Bio 30 Diploma Study Guide

[Kandy Swartzel]

Studentswho wrote a diploma exam or completed a diploma exam course in 2022-23 may still be eligible for the 20% weighting that applied last year. For more information about these special circumstances, see the Diploma exam weighting overview fact sheet.

Alberta Education is transitioning to a new digital platform for provincial student assessments, meaning that eventually students will write diploma exams and provincial achievement tests in a digital environment rather than pencil and paper.

The transition to digital assessments will be done in an incremental and measured way to allow school authorities, administrators, teachers, and students time to learn and interact with the new platform. For the 2023-24 school year, Alberta Education is in touch with school authorities directly to offer them opportunities to participate in a variety of optional implementation activities. Teachers, parents and students can navigate the assessment platform and access practice exams and resources. Questions and feedback may be directed to [email protected]. If you have questions about whether your school will be administering digital assessments this school year, please contact your school principal.

Principals can contact the [email protected] to request access for their school so they can set up their account and add other administrators and teachers. Once teachers have been added and set up their account, they can administer practice written response assignments. Instructions on using the system can be found in this user guide.

They also must make arrangements to ensure that space and a diploma exam are available, either by speaking with the principal of the high school where they intend to write or a designated writing centre.

To ensure equity and fairness to all students, only calculators that have been approved by Alberta Education may be used when writing diploma exams. Students may use only one calculator (scientific or graphing) with no prohibited properties during a diploma exam. The calculator directives, expectations, criteria, and keystrokes required for clearing approved calculators are in the 2023-24 Calculator Information and Rules for Mathematics and Science Diploma Exams (PDF, 291 KB).

If a diploma exam has 2 parts, you must write (or rewrite) both parts of the diploma exam during the same diploma exam administration to earn credit for that diploma exam course. If this is impossible, talk to your principal or school counsellor.

You may repeat a diploma course without rewriting the diploma exam. However, students who received an exemption and retake instruction in a diploma exam course must write the diploma exam to acquire a final official mark associated with the new school-awarded mark. Exemptions are not carried forward.

When you repeat a course or rewrite a diploma exam, your new Results Statement will list your most recently earned marks. Your new transcript, if you request one, will show only the highest diploma exam mark and highest school-awarded mark earned.

Click on the tabs below to explore course offerings from each program. Utilize the available filters to fine-tune your results. Click the title of the course to read a longer description and see additional prerequisite information.

Business education provides valuable skills and knowledge for all students. Our courses are taught with the goal of developing skills for the 21st century global economy. Some of the skill sets that will be developed are global awareness, collaboration, oral and written communications, critical thinking and problem solving, and a well-defined work ethic as a self-directed contributor. Our courses are based on the National Standards for Business Education.

Honors Options Available: The Honors Option is an opportunity to earn a weighted grade in select business courses by completing rigorous projects in addition to the standard course requirements. At the beginning of the school year, teachers will explain the Honors Option to all students and will distribute the honors contract that lists all requirements for earning honors credit. Courses available for honors option can be found using the filter below.

Students may elect the honors option only within the first cycle of the course by submitting a completed honors contract. Students who are added to the course after the first cycle will not be eligible for the honors option. At any time before the end of the course, consistent with the level change guidelines, the student may choose to void the honors contract and receive an unweighted grade. This choice will be made in consultation with parents, teacher and school counselor.

This course helps students investigate careers as they apply to personal interests and abilities, develop skills and job search documents needed to enter the workforce, explore the rights of workers and traits of effective employees, and address the importance of professionalism and responsibility.

Science:

STEM Cluster: Required 3.0 SCIENCE credits of which 1.0 Life Science and 1.0 Physical Science are required; can fulfill a STEM ELECTIVE credit if a student has completed 3.0 SCIENCE credits.

Social Studies:

Humanities Cluster: Required 3.0 SOCIAL STUDIES credits of which 1.0 US History and 0.5 American Government/Civics are required; can fulfill a HUMANITIES ELECTIVE if student has completed 3.0 SOCIAL STUDIES credits.

World Language:

World Language Cluster: Required 2.0 WORLD LANGUAGE credits.

Career and Life Skills Cluster: Can fulfill a CAREER AND LIFE SKILLS credit if a student has completed 2.0 WORLD LANGUAGE credits. Humanities Cluster: Can fulfill a HUMANITIES ELECTIVE credit if a student has completed 2.0 WORLD LANGUAGE credits.

The Advanced Spanish Language and Latin America course is structured around a set of thematic units that focus on significant events, issues, literature, art, music, and film of selected Latin American countries, starting from the early 20th century and extending into the present day.

Representative novels and plays from 19th and 20th century American literature - the best writing by America's best writers - will show readers the variety of styles and subjects that have become important traditions in American literature.

College and Career Foundations is an essential course designed for high school juniors and seniors, aimed at preparing students for the exciting journey into higher education and the professional world.

Designed as an introduction to the social studies program at the high school, the Global Studies course examines significant developments in world history using chronological, thematic and regional approaches.

This course explores selections of literature from 19th through 21st century Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Readings explore the individual's search for both psychological and social identity.

This introductory course engages students in a rich, challenging year of growth as thinkers and writers. Instruction develops higher-order thinking through a focus on critical reading; essay writing; language usage and style; the elements of literature; and vocabulary development. Students will also be introduced to classical traditions/texts/themes which they will continue to study in later years. Much of the literature focuses on how individuals face challenges in different eras and cultures. Recommendation criteria include: 1. Eighth grade English teacher recommendation 2. Classroom performance 3. Scores on local and standardized tests.

A student's current placement does not determine level for future courses. For example, a student in 112 could be in an honors class in a subsequent year whereas a 113 student might not be. Placement depends on how the student develops over the course of the year. We want every student to be both supported and challenged.

Building on skills developed in the ninth grade, tenth grade English class focuses on strengthening expository and imaginative writing skills; developing principles of analysis, synthesis and evaluation; and studying the writing of selected American authors. In addition, sophomores study The Odyssey, Macbeth, and Huckleberry Finn as part of their cultural heritage. Students also meet with both English and social studies teachers to participate in the Seminar Skills program. Seminar Skills is an interdisciplinary lab that deepens and extends the common learning objectives of the English and social studies classes. Reading, writing, and speaking skills are developed through project-based activities such as analysis of current events and through incrementally larger research work. Through these, students also practice responsible, effective use of technology. Tenth-graders are recommended for English classes according to performance level. Recommendation criteria include: 1. Ninth grade English teacher recommendation 2. Classroom performance 3. Scores on local and standardized tests.

400 LEVEL COURSES: These literature courses focus on helping students develop facility in literary analysis as well as a greater understanding of their literary and cultural heritage. Coursework includes critical and analytical approaches to reading, writing, and speaking. Writing instruction refines argument-based expository and creative composition skills.

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