Courses

Ontario · Grade 11

Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation

  • SVN3M

Ontario’s Grade 11 science course, from Investigation Skills and Careers to Conservation of Energy.

Learn thisPractice test
Units
6
Lessons
12
Skills
65
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 Environmental Science

  • Careers in environmental science

    I can describe careers in environmental science and the training they require.

    A2.1

    Learn itPractice testActivities

Scientists and Their Contributions

  • Scientists who contributed to environmental science

    I can describe the contributions of scientists, including Canadians, to environmental science.

    A2.2

    Learn itPractice testActivities
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., organic chemist, landscaper, conservationist, air quality technician, personal support worker, environmental lawyer) and the education and training necessary for these careers
A2.2
describe the contributions of scientists, including Canadians (e.g., Pierre Dansereau, Margaret Newton, Johan F. Dormaar, Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Severn Cullis-Suzuki), to the fields under study

Key ideas

  1. Environmental science connects to careers such as environmental scientist, conservation officer, and sustainable-agriculture advisor.

  2. Scientists from many places, including Canadians, advanced environmental science.

  3. Each career needs particular education and training, usually a college or university program.

  4. A contribution can be a discovery, a technique, or an environmental solution.

Watch out for

  • Thinking environmental careers are only fieldwork.
  • 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 · 12 skills

Scientific Solutions to Contemporary Environmental Challenges

Environmental Challenges and Society

  • Issues of an environmental challenge

    I can analyse the social and economic issues of an environmental challenge.

    B1.1

    Learn itPractice testActivities

  • Societal needs and environmental science

    I can analyse how societal needs shape environmental science.

    B1.2

    Learn itPractice testActivities

Investigating Scientific Solutions

The official wording · 12 outcomes
B1.1
analyse, on the basis of research, social and economic issues related to a particular environ- mental challenge (e.g., overfishing, deforestation, acid rain, melting of the polar ice cap) and to efforts to address it [IP, PR, AI, C]
B1.2
analyse ways in which societal needs or demands have influenced scientific endeavours related to the environment (e.g., the development of drought- and pest-resistant crops to address the rising global need for food; research into alternative energy sources in response to demands to address the impact on climate change of burning fossil fuels) [AI, C]
B2.1
use appropriate terminology related to the application of scientific knowledge and proced- ures to environmental issues, including, but not limited to: fact, inference, paradigm, objectivity, and causality [C]
B2.2
plan and conduct a laboratory inquiry to test a scientific procedure used to address a contem- porary environmental problem (e.g., an oil spill, acid precipitation) [IP, PR, AI]
B2.3
investigate, through research or using case studies or computer simulation, how scientific knowledge and procedures are applied to address a particular contemporary environmental issue (e.g., scientific data on the needs and habits of endangered species are used to develop plans to protect threatened species; life-cycle assess- ments are conducted to determine the total environmental impact of a consumer product) [PR, AI]
B2.4
use a research process to investigate how evidence, theories, and paradigms reflecting a range of perspectives have contributed to our scientific knowledge about the environment (e.g., with respect to debates about climate change; regarding the relationship between the cod moratorium and seal populations in Atlantic Canada), and communicate their findings [IP, PR, AI, C]
B2.5
use a research process to locate a media report on a contemporary environmental issue (e.g., climate change, melting of the polar ice cap, deforestation), summarize its arguments, and assess their validity from a scientific perspective [IP, PR, AI, C]
B3.1
identify some major contemporary environ- mental challenges (e.g., global warming, acid precipitation), and explain their causes (e.g., deforestation, carbon and sulfur emissions) and effects (e.g., desertification, the creation of environmental refugees, the destruction of aquatic and terrestrial habitats)
B3.2
describe how scientists use a variety of pro- cesses (e.g., environmental impact assessments, environmental scans) to solve problems and answer questions related to the environment
B3.3
explain how new evidence affects scientific knowledge about the environment and leads to modifications of theory and/or shifts in para- digms (e.g., the impact of evidence of the effects of carbon dioxide emissions on theories of global warming)
B3.4
explain how an environmental challenge has led to advances in science or technology (e.g., scrubbers on smokestacks to decrease sulfur dioxide emissions, hybrid cars)
B3.5
describe a variety of human activities that have led to environmental problems (e.g., burning fossil fuels for transportation or power generation; waste disposal) and/or contributed to their solu- tion (e.g., the development of renewable sources of energy; programs to reduce, reuse, and recycle)

Key ideas

  1. Challenges like overfishing, deforestation, and acid rain raise social and economic issues.

  2. Key terms include fact, inference, paradigm, objectivity, and causality.

  3. Analysing them weighs the issues related to the challenge and to efforts to address it.

  4. Precise terms let you reason scientifically about environmental issues.

  5. Societal needs (food security, climate response) drive environmental science.

Watch out for

  • Considering only social or only economic issues.
  • Confusing a fact with an inference.
  • Ignoring the efforts to address the challenge.

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

Unit 3 · 12 skills

Human Health and the Environment

Reducing Environmental Health Impacts

Investigating Health and the Environment

The official wording · 12 outcomes
C1.1
analyse grassroots initiatives that are intended to reduce the impact of environmental factors on human health (e.g., community cleanup of local aquatic or terrestrial environments; class action lawsuits against major polluters) [AI, C]
C1.2
evaluate the effectiveness of government initiatives that are intended to reduce the impact of environmental factors on human health (e.g., Ontario Ministry of the Environment smog advisories; provincial laws regulating drinking water; WHMIS regulations on hazardous material) [AI, C]
C2.1
use appropriate terminology related to human health and the environment, including, but not limited to: contaminants, heavy metals, air pol- lution, and pesticide [C]
C2.2
analyse longitudinal data to determine the impact of various environmental factors that affect human health (e.g., air temperature, atmospheric greenhouse gases, contaminants in drinking water) [AI]
C2.3
investigate, through laboratory inquiry or field study, water samples from natural and disturbed environments (e.g., tap water; pond, river, or lake water from disturbed and undis- turbed areas; water from an outdoor pool), and analyse the resulting data [PR, AI]
C2.4
analyse, on the basis of a laboratory inquiry, computer simulation, or field study, particulate matter in air (e.g., an air sample from an ex- haust pipe or air vent, particles in a filter that cigarette smoke has passed through, particles caught on sticky paper set up in an open area) [PR, AI]
C2.5
investigate health standards for buildings and methods to retrofit or otherwise improve structures to reduce their negative impact on human health (e.g., the use of materials that do not contain volatile organic compounds, the use of biological air and water filters), and communicate their findings [PR, C]
C3.1
identify the main pollutants and environ- mental contaminants that can affect human health (e.g., air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide, and particulates; noise pollution; heavy metals such as lead and mercury; DDT; PCBs; mould; volatile organic compounds such as acetone and chlorinated solvents)
C3.2
describe the effects of a variety of environ- mental factors on human health (e.g., air pollutants are associated with disorders such as asthma; consumption of fish products from contaminated water may lead to increased levels of heavy metals in the human body; the thinning of the ozone layer may lead to increased incidence of skin cancer; noise pollution may impair hearing)
C3.3
describe ways in which a variety of environ- mental contaminants (e.g., volatile organic compounds in paints, carpets, and cleaning products; mercury in fish; E. coli in the water at public beaches) can enter the human body (e.g., inhalation, ingestion, absorption)
C3.4
describe measures that can reduce exposure to environmental contaminants (e.g., wearing protective clothing or sunscreen, or remaining indoors during peak UV hours, to prevent exposure to ultraviolet rays; avoiding the use of paints, solvents, and cleaning agents that contain volatile organic compounds)
C3.5
identify a variety of populations who are particularly vulnerable to the effects of environmental factors, and explain why these populations are vulnerable (e.g., seniors are vulnerable to extreme temperatures because the ability to regulate body temperature diminishes as people age; Inuit who follow a traditional diet are vulnerable to contaminants that accumulate in the fatty tissue of sea mammals because these animals are their main food source)

Key ideas

  1. Grassroots initiatives include community cleanups and class-action lawsuits against polluters.

  2. Key terms include contaminants, heavy metals, air pollution, and pesticide.

  3. Analysing one shows how it reduces an environmental impact on health.

  4. Precise terms let you describe environmental effects on health.

  5. Government initiatives include smog advisories, drinking-water laws, and WHMIS regulations.

Watch out for

  • Thinking only governments can address environmental health.
  • Confusing a contaminant with a nutrient.
  • Not connecting the initiative to a health impact.

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

Unit 4 · 14 skills

Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry

Sustainable Practices and Their Impact

  • Impact of practices on economy and environment

    I can evaluate agricultural and forestry practices for economic and environmental impact.

    D1.1

    Learn itPractice testActivities

  • Impact of practices on human health

    I can evaluate the impact of agricultural and forestry practices on human health.

    D1.2

    Learn itPractice testActivities

Investigating Plant Growth and Soil

The official wording · 14 outcomes
D1.1
evaluate, on the basis of research, a variety of agricultural and forestry practices (e.g., com- panion planting, biological pest control, the use of genetically modified seed, forest fire control) with respect to their impact on the economy and the environment (e.g., the use of nematodes eliminates crop damage from grubs, thus contributing to better harvests, while reducing the use of toxic chemical pesticides; under some circumstances, forest thinning can help prevent or reduce the seriousness of forest fire, and its economic and environmental consequences) [IP, PR, AI, C]
D1.2
evaluate, on the basis of research, the impact, including the long-term impact, of agricultural and forestry practices on human health (e.g., the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides; the use of growth hormones and antibiotics in livestock; the use of feed containing animal by-products; the clear-cutting of forests) [IP, PR, AI, C]
D2.1
use appropriate terminology related to sustainable agriculture and forestry, including, but not limited to: bioremediation, crop rotation, companion planting, organic product, humus, com- post, mulch, silviculture, and naturalization [C]
D2.2
test samples of a variety of types of soil (e.g., clay, loam, commercial potting soil) to determine their nutrients and composition (e.g., pH; the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium; porosity; moisture) [PR, AI]
D2.3
use an inquiry process to investigate the nutrients in and composition of a variety of compost samples (e.g., nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium; composition with respect to pH, porosity), and analyse the findings to determine appropriate uses for each sample [IP, PR, AI]
D2.4
prepare a soil mixture (e.g., using compost, manure, vermiculite, black earth, top soil, peat moss, loam, and/or sand) for a selected plant species, based on analysis of the criteria for optimal growth for that species (e.g., cactus, tomato plants, wheat, jack pine) [PR, AI]
D2.5
use a research process to investigate environ- mentally sustainable methods of managing and maintaining healthy and productive agricultural zones and forests (e.g., companion planting, crop rotation, selective tree-harvesting, planting a diverse canopy) [IP, PR]
D2.6
design a landscaping project for their local area (e.g., a rooftop garden, a plot in a com- munity garden, a riparian restoration), taking into account local conditions (e.g., zone hardiness, soil composition, amount of sunlight and rainfall), and propose a course of action to ensure the sustainability of the project and its healthy interaction with the surrounding environment (e.g., companion gardening, the use of compost to fertilize the soil, the use of native plants, the inclusion of plants that attract birds or butterflies) [IP, PR, AI]
D3.1
explain the basic principles of various agri- cultural and forestry practices (e.g., Integrated Pest Management), and identify regulations and regulatory bodies associated with these practices (e.g., Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency [PMRA], the Pest Control Products Act)
D3.2
describe the basic requirements for plant growth (e.g., growing medium, light, moisture, nutrients)
D3.3
describe the soil components (e.g., pH, mois- ture, the percentage of humus, porosity with respect to water and air) needed by a variety of plants for optimal growth
D3.4
explain different ecologically sound practices for improving and maintaining soil structure and fertility (e.g., crop rotation, fallowing, adding compost or manure, inter-seeding grains and legumes, mulching, tree harvesting using a shelterwood system)
D3.5
explain agricultural techniques and forestry practices that aim to maintain both biodiversity and long-term productivity (e.g., growing a variety of species, inter-planting crops, planting native and heritage varietals instead of hybrids or transgenic species, saving seeds, maintaining some older trees and snags for animal habitat)
D3.6
describe sustainable water-management practices in agricultural and forestry settings (e.g., regulating the frequency of watering, planting species suited to local precipitation levels, limiting run-off and erosion)

Key ideas

  1. Practices (companion planting, biological pest control, GM seed, forest-fire control) affect the economy and environment.

  2. Key terms include bioremediation, crop rotation, companion planting, organic product, humus, compost, mulch, silviculture, and naturalization.

  3. Evaluating one weighs its economic and environmental impacts.

  4. Precise terms let you describe sustainable practices.

  5. Practices (chemical fertilizers and pesticides, growth hormones, clear-cutting) affect human health.

Watch out for

  • Considering only economic or only environmental impact.
  • Confusing compost with mulch.
  • Judging a practice without evidence.

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

Unit 5 · 12 skills

Reducing and Managing Waste

Waste Management and Society

Investigating Waste Management

The official wording · 12 outcomes
E1.1
analyse, on the basis of research, the impact of economic and political considerations on the development of waste management practices or strategies (e.g., incineration of hazardous waste; biological filtration and reuse of greywater; user fees for garbage disposal; vermicomposting) [IP, PR, AI, C]
E1.2
evaluate the short- and long-term impact on the environment of a specific type of waste (e.g., waste products from animal farming; plastic shopping bags; tailings from mines) [AI, C]
E2.1
use appropriate terminology related to waste management, including, but not limited to: solid, liquid, and gaseous waste; toxic waste; heavy metal; chlorinated hydrocarbons; and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) [C]
E2.2
plan and conduct an inquiry in a micro- environment to treat a solid, liquid, or gaseous waste (e.g., reduce the acidity in a closed bog system in an aquarium; use a vermicomposter to recycle solid organic matter) [IP, PR]
E2.3
use a research process to investigate the waste generated throughout the life cycle of a product (e.g., the waste associated with all the materials and energy that go into the development and disposal of a computer or a running shoe) [IP, PR]
E2.4
plan and conduct a waste audit within their school, and propose a plan of action for waste reduction based on their findings (e.g., review the school’s policy regarding paper and plastic recycling, monitor actual practices, and propose strategies to improve them) [IP, PR, AI, C]
E2.5
investigate a local, regional, national, or global waste management practice (e.g., local practices such as recycling or charging for residential and/or commercial garbage bags; shipping garbage to landfill sites in another region; disposal of nuclear waste; dumping raw sewage into rivers, lakes, oceans), and communicate their findings [PR, C]
E3.1
describe different categories of waste (e.g., bio- degradable, recyclable, toxic, organic, inorganic)
E3.2
explain some current waste remediation practices used with substances or products that are not environmentally friendly (e.g., “Toxic Taxi” for pick-up of household hazard- ous waste; the recycling of plastic to make furniture and “lumber”)
E3.3
describe the scientific principles involved in processing solid, liquid, and gaseous waste (e.g., combustion, decomposition, pyrolysis)
E3.4
explain common strategies and technologies used in the collection and storage of waste (e.g., strategies such as recycling, composting, dumping in landfill sites; technologies such as compacters, enzyme digesters, flocculation tanks)
E3.5
explain how scientific knowledge and technological processes have been applied in the development of environmentally sound waste management strategies (e.g., accelerated waste aeration, bioremediation)

Key ideas

  1. Considerations like incineration costs, greywater reuse, and user fees shape waste strategies.

  2. Key terms include solid, liquid, and gaseous waste, toxic waste, heavy metal, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and PCBs.

  3. Analysing them shows how economics and politics affect waste management.

  4. Precise terms let you describe waste and its management.

  5. Specific wastes (animal-farming waste, plastic bags, mine tailings) have environmental impacts.

Watch out for

  • Considering only economic or only political factors.
  • Confusing toxic waste with all waste.
  • Not connecting the consideration to a waste practice.

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

Unit 6 · 13 skills

Conservation of Energy

Energy Sources and Society

Investigating Energy Conservation

The official wording · 13 outcomes
F1.1
evaluate the impact on the environment of renewable and non-renewable energy sources
F1.1
propose an environmentally friendly solution to reduce non-renewable energy consumption
F1.2
assess the costs and benefits to society of the use of renewable and non-renewable energy sources, using a variety of criteria (e.g., associ- ated health concerns, reliability, ability to meet demand, start-up and production costs) [AI, C]
F2.1
use appropriate terminology related to energy conservation, including, but not limited to: renewable resource, non-renewable resource, and R-value
F2.2
investigate energy consumption and costs in their household over a given period of time, and suggest ways in which their household could conserve energy [PR, AI, C]
F2.3
plan and conduct an energy audit of a home or business, and propose ways to improve its energy efficiency [IP, PR, AI, C]
F2.4
design and construct a working model of a device that uses an alternative energy source (e.g., a wind generator, a solar-powered car, a “fan boat”) [IP, PR]
F2.5
plan and conduct an inquiry to evaluate the effectiveness of various insulation materials and/or techniques (e.g., straw, foam, fibreglass, blown cellulose) [IP, PR, AI]
F3.1
explain the historical significance of a variety of energy sources (e.g., whale oil, coal), and describe their long-term impact on the environment
F3.2
describe the characteristics of a sustainable energy system (e.g., equitable access to the source, long-term availability, limited environ- mental impact)
F3.3
explain the basic principles and characteristics of various types of renewable (e.g., tidal, geothermal, solar, wind) and non‑renewable (e.g., coal, oil, gas) energy production and their impact on the environment
F3.4
describe methods of energy production and conservation intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., energy production methods at the Prince Edward Island Wind-Hydrogen Village; charging higher prices for energy used during peak hours)
F3.5
describe technological advances aimed at reducing energy consumption (e.g., program- mable thermostats, improved R‑value in insulation, compact fluorescent light bulbs, rechargeable batteries, “smart meters”)

Key ideas

  1. Renewable and non-renewable energy sources differ in their environmental impact.

  2. Key terms include renewable resource, non-renewable resource, and R-value.

  3. Evaluating them weighs the environmental cost of each source.

  4. Precise terms let you describe energy sources and efficiency.

  5. Non-renewable energy consumption can be reduced with environmentally friendly solutions.

Watch out for

  • Assuming renewable sources have no environmental impact.
  • Confusing renewable with non-renewable resources.
  • Considering only one type of source.

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

Which course?

Ontario has 5 science courses for Grade 11. 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 Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation.

The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: ScienceOntario Ministry of Education · edu.gov.on.ca · Read July 31, 2026

Textbooks

The textbooks Ontario Ministry of Education lists for Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation:

  • McGraw-Hill Ryerson Environmental Science: A Canadian PerspectiveMcGraw-Hill Ryerson · 2013

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

Study it in MapleMind

MapleMind teaches Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation 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 Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation 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
39
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2,036
Price
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See the Course Companion

Questions about Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation

What is Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation?

Ontario’s Grade 11 science course: 6 units and 65 skills, from Investigation Skills and Careers to Conservation of Energy.

What units are in Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation?

1. Investigation Skills and Careers, 2. Scientific Solutions to Contemporary Environmental Challenges, 3. Human Health and the Environment, 4. Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, 5. Reducing and Managing Waste and 6. Conservation of Energy.

Is there a provincial exam for Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation?

No. Ontario gives no provincial exam for Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation.

What textbook does Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation use?

The textbooks Ontario Ministry of Education lists for Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Environmental Science: A Canadian Perspective, McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

What comes after Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation?

Biology, Grade 12, University Preparation, Chemistry, Grade 12, University Preparation, Chemistry, Grade 12, College Preparation, Physics, Grade 12, University Preparation, Physics, Grade 12, College Preparation and Earth and Space Science, Grade 12, University Preparation.

Can MapleMind help with Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation?

Yes. MapleMind teaches every skill of Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation, 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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