The Ontario Science Centre is committed to supporting excellence in science and technology education. Its mission is "to open minds to science and technology". The IMAX® Dome experience provides teachers and students with an opportunity to develop scientific and technological literacy by supporting the three goals of the Ontario Science and Technology curriculum.
- understand the basic concepts of science and technology
- develop the skills, strategies, and habits of mind required for scientific inquiry & technological design
- relate scientific and technological knowledge to each other and to the world outside the school
For each film, you will find a chart of the curriculum expectations that the film supports at each grade level. Chosen for their educational value, curriculum connections and quality, these films act as catalysts to excite a student's interest in science and technology.
Tornado Alley
Curriculum Connections
| Grade | Topic | Expectations |
|---|
| Strand: Understanding Structures and Mechanisms |
|---|
| 5 | Forces Acting on Structures and Mechanisms |
| 1.1 |
analyse the effects of forces from natural phenomena (e.g., tornadoes) on the natural and built environment |
| 3.2 |
identify external forces acting on a structure (e.g., wind blowing on a tent), and describe their effects on the structure, using diagrams |
| 3.4 |
describe forces resulting from natural phenomena that can have severe consequences for structures in the environment (e.g., a house loses its roof in a wind storm), and identify structural features that help overcome some of these forces (e.g., cross supports for roofs, steel beams in bridges) |
|
|---|
| Strand: Understanding Earth and Space Systems |
|---|
| 7 | Heat in the Environment |
| 3.5 |
explain how heat is transmitted through convection, and describe natural processes that depend on convection (e.g., thunderstorms, land and sea breezes) |
|
|---|
Rocky Mountain Express
Curriculum Connections
| Grade | Topic | Expectations |
|---|
| Strand: Understanding Structures and Mechanisms |
|---|
| 3 | Strong and Stable Structures |
| 3.1 |
define a structure as a supporting framework, with a definite size, shape, and purpose, that holds a load |
| 3.3 |
identify the strength of a structure as its ability to support a load |
| 3.4 |
identify the stability of a structure as its ability to maintain balance and stay fixed in one spot |
| 3.5 |
identify properties of materials that need to be considered when building structures |
| 3.7 |
describe ways to improve a structure’s strength and stability |
| 3.8 |
explain how strength and stability enable a structure to perform a specific function |
|
|---|
| Strand: Understanding Earth and Space Systems |
|---|
| 5 | Conservation of Energy and Resources |
| 3.1 |
identify a variety of forms of energy and give examples from everyday life of how that energy is used |
| 3.2 |
identify renewable and non-renewable sources of energy |
| 3.3 |
describe how energy is stored and transformed in a given device or system |
| 3.4 |
recognize that energy cannot be created or destroyed but can only be changed from one form to another |
| 3.5 |
explain that energy that is apparently “lost” from a system has been transformed into other energy forms (usually heat or sound) that are not useful to the system |
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|---|
| Strand: Understanding Structures and Mechanisms |
|---|
| 5 | Forces Acting on Structures and Mechanisms |
| 3.2 |
identify external forces acting on a structure (e.g. the movement caused by a passing train…), and describe their effects on the structure, using diagrams |
|
|---|
| Strand: Understanding Structures and Mechanisms |
|---|
| 7 | Form and Function |
| 3.1 |
classify structures as solid structures, frame structures, or shell structures |
|
|---|
| Strand: Understanding Earth and Space Systems |
|---|
| 7 | Heat in the Environment |
| 3.2 identify ways in which heat is produced |
|
|---|
| Strand: Understanding Matter and Energy |
|---|
| 3 | Forces Causing Movement |
| 3.1 |
3.1 identify a force as a push or a pull that causes an object to move |
|
|---|
| Strand: Understanding Structures and Mechanisms |
|---|
| 8 | Systems in Action |
| 3.1 |
identify various types of systems |
| 3.2 |
identify the purpose, inputs, and outputs of various systems |
| 3.3 |
identify the various processes and components of a system that allow it to perform its function efficiently and safely |
|
|---|
Under the Sea
Curriculum Connections
| Grade | Topic | Expectations |
|---|
| Strand: Understanding Life Systems |
|---|
| 1 | Needs and Characteristics of Living Things |
| 1.2 |
describe changes or problems that could result from the loss of some kinds of living things ... |
| 2.2 |
investigate and compare the basic needs of humans and other living things, including the need for air, water, food, warmth, and space, using a variety of methods and resources |
| 2.3 |
investigate and compare the physical characteristics of a variety of plants and animals, including humans |
| 3.1 |
identify environment as the area in which something or someone exists or lives |
| 3.4 |
describe the characteristics of a healthy environment, including clean air and water and nutritious food, and explain why it is important for all living things to have a healthy environment |
| 3.5 |
describe how showing care and respect for all living things helps to maintain a healthy environment |
| 3.6 |
identify what living things provide for other living things |
|
|---|
| Strand: Understanding Life Systems |
|---|
| 7 | Interactions in the Environment |
| 3.1 |
demonstrate an understanding of an ecosystem as a system of interactions between living organisms and their environment |
| 3.4 |
describe the transfer of energy in a food chain and explain the effects of the elimination of any part of the chain |
| 3.8 |
describe ways in which human activities and technologies alter balances and interactions in the environment |
|
|---|
| Strand: Understanding Life Systems |
|---|
| 4 | Habitats and Communities | |
|---|
| Strand: Understanding Life Systems |
|---|
| 2 | Growth and Changes in Animals |
| 1.1 |
identify positive and negative impacts that animals have on humans (society) and the environment… |
| 1.2 |
identify positive and negative impacts that different kinds of human activity have on animals and where they live… |
| 2.2 |
observe and compare the physical characteristics and the behavioural characteristics of a variety of animals, using a variety of methods and resources |
| 2.5 |
• 2.5 investigate the ways in which a variety of animals adapt to their environment and/or to changes in their environment, using various methods |
| 3.2 |
describe an adaptation as a characteristic body part, shape, or behaviour that helps a plant or animal survive in its environment |
| 3.3 |
identify ways in which animals are helpful to, and ways in which they meet the basic needs of, living things, including humans, to explain why humans should protect animals and the places where they live |
| 3.4 |
identify ways in which animals can be harmful to humans |
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| Strand: Understanding Life Systems |
|---|
| 6 | Biodiversity |
| 2.2 |
investigate organisms found in a specific habitat… |
| 3.2 |
demonstrate an understanding of biodiversity as the variety of life on earth, including variety within each species of plant and animal, among species of plants and animals in communities, and among communities and the physical landscapes that support them |
| 3.4 |
describe ways in which biodiversity within and among communities is important for maintaining the resilience of these communities |
| 3.5 |
describe interrelationships within species, and explain how these interrelationships sustain biodiversity |
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