Big Bang Theory, Nature of Electromagnetic Radiation and Light, Red-Shift Theory of Planets in the Solar System, Scientific Notation and Standard Notation Calculating Distances in the Universe (light years - ly and astronomical units - AU).

Physics – The Nature of Static and Current Electricity, and drawing series and parallel circuits, calculating current, voltage and resistance in series and parallel circuits, Ohms Law, Kirchoff's Law, Renewable and Non-Renewable Sources of Electricity. 

PRE-AP GRADE 10 Science  - SNC2D5

This course enables students to enhance their understanding of concepts in four areas of study. These are Biology, Chemistry,  Earth and Space science, and Physics, and of the interrelationships between science, technology, society, and the environment.  Students are also given practical and hands-on opportunities to further develop their scientific investigation skills.  Students will plan and conduct scientific investigations and participate in Tutorials by applying their conceptual knowledge learned from assigned Readings. Students will develop their understanding of scientific theories related to the metabolic connections between cells and organ systems  in animals and plants;. They will conduct chemistry experiments that show various types of chemical reactions ( e.g. Synthesis Reactions, Decomposition Reactions, Single Displacement and Double Displacement Reactions), with a particular focus on acid–base reactions; They will also identify forces that affect climate and climate change; and  investigate the nature of Light and the interaction of light and matter. 

Big Ideas 

Biology 

​• Plants and animals, including humans, are made of specialized cells, tissues, and organs that are organized into organ systems. 

• Students will learn about the Tenets of the cell theory and create wet mounts of representative Plant and Animal cells.

• Student will also relate how all eleven organ systems in humans work together to maintain Homeostasis.

• Students will also carry out dissections on at least one representatives from the three of the six Kingdoms (Kingdom Animalia, Plantae and Fungi).

• Developments in medicine and medical technology can have social and ethical implications. 

• Students will research advancements made in the fields of Medicine  and Biotechnology by examining specific protocols such as rDNA technology

• Students will investigate several types of Reactions (e.g. single displacement, double-displacement, synthesis, decomposition) 

• Students will study how chemicals react with each other in predictable ways. 

• Students will discuss how chemical reactions have both a Positive and a Negative impact on the environment, 

• Students will research how chemicals are used to address environmental challenges. 

• Earth’s climate is dynamic and is the result of interacting systems and processes.

• Global climate change is influenced by both natural and human factors.

• Climate change affects living things and natural systems in a variety of ways.

• People have the responsibility to assess their impact on climate change and to identify effective courses of action to reduce this impact. 

• Students will investigate dual properties of light – They will conceptualize that it can travel as packets of energy (Photons) and investigate how it travels as a Wave.

• Students will learn that Light has characteristics and properties that can be manipulated with different types of Mirrors (e.g. flat mirrors) and lenses (e.g. concave) for a range of uses. 

• Students will discuss how society has benefited from the development of a range of optical devices and technologies. 

• Students will investigate and use Snell’s Law to show the relationship between the angles of incidence and refraction and the indices of refraction of the two media.​