Grade 11 & 12 Academic Courses
Group 1: Language and Literature
Language and Literature is comprised of four parts – two relate to the study of language and two to the study of literature. The study of the texts produced in a language is central to an active engagement with language and culture and, by extension, to how we see and understand the world in which we live.
This course encourages students to question the meaning generated by language and texts, which is rarely straightforward and unambiguous. This course also aims to develop in students’ skills of textual analysis and understanding that texts, both literary and non-literary, are affected by culture.
Group 2: Language Acquisition – French and Spanish
The Language Acquisition course provides students with the opportunity to acquire or develop an additional language to promote an understanding of other cultures through the study of language. This course is designed for students who possess a degree of knowledge and experience in the target language.
Group 2 Courses at Meadowridge
French Higher Level (HL)
French Standard Level (SL)
Spanish Higher Level (HL)
Spanish Standard Level (SL)
Spanish ab initio Standard Level (SL)
*The French and Spanish HL/SL courses are available to students with three to five years of previous experience in the language (French or Spanish). The Spanish ab initio SL is available to students with little or no experience of the language.
Group 3: Individuals and Societies – History, Human Geography, and Business Management
Courses in Group 3 seek to address the question of how individuals and societies interact both in the past and the present. In history, students are asked to understand the present by reflecting on the past. Similarly, in Business Management students examine decision-making processes and how these decisions impact on and are affected by internal and external environments. In Human Geography, students explore global issues such as poverty, sustainability, and climate change, while considering the interrelationships between people, places, spaces, and the environment.
Group 4: Experimental Sciences - Biology, Chemistry, & Physics
Throughout these challenging courses, students become aware of how scientists work and communicate with each other. Students participate in many opportunities for scientific study and creative inquiry within a global context. Investigation skills are developed through students designing their own laboratory experiments.
Group 5: Mathematics – Mathematical Studies and Mathematics
Students are introduced to important mathematical concepts through the development of mathematical techniques rather than mathematical rigor. Mathematical Studies is for students with varied backgrounds and abilities and is therefore designed to build confidence and encourage an appreciation for mathematics in students who do not anticipate a need for mathematics in their future studies.
Group 6: The Arts – Theatre and Visual Arts
The subjects in group 6 allow a high degree of adaptability to different cultural contexts. The emphasis is on creativity in the context of disciplined, practical research into the relevant genres.
In addition, each subject is designed to foster critical, reflective and informed practice, help students understand the dynamic and changing nature of the arts, explore the diversity of art.