GrADE 10
Experiential Program: Ridgelines & Coastlines
Designed to offer unique learning experiences, the
SMUS Experiential Program is meant to build upon and enhance classroom education.
Any Grade 10 student can take part, and the program combines an excellent academic foundation with an intentional focus on experiential (hands-on, real life, reflective) education.
Each term will have a different outdoor education focus that will be supported by classroom curriculum and a broader focus on self (health & wellness, character education), self & others (service, leadership), and self & environment (sustainability, indigenous education).
Key components of the program:
Ridgelines & Coastlines- Outdoor Leadership:
Students registered in the Experiential Education Program in their grade 10 year will be exposed to the incredible outdoors available on the west coast and will develop the skills necessary to meet the challenges of the outdoor environment. Students will have opportunities to climb, ski, paddle and hike through pristine wilderness areas on Vancouver Island. Outdoor leadership is at the core of the program and woven into each of the three terms.
Term Expeditions & Culminating Trips:
Each week, students will spend at least two days out of the classroom, enriching their learning experience in the local community. Additionally, each term will feature a multi-day expedition focusing on a different set of outdoor skills and connecting to a different unit of student in their Social Studies 10 and English 10 courses.
Experiential Social Studies 10:
Regular classroom instruction will support and enrich the student experience by connecting the academic curriculum to a place-based experiential model. Students in the program will leverage their off-campus experiences to enrich learning in their Social Studies 10 and English First Peoples 10 courses.
Term 2- “Whose Land is it Anyway?”
Through engagement in our Indigenous and Chinese-Canadian community, students will consider themes of self-determination, governance and social justice as they wrestle with inquiry work related to the guiding question of considering who this land we live on belongs to.
Term 4- “Conflict - Canada & World Wars”
Students connect explore Canada’s role in the World War One, the Interwar years, and World War Two, with much of the content delivered through experiential opportunities, including a League of Nations simulation, as the students attempt to use diplomacy to prevent the outbreak of another global conflict. Local partners, such as Fort Rodd Hill and the Bay St. Armoury bring the content to life as students take the classroom in our community.
Term 6- “Post-War World & Contemporary Issues”
Topics ranging from the Cold War to an in-depth exploration of the United Nations, culminating in a Security Council simulation are at the heart of the learning in this term. Contemporary studies relating to the UN Sustainable Development Goals make content relatable to our modern world.
Learning:
The program will be delivered using experiential and inquiry teaching practices, which put the student at the heart of the learning process: student interest drives the program. The Experiential terms will have a unique and sustained focus on leadership, service, and sustainability. Each of these themes will be prevalent in the classroom sessions, and on the expeditions throughout each term. Assessment is a mix of formative and summative practices, with students reflecting on their own work, as well as offering peer feedback. Honouring learner agency is central to this process, as students are given opportunities to make choices in how they demonstrate their learning, co-develop assignments, and engage in self-assessment. Major assessments include written tests, research essays, group projects, and in-class simulation reflections.
Demonstration of Learning:
A final assignment that pulls together the learning, draws from the experiences, and considers application to new opportunities. Students identify and present obvious links to the curricular material, skills and competencies developed and personal growth to formally express their learning over the year in a personalized way. This is a public demonstration that will be for an audience including parents.
