This course enables students to develop an understanding of mathematical concepts related to algebra, analytic geometry, and measurement and geometry through investigation, the effective use of technology, and abstract reasoning. Students will investigate relationships, which they will then generalize as equations of lines, and will determine the connections between different representations of a linear relation. They will also explore relationships that emerge from the measurement of three-dimensional figures and two-dimensional shapes. Students will reason mathematically and communicate their thinking as they solve multi-step problems.

This course provides opportunities for students to explore dramatic forms, conventions, and techniques. Students will explore a variety of dramatic sources from various cultures and representing a range of genres. Students will use the elements of drama in creating and communicating through dramatic works. Students will assume responsibility for decisions made in the creative and collaborative processes and will reflect on their experiences.

Prerequisite: None

This course requires students to create and perform in dramatic presentations. Students will analyse, interpret, and perform dramatic works from various cultures and time periods. Students will research various acting styles and conventions that could be used in their presentations, and analyse the functions of playwrights, directors, actors, designers, technicians, and audiences.

Prerequisite: Drama, Grade 9 or 10, Open

This course enables students to develop their skills in producing and presenting art by introducing them to new ideas, materials, and processes for artistic exploration and experimentation. Students will apply the elements and principles of design when exploring the creative process. Students will use the critical analysis process to reflect on and interpret art within a personal, contemporary, and historical context.

Prerequisite: None

This course enables students to further develop their knowledge and skills in visual arts. Students will use the creative process to explore a wide range of themes through studio work that may include drawing, painting, sculpting, and printmaking, as well as the creation of collage, multimedia works, and works using emerging technologies. Students will use the critical analysis process when evaluating their own work and the work of others. The course may be delivered as a comprehensive program or through a program focused on a particular art form (e.g., photography, video, computer graphics, information design).

Prerequisite: Visual Arts, Grade 9 or 10, Open

This course focuses on enabling students to refine their use of the creative process when creating and presenting two- and three-dimensional art works using a variety of traditional and emerging media and technologies. Students will use the critical analysis process to deconstruct art works and explore connections between art and society. The studio program enables students to explore a range of materials, processes, and techniques that can be applied in their own art production. Students will also make connections between various works of art in personal, contemporary, historical, and cultural contexts.

Prerequisite: Visual Arts, Grade 11, University/College Preparation

This course introduces students to the world of business. Students will develop an understanding of the functions of business, including accounting, marketing, information and communication technology, human resources, and production, and of the importance of ethics and social responsibility. This course builds a foundation for further studies in business and helps students develop the business knowledge and skills they will need in their everyday lives.

Prerequisite: None

This course introduces the fundamental concepts of product marketing, which includes the marketing of goods, services, and events. Students will examine how trends, issues, global economic changes, and information technology influence consumer buying habits. Students will engage in marketing research, develop marketing strategies, and produce a marketing plan for a product of their choice.

Prerequisite: None

This course introduces students to the fundamental principles and procedures of accounting. Students will develop financial analysis and decision-making skills that will assist them in future studies and/or career opportunities in business. Students will acquire an understanding of accounting for a service and a merchandising business, computerized accounting, financial analysis, and ethics and current issues in accounting.

Prerequisite: None

This course introduces students to advanced accounting principles that will prepare them for postsecondary studies in business. Students will learn about financial statements for various forms of business ownership and how those statements are interpreted in making business decisions. This course expands students’ knowledge of sources of financing, further develops accounting methods for assets, and introduces accounting for partnerships and corporations.

Prerequisite: Financial Accounting Fundamentals, Grade 11, University/College Preparation

This course provides an overview of the importance of international business and trade in the global economy and explores the factors that influence success in international markets. Students will learn about the techniques and strategies associated with marketing, distribution, and managing international business effectively. This course prepares students for post- secondary programs in business, including international business, marketing, and management.

Prerequisite: None

This course focuses on the development of leadership skills used in managing a successful business. Students will analyse the role of a leader in business, with a focus on decision- making, management of group dynamics, workplace stress and conflict, motivation of employees, and planning. Effective business communication skills, ethics, and social responsibility are also emphasized.

Prerequisite: None

This course examines interrelationships within and between Canada’s natural and human systems and how these systems interconnect with those in other parts of the world. Students will explore environmental, economic, and social geographic issues relating to topics such as transportation options, energy choices, and urban development. Students will apply the concepts of geographic thinking and the geographic inquiry process, including spatial technologies, to investigate various geographic issues and to develop possible approaches for making Canada a more sustainable place in which to live.

Prerequisite: None

This course explores social, economic, and political developments and events and their impact on the lives of different groups in Canada since 1914. Students will examine the role of conflict and cooperation in Canadian society, Canada’s evolving role within the global community, and the impact of various individuals, organizations, and events on Canadian identity, citizenship, and heritage. They will develop their ability to apply the concepts of historical thinking and the historical inquiry process, including the interpretation and analysis of evidence, when investigating key issues and events in Canadian history since 1914.

Prerequisite: None

This course explores rights and responsibilities associated with being an active citizen in a democratic society. Students will explore issues of civic importance such as healthy schools, community planning, environmental responsibility, and the influence of social media, while developing their understanding of the role of civic engagement and of political processes in the local, national, and/or global community. Students will apply the concepts of political thinking and the political inquiry process to investigate, and express informed opinions about, a range of political issues and developments that are both of significance in today’s world and of personal interest to them.

Prerequisite: None

This course investigates interactions between natural and human systems, with a particular emphasis on the impacts of human activity on ecosystems and natural processes. Students will use the geographic inquiry process, apply the concepts of geographic thinking, and employ a variety of spatial skills and technologies to analyse these impacts and propose ways of reducing them. In the course of their investigations, they will assess resource management and sustainability practices, as well as related government policies and international accords. They will also consider questions of individual responsibility and environmental stewardship as they explore ways of developing a more sustainable relationship with the environment.

Prerequisite: Any university, university/college, or college preparation course in Canadian and world studies, English, or social sciences and humanities

This course explores issues and challenges facing the Canadian economy as well as the implications of various responses to them. Students will explore the economic role of firms, workers, and government as well as their own role as individual consumers and contributors, and how all of these roles affect stability and change in the Canadian economy. Students will apply the concepts of economic thinking and the economic inquiry process, including economic models, to investigate the impact of economic issues and decisions at the individual, regional, and national level.

Prerequisite: Canadian History since World War I, Grade 10, Academic or Applied

This course explores Canadian law, with a focus on legal issues that are relevant to the lives of people in Canada. Students will gain an understanding of laws relating to rights and freedoms in Canada; our legal system; and family, contract, employment, tort, and criminal law. Students will develop legal reasoning skills and will apply the concepts of legal thinking and the legal studies inquiry process when investigating a range of legal issues and formulating and communicating informed opinions about them.

Prerequisite: Canadian History since World War I, Grade 10, Academic or Applied

This course examines current Canadian and international economic issues, developments, policies, and practices from diverse perspectives. Students will explore the decisions that individuals and institutions, including governments, make in response to economic issues such as globalization, trade agreements, economic inequalities, regulation, and public spending. Students will apply the concepts of economic thinking and the economic inquiry process, as well as economic models and theories, to investigate, and develop informed opinions about, economic trade-offs, growth, and sustainability and related economic issues.

Prerequisite: Any university or university/college preparation course in Canadian and world studies, English, or social sciences and humanities.

This course explores a range of contemporary legal issues and how they are addressed in both Canadian and international law. Students will develop an understanding of the principles of Canadian and international law and of issues related to human rights and freedoms, conflict resolution, and criminal, environmental, and workplace law, both in Canada and internationally. Students will apply the concepts of legal thinking and the legal studies inquiry process, and will develop legal reasoning skills, when investigating these and other issues in both Canadian and international contexts.

Prerequisite: Any university or university/college preparation course in Canadian and world studies, English, or social sciences and humanities

This course introduces students to computer science. Students will design software independently and as part of a team, using industry-standard programming tools and applying the software development life-cycle model. They will also write and use subprograms within computer programs. Students will develop creative solutions for various types of problems as their understanding of the computing environment grows. They will also explore environmental and ergonomic issues, emerging research in computer science, and global career trends in computer-related fields.

Prerequisite: None

This course enables students to further develop knowledge and skills in computer science. Students will use modular design principles to create complex and fully documented programs, according to industry standards. Student teams will manage a large software development project, from planning through to project review. Students will also analyse algorithms for effectiveness. They will investigate ethical issues in computing and further explore environmental issues, emerging technologies, areas of research and computer science, and careers in the field.

Prerequisite: Introduction to Computer Science, Grade 11, University Preparation

This course is designed to extend the range of oral communication, reading, writing, and media literacy skills that students need for success in their secondary school academic programs and in their daily lives. Students will analyse literary texts from contemporary and historical periods, interpret and evaluate informational and graphic texts, and create oral, written, and media texts in a variety of forms. An important focus will be on the selective use of strategies that contribute to effective communication. This course is intended to prepare students for the compulsory Grade 11 university or college preparation course.

Prerequisite: English, Grade 9, Academic or Applied

This course emphasizes the development of literacy, communication and critical and creative thinking skills necessary for success in academic and daily life. Students will analyze challenging literary texts from various periods, countries, and cultures; as well as a range of informational and graphic texts, and create oral, written, and media texts in a variety of forms. An important focus will be on using language with precision and clarity and incorporating stylistic devices appropriately and effectively. The course is intended to prepare students for the compulsory Grade 12 university or college preparation course.

Prerequisite: English, Grade 10 Academic, ENG2D

This course emphasizes consolidation of literacy, communication, and critical and creative thinking skills necessary for success in academic and daily life. Students will analyze a range of challenging literary texts from various time periods, countries, and cultures; interpret and evaluate informational and graphic texts; and create oral, written, and media texts in a variety of forms. An important focus will be on using academic language coherently and confidently, selecting the reading strategies best suited to particular texts and particular purposes for reading, and developing greater control in writing. The course is intended to prepare students for university, college, or the workplace.

Prerequisite: English, Grade 11, University Preparation ENG3U

This course is designed to help students acquire and demonstrate the cross-curricular literacy skills that are evaluated by the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). Students who complete the course successfully will meet the provincial literacy requirement for graduation. Students will read a variety of informational, narrative, and graphic texts and will produce a variety of forms of writing, including summaries, information paragraphs, opinion pieces, and news reports. Students will also maintain and manage a portfolio containing a record of their reading experiences and samples of their writing.

Eligibility requirement: Students who have been eligible to write the OSSLT at least twice and who have been unsuccessful at least once are eligible to take the course. (Students who have already met the literacy requirement for graduation may be eligible to take the course under special circumstances, at the discretion of the principal.)

This course builds on students’ previous education and language knowledge to introduce them to the English language and help them adjust to the diversity in their new environment. Students will use beginning English language skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing for everyday and essential academic purposes. They will engage in short conversations using basic English language structures and simple sentence patterns; read short adapted texts; and write phrases and short sentences. The course also provides students with the knowledge and skills they need to begin to adapt to their new lives in Canada.

Prerequisite: None

This course extends students’ listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English for every day and academic purposes. Students will participate in conversations in structured situations on a variety of familiar and new topics; read a variety of texts designed or adapted for English language learners; expand their knowledge of English grammatical structures and sentence patterns; and link English sentences to compose paragraphs. The course also supports students’ continuing adaptation to the Ontario school system by expanding their knowledge of diversity in their new province and country.

Prerequisite: ESL Level 1 or equivalent

This course further extends students’ skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English for a variety of everyday and academic purposes. Students will make short classroom oral presentations; read a variety of adapted and original texts in English; and write using a variety of text forms. As well, students will expand their academic vocabulary and their study skills to facilitate their transition to the mainstream school program. This course also introduces students to the rights and responsibilities inherent in Canadian citizenship, and to a variety of current Canadian issues.

Prerequisite: ESL Level 2 or equivalent

This course prepares students to use English with increasing fluency and accuracy in classroom and social situations and to participate in Canadian society as informed citizens. Students will develop the oral-presentation, reading, and writing skills required for success in all school subjects. They will extend listening and speaking skills through participation in discussions and seminars; study and interpret a variety of grade-level texts; write narratives, articles, and summaries in English; and respond critically to a variety of print and media texts.

Prerequisite: ESL Level 3 or equivalent

This course provides students with the skills and strategies they need to make the transition to college and university preparation courses in English and other secondary school disciplines. Students will be encouraged to develop independence in a range of academic tasks. They will participate in debates and lead classroom workshops; read and interpret literary works and academic texts; write essays, narratives, and reports; and apply a range of learning strategies and research skills effectively. Students will further develop their ability to respond critically to print and media texts.

Prerequisite: ESL Level 4 or equivalent

Policy requirements for taking the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC) are contained in the curriculum policy document The Ontario Curriculum: English – The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC), Grade 12. Students who pass the course are considered to have met the literacy graduation requirement. The reading and writing competencies required by the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) form the instructional and assessment core of the course. The course differs from other courses in that it outlines specific requirements for evaluation in order to ensure alignment with the requirements of the OSSLT. If a student has had two opportunities to take the OSSLT and has failed it at least once, the student is eligible to enrol in the OSSLC. Principals have the discretion to allow a student to enrol in the OSSLC before he or she has had a second opportunity to take the OSSLT, if the principal determines that it is in the best educational interest of the student. Mature students may enrol directly in the OSSLC, as specified above in section 6.1.3.

The credit earned for successfully completing the OSSLC may also be used to meet the Grade 11 or the Grade 12 compulsory credit requirement in English or to meet the Group 1 compulsory credit requirement for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. A student cannot be granted credit for the OSSLC through the challenge process from the Prior Learning assessment and Recognition policy. For students with special education needs, accommodations specified in the student’s IEP must be available to the student throughout the course. However, because achievement of the expectations in this course represents fulfilment of the literacy requirement for graduation, no modifications of the expectations are permitted.

This course teaches students how to develop and achieve personal goals for future learning, work, and community involvement. Students will assess their interests, skills, and characteristics and investigate current economic and workplace trends, work opportunities, and ways to search for work. The course explores postsecondary learning and career options, prepares students for managing work and life transitions, and helps students focus on their goals through the development of a career plan.

Prerequisite: None

This course focuses on learning strategies to help students become better, more independent learners. Students will learn how to develop and apply literacy and numeracy skills, personal management skills, and interpersonal and teamwork skills to improve their learning and achievement in school, the workplace, and the community. The course helps students build confidence and motivation to pursue opportunities for success in secondary school and beyond.

Prerequisite: Recommendation of principal

This course enables students to develop their understanding of basic concepts in biology, chemistry, earth and space science, and physics, and to relate science to technology, society, and the environment. Throughout the course, students will develop their skills in the processes of scientific investigation. Students will acquire an understanding of scientific theories and con- duct investigations related to sustainable ecosystems; atomic and molecular structures and the properties of elements and compounds; the study of the universe and its properties and components; and the principles of electricity.

Prerequisite: None

This course enables students to deepen their understanding of chemistry through the study of the properties of chemicals and chemical bonds; chemical reactions and quantitative relationships in those reactions; solutions and solubility; and atmospheric chemistry and the behaviour of gases. Students will further develop their analytical skills and investigate the qualitative and quantitative properties of matter, as well as the impact of some common chemical reactions on society and the environment.

Prerequisite: Science, Grade 10, Academic

This course enables students to deepen their understanding of chemistry through the study of organic chemistry, the structure and properties of matter, energy changes and rates of reaction, equilibrium in chemical systems, and electrochemistry. Students will further develop their problem-solving and investigation skills as they investigate chemical processes, and will refine their ability to communicate scientific information. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of chemistry in everyday life and on evaluating the impact of chemical technology on the environment.

Prerequisite: Chemistry, Grade 11, University Preparation SCH3U

This course furthers students’ understanding of the processes that occur in biological systems. Students will study theory and conduct investigations in the areas of bio diversity; evolution; genetic processes; the structure and function of animals; and the anatomy, growth, and function of plants. The course focuses on the theoretical aspects of the topics under study, and helps students refine skills related to scientific investigation.

Prerequisite: Science, Grade 10, Academic

This course provides students with the opportunity for in-depth study of the concepts and processes that occur in biological systems. Students will study theory and conduct investigations in the areas of biochemistry, metabolic processes, molecular genetics, homeostasis, and population dynamics. Emphasis will be placed on the achievement of detailed knowledge and the refinement of skills needed for further study in various branches of the life sciences and related fields.

Prerequisite: Biology, Grade 11, University Preparation SBI3U Social Science and Humanities

This course enables students to explore the social construction of gender. Students will learn about the dynamic nature of gender roles and norms; sexism and power relations; and the impact of representations of women and men in the media, popular culture, and the arts. Students will analyse a range of gender equity issues, including gender-based violence and workplace equity, in both Canadian and global contexts. Students will develop and apply research skills and will design and implement a social action initiative relating to gender equity.

Prerequisite: None

This course provides students with opportunities to think critically about theories, questions, and issues related to anthropology, psychology, and sociology. Students will develop an understanding of the approaches and research methods used by social scientists. They will be given opportunities to explore theories from a variety of perspectives, to conduct social science research, and to become familiar with current thinking on a range of issues within the three disciplines.

Prerequisite: The Grade 10 academic course in English, or the Grade 10 academic history course (Canadian and world studies)

This course examines the relationships between food, energy balance, and nutritional status; the nutritional needs of individuals at different stages of life; and the role of nutrition in health and disease. Students will evaluate nutrition-related trends and will determine how food choices can promote food security and environmental responsibility. Students will learn about healthy eating, expand their repertoire of food-preparation techniques, and develop their social science research skills by investigating issues related to nutrition and health.

Prerequisite: Any university or university/college preparation course in social sciences and humanities, English, or Canadian and world studies

This course gives students the opportunity to explore the world of fashion. Students will learn how to create a fashion product using various tools, techniques, and technologies while developing their practical skills. Students will learn about various factors that affect the global fashion industry, the needs of specialized markets, and the impact of fiber and fabric production and care. In addition, they will learn about social and historical influences on fashion. Students will apply research skills when investigating aspects of the fashion world.

Prerequisite: Any university, college, or university/college preparation course in social sciences and humanities, English, or Canadian and world studies

This course focuses on the use of social science theories, perspectives, and methodologies to investigate and explain shifts in knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviour and their impact on society. Students will critically analyse how and why cultural, social, and behavioural patterns change over time. They will explore the ideas of social theorists and use those ideas to analyse causes of and responses to challenges such as technological change, deviance, and global inequalities. Students will explore ways in which social science research methods can be used to study social change.

Prerequisite: Any university or university/college preparation course in social sciences and humanities, English, or Canadian and world studies

This course examines the nature of culture; how cultural identities are acquired, maintained, and transformed; and theories used to analyse cultures. Students will explore world cultures, with an emphasis on the analysis of religious and spiritual beliefs, art forms, and philosophy. They will study the contributions and influence of a range of cultural groups and will critically analyse issues facing ethnocultural groups within Canada and around the world. Students will develop and apply research skills and will design and implement a social action initiative relating to cultural diversity.

Prerequisite: Any university, college, or university/college preparation course in social sciences and humanities, English, or Canadian and world studies

Cooperative education allows students to earn additional credits in a subject through a work placement in the community. The program involves the following elements: an individualized learning plan based on the curriculum expectations for a course and the job-specific expectations of the related placement; monitoring of students’ progress by a teacher; opportunities for students to analyze their out-of-school experiences and to integrate them with in-school learning; and an evaluation process to determine whether course expectations have been met. Westfield Secondary School does not offer Cooperative education.

Job Shadowing

Job Shadowing allows a student to spend one-half to one day (or, in some cases, up to three days) observing a worker in a specific occupation. Westfield Secondary School does not offer Job Shadowing.

The transformation of learning and teaching in physical and virtual environments that has been enabled by technology provides innovative opportunities that expand what, how, when, and where students learn. E-learning includes the use of digital learning resources in a virtual classroom setting, where there is a distance between the e-learning teacher and the students and/or among students. Students at Westfield who choose to enrol in an online credit course must inform the guidance counsellor. Westfield will retain the OSR as the student’s home school. It will be the student’s responsibility to acquire the necessary documentation that will prove the successful completion of any or all online credit courses. The student’s OST will not be updated without the appropriate documentation.

Continuing education supports learners of all ages by offering credit and non-credit learning opportunities outside the regular day school program and during the summer. These include:

✦ credit courses for adolescent and adult learners;

✦ international language programs for elementary school students (see section 2.5.3); Part Two: Secondary Schools 91

✦ remedial opportunities for students in Grades 7 and up to improve their literacy and mathematics skills;

✦ general-interest community programs and workshops for learners of all ages;

✦ literacy upgrading programs for adults offered by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities;

✦ English as a second language / French as a second language programs for adults offered by the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration.

A statement of the student’s achievement in all credit courses delivered through continuing education will be issued to the student by the principal of the continuing education school. The student’s achievement will also be reported to the principal of the school that holds the student’s Ontario Student Record for recording on the Ontario Student Transcript

Independent study is an arrangement by which a student is excused from attending some or all classes in a course in order to study independently but under the supervision of a teacher. Courses delivered through the Independent Learning Centre (see section 10.5) may form part of independent study. There is no restriction on the number of periods that a teacher may allow for independent study within any given course. The teacher of the course is responsible for assigning components of the course, suggesting available resources, evaluating the achievement of the student, and ensuring that the total work involved is equivalent to that expected in the time scheduled for the course. Students are expected to demonstrate achievement of the overall curriculum expectations of the course. The principal will record the student’s achievement on the Ontario Student Transcript.

Westfield is please to help students achieve additional credit courses towards their OSSD in addition to those taken at the home school. Should a student enrol in part-time studies, Westfield will inform the home school with a written notification. Upon successful completion of the course, a student will receive a transcript from Westfield indicating all coursework in accordance to the full disclosure policy outlined in this document. The student, or his/her parent/guardian must provide written consent for Westfield to submit the transcript to the home school.