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OLC40P: Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course

Unit 6: Culminating Unit

Overview

In this evaluation unit comprising 30% of the final mark, students demonstrate their achievement of the literacy expectations. Using a combination of teacher-selected texts and tasks, and student-selected texts and topics, students answer questions to demonstrate their reading skills. They demonstrate their writing skills by producing a summary and an information paragraph.

In the final activity for the course, they write a self-reflection assessing their growth in reading and writing skills in the course in a Learning Journal. Students select examples of “best works” from their portfolios to comprise a Literacy Portfolio. Students reflect upon their work to write a series of paragraphs expressing an opinion about their growth in literacy.

The Activity titles reinforce the idea of accomplishment and celebration. The final task is a reflection of how they have come “ Full Circle” in their understanding of how learning is enriched when one looks back, and then looks forward.

A student who is successful in the demonstration of all of the Overall Expectations of the course has become:

  1. An Effective Communicator who reads, understands and uses written materials effectively; presents information and ideas clearly and honestly and with sensitivity to others; and writes and speaks fluently one or both of Canada’s official languages.
  2. A Reflective and Creative Thinker who thinks reflectively and creatively to evaluate situations and solve problems; and adopts a holistic approach to life by integrating learning from various subject areas and experience.
  3. A Self-Directed, Responsible, Life Long Learner who demonstrates flexibility and adaptability; responds to, manages and constructively influences change in a discerning manner; sets appropriate goals and priorities in school, work, and personal life; applies effective communication, decision-making, problem-solving, time and resource management skills; and examines and reflects on one’s personal values, abilities and aspirations influencing life’s choices and opportunities.

Expectations:

Overall Expectations:

BRV.01 demonstrate the ability to read and respond to a variety of texts;
BRV.02 demonstrate understanding of the organizational structure and features of a variety of informational, narrative, and graphic texts, including information paragraphs, opinion pieces, textbooks, newspaper reports and magazine stories, and short fiction;
BRV.03 demonstrate understanding of the content and meaning of informational, narrative, and graphic texts that they have read using a variety of reading strategies;
BRV.04 use a variety of strategies to understand familiar and specialized words and expressions in informational, narrative and graphic texts;
BWV.01 demonstrate the ability to use the writing process by generating and organizing ideas and producing first drafts, revised drafts, and final polished pieces to complete a variety of writing tasks;
BWV.02 use knowledge of writing forms, and of the connections between form, audience, and purpose, to write summaries, information paragraphs, opinion pieces (i.e., series of paragraphs expressing an opinion), news reports, and personal reflections, incorporating graphic elements where necessary and appropriate;
UAV.01 demonstrate understanding of the importance of communication skills in their everyday lives – at school, at work, and at home;
UAV.02 demonstrate understanding of their own roles and responsibilities in the learning process;
UAV.03 demonstrate understanding of the reading and writing processes and of the role of reading and writing in learning;
UAV.04 demonstrate understanding of their own growth in literacy during the course.

Specific Expectations:

Overall Expectations are evaluated in the Culminating Performance Task.

Activities:

  1. Activity One: Final Evaluation - Reading (Teacher directed)
  2. Activity Two: Writing summary – teacher directed
  3. Activity Three: Writing the Informational paragraph
  4. Activity Four: Reflection and Self-Assessment