Ontario · Grade 10 · 2026–27 · For parents

What your child learns in Grade 10 in Ontario

In Grade 10, Ontario students work through Mathematics, English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, French — 519 specific skills across 41 units, set by the province's official curriculum. This page lists them all in plain words, subject by subject, so you know exactly what "how was school?" is actually covering this year.

10Subjects
41Units
519Skills

Built from the official Ontario curriculum · free to start · web, iPhone & Android

How to read this page

Ontario publishes its curriculum as long official documents written for teachers. This page is the same content, translated for the fridge door: each subject below shows this year's units and the skills inside them. If a skill sounds unfamiliar, that's the point — now you know what to ask about at dinner.

Mathematics this year

Math builds in layers, and this year's layer matters — each unit below leans on the ones before it. In Ontario, that's Principles of Mathematics, Grade 10 (Academic) — 3 units, 45 skills.

Quadratic Relations of the Form y = ax² + bx + c

  • Collecting and graphing quadratic data
  • Effect of a, h, and k on the graph of y = x²
  • Expanding and simplifying second-degree polynomials
+ 18 more skills in this unit →

Analytic Geometry

  • Slopes of parallel and perpendicular lines
  • Solving linear systems by substitution or elimination
  • Developing and using the midpoint formula
+ 11 more skills in this unit →

Trigonometry

  • Verifying properties of similar triangles
  • Defining the sine, cosine, and tangent ratios
  • Exploring the development of the sine law
+ 7 more skills in this unit →

See the full Principles of Mathematics, Grade 10 (Academic) curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →

Mathematics this year

Math builds in layers, and this year's layer matters — each unit below leans on the ones before it. In Ontario, that's Foundations of Mathematics, Grade 10 (Applied) — 3 units, 34 skills.

Measurement and Trigonometry

  • Verifying properties of similar triangles
  • Defining the sine, cosine, and tangent ratios
  • Using the imperial system to solve measurement problems
+ 9 more skills in this unit →

Modelling Linear Relations

  • Solving first-degree equations, including fractional coefficients
  • Connecting rate of change to slope
  • Finding the point of intersection graphically
+ 9 more skills in this unit →

Quadratic Relations

  • Expanding and simplifying products and squares of binomials
  • Collecting and graphing quadratic data
  • Solving quadratic problems by interpreting a graph
+ 7 more skills in this unit →

See the full Foundations of Mathematics, Grade 10 (Applied) curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →

English Language Arts this year

Reading, writing, and speaking skills deepen this year — less "can they read it," more "what do they make of it." In Ontario, that's English, Grade 10, Academic — 4 units, 63 skills.

Oral Communication

  • Setting a purpose and goals for listening
+ 15 more skills in this unit →

Reading and Literature Studies

  • Reading diverse texts with a purpose
  • Characteristics of text forms
+ 12 more skills in this unit →

Writing

  • Identifying topic, purpose, and audience
  • Writing in a variety of forms for purposes and audiences
  • Spelling correctly using rules and resources
+ 18 more skills in this unit →

Media Studies

  • How media texts suit purposes and audiences
  • Characteristics of media forms
+ 10 more skills in this unit →

See the full English, Grade 10, Academic curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →

English Language Arts this year

Reading, writing, and speaking skills deepen this year — less "can they read it," more "what do they make of it." In Ontario, that's English, Grade 10, Applied — 4 units, 62 skills.

Oral Communication

  • Setting a purpose and goals for listening
+ 15 more skills in this unit →

Reading and Literature Studies

  • Reading diverse texts with a purpose
  • Characteristics of text forms
+ 12 more skills in this unit →

Writing

  • Identifying topic, purpose, and audience
  • Writing in a variety of forms for purposes and audiences
  • Spelling correctly using rules and resources
+ 17 more skills in this unit →

Media Studies

  • How media texts suit purposes and audiences
  • Characteristics of media forms
+ 10 more skills in this unit →

See the full English, Grade 10, Applied curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →

Science this year

Science gets more structured this year — real investigations, real explanations, real vocabulary. In Ontario, that's Science, Grade 10, Academic — 5 units, 70 skills.

Investigation Skills and Careers

  • Careers in the sciences
  • Scientists who contributed to these fields

Biology: Tissues, Organs, and Systems of Living Things

  • Ethical issues in systems-biology technology
  • Cell and system terminology
+ 14 more skills in this unit →

Chemistry: Chemical Reactions

  • Safety and environmental issues of reactions
  • Chemical-reaction terminology
+ 14 more skills in this unit →

Earth and Space Science: Climate Change

  • Effects of climate change
  • Climate-change terminology
+ 18 more skills in this unit →

Physics: Light and Geometric Optics

  • Devices for human perception of light
  • Light and optics terminology
+ 14 more skills in this unit →

See the full Science, Grade 10, Academic curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →

Science this year

Science gets more structured this year — real investigations, real explanations, real vocabulary. In Ontario, that's Science, Grade 10, Applied — 5 units, 64 skills.

Investigation Skills and Careers

  • Careers in the sciences
  • Scientists who contributed to these fields

Biology: Tissues, Organs, and Systems

  • Medical imaging technologies
  • Human cell and system terminology
+ 11 more skills in this unit →

Chemistry: Chemical Reactions and Their Practical Applications

  • Reactions in products and processes
  • Chemical-reaction terminology
+ 13 more skills in this unit →

Earth and Space Science: Earth's Dynamic Climate

  • Effects of climate change on living things
  • Climate terminology
+ 14 more skills in this unit →

Physics: Light and Applications of Optics

  • Colour theory in technology
  • Light and optics terminology
+ 16 more skills in this unit →

See the full Science, Grade 10, Applied curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →

Social Studies this year

Social studies widens the lens this year — history, geography, and how communities and governments work. In Ontario, that's Civics and Citizenship, Grade 10 — 3 units, 32 skills.

Civic Skills and Careers

  • Skills civics builds
+ 3 more skills in this unit →

Civic Awareness

  • Civic issues and perspectives
  • Canada's political parties
  • The Charter and constitutional documents
+ 17 more skills in this unit →

Civic Engagement and Action

  • The significance of civic contributions
  • Analysing a civic issue you care about
+ 6 more skills in this unit →

See the full Civics and Citizenship, Grade 10 curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →

Social Studies this year

Social studies widens the lens this year — history, geography, and how communities and governments work. In Ontario, that's Canadian History since World War I, Grade 10 (Academic) — 5 units, 61 skills.

Historical Skills and Careers

  • Skills history builds
+ 3 more skills in this unit →

Canada, 1914–1929

  • Demographic trends, 1914–29
  • Causes and consequences of WWI
  • Individuals and organizations
+ 11 more skills in this unit →

Canada, 1929–1945

  • Social changes, 1929–45
  • Cooperation and conflict
  • Individuals and organizations
+ 10 more skills in this unit →

Canada, 1945–1982

  • Demographic trends, 1945–82
  • Social conflict and inequality
  • Individuals and organizations
+ 13 more skills in this unit →

Canada, 1982 to the Present

  • Social and cultural trends
  • Cooperation and conflict since 1982
  • Individuals and organizations
+ 11 more skills in this unit →

See the full Canadian History since World War I, Grade 10 (Academic) curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →

Social Studies this year

Social studies widens the lens this year — history, geography, and how communities and governments work. In Ontario, that's Canadian History since World War I, Grade 10 (Applied) — 5 units, 53 skills.

Historical Skills and Careers

  • Skills history builds
+ 3 more skills in this unit →

Canada, 1914–1929

  • Social developments, 1914–29
  • Causes and consequences of WWI
  • Individuals and organizations
+ 9 more skills in this unit →

Canada, 1929–1945

  • Social developments, 1929–45
  • Cooperation and conflict
  • Individuals, organizations, and symbols
+ 9 more skills in this unit →

Canada, 1945–1982

  • Demographic trends, 1945–82
  • French and English Canada
  • Individuals, symbols, and events
+ 10 more skills in this unit →

Canada, 1982 to the Present

  • Social trends since 1982
  • Quebec and the federal government
  • Individuals and organizations
+ 9 more skills in this unit →

See the full Canadian History since World War I, Grade 10 (Applied) curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →

French this year

French builds through listening, speaking, and simple reading — confidence first, grammar second. In Ontario, that's Core French, Grade 10, Academic — 4 units, 35 skills.

Listening

  • Using listening strategies
  • Interactive listening strategies
  • Hearing about French-speaking communities worldwide
+ 4 more skills in this unit →

Speaking

  • Using speaking strategies
  • Speaking-interaction strategies
  • Speaking about French-speaking communities worldwide
+ 6 more skills in this unit →

Reading

  • Using reading strategies
  • Purpose of text forms
  • Reading about French-speaking communities worldwide
+ 6 more skills in this unit →

Writing

  • Identifying purpose and audience
  • Pre-writing: gathering ideas
  • Writing about French-speaking communities worldwide
+ 7 more skills in this unit →

See the full Core French, Grade 10, Academic curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →

Three ways parents use this list

At report-card timeMatch the teacher's comments to the units above — "working on number sense" stops being a mystery phrase.
At parent-teacher nightPick one unit per subject and ask "how is my child doing with this?" — specific questions get specific answers.
When they're stuckFind the exact skill on this page, open it in MapleMind, and the tutor teaches just that — step by step, as many times as it takes.

Common questions

What does my child learn in Grade 10 in Ontario?

Ontario's official curriculum sets out Mathematics, English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, French for Grade 10 — 519 specific skills in total. The big themes: Mathematics covers quadratic relations of the form y = ax² + bx + c and analytic geometry; Mathematics covers measurement and trigonometry and modelling linear relations; English Language Arts covers oral communication and reading and literature studies. The full list is on this page.

Is this the official Ontario curriculum?

It's built from Ontario's official program of studies, reorganized into plain language — and each subject links to a course page that quotes the ministry's own wording and links to the government source, so you can check our work. One honest caveat: we're not the ministry, curricula do change, and we can't guarantee this reflects the very latest revision, so confirm anything important against the live provincial curriculum data.

My child is finding one of these skills hard. What can I do?

That's normal — every skill on this page is one most kids wobble on at first. MapleMind teaches any of them one-on-one: a short lesson in plain words, a worked example, then solving together. It's free to start, on any device, in 14 languages.

Keep exploring

Knowing the list is half the job

The other half is the teaching — and that's what MapleMind does. Pick any skill on this page and see it taught properly, free, in under a minute.

MapleMind isn't affiliated with any ministry of education. We build these guides from each province's official program of studies and refresh them from time to time — but curricula change, and we can't guarantee this page reflects the very latest revision. Always confirm against the live provincial curriculum data. Last updated 2026-08-15.