REQUIRED: 2024/2025

All secondary students will be required to complete 4 credits of Indigenous-focused coursework to graduate starting September 2023. This requirement must be completed during grades 10 - 12. MacNeill is offering the following course options: if you are in grade 11 you will need to complete one of the grade 12 courses, grade 9 students may elect to take the English 10 option. Gr. 10 students may elect to take BC First Peoples 12.

English First Peoples 12 (4 credits)

BC First Peoples 12 (4 credits)

English First Peoples 10 EFP, New Media10 (2 credits),AND EFP Spoken Language 10 (2 Credits)

 

Humanities 9 (Engish) (MEN--09)

Humanities 9 (Social Studies) (MSS--09HUB)

Students will take two blocks of Humanities 9, an integration of English Language Arts and Social Studies. Building on skills learned in Humanities 8, students will further develop strategies to read, view, speak and listen for specific purposes. With an emphasis on writing process, students will explore critical and creative writing in workshop settings. Students will continue to read widely in different genres, both for pleasure and to develop knowledge of plot structure and literary techniques. They will develop research skills to use a range of resources, make effective notes and determine main ideas and supporting details. Students study Canadian and world history from 1750 to 1919, with a focus on nation building, immigration, rebellions, Confederation, the development of the West, the history of the British Columbia economy, and World War One. Throughout their studies, students will consider the various conflicts between Canada’s peoples (First Nations and first European immigrants) arising from this time period, and relate these to current issues facing these same groups of Canadians today. Students will also be introduced to the Canadian economy, and they will continue to learn about Canadian geography.

 

Social Studies 10 (MSS--10)

Social Studies 10 provides students with opportunities to reflect critically upon Canadian and global events, issues and people in the last century in order to examine the present, make connections with the past, and consider the future. Students will be asked to reflect on varied resources, to consider multiple perspectives, and to make reasoned ethical judgments in order to further develop their critical inquiry skills. Throughout the course, students will become familiar with the rights, responsibilities and practices of active Canadian citizenship and will analyze issues relating to Canada’s ever-evolving identity. Furthermore, in their studies, students will develop an appreciation of democracy, human equality, cultural diversity and truth and reconciliation.

 

Explorations of Social Studies 11 (MEPSS11)

Explorations of Social Studies 11 provides for an introduction to and sets students up for success in their grade 12 elective courses. The course explores themes and topics such history, the study of cultures, Canadian law, geography, First Peoples’ perspectives, and social justice. Students will investigate Canadian and global events and topics that have helped to shape the contemporary era. They will consider historical, political, and geographical perspectives while thinking critically about contentious issues and controversial people and making connections with the past in order to consider the future. They will continue to develop key Social Studies competencies while developing an appreciation for democracy, human equality, and cultural diversity in order to prepare themselves to go into the world as responsible Canadian citizens and members of the international community.

 

Asian Studies 12 (MASIA12)

Recommended prerequisite: Explorations of Social Studies 11

Asian Studies 12 looks at the history of Asia from 1850 to the present. Students will appreciate how the breadth and diversity of Asia’s physical and human resources have contributed to the development of distinct and disparate political, cultural, and economic regions. They will examine how colonialism, imperialism, and resource disparity have been primary reasons for conflict and the movement of people. They will consider how ethnic, regional, and national identities are shaped in part by geography and migration. They will also study the ways in which rapid industrialization, urbanization, and economic growth have created complex environmental challenges.

 

Comparative Cultures 12 (MCMCL12)

Recommended prerequisite: Explorations of Social Studies 11

Comparative Cultures 12 deals with the history and of cultures. The aim of this course is to enable students to enrich their understanding of diversity through the comparative study of various cultures. Students will learn that understanding the complexity of one culture enhances our understanding of others. They will investigate how environmental factors and belief and value systems influence aspects of culture such as power, authority, agriculture and trade. The course emphasizes social, cultural and political history and in it, students will also study the painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and as well as social organization of various cultures.

 

Law Studies 12 (MLST-12)

Recommended prerequisite: Explorations of Social Studies 11

Law 12 is designed to give students an understanding of how law affects daily life in Canada. Topics covered include Canada's legal system (including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms), criminal law, civil law (including torts, marriage, divorce, children, contracts and wills), and motor vehicle law. This course will include visits to the courts, mock trials, and guest speakers. Students considering Law Studies 12 should have strong writing and reading comprehension skills.

 

Physical Geography 12 (MPGEO12)

Recommended prerequisite: Explorations of Social Studies 11

Workbook (Approx. $32) is available to purchase or borrow.

Physical Geography 12 is an interdisciplinary course that provides students with opportunities to address both the physical and human-created systems of the world through the study of people, places, and environments. Students will interpret landscapes and understand the interconnectedness between one’s actions and the earth’s physical systems. Throughout the course, students will become familiar with acquiring and accessing databases, analyzing and interpreting data and representing their reasoned findings in order to understand the critical interplay between people and the environment and to make informed decisions about the sustainability of the earth’s resources and the future of the planet.

 

BC First Peoples 12 (MBCFP12)

Recommended prerequisite: Explorations of Social Studies 11

BC First Peoples 12 looks at how the identities, worldviews, and language of BC First Peoples are renewed, sustained, and transformed through their connection to the land. Students will investigate how the impact of contact and colonialism continues to affect the political, social, and economic lives of BC First Peoples. Students will also have the opportunity to study how cultural expressions convey the richness, diversity, and resiliency of BC First Peoples. Finally, students will gain an understanding of how, through self-governance, leadership, and self-determination, BC First Peoples challenge and resist Canada’s ongoing colonialism. This course meets the new graduation requirement to have 4 credits in an Indigenous Focused course, and the Social Studies 11 or Grade 12 elective requirement for the Graduation program for all students graduating in B.C. after September 2023.

 

20th Century World History 12 (MWH--12)

Recommended prerequisite: Explorations of Social Studies 11

20th Century World History 12 provides students with an opportunity to learn about major events, personalities, and ideas that have shaped the 20th Century and will continue to have a lasting impact on the future. Fields of inquiry include research skills, document analysis, the legacy of the 19th Century and World War I, the peacemaking process, economic cycles of the 1920s and 1930s, the rise and fall of Fascism, World War II, the Cold War, the rise and fall of Communism, the United Nations, Decolonization, the development and growth of Democracy, economic development and human rights in developing nations, and the removal of international trade restrictions and globalization.

 

Social Justice 12 (MSJ--12)

Recommended prerequisite: Explorations of Social Studies 11

Social Justice is the assurance that the basic human rights of all people are upheld. Social Justice 12 promotes the pursuit of social justice and encourages students to develop the commitment and ability to work toward a more just society. They will examine how basic human rights and social values are upheld in Canada and the world. Students will learn to recognize and understand the causes of injustice and apply critical thinking and ethical reasoning skills to a wide range of issues such as racism, poverty, sexism, discrimination, homophobia, and globalization. Students will have the opportunity to understand how to behave in a socially responsible manner and become agents of change by exploring solutions to these issues by studying others who have attempted to or were successful in creating change in the past. This course is project and research based.