Courses

Ontario · Grade 10

Science, Grade 10, Academic

  • SNC2D

Ontario’s Grade 10 science course, from Investigation Skills and Careers to Physics: Light and Geometric Optics.

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Units
5
Lessons
10
Skills
70
Provincial exam
None
Official curriculum
Ontario Ministry of Education

Unit by unit

Every skill in the course, with its official code.

Unit 1 · 2 skills

Investigation Skills and Careers

Careers in Science

  • Careers in the sciences

    I can describe careers in the fields of science I am studying and the training they require.

    A2.1

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Scientists and Their Contributions

  • Scientists who contributed to these fields

    I can identify scientists, including Canadians, who contributed to these fields of science.

    A2.2

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The official wording · 2 outcomes
A2.1
identify and describe a variety of careers re- lated to the fields of science under study (e.g., meteorologist, medical illustrator, geochemist, optical physicist) and the education and train- ing necessary for these careers
A2.2
identify scientists, including Canadians (e.g., Sheela Basrur, William Richard Peltier, Alice Wilson, Willard Doyle), who have made a contribution to the fields of science under study

Key ideas

  1. The biology, chemistry, earth-science, and physics in this course connect to real careers.

  2. Scientists from many places, including Canadians such as Sheela Basrur and William Richard Peltier, advanced these fields.

  3. Each career needs particular education and training — a college program, a university degree, an apprenticeship.

  4. A contribution can be a discovery, an invention, or a public-health advance.

Watch out for

  • Thinking science careers are only 'scientist in a lab'.
  • Thinking all major scientists are from long ago or far away.
  • Not knowing a career needs specific education and training.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

Unit 2 · 16 skills

Biology: Tissues, Organs, and Systems of Living Things

Systems Biology, Technology, and Society

  • Ethical issues in systems-biology technology

    I can analyse an ethical issue raised by a technological development in systems biology.

    B1.1

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  • Medical imaging technologies

    I can assess the importance of medical imaging technologies to human health.

    B1.2

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  • Public-health strategies in systems biology

    I can describe public-health strategies related to systems biology.

    B1.3

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  • Impact of public-health strategies on society

    I can assess how public-health strategies affect society.

    B1.3

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Investigating Cells and Systems

  • Cell and system terminology

    I can use the correct terminology for cells, tissues, organs, and systems.

    B2.1

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  • Stages of mitosis under the microscope

    I can identify the stages of mitosis in cells under a microscope.

    B2.2

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  • Comparing plant and animal cells

    I can compare plant and animal cells by drawing and labelling what I see.

    B2.3

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  • Investigating specialized cells

    I can investigate specialized cells and record how their structures differ.

    B2.4

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  • Rate of cell division in cancerous cells

    I can compare cell-division rates in cancerous and non-cancerous cells and predict the impact.

    B2.5

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  • Dissecting organ systems

    I can investigate how organ systems work together through a dissection.

    B2.6

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  • Researching a disease of tissues or systems

    I can research a disease or abnormality of tissues, organs, or systems.

    B2.7

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  • The cell cycle and mitosis

    I can describe the cell cycle and explain why mitosis matters for growth and repair.

    B3.1

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  • Cell division and specialization

    I can explain how cell division and specialization generate tissues and organs.

    B3.2

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  • From cells to systems

    I can explain how specialized cells link into tissues, organs, and systems.

    B3.3

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  • Functions of animal systems

    I can explain the primary function of several animal body systems.

    B3.4

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  • Interaction of systems in an organism

    I can explain how body systems interact and why that keeps an organism alive.

    B3.5

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The official wording · 16 outcomes
B1.1
analyse, on the basis of research, ethical issues related to a technological development in the field of systems biology (e.g., cloning, stem- cell research, live organ transplants, transgenic transplants), and communicate their findings [IP, PR, AI, C]
B1.2
assess the importance to human health and/ or society of medical imaging technologies (e.g., ultrasound, X‑rays, computerized axial tomog- raphy [CT or CAT] scan, magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], microscopy, biophotonics) used in Canada in diagnosing or treating abnormal- ities in tissues, organs, and/ or systems [AI, C]
B1.3
describe public health strategies related to systems biology (e.g., cancer screening and pre- vention programs; vaccines against the human papillomavirus [HPV] and measles, mumps, and rubella [MMR]; AIDS education), and as- sess their impact on society [AI, C]
B1.3
describe public health strategies related to systems biology (e.g., cancer screening and pre- vention programs; vaccines against the human papillomavirus [HPV] and measles, mumps, and rubella [MMR]; AIDS education), and as- sess their impact on society [AI, C]
B2.1
use appropriate terminology related to cells, tissues, organs, and systems of living things, in- cluding, but not limited to: absorption, anaphase, capillaries, concentration, differentiation, diffusion, meristematic, mesophyll, phloem, prophase, red blood cells, regeneration, stomate, and xylem [C]
B2.2
examine cells under a microscope or similar instrument to identify the various stages of mi- tosis in plants and animals [PR, AI]
B2.3
examine different plant and animal cells (e.g., cheek cells, onion cells) under a microscope or similar instrument, and draw labelled biologic- al diagrams to show how the cells’ organelles differ [PR, C]
B2.4
investigate, using a microscope or similar in- strument, specialized cells in the human body or in plants, focusing on different types of cells (e.g., bone, muscle, leaf, root cells), and draw labelled biological diagrams to show the cells’ structural differences [PR, C]
B2.5
investigate the rate of cell division in cancer- ous and non‑cancerous cells, using pictures, videos, or images, and predict the impact of this rate of cell division on an organism [PR, AI]
B2.6
investigate, through a laboratory or computer‑ simulated dissection of a plant, worm, fish, or frog, the interrelationships between organ systems of a plant or an animal (e.g., between the root system and leaf system in a plant; between the digestive system and circulatory system in an animal) [PR, AI]
B2.7
use a research process to investigate a disease or abnormality related to tissues, organs, or sys- tems of humans or plants (e.g., heart disease, tobacco mosaic virus, wheat rust) [IP, PR, C]
B3.1
describe the cell cycle in plants and animals, and explain the importance of mitosis for the growth of cells and repair of tissues
B3.2
explain the importance of cell division and cell specialization in generating new tissues and organs (e.g., the division of stem cells into specialized cells such as muscle cells or nerve cells in humans; the division of meristematic cells to expand and differentiate plant tissue)
B3.3
explain the links between specialized cells, tis- sues, organs, and systems in plants and animals (e.g., muscle cells and nerve cells form the tissue found in the heart, which is a component of the circulatory system; granum and thylakoid struc- tures act as solar collectors in the chloroplast to produce carbohydrates for plant growth)
B3.4
explain the primary functions of a variety of systems in animals (e.g., the circulatory system transports materials through the organism; the respiratory system supplies oxygen to and re- moves carbon dioxide from the body)
B3.5
explain the interaction of different systems within an organism (e.g., the respiratory system brings oxygen into the body, and the circulatory system transports the oxygen to cells) and why such interactions are necessary for the organ- ism’s survival

Key ideas

  1. Technologies such as cloning, stem-cell research, and transgenic transplants raise ethical issues.

  2. Key terms include diffusion, differentiation, mitosis (prophase, anaphase), and tissue types (xylem, phloem, capillaries, red blood cells).

  3. An analysis weighs different viewpoints on the benefits and concerns.

  4. Using the right term precisely lets you describe how living things are built and work.

  5. Imaging technologies (ultrasound, X-rays, CT/CAT scan, MRI) let doctors see inside tissues, organs, and systems.

Watch out for

  • Thinking a biology technology is purely good or purely bad.
  • Mixing up terms like diffusion and differentiation.
  • Confusing a personal opinion with an analysis of the issues.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

Unit 3 · 16 skills

Chemistry: Chemical Reactions

Reactions, Safety, and the Environment

  • Safety and environmental issues of reactions

    I can analyse a safety or environmental issue of a chemical reaction.

    C1.1

    Learn itPractice testActivities

  • Chemistry solving environmental challenges

    I can analyse how chemistry is used to solve an environmental challenge.

    C1.2

    Learn itPractice testActivities

Investigating Chemical Reactions

The official wording · 16 outcomes
C1.1
analyse, on the basis of research, various safety and environmental issues associated with chemical reactions and their reactants and/ or product(s) (e.g., chemical reactions related to the use of cyanide in gold mining, the corrosion of metal supports on bridges, the use of differ- ent antibacterial agents such as chlorine and bromine in recreational pools) [IP, PR, AI, C]
C1.2
analyse how an understanding of the proper- ties of chemical substances and their reactions can be applied to solve environmental challenges (e.g., renewing the Great Lakes, neutralizing acid spills, scrubbing smokestack emissions) [AI, C]
C2.1
use appropriate terminology related to chemical reactions, including, but not limited to: compounds, product, and reactant [C]
C2.2
construct molecular models to illustrate the structure of molecules in simple chemical reac- tions (e.g., C + O 2 ➞ CO 2 ; 2H 2 + O 2 ➞ 2H 2 O), and produce diagrams of these models [PR, C]
C2.3
investigate simple chemical reactions, including synthesis, decomposition, and dis- placement reactions, and represent them using a variety of formats (e.g., molecular models, word equations, balanced chemical equations) [PR, AI, C]
C2.4
use an inquiry process to investigate the law of conservation of mass in a chemical reaction (e.g., compare the values before and after the reaction), and account for any discrepancies [PR, AI]
C2.5
plan and conduct an inquiry to identify the evidence of chemical change (e.g., the forma- tion of a gas or precipitate, a change in colour or odour, a change in temperature) [IP, PR, AI]
C2.6
plan and conduct an inquiry to classify some common substances as acidic, basic, or neutral (e.g., use acid–base indicators or pH test strips to classify common household substances) [IP, PR, AI]
C3.1
describe the relationships between chemical formulae, composition, and names of binary compounds (e.g., carbon dioxide, CO 2 , has two oxygen atoms and one carbon atom)
C3.2
explain, using the law of conservation of mass and atomic theory, the rationale for bal- ancing chemical equations
C3.3
describe the types of evidence that indicate chemical change (e.g., changes in colour, the production of a gas, the formation of a precipi- tate, the production or absorption of heat, the production of light)
C3.4
write word equations and balanced chemical equations for simple chemical reactions (e.g., 2H 2 + O 2 ➞ 2H 2 O)
C3.5
describe, on the basis of observation, the react- ants in and products of a variety of chemical reactions, including synthesis, decomposition, and displacement reactions (e.g., reactions occur- ring when magnesium burns or in the production of oxygen from hydrogen peroxide; the reaction of iron and copper sulphate; reactions occurring when fossil fuels burn)
C3.6
describe the process of acid–base neutraliza- tion (i.e., an acid reacts with a base to form a salt and often water)
C3.7
describe how the pH scale is used to classify solutions as acidic, basic, or neutral (e.g., a solu- tion with a pH of 1 is highly acidic; a solution with a pH of 7 is neutral)
C3.8
identify simple ionic compounds (e.g., NaCl), simple compounds involving polyatomic ions (e.g., KNO 3 , NaOH), molecular compounds (e.g., CO 2 , H 2 O, NH 3 ), and acids (e.g., HCl(aq), H 2 SO 4 (aq)), using the periodic table and a list of the most com- mon polyatomic ions (e.g., OH–, SO 4 -2), and write the formulae

Key ideas

  1. Reactions and their reactants/products raise safety and environmental issues — cyanide in gold mining, metal corrosion, pool disinfectants.

  2. Reactants are the substances you start with; products are what forms; compounds are substances of combined elements.

  3. An analysis identifies the hazard and who or what it affects.

  4. Using these terms precisely lets you describe any reaction.

  5. Knowing how substances react lets chemists neutralize acid spills, scrub smokestack emissions, and renew waterways.

Watch out for

  • Thinking a reaction's only effect is the intended product.
  • Mixing up reactants and products.
  • Not identifying who or what a hazard affects.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

Unit 4 · 20 skills

Earth and Space Science: Climate Change

Climate Change and Society

Investigating Earth's Climate System

The official wording · 20 outcomes
D1.1
analyse current and/ or potential effects, both positive and negative, of climate change on hu- man activity and natural systems (e.g., loss of habitat for Arctic mammals such as polar bears and loss of traditional lifestyles for Inuit as Arctic ice shrinks; famine as arable land is lost to desert- ification; an increase in water-borne disease and human resettlement as coastal lands are flooded; expansion of the growing season in some regions) [AI, C]
D1.2
assess, on the basis of research, the effective- ness of some current individual, regional, national, or international initiatives that address the issue of climate change (e.g., Drive Clean, ENERGY STAR, federal and provincial govern- ment rebates for retrofitting older buildings to be more energy efficient, carbon offset programs, community tree-planting programs, municipal recycling programs, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC]), and propose a further course of action related to one of these initiatives [PR, AI, C]
D1.2
assess, on the basis of research, the effective- ness of some current individual, regional, national, or international initiatives that address the issue of climate change (e.g., Drive Clean, ENERGY STAR, federal and provincial govern- ment rebates for retrofitting older buildings to be more energy efficient, carbon offset programs, community tree-planting programs, municipal recycling programs, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC]), and propose a further course of action related to one of these initiatives [PR, AI, C]
D2.1
use appropriate terminology related to climate change, including, but not limited to: albedo, anthropogenic, atmosphere, cycles, heat sinks, and hydrosphere [C]
D2.2
design and build a model to illustrate the natural greenhouse effect, and use the model to explain the anthropogenic greenhouse effect [IP, PR, C]
D2.3
analyse different sources of scientific data (e.g., lake cores, tree rings, fossils and pre- served organisms, ice cores) for evidence of natural climate change and climate change in- fluenced by human activity [PR, AI, C]
D2.4
investigate a popular hypothesis on a cause- and-effect relationship having to do with climate change (e.g., the combustion of fossil fuels is re- sponsible for rising global temperatures; the concentration of atmospheric CO 2 is responsible for rising global temperatures; global temper- atures have been on the increase since the industrial revolution; the severity of cyclones, hurricanes, and tornadoes increases as atmos- pheric temperatures increase), using simulations and/ or time-trend data that model climate pro- files (e.g., data from Statistics Canada and Environment Canada) [PR, AI, C]
D2.5
investigate, through laboratory inquiry or simulations, the effects of heat transfer within the hydrosphere and atmosphere [PR, AI]
D2.6
investigate, through laboratory inquiry or simulations, how water in its various states in- fluences climate patterns (e.g., water bodies moderate climate, water vapour is a green- house gas, ice increases the albedo of Earth’s surface) [PR, AI]
D2.7
investigate, through research or simulations, the influence of ocean currents on local and global heat transfer and precipitation patterns [PR, AI]
D2.8
classify the climate of their local region using various tools or systems (e.g., Ecoregions of Canada, bioclimate profiles), and compare their region to other regions in Ontario, Canada, and the world [AI, C]
D2.9
compare different perspectives and/ or biases evident in discussions of climate change in scien- tific and non‑scientific media (e.g., with reference to knowledge, beliefs, and values) [AI, C]
D3.1
describe the principal components of Earth’s climate system (e.g., the sun, oceans, and atmos- phere; the topography and configuration of land masses) and how the system works
D3.2
describe and explain heat transfer in the hydrosphere and atmosphere and its effects on air and water currents
D3.3
describe the natural greenhouse effect, ex- plain its importance for life, and distinguish it from the anthropogenic greenhouse effect
D3.4
identify natural phenomena (e.g., plate tec- tonics, uplift and weathering, solar radiance, cosmic ray cycles) and human activities (e.g., forest fires, deforestation, the burning of fossil fuels, industrial emissions) known to affect cli- mate, and describe the role of both in Canada’s contribution to climate change
D3.5
describe the principal sources and sinks, both natural and/ or anthropogenic, of greenhouse gases (e.g., carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, halocarbons, water vapour)
D3.6
describe how different carbon and nitrogen compounds (e.g., carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) influence the trapping of heat in the atmosphere and hydrosphere
D3.7
describe, in general terms, the causes and effects of the anthropogenic greenhouse effect, the depletion of stratospheric and tropospheric ozone, and the formation of ground-level ozone and smog
D3.8
identify and describe indicators of global cli- mate change (e.g., changes in: glacial and polar ice, sea levels, wind patterns, global carbon budget assessments)

Key ideas

  1. Climate change affects human activity and natural systems — habitat loss, desertification, flooding, but also longer growing seasons in some regions.

  2. Key terms include albedo, anthropogenic, atmosphere, heat sinks, and hydrosphere.

  3. A full analysis weighs both positive and negative effects.

  4. Using them precisely lets you describe the climate system accurately.

  5. Initiatives operate at individual, regional, national, and international scales — Drive Clean, ENERGY STAR, carbon offsets, the IPCC.

Watch out for

  • Thinking climate change has only negative or only positive effects.
  • Confusing anthropogenic (human-caused) with natural.
  • Considering only one region or system.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

Unit 5 · 16 skills

Physics: Light and Geometric Optics

Optical Technology and Society

  • Devices for human perception of light

    I can analyse a device that aids human perception of light and evaluate its effectiveness.

    E1.1

    Learn itPractice testActivities

  • Devices that use light

    I can analyse a device that uses light and explain how it enhanced society.

    E1.2

    Learn itPractice testActivities

Investigating Light and Optics

The official wording · 16 outcomes
E1.1
analyse a technological device or procedure related to human perception of light (e.g., eye- glasses, contact lenses, infrared or low light vision sensors, laser surgery), and evaluate its effectiveness [AI, C]
E1.2
analyse a technological device that uses the properties of light (e.g., microscope, retro- reflector, solar oven, camera), and explain how it has enhanced society [AI, C]
E2.1
use appropriate terminology related to light and optics, including, but not limited to: angle of incidence, angle of reflection, angle of refraction, focal point, luminescence, magnification, mirage, and virtual image [C]
E2.2
use an inquiry process to investigate the laws of reflection, using plane and curved mirrors, and draw ray diagrams to summarize their find- ings [PR, C]
E2.3
predict the qualitative characteristics of images formed by plane and curved mirrors (e.g., loca- tion, relative distance, orientation, and size in plane mirrors; location, orientation, size, type in curved mirrors), test their predictions through in- quiry, and summarize their findings [PR, AI, C]
E2.4
use an inquiry process to investigate the re- fraction of light as it passes through media of different refractive indices, compile data on their findings, and analyse the data to deter- mine if there is a trend (e.g., the amount by which the angle of refraction changes as the angle of incidence increases varies for media of different refractive indices) [PR, AI, C]
E2.5
predict, using ray diagrams and algebraic equations, the position and characteristics of an image produced by a converging lens, and test their predictions through inquiry [PR, AI, C]
E2.6
calculate, using the indices of refraction, the velocity of light as it passes through a variety of media, and explain the angles of refraction with reference to the variations in velocity [PR, C]
E3.1
describe and explain various types of light emissions (e.g., chemiluminescence, biolumin- escence, incandescence, fluorescence, phosphor- escence, triboluminescence; from an electric discharge or light-emitting diode [LED])
E3.2
identify and label the visible and invisible regions of the electromagnetic spectrum
E3.3
describe, on the basis of observation, the char- acteristics and positions of images formed by plane and curved mirrors (e.g., location, orien- tation, size, type), with the aid of ray diagrams and algebraic equations, where appropriate
E3.4
explain the conditions required for partial reflection/refraction and for total internal reflection in lenses, and describe the reflection/ refraction using labelled ray diagrams
E3.5
describe the characteristics and positions of images formed by converging lenses (e.g., orien- tation, size, type), with the aid of ray diagrams
E3.6
identify ways in which the properties of mirrors and lenses (both converging and diverging) determine their use in optical instruments (e.g., cameras, telescopes, binoculars, microscopes)
E3.7
identify the factors, in qualitative and quan- titative terms, that affect the refraction of light as it passes from one medium to another
E3.8
describe properties of light, and use them to ex- plain naturally occurring optical phenomena (e.g., apparent depth, shimmering, a mirage, a rainbow)

Key ideas

  1. Devices like eyeglasses, contact lenses, and laser eye surgery correct or extend human vision.

  2. Key terms include angle of incidence, angle of reflection, angle of refraction, focal point, magnification, and virtual image.

  3. Evaluating effectiveness means judging how well the device solves the vision problem.

  4. Using them precisely lets you describe how light behaves.

  5. Devices like microscopes, cameras, and solar ovens use the properties of light to do useful work.

Watch out for

  • Thinking any vision device works perfectly for everyone.
  • Confusing the angle of incidence with the angle of refraction.
  • Describing a device without evaluating how well it works.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

Which course?

Ontario has 2 science courses for Grade 10. Here they are side by side.

What a university, college or program asks for is theirs to say: check its admission page, and your school’s course guide.

The official curriculum

This page follows Ontario’s own curriculum for Science, Grade 10, Academic.

The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: ScienceOntario Ministry of Education · edu.gov.on.ca · Read July 31, 2026

Textbooks

The textbooks Ontario Ministry of Education lists for Science, Grade 10, Academic:

  • Nelson Science Perspectives 10Nelson Education Ltd. · 2010
  • McGraw-Hill Ryerson ON Science 10McGraw-Hill Ryerson · 2009
  • Pearson Investigating Science 10Pearson Education Canada · 2009

From the Trillium List, read October 27, 2026. ontario.ca

Study it in MapleMind

MapleMind teaches Science, Grade 10, Academic 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.

Geography of Canada, Grade 9 in the MapleMind app on a tablet: its units, Unit 2 open, and the skills done so far with their starsGeography of Canada, Grade 9 in the MapleMind app on a phone: its units, Unit 2 open, and the skills done so far with their stars
Pictured: Geography of Canada, Grade 9, another Ontario course, partway through Unit 2.

Practise it

Course Companion

Your year in one workbook

A fun way to keep Science, Grade 10, Academic organized, get to know your child better and see early when they need a hand. Fill it in on a screen, or print it.

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Questions about Science, Grade 10, Academic

What is Science, Grade 10, Academic?

Ontario’s Grade 10 science course: 5 units and 70 skills, from Investigation Skills and Careers to Physics: Light and Geometric Optics.

What units are in Science, Grade 10, Academic?

1. Investigation Skills and Careers, 2. Biology: Tissues, Organs, and Systems of Living Things, 3. Chemistry: Chemical Reactions, 4. Earth and Space Science: Climate Change and 5. Physics: Light and Geometric Optics.

Is there a provincial exam for Science, Grade 10, Academic?

No. Ontario gives no provincial exam for Science, Grade 10, Academic.

What textbook does Science, Grade 10, Academic use?

The textbooks Ontario Ministry of Education lists for Science, Grade 10, Academic: Nelson Science Perspectives 10, Nelson Education Ltd., McGraw-Hill Ryerson ON Science 10, McGraw-Hill Ryerson and Pearson Investigating Science 10, Pearson Education Canada.

What comes after Science, Grade 10, Academic?

Biology, Grade 11, University Preparation, Biology, Grade 11, College Preparation, Chemistry, Grade 11, University Preparation, Physics, Grade 11, University Preparation and Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation.

Can MapleMind help with Science, Grade 10, Academic?

Yes. MapleMind teaches every skill of Science, Grade 10, Academic, 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.

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