Course Code:ENG4C
Course Description
This course emphasizes the consolidation of the literacy, communication, and critical and creative thinking skills necessary for academic and daily life success. Students will analyze a range of challenging literary texts from various periods, countries, and cultures, interpret and evaluate informational and graphic texts, and create oral, written, and media texts in various 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.
Department: English
Course Type: College Preparation
Credit Value: 1.0
Grade: 12
Prerequisite:English, Grade 11, College Preparation
Curriculum Policy Document:English, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12, 2007
Course Developer: Kanata Academy International
Teacher: To be determined at time of student registration
Development Date: 2021
Course Outline
English ENG4C - Total Hours (110 Hours)
Unit One: Personal resilience(25 Hours)
Unit Two: A resilient society (25 Hours)
Unit Three: Making meaning (25 Hours)
Unit Four: Recognizing resilience (25 Hours)
Unit Five: Rich Task Summative 30%(10 Hours)
Resources required by the student:
- Laptop and/or personal computer (preferably with Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox as a web browser)
- Stable internet connection
- Access to video recording and handwritten work scanning (mobile phone, tablet, iPad, webcams)
- Stable internet connection
Resources provided by Kanata Academy International
- Access to Google Suites or Microsoft Education for word processing software and presentation software. (The school will distribute accounts to students).
- Supplemental Readings
- Access to Canva for Education if needed
Note: This course is entirely online and does not require or rely on any textbook.
ENG3C – English,Grade 12, College Preparation
Overall Expectations:
By the end of this course, students will:
- Listening to Understand: listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a
variety of situations for a variety of purposes;
- Speaking to Communicate: use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes;
- Reflect on and identify their strengths as listeners and speakers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful in oral communication situations.
Overall Expectations:
By the end of this course, students will:
- Reading for Meaning: Read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, informational, and graphic texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning;
- Understanding Form and Style: Recognize a variety of text forms, text features, and stylistic elements and demonstrate understanding of how they help communicate meaning;
- Reading With Fluency: use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently;
- Reflect on and identify their strengths as readers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful before, during, and after reading.
Overall Expectations:
By the end of this course, students will:
- Developing and Organizing Content: Generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience;
- Using Knowledge of Form and Style: Draft and revise their writing, using a variety of literary, informational, and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience;
- Applying Knowledge of Conventions: Use editing, proofreading, and publishing skills and strategies, and knowledge of language conventions, to correct errors, refine expression, and present their work effectively;
- Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: Reflect on and identify their strengths as writers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful at different stages in the writing process.
Overall Expectations:
By the end of this course, students will:
- Understanding Media Texts: Demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts;
- Understanding Media Forms, Conventions, and Techniques: Iidentify some media forms and
explain how the conventions and techniques associated with them are used to create meaning - Creating Media Texts: Ccreate a variety of media texts for different purposes and
audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques;
- Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: Rreflect on and identify their strengths as media interpreters and creators, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful in understanding and creating media texts.
Strategies for Assessment and Evaluation of Student Performance
Our assessment and evaluation theory is based on the Growing Success document from the Ministry of Education, and we believe that this is in the best interests of students. We want to construct assessment in a way that allows us to collect and display evidence of learning in a variety of methods, gradually passing over responsibility to students, and giving students multiple and varied opportunities to reflect on their learning and receive thorough feedback.
Growing Success reflects the Ministry’s vision for assessment and evaluation processes, including their purpose and structure. Kanata Academy International teachers must follow seven essential principles to ensure the finest assessment and evaluation methods and procedures. Assessments and evaluations of Kanata Academy International:
- are equitable, transparent, and fair to all students
- assist all students, including those with special education needs, those who are learning the language of instruction (English or French), and those who are First Nation, Métis, or Inuit;
- are carefully planned to relate to curriculum expectations and learning goals, as well as, to the greatest extent possible, to all student’s interests, learning styles and preferences, needs, and experiences;
- are communicated to students and parents at the start of the course, as well as at other points throughout the school year or course;
- are ongoing, varied in nature, and administered over time to provide students with multiple opportunities to demonstrate the full scope of their learning;
- Support improved learning and achievement, provide ongoing descriptive feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful, and timely.
- develop students’ self-assessment skills so that they can evaluate their learning, set specific goals, and plan the next steps for their learning.
For a full explanation, please refer to Growing Success.
There are three forms of assessment that will be used throughout this course:
Learning will directly influence student learning by reinforcing the connections between assessment and instruction and providing ongoing feedback to the student. Assessment for learning occurs as part of the daily teaching process. It helps teachers form a clear picture of the needs of the students because students are encouraged to be more active in their learning and associated assessment. Teachers gather this information to shape their teaching environment.
Assessment for learning is:
- Ongoing
- It is tied to learning outcomes
- Provides information that structures the teachers’ planning and instruction
- Allows teachers to provide immediate and descriptive feedback that will guide student learning
The purpose of assessment for learning is to create self-regulated and lifelong learners.
Assessment as learning is the use of a task or an activity to allow students the opportunity to use assessment to further their learning. Self and peer assessments enable students to reflect on their learning and identify areas of strength and need. These tasks offer students the chance to set their personal goals and advocate for their learning.
The purpose of assessment as learning is to enable students to monitor their progress towards achieving their learning goals.
Assessment of learning will occur at or near the end of a period of learning; this summary is used to make judgements about the quality of student learning using established criteria, to assign a value to represent that quality and to communicate information about achievement to students and parents.
Evidence of student achievement for evaluation is collected over time from three different sources – observations, conversations, and student products. Using multiple sources of evidence will increase the reliability and validity of the evaluation of student learning.
Teaching and Learning Strategies
English 4U provides students opportunities to sharpen the skills they have previously acquired through various assignments ranging from interactive independent modules, applying previously acquired skills in ENG3U such as writing literary essays, research proposals, and critical analysis of relevant teacher-selected novels. Presentation techniques form the basis of study as students create oral presentations through screencasts, social media, and audio files in conjunction with media-related assignments that reflect their communication and literary theory studies.
- Students interact in student-paced and instructor-paced interactive, engaging instructional lessons.
- Reading, Writing, and Oral Communication strategies enhance students’ literacy skills, especially for complex texts.
- Videos in the course illustrate topics such as literary devices, research methods, MLA formatting, novel studies, advertisements and public service announcements.
- Teaching on Children of Blood and Bone leads students through the novel while introducing racial discrimination and social and class inequality. Students connect these themes to real-life issues and situations.
- Scaffolding longer writing assignments (literary essays and research proposals) allow students to work with the process of creating thesis statements, outlines, drafts, and final copies. Teacher feedback at each level enables students to improve both style and content in their written pieces.
- By accomplishing prompts on interactive lessons, students can reflect on different texts. In addition, constant communication with teachers ensures that the students understand complex topics and apply them in their writing.
- Independent, creative and critical thinking are practiced throughout the units to prepare students for university.
ENROLL A CHILD
The Final Grade
| Percentage of Final Mark | Categories of Mark Breakdown |
| 70% | Assessments of Learning Tasks Throughout the Term |
| 30% | Rich Summative Tasks |
A student’s final grade is reflective of their most recent and most consistent level of achievement.
The balance of the weighting of the categories of the achievement chart throughout the course is:
| English | Knowledge | Inquiry/Thinking | Communication | Application |
| 100% | 25% | 25% | 25% | 25% |
The Report Card
Student achievement will be communicated formally to students via an official report card. Report cards are issued at the midterm point in the course, as well as upon completion of the course. Each report card will focus on two distinct, but related aspects of student achievement.
First, the achievement of curriculum expectations is reported as a percentage grade. Additionally, the course median is reported as a percentage. The teacher will also provide written comments concerning the student’s strengths, areas for improvement, and next steps. Second, the learning skills are reported as a Needs Improvement, Satisfactory, Good and Excellent. The report card also indicates whether an OSSD credit has been earned.
Upon completion of a course, Kanata Academy International will send a copy of the report card back to the student’s home school (if in Ontario) where the course will be added to the ongoing list of courses on the student’s Ontario Student Transcript. The report card will also be sent to the student’s home address.
Instructional Approaches
Teachers will use a variety of instructional strategies to help students become independent, strategic and successful learners. The key to student success is effective, accessible instruction. When planning this course of instruction, the teacher will identify the main concept and skills of the course, consider the context in which students will apply their learning and determine the students’ learning goals. The instructional program for this course will be well planned and will support students in reaching their optimal level of challenge for learning, while directly teaching the skills that are required for success.
Understanding student strengths and needs will enable the teacher to plan effective instruction and meaningful assessments. Throughout this course, the teacher will continually observe and assess the students’ readiness to learn, their interests, and their preferred learning styles and individual learning needs.
Teachers will use differentiated instructional approaches such as:
- adjusting the method or pace of instruction
- using a variety of resources
- allowing a wide choice of topics
- adjusting the learning environment
- scaffolding instruction
During this course, the teacher will provide multiple opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and skills and consolidate and reflect upon their learning.
Planning the Program for Students with Special Educational Needs
The teacher in this course is the key educator of students with special education needs. The teacher has a responsibility to help all students learn, and will work collaboratively with the guidance counselor, where appropriate, to achieve this goal. In planning this course, the teacher will pay particular attention to the following guidelines:
- All students have the ability to succeed
- Each student has his or her own unique patterns of learning
- Successful instructional practices are founded on evidence-based research, tempered by experience
- Universal design and differentiated instruction are effective and interconnected means of meeting the learning or productivity needs of any group of students
- Online teachers are the key educators for a student’s literacy and numeracy development
- Online teachers need the support of the larger school community to create a learning environment that supports students with special education needs
- Fairness is not sameness
The teacher will use the following strategies:
| Students with Special Educational Needs | |
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Planning the Program for Students with English as a Second Language
In planning this course for students with linguistic backgrounds other than English, the teacher will create a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment that nurtures their self-confidence while receiving course instruction. In addition, most English language learners who have developed oral proficiency in everyday English will nevertheless require instructional scaffolding to meet curriculum expectations. Therefore, the teacher will adapt the instructional program to facilitate the success of these students in their classes. Appropriate adaptations and strategies for this course will include:
| Students with Special Educational Needs | |
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Supporting First Nations, Métis and Inuit Students
Kanata Academy International will promote active and engaged citizenship, which includes greater awareness of the distinct place and role of Indigenous (First Nation, Métis, and Inuit) peoples in our shared heritage and in the future in Ontario.
Kanata Academy International will:
- increase the focus in school strategic planning to promote the voluntary, confidential self-identification of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students as a means to enhance the success and well-being of Aboriginal students and to help close the achievement gap
- continue to identify and share practices and resources to help improve First Nation, Métis, and Inuit student achievement and close the achievement gap
- increase the training in our schools to respond to the learning and cultural needs of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students
- provide quality programs, services, and resources at our schools to support First Nation, Métis, and Inuit student
- provide quality programs, services, and resources at our schools who support First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students to help create learning opportunities that support improved academic achievement and identify building
- provide curriculum links that facilitates learning about contemporary and traditional First National, Métis, and Inuit cultures, histories, and perspectives among all students
- develop awareness among teachers of the learning styles of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students and employ instructional methods designed to enhance the learning of all First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students
- implement targeted learning strategies for effective oral communication and mastery of reading and writing
- implement strategies for developing critical and creative thinking
- provide access to a variety of accurate and reliable Aboriginal resources such as periodicals, books, software, and resources in other media, including materials in the main Aboriginal languages in schools with First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students
- provide a supportive and safe environment for all First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students
The Role of Information and Communication Technology
ICT tools are integrated into this course for whole-class instruction and for the design of curriculum units that contain varied learning approaches to meet the diverse needs and interests of the students in this class. At the beginning of this class, all students will be made aware of Internet privacy, safety, and responsible use and the potential for abuse of this technology, particularly when used to promote hatred. ICT used in this course will include:
| Information and Communication Technology | |
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Literacy, Mathematical Literacy, and Inquiry Skills
At Kanata Academy International it is the responsibility of all of our teachers to explicitly teach literacy and inquiry skills. The following skills will be developed in each course delivered at Kanata Academy International:
Equity & Inclusive Education in the Learning Environment
At Kanata Academy International we embrace multiculturalism, human rights and diversity as fundamental values. Bullying, hate propaganda and cyber bullying, racism, religious intolerance, homophobia and gender-based violence are still evident in
Healthy Relationships in the learning Environment
At Kanata Academy International , every student is entitled to learn in a safe, respectful and caring environment, free from violence and harassment. The teacher will create a safe and supportive environment in the class by cultivating
Financial Literacy Connections
There is a growing recognition that the education system has a vital role to play in preparing young people to take their place as informed, engaged, and knowledgeable citizens in the global economy.
Environmental Education Connections
Although there are no specific environmental connections in this course, teachers will develop an environmental understanding fostered through
Ethics in the Learning Environment
At Kanata Academy International teachers provide varied opportunities for students to learn about ethical issues and to explore the role of ethics in decision making.
Cooperative education programs allow students to earn secondary school credits while completing a work placement in the community. These programs compliment students’ academic programs and are valuable for all students, whatever their post-secondary destination.
Cooperative education courses may be earned using this course as one of the related courses.
Central to the philosophy at Kanata Academy International is the focus on experiential learning. Planned learning experiences in the community, including job shadowing, field trips, and hands-on experiences will provide our students with opportunities to see the relevance of their classroom learning in a work setting, make connections between school and work, and explore a career of interest as they plan their pathways through secondary school and make postsecondary plans.
As part of every course, students must be made aware that health and safety in their learning environment are the responsibility of all participants – at home, at school, and in the workplace. Teachers will model safe practices at all times when communicating with students online.
Although Kanata Academy International does not have an official school library, students are encouraged to use e-books, local libraries, GALE resource archives and Curriculum Video Digital resources to develop important research and inquiry skills.
Promotion of Careers
The knowledge and skills students acquire in this course will be useful in helping students recognize the value of their education and applications to the world outside of school and identify possible careers, essential skills and work habits required to succeed. Students will learn how to connect their learning in asking questions and finding answers to employable skills.
During this course the teacher will:
- ensure that all students develop the knowledge and skills they need to make informed education and career/life choices;
- Provide learning environment and online school-wide opportunities for this learning; and;
- Engage parents and the broader community in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the program, to support students in their learning
- Use the four-step inquiry process linked to the four areas of learning
- Knowing yourself – Who am I ?
- Exploring opportunities – What are my opportunities?
- Making decisions and setting goals – Who do I want to become?
- Achieving goals and making transitions – What is my plan for achieving my goals?
The teacher will support students in this course in education and career/life planning by providing them with learning opportunities, filtered through the lens of the four inquiry questions, that allow them to apply subject-specific knowledge and skills to work-related situations; explore subject-related education and career/life options, and become competent, self-directed planners.