Course Outline: AMU3M

The following document is the course outline for the AMU3M course offered by Christian Virtual School. It contains the course description, unit outline, teaching & learning strategies, and the curriculum expectations addressed. This outline can also be viewed as a PDF using the download link provided.

Music, Grade 11, University/College Preparation

Course Code: AMU3M

Grade: 11

Course Type: University/College Preparation

Credit Value: 1.0 

Prerequisite(s): AMU1O or AMU2O

Curriculum Document: The Arts, Grades 11 and 12, Revised (2010)

Developed By: Shailene Norg

Department: The Arts

Development Date: September 2023

Most Recent Revision Date: September 2023

Teacher(s):

Chris graduated from Redeemer University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Science and a bachelor’s degree in Education. He completed a double-major in music and mathematics.

After graduating, Chris began his teaching career directing the music program and teaching Biblical Studies at a K-12 school in the Greater Toronto Area. Working with students in Grade 3 through Grade 12 gave him the unique opportunity to develop and implement a wide variety of instructional methods, as well as witness long-term growth and improvement among his students over several years. Giving oversight to junior, intermediate, and senior level classes allowed him to construct a systematic and strategic approach to delivering the curriculum in a co-ordinated and strategic manner across grade levels.

Chris also entered the role of guidance counsellor in 2017, completing his specialist qualification in guidance and career education shortly after. He finds a great deal of satisfaction in equipping and encouraging students to face their current situations with resilience and navigate the roadmap leading to post-secondary education or work.

In addition to teaching, Chris enjoys family time, composing and recording new music in his home studio, playing beach volleyball, skiing, Star Wars, and serving as pianist and accompanist in his local church.

One of his favourite Bible verses is John 1:5 – “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” (NLT)

Course Description:

This course develops students’ musical literacy through performance and the preparation and presentation of music productions. Students will perform works at a level consistent with previous experience. Independently and collaboratively, students will use current technology and the creative and critical analysis processes to plan, produce, present, and market musical productions. Students will respond to, reflect on, and analyse music from various genres and periods, and they will develop skills transferable to other aspects of their life and their careers. 

Overall Curriculum Expectations
Creating and Performing
  1. The Creative Process: apply the stages of the creative process when performing notated and/or improvised music and composing and/or arranging music;
  2. The Elements of Music: apply elements of music when performing notated and improvised music and composing and/or arranging music;
  3. Techniques and Technologies: use a variety of techniques and technological tools when performing music and composing and/or arranging music.
Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing
  1. The Critical Analysis Process: use the critical analysis process when responding to, analysing, reflecting on, and interpreting music;
  2. Music and Society: demonstrate an understanding of social and cultural influences on and effects of traditional, commercial, and art music;
  3. Skills and Personal Growth: demonstrate an understanding of how performing, creating, and critically analysing music has affected their skills and personal development;
  4. Connections Beyond the Classroom: identify and describe various opportunities for continued engagement in music.
    Foundations
    1. Theory and Terminology: demonstrate an understanding of music theory with respect to concepts of notation and the elements and other components of music, and use appropriate terminology relating to them;
    2. Characteristics and Development of Musical Forms: demonstrate an understanding of the development, function, and characteristics of various forms of music;
    3. Conventions and Responsible Practices: demonstrate an understanding of responsible practices and performance conventions relating to music.

      Resources Required:

      This course is entirely online and does not require nor rely on any textbook. The materials required for the course are:

      • A scanner, smart phone camera, or similar device to upload handwritten or hand-drawn work
      • A digital video camera, a web camera, or similar device to record and upload video recordings
      • A computer microphone, smart phone microphone, or similar device to record and upload audio recordings
      • Access to an instrument of the student’s choosing. Students can choose to use their voice as their instrument.
      • Access to MuseScore—a free, downloadable program (instructions for downloading it are available within the course)

      Teaching and Learning Strategies:

      • Education in the arts involves students intellectually, emotionally, socially, and physically stimulating a wide variety of learning styles and increasing a student’s learning potential. Hands-on materials and activities challenge students to move from the concrete to the abstract. The arts can be enjoyable and fulfilling, but they are also intellectually rigorous disciplines involving the use of complex symbols to communicate. Arts education provides a way of perceiving, interpreting, organizing, and questioning. Through the arts, we can record, celebrate, and pass on to future generations the personal and collective stories, values, and traditions that make us unique as Canadians. 

        The arts broaden young minds and exalt our spirits; they help us understand what it is that makes us human by validating our commonalities and celebrating our differences – which is so important in a multicultural society like Canada. Artistic expression involves clarifying and restructuring personal experience. It engages students in perception, production, and reflection. Learning in, through, and about the arts involves using the mind, body, heart, and soul to achieve intellectual, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being. 

        Students will be engaged in reading, writing, viewing and identifying images, watching some drama and dance performances, writing a script, making journal entries, performing a dramatic presentation, listening to music, planning dance steps, accessing print and internet resources, and using self and peer assessments as well engaging in class discussions. Students will have to develop an understanding of the new content and then make their own efforts to apply it. 

      Assessment and Evaluation Strategies of Student Performance:

      Every student attending Christian Virtual School is unique. We believe each student must have the opportunities to achieve success according to their own interests, abilities, and goals. Like the Ministry of Education, we have defined high expectations and standards for graduation, while introducing a range of options that allow students to learn in ways that suit them best and enable them to earn their diplomas. Christian Virtual School’s Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting Policy is based on seven fundamental principles, as outlined in the Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools document.

      When these seven principles are fully understood and observed by all teachers, they guide the collection of meaningful information that helps inform instructional decisions, promote student engagement, and improve student learning. At Christian Virtual School, teachers use practices and procedures that:

      1. are fair, transparent, and equitable for all students;
      2. support all students, including those with special education needs, those who are learning English, and those who are First Nation, Métis, or Inuit;
      3. are carefully planned to relate to the curriculum expectations and learning goals and, as much as possible, to the interests, learning styles and preferences, needs, and experiences of all students;
      4. are communicated clearly to students and parents or guardians at the beginning of the school year or course and at other appropriate points throughout the school year or course;
      5. are ongoing, varied in nature, and administered over a period of time to provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning;
      6. provide ongoing descriptive feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful, and timely to support improved learning and achievement; and
      7. develop students’ self-assessment skills to enable them to access their own learning, set specific goals, and plan next steps for their learning.

      For more information on our assessment and evaluation strategies, refer to Section 6, Student Achievement, in the Course Calendar.

      Program Planning Considerations:

      Christian Virtual School is committed to ensuring that all students are provided with the learning opportunities and supports they require to succeed. Our courses are made to offer flexible, personalized learning experiences. By maintaining an asynchronous model, students can move through their courses at their own pace, ensuring they are able to take the time they need to understand concepts or work with their teacher if they hit roadblocks. Christian Virtual School courses also incorporate choice, allowing students to submit work in a variety of mediums or formats to communicate their ideas. 

      In addition to the flexibility built into the courses, Christian Virtual School will implement the accommodations that are listed in a student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) that are applicable to the online learning environment. In these cases, the learning expectations will be the same as or similar to the expectations outlined in the curriculum document but supports will be provided to help students achieve those expectations. Common accommodations in the environment are reducing the workload, simplifying tasks and materials, providing extra time for tests and exams, allowing scribing or the use of specialized equipment, and not deducting marks for spelling. 

      Although all our courses are only offered in English at this time, Christian Virtual School welcomes students learning the English language. Students do need to meet a baseline proficiency level to access the content, but Christian Virtual School teachers are responsible for helping students develop their English literacy skills no matter the course they are enrolled in. 

      Upon enrollment, students are asked if they would like to provide information about their English language background, and this information is used by our teachers to help them adjust their instruction and suggest accommodations within the courses. English language learners are encouraged to reach out to their teacher or the Christian Virtual School administration to talk about the accommodation options in their courses so that the appropriate opportunities are given to everyone. 

      Christian Virtual School operates with 5 cores values: responsibility, perseverance, integrity, compassion, and community. These core values determine our business operations, as well as exemplify what we, as educations, want to instill in our students. Environmental education, among other causes, are important to us as a school and we strive to promote learning about these issues and solutions within our courses. We work to educate students on the environment, its threats, and the importance of sustainability. We also work to inspire students to make an impact within their community and identify an alignment between their passions and the local, or global, needs. 

      Environmental education is woven throughout our course content, across all disciplines. Depending on the course and subject matter, this education can be subtle or explicit, but the goal is to ensure that students have the opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills, perspective and practices needed to become an environmentally literate citizen. 

      Christian Virtual School stands on the belief that every person is unique and, regardless of ancestry, culture, ethnicity, sex, physical or intellectual ability, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, or other similar factor, they are to be welcomed, included, accepted, treated fairly, and respected. As a school, we teach students about multiple worldviews, how to identify and acknowledge similarities and differences, and how to communicate with others in an inclusive, kind, loving, and compassionate way. 

      Diversity is valued at Christian Virtual School, and it is our goal to ensure all members of the community feel safe, comfortable, and accepted. Our courses are written to draw attention to the contributions of men and woman alike, the different perspectives of various cultural, religious, and racial communities, and the beliefs and practices of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples, to showcase a wide range of backgrounds and allow all of our students to see themselves reflected in the curriculum. 

      As a school, we see and recognize the diversity of families, children, and people in the world in need of Christ’s love. We work every day to spread the love and acceptance of Christ. 

      Whenever possible, Christian Virtual School emphasizes the importance of financial literacy. Making financial decisions has become an increasingly complex task, and students need to have knowledge in many areas and a wide range of skills in order to make informed decisions about financial matters. In addition to the concrete skills of numeracy and finances from a mathematical point of view, students need to develop an understanding of the economic forces and ways in which they can respond to those influences. 

      Lessons that promote skill building in problem solving, inquiry, research, decision making, reflection, and critical thinking are present throughout Christian Virtual School courses. The goal is to help students acquire the knowledge and skills required to understand their own finances, as well as to develop an understanding of local and global effects of world economic forces and the social, environmental, and ethical implications of their own choices. 

      Technology is rapidly changing, and the requirements for literacy in technology is growing just as quickly. Students entering the workforce are expected to have a firm grasp of information and communication technologies and be skilled their use.  

      Due to the nature of Christian Virtual School courses, students are exposed to a wide range of technologies to both facilitate and communicate their learning. As a result, students will develop transferable skills through their experience with word processing, information processing, internet research, presentation software, communication tools, and more. 

      Opportunities are present throughout Christian Virtual School courses to explore careers related to the different disciplines and subject areas. Students are exposed to a wide variety of modern careers, fields of study, and employment opportunities.  

      In addition, teachers are available to help the student prepare for employment in a number of diverse areas. With the help of teachers, students will learn to set and achieve goals and gain experience in making meaningful decisions concerning career choices. The skills, knowledge, and creativity that students acquire through our course are essential for a wide range of careers

      In order to provide a suitable learning environment for the Christian Virtual School staff and students, it is critical that the courses and the learning environment complies with relevant federal, provincial, and municipal health and safety legislation and by-laws, including, but not limited to, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), the Food and Drug Act, the Health Protection and Promotion Act, the Ontario Building Code, and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).  

      Consideration of students’ health and safety is taken when planning activities, investigations, and experiments for our courses to ensure that proper safety precautions are communicated to and attainable for students.