Grade 9 Courses

English, Grade 9, De-streamed, ENL1W
This course enables students to continue to develop and consolidate the foundational knowledge and skills that they need for reading, writing, and oral and visual communication. Throughout the course, students will
continue to enhance their media literacy and critical literacy skills, and to develop and apply transferable skills, including digital literacy. Students will also make connections to their lived experiences and to society and increase their understanding of the importance of language and literacy across the curriculum.
Prerequisite: None

Science, Grade 9, De-streamed, SNC1W
This course enables students to develop their understanding of concepts related to biology, chemistry, physics,
and Earth and space science, and to relate science to technology, society, and the environment. Throughout
the course, students will develop and refine their STEM skills as they use scientific research, scientific
experimentation, and engineering design processes to investigate concepts and apply their knowledge in
situations that are relevant to their lives and communities. Students will continue to develop transferable skills
as they become scientifically literate global citizens.
Prerequisite: None

Mathematics, Grade 9, De-streamed, MTH1W
This course enables students to consolidate, and continue to develop, an understanding of mathematical
concepts related to number sense and operations, algebra, measurement, geometry, data, probability, and
financial literacy. Students will use mathematical processes, mathematical modelling, and coding to make
sense of the mathematics they are learning and to apply their understanding to culturally responsive and
relevant real-world situations. Students will continue to enhance their mathematical reasoning skills, including
proportional reasoning, spatial reasoning, and algebraic reasoning, as they solve problems and communicate
their thinking.
Prerequisite: None

Geography of Canada, Grade 9 Academic, CGC1D
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

Music, Grade 9 Open, AMU1O
This course emphasizes the creation and performance of music at a level consistent with previous experience
and is aimed at developing technique, sensitivity, and imagination. Students will develop musical literacy skills
by using the creative and critical analysis processes in composition, performance, and a range of reflective and
analytical activities. Students will develop an understanding of the conventions and elements of music and of
safe practices related to music, and will develop a variety of skills transferable to other areas of their life.
Prerequisite: None

Healthy Active Living Education, Grade 9 Open, PPL1O
This course equips students with the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy choices now and lead healthy, active lives in the future. Through participation in a wide range of physical activities, students develop knowledge and skills related to movement competence and personal fitness that provide a foundation for active living. Students also acquire an understanding of the factors and skills that contribute to healthy development and learn how their own well-being is affected by, and affects, the world around them. Students build their sense of self, learn to interact positively with others, and develop their ability to think critically and creatively.
Prerequisite: None

Learning Strategies 1: Skills for Success in Secondary School, Grade 9, Open, GLS1O
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. 1
Prerequisite: None

Grade 10 Courses

English, Grade 10 Academic, ENG2D
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 

Principles of Mathematics, Grade 10, Academic MPM2D
This course enables students to broaden their understanding of relationships and extend their problem-solving
and algebraic skills through investigation, the effective use of technology, and abstract reasoning. Students will
explore quadratic relations and their applications; solve and apply linear systems; verify properties of geometric
figures using analytic geometry; and investigate the trigonometry of right and acute triangles. Students will
reason mathematically and communicate their thinking as they solve multi-step problems.
Prerequisite: Mathematics, Grade 9, De-streamed, MTH1W

Canadian History Since World War I, Grade 10 Academic, CHC2D
This course explores social, economic, and political developments and events and their impact on the lives of different
individuals, groups, and communities, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals and communities, 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 identities, citizenship, and
heritage in Canada. Students will develop an understanding of some of the political developments and government policies that have had a lasting impact on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals and communities. 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

Civics, Grade 10 Open, CHV2O
This course explores rights and responsibilities associated with being an active citizen in a democratic society.
Students will explore issues of civic importance 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. This course also includes learning on digital literacy and
critical-thinking skills, the mechanisms of government, Indigenous governance systems and structures, the
historical foundations of the rights and freedoms we enjoy in Canada, ways in which government policy affects
individuals’ lives and the economy, and ways for students to serve their communities.
Prerequisite: None

Career Studies, Grade 10, Open, GLC2O
This course gives students the opportunity to develop the skills, knowledge, and habits that will support them in
their education and career/life planning. Students will learn about global work trends, and seek opportunities
within the school and community to expand and strengthen their transferable skills and their ability to adapt to
the changing world of work. On the basis of exploration, reflective practice, and decision-making processes,
students will make connections between their skills, interests, and values and their postsecondary options,
whether in apprenticeship training, college, community living, university, or the workplace. They will set goals
and create a plan for their first postsecondary year. As part of their preparation for the future, they will learn
about personal financial management – including the variety of saving and borrowing tools available to them
and how to use them to their advantage – and develop a budget for their first year after secondary school.
Prerequisite: None

Healthy Active Living Education, Grade 10, Open PPL2O
This course enables students to further develop the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy choices
now and lead healthy, active lives in the future. Through participation in a wide range of physical activities,
students develop knowledge and skills related to movement competence and personal fitness that provide a
foundation for active living. Students also acquire an understanding of the factors and skills that contribute to
healthy development and learn how their own well-being is affected by, and affects, the world around them.
Students build their sense of self, learn to interact positively with others, and develop their ability to think
critically and creatively.
Prerequisite: None

Science, Grade 10, Academic SNC2D
This course enables students to enhance their understanding of concepts in biology, chemistry, earth and
space science, and physics, and of the interrelationships between science, technology, society, and the
environment. Students are also given opportunities to further develop their scientific investigation skills.
Students will plan and conduct investigations and develop their understanding of scientific theories related to
the connections between cells and systems in animals and plants; chemical reactions, with a particular focus
on acid–base reactions; forces that affect climate and climate change; and the interaction of light and matter.
Prerequisite: Science, Grade 9

Grade 11 Courses

English, Grade 11 University Preparation, ENG3U
This course emphasizes the development of literacy, communication, and critical and creative thinking skills
necessary for success in academic and daily life. Students will analyse 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

Biology, Grade 11 University Preparation, SBI3U
This course furthers students’ understanding of the processes that occur in biological systems. Students will
study theory and conduct investigations in the areas of biodiversity; 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

Philosophy: The Big Questions, Grade 11, University/College Preparation, HZB3M
This course encourages exploration of philosophy’s big questions, such as: What is a meaningful life? What
separates right from wrong? What constitutes knowledge? What makes something beautiful? What is a just
society? Students will develop critical thinking and philosophical reasoning skills as they identify and analyse
the responses of philosophers to the big questions and formulate their own responses to them. Students will
explore the relevance of philosophical questions to society and to their everyday life. They will develop
research and inquiry skills as they investigate various topics in philosophy.
Prerequisite: None

Mathematics for Work and Everyday Life, Grade 11, Workplace, MEL3E
This course enables students to broaden their understanding of mathematics as it is applied in the workplace
and daily life. Students will solve problems associated with earning money, paying taxes, and making
purchases; apply calculations of simple and compound interest in saving, investing, and borrowing; and
calculate the costs of transportation and travel in a variety of situations. Students will consolidate their
mathematical skills as they solve problems and communicate their thinking.
Prerequisite: MPM1D or MFM1P (before 2021), MTH1W (after 2021), or a ministry-approved locally
developed Grade 10 mathematics course

Functions and Applications, Grade 11, University/College Preparation, MCF3M
This course introduces basic features of the function by extending students’ experiences with quadratic
relations. It focuses on quadratic, trigonometric, and exponential functions and their use in modelling real-world
situations. Students will represent functions numerically, graphically, and algebraically; simplify expressions;
solve equations; and solve problems relating to applications. Students will reason mathematically and
communicate their thinking as they solve multi-step problems.
Prerequisite: Principles of Mathematics, Grade 10, Academic, or Foundations of Mathematics, Grade 10,
Applied

Introduction to Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology, Grade11, University Preparation, HSP3U
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)

Grade 12 Courses

English, Grade 12 University Preparation, ENG4U
This course emphasizes the consolidation of the literacy, communication, and critical and creative thinking
skills necessary for success in academic and daily life. Students will analyse 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 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

Philosophy: Questions and Theories, Grade 12 University Preparation, HZT4U
This course enables students to acquire an understanding of the nature of philosophy and philosophical
reasoning skills and to develop and apply their knowledge and skills while exploring specialized branches of
philosophy (the course will cover at least three of the following branches: metaphysics, ethics, epistemology,
philosophy of science, social and political philosophy, aesthetics).∗ Students will develop critical thinking and
philosophical reasoning skills as they formulate and evaluate arguments related to a variety of philosophical
questions and theories. They will also develop research and inquiry skills related to the study and practice of
philosophy.
Prerequisite: Any university or university/college preparation course in social sciences and humanities,
English, or Canadian and world studies

Business Leadership: Management Fundamentals, Grade 12, University/College Preparation
BOH4M
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

Mathematics of Data Management, University Preparation MDM4U
This course broadens students’ understanding of mathematics as it relates to managing data. Students will
apply methods for organizing and analysing large amounts of information; solve problems involving probability
and statistics; and carry out a culminating investigation that integrates statistical concepts and skills. Students
will also refine their use of the mathematical processes necessary for success in senior mathematics. Students
planning to enter university programs in business, the social sciences, and the humanities will find this course
of particular interest.
Prerequisite: Functions, Grade 11, University Preparation, or Functions and Applications, Grade 11,
University/College Preparation

Mathematics for Work and Everyday Life, Workplace Preparation MEL4E
This course enables students to broaden their understanding of mathematics as it is applied in the workplace
and daily life. Students will investigate questions involving the use of statistics; apply the concept of probability
to solve problems involving familiar situations; investigate accommodation costs, create household budgets,
and prepare a personal income tax return; use proportional reasoning; estimate and measure; and apply
geometric concepts to create designs. Students will consolidate their mathematical skills as they solve
problems and communicate their thinking.
Prerequisite: Mathematics for Work and Everyday Life, Grade 11, Workplace Preparation

Canadian and International Law, Grade 12 University Preparation CLN4U
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.

Biology, Grade 12 University Preparation SBI4U
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

Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course, Grade 12, Open, OLC4O
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.) UPDATE: The Ministry of Education has advised that in order to provide maximum flexibility for
students to acquire the literacy graduation requirement, students can be enrolled in the OSSLC without having
attempted the OSSLT in 2023-24.

International Languages Courses

Hebrew, Level 1, Academic LYHBD
This course provides opportunities for students to begin to develop and apply skills in listening, speaking, reading, and
writing in the language of study. Students will communicate and interact in structured activities, with a focus on matters of
personal interest and familiar topics, and will read and write simple texts in the language. Throughout the course, students will acquire an understanding and appreciation of diverse communities in regions of the world where the language is spoken. They will also develop skills necessary for lifelong language learning.
Prerequisite: None

Yiddish, Level 1, Academic LWYBD
This course provides opportunities for students to begin to develop and apply skills in listening, speaking, reading, and
writing in the language of study. Students will communicate and interact in structured activities, with a focus on matters of
personal interest and familiar topics, and will read and write simple texts in the language. Throughout the course, students will acquire an understanding and appreciation of diverse communities in regions of the world where the language is spoken. They will also develop skills necessary for lifelong language learning.
Prerequisite: None

Hebrew, Level 2 , University Preparation LYHCU
This course provides opportunities for students to increase their competence and confidence in listening,
speaking, reading, and writing in the language of study. Students will communicate about academic and
personally relevant topics in increasingly spontaneous spoken interactions, and will develop their creative and
critical thinking skills through exploring and responding to a variety of oral and written texts. Students will
continue to enrich their understanding and appreciation of diverse communities in regions of the world where
the language is spoken. They will also investigate personal and professional contexts in which knowledge of
the language is required, and develop skills necessary for lifelong language learning.
Prerequisite: International Languages, Level 1, Academic

Yiddish, Level 2, University Preparation LWYCU
This course provides opportunities for students to increase their competence and confidence in listening,
speaking, reading, and writing in the language of study. Students will communicate about academic and
personally relevant topics in increasingly spontaneous spoken interactions, and will develop their creative and
critical thinking skills through exploring and responding to a variety of oral and written texts. Students will
continue to enrich their understanding and appreciation of diverse communities in regions of the world where
the language is spoken. They will also investigate personal and professional contexts in which knowledge of
the language is required, and develop skills necessary for lifelong language learning.
Prerequisite: International Languages, Level 1, Academic

Yiddish, Level 3, University Preparation LWYDU
This course provides extended opportunities for students to communicate and interact in the language of study
in a variety of social and academic contexts. Students will refine and enhance their listening, speaking, reading,
and writing skills, as well as their creative and critical thinking skills, as they explore and respond to a variety of
oral and written texts, including complex authentic and adapted texts. They will also broaden their
understanding and appreciation of diverse communities where the language is spoken, and develop skills
necessary for lifelong language learning.
Prerequisite: International Languages, Level 2, University Preparation

Hebrew, Level 3, University Preparation LYHDU
This course provides extended opportunities for students to communicate and interact in the language of study
in a variety of social and academic contexts. Students will refine and enhance their listening, speaking, reading,
and writing skills, as well as their creative and critical thinking skills, as they explore and respond to a variety of
oral and written texts, including complex authentic and adapted texts. They will also broaden their
understanding and appreciation of diverse communities where the language is spoken, and develop skills
necessary for lifelong language learning.
Prerequisite: International Languages, Level 2, University Preparation