What your child learns in Grade 9 in BC
Grade 9 builds towards the graduation years. Students work with rational numbers, exponent laws, polynomials, multi-step equations and linear relations, explore atoms, electric current and ecosystems, and study the Enlightenment, industrialization and Canada's story.
Grade 9 subjects in the BC Curriculum
Math
Big Ideas
- The principles and processes underlying operations with numbers apply equally to algebraic situations and can be described and analyzed.
- Computational fluency and flexibility with numbers extend to operations with rational numbers.
- Continuous linear relationships can be identified and represented in many connected ways to identify regularities and make generalizations.
8 units, including rational numbers, exponents & powers, polynomials, multi-step equations.
English Language Arts
Big Ideas
- Language and story can be a source of creativity and joy.
- Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world.
- People understand text differently depending on their worldviews and perspectives.
6 units, including close reading, literary elements, argument & rhetoric, grammar & style.
Science
Big Ideas
- Cells are derived from cells.
- The electron arrangement of atoms impacts their chemical nature.
- Electric current is the flow of electric charge.
6 units, including cells from cells, reproduction, atoms & electrons, electrons & compounds.
Social Studies
Big Ideas
- Emerging ideas and ideologies profoundly influence societies and events.
- The physical environment influences the nature of political, social, and economic change.
- Disparities in power alter the balance of relationships between individuals and between societies.
8 units, including enlightenment & revolutions, the industrial revolution, imperialism & colonialism, confederation & expansion.
French Immersion
Big Ideas
- Improving communication skills in a language helps us define ourselves and affirm our ideas.
- Language is a cultural tool, the common thread of knowledge and values.
- Studying a text on different levels allows the various meanings to be brought to light.
9 units, including registres et exposés oraux, la fable, le roman et ses personnages, les figures de style.
Core French
Big Ideas
- Listening and viewing with intent supports our acquisition and understanding of French.
- We can have meaningful conversations in French about things that are important to us.
- We can share our experiences and perspectives through stories.
11 units, including past, present, future, asking questions, putting events in order, needs and opinions.
What to look for on the report card
Look for comments on planning ahead for course choices, explaining reasoning in math and weighing perspectives in social studies and English.
BC report cards describe learning with Emerging, Developing, Proficient, Extending. See what each level means.
Core Competencies are part of every grade. Read about core competencies.
Ready for Grade 9?
Grade 9 builds on what your child practised in Grade 8. If a skill feels shaky, a few short practice sessions before or early in the year can help:
- Math: fraction operations, squares, cubes & roots, ratios, rates & proportions, percents & money, patterns & two-step equations
- English Language Arts: close reading, literary devices, argument & media, grammar & style, word study
- Science: cells & life processes, microbes & the immune system, particles & matter, light & radiation, plate tectonics
- Social Studies: medieval europe, the islamic world, trade & empires, renaissance & reformation, exploration & exchange
- French Immersion: les registres de langue, parler et se faire comprendre, la légende, le théâtre, le schéma narratif
- Core French: past, present, future, asking questions, how often?, opinions and reasons, comparing and contrasting
Common questions
What do kids learn in Grade 9 in British Columbia?
Grade 9 covers math, english language arts, science, social studies, french immersion, core french in the BC Curriculum. Grade 9 builds towards the graduation years. Students work with rational numbers, exponent laws, polynomials, multi-step equations and linear relations, explore atoms, electric current and ecosystems, and study the Enlightenment, industrialization and Canada's story.
How is Grade 9 reported in BC?
BC report cards describe learning with Emerging, Developing, Proficient, Extending.
How can I help my Grade 9 child at home?
Short, regular practice works better than long sessions: 10 to 15 minutes a few times a week, on the skills your child's teacher flags. Read together, use math in real life, and praise effort.
Practise Grade 9 skills with Gradelings
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