Canada · Ontario Curriculum Expectations
Grade 7 Science
This course investigates the complex relationships between living organisms and their environments. Students explore cellular biology, ecological balance, the properties of matter, and the forces that shape our planet through hands-on inquiry and scientific modeling.
Interactions within Ecosystems
Students examine how biotic and abiotic components interact to maintain balance within local and global environments.
Investigating how energy moves from the sun through producers, consumers, and decomposers in a food web.
Analyzing how human activities like resource extraction and urban sprawl affect ecosystem health.
Exploring the physical and biological constraints that determine the carrying capacity of a habitat.
The Cellular Basis of Life
An exploration of the microscopic structures that perform the essential functions of life in all organisms.
Introduction to the microscope and the fundamental components of plant and animal cells.
Detailed study of how specific cell parts work together to process energy and waste.
Understanding how specialized cells organize into tissues, organs, and complex organ systems.
Pure Substances and Mixtures
Students investigate the particle theory of matter and use physical processes to separate various substances.
Exploring the behavior of particles in solids, liquids, and gases.
Investigating how solutes dissolve in solvents and the factors affecting the rate of dissolving.
Applying knowledge of physical properties to separate mixtures in industrial and environmental contexts.
Heat in the Environment
An analysis of heat as a form of energy and its transfer through conduction, convection, and radiation.
Distinguishing between the total kinetic energy of particles and the average measurement of warmth.
Examining how thermal energy moves through different states of matter and through space.
Evaluating materials and designs that minimize heat loss in homes and clothing.
Form and Function of Structures
Students study the forces acting on structures and how design choices impact strength, stability, and efficiency.
Identifying loads, tension, compression, torsion, and shear acting on various structures.
Investigating how the distribution of mass affects the balance and durability of a structure.
Analyzing the trade-offs between material use, cost, and structural integrity.
Earth's Crust and Geological Processes
Students explore the dynamic nature of Earth, including plate tectonics, rock formation, and mineral resources.
Understanding the transformation of Earth materials through heat, pressure, and weathering.
Investigating how the movement of lithospheric plates causes earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building.
Examining the formation of minerals and the environmental impacts of extracting them.