The Science Curriculum in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades
In Québec, science and technology is a compulsory subject from Elementary 3 to Secondary IV.5,6 In Elementary Cycle I, science and technology is taught as part of other subjects. In Elementary Cycles II and III, the Basic School Regulation indicates that science and technology is compulsory, but the time allocated for instruction is not prescribed. In Secondary Cycle I, the instructional time guideline is 100 hours per year. In the third and final year of Secondary Cycle II (Secondary V), science and technology programs are optional. Students who wish to pursue studies in science or in certain technical training programs in college (i.e., the 12th and 13th years of study) must complete Secondary V physics and/or chemistry.
Learning science and technology in elementary school enables students to:
- Propose explanations for or solutions to scientific or technological problems
- Make the most of their scientific and technological knowledge
- Communicate in the languages used in science and technology
Given the wide range of knowledge covered in the elementary school program, and the fact that teachers are free to choose the themes they will address, complementary documents7,8 provide additional information on the areas that should be emphasized. Exhibit 3 presents the science content objectives for Elementary Cycle II (Grade 4) in Québec.
Exhibit 3: Science Content Objectives for Elementary Cycle II (Grade 4) in Québec
| Content Areas | Content Objectives |
| The Material World | Properties and characteristics of matter; physical changes; forms and sources of energy; transmission and transformation of energy; motion; effects of forces; and simple machines and mechanisms |
| Earth and Space | Properties and characteristics of soil; the water cycle and precipitation; forms and sources of energy; and systems involving the Sun, Earth, and the Moon (e.g., rotation, revolution, lunar cycle, and eclipses) |
| Living Things | Characteristics, needs, organization, and transformations of living things; sources of energy for living things; how animals move; and the environment (i.e., habitats, populations, relationships between living things, and adaptations) |
| Techniques | The use of simple measuring and observation instruments; and the design and manufacture of instruments, structures, mechanisms, and environments |
| Appropriate Language | The use of terminology associated with science and technology; and types of representation specific to science and technology |
Exhibit 4 presents the science and technology content objectives for Secondary Cycle I (Grade 8) in Québec.
Exhibit 4: Science and Technology Content Objectives for Secondary Cycle I (Grade 8) in Québec
| Content Area | Main Topics | Content Objectives |
| The Living World | Diversity of life forms | Habitat; ecological niche; species; population; physical and behavioral adaptations; differences and similarities between different species; taxonomy; transmission of hereditary characteristics to future generations through genes and chromosomes; and use of techniques to design and create environments |
| Survival of species | Asexual and sexual reproduction; reproductive mechanisms in plants and animals; birth control; contraception; methods of preventing the implantation of the zygote in the uterus; and sexually transmitted diseases and blood-borne diseases | |
| Life-sustaining processes | Characteristics of living things; plant and animal cells; photosynthesis and respiration; cellular components visible under a microscope; inputs and outputs (i.e., energy, nutrients, and waste); and osmosis and diffusion | |
| The Material World | Properties | Characteristic properties of matter; mass, volume, and temperature; changes in the states of matter (i.e., solid, liquid, gaseous); and acidity/alkalinity |
| Changes | Physical and chemical changes; conservation of matter (i.e., conservation of the number of atoms); mixtures; solutions; and separation of mixtures | |
| Organization | The difference between atoms and molecules; elements; and the periodic table | |
| Earth and Space | General characteristics of Earth | The internal structure of Earth; the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere ; types of rock (basic minerals); types of soil; relief; atmospheric layers; water (distribution); and air (composition) |
| Geological and geophysical phenomena | Tectonic plates; volcanos; earthquakes; orogenesis; erosion; natural energy sources; winds; the water cycle; and renewable and nonrenewable energy resources | |
| Astronomical phenomena | Universal gravitation (qualitative study); the solar system; light (properties); cycles of day and night; phases of the moon; eclipses; seasons; comets; aurora borealis (northern lights); and meteoroid impacts | |
| The Technological World | Engineering | Specifications; design plan and technical drawing; manufacturing process sheets; raw materials; materials; equipment; drawing techniques; using scales; and manufacturing techniques |
| Technological systems | Systems (overall function, inputs, processes, outputs, and control); components of a system; basic mechanical functions (links, guiding controls); and energy transformations | |
| Forces and motion based on the analysis of technical objects | Types of motion; effects of forces; simple machines; mechanisms that transmit motion; and mechanisms that bring about changes in motion |