​​​​Welcome to Grade 10 at Morden Collegiate!  

​Course Descriptions​

Whether you are a returning Grade 9 student or new to our school, below you will find information about courses that are available to for you to register for your Grade 10 year.

Courses will be listed in two categories; Core courses (required by the province in order to receive your Manitoba High School Diploma) and Optional courses (courses you elect to take based on your interests and career or post-secondary education goals).  Optional courses are available based on enrollment and are not guaranteed.

We will schedule an information evening for parents as well as host an information session for current grade 9's prior to the course selection process each year.  Grade 10 students do not get scheduled into spares or study periods.

Core Courses

English Language Arts

1 credit course

Prerequisite: English Language Arts 10F

This course builds on the development of skills from English Language Arts 10F.  It will offer students a broad range of language experiences using a variety of language forms for personal, social, and academic needs. A major emphasis on inquiry and critical thinking will be used to foster reflective learners.  Students will engage in a variety of units which include short stories and short story writing, poetry, academic essay writing and research reports, Shakespearean drama, novel studies (group and independent), and various projects.  This course includes a Final Process Exam (Standards Assessment).

Français arts langagiers (required for the French Immersion diploma)

1 credit course

Prerequisite: Français arts langagiers​ 10F or permission from the instructor.

Students will work towards developing their personal French style as they examine the media (its techniques, target audiences, and bias), complete a formal research project, present debates, novel study and current events.

Evaluation of this course will include a variety of methods; short quizzes, projects, assignments, oral presentations and a final project.​

Geography/Sciences Humaines (offered in both English and French Immersion)

1 credit course

Prerequisite: French Immersion Grade 8 or permission from the instructor  

This course is intended to help students gain a greater understanding of the society in which they live, their roles within that society, and the role of Canada within the world today.  The themes that will be explored are geography, natural resources, the nourishing earth, industry and commerce and urban spaces.  There is also an ongoing emphasis on citizenship skills and an individual's responsibility in a global context.

Evaluation of this course will include a variety of methods; short quizzes, projects, assignments, oral presentations and a final exam.

Mathematics

There are two options for Grade 10 students to recieve their required math:

Essentials in Math/Mathématiques au quotidien (offered in both English and French Immersion)

1 credit course

Prerequisite: Mathematics 10F

Grade 10 Essential Mathematics (20S) is intended for students whose post-secondary planning does not include a focus on mathematics and science-related fields. Grade 10 Essential Mathematics (20S) emphasizes consumer applications, problem solving, decision making, and spatial sense. Students are expected to work both individually and in small groups on mathematical concepts and skills encountered in everyday life in a technological society.

Topics to be covered include:

• Analysis of Games and Numbers

• Personal Finance

• Measurement

• 2-D Geometry

• Trigonometry

• Consumer Decisions

• Transformations

• Angle Construction

Student must have a scientific calculator and pad of graph paper.

Intro to Pre-Calculus & Applied Math/Indro.  aux Mathématiques appl. et pré-calcul (offered in both English and French Immersion)
​

1 credit course            

Prerequisite: Math 10F

Grade 10 Introduction to Applied and Pre-Calculus Mathematics 20S is intended for students considering post-secondary studies that require a math pre-requisite.  This pathway provides students with the understanding and critical-thinking skills that have been identified for specific post-secondary programs of study. The topics studied form the foundation for topics to be studied in both Grade 11 Applied Mathematics and Grade 11 Pre-Calculus Mathematics.

Components of the curriculum are both context driven and algebraic in nature.  Students will engage in activities that include the use of technology, problem solving, mental mathematics, and theoretical mathematics to promote the development of mathematical skills.  These experiences will provide opportunities for students to make connections between symbolic mathematical ideas and the world around us.

The learning outcomes are divided into three topics of Measurement, Algebra and Number, and Relations and Functions.​

*Financial assistance is available to any student who may be interested in taking courses with associated costs or fees.  Please see Ms. Fenn for more information

 Physical Education/Health 

1 credit course

Prerequisite: Physical Education 10F

This course expands upon the 5 areas covered in the grade 9 course. In addition to the individual and team activities, students will be experiencing lifelong physical activities and alternative pursuits. Students will be required to develop a fitness plan and participate in fitness testing twice per semester. The health topics will include stress management, drugs and alcohol, nutrition, FA/CPR, relationships and family life.

Students will be required to have proper gym attire. They will be evaluated on movement, fitness management, safety, personal and social management, and healthy life style practices.

Students should be prepared to pay a nominal fee for activities requiring community space. (ie bowling - $2.00 per day, curling - $2.00 per day and golf - range balls).

Science/Science de la Nature (offered in both English and French Immersion)

​1 credit course

Prerequisite: Science 10F

Course work consists of four units

1)     Dynamics of Ecosystems (Biology)

Students examine the complex relationships present in ecosystems in order to further investigate issues of sustainability.

2)     Chemistry in Action (Chemistry)

Students will be provided with the opportunity to examine the interactions among elements as they form compounds through chemical reactions.  Students become familiar with the formulas and naming of compounds and expressing chemical reactions in words and symbols.

3)     In Motion (Physics)

The relationships among displacement, velocity, acceleration and time are analyzed in conceptual, numerical, graphical and symbolic modes.  All issues are discussed in the context of an automobile and automobile safety.

4)     Weather Dynamics (Earth Science)

Students will develop an understanding of the relationships that control weather and climate.  Students will gather and analyze meteorological data related to a severe weather event and explore the social, economic and environmental impacts of the event.

Optional Courses

American History

1 credit course

Prerequisite: None

This American History course will create a greater understanding of significant historical events that shaped the United States.  It is intended to have a focus and emphasis on those historical developments that have influenced the world, especially Canada.  A further intent is to identify the personalities who, in a significant way, shaped American history and to examine their contributions.

Unit 1: Early America

Focus: Early developments that shaped American society – in particular; exploration, Colonization, and westward expansion.

Unit 2: Revolutionary America

Focus: The Revolution, the Constitution, and the creation of a government.

Unit 3: Nationalism and Sectionalism

Focus: The effect of territorial expansion, the Civil War, and Reconstruction on the people living in North America, as well as in other nations.

Unit 4: Emerging Power

Focus: How economic, social, and political developments affected American society from 1865-1919. How American foreign policy and domestic changes affected American society and other parts of the world.

Unit 5: World Power

Focus: Issues and events that shaped American society after the World Wars.

Band

1 credit course

Through this four year program, students will explore music through group performance on wind and percussion instruments.  Students in band will study high quality wind band literature and be held to a high, yet attainable standard of performance.  Students will learn performance skills, musical notation, music theory, music history, and the proper playing mechanics of their instrument.  Emphasis will be placed on the ability to communicate fluently and expressively with the musical language.

Concerts, festivals, trips, and retreats are considered a part of each course, and it is an expectation that all band students participate in these.

*Financial assistance is available to any student who may be interested in taking courses with associated costs or fees.  Please see Ms. Sigurdson for more information.

Jazz Band

1 credit course

Audition will be held prior to the course to determine placement in an appropriate ensemble.

The Junior Jazz Band provides an enrichment opportunity for students wanting to learn about jazz and perform in a smaller group setting.  Auditions for this group are held late in the spring of the previous school year.  Rehearsals are held during the regular school day.

Students in the course will learn various idioms of the jazz language and various jazz styles (swing, ballad, rock, latin).  They will also learn jazz forms, jazz chords, jazz scales, and improvisation.  Similar to concert band, the ability to communicate fluently and expressively using the jazz language will be emphasized.

Concerts, festivals, trips, and retreats are considered a part of Junior Jazz Band, and it is an expectation that all students participate in these. 

*Financial assistance is available to any student who may be interested in taking courses with associated costs or fees.  Please see Ms. Sigurdson for more information.

Career Education

1 credit course

Prerequisite: None

The grade 10 curriculum places a greater emphasis on student outcomes related to communication skills, work information, work trends, self-assessment, matching personal skills to occupations exploring business, stereotyping and discrimination in the workplace and work search tools. Students will have up to 10-15 hours to explore a work environment.

Choir

1 credit course

Prerequisite: Choir 10G

Students will receive one credit for this course. Classes are rehearsal-based, with the majority of class time spent studying repertoire. The course is an extension of Choir 10S .  This class runs during the school day schedule.

Students in Choir 20S will be expected to develop and grow in all areas of the curriculum, as established in Choir 10S:

Making Music

• Acquire singing skills including vocal production, breath management, tone quality, diction, dynamics, intonation and phrasing
• Develop skills in listening, vocal blend, vocal confidence, independence and discipline

Creating Music

• An expanding ability and opportunity to generate ideas, revise, refine and share creative works

Connecting in Music

• Opportunities to make personal connections to music and understanding the role of music in the world

Responding to Music

• Ability to provide evidence of their developing understanding of music through deepening and thoughtful responses. Evidence of growing and music-related vocabulary as it is used in responses.

Travel opportunities may become available through festival/competition performances.

*Financial assistance is available to any student who may be interested in taking courses with associated costs or fees.  Please see Ms. Sigurdson for more information.

Vocal Jazz

1 credit course

There are auditioned and non-auditioned vocal jazz ensembles.

Vocal Jazz 20S is a year-long course. Students will receive one credit for this course. Classes are rehearsal-based, with the majority of class time spent studying repertoire. This class runs during the school day schedule.​

Vocal Jazz 20S will provide students with:

Making Music

• an emphasis on good vocal technique including, breath management, blend, balance, intonation
• an emphasis on vocal and aural development through unison and part singing
• an emphasis on good microphone technique
• sight reading skills will be developed
• opportunity to study various genres of jazz (swing, blues, bebop, funk, etc) and contemporary styles (pop, ballads, etc. )

Creating Music

• opportunity to generate ideas and experiment with short rhythmic and notated compositions
• opportunity to revise, refine and share music ideas and creative work

Connecting in Music

• an introduction to important historical jazz composers and musicians
• an opportunity to identify personal connections they have with music
• develop understandings about the roles, purposes and meanings of music in their world and in the world around them

Responding to Music

• various opportunities to respond to musical experiences (live and recorded) that reflects initial reactions
• use of suitable and accurate music-related vocabulary in their observations and descriptions on music experiences
• begin to analyze, interpret and apply their growing understanding of music within rehearsal and performance

*Financial assistance is available to any student who may be interested in taking courses with associated costs or fees.  Please see Ms.  Sigurdson for more information.

Clothing Housing & Design

1 credit  course

Teacher Recommended Prerequisite: Clothing, Housing, and Design 10G

The clothing, textiles and sewing section will cover topics such as psychology of clothing choices and consumer concerns in making clothing choices. Students will learn about the evolution of dress from the first animal skins to the latest fashions. Students will expand their study of computer aided projects for clothing, housing and design. Intermediate sewing skills such as facings, zippers and pockets are introduced and are practiced in sewing small samples for the sewing portfolio. Students will also construct a garment of their choice as a major project that will reflect some more advanced sewing techniques than those completed in earlier level courses.

The actual content may vary from year to year depending on the needs of students involved in the course.

Project Fee - $10.00

*Financial assistance is available to any student who may be interested in taking courses with associated costs or fees.  Please see Ms. Sigurdson for more information.

Computer Science

1 credit course

Prerequisite: none

Computer Science 20S is an introductory course to computer programming. Students will learn to problem solve, accomplish tasks, and express creativity, both individually and collaboratively. This course will require you to be an independent learner, but there will be opportunities to work collaboratively to solve various problems. Students will look at Kodu, Scratch, and Actionscript for programming languages. Other topics include: the history of computer programming, careers in ICT, and computer ethics.

Digital Pictures & Digital Filmmaking

2 half credit courses for 1 full credit course

Prerequisite: none

This course combines two half credit courses (Digital Pictures 25S and Digital Filmmaking 25S) into a full credit course. The Digital Pictures portion of this course will provide students will the skills and knowledge to convey a message through an original digital image. Students will learn to use the manual settings on a digital camera, take pictures for the MCI yearbook, and manipulate those images through Adobe Photoshop. The Digital Filmmaking section of the course will provide students with the skills and knowledge to tell stories by combining sound, still images, moving images, text, graphics, and animation into a video project. Students will plan, develop, and produce a video project.

Dramatic Arts / Arts dramatiques (Offered in both English and French Immersion)​

1 credit course

Suggested prerequisite : Students should have a genuine interest in drama.

This course runs during the school day schedule.

The curriculum is organized around a set of drama elements. The drama elements are the essential components around which teachers build programs for specific groups of students. The drama elements are organized into four categories;

1. Making                      
2. Creating
3. Connecting
4. Responding

The introductory course (Drama 20S) aims to develop student awareness of the elements to enable fuller participation in and greater understanding of the drama experience. ​All courses will be taught in our specialized theatre classroom.

English as an Additional Language

1 credit course

Prerequisite: EAL 11G or similar results on a Placement Assessment.

This course expands students' essential English communication skills. These students have some knowledge of English but still need language support in regular classrooms. In this course students continue to develop their speaking and listening skills. Students will develop reading strategies, expand vocabulary and use more complex sentence structures.

Food & Nutrition

1 credit course

Prerequisite: None

Healthy lifestyle choices are the focus of this course. What do you feed a baby, a toddler, a senior, and an athlete? The FOOD LAB component will focus on food habits related to family lifestyles, income and activities of individual family members. Students will be encouraged to seek solutions/methods for making their favourite meals healthier. Students will gain an awareness and appreciation of a variety of food habits and cultures other than their own.

The actual content may vary from year to year depending on the needs of students involved in the course.

Project Fee - $10.00

*Financial assistance is available to any student who may be interested in taking courses with associated costs or fees.  Please see Ms. Sigurdson for more information.

French

1 credit course

Prerequisite: French 10G

Over the four years of coursework, students will be expected to communicate orally and interact spontaneously. They will listen in order to understand the communicated message. Students will plan and write coherent texts to communicate the message. Students will read a variety of texts, for various purposes, and demonstrate understanding orally, in writing or visually. They will demonstrate a general knowledge of francophone cultures and apply knowledge of francophone cultures to interactions with others.

The focus of class time will be oral communication then reading and writing. Students are assessed according to message, fluency and accuracy.

Graphic Arts

1 credit course

Prerequisite: none

This course is an introduction to how to create illustrations for the communication technology industry. Students will begin with learning hands - on design and illustration techniques then move onto transferring these skills to computer drawing and illustration programs. Students explore the science behind graphics for print and multimedia production.  From concept to final product, students will learn how to bring ideas to life and gain the confidence to create and refine their own productions

Hockey Skills Academy

1 credit course

Prerequisite: Hockey Skills Academy 11G

Hockey skills academy is for everyone regardless of experience or ability. Instructors can help with finding the necessary equipment. The philosophy of the Morden Collegiate Hockey Skills Academy is to provide students with the opportunity to improve their hockey skills, fitness, and knowledge of the game while promoting a healthy active lifestyle. Students will have the opportunity to educate themselves with many aspects of hockey such as fitness training, on-ice skill development, coaching/mentorship, position specific and specialty team play. In addition, students will be given the opportunity to enhance their own personal skills while developing leadership, coaching, and safety qualifications for future involvement in the sport.

In addition, it is the aim of Morden Collegiate to provide every student with the opportunity to experience success. The addition of a second level of the Hockey Skills Academy to our programming will enable us to continue to address the diverse needs of our students and community by providing an authentic and engaging learning option.

Finally, the Hockey Skills Academy would provide students with a program that would facilitate the development of social skills such as peer relations, teamwork skills, leadership skills, and problem solving skills. Through the academy students will strive to improve themselves both in and out of the arena. (Coaching certification optional based on level of interest). Fee to be determined (approximately $250.00).

Equipment pick up is the responsibility of the students/parents. Storage options are available if they have been previously arranged with the teacher.

*Financial assistance is available to any student who may be interested in taking courses with associated costs or fees.  Please see Ms. Fenn for more information.

Keyboarding & Print Communications

1 credit from two half-credit courses

Prerequisite: None

This course is designed to improve students' accuracy and speed with a keyboard, using proper finger placement/movement, and touch-keying technique on a QWERTY keyboard and numeric keypad. The Print Communication course is designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge to plan and create documents, conforming to recognized standards, for personal and business communications such as letters, agendas, minutes, reports and resumes.

Technical Theatre

1 credit Course

Prerequisite:  None

This is not a performance course. Students will develop a deeper understanding and application of the production aspects of theatre; Lighting, Sound, Stage Construction, Set Painting, House Management, Marketing, Stage Management, and Backstage Crew positions.  Students will continue to build on various employability skills, conflict resolution, team and individual strategies for success, expectations on the job as well as a general understanding of workplace practices in any career of their choice.

Theatre Production

1 credit course

Prerequisite: Audition with course instructor.

Note:   This class will meet outside of the school day in both semesters, until the completion of the show in the Spring

This is a practical course involving the rehearsal and production of theatre and a show. The course will include rehearsal techniques, script analysis and practical experience in design, technical theatre and stage management.  The course will culminate in a public performance.  The course will be taught in our state of the art, flexible theatre space. This course will be supported by our technicians and design teams from our Backstage Theatre class.

Visual Arts

1 credit course           

Prerequisite: None

The Visual Art 10G course is not a prerequisite for this course but students must be willing to expend extra effort and time in the review of the material studied in Visual  Art 10G to succeed in the Visual Art 20G course. This course is designed to help the student develop the techniques and theory introduced in the grade 9 course and to then apply them in creating their own art work. Supplies needed: pencils HB, 2B, 4B, 6B, eraser, sketchbook.

ART FEE - $15.00

*Financial assistance is available to any student who may be interested in taking courses with associated costs or fees.  Please see Ms. Sigurdson for more information.

Woodworking Technology

1 credit course

Prerequisite: Woodworking Technology 10G

In Woodworking Technology, students will develop skills in the areas of drafting, design, and basic furniture construction.  The course will explore these areas through in-class lectures and assignments, as well as through individual project work.

Supplies you will require are:

• White Art Eraser
• Compass
• Lined Paper (at least 50 sheets)
• Calculator
• Safety Glasses
• Tape Measure
• $25.00 supply fee for first project

There are costs for materials associated with this course.  Students may select from a number of projects and types of materials, so costs do vary.

*Financial assistance is available to any student who may be interested in taking courses with associated costs or fees.  Please see Ms. Sigurdson for more information.