OSSD
Ontario Secondary School Diploma
The Ontario Secondary School Diploma is a diploma granted to secondary School graduates in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is part of the publicly-funded province-wide school system. It is awarded to all students who complete the Ontario education curriculum.
The main advantage of obtaining OSSD is that it can be recognized by the best universities in Ontario and other parts of Canada to obtain the best university education. Most secondary education institutions need an effective and complete OSSD teaching plan to consider applying it to their curriculum.
Through years of education experience of OSSD, the Great Oaks Secondary School inspires students to improve their lives and expand their horizons. The students can develop their academic potential, build self-confidence, develop global perspectives and multicultural communication skills so that they can go further in the future.
Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) Requirements
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Successful completion of the Literacy requirement
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40 hours of community involvement (Community Involvement Activity Notification and Completion Form)
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30 credits (18 compulsory and 12 optional)
For the FULL Requirements List, please click HERE.
Quick Links of OSSD
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OSSD
COURSES
Grade 9
Geography of Canada, Grade 9 – Academic (CGC1D)
This course explores Canada’s distinct and changing character and the geographic systems and relationships that shape it. Students will investigate the interactions of natural and human systems within Canada, as well as Canada’s economic, cultural, and environmental connections to other countries. Students will use a variety of geo-technologies and inquiry and communication methods to analyze and evaluate geographic issues and present their findings.
Prerequisite: None.
Visual Arts, Grade 9 – Open (AVI1O)
This course is exploratory in nature, offering an overview of visual arts as a foundation for further study. Students will become familiar with the elements and principles of design and the expressive qualities of various materials by using a range of media, processes, techniques, and styles. Students will use the creative and critical analysis processes and will interpret art within a personal, contemporary, and historical context.
Prerequisite: None
Grade 10
English, Grade 10 – Academic (ENG2D)
This course is designed to extend the range of oral communication, reading, writing, and media literacy skills that students need for success in their secondary school academic programs and in their daily lives. Students will analyze literary texts from contemporary and historical periods, interpret and evaluate informational and graphic texts, and create oral, written, and media texts in a variety of forms. An important focus will be on the selective use of strategies that contribute to effective communication. This course is intended to prepare students for the compulsory Grade 11 university or college preparation course.
Prerequisite: Grade 9 English, Academic or Applied
Principles of Mathematics, Grade 10 Academic (MPM2D)
This course enables students to broaden their understanding of relationships and extend their problem-solving and algebraic skills though investigation, the effective use of technology, and abstract reasoning. Students will explore quadratic relations and their applications; solve and apply linear systems; verify properties of geometric figures using analytic geometry; and investigate the trigonometry of right and acute triangles. Students will reason mathematically and communicate their thinking as they solve multi-step problems.
Prerequisite: Grade 9 Mathematics, Academic, or Grade 9 Mathematics Transfer, Applied to Academic
Science, Grade 10 – Academic (SNC2D)
This course enables students to deepen their understanding of chemistry through the study of organic chemistry, the structure and properties of matter, energy changes and rates of reaction, equilibrium in chemical systems, and electrochemistry. Students will further develop their problem-solving and investigation skills as they investigate chemical processes, and will refine their ability to communicate scientific information. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of chemistry in everyday life and on evaluating the impact of chemical technology on the environment.
Prerequisite: Grade 11 Chemistry, University preparation.
Grade 11
English, Grade 11 – University (ENG3U)
This course emphasizes the development of literacy, communication, and critical and creative thinking skills necessary for success in academic and daily life. Students will analyze challenging literary texts from various periods, countries, and cultures, as well as a range of informational and graphic texts, and create oral, written, and media texts in a variety of forms. An important focus will be on using language with precision and clarity and incorporating stylistic devices appropriately and effectively. The course is intended to prepare students for the compulsory Grade 12 university or college preparation course.
Prerequisite: Grade 10 English, Academic
Functions, Grade 11 – University (MCR3U)
This course introduces the mathematical concept of the function by extending students’ experiences with linear and quadratic relations. Students will investigate properties of discrete and continuous functions, including trigonometric and exponential functions; represent functions numerically, algebraically, and graphically; solve problems involving applications of functions; investigate inverse functions; and develop facility in determining equivalent algebraic expressions. Students will reason mathematically and communicate their thinking as they solve multi-step problems.
Prerequisite: Principles of Mathematics, Grade 10, Academic
Functions and Applications, Grade 11 University/College Preparation (MCF3M)
This course introduces the basic features of the function by extending students’ experiences with quadratic relations. It focuses on quadratic, trigonometric, and exponential functions and their use in modeling real-world situations. Students will represent functions numerically, graphically, and algebraically; simplify expressions; solve equations; and solve problems relating to applications. Students will reason mathematically and communicate their thinking as they solve multi-step problems.
Prerequisite: Principles of Mathematics, Grade 10, Academic, or Foundations of Mathematics, Grade 10, Applied
Biology, Grade 11 – University (SBI3U)
This course provides students with the opportunity for an in-depth study of the concepts and processes that occur in biological systems. Students will study theory and conduct investigations in the areas of biochemistry, metabolic processes, molecular genetics, homeostasis, and population dynamics. Emphasis will be placed on the
achievement of detailed knowledge and the refinement of skills needed for further study in various branches of the life sciences and related fields.
Prerequisite: Grade 11 Biology, University preparation
Grade 12
English, Grade 12 – University (ENG4U)
This course emphasizes the consolidation of the literacy, communication, and critical and creative thinking skills necessary for success in academic and daily life. Students will analyze a range of challenging literary texts from various periods, countries, and cultures; interpret and evaluate informational and graphic texts; and create oral, written, and media texts in a variety of forms. An important focus will be on using academic language coherently and confidently, selecting the reading strategies best suited to particular texts and
particular purposes for reading, and developing greater control in writing. The course is intended to prepare students for university, college, or the workplace.
Prerequisite: Grade 11 English, University preparation
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course Grade 12 – Open (OLC4O)
This course is designed to help students acquire and demonstrate the cross-curricular literacy skills that are evaluated by the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). Students who complete the course successfully will meet the provincial literacy requirement for graduation. Students will read a variety of informational, narrative, and graphic texts and will produce a variety of forms of writing, including summaries, information paragraphs, opinion pieces, and news reports. Students will also maintain and manage a portfolio containing a record of their reading experiences and samples of their writing.
Prerequisite: Eligibility requirement: Students who have been eligible to write the OSSLT at least twice and who have been unsuccessful at least once are eligible to take the course. (Students who have already met the literacy requirement for graduation may be eligible to take the course under special circumstances, at the discretion of the principal.)
Advanced Functions, Grade 12 University Preparation MHF4U
This course extends students’ experience with functions. Students will investigate the properties of polynomial, rational, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions; develop techniques for combining functions; broaden their understanding of rates of change; and develop facility in applying these concepts and skills. Students will also know their use of the mathematical processes necessary for success in senior mathematics. This course is intended both for students taking the Calculus and Vectors course as a prerequisite for a university program and for those wishing to consolidate their understanding of mathematics before proceeding to any one of a variety of university programs.
Prerequisite: Functions, Grade 11, University Preparation, or Mathematics for College Technology, Grade 12, College Preparation
Calculus and Vectors, Grade 12 University Preparation (MCV4U)
This course builds on students’ previous experience with functions and their developing understanding of rates of change. Students will solve problems involving geometric and algebraic representations of vectors and representations of lines and planes in three- dimensional space; broaden their understanding of rates of change
to include the derivatives of polynomial, sinusoidal, exponential, rational, and radical functions; and apply these concepts and skills to the modeling of real-world relationships. Students will also know their use of the mathematical processes necessary for success in senior mathematics. This course is intended for students who choose to pursue careers in fields such as science, engineering, economics, and some areas of business, including those students who will be required to take a university-level calculus, linear algebra, or physics course.
Note: The new Advanced Functions course (MHF4U) must be taken prior to or concurrently with Calculus and Vectors (MCV4U)
Mathematics of Data Management, Grade 12 University/College Preparation (MDM4U)
This course broadens students’ understanding of mathematics as it relates to managing data. Students will apply methods for organizing and analyzing large amounts of information; solve problems involving probability and statistics, and carry out a culminating investigation that integrates statistical concepts and skills. Students will also know their use of the mathematical processes necessary for success in senior mathematics. Students planning to enter university programs in business, the social sciences, and the humanities will nd this course of particular interest.
Prerequisite: Functions, Grade 11, University Preparation, or Functions and Applications, Grade 11, University/College Preparation
Science, Grade 12 – University/College (SNC4M)
This course enables students to deepen their understanding of chemistry through the study of the properties of chemicals and chemical bonds; chemical reactions and quantitative relationships in those reactions; solutions and solubility; and atmospheric chemistry and the behavior of gases. Students will further develop their analytical skills and investigate the qualitative and quantitative properties of matter, as well as the impact of some common chemical reactions on society and the environment.
Prerequisite: Grade 10 Science, Academic.