The K-12 aim of the Saskatchewan science education curricula is to enable all Saskatchewan students to develop scientific literacy. Scientific literacy today embraces Euro-Canadian and Indigenous heritages, both of which have developed an empirical and rational knowledge of nature. A Euro-Canadian way of knowing about the natural and constructed world is called science, while First Nations and Métis ways of knowing nature are often called Indigenous Knowledge.

Diverse learning experiences based on the outcomes in science will provide students with many opportunities to explore, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, appreciate, and understand the interrelationships among science, technology, society, and the environment (STSE) that will affect their personal lives, their careers, and their future.

The K-12 goals are broad statements identifying what students are expected to know and be able to do upon completion of the learning in a particular area of study, by the end of Grade 12. The four goals of K-12 science education are to:

• Understand the Nature of Science and STSE Interrelationships: Students will develop an understanding of the nature of science and technology; their interrelationships; and their social and environmental contexts, including interrelationships between the natural and constructed world.
• Construct Scientific Knowledge: Students will construct an understanding of concepts, principles, laws, and theories in life science, in physical science, in earth and space science, and in Indigenous Knowledge of nature; and then apply these understandings to interpret, integrate, and extend their knowledge.
• Develop Scientific and Technological Skills: Students will develop the skills required for scientific and technological inquiry, problem solving, and communicating; for working collaboratively; and for making informed decisions.
• Develop Attitudes that Support Scientific Habits of Mind: Students will develop attitudes that support the responsible acquisition and application of scientific, technological, and Indigenous Knowledge to the mutual benefit of self, society, and the environment.

Learning contexts provide entry points into the curriculum that engage students in inquiry-based learning to achieve scientific literacy:

• The scientific inquiry (SI) learning context reflects an emphasis on understanding the natural and constructed world using systematic empirical processes that lead to the formation of theories that explain observed events and that facilitate prediction.
• The technological problem solving (TPS) learning context reflects an emphasis on designing and building to solve practical human problems similar to the way an engineer would
• The STSE decision making (DM) learning context reflects the need to engage citizens in thinking about human and world issues through a scientific lens in order to inform and empower decision making by individuals, communities, and society.
• The cultural perspectives (CP) learning context reflects a humanistic perspective that views teaching and learning as cultural transmission and acquisition (Aikenhead, 2006).

To achieve the vision of scientific literacy in Kindergarten, children must increasingly become engaged in the planning, development, and evaluation of their own learning activities in the areas of the environment, energy, objects and materials, and natural surroundings. In the process, children should have the opportunity to work collaboratively with others, to initiate investigations, to communicate findings, and to complete projects that demonstrate learning.

In Kindergarten, scientific literacy will be achieved through inquiry as children explore, using their senses and extending their capabilities through the use of technology. Children in Kindergarten should be able to explain what they were looking for, how they looked for it, what they found, and what the findings mean.