Earth and Space Science, Grade 12, University Preparation
Ontario · Grade 12 · Science — the complete curriculum-aligned outline, taught skill by skill by MapleMind's AI tutor.
Unit 1: Investigation Skills and Careers
Careers related to the Earth and space science fields under study and the education and training they require, and scientists — including Canadians — who have contributed to those fields. The scientific investigation skills of strand A1 are woven through every lab, field study, and inquiry in the content strands rather than taught here on their own.
- Careers in Earth and space science
- Scientists who contributed to Earth and space science
Unit 2: Astronomy (Science of the Universe)
The origin, evolution, and components of the universe — stars, galaxies, and the big bang — studied with spectroscopy, the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, and parallax, plus analysing astronomical milestones and the development of astronomical technologies.
- Analysing an astronomical milestone
- Development of an astronomy technology
- Astronomy terminology
- Locating features of the night sky
- Analysing spectroscopic data
- Using the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram
- Investigating properties of stars
- Investigating galaxies
- The big bang theory
- The scale of cosmic distances
- Electromagnetic radiation in astronomy
- Classifying stars
- Determining stellar properties
- The life cycle of a star
- How stars die
Unit 3: Planetary Science (Science of the Solar System)
The features of and interactions between bodies in the solar system, their formation, and the conditions for life — including Kepler's and Newton's laws, geological features shared across bodies, and Earth's protective properties — plus analysing the issues and spin-off technologies of space exploration.
- Issues of space exploration
- Space technology with other applications
- Planetary science terminology
- Shared geological features
- Effects of radiation in the solar system
- Interactions shaping the solar system
- Earth's protective properties
- Techniques for studying solar-system objects
- Composition of the solar system
- Classes of objects orbiting the sun
- Formation of the solar system
- Factors determining planetary properties
- Conditions for life beyond Earth
- Comparing Earth with other bodies
- Kepler's laws
- Newton's laws and planetary motion
- External processes affecting Earth
Unit 4: Recording Earth's Geological History
How changes to Earth's surface are recorded and preserved over geological time — fossils, unconformities, radioactive dating, and the geological time scale — investigated with geological records and models, plus analysing the climate-geology-life relationship and evaluating contributions to our understanding of geological time.
- The climate-geology relationship
- Climate change and life over geological time
- Contributions to understanding geological time
- Geological history terminology
- Geological history of an Ontario area
- Evidence of major changes in Earth history
- Geological versus human time scales
- Unconformities
- Modelling radioactive decay
- Interacting processes over Earth history
- Evolution of life through the eras
- Evidence of a changing Earth
- How fossils form
- Relative and absolute dating
- Isotopic age determination
- Paradigm shifts in geology
- Determining the age of Earth
Unit 5: Earth Materials
The properties of minerals and the formation and characteristics of rocks — the three rock classes, mineral identification tests, and crystal growth — investigated with the hand lens and streak plate, plus assessing the economic impact of Earth-material extraction and analysing exploration and extraction technologies.
- Economic impact of Earth materials
- Analysing exploration and extraction technologies
- Environmental repercussions of extraction
- Earth materials terminology
- Properties and uses of Earth materials
- Identifying minerals
- Investigating igneous rocks
- Investigating sedimentary rocks
- Investigating metamorphic rocks
- Investigating a local geological setting
- Investigating crystal growth
- Physical and chemical properties of minerals
- Formation of igneous rocks
- Formation of sedimentary rocks
- Formation of metamorphic rocks
- Earth materials and waste disposal
Unit 6: Geological Processes
The processes at work within Earth and on its surface — plate tectonics, seismic waves, weathering, erosion, and the rock cycle — investigated with models and seismographic data, plus analysing technologies that reveal geological processes and the relationship between human activity and geological structures.
- Monitoring geological hazards
- Technologies revealing Earth's interior
- The human-geology relationship
- Managing the human-geology relationship
- Geological processes terminology
- Weathering and erosion
- Modelling sedimentary sequences
- Modelling seismic waves
- Locating an earthquake epicentre
- Modelling Earth's interior
- Modelling mass wasting
- Deducing geologic history from maps
- Plate boundaries and internal processes
- Types of seismic waves
- Measuring earthquakes
- Erosional processes and landscapes
- Sediment transport
- Erosional landforms
- Depositional structures
- Mapping tectonic activity
- The rock cycle
Every skill above, taught one-on-one — free to try, no credit card.
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