Our Current Online Courses
Elev8 DESK Secondary (10-12) is open all year round, 12 months of the year which includes summer!
Career Life Education (CLE) 10 is an important and practical course that teaches pragmatic life skills; it is a required course for all students in BC. CLE 10 emphasizes its useful nature by offering its students an opportunity to learn about the BC Graduation Program, and developing job search and resume writing skills that may be used for finding a summer or part time employment. Students also learn about safe working practices, budgeting for college, university or a personal goal, and creating a life compass to help in making healthy personal decisions.
The Composition 10 course is designed to support students in their development of written communication through a critical process of questioning, exploring, and sampling. Students will work individually to explore and create coherent, purposeful compositions. Learners will read and study compositions by other writers and consider a variety of styles as models for the development of their writing. The course builds students’ writing competencies by introducing them to varied structures, forms, and styles of compositions. Students have opportunities study, create, and write original pieces, exploring audience and purpose. They also develop their craft through processes of drafting, reflecting, and revising.
Creative Writing 10 is designed for students who have an interest in creative expression through language. The course provides students opportunities to build their writing skills through the exploration of identity, memory, and story in a range of genres. Within a supportive community of writers, students will collaborate and develop their skills through writing and design processes. This course is intentionally grounded in the sampling of writing processes, inviting students to express themselves creatively as they experiment with, reflect on, and practice their writing. Explorations of writing may include contemporary creative forms such as slam poetry, oratory, rap, drama, song, graphic novels; creative non-fiction and historical fiction; poetry, song lyrics; and multimodal creative forms that combine visual, written, and oral texts
Focused Literary Studies 10 is designed for students who are interested in the literature of a particular era, geographical area, or theme, or in the study of literature in general. The course allows students to delve more deeply into literature as they explore specific themes, periods, authors, or areas of the world through literary works in a variety of media. Giving students the choice of a range of literary topics allows them to follow their passion and at the same time: increase their literacy skills through close reading of appropriately challenging texts; enhance their development of the English Language Arts curricular competencies, both expressive and receptive; expand their development as educated global citizens; develop balance and broaden their understanding of themselves and the world; and develop higher-level thinking and learning skills.
Possible areas of focus in Literary Studies 10 include genre-specific studies like poetry, short stories, novels, drama, graphic novels, children’s literature; Canadian literature; First Peoples texts; thematic studies; and specific author studies.
New Media 10 is a program of studies designed to reflect the changing role of technology in today’s society and the increasing importance of digital media in communicating and exchanging ideas. This course is intended to allow students and educators the flexibility to develop a program of study centred on students’ interests, needs, and abilities, while at the same time allowing for a range of local delivery methods. English New Media 10 recognizes that digital literacy is an essential characteristic of the educated citizen. Coursework is aimed at providing students with a set of skills vital for success in an increasingly complex digital world by affording opportunities to demonstrate understanding and communicate ideas through a variety of digital and print media.
Possible focus areas in New Media 10 may include:
- Media and Film Studies - possible content/topics include the globalization of the media industry, influence of media on users’ perceptions, documentaries in the age of digital media, the rise of social media.
- Journalism and Publishing - possible content/topics include the changing roles and structures within news organizations; risks, challenges, and opportunities associated with professional journalism; and citizen journalism, local journalism, school-based journalism.
- Digital Communication - possible content/topics include blogging, writing for the web, writing for social media, gaming, and podcasting.
It is strongly recommended that students have successfully completed Mathematics 9 in order to register in Foundations and Pre-Calculus Math 10. This course focuses on the Big Ideas of using algebra to generalize relationships, making connections with operations, including powers & polynomials, linear relationships and their meaning, and using proportional reasoning to solve problems. All unit topics are presented using video lessons from Content Connections learning platform. Topics covered in the course include Exponents, Relations & Functions, Linear Relations and Systems, Polynomials, Factoring, Trigonometry and Financial Literacy.
The Physical and Health Education (PHE) curriculum aims to empower students to develop a personalized understanding of what healthy living means to them as individuals and members of society in the 21st century. The BC PHE curriculum focuses on well-being — the connections between physical, intellectual, mental, and social health. This approach aligns with those of jurisdictions across Canada and throughout the world to promote a deeper and more holistic understanding of overall health and well-being in students.
PHE is designed to develop the knowledge, skills, and understandings that students need for lifelong physical health and mental well-being. The PHE curriculum highlights the interconnections between an individual’s health and his or her well-being, the connections between physical and mental health, the importance of positive interpersonal relations, and how interactions with the community affect overall well-being. As well, the PHE curriculum aims to develop students who have the knowledge and confidence to promote their own health and well-being by maintaining healthy habits. The goal is for students to recognize and change unhealthy behaviours and, at the same time, advocate for the safety, health, and well-being of others.
The rationale and goals of PHE justify combining physical and health education as a means to promote and develop all aspects of well-being. The importance of personal well-being, where students develop healthy habits, is clearly identified as one of the principles of British Columbia’s educational transformation. This establishes PHE as essential to a complete education for BC students.
Science 10 introduce students to the study of the four main fields of science: Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Earth Science. The course will focus on the Big Ideas of DNA and diversity, chemical processes, energy conservation and transformation, and the formation of the universe. The topics of study in Science 10 include Cells, DNA, Genes and Mutations, Chemical Equations and Reactions, Acids, Bases & Salts, Energy Conservation and Calculations, Work, and Formation of the Universe, Stars and the Solar System. NOTE: This is a requisite course for all science-related courses in Grades 11 and 12.
The primary goal of Social Studies education curriculum is to give students the knowledge, skills, and competencies to be active, informed citizens who are able to think critically, understand and explain the perspectives of others, make judgments, and communicate ideas effectively. The specific focus of Socials 10 curriculum is on Canada and the World during the 19th century specifically on Canadian political governmental and environmental policies and identities; Frist Peoples governance and ideologies; and advocacy for human rights including discriminatory policies and injustices both in Canada and around the World. Students learn to make reason ethical judgements about the past and present, and assess appropriate ways to remember and respond.
Workplace Mathematics 10 prepares students for the working world. The main concepts covered in this course involve a look at finance, measurements, scales and shapes. There are seven units in Workplace Mathematics 10: Probability, Graphs, Measurement Conversions, Trigonometry, Surface Area and Volume, Central Tendency and Financial Literacy. This course was specifically designed to break topics up into manageable sizes in order to help students of all ability levels and backgrounds be successful in secondary math. Online lessons are video-based, and students have complete control over the pace at which they learn—lessons can be paused, resumed and repeated. Examples have video, or step-by-step solutions.
The Accounting 11 course is designed as an introduction to accounting concepts for those seeking entry-level employment skills. Students gain insights into financial problems and solutions that have far reaching benefits for entrepreneurial and professional careers. In Accounting 11 students explore the ethics, purpose, principles, equations, accounting cycles, procedures, analysis, and decisions and best practices of financial accounting.
The Chemistry 11 course focuses on the Big Ideas around atoms and molecules as building blocks, organic chemistry and its applications, the mole and molecules, matter and energy conservation in chemical reactions, and solubility. The course is designed for students planning to enter post-secondary science-related programs. The topics explored include the Periodic Table, Atoms, Molecules and Ions, Density and Matter, Naming and Writing Formulas (for compounds and acids), the Mole and Molar Concentration and Dilutions, Empirical and Molecular Formulas, Balancing Equations, Types of Chemical Reactions, Stoichiometry and Limiting Reagents, Mixtures, Solutions and Electrolytes, and Identifying and Naming Alkanes, Alkenes, Alkynes & Alcohols.
The Earth Sciences 11 course focuses on the Big Ideas of Earth materials and resources, and their cycle through the geosphere, Plate Tectonic Theory, the atmosphere, and distribution of water and its affect on weather and climate change, and astronomy and the interactions of Earth and the solar system. The topics of study in the course include The Universe, Our Solar System, Sun and Planets, Earth and Lunar Movement, Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes and Volcanoes, Weathering and Erosion, Minerals, Rocks and Earth Resources, Ocean Water and Currents, and the Atmosphere and Water Vapour.
Composition 11 is designed to support students as they refine, clarify, and adjust their written communication through practice and revision. Students will read and study compositions by other writers and be exposed to a variety of styles as models for the development of their writing. The course provides opportunities for students to, with increasing independence, study, create, and write original and authentic pieces for a range of purposes and real-world audiences. Learners will expand their competencies through processes of drafting, reflecting, and revising to build a body of work that demonstrates expanding breadth, depth, and evidence of writing for a range of situations. They will develop confidence in their abilities as they consolidate their writing craft.
Areas of focus within Composition 11 include:
• narrative, expository, descriptive, persuasive, and opinion pieces
• planning, drafting, and editing processes
• writing for specific audiences and specific disciplines
• how to cite sources, consider the credibility of evidence, and evaluate the quality and reliability of the source
NOTE: It is preferred that students have Foundations Pre-calculus Math 10 before taking Foundations Math 11, but it is not a requirement.
Foundations Mathematics 11 focuses on the big ideas of proportional relationships, optimization in decision-making processes, logical reasoning and statistical analysis. This pathway is designed to provide students with the mathematical understandings and critical-thinking skills identified for post-secondary studies, in programs that do not require the study of theoretical calculus. The course lessons are presented using Content Connections video lessons. The topics covered in the course include Systems of Linear Inequalities, Properties of Angles and Triangles, Non-right Angle Trigonometry, Probability & Statistics, Quadratic Functions, Systems of Equations, Reasoning & Finances.
Our Physics 11 course is an introduction to the field of physics. In this course, students will learn concepts, strategies, and techniques to help them understand the inner workings of our amazing universe. Physics 11 explores the world of motion and energy. The course focuses on four Big Ideas: 1) an object’s motion can be predicted, analyzed and described; 2) forces influence the motion of an object; 3) energy is found in different forms, is conserved, and has the ability to do work; and 4) mechanical waves transfer energy but not matter. It is designed to build students’ knowledge of core physics concepts that may help lead to careers in Engineering, Aeronautics, Architecture, Forensic Science, Astronomy, Video Game Engine Design, and many others.
The Pre-Calculus 11 course is designed to provide students with the mathematical understanding and critical thinking skills identified for entry to university level mathematics, science, engineering, or other mathematically intensive fields of study. Pre-Calculus 11 focuses on quadratic relationships, their prevalence around us, and the use of algebra to generalize these relationships through abstract thinking. The topics explored include solving quadratic equations, analyzing quadratic functions, graphing inequalities & systems of equations, trigonometry, rational expressions & equations, absolute value & reciprocal functions, and exponential functions and financial literacy.
The main purpose of the Social Studies curriculum is to develop graduates who have the knowledge, skills, and competencies to be active, informed citizens. An informed citizen understands key historical, geographical, political, economic, philosophical, and societal concepts, and how these different factors relate to and interact with each other. In Explorations in Social Studies 11, students will explore various perspectives of the past, present, and future of cultures and geography through the lenses of law, social justice, philosophy, and economics. This course will allow students to enhance their understanding of our world and their place in it.
Our Workplace Mathematics 11 course provides a practical, contextual focus that encourages students to develop their mathematical knowledge, skills and attitudes in the context of their lives and possible careers. This is a self-paced course composed of seven distinct units of study: Trigonometry, Rate of Change, Graphing, Surface Area and Volume, Scale Representations, Banking, and Budgets. Workplace Mathematics 11 was specifically designed to break topics up into manageable parts in order to help students of all ability levels, and backgrounds, be successful in secondary math. Our online lessons are video-based, and students have complete control over the pace at which they learn—lessons can be paused, resumed, and repeated. All examples provide either video and/or step-by-step solutions.
Our Anatomy & Physiology 12 course focuses on the Big Ideas of gene expression through the study of DNA and cells, the various processes the body uses to maintain homeostasis, and the interrelationship between the organ systems in the body and the maintenance of homeostasis. Students will study cell biology (structure and biochemistry), DNA and protein synthesis, enzymes, and various mammalian anatomy like the digestive, urinary, reproductive, circulatory, and nervous systems. NOTE: Chemistry 11 is a recommended prerequisite for this course. Biology 12 is not a prerequisite.
British Columbia First Peoples 12 (BCFP12) is an excellent and highly recommended alternative to Social Studies 11 and meets the required socials studies credit (Grade 11 or 12) of the BC graduation program. BCFP12 explores four big overarching ideas: 1) The identities, worldviews, and languages of BC First Peoples are renewed, sustained, and transformed through their connection to the land; 2) the impact of contact and colonialism continues to affect the political, social, and economic lives of BC First Peoples; 3) cultural expressions convey the richness, diversity, and resiliency of BC First Peoples; and 4) through self-governance, leadership, and self-determination, BC First Peoples challenge and resist Canada's ongoing colonialism.
The Calculus 12 course is designed for students that are pursuing post-secondary studies in sciences, mathematics, engineering, business, or computer science programs. The course focuses on four Big Ideas: the concept of a limit is foundational to calculus; differential calculus develops the concept of instantaneous rate of change; integral calculus develops the concept of determining a product involving a continuously changing quantity over an interval; and derivates and integrals are inversely related. Pre-Calculus 12 is strong encouraged as a prerequisite for Calculus 12.
The Chemistry 12 course explores chemical reactions and chemical equilibrium. The course focuses on several Big Ideas: reaction rate and the factors affecting it; chemical equilibrium and changes that shift them; saturated solutions; acid and bases; and oxidation and reduction processes. The topics of study include Reaction Rates, Collision Theory, and Kinetic Energy & Reaction Mechanisms, Equilibrium Law, Solubility and Saturated Solutions, Acids, Bases and their strengths, Titrations, and Electrochemistry and Electrolytic Cells.
The English Language Arts curriculum, while always centered around developing strong communication, writing, and critical thinking skills, provides opportunity for learners to build on and extend previous learning experiences in ELA and EFP 10 and 11 courses.
Completion of the English Studies 12 (or English Frist Peoples 12) is required for graduation. Our English Studies 12 course is designed for all students and provides them with opportunities to:
• refine their ability to communicate effectively in a variety of contexts and to achieve their personal and career goals
• think critically and creatively about the uses of language
• explore texts from a variety of sources, in multiple modes, and that reflect diverse worldviews
• deepen their understanding of themselves and others in a changing world
• gain insight into the diverse factors that shape identity
• appreciate the importance of self-representation through text
• contribute to Reconciliation by building greater understanding of the knowledge and perspectives of First Peoples
• expand their understanding of what it means to be educated Canadian and global citizens
Our Food Studies 12 course focuses on the components of meal development and preparation, explores food safety, production and policies in Canada, as well as investigates Indigenous food sovereignty. Students will also critique nutrition and health claims while examining their own food philosophies. The topics covered in the course include Food Handling Practices and Safety, Begin with Baking, Healthy Eating Habits (Superfood, Nutrition, Food Philosophy), A Changing World (Technology in the Kitchen, Careers in Food Industry, Food Security, Indigenous Food Sovereignty), Food Guide, and Meal Planning.
The Foundations of Mathematics 12 course focuses on the Big Ideas of probabilistic thinking, modelling data, financial decisions, and geometrical explorations. The course lessons are provided using Content Connections. The topics learned in FOM 12 include Investing & Borrowing Money; Combinatorics; Probability, Polynomial, Exponential, Logarithmic and Sinusoidal Functions; Conics and Constructions; and Fractals. This course is suitable for students looking at post-secondary studies in liberal arts (and other non-science related programs).
The Law Studies 12 course introduces students to the Canadian legal rights and responsibilities that attempt to allow citizens to participate more fully in society. Laws maintain the status quo, but they are also a force for change; students will examine how laws have changed over time. Canadian laws and legal framework affect many aspects of our daily lives. A solid understanding of these components of Canadian society will help to better navigate daily events in our lives.
Specifically, Law Studies 12 will explore the importance of key legal principles, cases, social forces, and events in the evolution of Canadian law; assess the impact that a law, court decision, or legal principle has on legal structures and/or the lives of citizens; and assess the impact of social and/or political forces on the development of law.
Philosophy 12 is an academic course that focuses on developing and strengthening critical thinking and reflective skills. Philosophy provides tools for investigating meaning and fostering understanding of different ways of thinking. As a citizens of a functioning, democratic society, we are required to continually examine questions that allow us to examine our own assumptions and better understand our own beliefs and those of our society.
The Physical Geography 12 course examines the world around us from both a regional and global perspective using the five themes of geography including Location, Place, Human/Environmental Interaction, Movement and Regions. Students will investigate physical geography topics such as the cause and effects of plate tectonics, gradational processes, weather and climate, biospheres and energy, and then apply this knowledge to understanding some of the many of the problems associated with managing our environment including various types of pollution and their role in global warming and global dimming. The related effects of human inhabitance on our physical environment are explored in detail.
Our Physics 12 course explores the world of motion and fields. It is designed to build on the knowledge the student has obtained in Physics 11. The course focuses on four Big Ideas: measurements of motion depends on our frame of reference; forces can cause linear and circular motion; momentum is conserved within a closed isolated system; and forces and energy interactions occur within fields. Physics 12 emphasizes real-life applications and helps students connect their learning to the world around them. It is strongly recommended that students complete Physics 11 before enrolling in Physics 12 to ensure all necessary foundational skills are developed.
The Pre-Calculus 12 course is designed to provide students with a deeper mathematical understanding and critical thinking skills identified for entry to university level mathematics, science, engineering, or other mathematically intensive fields of study. The course contains eight major units of study: Rational Expressions and Functions; Radical and Rational Functions; Transforming Graphs and Functions; Combining Functions; Exponential and Logarithmic Functions; Trigonometry; Trigonometric Equations and Identities; and Permutations and Combinations. NOTE: Pre-Calculus 11 is a required prerequisite for this course.
The 20th Century World History 12 course introduces the student to the history of the twentieth century, beginning with the treaties that ended World War I and ending with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. In general, the course of study includes the rapid development and proliferation of technology in the 20th century that led to profound social, economic, and political changes and the breakdown of long-standing empires created new economic and political systems which students will examine.