We need to focus on the most important learning in the course: the big ideas. We also need to look pragmatically at what learning is needed in later courses. Here is my advice for the content in each unit:
Static Electricity
Focus on charged objects, charge diagrams, properties of conductors and insulators
Omit induced charge separation (polarization), lists of charging techniques, electrostatic series, applications in devices
Current Electricity
Focus on the ideas of current, voltage, and resistance in loads and sources, Ohm's law.
Omit series and parallel circuits
The Atom
Focus on Bohr-Rutherford model, stability and reactivity, periodic table
Omit retired historical models, trends in the periodic table other than reactivity
Physical and Chemical Properties and Change
Focus on the particle model of matter and a particle-based (picture-based) explanations of physical and chemical change
Omit the lists of information (physical, chemical properties, evidence for change, etc.) and related lessons.
Astronomy
The content is little used in other high school science courses despite how interesting it is! See how your time goes.
Focus on what we see in the daytime sky, how stars work, stellar life cycle, big bang model
Omit lots of little topics.
Ecology
Focus on biodiversity, the movement of matter and energy through living systems, photosynthesis, cellular respiration
Omit populations, trophic levels, pyramids, disruptions
York Mills inquiry-based lessons
All our teaching resources are online. The daily lessons are 1 page (double-sided) sheets that are easy to share with students. New videos have been included that replicate observations students would make in class.
A sequence of lessons complete with quizzes - gets into higher grade material quickly!
Lessons from Jeff Tebbens (Ursula Franklin Academy)
Jeff has lessons carefully laid out with powerpoints that cover the core content, along with some activity sheets and videos.
Lessons from Jeff Tebbens (Ursula Franklin Academy)
Jeff has lessons carefully laid out with powerpoints that cover the core content, along with some activity sheets and videos.
Lessons for PhET experiments
based on Chapter 12 and 13 of the Nelson text courtesy of Karen Randall (Agincourt)
Balloons and Static Electricity - PHET interactive
Virtual tours in biology (Sonoran desert, Tropical rainforest of Panama, Temperate forests) [ask a biologist]