Courses

Ontario · Grade 10

Science, Grade 10, Applied

  • SNC2P

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

Learn thisPractice test
Units
5
Lessons
10
Skills
64
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

    Learn itPractice testActivities

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

    Learn itPractice testActivities
The official wording · 2 outcomes
A2.1
identify and describe a variety of careers related to the fields of science under study (e.g., veterinarian assistant, quality control technician, conservation officer, sound and light technician) and the education and train- ing necessary for these careers
A2.2
identify scientists, including Canadians (e.g., Maude Abbott, Paul Kebarle, Reginald Fessenden, James Hillier), who have made a contribution to the fields of science under study

Key ideas

  1. The biology, chemistry, climate, and optics in this course connect to real jobs.

  2. Scientists from many places, including Canadians such as Maude Abbott and Reginald Fessenden, advanced these fields.

  3. Each career needs particular education and training — a college program, an apprenticeship, on-the-job training.

  4. A contribution can be a discovery, an invention, or a medical 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 · 13 skills

Biology: Tissues, Organs, and Systems

Health Technology and the Body

  • Medical imaging technologies

    I can analyse a medical imaging technology used to explore or diagnose the body.

    B1.1

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  • Effects of technologies and substances on the body

    I can evaluate how a technology, substance, or factor affects human tissues, organs, or systems.

    B1.2

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Investigating Human Cells and Systems

  • Human cell and system terminology

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

    B2.1

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  • Stages of mitosis in animal cells

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

    B2.2

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  • Investigating human cell specialization

    I can investigate specialized human cells and draw labelled diagrams of them.

    B2.3

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  • Cancerous vs non-cancerous cell division

    I can compare cancerous and non-cancerous cell division and describe its impact.

    B2.4

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  • Dissecting an animal's organ system

    I can locate the organs of a system through dissection and describe how they connect.

    B2.5

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  • Researching a human health problem

    I can research a human health problem related to a tissue, organ, or system.

    B2.6

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  • The cell cycle and its importance

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

    B3.1

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  • Specialized cells and tissues

    I can describe how specialized cells and tissues are built and what they do.

    B3.2

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  • Cell organization in the body

    I can explain how cells organize into tissues, organs, and systems in the body.

    B3.3

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  • Functions of human body systems

    I can explain the general function of several human body systems.

    B3.4

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  • Interaction of body systems

    I can describe how body systems interact and why that keeps a person alive.

    B3.5

    Learn itPractice testActivities
The official wording · 13 outcomes
B1.1
analyse, on the basis of research, medical im- aging technologies (e.g., ultrasound, X‑rays, computerized axial tomography [CT or CAT] scan, magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], mi- croscopy, biophotonics) used in Canada to explore, diagnose, or treat the human body, and communicate their findings [PR, AI, C]
B1.2
evaluate the effects that use of or exposure to a technology, substance, or environmental factor (e.g., cellphones, X‑rays, UV radiation, personal audio players, cigarette smoke, pesti- cides, food additives/preservatives, vitamins, gene therapy) may have on the function of human tissues, organs, or systems [AI, C]
B2.1
use appropriate terminology related to human cells, tissues, organs, and systems, including, but not limited to: absorption, anaphase, capillaries, concentration, differentiation, diffusion, interphase, metaphase, osmosis, prophase, red blood cells, regener- ation, and telophase [C]
B2.2
examine cells under a microscope or similar instrument to identify the various stages of mitosis in animals [PR, AI]
B2.3
investigate, using a microscope or similar instrument, cell specialization in the human body, focusing on different types of human cells (e.g., muscle cells, epithelial cells, nerve cells), and draw labelled biological diagrams of each type of cell [PR, C]
B2.4
compare, on the basis of observation (e.g., using pictures, videos, or images), the division of cancerous cells and non‑cancerous cells, and describe the impact of cancerous cells on the human body [PR, AI]
B2.5
locate, through a laboratory or computer‑ simulated dissection, the organs of a specific system of an animal (e.g., a worm, a frog, a fish), and describe their interrelationship [PR, AI, C]
B2.6
use scientific investigation skills to research health problems related to tissues, organs, or systems in humans (e.g., asthma, sickle-cell anemia, heart disease, Crohn’s disease), and communicate their findings [IP, PR, C]
B3.1
describe the cell cycle in animals, and explain its importance for the growth of cells and repair of tissues
B3.2
describe the structure, function, and im- portance of specialized cells and tissues in multi‑cellular organisms (e.g., neurons have many branching dendrites and long axons to receive and transmit messages; muscle cells have a higher concentration of mitochondria, which produce energy)
B3.3
explain cell organization by describing the link between cells, tissues, organs, and systems in the human body
B3.4
explain the general function of some of the systems in the human body (e.g., the function of the circulatory system is to transport materials through the body; the function of the digestive system is to absorb nutrients; the function of the respiratory system is to bring oxygen into and remove carbon dioxide from the body)
B3.5
describe the interaction of systems in the human body (e.g., the respiratory system brings oxygen into the body, and the circulatory system transports the oxygen to cells), and explain why these interactions are necessary for survival

Key ideas

  1. Imaging technologies (ultrasound, X-rays, CT/CAT scan, MRI) let doctors see inside the body.

  2. Key terms include diffusion, osmosis, differentiation, and mitosis phases (interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase).

  3. Each is suited to exploring, diagnosing, or treating particular parts of the body.

  4. Precise terms let you describe how the body is built and works.

  5. Everyday technologies and substances (cellphones, UV radiation, cigarette smoke, food additives) can affect the body.

Watch out for

  • Thinking all scanners show the same thing.
  • Confusing diffusion and osmosis.
  • Not connecting a technology to what it diagnoses.

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

Unit 3 · 15 skills

Chemistry: Chemical Reactions and Their Practical Applications

Reactions at Home and Work

Investigating Chemical Reactions

The official wording · 15 outcomes
C1.1
analyse, on the basis of research, the function of chemical reactions in the production of select- ed products and/ or in processes commonly encountered at home or in the workplace (e.g., carbonation of soft drinks; rust proofing), and communicate their findings [IP, PR, AI, C]
C1.2
identify practical applications of chemical re- actions in a particular profession (e.g., ceramics, cosmetology, firefighting, heating and cooling system technology, food preparation, plumbing, custodial services), and assess the associated hazards, including hazards associated with the handling and disposal of chemicals [PR, AI, C]
C1.2
identify practical applications of chemical re- actions in a particular profession (e.g., ceramics, cosmetology, firefighting, heating and cooling system technology, food preparation, plumbing, custodial services), and assess the associated hazards, including hazards associated with the handling and disposal of chemicals [PR, AI, C]
C2.1
use appropriate terminology related to chemical reactions, including, but not limited to: antacid, dilute, neutralization, product, reactant, and word equation [C]
C2.2
construct molecular models of simple chemical reactions (e.g., C + O 2 ➞ CO 2 ; 2H 2 + O 2 ➞ 2H 2 O), and produce diagrams of these models [PR, C]
C2.3
conduct and observe inquiries related to sim- ple chemical reactions, including synthesis, decomposition, and displacement reactions, and represent them using a variety of formats (e.g., word equations, balanced chemical equations, molecular models) [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
use an inquiry process to investigate acid– base neutralization reactions (e.g., neutralize a dilute solution of sodium hydroxide with dilute hydrochloric acid and extract the sodium chlor- ide produced) [PR, AI]
C2.6
conduct an inquiry to classify some common substances as acidic, basic, or neutral (e.g., use acid–base indicators or pH strips to classify com- mon household substances) [PR, AI]
C2.7
investigate applications of acid–base reac- tions in common products and processes (e.g., compare the effectiveness of different brands of antacid tablets, using quantitative analysis) [PR, AI]
C3.1
describe the relationships between chemical formulae, composition, and names of simple compounds (e.g., carbon dioxide, CO 2 , has one more oxygen atom than carbon monoxide, CO)
C3.2
name and write the formulae for simple ionic and molecular compounds (e.g., NaCl, NaOH, H 2 O, CO 2 )
C3.3
write word equations and balanced chem- ical equations for simple chemical reactions (e.g., 2H 2 + O 2 ➞ 2H 2 O)
C3.4
describe the process of neutralization for simple acid–base reactions (i.e., an acid reacts with a base to form a salt and often water)
C3.5
describe how the pH scale is used to identify the concentration of acids and bases

Key ideas

  1. Chemical reactions make products and drive processes — carbonating soft drinks, rust-proofing metal.

  2. Reactants are what you start with; products are what forms; neutralization is an acid reacting with a base.

  3. Analysing the reaction's function explains what it accomplishes in the product or process.

  4. Terms like 'dilute', 'antacid', and 'word equation' describe reactions precisely.

  5. Many professions rely on chemical reactions — ceramics, cosmetology, firefighting, food preparation, plumbing.

Watch out for

  • Thinking products form without chemical reactions.
  • Mixing up reactants and products.
  • Not connecting the reaction to the product's function.

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

Unit 4 · 16 skills

Earth and Space Science: Earth's Dynamic Climate

Climate Change and Us

  • Effects of climate change on living things

    I can analyse how climate change affects living things and natural systems.

    D1.1

    Learn itPractice testActivities

  • Human actions and greenhouse gases

    I can analyse how human actions increase or decrease greenhouse-gas production.

    D1.2

    Learn itPractice testActivities

Investigating Earth's Climate

The official wording · 16 outcomes
D1.1
analyse, on the basis of research, various ways in which living things and natural systems have been affected by climate change (e.g., the effect of loss of permafrost on northern roads and housing; the effect of longer growing sea- sons in some regions on farmers; the effect of warming oceans on coral reefs), and communi- cate their findings [IP, PR, AI, C]
D1.2
analyse ways in which human actions (e.g., burning fossil fuels, implementing tree-planting programs) have increased or decreased the pro- duction of greenhouse gases [AI, C]
D2.1
use appropriate terminology related to Earth’s dynamic climate, including, but not limited to: anthropogenic, atmosphere, carbon footprint, carbon sink, climate, greenhouse gases, hydrosphere, and weather [C]
D2.2
investigate the principles of the natural greenhouse effect, using simulations, diagrams, and/or models, and compare these principles to those of an actual greenhouse [PR, AI]
D2.3
use a research process to investigate a source of greenhouse gases (e.g., decaying garbage, animal digestive processes, burning biomass) Grade 10, Applied 90 THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9 AND 10 | Science EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE: EARTH’S DYNAMIC CLIMATE 91 Science SNC2P and its effect on a region of Canada (e.g., melt- ing of the polar ice cap in the Arctic, shrinking of glaciers in the Rockies) [IP, PR, AI]
D2.4
conduct an inquiry to determine how different factors (e.g., an increase in surface temperature, an increase in water temperature) affect global warming and climate change [PR]
D2.5
investigate their personal carbon footprint, using a computer simulation or numerical data (e.g., determine carbon emissions that result from their travelling to school, work, and rec- reation venues; from vacation travelling; from buying products imported from distant coun- tries), and plan a course of action to reduce their footprint (e.g., a plan to increase their use of bicycles or public transit; to eat more local foods) [PR, AI, C]
D2.6
compare different tools or systems used by scientists to make informed decisions on global climate change (e.g., Ecoregions of Canada, bio- climate profiles) [PR, AI]
D2.7
compare different perspectives and/or biases evident in discussions of climate change in scientific and non‑scientific media (e.g., with reference to knowledge, beliefs, and/or values) [PR, AI]
D3.1
describe the principal components of Earth’s climate system (e.g., the sun, oceans, and the atmosphere; the topography and configuration of land masses)
D3.2
describe the natural greenhouse effect, its importance for life, and the difference between it and the anthropogenic greenhouse effect
D3.3
describe how heat is transferred and stored in both hydrospheric and atmospheric heat sinks
D3.4
identify different greenhouse gases (e.g., car- bon dioxide, methane, water vapour, nitrous oxide), and explain how they are produced nat- urally in the environment
D3.5
describe methods by which greenhouse gases are produced by humans (e.g., burning of bio- mass, chemical reactions involving pollutants)
D3.6
identify the natural and human causes of climate change in the world and, in particular, how Canada contributes to climate change
D3.7
identify indicators of global climate change (e.g., changes in: the mass of glacial and polar ice, sea levels, wind patterns, global carbon budget assessments, migratory patterns of birds)

Key ideas

  1. Climate change affects living things and natural systems — permafrost loss, longer growing seasons, warming oceans harming coral.

  2. Key terms include anthropogenic, carbon footprint, carbon sink, greenhouse gases, climate, and weather.

  3. A full analysis identifies the effect and who or what it affects.

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

  5. Some human actions increase greenhouse gases (burning fossil fuels); others decrease them (tree-planting).

Watch out for

  • Thinking climate change affects only the weather.
  • Confusing climate with weather.
  • Not identifying what is affected.

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

Unit 5 · 18 skills

Physics: Light and Applications of Optics

Optical Technology in Everyday Life

Investigating Light and Colour

The official wording · 18 outcomes
E1.1
analyse how additive and/or subtractive col- our theory are applied in technologies used in everyday life (e.g., stop lights, high-definition television, colour monitors, coloured spotlights) [AI, C]
E1.2
describe the role of selected optical technolo- gies in the transmission of information, and analyse their impact on society (e.g., cellphones, optical fibre cables, satellite dishes) [AI, C]
E1.2
describe the role of selected optical technolo- gies in the transmission of information, and analyse their impact on society (e.g., cellphones, optical fibre cables, satellite dishes) [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, centre of curvature, focal length, luminescence, magnification, principal axis, radius of curvature, and vertex [C]
E2.2
use an inquiry process to investigate the laws of reflection; use these laws to explain the charac- teristics of images formed by plane, converging (concave), and diverging (convex) mirrors; and draw ray diagrams to illustrate their observa- tions [PR, AI, C]
E2.3
use an inquiry process to investigate the re- fraction of light as it passes through a variety of media (e.g., the angles of incidence and refrac- tion as light passes through a clear acrylic block) [PR]
E2.4
predict the qualitative characteristics of im- ages (e.g., location, orientation, size, type) formed by converging lenses, test their predic- tions through inquiry, and draw ray diagrams to record their observations [IP, PR, AI, C]
E2.5
investigate how various objects or media (e.g., opaque, translucent, and transparent materials; black-and-white surfaces) reflect, transmit, or absorb light, and record their observations using ray diagrams [PR, C]
E2.6
predict the effect of shining a coloured light on objects of different colours, and test their predictions through inquiry [IP, PR, AI, C]
E2.7
construct an optical device (e.g., a funhouse mirror, a device that produces an optical illusion, a solar oven) that uses a variety of mirrors [PR]
E3.1
describe various types of light emissions (e.g., chemiluminescence, bioluminescence, incandescence, electric discharge) and how they produce light
E3.2
identify and label the visible and invisible regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, and identify the colours that make up visible white light
E3.3
explain the laws of reflection of light, and iden- tify ways in which light reflects from various types of mirrors (e.g., plane, converging, diverging)
E3.4
describe qualitatively how visible light is refracted at the interface between two differ- ent media
E3.5
use additive colour theory to predict the results of combining primary and secondary light colours
E3.6
use subtractive colour theory to describe the effect of colour filters on white light
E3.7
explain how the colour of an object is deter- mined by reflection, absorption, and transmis- sion of colour
E3.8
explain how the properties of light or colour are applied in the operation of an optical de- vice (e.g., a reflecting telescope, stop lights, stage lights)

Key ideas

  1. Additive colour mixes light (screens, spotlights); subtractive colour mixes pigments/filters.

  2. Key terms include angle of incidence, angle of reflection, angle of refraction, focal length, principal axis, and centre of curvature.

  3. Everyday technologies (stop lights, HDTV, colour monitors) apply these theories.

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

  5. Optical technologies (cellphones, optical-fibre cables, satellite dishes) carry information as light or signals.

Watch out for

  • Confusing additive (light) with subtractive (pigment) colour.
  • Confusing the angle of incidence with the angle of refraction.
  • Not connecting a technology to a colour theory.

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, Applied.

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, Applied:

  • Nelson Science Connections 10Nelson Education Ltd. · 2011
  • McGraw-Hill Ryerson Science Links 10McGraw-Hill Ryerson · 2010

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

Study it in MapleMind

MapleMind teaches Science, Grade 10, Applied 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.

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Course Companion

Your year in one workbook

A fun way to keep Science, Grade 10, Applied 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, Applied

What is Science, Grade 10, Applied?

Ontario’s Grade 10 science course: 5 units and 64 skills, from Investigation Skills and Careers to Physics: Light and Applications of Optics.

What units are in Science, Grade 10, Applied?

1. Investigation Skills and Careers, 2. Biology: Tissues, Organs, and Systems, 3. Chemistry: Chemical Reactions and Their Practical Applications, 4. Earth and Space Science: Earth's Dynamic Climate and 5. Physics: Light and Applications of Optics.

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

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

What textbook does Science, Grade 10, Applied use?

The textbooks Ontario Ministry of Education lists for Science, Grade 10, Applied: Nelson Science Connections 10, Nelson Education Ltd. and McGraw-Hill Ryerson Science Links 10, McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

What comes after Science, Grade 10, Applied?

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, Applied?

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