Quebec · Secondary 1
Science and Technology, Secondary 1
- 555-104
Quebec’s Secondary 1 science course, from The Material World to The Technological World.
- Units
- 4
- Lessons
- 20
- Skills
- 33
- Provincial exam
- None
- Official curriculum
- quebec.ca
Unit by unit
Every skill in the course, numbered by unit.
Unit 1 · 9 skills
The Material World
Mass and volume of matter
What mass is
I can explain what mass is and compare the mass of different substances that take up the same space.
Skill 1.1
Heat, temperature and particles
Heat and particle motion
I can explain how heating matter changes particle motion and how that defines temperature.
Skill 1.2
States of matter and phase changes
Naming the phase changes
I can name the phase changes of matter and read a phase-change diagram.
Skill 1.3
Acids, bases and characteristic properties
Acidic, basic and neutral solutions
I can test whether a common substance is acidic, basic, or neutral and describe what I observe.
Skill 1.4
Characteristic properties identify substances
I can explain what a characteristic property is and use one to identify or group substances.
Skill 1.5
Mixtures and separating them
Kinds of mixtures
I can describe what makes something a mixture and tell a homogeneous mixture from a heterogeneous one.
Skill 1.6
Physical and chemical changes
Physical changes
I can describe a physical change and recognize examples where the substance stays the same.
Skill 1.7
Chemical changes and their signs
I can spot the signs of a chemical change, explain it by the new properties, and name common types.
Skill 1.8
The atom and the elements
Dalton's atomic model
I can describe Dalton's atomic model and use it to represent a simple molecule.
Skill 1.9
The official wording · 9 outcomes
- 1.1
- Defines the concept of mass
- 1.2
- Describes the effect of heat on the degree of agitation of particles
- 1.3
- Names the different phase changes of matter
- 1.4
- Determines the observable properties of acidic, basic or neutral solutions
- 1.5
- Defines a characteristic property as a property that aids in the identification of a substance
- 1.6
- Describes the properties of a mixture
- 1.7
- Describes the characteristics of a physical change
- 1.8
- Describes the indicators of a chemical change
- 1.9
- Describes Dalton's atomic model
Key ideas
Mass is the amount of matter in an object, measured in grams or kilograms.
Adding heat makes particles move (agitate) faster.
The six phase changes: melting, freezing, vaporization, condensation, sublimation, deposition.
Acids and bases have observable properties: reaction to litmus, reactivity with metals.
A mixture is made of several substances and can have one or more visible phases.
Watch out for
- Thinking a bigger object always has more mass.
- Thinking cold is a substance that flows in, rather than the absence of particle motion.
- Thinking bubbles in boiling water are air, not water vapour.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 2 · 9 skills
The Living World
Habitats, niches and species
Habitat and ecological niche
I can describe an organism's habitat and its ecological niche.
Skill 2.1
Species and populations
I can define a species, tell it apart from a population, and estimate numbers in a territory.
Skill 2.2
Adaptation, evolution and classification
Adaptations for survival
I can describe physical and behavioural adaptations that help living things survive.
Skill 2.3
Evolution and natural selection
I can explain natural selection and how living things are classified.
Skill 2.4
The cell and life functions
The cell as the unit of life
I can explain that cells are the unit of life and tell an animal cell from a plant cell.
Skill 2.5
Cell parts and what they do
I can identify the main cell parts under a microscope and state each one's role.
Skill 2.6
Reproduction and human development
Sexual and asexual reproduction
I can distinguish sexual from asexual reproduction and describe how plants reproduce.
Skill 2.7
Human reproductive organs and gametes
I can name the human reproductive organs and gametes and describe fertilization and development.
Skill 2.8
Contraception and preventing STBBIs
I can describe contraceptive methods and responsible behaviours around sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections.
Skill 2.9
The official wording · 9 outcomes
- 2.1
- Names the characteristics that define a habitat
- 2.2
- Names the characteristics that define a species
- 2.3
- Describes physical adaptations that enable animals and plants to improve their chances of survival
- 2.4
- Describes the stages in the evolution of living organisms
- 2.5
- Defines the cell as the structural unit of life
- 2.6
- Identifies the main cellular components visible under a microscope
- 2.7
- Distinguishes between asexual and sexual reproduction
- 2.8
- Names the main male and female reproductive organs
- 2.9
- Describes contraceptive methods
Key ideas
A habitat is defined by features like location, climate, flora, and fauna.
Physical adaptations are body features (coat colour matched to the environment, leaf shape).
The cell is the structural unit of life; all living things carry out nutrition, relationships, adaptation, reproduction.
Asexual reproduction needs one parent; sexual reproduction involves gametes from two.
An ecological niche is the organism's role: its habitat, diet, and daily rhythms.
Watch out for
- Thinking habitat and niche mean the same thing (where vs how it lives).
- Thinking an organism changes its own body on purpose to adapt.
- Thinking you can see individual atoms in a cell under a school microscope.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 3 · 9 skills
The Earth and Space
Earth's structure and relief
Inside the Earth
I can describe Earth's internal layers and explain what the lithosphere is.
Skill 3.1
Relief and human activity
I can link the shape of the land to geological processes and to how people use it.
Skill 3.2
Rocks, minerals and soil
The three rock types
I can describe how the three rock types form and tell a rock from a mineral.
Skill 3.3
Classifying soil
I can classify a soil by what it is made of.
Skill 3.4
Water and air on Earth
Fresh and salt water
I can describe how Earth's water is distributed and how the hydrosphere and atmosphere interact.
Skill 3.5
Layers and composition of the atmosphere
I can name the atmosphere's layers and describe what clean air is made of.
Skill 3.6
A changing Earth: plates, volcanoes, water cycle
Plate tectonics and its effects
I can describe plate tectonics and the phenomena it causes.
Skill 3.7
Erosion, wind and the water cycle
I can describe erosion and the water cycle and tell renewable from nonrenewable energy.
Skill 3.8
Earth in space
Gravitation and light
I can define gravitation and describe basic properties of light.
Skill 3.9
The official wording · 9 outcomes
- 3.1
- Describes the main characteristics of the three parts of the internal structure of the Earth
- 3.2
- Describes relationships between relief and geological and geophysical phenomena
- 3.3
- Describes the formation of three types of rock: igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary
- 3.4
- Classifies soils based on their composition
- 3.5
- Describes the distribution of fresh water and salt water on the Earth's surface
- 3.6
- Locates the main layers of the atmosphere
- 3.7
- Describes the main elements of the theory of tectonic plates
- 3.8
- Describes different types of erosion
- 3.9
- Defines gravitation as a force of mutual attraction between bodies
Key ideas
Earth has three main layers: crust, mantle, core.
Igneous rock forms from cooled magma, sedimentary from compressed sediment, metamorphic from heat and pressure.
Most of Earth's water is salt water; fresh water is a small share, much locked in glaciers.
Plate tectonics: Earth's outer shell is broken into moving plates (with subduction zones and ridges).
Gravitation is a force of mutual attraction between all bodies.
Watch out for
- Thinking the crust is the thickest layer (it is the thinnest).
- Thinking all rocks are the same kind of material.
- Thinking fresh water is unlimited because we see so much of it.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 4 · 6 skills
The Technological World
Reading technical diagrams
Diagram of principles
I can read a diagram of principles and use it to explain how a simple object works.
Skill 4.1
Forces and simple machines
Motion and force in objects
I can identify how parts move and describe what a force does in a technical object.
Skill 4.2
Technological systems and energy
Parts of a technological system
I can identify a technological system and describe its parts and how they work together.
Skill 4.3
Energy transformations in objects
I can identify how energy is transformed inside a technical object.
Skill 4.4
Materials and designing objects
Materials in technical objects
I can identify the materials in an object, trace their origin, and link a material to its use.
Skill 4.5
Tools, specifications and process sheets
I can name the tools of manufacture and follow a plan to build an object to specifications.
Skill 4.6
The official wording · 6 outcomes
- 4.1
- Defines a diagram of principles as a representation used to effectively explain the operation of a technical object
- 4.2
- Identifies parts that move in a specific way in a technical object
- 4.3
- Identifies a system (set of connected elements that interact with each other) in a technical object
- 4.4
- Associates energy with radiation, heat or motion
- 4.5
- Associates raw materials with the unprocessed materials used in an industry
- 4.6
- Defines tools and equipment as the elements needed to manufacture an object
Key ideas
A diagram of principles shows how a technical object operates — its forces and motions.
Parts move in specific ways: rectilinear translation, rotation, helical.
A system is a set of connected elements that interact; it has a function, inputs, processes, control, and outputs.
Raw materials come from nature; a technical object often uses several materials.
It maps functional elements to the object's action.
Watch out for
- Thinking a diagram of principles shows how to build the object (that is a construction diagram).
- Thinking a stationary part experiences no forces.
- Thinking a system is just a pile of parts, not interacting elements.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Plan the term
Pick your term and the days you study. Each unit gets its share of the weeks and comes back a week later for a review. The last two weeks go over the whole course.
The official curriculum
This page follows Quebec’s own curriculum for Science and Technology, Secondary 1.
Study it in MapleMind
MapleMind teaches Science and Technology, Secondary 1 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.


Course Companion
Your year in one workbook
A fun way to keep Science and Technology, Secondary 1 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
- 32
- Fillable fields
- 1,478
- Price
- $4.99
Questions about Science and Technology, Secondary 1
What is Science and Technology, Secondary 1?
Quebec’s Secondary 1 science course: 4 units and 33 skills, from The Material World to The Technological World.
What units are in Science and Technology, Secondary 1?
1. The Material World, 2. The Living World, 3. The Earth and Space and 4. The Technological World.
Is there a provincial exam for Science and Technology, Secondary 1?
No. Quebec gives no provincial exam for Science and Technology, Secondary 1.
What comes after Science and Technology, Secondary 1?
Science and Technology, Secondary 2.
Can MapleMind help with Science and Technology, Secondary 1?
Yes. MapleMind teaches every skill of Science and Technology, Secondary 1, 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.