BC Curriculum (Big Ideas) List of Social Studies and Science Topics Organized by Grade Level (2018)
GRADE Social Studies Topics
Our communities are diverse.
Kindergarten Stories and traditions about
ourselves and our families.
Rights, roles and
responsibilities shape our
identity and help us build
healthy relationships.
People, places and events in
the local community and in
First Peoples community.
We shape the local
Grade One environment & it shapes us.
Our rights roles and
responsibilities are important
for building strong
communities.
Healthy communities
recognize and respect the
diversity of individuals and
the environment and care for
it.
Local actions have global
Grade Two consequences and global
actions have local
consequences. Canada is
made up of many diverse
regions and communities.
Individuals have rights and
responsibilities as global
citizens.
Learning about indigenous
Grade Three people nurtures multicultural
awareness and respect for
diversity. People from
diverse cultures share
commonalities. Indigenous
knowledge is passed down
through oral traditions and
collective memory.
Indigenous societies value
the self, land, spirit and
ancestors.
Science Topics
Plants and animals have
observable features.
Humans interact with matter
every day through familiar
materials.
The motion of objects
depends on their properties.
Daily and seasonal changes
affect all living things.
Living things have features
that allow them to survive.
Matter is useful because of
its properties.
Light and sound can be
produced and properties can
be changed.
Observable patterns and
changes occur in the local sky
and landscape.
Living things have life cycles
adapted to their
environment.
Materials can be changed
through chemical and
physical processes. Forces
influence motion.
Water is essential to all living
things and it cycles through
the environment.
Living things are diverse, can
be grouped and interact in
their ecosystems.
All matter is made up of
particles.
Thermal energy can be
produced and transferred.
Wind, water and ice change
the shape of the land.
GRADE Social Studies
The pursuit of natural resources
has played a role in changing land,
Grade Four people and communities.
Interactions between First
Peoples and Europeans led to
conflict and cooperation and
continues to shape Canada’s
identity. Demographic changes in
North America created shifts in
economic and political power. BC
followed a unique path in
becoming part of Canada.
Canada’s policies and treatment
of minorities have negative and
Grade Five positive legacies. Natural
resources continue to shape the
economy and regions of Canada.
Immigration and multiculturalism
shape Canada’s society and
identity. Our institutions and
govt. reflect the challenge of our
regional diversity.
Economic self-interest can cause
conflict. Complex global problems
Grade Six require international cooperation.
Systems of govt vary in respect of
human rights and freedoms.
Media sources can affect
positively and negatively our
understanding of events/causes.
Geographic conditions shaped the
emergence of civilizations.
Grade Seven Religious and cultural practices
have endured and continue to
influence people. Complex
societies require new systems of
laws and government. Economic
specialization and trade networks
can lead to conflict and
cooperation between societies.
Science
All living things sense and respond
to their environment. Matter has
mass, can take up space and
change phase.
Energy can be transferred.
The motions of Earth and Moon
cause observable patterns and
affect living and non-living
systems.
Multicellular organisms have
organ systems that enable them
to survive and interact within their
environment. Solutions are
homogeneous. Machines are
devices that transfer energy and
force. Earth materials change as
they move around the rock cycle
and can be used as resources.
Multicellular organisms rely on
internal systems to survive,
reproduce and interact. Every day
materials are often mixtures.
Newton’s three laws of motion
describe the relationship between
force and motion. Solar system is
part of the Milky Way and part of
billions of galaxies.
Evolution by natural selection
explains the diversity and survival
of living things. Elements consist
of one type of atom and
compounds consist of atoms of
different elements.
Electromagnetic forces produces
electricity and magnetism. Earth
and its climate has changed over
geological times.