Alberta · Grade 9
Science 9
Alberta’s Grade 9 science course, from Biological Diversity to Space Exploration.
- Units
- 5
- Lessons
- 19
- Skills
- 42
- Provincial exam
- Yes
- Official curriculum
- Alberta Education
Unit by unit
Every skill in the course, numbered by unit.
Unit 1 · 10 skills
Biological Diversity
Diversity and Species Survival
Variation within and among species
I can describe variation among different species and within a single species, and explain how that variation helps a species survive when conditions change.
Skill 1.1
Niches and symbiotic relationships
I can describe an organism’s niche and classify a close relationship between two species as mutualism, commensalism, or parasitism.
Skill 1.2
Reproduction and Inheritance of Traits
Sexual vs. asexual reproduction
I can distinguish sexual from asexual reproduction and explain why each produces offspring that are either varied or identical.
Skill 1.3
Heritable traits and variation
I can tell inherited traits from acquired traits and describe the difference between discrete and continuous variation.
Skill 1.4
Dominant and recessive characteristics
I can identify dominant and recessive characteristics and explain why dominant does NOT mean "more common".
Skill 1.5
Genetic Material and Selection
Chromosomes, genes and DNA
I can describe how chromosomes, genes, and DNA relate to each other and where genetic information is stored.
Skill 1.6
Natural and artificial selection
I can distinguish natural selection from artificial selection and compare the advantages of sexual and asexual reproduction.
Skill 1.7
Genetic technologies and their issues
I can describe a technology that recombines genetic material and identify a societal or ethical question it raises.
Skill 1.8
Biodiversity and Human Impact
Extinction and changing diversity
I can describe how species abundance changes over time and identify environmental and human factors behind extinction and extirpation.
Skill 1.9
Conservation strategies and biotechnology
I can evaluate a strategy for reducing species loss and describe how biotechnology can help manage living resources.
Skill 1.10
The official wording · 10 outcomes
- 1.1
- Investigate and interpret diversity among species and within species, and describe how diversity contributes to species survival.
- 1.3
- Investigate the nature of reproductive processes and their role in transmitting species characteristics.
- 1.6
- Describe, in general terms, the role of genetic materials in the continuity and variation of species characteristics; and investigate and interpret related technologies.
- 1.9
- Identify impacts of human action on species survival and variation within species, and analyze related issues for personal and public decision making.
Key ideas
Diversity has two scales: variation AMONG species (how different a wolf and a trout are) and variation WITHIN a species (how two wolves differ). Both matter.
Asexual reproduction (binary fission, budding, runners, spores) needs one parent and makes offspring that are genetic copies — no new variation.
Nesting order: DNA is the molecule; a gene is a segment of DNA that codes for a trait; a chromosome is a long coiled package of DNA carrying many genes.
Extinction means a species is gone everywhere; extirpation means it is gone from a specific area but survives elsewhere.
Variation is a survival insurance policy: if the environment changes, individuals with a helpful trait are more likely to survive and reproduce, so the species persists.
Watch out for
- Thinking individuals change their own traits on purpose to survive (a giraffe "stretching" its neck), rather than survivors passing on traits they already had.
- Thinking asexual offspring are "children" that differ from the parent like siblings do — they are genetic copies.
- Thinking genes, DNA, and chromosomes are three separate unrelated things rather than nested levels.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 2 · 11 skills
Matter and Chemical Change
Properties and Classifying Matter
Physical and chemical properties
I can describe a material by its physical and chemical properties and decide when a change has produced a new substance.
Skill 2.1
Classifying materials
I can classify a material as a pure substance, a solution, or a mechanical mixture, and tell a metal from a nonmetal.
Skill 2.2
Patterns in Chemical Reactions
Evidence of chemical change
I can identify evidence that a chemical reaction has occurred and describe examples such as combustion and corrosion.
Skill 2.3
Reaction rates and energy
I can classify a reaction as exothermic or endothermic and describe conditions that change how fast a reaction goes.
Skill 2.4
Conservation of mass
I can explain the law of conservation of mass and describe how to gather evidence for it.
Skill 2.5
The Periodic Table and Atoms
Origins of the periodic table
I can describe how the periodic table was developed and relate an element’s properties to its position on the table.
Skill 2.6
Reading atomic structure from the table
I can use the periodic table to find an atom’s protons and electrons, and distinguish what we observe from the model we use to explain it.
Skill 2.7
Ionic vs. molecular compounds
I can distinguish ionic from molecular compounds and describe properties typical of each.
Skill 2.8
Naming Compounds and Reactions
Reading and naming chemical formulas
I can read a formula for a two-element compound and give its name using simplified rules.
Skill 2.9
Combining ratios and models
I can use ion charges to predict a simple combining ratio and build a model of a compound.
Skill 2.10
Word and formula equations
I can represent a familiar chemical reaction as a word equation and a formula equation.
Skill 2.11
The official wording · 11 outcomes
- 2.1
- Investigate materials, and describe them in terms of their physical and chemical properties.
- 2.3
- Describe and interpret patterns in chemical reactions.
- 2.6
- Describe ideas used in interpreting the chemical nature of matter, both in the past and present, and identify example evidence that has contributed to the development of these ideas.
- 2.9
- Apply simplified chemical nomenclature in describing elements, compounds and chemical reactions.
Key ideas
A physical property can be observed without changing what the substance is (colour, state, melting point, solubility, conductivity, density); a chemical property describes how it reacts to form new substances (flammability, reactivity with acid).
Evidence of a chemical change: a colour change, gas produced (bubbles/odour), light or heat released, a precipitate forms, and the change is usually hard to reverse.
The periodic table organizes elements by repeating ("periodic") patterns in their properties; elements in the same column (group) behave similarly.
A chemical formula lists the elements and how many of each atom (the subscript): CO₂ = one carbon, two oxygen.
A physical change (melting, dissolving, cutting) keeps the same substance; a chemical change makes a NEW substance with new properties.
Watch out for
- Thinking any change of state or shape (melting, crushing) creates a new substance.
- Treating every bubble as evidence of a chemical change (boiling produces bubbles but is physical).
- Thinking the table is ordered purely alphabetically or by discovery date rather than by atomic structure and property patterns.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 3 · 6 skills
Environmental Chemistry
Substances in the Environment
Helpful and harmful substances
I can describe, in general terms, how substances in the environment can support or harm living things.
Skill 3.1
Organisms and their chemical needs
I can relate the needs of organisms to the substances they take from and return to their environment.
Skill 3.2
Measuring and Monitoring
Measuring quantities of substances
I can describe how the quantity of a substance is measured, including concentration in parts per million.
Skill 3.3
Monitoring air and water quality
I can describe methods and indicators used to monitor air and water quality over time.
Skill 3.4
Distribution of Harmful Substances
Transport and bioaccumulation
I can analyze how a harmful substance moves through an environment, including bioaccumulation up a food chain.
Skill 3.5
Factors affecting distribution
I can evaluate how factors such as solubility, breakdown, and dilution change how a substance is distributed and its impact.
Skill 3.6
The official wording · 6 outcomes
- 3.1
- Investigate and describe, in general terms, the role of different substances in the environment in supporting or harming humans and other living things.
- 3.3
- Identify processes for measuring the quantity of different substances in the environment and for monitoring air and water quality.
- 3.5
- Analyze and evaluate mechanisms affecting the distribution of potentially harmful substances within an environment.
Key ideas
Living things need certain substances (oxygen, water, nutrients); other substances (toxins, excess nutrients, pollutants) can harm them.
Concentration is how much of a substance is present in a given amount of another (a solute in a solution); it can be very small yet important.
Substances travel through air, water, soil, and living things; they do not stay where they are released.
Whether a substance helps or harms often depends on its amount — even a needed substance can be harmful in excess ("the dose makes the poison").
Parts per million (ppm) means the number of units of a substance per one million units of the whole — a way to express tiny concentrations.
Watch out for
- Thinking substances are simply "good" or "bad" regardless of amount.
- Thinking a small ppm number always means a harmless amount.
- Thinking a substance stays at the same low concentration all the way up a food chain.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 4 · 8 skills
Electrical Principles and Technologies
Converting Energy to Electricity
Energy conversions
I can identify how a device converts other forms of energy into electrical energy and electrical energy into other forms.
Skill 4.1
Static and current electricity
I can distinguish static electricity from current electricity and describe how charge builds and flows.
Skill 4.2
Transferring and Controlling Electricity
Circuits and components
I can describe series and parallel circuits and the role of common circuit components.
Skill 4.3
Voltage, current and resistance
I can relate voltage, current, and resistance and use them to judge whether a device is dangerous.
Skill 4.4
Energy Inputs, Outputs and Efficiency
Energy inputs and outputs
I can identify and estimate the energy inputs and outputs of a device, including power in watts.
Skill 4.5
Calculating efficiency
I can evaluate the efficiency of an energy conversion as useful output over total input, expressed as a percent.
Skill 4.6
Electricity, Society and Environment
Generation and the environment
I can describe how electrical energy is generated and discuss the environmental implications of different sources.
Skill 4.7
Conservation and everyday choices
I can analyze personal and societal choices about using and conserving electricity.
Skill 4.8
The official wording · 8 outcomes
- 4.1
- Investigate and interpret the use of devices to convert various forms of energy to electrical energy and electrical energy to other forms of energy.
- 4.3
- Describe technologies for transfer and control of electrical energy.
- 4.5
- Identify and estimate energy inputs and outputs for example devices and systems, and evaluate the efficiency of energy conversions.
- 4.7
- Describe and discuss the societal and environmental implications of the use of electrical energy.
Key ideas
Energy is not created or used up — it is CONVERTED from one form to another (chemical, mechanical, electrical, light, heat, sound).
A circuit needs a source, a conducting path, and a load; a switch opens or closes the path.
Every device has an energy input and one or more outputs; usually some output is the useful form and some is "wasted" (often heat).
Electricity is generated from non-renewable sources (coal, natural gas) and renewable sources (hydro, wind, solar), each converting some energy form into electrical energy.
Devices are energy converters: a battery turns chemical → electrical; a motor turns electrical → mechanical; a bulb turns electrical → light (and heat).
Watch out for
- Thinking a device "uses up" energy rather than converting it to another form (often heat).
- Thinking current is "used up" by the first component so later ones get less.
- Thinking "waste" heat means the energy disappeared, rather than being converted to a less useful form.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 5 · 7 skills
Space Exploration
Understanding Earth and Space
Changing ideas about Earth and space
I can describe how human understanding of Earth and space has depended on technology and changed over time.
Skill 5.1
Reference frames and celestial motion
I can use a frame of reference to explain observed motions such as day/night, seasons, and moon phases.
Skill 5.2
Technologies for Space Exploration
Challenges of space travel
I can identify problems in developing space technology and describe technologies developed to support life in space.
Skill 5.3
Spin-off technologies
I can describe everyday technologies that originated from or were advanced by space research.
Skill 5.4
Telescopes and Probes
Optical and radio telescopes
I can describe how optical and radio telescopes gather information across the electromagnetic spectrum.
Skill 5.5
Space probes and remote sensing
I can interpret how space probes and remote-sensing technologies collect and transmit data.
Skill 5.6
Issues in Space Technology
Opportunities and alternatives
I can identify opportunities and issues arising from space technology, name the alternatives involved, and analyze the implications.
Skill 5.7
The official wording · 7 outcomes
- 5.1
- Investigate and describe ways that human understanding of Earth and space has depended on technological development.
- 5.3
- Identify problems in developing technologies for space exploration, describe technologies developed for life in space, and explain the scientific principles involved.
- 5.5
- Describe and interpret the science of optical and radio telescopes, space probes and remote sensing technologies.
- 5.7
- Identify issues and opportunities arising from the application of space technology, identify alternatives involved, and analyze implications.
Key ideas
Our knowledge of space is limited by our tools — new instruments (the telescope, spacecraft) repeatedly overturned old ideas.
Space poses extreme problems: no breathable air, no gravity, radiation, extreme temperatures, and long distances.
Optical telescopes collect visible light with lenses or mirrors; radio telescopes collect radio waves with large dishes — both are parts of the same electromagnetic spectrum.
Space technology creates opportunities (communication, navigation, monitoring Earth, scientific discovery) AND issues (high cost, space debris, competing priorities).
Scientific understanding is provisional: better evidence changes the accepted model (geocentric → heliocentric).
Watch out for
- Thinking earlier people were simply "wrong" rather than reasoning correctly from limited tools.
- Thinking there is no gravity in space "because there is no air".
- Thinking radio telescopes "hear sound" from space rather than detecting radio-wave light.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Plan the term
Pick your term and the days you study. Each unit gets its share of the weeks and comes back a week later for a review. The last two weeks go over the whole course.
The official curriculum
This page follows Alberta’s own curriculum for Science 9.
Strands
| Strand | Outcomes | Taught in |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Diversity | Outcomes 4 | Taught in Unit 1 |
| Matter and Chemical Change | Outcomes 4 | Taught in Unit 2 |
| Environmental Chemistry | Outcomes 3 | Taught in Unit 3 |
| Electrical Principles and Technologies | Outcomes 4 | Taught in Unit 4 |
| Space Exploration | Outcomes 4 | Taught in Unit 5 |
Study it in MapleMind
MapleMind teaches Science 9 one skill at a time. Each skill gets a short lesson, practice as you go and a check worth up to three stars. It remembers where you stopped.
Course Companion
Your year in one workbook
A fun way to keep Science 9 organized, get to know your child better and see early when they need a hand. Fill it in on a screen, or print it.
- Pages
- 36
- Fillable fields
- 1,658
- Price
- $4.99
Questions about Science 9
What is Science 9?
Alberta’s Grade 9 science course: 5 units and 42 skills, from Biological Diversity to Space Exploration.
What units are in Science 9?
1. Biological Diversity, 2. Matter and Chemical Change, 3. Environmental Chemistry, 4. Electrical Principles and Technologies and 5. Space Exploration.
Is there a provincial exam for Science 9?
Yes. The Grade 9 Science Provincial Achievement Test is written in Alberta. Next sitting: January 26, 2027.
What comes after Science 9?
Science 10 and Science 14.
Can MapleMind help with Science 9?
Yes. MapleMind teaches every skill of Science 9, step by step, with practice and checks, and its tutor answers questions about any of them. It’s free with daily limits, on iPhone, Android and the web.
Get ready for Science 9
Practise every skill of Science 9 in MapleMind, free with daily limits.
