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Sciences

SNC1W

Live classes

Monday to Friday, 11:10 am–12:20 pm Toronto time

Science

This course enables students to develop their understanding of concepts related to biology, chemistry, physics, and Earth and space science, and to relate science to technology, society, and the environment. Throughout the course, students will develop and refine their STEM skills as they use scientific research, scientific experimentation, and engineering design processes to investigate concepts and apply their knowledge in situations that are relevant to their lives and communities. Students will continue to develop transferable skills as they become scientifically literate global citizens.

Price

$580

One Ontario credit. Online self-study, at your own pace.

Live classes included.How it works

Grade
9
Credit
1.0
Delivery
Online

Price

$580

No prerequisite. Open to all eligible students.

About this course

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This course enables students to develop their understanding of concepts related to biology, chemistry, physics, and Earth and space science, and to relate science to technology, society, and the environment. Throughout the course, students will develop and refine their STEM skills as they use scientific research, scientific experimentation, and engineering design processes to investigate concepts and apply their knowledge in situations that are relevant to their lives and communities. Students will continue to develop transferable skills as they become scientifically literate global citizens.

What you'll learn

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  1. Investigate core ideas across biology, chemistry, physics, and Earth and space science, in the lab and beyond.

  2. Use scientific research, experimentation, and engineering design to answer questions that matter in your own community.

  3. Connect what you learn to real issues in technology, society, and the environment.

  4. Build the STEM skills and habits of mind that Grade 10 science and the senior courses build on.

Prerequisites & pathway

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No prerequisite. Open to all eligible students.

Curriculum expectations

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The overall expectations set by the Ontario curriculum, grouped by strand. Drawn from The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9–10: Sciences (2022).

A. STEM Skills, Careers, and Connections

  • A1apply scientific processes and an engineering design process in their investigations to develop a conceptual understanding of the science they are learning, and apply coding skills to model scientific concepts and relationships
  • A2analyse how scientific concepts and processes can be applied in practical ways to address real-world issues and in various careers, and describe contributions to science from people with diverse lived experiences

B. Biology

  • B1assess impacts of climate change on ecosystem sustainability and on various communities, and describe ways to mitigate these impacts
  • B2demonstrate an understanding of the dynamic and interconnected nature of ecosystems, including how matter cycles and energy flows through ecosystems

C. Chemistry

  • C1assess social, environmental, and economic impacts of the use of elements, compounds, and associated technologies
  • C2demonstrate an understanding of the nature of matter, including the structure of the atom, physical and chemical properties of common elements and compounds, and the organization of elements in the periodic table

D. Physics

  • D1assess social, environmental, and economic impacts of electrical energy production and consumption, and describe ways to achieve sustainable practices
  • D2demonstrate an understanding of the nature of electric charges, including properties of static and current electricity

E. Earth and Space Science

  • E1evaluate social, environmental, and economic impacts of space exploration and of technological innovations derived from space exploration
  • E2demonstrate an understanding of the components, characteristics, and associated phenomena of the solar system and the universe, and the importance of the Sun to processes on Earth

How you'll study

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DeliveryOnline
Self-paced, fully online through Vaughan College's learning platform, with an Ontario-certified teacher who marks your work and answers your questions.
Live classesThis semester
Monday to Friday, 11:10 am–12:20 pm Toronto time, until January 15, 2027. We're teaching this course on campus, and you can join the class live by video call, included in the price. How booking works
Fast-trackAvailable
Complete the credit in a condensed schedule. Useful for upgrading, course recovery, or summer acceleration.
Credit value1.0 OSSD credit
Counts toward the 30 credits required for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

Assessment and evaluation

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Every Vaughan College course follows Ontario’s Growing Success policy. Assessment is continuous: teachers gather evidence of learning through observation, conversation, and student work, and give feedback that helps a student improve before the work is graded.

Evaluation — the judgement that produces a mark — measures achievement of the Ontario curriculum expectations across four categories: Knowledge and Understanding, Thinking, Communication, and Application. A student’s grade reflects how well they have met the expectations, with greatest weight given to their most consistent and most recent work.

The final grade

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The final percentage grade is based on two parts. Seventy percent comes from work completed throughout the course, weighted toward more recent and more consistent achievement. The remaining thirty percent comes from a final evaluation near the end of the course — an examination, performance, essay, or other culminating task suited to the subject.

Grades are reported against the provincial standard, where Level 3 (70 to 79 percent) represents the standard expected of students at that grade. A grade of 50 percent or higher earns the credit.

The report card

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Achievement is reported on the Ontario Provincial Report Card, which records the percentage grade and the credit earned for each course. Grades for completed credits carry forward onto the Ontario Student Transcript, the official record used for graduation and post-secondary admission.

The report card also reports six learning skills and work habits, separately from the academic grade: responsibility, organisation, independent work, collaboration, initiative, and self-regulation. These describe how a student approaches their learning, and universities and colleges do read them.

Considerations for program planning

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The Ontario curriculum asks every course to account for a set of cross-curricular considerations — the ways a subject connects to students’ broader development and to the world beyond the classroom. They shape how each course is planned and taught.

Students with special education needs

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Teachers plan for the full range of learners. Where a student has an Individual Education Plan, the accommodations, modifications, or alternative expectations it sets out are built into how the course is taught and assessed, so the student can demonstrate learning in the way that works for them.

English language learners

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Students who are still developing their English receive scaffolding — adjusted materials, extra time, and language support — while working toward the same curriculum expectations. Assessment separates what a student knows and can do from their stage of English acquisition.

Environmental education

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Wherever the subject allows, coursework draws connections to the environment and sustainability, helping students understand how the topics they study relate to the natural world and their responsibilities within it.

Healthy relationships

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Every course contributes to a school culture built on respect. Students practise the communication and collaboration skills that underpin healthy, equitable relationships with peers and teachers.

Equity and inclusive education

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Materials and discussion reflect a range of experiences and perspectives so every student sees themselves in the work. An inclusive classroom holds high expectations for all learners and treats difference as a strength.

Financial literacy

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Where it fits the subject, students apply mathematical and analytical thinking to real financial questions — budgeting, credit, and informed decision-making — so the skills carry into life after graduation.

Literacy, mathematical literacy, and inquiry skills

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Reading, writing, oral communication, numeracy, and structured inquiry are developed in every subject, not only in English and mathematics. These are the cross-curricular skills that make learning in every other course possible.

Critical thinking and critical literacy

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Students learn to weigh evidence, question assumptions, and interpret what they read, watch, and hear — distinguishing fact from opinion and recognising point of view and bias.

The role of the school library

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Library and information resources support research and independent reading. Students learn to locate, evaluate, and use sources responsibly, building the research habits that post-secondary study assumes.

Information and communications technology

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Technology is used to support learning and to build the digital skills students need, alongside an understanding of how to work online safely, responsibly, and with attention to their own well-being.

Education and career/life planning

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Coursework helps students connect what they are learning to their goals beyond high school, so each credit is a step in a deliberate plan rather than an isolated requirement.

Cooperative education and experiential learning

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Where a subject supports it, hands-on and experiential learning connect classroom study to real settings, giving students a clearer sense of how the material is used in work and in the community.

Health and safety

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In any course involving activity, equipment, or materials, safe practice is taught and expected. Students learn the procedures that protect themselves and others.

Ethics

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Many subjects raise questions of right and wrong. Students learn to examine ethical issues thoughtfully, consider more than one position, and support a view with reasons — including academic honesty in their own work.

Teaching and learning at Vaughan College

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Courses are taught in small classes, which lets teachers adapt to how each student learns. A single lesson might combine direct instruction, discussion, independent practice, collaborative work, and hands-on or inquiry-based tasks, chosen to suit the material and the students in the room.

Students receive regular, specific feedback and can move at a pace that fits their goals, whether they are working ahead, recovering a credit, or balancing school with other commitments. The aim is that every student understands not just what they are learning, but why it matters and where it leads.

Live Classes This Semester

Join SNC1W live from our Woodbridge classroom.

We’re teaching SNC1W on campus this semester. Take the course online at your own pace, and join the class live by video call whenever it helps, with the teacher and the students in the room.

The class follows the campus timetable, so a lesson may be ahead of or behind where you are in your own course. Many students use it to preview a unit or go over one again.

How live classes workAlready enrolled? Email to book
When
Monday to Friday, 11:10 am–12:20 pmToronto time
Dates
Until January 15, 2027No class on Thanksgiving (October 12), a PD day (November 20) and winter break (December 21 to January 1).
Cost
IncludedPart of the course price. Nothing to add at checkout.
To book
Email us 48 hours aheadWrite to admin@vaughancollege.ca with the date you’d like, and we’ll reply with a link to join by video call, through Google Classroom.

Next Step

Ready to add this credit?

Add the course to your cart for enrolment, or speak with our admissions team about pathway sequencing, prerequisites, and credit equivalency from a previous school.

Contact Admissions