About the course
This course enables students, including those pursuing post secondary programs outside the sciences, to increase their understanding of science and contemporary social and environmental issues in health-related fields. Students will explore a variety of medical technologies, pathogens and disease, nutritional science, public health issues, and biotechnology. The course focuses on the theoretical aspects of the topics under study and helps refine students’ scientific investigation skills.
Science 12
Course Credit
1
Course Price
$ 550.00
Course Developer
My Learning Oasis
Prerequisite(s) (Text)
Grade 10 Science, Academic,(SNC2D) or any Grade 11 university, university/college, or college preparation course in science
Course Code
Department Head & Contact Information
SNC4M
Viswanath Sharma (daro@mylearningoasis.com)
Course Type
University/College
Grade Level
Grade 12
Course Development Date
June 10th, 2021
Course Outline
Nutritional Science
In this unit students will explore how nutrients can mitigate the progression and even stop certain diseases. They will evaluate the differences between macro and micro-nutrients and look at the importance in each case. Certain foods require certain activities after eating or require that certain activities NOT be done right after eating. This unit will explore the process of digestion and how certain activities after eating can affect proper digestion. Students will look at how certain behaviors can affect the way we eat, e.g. watching tv while eating (body position). The students will also explore how peer pressure and other social pressures affect the way we eat and the effect they have on our health.
Estimated Hours of Instructions: 18 hours
Pathogens and Disease
Students are introduced to pathogens and their effects in causing various forms of illnesses and diseases. They will look at how pathogens can spread, starting from a single person. A basic model will be used to demonstrate this spread. They will explore ways in which this spread can be mitigated. They will then be introduced to epidemiology and its origin. They will look at the 18th century cholera outbreak in London, and the determination of patient zero.
Estimated Hours of Instructions:24 hours
Medical Technologies
This unit will focus on a case study. Students will look at a patient and perform a number of tests to confirm their initial diagnosis. They will use medical technologies that they have been exposed to and that are relevant to the case in hand. At this point, they will look at the latest research in medical technology/repair technology.
Estimated Hours of Instructions:25 hours
Biotechnology
In this unit students will explore the history of biotechnology. They will look at the advantages and disadvantages of biotechnology and its applications. In particular they will look at benefits and detriments of the GMO versus non-GMO products, eg soya bean, which in its GMO form causes cancer. The ethical issues of biotechnology will be explored in this uint.
Estimated Hours of Instructions:25 hours
Science and Public Health
The students will be introduced to public health management in this unit. They will look at the management hierarchy of the public health system and the roles that each level of government plays. They will also look at the effect pandemics and epidemics have on and shape the public health system and the threats that they pose.
Estimated Hours of Instructions:16 hours
Exam
This is a proctored exam for 2.5 hours and is worth 30% of the course mark. Part of the final exam may be a presentation worth 10% of the mark, depending on the teacher.
Estimated Hours of Instructions: 2.5 hours
Total 110 hours
Resources
The course material (class notes and necessary handouts) will be provided by the teacher.
The students will be required to have:
● Access to a library or the Internet to do research
● Access to the internet as well as electronic devices for note taking and communication for those taking the class online
Overall Curriculum Expectations
A. Scientific Investigation Skills and Career Exploration
A1 demonstrate scientific investigation skills (related to both inquiry and research) in the four areas of skills (initiating and planning, performing and recording, analysing and interpreting, and communicating);
A2 identify and describe careers related to the fields of science under study, and describe contributions of scientists, including Canadians, to those fields.
B.Medical Technologies
B1 assess the impact of medical technologies and therapies, both conventional and alternative, used to diagnose and treat human health conditions;
B2 investigate the uses of, and analyse the information provided by, a variety of medical technologies;
B3 demonstrate an understanding of the function and use of a variety of medical technologies and the information they provide about the human body.
C. Pathogens and Disease
C1 evaluate the impact of scientific and technological knowledge and individual behaviour on the control of pathogens and the prevention of disease;
C2 investigate the nature and growth of pathogens and the effectiveness of measures intended to prevent their spread;
C3 demonstrate an understanding of pathogens, the diseases they cause, and ways of controlling their spread.
D. Nutritional Science
D1 assess how personal and societal factors affect eating behaviours, and evaluate the social and economic impact of the use of non-nutrient food additives;
D2 investigate chemical components of and energy in food, and the processes by which food is digested;
D3 demonstrate an understanding of chemical components of and energy in food, and the processes by which food is digested.
E. Science and Public Health Issues
E1 assess the impact of scientific research, technological advances, and government initiatives on public health;
E2 investigate various strategies related to contemporary public health issues;
E3 demonstrate an understanding of major public health issues, past and present.
F. Biotechnology
F1 analyse a variety of social, ethical, and legal issues related to applications of biotechnology in the health, agricultural, or environmental sector;
F2 investigate various techniques used in biotechnology and how they are applied in the food industry and the health and agricultural sectors;
F3 demonstrate an understanding of biological processes related to biotechnology and of applications of biotechnology in the health, agricultural, and environmental sectors.
Special Accommodations
Only Some students are able, with accommodations, to be part of a regular course curriculum and to demonstrate independent learning. These accommodations allow access to the course without any dilution of the knowledge and skills the student is expected to demonstrate. These required accommodations to facilitate the student’s learning will be identified in his or her IEP (see IEP Standards, 2000, page 11*).
It is likely that IEP for many or all courses will reflect the same accommodations. The instructions and accommodations are geared to meet the diverse needs of learners. The three types of accommodations that are going to be used are:
i) Instructional accommodations - changes in teaching/learning strategies facilitated by different styles of presentation; methods of organization; the use of technology and multimedia.
ii) Environmental accommodations - Certain classroom settings and preferential seating may benefit these students.
iii) Assessment: assessment procedures that enable the student to demonstrate his or her learning, such as Multiple Intelligence Theory, giving more time to complete tasks (see page 29 of the IEP Resource Guide, 2004, for more examples).
For students who require accommodations for only the mathematics courses, the assessment and evaluation of their achievement will be based on the appropriate course curriculum expectations and the achievement levels outlined in this document. The IEP box on the students’ Provincial Report Cards will not be checked, and no information on the provision of accommodations will be included.
* Taken from: Ministry of Education, Ontario. Extracted from The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Science, 2008; (Pg:- 33-35) Date of extraction: Sunday, March 14, 2021
Program Considerations For English Language Learners
Students from a variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. For many of these students, English is not their spoken language. They may be coming from highly sophisticated educational systems, while others may have come from regions where access to formal schooling was limited. These students offer a rich addition to the classroom experience by way of their background knowledge and experience. All teachers will assist with their English- language development. In mathematics the teachers will include appropriate adaptations and strategies in their instructions and assessments to facilitate the success of the English language learners in their classrooms. Some of these strategies and adaptations are: modification of some or all of the course expectations so that they are challenging but attainable for the learner at his or her present level of English proficiency, given the necessary support from the teacher.
Teaching/Learning Strategy
The key learning strategy at My Learning Oasis Elite Private School is Constructivism. This format facilitates learning by many techniques, most or all of which will be adopted in the classroom. The most dominant of these is group learning. The facilitator places students of different backgrounds in the same group so that they can feed off each other. Each may bring to the table a different reasoning strategy to facilitate problem-solving. Now, each student becomes a learner and a teacher at the same time, as he/she has to communicate his/her solution. This builds the students' knowledge base and by default, increases their confidence to speak in a crowd, albeit a small group at the beginning. The famous educationalist, Vygotsky, proved that by placing students in a group they function at the upper level of their zone of proximal development, each one scaffolding the other.
This strategy is further enhanced by the teacher asking leading questions as opposed to giving the answer outright, then allowing for group discussion. The students are encouraged to make connections between what they have learnt and their life experiences, then share with the group. The effect of this strategy is intrinsic motivation and learning. Each student develops an expanded appreciation of the topic at hand by seeing how it applies in different settings around the world by way of listening to their group members.
This Constructivist approach will be further accentuated by implementing “fish-bowling”. There are many ways to implement this technique. The one that will mostly be used will be by dividing up the larger problem (technical, mathematics, science, or otherwise) into smaller bits and have each student thoughtfully master one part. That student then teaches the group and facilitates a discussion reflection about the strategy (computational or otherwise) used in the solution. Each student in turn does this.
The above techniques enable students to reflect on the material learnt, make real life connections, and develop problem solving skills. One important by-product of the technique of Constructivism is that each student develops an appreciation of each other’s culture. This cultivates healthy people’s skill, which is not only important for the professional world but for life itself.
Constructivism lends itself well to students whose first language is not the language of instruction and who is new to the class. While other strategies will be used for students having difficulty with the English Language, this technique will definitely be used to enhance their English skill.
Assessment And Evaluation
At My Learning Oasis, course facilitators do not wait for a quiz or exam to determine how well a student is doing. Here, evaluation is an on-going exercise. The pedagogical techniques (refer to Teaching and Learning Strategies) used at My learning Oasis are perhaps the best techniques suited for on-going assessment, hence, they being an integral part of our delivery methodologies.
Concrete assessments are made through projects and assignments. However, the evaluation is based on “our flavor” of the Mastery Teaching technique. This ensures that the emphasis is on the quality of learning and NOT grading. Students' projects and homework will continuously be evaluated and re-evaluated with appropriate guidance to meet the school’s and Ministry’s expectations. At My Learning Oasis, we will work with the students until the projects meet a minimum of a B-grade, unless in extreme circumstances where the willful negligence of the students force lower grades. While this is a lot more taxing on the facilitator, it does not matter because My Learning Oasis is a Learner-centered institution NOT a Grade-Centered nor a Teacher-Centered institution.
Four categories of knowledge and skills are outlined in the achievement chart - knowledge and understanding, thinking, communication, and application. Student’s work is assessed and evaluated with respect to these categories, and that achievement of particular expectations is considered within the appropriate categories. A final grade will then be recorded for this course and if that grade is 50% or higher, a credit is granted to the student and recorded for this course. The final grade for this course will be determined as follows:
● For material evaluated throughout the course, seventy percent of the grade will be assigned. This portion of the grade should reflect the student's consistency in his/her level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration should be given to more recent evidence of achievement.
● Thirty percent of the grade will be based on a final evaluation, which is administered towards the end of the course.
Final Exam: 30%
Grading for all course work, projects, presentation, participation, interim quizzes and exam: 70%
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