Grade 11 Course
Selection
Grade 11 Course Selection
 It is time to select your Grade 11 academic programme
 Your programme must be considered with your postsecondary plans in mind… This might be challenging
because you’re in Grade 10 and you may not ever thought of
this before!
 You may be unsure about what you want to pursue in the
future… But you probably know what you are good at, and
what you enjoy/NOT enjoy doing. This helps!
 Choose the courses that are right for you =
interests and ability + pre-requisites (what’s needed in
the future)
What’s the Process?
Step #1
Make PRELIMINARY course choices now. Complete
the Grade 11 Course Selections and “My Plans After
Brentwood” sections of the programming sheet and submit
them to your Advisors by Monday, March 4th.
Step #2
At home over Spring Break, discuss your selections
with your parents. We will be emailing your programming
sheet home to your parents so that you have something to
talk about.
What’s the Process?
Step #3
Early next term, confirm your course selections with
your Advisors. You will take time with your Advisor to
discuss your selections and plans.
Step #4
Follow-up over the course of the term with a
MANDATORY meeting with Mr. Rodrigues, Mrs.
Coull or Mr. Colistro to confirm that choices are
appropriate to your plans.
General Notes on Courses
 All of you are required to take English 11, a Math 11,
Social Studies 11 for graduation.
 You are strongly encouraged to take a Language 11
(and must take one in some cases).
 You will take elective courses, one of which must be a
Science 11, for a total of SIX courses overall.
 Choose the courses that are right for you = interests
and ability + pre-requisites for Grade 12 and beyond!
Courses Offered for Grade 11s
 English 11 or AP English Language & Composition
 Social Studies 11
 Pre-Calculus 11 or Foundations of Mathematics 12
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AP Art History 11
AP Art History 12
Beginner’s Mandarin
Biology 11 or AP Biology 11
Chemistry 11 or AP Chemistry 11
Computer Science 11
Entrepreneurship 12
Financial Accounting 12 – Returning course
French 11
Geography 12
Geology 12
Law 12 – New Course
Mandarin Chinese – Intermediate or Advanced
AP Music Theory
Physics 11 or AP Physics B 11
Spanish 11
Any other Grade 12 elective may be selected
if deemed appropriate for the student.
For more information on
these courses, please see the
“Notes on Grade 11
Courses” PowerPoint on
our Post-Secondary
Planning Moodle site.
This means you have to convince the
University Counselors to let you take it!
Advanced Placement (AP)
 AP courses are more advanced courses that are
administered by the College Board. They offer AP exams
in the subjects that allow students to challenge for
potential university credit.
 The AP options in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics are the
first of TWO year courses. The AP exam is only written
near the end of the second year… 12AP, not 11AP.
 The AP course options open to Grade 11s in which you
will write an AP exam in May 2014 are: the AP option of
English 11, AP Art History 12, AP Music Theory 12.
 Take the AP option of a particular subject because you
really enjoy it!
English 11
 You have the option of the AP version of English 11 =
AP English Language & Composition
 This class is for “ ‘A’ students in English 10 and/or those
extremely keen to read widely and write frequently.”
- Mr. Collis
 Students in the AP class…
…will write the English Language & Composition
exam in May 2014.
…will get both the English 11 and AP credit on
their transcript.
Math 11
 In Grade 11 students have a choice between two
different mathematics courses: Pre-Calculus 11 or
Foundations of Mathematics 12… not 11.
“The goals of both courses are to provide prerequisite attitudes,
knowledge, skills and understandings for specific post-secondary
programs. Both courses provide students with mathematical
understandings and critical-thinking skills. It is the choice of
topics through which those understandings and skills are
developed that varies among the courses. When choosing a
mathematics 11 course, students should consider their interests,
both current and future.” -Mr. Wardrop
Pre-Calculus 11
 The pre-calculus pathway is designed to provide
students with the mathematical understandings and
critical-thinking skills identified for entry into postsecondary programs that require the study of
theoretical calculus, such as Science, Engineering and
Commerce.
 Topics include sequence and series, trigonometry,
quadratics, functions and equations, systems of
equations and systems of inequalities.
Foundations of Mathematics 12
 The foundations 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, such as Arts, Humanities, Social
Sciences, Education, and other similar programs.
 Topics include: measurement, geometry, logical
reasoning, statistics, relations and functions, and a
mathematics research project.
Why Foundations of Mathematics 12 ?
Although it is suggested that students take Foundations of
Mathematics 11 before attempting Foundations 12, there is no
prerequisite set by the B.C. Ministry of Education for
Foundations 12. The topics covered in the Grade 12 course do
not necessarily depend on prior knowledge of topics in Grade 11,
nor are they more challenging. Therefore, the Math Department
does not offer a Foundations 11 course but have, instead,
designed a Foundations 12 course that includes all of the
outcomes required by the Ministry for Foundations 12, as well
as some of the interesting/relevant topics from Foundations 11.
This course will have direct entry from Foundations of
Mathematics & Pre-Calculus 10.
Science
 Most university Science programs need any two of the
core lab sciences: biology, chemistry and physics.
 Strong science students should consider the AP
option available in Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
 To enter the Faculty of Science at UBC Vancouver,
SFU or UVic, Chemistry 11 and Physics 11 are
required, regardless of the science you intend to
pursue.
 Engineers need chemistry and physics.
 UK medical, dental and veterinary medicine degrees
need the AP option of Biology 11 & 12
Language 11
 A Language 11 may be a university requirement:
 All Faculties at UBC Vancouver and Simon Fraser
University
 Humanities at University of Victoria
 Most top-tier U.S. universities (some of which will
want you to even carry on in a second language to
Grade 12)
 For this reason, and because there is inherent value in
it, our expectation is that every Brentwood graduate
will complete, at least, a Language 11: French 11,
Mandarin 11 or Spanish 11.
Language 11
 Exceptions:
 You are exempted from second language acquisition
because of a diagnosed and documented learning style
difference.
 If you are an ESL student and there is a provincial
course or SAT Subject Test in your language. You
can take the corresponding exam for a Language 11
credit: Mandarin, German, French, Spanish,
Korean and Japanese.
 Any other exception would have to be approved by
Mr. Rodrigues/Mrs. Coull/Mr. Colistro as a lack of a
Language 11 can have significant post-secondary consequences.
Final Word
 Choose courses that
interest you. You
will do best in these
and so have more
post-secondary
options.