École Alpha is one of three schools in Burnaby that offer Secondary French Immersion. This program is a continuation of either early immersion or late immersion (grades 6 and 7).
Teachers in this program collaborate to make the curriculum of each subject exciting and challenging for students. Classroom activities promote cultural knowledge and understanding, communication, and the use of authentic materials. Students are also offered a variety of extracurricular activities enabling them to develop leadership skills and enhance learning, such as contests, field trips, participation in clubs, school-wide events and the many student exchange programs.
In grade 8, 9 and 10, students take 50 % of their courses (4 courses) in French. They receive instruction in the French language in four of the following courses:
• Français langue (French Language)
• Sciences humaines (Social Studies)
• Mathématiques (Mathematics)
• Sciences naturelles (Science)
In grades 11 and 12, students must take one Français langue (French Language) course each year for a total of two courses, and one Sciences humaines (Socials studies) class. Students are welcome to
take additional courses in French during grade 11 or 12 for extra credits, in Français langue or
Sciences humaines. Additionally, in May of their grade 12 year, the students have the option of completing the AP French Language and Culture exam on request. Students will also be required to write the French Literacy Exam.
GRADE 8 to 10 COURSES
FRANÇAIS LANGUE 8
In Français langue 8, Students will develop language skills while reading, writing, listening and speaking French. French is the only accepted language in class, and it is crucial that students express themselves in French as often as possible while in the classroom. Learning activities include discussion, roleplay, presentations, singing, watching movies and reading various literary genres.
SCIENCES HUMAINES 8
Students will also explore the rise and fall of several major civilizations while developing their understanding of the diverse world of cultures that surround us. Students develop their skills at assessing documents (writing, drawings and recordings) for bias in order to understand history as more than a collection of fact.
MATHEMATIQUES 8
This is the first course in secondary school Mathematics and builds upon the skills developed in previous grades. The units studied include number concepts and operations, patterns and relations, shape and space, variables and equations, statistics and probability and financial literacy. This course aims to provide students with the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to be numerate. The curriculum also focuses on curricular competencies that include Reasoning and Analyzing, Understanding and Solving, Communicating and Representing, and Connecting and Reflecting. Enrichment opportunities will be providedthrough the preparation and writing of math contests. The Mathematics 8 Honours course has the same learning
outcomes as Mathematics 8.
SCIENCES NATURELLES 8
The course will utilize a variety of learning strategies including lab work, projects, and individual and small group work. The Science topics will include cells and systems, optics, fluids and dynamics, and water systems on Earth.
FRANÇAIS LANGUE 9
Students will continue to build language skills with a focus on precision in their written and verbal
communication. As their grammar skills advance, students will be able to use verb tenses and complex grammar elements to explain themselves with greater clarity and efficiency. Students will put these skills to use in class debates, discussions, presentations and speeches, as well as creative writing. Various essay-writing techniques will be explored, and students will focus on synthesizing (comparing and contrasting) ideas found in various works of literature, as well as songs and films. Readings will include tales, a novel and an assortment of poetry from around the world.
SCIENCES HUMAINES 9
Sciences humaines 9 takes students out of the Renaissance and throws them into a world of turbulent ideas; the result is a series of revolutions that changed the Western World forever. Students will examine these and weigh the pros and cons of radical change and its effect on society. In doing so, students will compare and contrast the different elements that led to these changes and discuss whether or not revolution is necessary. As they explore these events, students will also explore the geography, of the regions affected, as well as the movement of people and the ways colonization has affected First Nations people. The focus will be mainly on the Canadian perspective and how Canada has become a nation of diversity. Throughout the course, students will discuss the weekly news; current events not only help us imagine our future but also prove that the history
we study often repeats itself.
MATHÉMATIQUES 9
This course is designed to extend on topics from Mathematics 8. Topics include operations with rational numbers, exponents, polynomials and algebra, linear relations, shape and space, statistics and financial literacy. At the end of this course, students will be prepared for Foundations and Pre-Calculus 10 OR Workplace 10. Enrichment opportunities will be provided through the preparation and writing of math contests.
SCIENCES NATURELLES 9
The course will utilize a variety of learning strategies including laboratory work, projects, and individual and small group work. The Science topics will include cells and systems, optics, fluids and dynamics, and water systems on Earth.
FRANÇAIS LANGUE 10
This is the first of two pre-AP years of French language and literature study. Students who wish in their Grade 12 year (Français langue 12) to challenge the AP French exam will be able to do so. In order to prepare students, we will continue to build grammar skills and vocabulary, and put these to use in written work, oral presentations and debates. Students will read a variety of short fiction, poetry, novels and plays, including at least one period piece. Students will learn to synthesize various sources of information, both written and audio, and offer opinions that integrate all sources of information.
SCIENCES HUMAINES 10
This course follows the Grade 10 Socials curriculum, examining how Canada formed and grew as a nation in the 20th century. Students will examine the participation of Canada in the two World Wars, they will study different communities who helped build our country, including First Nations, various immigrant groups, and their conflicts and struggles as Canada became a cultural mosaic. Students will also explore the Canadian political system, including elections, ideologies, role of provincial and federal government and the importance of active and responsible citizenship duties. Sciences humaines 10 will be followed by Sciences humaines 11.
MATHÉMATIQUES: FONDEMENTS ET PRÉ-CALCUL 10
This course is designed to provide students with the mathematical understandings and critical thinking skills identified for post-secondary studies in the fields of Science, Engineering, Business, Language Arts, Fine Arts and other courses offered at post-secondary degree and diploma granting institutions. Topics include applying trigonometric ratios to right triangles, prime factorization, operations with powers, functions and relations, systems of linear equations, arithmetic sequences, operations with polynomial expressions, and financial literacy. Students who have successfully completed the course may register for Foundations of Mathematics 11,
Pre-Calculus 11, or Workplace 11. At the end of this course, (space providing) students will write the Numeracy Assessment required for graduation.
SCIENCES NATURELLES 10
The course will utilize a variety of learning strategies including laboratory work, projects, and individual and small group work. Science topics will include genetics and heredity, chemical reactions, transformation of energy and the formation of the universe.
ÉDUCATION À LA VIE PROFESSIONELLE 10
The Career Learning Education course gives students the opportunity to follow an enriching path that will permit them to attain their goals. It is the French Immersion version of CLE 10 and must be completed in order to meet the Ministry’s provincial graduation requirements. This program encourages students to explore their own identities, their goals and their well-being in different learning contexts. Students will recognize the value o flearning by experience and the connections with their communities. They will reflect upon their own development in their lives and careers. Students will predict and plan their continuing progression in developing their skills in order to support their own learning. The course is structured in a way that facilitates the integration of multiple learning domains. In addition, the students will have an opportunity to continue to
develop and use their French language skills in meaningful real-life situations as well as explore ways in which their French skills can be used to further their post-secondary education and career.
GRADE 11 and 12 COURSES
For the French Immersion Dual Dogwood, two French Immersion courses are required in
Grade 11 and one French Immersion course is required in Grade 12.
SCIENCES HUMAINES 11: EXPLORATIONS
The Exploration course is designed to give students an overview of modern society, focusing on the relation between people, actions and their consequences on society. The Sciences humaines 11 students will go deeper into the exploration of different aspects of Social Studies. Students will explore at least three of these themes: social and cultural development, colonialism, politics, natural resources and their exploitation, Asian studies, First Nation studies, geography and/or philosophy. At the end of this course, students will be able to evaluate the influence of people on evolution of society, they will analyze documents and evaluate theircredibility. Also, they will compare continuity and change according to places, groups of people, events and ideas by exploring different points of view in the course of World History and drawing their own conclusions.
LANGUE ET CULTURE DE LA FRANCOPHONIE 11
Language and Culture of the French-Speaking World 11 offer the students the opportunity to reflect on how language and culture shape their personal perceptions, values and self-identification as bilingual learners. Students become aware of the realities of their own culture, the French-speaking world and strengthen their Canadian identity. Through a variety of literary texts and works from different eras, cultures, styles and genre, students will develop an understanding and an appreciation of the French-speaking world. They will continue developing their ability to analyze, interpret, and reflect.
FRANÇAIS LANGUE 12
French Immersion 12 is required to receive a bilingual diploma. Students will complete Français langue 12 and write the mandatory French literacy assessment at the end of their Français langue 12 semester.
All students will also have the option of writing the AP French Language and Culture exam in May for an
Advanced Placement credit. Students explore different types and genres of texts, from various sources, that reflect la Francophonie and the Indigenous perspectives. The course encourages students to use critical and creative thinking to analyze various communication situations and refine their communication skills in diverse contexts in order to achieve their personal and career objectives. The graduation program requires students to take the Évaluation de littératie de la 12ᵉ année – Français langue seconde – immersion. There are two components to this exam, written and oral.
OPTIONS FOR EXTRA CREDITS
ÉTUDES DU CINÉMA ET DE LA LITTÉRATURE FRANCOPHONE 12
French-Language Film and Literary Studies 12 is designed to encourage students to discover, explore, analyze, and interpret cinematographic and literary works of the French-speaking world. By studying a variety of texts, students will acquire knowledge of Francophone culture, which will contribute to the development of their identity. The following are possible focus areas in French-Language Film and Literary Studies 12: film genres: drama, comedy, action, history, biography, cloak-and-dagger, crime, adventure, science fiction, horror, silent films, documentaries, short films, propaganda, animations, trailers, television series, film adaptations of literary works, film reviews , National Film Board of Canada, Radio-Canada, TV5, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), literary genres: storytelling, poetry, plays, essays, comics, short stories, novels, albums, graphic novels, French-language literary and cinematographic works by era and geographic location, First
Peoples stories and documentaries in French.