Course Syllabus

Faculty

First Peoples Principles and Land Acknowledgement

I acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are honoured to live, work, and play on this land together.

As part of contribution to reconciliation, this course makes First Peoples Principles of Learning visible in class by:

• Recognizing the role of First People's knowledge by studying works by Indigenous authors 
• Embedding learning in history, memory and story
• Encouraging students to explore their own identity through writing and reading
• Recognizing that some knowledge is sacred and only shared with permission and/or in certain situations.

Course Description

Contacting Me

Learning Outcomes

Based on the B.C. Ministry of Education curriculum, students will learn and be evaluated on the following knowledge and skills:

• Thesis: Make clear claims that are connected to the text (10%)
• Support: Support claims with connected, reliable and relevant evidence (10%)
• Analysis: Identify central ideas and details and makes inferences connected to the central idea and theme (10%)
• Connections: Makes text to text or text to self connections connected to a clearly defined topic. (10%)
• Organization: Use appropriate structures to organize communication based on purpose and form (15%)
• Style: Use elements and devices appropriate to form to create a personal voice in communication (10%)
• Citations: Use textual references, correctly embed them in own sentences, and cite them appropriately (5%) 
• Editing: Use editing skills to proofread and polish communications (10%)
• Speaking Skills: Use tone, stylistic elements, and transitions appropriately for purpose and audience (20%)

Assessment and Evaluation

A student's final mark will be determined by evaluation of their ability to demonstrate proficiency in these skills and learning these concepts.

Skills

•  Access information and ideas for diverse purposes and from a variety of sources and evaluate their relevance, accuracy, and reliability
• Apply appropriate strategies to comprehend written, oral, and visual texts, guide inquiry, and extend thinking
• Synthesize ideas from a variety of sources to build understanding
• Recognize and appreciate how different features, forms, and genres of texts reflect different purposes, audiences, and messages
• Think critically, creatively, and reflectively to explore ideas within, between, and beyond texts
• Recognize and identify the role of personal, social, and cultural contexts, values, and perspectives in texts
• Recognize how language constructs personal, social, and cultural identity
• Construct meaningful personal connections between self, text, and world
• Respond to text in personal, creative, and critical ways
• Recognize how literary elements, techniques, and devices enhance and shape meaning
• Recognize an increasing range of text structures and how they contribute to meaning
• Recognize and appreciate the role of story, narrative, and oral tradition in expressing First Peoples perspectives, values, beliefs, and points of view
• Develop an awareness of the protocols and ownership associated with First Peoples texts

Content

• Calculation method: The latest attempt at a learning outcome will be weighted for 65% a student's grade in that outcome, while the previous attempt(s) will be weighted for 35%. This means that improvement is valued and rewarded, allowing students to take risks and learn from mistakes early on in the course.
• Please do not ask me what your mark is - this can be calculated using your grades on the learning outcomes and the weights listed above.
• If you would like to discuss a mark you have received, please wait at least 24 hours after receiving it, to allow yourself to read and process my feedback and your own emotions.

Both the school’s assessment expectations and supports that teachers provide can be found online. Academic dishonesty to any degree is not acceptable.

There are a variety of academic supports available at St. George’s for students. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the range of supports available to them which include:

• Faculty support
• Support Block
• Head of Grade
• Student Success Centre
• Personal Counselling

Learning Resources

This course syllabus, all current unit and major assessments for the current term, and a plethora of helpful learning resources can be found on my Canvas page. 

Resources that will be used as part of this course include:

• Summer reading novels (Spud, The Hobbit, A Long Way Gone)
• Selected short stories and poetry
• The Outsiders
• Twelfth Night

Course Expectations

St. George’s School expects all students at the Senior School to be interested and motivated in achieving their personal best while at the School. We expect students will be engaged in their endeavours, responsible to their studies, classmates and teachers, and demonstrate integrity in their pursuit of learning.

Learning Plan

Please see unit tabs on Canvas home page 

Literacy/Numeracy

This course makes literacy/numeracy visible by using the following comprehension tasks and strategies:

• Learning reading comprehension skills (chunking, paraphrasing, identifying key words, prediction, etc.) to understand challenging literary and informational texts
• Closely reading to understand intent and subtext
• Communicating through and reading texts in a variety of modes (written, oral, visual)

Core Competencies

This course incorporates Core Competencies into the routines, learning, and culture of the class in the following ways:

• Creative thinking through crafting poetry and prose texts, along with interpreting literature creatively and personally
• Critical thinking through reading texts closely to understand the author's meaning and message
• Communication through collaborative group work, class discussions, and a variety of written, oral and visual communication methods
• Personal responsibility by taking care of their books and the classroom space, and managing deadlines 
• Social responsibility by collaborating with peers and community members, and learning about social issues through literature,