Big Ideas: Overarching Concepts That Frame Our Learning
Discovering self, understanding individual strengths and the awareness of growth areas are fundamental components of the Grade 9 program. At HTS, we enable students to understand themselves and the connections to those around them to encourage self-reflection and exploration from diverse perspectives, to better understand their place in the world. These are some of the ideas that the Grade 9 year undertakes through many academic and non-academic opportunities.
• Self-expression and collaborative engagement are vital for a deeper connection to ourselves as individuals
• Enjoying physical activity and movement is important in creating a genuine enjoyment of activity
• Values: our definitions of monstrosity reveal much about our values and our anxieties and fears
Exploring and understanding others
• Equity, diversity, inclusion
• Stories have power, a social purpose, are created for a reason, and paying attention to the author matters
• Learning about the formation and evolution of different objects helps us understand our place in the universe
• Effective communication as a foundation builder for further interpersonal/personal life skills development
Making connections to the world beyond
• Financial responsibility and decision-making
• Creating scientifically literate, global citizens
• The sustainability of ecosystems and the planet is everyone’s responsibility
• Spatial significance, patterns and trends
• Geographic perspectives (social, economic, environmental, political) and sustainability
• Climate change affects all communities
• Static and current electricity has multiple social, economic & environmental applications, as a source of energy
Enduring Understandings
What students will learn and understand in-depth?
• I understand the inter-relationships between business functions to meet requirements of diverse stakeholders
• I am a lifelong language learner who communicates effectively in any language beyond the classroom
• I value the process of inquiry and appreciate collaborative learning
• I use the engineering design process to solve real problems
• I shift my mindset as the result of thinking “outside of the box”
• I understand that being scientifically literate helps me be a more informed global citizen
• We are responsible for preserving the earths’ ecosystem and must be mindful of our decisions
• I demonstrate the ability to write in different styles and for different purposes to create powerful connections
• I respect different beliefs, attitudes, perspectives and can respectfully disagree
• I can move beyond superficial conclusions to better understand issues in Canada’s natural and human systems
• I am able to see my place in the world as a global citizen through a geographic lens
• I evaluate sources to detect accurate information to critically analyze issues
• I understand that the creative process is a cycle of learning, experiencing, making and reflecting
• I know that reflection is an integral part of learning in our outside of the classroom
• I know how to apply creative thinking to further my learning and be a stronger problem-solver
• I know who I am as a communicator and how to advocate my thoughts in a respectful manner
Overarching questions that students will explore
• How do ethics play a role in business?
• How does an entrepreneur generate ideas and start a new venture?
• How can businesses create an equitable, diverse and inclusive culture for all people?
• How can I gain more confidence in speaking French?
• How can I explore francophone culture without stereotyping?
• How does taking care of physical wellness link to other components of wellness (mental, social, cognitive, spiritual)?
• How can we use geographic concepts to foster curiosity and confidence to build engaged citizens?
• What role do I want to take in Canada’s development?
• How does the universe work?
• Why is it important to understand the relationship between us and the Earth?
• What can it mean to effectively communicate and how might this continue to influence my future path?
• How can the creative process help students to explore their imagination and creativity?
• How can creativity be structured to lead to an end goal and result to be reflected upon?
• How does your sense of identity and empathy impact the work you do?
• How does reflection help your work and improve your technique?
Interdisciplinary Learning Experiences
Making connections in students’ lives and the world around them
• Science & Technology (Space Project)
• Geography & Technology (Mapping/ArcGIS)
• Visual Art & Spanish & Technology (Day of the Dead)
• French & Technology (Final video project)
• English & Technology (Podcast Project)
• Phys Ed & Science (Heart Rate Monitoring Lab)
• Integrated Arts: Music & Drama (Remembrance Day Performance Winter/Spring Showcases, School Musical)
The Learner Experience
• Expert seminars and studio visits
• Harkness discussions
• Labs
• Student-teacher learning conversations
• Projects, single subject and interdisciplinary
• Peer-to-peer feedback
• Small group meetings with counsellors
• Specialized workshops around technology integration, design and the creative process
• 1:1 meetings with teacher, counsellor & advisor
• Self-reflection, tests and assessment
• Experiential learning opportunities and trips that enhance the learning in the classroom
Learning Pathway for HTS Families
Big Ideas: Overarching Concepts That Frame Our Learning
How do students take their strengthened idea of self to become a citizen of character? As Grade 10 students move through the carefully designed program, they gain an understanding of belonging and meaningful ways to contribute and engage in the world. We focus on interrelated ideas and problem-solving tactics where students learn to draw on their strengths, and those of others, to discover the multitude of possibilities that lie ahead.
Exploring and understanding self
• The intersection of power and identity
• Self-awareness, body awareness, cultural awareness
• Perseverance through challenges to encourage problem-solving strategies
• Empathy
Exploring and understanding others
• Cycles of truth, continuum, connections, complexity
• How does our environment shape us and vice versa; physical environment, political, social?
• Effective communication
• Authentic interaction
Making connections to the world beyond
• Where do I belong? How can I contribute?
• All living organisms are made of specialized cells that are organized into tissues, organs, and organ systems
• New emerging medical technologies can have multiple social and ethical implications
• Chemical reactions might have a negative impact on the environment, but could be used to address those challenges
• The Historical “Big Six”: Historical Perspective, Historical Significance, Ethical Judgement, Continuity and Change, Evidence and Interpretation should be applied to history, present and future understanding
Enduring Understandings
What students will learn and understand in-depth?
• I know what skills make one a positive contributor to the workforce and society
• I understand there is a relationship between identity, personality and employment, which can help me discover a fulfilling career pathway
• I understand that history is a story with many narrators, and I can analyze perspective to understand truth
• I use analytic strategies to understand what history may be concealing as well as revealing
• I am a scientifically literate citizen of the world
• I have an appreciation for chemicals that are around us and how we use them in everyday lives
• I understand why and how we use technology (bio or medical) for various purposes
• I understand and use the process of experiential design
• I have the confidence, skills and strategies to persevere through problem-solving
• I know the importance of understanding rights, freedoms and responsibilities
• I can identify the roles of parties and differences in responsibilities for levels of government
• I understand the factors in politics beyond “just” the government
• I can explain and show by my own actions what it means to be an active and engaged citizen
• I can articulate my sense of self and others through meaningful interactions with many perspectives, appreciate the power of language, and its ability to articulate the understanding of self in society
• I know my story is important and can implement strategies to tell my story, and those of others
• I understand how media can shape perception and that integrity and empathy are necessary when telling my truths
• I know that technology impacts all aspects of my life
• I know that the importance of studying other languages and cultures offers insights into my own
Overarching questions that students will explore
• What does it mean to be a critical consumer of history?
• Whose story is missing and still needs telling?
• What does it mean to belong to an artistic and cultural community?
• How might I contribute to my community’s culture in the Integrated Arts?
• How does self-awareness and an awareness of other cultures allow me to create effectively?
• How does reflection help my work and improve my technique?
• Why should I be an active citizen?
• What stance would an alternative party take on any issue and what might be the justification?
• What process would best address conflicts within competing roles in the levels of government?
• How are our realities and identities reflected in the characters we find in literature?
• What skills do authors need to create characters and voices that reflect authentic identities?
• How do social justice issues, and one’s response, often form the basis of a person’s identity?
• How is technology being used purposefully and responsibly?
• How does your awareness of culture and society affect the work you do?
• How can we make our work honour the truths and lives of others?
• How do the relationships vary between angles and sides in triangles?
• What information about the relationship can you gather from the situation (graphical and algebraic)?
Interdisciplinary Learning Experiences
Making connections in students’ lives and the world around them
• Physical Theatre and Spanish: (Field trip, Salsa lessons and connection to real life dancing, origin, history)
• Media Arts, Physical Theatre, Drama (Remembrance Day Performance)
• English, Science, Computer Science, Mathematics (Internship, Career Exploration)
• French and Technology Integration (Cultural Presentations)
• Careers Night
• Civics Action Projects (CAP)
The Learner Experience
• Expert seminars
• Harkness discussions
• Labs
• Tests
• Student-Teacher learning conversations
• Projects, single subject and interdisciplinary
• Small group meetings with counsellors
• Studio Visits
• Specialized workshops around technology integration, design, and the creative process
• Self-reflection and assessment
• Peer-to-peer feedback
• Alumni talk sessions
• 1:1 meetings with teacher, counsellor, and advisor
• Guidance presenting requirements and considerations when making choices for university
• Practice job interviews and a Guest HR speaker
• Experiential learning opportunities & trips that enhance classroom learning
• Mini-internship exploration placements
Learning Pathway for HTS Families
Big Ideas: Overarching Concepts That Frame Our Learning
In Grade 11, students select specialized or diverse streams of study depending on their interests. Students have direct support from their counsellors in choosing courses that initiate successful admissions into post-secondary options and courses that will help fuel their love of learning and other interests.
Exploring self and connections with others
• Developing critical perspective on human experiences through the reading, writing and analyzing of stories: humanity, diversity, aesthetics and perspective
• Complexity; making connections between contexts and across content
• Economic growth and Interdependence
• How current passions and interests connect to post-secondary
• Humanity and the window into human experience that students have not experienced, how they see themselves in stories and lose themselves in a variety of texts
Making connections to the world beyond
• Human activities affect the diversity of living things in ecosystems
• Social and justice, systems of oppression, intersectionality, hope and resistance
• Structure and function
• The importance of variability and time in the process of evolution
• Genetic and genomic research can have social and environmental implications
• Economic systems and market structures
• Business cycle and financial planning
• Numerical patterns and proving
• Real-world application: apply knowledge and algebraic skills to solve problems
• Ensuring multiple voices are heard through divergent texts, and provisioning opportunities to fill gaps; intersectionality
Enduring Understandings
What students will learn and understand in-depth?
• I have a strong sense of wonder as related to science
• I am a critical scientific thinker
• I understand and can apply my understanding to use technology for various purposes
• I can see the interconnectedness between living things
• I critically analyze the cost and benefit of economic growth and sustainability
• I have compassion for others and the processes/structures of privilege that exist in the world around them
• I have developed an understanding of my own worldview and can act upon my newly articulated worldview
• I use ideas based on reason and proof to justify my thinking
• I can represent math ideas and model situations using tools, pictures, diagrams, graphs, tables, numbers, words and symbols
• I understand the importance of collaboration with peers and value the perspectives of others
• I believe that literacy is about more than reading and writing, but how we communicate in society. It is about relationships, knowledge, language and culture
• I have effective strategies that allow me to communicate in a variety of ways: read, listen, speak, write and represent effectively
• I am empowered to critically evaluate language to reach my potential and to become a responsible citizen
Overarching questions that students will explore
• How can biology be applied on a daily basis (e.g., informing dietary choices, personal health choices, etc.)?
• How do the connections between living things affect each other?
• Why is classification a challenging and ever-changing process?
• How can our evolving understanding of genetics impact our society?
• How do we measure economic well-being?
• How do I become financially responsible and make sense of my financial needs?
• What are social justice and equity and how do they impact me?
• How have diverse perspectives on social justice and equity evolved over time?
• How do the things I do and say affect relationships between individuals and others?
• How does who I am influence the powers and privileges I enjoy?
• How does pop culture affect social justice and equity matters?
• What is the impact of stereotypes that are created, maintained and perpetuated by the media?
• How can the media be used to affect change in matters of social justice and equity issues?
• How do texts (defined broadly) shape the way we see and interact with the world around us?
• How are texts a study of humanity and its representation of itself?
• What makes a text aesthetically pleasing and how do we constructively understand crafting aesthetics?
• How should we measure economic well-being?
• To what extent should ideas of fairness and justice inform economic thinking?
• How does income influence the opportunities and well-being of individuals and businesses?
• How are these perspectives reflected in stakeholders’ policies or positions with respect to economic issues?
Interdisciplinary Learning Experiences
Making connections in students’ lives and the world around them
• Grade 11 Marketing & DECA: Students in Marketing courses may take the opportunity to build a marketing plan for DECA that can meet all of the expectations in the marketing final project.
• Grade 11 Mathematics & Grade 11 Physics: Students complete a lab project on points of intersection between quadratic and linear functions. Students create a position-time graph for cars moving at different velocities.
• Grade 11 Chemistry & Grade 11 Media Arts: Writing a script for a public service announcements project. Students in chemistry take a product and research the warnings or hazards of the chemicals in the product. They partner with the Media Arts students to create a polished video as a final product.
• Grade 9 Health & Physical Education (HPE) & Grade 11 Biology: The HPE class uses heart rate monitors and potentially vernier pulmonary function equipment to collect data to explore actual vs perceived exertion and supports fitness goal-setting.
• Grade 11 Economics & Grade 12 Law: In Unit 2, students connect with law students to better understand the consumer/employee rights and responsibilities that exist in Canada and globally.
• Grade 11 English & Grade 12 Social Justice & Theory: This course is a fully interdisciplinary course where students complete a Social Action Project that involves students working within the community of HTS and with experts from the wider community.
• Grade 11 English: Students choose a topic of interest from any subject they enjoy. They conduct an inquiry project and using the research, oral communication and rhetorical strategies to present findings in an engaging TED talk for their peers.
The Learner Experience
• Field trips and TED Talks
• Lab dissections
• Physiological measurement labs
• Small group work & team challenges
• Movie creation and design labs
• Case studies (medical, business, social issues)
• Social Justice Day of Learning
• Harkness and salon discussions
• 1:1 teacher support & teacher feedback loops
• Peer and self-feedback
• Performance based projects
• Internships, starting September 2024
Learning Pathway for HTS Families
Big Ideas: Overarching Concepts That Frame Our Learning
In our Grade 12 program at HTS our students flourish and spread their wings. From specialized lab courses to accounting and journalism, these students have a multitude of courses to prepare for what lies ahead. Students having agency over their learning is core to every Grade 12 course as students truly step into the driver’s seat of their education.
• Truth and literature
• Data, statistics and probability
• Globalization
• Business interdependence and specialization
• Culture and ethics
• International business expansion and marketing
• Challenges and solutions in today’s society
• Canada’s role in the global state
• Leadership and management fundamentals
• Equity, diversity, inclusion in business leadership
Enduring Understandings
What students will learn and understand in-depth?
• Becoming scientific literate citizens of the world
• Stewardship
• Scientific truth
• Chemical quantities in industry
• Scientific literacy
• Sense of wonder in the world
• Design and carry out scientific inquiry
• Connections between mathematical concepts and the real world
• What brings me joy and how can I use that to select the right post-secondary path?
• I understand that artists who appear in traditional and nontraditional forms use many strategies to convey, reveal, or create “truth”
• I use my reasoning skills to logically communicate and problem-solve
• I independently question and think critically
• I can connect math and the real world with the forethought of work being used by an outside audience
• I know that businesses must consider diverse perspectives from many stakeholders to grow successfully
• I have the mindset of a scientist
• I can identify the interrelationships between business functions in order to meet societal requirements
• I know that businesses must consider diverse perspectives from many stakeholders to grow successfully
• I know that equity, diversity and inclusion are vital parts of modern business practices to ensure representation
• I understand how business functions, it’s role society, opportunities it generates and impact on society
• I can apply ethics to my scientific thinking
• I see that mathematics is more than a series of isolated skills and concepts and the interdependant relationships
• I am able to reason logically, think critically and solve problems using derivatives and vectors
• I have a sense of wonder and awe about science and how life continues to evolve through natural laws
• I appreciate how useful science is to society (e.g., extending lifespan, preventing and treating disease)
• I know that science does not occur in a vacuum, it intersects with several other disciplines and aspects of society (e.g. the ability to CRISPR edit embryos is not just genetic know-how but the ethical, political, religious, cultural implications of doing so)
• I know that the arts have value for the audience but also for the creator
• I understand that being creative is more than being able to draw, play an instrument, or act on a stage
Overarching questions that students will explore
• How do we find and/or recognize “truth?” What techniques do authors use to shape or reveal truth?
• What is truth (as opposed to fact), and what claims can literature make to contain it?
• What is the relationship between truth and fact, and how can/should that relationship be reflected in literature?
• To what extent is our world interconnected?
• What is the secret life of the products that we consume?
• How does technology bring us together and potentially further isolate us?
• How is the nature of work changing in the global marketplace and who is affected?
• What is the impact of transnational commerce on various stakeholders including labourers and the environment?
• What inferences can we make by studying phenomena?
• How does technology support our understanding of Earth and the universe?
• In evaluating the impact of ethics and social responsibility within business management; how can we senure that the cultural and historical perspectives embedded in business ideology are revealed and challenged?
• How can businesses create an equitable, diverse, and inclusive work culture for all people?
• How is understanding proper leadership important in being an effective leader within a business or community?
• Do mathematical functions and their derivatives serve a purpose in the real world?
• How could you utilize the concepts of derivatives and vectors to better understand a situation?
Interdisciplinary Learning Experiences
Making connections in students’ lives and the world around them
• Advanced Functions, Digital Design, Visual Art: Using function equations, students create a piece of art/logo that sparks further conversation on the topic that connects to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice.
• Biology & Kinesiology: As the students in biology are learning about metabolism, they connect with students in kinesiology who are learning the same thing from a different perspective. Where science and athletics meet, students learn how to apply understanding of metabolic rate to the body from both viewpoints.
• Math Data Management & student course of choice: Students are required to connect their final project’s question of interest to another subject or club where they are involved. This enables students to realize the relevance of the course material to other areas, and provide practical data sets to apply to the real world.
• English & student course of choice: The Independent Study Project is a research paper that requires students to incorporate, specific lessons, materials, or assessments from another course in order to make meaningful connections.
• Calculus & Physics: Students participate in a project where they will conduct market research with the HTS population. Students will then present the demand and an estimated cost based on their research (economics). Students will then use these data to complete a project using of calculus to identify the strategic selling price of the item in order to generate max profit.
• Business Leadership, Character & Leadership, and Innovation Technology: Students engage in a multi-layered exploration that helps navigate workspaces outside of the school and complement the HTS Internship program. Students build leadership qualities and continue to use team-building strategies. This class also leverages technical innovation within the school to further the ability to participate in the modern world.
