What is Smarter Science?
Smarter Science is a framework for teaching and learning science in grades 1-12 and for developing the skills of inquiry, creativity and innovation in a meaningful and engaging manner. Watching a classroom of students in a Smarter Science based activity is to see students active in investigation and problem solving, enabled by a teacher who helps them address challenges relevant to their world. As students progress, they become increasingly independent and self-confident learners.
Originally developed in the Thames Valley District School Board, Smarter Science was piloted in 50 schools over the past three years. The value of the framework began to be recognized by school boards across Ontario and in particular by Youth Science Canada. Smarter Science is now part of Youth Science Canada’s framework for engaging youth in science and providing a curricular connection to project-based science and science fairs. With the support of the Province of Ontario, Youth Science Canada aims to collaborate with every school board in the province, providing a common framework for the teaching of the revised Science and Technology Curriculum, with its renewed emphasis on inquiry and technological problem solving.
A key feature of Smarter Science is its open-source nature. All resources developed by cooperating boards and contributing teachers can be accessed online at no cost through the smarterscience.ca (and educasciences.ca) website and may be freely reproduced and distributed.
