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The official Newfoundland and Labrador Earth Systems 3209 curriculum
Newfoundland and Labrador defines Earth Systems 3209 by strands and outcomes. MapleMind teaches the same curriculum reorganized for one-skill-at-a-time tutoring — the table shows exactly where every official strand lands, and the ministry's own wording is quoted under each unit below.
Official source Newfoundland and Labrador's official curriculumRead it on the government site — gov.nl.ca ↗| Official strand | Outcomes | Where MapleMind teaches it |
|---|---|---|
| Strand 1 | 3 | Introduction to Earth Science |
| Strand 2 | 10 | Historical Geology |
| Strand 3 | 14 | Earth Materials |
| Strand 4 | 9 | The Forces within Earth |
| Strand 5 | 5 | Earth Resources: Real-Life Applications |
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How MapleMind teaches Earth Systems 3209 — every unit, lesson, and skill
Every skill below runs as a short session: a plain-words lesson, a worked example, solving it together, then a five-question skill check that earns up to three stars. Guided Mode keeps it teaching instead of answer-handing — turning it off needs a parent's password.
Unit 1Introduction to Earth ScienceOfficial strand · Strand 1
How the solar system and Earth formed, how Earth separated into layers, and the idea that runs through the whole course — Earth as a dynamic planet whose processes operate across interacting spheres. STSE nature-of-science and inquiry skills are woven throughout.
The formation of the solar system and Earth
- The nebular hypothesissci-eart-3209.1.1.1 — Describe the four stages of the nebular hypothesis that led to the formation of our solar system.
- Formation of Earth's layerssci-eart-3209.1.1.2 — Describe the formation and segregation of Earth's layers and identify the various layers of the Earth.
Earth as a dynamic, sphere-organized planet
- A dynamic Earth and its spheressci-eart-3209.1.1.4 — Identify that Earth is a dynamic planet and recognize that Earth processes operate within interacting spheres.
The official wording — 3 outcomes in this unit
- sci-eart-3209.1.1.1
Describe the four stages of the nebular hypothesis that led to the formation our solar system
- sci-eart-3209.1.1.2
Describe the formation and segregation of Earth layers
- sci-eart-3209.1.1.4
Identify that Earth is a dynamic planet
Unit 2Historical GeologyOfficial strand · Strand 2
How geologists read time from rock — the principle of uniformitarianism, relative and absolute (radiometric) dating, fossils and fossilization, and the geologic time scale from Precambrian through the Phanerozoic. Nature-of-science framing and inquiry skills are woven throughout.
Uniformitarianism and relative time
- Uniformitarianismsci-eart-3209.1.2.1 — Define uniformitarianism and distinguish between absolute and relative time.
- Principles of relative datingsci-eart-3209.1.2.3 — Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and laws used to establish relative time, and construct and interpret geological cross-sections.
- Interpreting geological cross-sectionssci-eart-3209.1.2.4 — Construct and interpret cross-sectional diagrams of Earth using geological concepts to reconstruct a sequence of events.
Absolute time, dating, and fossils
- Theories of Earth's internal structuresci-eart-3209.1.2.5 — Describe theories and evaluate the limits of our understanding of Earth's internal structure.
- Radiometric dating and absolute timesci-eart-3209.1.2.7 — Demonstrate an understanding of the processes and features used to establish absolute time, and explain how half-lives of radioactive elements estimate ages.
- Fossils and fossilizationsci-eart-3209.1.2.9 — Define fossil, describe the conditions necessary for fossilization, and describe the formation of various types of fossils.
- Using fossils and evidence of changesci-eart-3209.1.2.8 — Describe how fossils are used to distinguish geologic time and the geological evidence that life, climate, continents, and crust have changed over time.
The geologic time scale
- Divisions of the geologic time scalesci-eart-3209.1.2.13 — Identify that the geologic time scale is divided into eons, eras, periods, and epochs, and that Precambrian time represents the greatest part of Earth history.
- Eras and their dominant life formssci-eart-3209.1.2.16 — Distinguish between Precambrian time and the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras, and list the dominant life forms and time frames of each.
- Evidence that Earth has changed over timesci-eart-3209.1.2.12 — Describe the geological evidence that life forms, climate, continental positions, and Earth's crust have changed over geologic time.
The official wording — 10 outcomes in this unit
- sci-eart-3209.1.2.1
Define uniformitarianism
- sci-eart-3209.1.2.3
Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and laws used to establish relative time
- sci-eart-3209.1.2.4
Construct and interpret cross-sectional diagrams of Earth using geological concepts
- sci-eart-3209.1.2.5
Describe theories and evaluate the limits of our understanding of Earth’s internal structure
- sci-eart-3209.1.2.7
Explain how the half-lives of radioactive elements are used in estimating ages of materials
- sci-eart-3209.1.2.9
Define fossil
- sci-eart-3209.1.2.8
Describe how fossils are used to distinguish geologic time
- sci-eart-3209.1.2.13
Identify that the geologic time scale is divided into eons, eras, periods, and epochs
- sci-eart-3209.1.2.16
Distinguish between Precambrian time and the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras
- sci-eart-3209.1.2.12
Describe geological evidence that suggests life forms, climate, continental positions, and Earth’s crust have changed over time
Unit 3Earth MaterialsOfficial strand · Strand 3
The matter Earth is built from — mineral chemistry and the silicate tetrahedron, how minerals are identified, and the full rock story: igneous rocks (composition, texture, Bowen's series), sedimentary rocks (clastic, chemical, biochemical), and metamorphic rocks. The rock cycle ties them together. Inquiry skills and careers are woven throughout.
Mineral chemistry
- Atoms, compounds, and mineral chemistrysci-eart-3209.1.3.1 — Define mineral chemistry terms and describe how atoms combine to form compounds.
- Abundance of crustal elementssci-eart-3209.1.3.3 — Outline the abundance of the elements that comprise Earth's crust and relate this to the mineral groups.
Minerals and their identification
- Defining minerals and mineral groupssci-eart-3209.1.3.4 — Define a mineral, name and differentiate the major mineral groups, and identify mineral groups based on formulas.
- The silicate tetrahedronsci-eart-3209.1.3.8 — Describe the arrangement of silicon and oxygen within a tetrahedron, the building block of the silicate minerals.
- Identifying minerals by propertiessci-eart-3209.1.3.9 — Describe the properties used to identify minerals, identify minerals from those properties, explain why minerals differ, and differentiate rocks from minerals.
- Rocks versus mineralssci-eart-3209.1.3.11 — Differentiate between rocks and minerals as a foundation for classifying the three rock families.
Igneous rocks
- Igneous rocks: compositionsci-eart-3209.1.3.12 — Recognize that igneous rocks are classified by mineral composition and texture, and describe how mafic and felsic igneous rocks differ chemically.
- Igneous texture and Bowen's seriessci-eart-3209.1.3.17 — Describe igneous rock textures, identify igneous rocks by texture, and explain how cooling rate and mineral composition determine rock types via Bowen's reaction series.
- Identifying igneous rocks and kimberlitesci-eart-3209.1.3.18 — Identify igneous rocks based on mineral composition and texture, and describe the formation of kimberlite and its relationship with diamond deposits.
Sedimentary rocks
- Formation and classes of sedimentary rockssci-eart-3209.1.3.20 — Describe the origin and formation of sedimentary rocks, the classes of sedimentary rocks, and how to identify them.
- Clastic sedimentary rockssci-eart-3209.1.3.22 — Identify clastic sedimentary rocks, relate sediment sorting and particle size to current velocity, and describe their environments.
- Chemical and biochemical sedimentary rockssci-eart-3209.1.3.26 — Identify chemical and biochemical sedimentary rocks, describe their environments, and describe the sequence of coal formation.
Metamorphic rocks and the rock cycle
- The process of metamorphismsci-eart-3209.1.3.32 — Describe the process of metamorphism, the changes that result, the outcomes for selected rocks, and identify metamorphic rocks.
- Types and locations of metamorphismsci-eart-3209.1.3.35 — Contrast the two types of metamorphism, describe where contact and regional metamorphism occur, and how contact metamorphism distinguishes a buried lava flow from a magma intrusion.
The official wording — 14 outcomes in this unit
- sci-eart-3209.1.3.1
Define mineral chemistry terms
- sci-eart-3209.1.3.3
Outline the abundance of the elements that comprise Earth’s crust
- sci-eart-3209.1.3.4
Define a mineral
- sci-eart-3209.1.3.8
Describe the arrangement of silicon and oxygen within a tetrahedron
- sci-eart-3209.1.3.9
Describe the mineral properties that are used for identifying minerals
- sci-eart-3209.1.3.11
Differentiate between rocks and minerals
- sci-eart-3209.1.3.12
Recognize that igneous rocks are classified according to their mineral composition and texture
- sci-eart-3209.1.3.17
Describe how cooling rate and mineral composition determine rock types based on Bowen’s reaction series
- sci-eart-3209.1.3.18
Identify igneous rocks based on mineral composition and texture
- sci-eart-3209.1.3.20
Describe the origin and process of formation of sedimentary rocks
- sci-eart-3209.1.3.22
Identify clastic sedimentary rocks
- sci-eart-3209.1.3.26
Identify chemical sedimentary rocks
- sci-eart-3209.1.3.32
Describe the process of metamorphism
- sci-eart-3209.1.3.35
Contrast the two types of metamorphism
Unit 4The Forces within EarthOfficial strand · Strand 4
The engine of the dynamic Earth — plate tectonics and its boundaries, the evidence for it, crustal deformation (folds and faults), earthquakes and seismic waves, and volcanism — and how the hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere interact. Inquiry skills and risk framing are woven throughout.
Plate tectonics and its evidence
- Plate boundaries and rift valleyssci-eart-3209.1.4.1 — Describe and give examples of convergent, divergent, and transform plate boundaries, the types of convergent boundaries, and how a rift valley evolves into a divergent boundary.
- Evidence for plate tectonicssci-eart-3209.1.4.4 — Analyse the evidence for plate tectonics theory and use evidence to describe the geologic history of an area.
Crustal deformation: folds and faults
- Crustal deformation and stresssci-eart-3209.1.4.6 — Define crustal-deformation terminology and describe the types of forces, stresses, deformation, and the factors that affect deformation.
- Faults and foldssci-eart-3209.1.4.10 — Define and relate faulting and folding to the factors that affect deformation, and describe the two major types of faults and their associated forces.
Earthquakes and seismic waves
- Earthquakes and plate boundariessci-eart-3209.1.4.13 — Define earthquake terminology and identify the locations of earthquakes in relation to their plate boundaries.
- Seismic waves and measuring earthquakessci-eart-3209.1.4.15 — Describe the properties of the different seismic waves, distinguish between earthquake scales, and how seismographs and seismograms measure seismic waves.
- Earthquake scalessci-eart-3209.1.4.16 — Distinguish between earthquake scales and identify how, on the Richter scale, amplitude and energy released increase for each increment of one.
Volcanism and sphere interactions
- Volcanoes and eruptionssci-eart-3209.1.4.19 — Distinguish between volcano types and their eruption styles, the factors affecting eruptions, the rocks and lava each produces, and their link to plate boundaries.
- Hotspots and sphere interactionssci-eart-3209.1.4.23 — Describe intraplate volcanism related to hotspots, the formation of a lava plateau, and the major interactions among the hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere.
The official wording — 9 outcomes in this unit
- sci-eart-3209.1.4.1
Describe and give examples of convergent, divergent and transform plate boundaries
- sci-eart-3209.1.4.4
Analyse evidence for plate tectonics theory
- sci-eart-3209.1.4.6
Define terminology related to crustal deformation
- sci-eart-3209.1.4.10
Define and relate faulting to the factors that affect deformation
- sci-eart-3209.1.4.13
Define earthquake and related terminology
- sci-eart-3209.1.4.15
Describe properties of the different seismic waves
- sci-eart-3209.1.4.16
Distinguish between earthquake scales
- sci-eart-3209.1.4.19
Distinguish between the types of volcanoes and describe factors affecting the nature of volcanic eruptions
- sci-eart-3209.1.4.23
Describe intraplate volcanism as it relates to hotspots
Unit 5Earth Resources: Real-Life ApplicationsOfficial strand · Strand 5
Putting earth science to work — the importance and extraction of mineral resources and ore processing, and the geology of petroleum: how hydrocarbons form from kerogen, the traps and reservoirs that hold them, and how they are extracted and refined — closing with sustainable resource development. STSE decision-framing and careers are woven throughout.
Mineral resources and ore
- Minerals, exploration, and ore processingsci-eart-3209.1.5.1 — Describe the importance of minerals and mineral exploration at local to global levels, the evolution of resource extraction, ore processing, and interactions among Earth's spheres.
- Processing ore materialssci-eart-3209.1.5.3 — Describe the processes and techniques involved in processing ore materials, and the evolution of extraction and use of lithospheric resources.
Petroleum geology
- Petroleum formation and kerogensci-eart-3209.1.5.5 — Define hydrocarbon and kerogen terminology, describe the origin and formation of petroleum, and the three phases in the evolution of organic matter to petroleum.
- Petroleum traps and reservoirssci-eart-3209.1.5.9 — Describe the components of petroleum traps, the types of traps, and the distribution of petroleum in a reservoir.
- Extracting and refining petroleumsci-eart-3209.1.5.12 — Describe the two main means of extracting petroleum, the methods of refining it, and factors involved in developing Earth's resources sustainably.
The official wording — 5 outcomes in this unit
- sci-eart-3209.1.5.1
Describe the importance of minerals and mineral exploration at the local, provincial, national and global levels
- sci-eart-3209.1.5.3
Describe the processes and techniques involved in processing ore materials
- sci-eart-3209.1.5.5
Describe the origin and the process of formation of petroleum
- sci-eart-3209.1.5.9
Describe the components involved in the formation of petroleum traps
- sci-eart-3209.1.5.12
Describe the two main means of extracting petroleum from Earth
Printable workbook · A keepsake of the year
A Earth Systems 3209 workbook worth keeping
Built from the same official curriculum as this page. Before and after each skill above, your student colours in how sure they feel — so the two of you can see, on one page, what's clicking and what needs another look. It's a quiet way to follow how the year is really going.
By June it's full of their own handwriting: units worked through, confidence grown, a mid-year check-in, notes from parent-teacher night, and a certificate at the end. Less a worksheet, more a record of the year worth keeping on the shelf.
Instant download · see every page, reviews and the full description · five or more workbooks are $2.99 each
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Is MapleMind aligned to Newfoundland and Labrador's official curriculum?
Yes. Every skill in this course maps to an official outcome code from Newfoundland and Labrador's Grade 12 Science curriculum, and the ministry's own wording is quoted under each unit on this page — with the official government source linked so you can check it yourself.
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Where can I see the official Newfoundland and Labrador curriculum for Earth Systems 3209?
The official source is linked on this page — Newfoundland and Labrador's official curriculum. The outline here follows it: every MapleMind skill carries its official outcome code, and the ministry's own wording is quoted under each unit.
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