Department of Science

Department Goals

The overall aim of the Science Department and the science program is to ensure scientific literacy for every Macdonald graduate. This aim can be achieved by meeting three overall goals for every student.

The secondary science program, from Grade 9 through Grade 12 is designed to meet these goals:

to understand the basic concepts of science;
to develop the skills, strategies, and habits of mind required for scientific inquiry;
to relate science to technology, society, and the environment

Department Information

There are 13 teachers in the department and they do their best to fulfill the 3 goals above.

Lab Equipment & Facilities

Our Davis digital weather station, mounted on the roof of Macdonald C.I., tracks changes in the local temperature, barometric pressure, precipitation and wind speed and direction in real time, and can feed the data directly to our science labs.

To facilitate a more "hands-on" approach to enriched study in Astronomy in Grade 9 Science, the department includes in its inventory a Meade 395 - 90 mm refractor telescope for planetary and stellar observation.

Vernier digital data acquisition systems are used in Biology, Chemistry and Physics to collect data on displacements, accelerations, sound levels, radiation, conductivity, temperature changes, respiration, heart rate, nerve and muscle action.

Our Science Department's chemical stores currently stocks over 1000 different compounds used in Chemistry and Biology experiments.

Well over 400 preserved species are represented in the department's skeletal, soft tissue and microscopic collections.

Science Competitions

Macdonald has a long and proud tradition of student participation in a wide range of science competitions and challenges. This year's line up includes the following competitions:

The University of Toronto's Faculty of Engineering's Leonardo Da Vinci Physics Competition

The University of Waterloo's Sir Isaac Newton Physics Competition

The University of Waterloo's Chemistry 13 and Avogadro Chemistry competition

The University of Toronto's National Biology Competition

The McMaster University Science and Engineering Olympiad

Tutoring Information

Peer tutoring is available upon request during the lunch periods.

Courses Offered

Please click here for a listing of courses offered.