Toronto District School Board
Northern Secondary School
English Department
Semester Course of Study
Developed from: The Ontario Curriculum: Grades 11 and 12 English, Ministry of Education (Revised 2007)
Course Title: English, Grade 12 Credit Value: 1.0 Credit(s) Course Type: College Preparation Prerequisites: ENG3C Course Code: ENG4C
Teacher email: benedict.wynn-williams@tdsb.on.ca
Units/Evaluations
Unit 1: Reading and Writing Strategies | Paragraph writing Reading evaluation Presentation |
Unit 2: Novel Study | Reading evaluation Essay Writing |
Unit 3: Drama Study | Reading Evaluation |
Unit 4: Independent Novel Study | Presentation |
❖ Assessment and Evaluation of Student Achievement
The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. Assessment is the process of gathering information from assignments, demonstrations, projects, performances, and tests that accurately reflects how well a student is achieving the curriculum expectations in a course. As part of assessment, teachers provide students with feedback that guides their efforts towards improvement.
❖ Determining the Mark for the Final Report Card
In this course, students need to demonstrate achievement of all the overall expectations of the course. 70% of the final mark in the course will be based on work done prior to the culminating activity. A 30% grade will be based on the course culminating. All students must take part in the final course culminating tasks. The steps to follow when
a student is absent from one or more culminating activities is included in the NSS evaluation policy as printed in the student agenda online.
❖ Achievement Chart
The achievement chart addresses the four strands of the English course (Reading, Writing, Oral, Media) and
provides a standard, province-wide method for teachers to use in assessing and evaluating their students’ achievement. Ministry curriculum documents provide detailed description of student achievement levels.
● Please refer to Ontario Ministry of Education curriculum document for details of Overall and Specific Expectations in each category, found at http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/english.html
In this course, the following strands of study form the basis of reporting, according to the weightings shown: Category Description Weighting Reading & Literature Studies Knowledge & Understanding of meaning, form, style & strategies 30% Writing Organization, Form, Style, Use of Conventions & Writing Process 30%
Expressive and Receptive Communication
Attending & Communicating effectively 20%
Media Studies Understanding & Creating media texts 20%
Coursework will compose 70% of the final grade, with the Course Culminating Assignments (task and exam) comprising the remaining 30%. This year the Course Culminating Task will be worth 10% and the Final Exam will be worth 20% for a total of 30%.
❖ Common Assessments:
While course teachers will explore subject matter and skills through the strands in a variety of ways, there will be several assignments that will be “common” among all sections of the course. These may include:
1. Formal Paragraph (eg. summary/literary)
2. Formal Presentation (approx. 5 mins)
3. Essay ( 5 paragraph essay)
4. Independent Study Unit/Culminating Task (Video or presentation in front of the class)
5. Final Exam
❖ Academic Honesty: Cheating and Plagiarism
Students are expected to submit only their own original work on evaluations done in class or out of class. Plagiarism is the representation of the ideas or writings of another as one's own. Cases of academic dishonesty (cheating and/or plagiarism) will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, but each case will involve an investigation, communication with the student and their parent/guardian, and a mark of zero for the plagiarized work. Whether there is an opportunity to demonstrate learning in another assignment will be at the discretion of the teacher and/or principal.
❖ Learning Skills
Learning Skills are skills and habits are essential to success in school and the workplace. The Learning Skills evaluated are: Responsibility, Organization, Independent Work, Collaboration, Initiative, and Self-Regulation. Teachers report achievement using letter symbols: E = Excellent, G = Good, S = Satisfactory, N = Needs Improvement.
Learning Skills clearly affect levels of achievement, but are not part of the evaluation of achievement and are not included in the final course mark.
❖ Contact Information
The course teacher is available by email: first name.last name@ tdsb.on.ca
OR through the teacher’s virtual learning platform (eg. Google Classroom, Brightspace).