The Focus Course Planning Guide has been developed to support educators with the planning and development of quality focus courses that address the expectations in Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9-12: Health and Physical Education, 2015 (H&PE Curriculum), and support school level, department and teacher planning.
This resource will support educators in the creation of focus courses that are unique, address the needs of the learner and ensure a broad range of learning options for students to be better able to customize their high school education.
The Focus Course Planning Guide provides teachers, departments and school administration with the tools required to ensure that the vision and goals of the H&PE Curriculum are being met in both the selection and development of focus courses.
The curriculum expectations included in this resource have been sourced directly from the H&PE Curriculum. This resource is divided into the following sections:
Section 1: The Purpose of Focus Courses within the H&PE Curriculum
This section:
- supports educators in deepening their understanding of the purpose and intent of focus courses within the context of the H&PE Curriculum;
- includes specific references to the H&PE Curriculum to guide educator planning for a focus course.
Section 2: Focus Courses and the Fundamental Principles of H&PE
This section:
- supports educators in making connections between each of the five fundamental principles in health and physical education and a focus course;
- includes considerations for aligning the learning and experiences offered in a focus course with the fundamental principles.
Section 3: Considerations for Offering a Focus Course
This section:
- supports educators in determining the merit of implementing a focus course in their school;
- includes a list of considerations for implementing a focus course and for supporting student interests and needs through a focus course.
Section 4: Planning a Focus Course
This section:
- supports educators in advocating for offering a focus course within their school, determining the type of focus course to offer and planning considerations;
- includes a sample checklist of considerations when planning a focus course.
Section 5: Using Curriculum Mapping for Planning Courses at the Same Grade in H&PE
This section:
- supports educators in using curriculum mapping with colleagues to engage in conversations to plan the scope and sequence of learning and selection of activities for Healthy Active Living Education and focus courses offered at the same grade;
- includes a step-by-step process for curriculum mapping;
- includes three curriculum mapping samples to guide educators in their planning.
Section 6: Using Curriculum Mapping for Planning the Scope and Sequence for HALE and Focus Courses Offered at Different Grades in H&PE
This section:
- supports educators in using curriculum mapping with colleagues to engage in conversations to plan the scope and sequence of learning and selection of activities for focus courses offered at different grades;
- includes a step-by-step process for curriculum mapping;
- includes three curriculum mapping samples to guide educators in their planning.
Section 7: Planning for Teaching Healthy Living in a Focus Course Using the Inquiry Process
This section:
- supports educators in addressing the healthy living expectations through inquiry;
- includes an introduction to the value of adopting an inquiry stance to engage students in learning;
- includes sample inquiry questions as a model for educators to support students in creating their own inquiry questions related to healthy living and the focus of a course.
Section 8: How to Market Your Program and Integrate Student Choice
This section:
- provides educators with strategies for marketing a focus course using student leadership;
- includes a checklist of strategies to promote a focus course.
Section 9: Focus Course Advocacy and Implementation Kit
This section:
- supports educational leaders in providing colleagues with a deeper understanding of the purpose and intent of focus courses, strategies for differentiating instruction to meet the needs of learners with a focus on inquiry and tools for planning a focus course;
- includes a ready-to-use PowerPoint presentation with speaker’s notes for presenting to either individuals and small groups (1-3 people) or to large groups (4 or more people);
- includes discussion guides as a companion to the PowerPoint presentation for presenting to individuals and small groups or to large groups.
