Interdisciplinary Studies

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Please remember that not all courses are offered at every OCSB high school. Consult your myBlueprint account for the courses offerings at your school.

Interdisciplinary courses provide an integrated approach to learning. These courses are developed by connecting different subjects through themes, issues or problems that require knowledge from the selected areas. For example, an interdisciplinary studies course in small business would integrate studies in technological design and business entrepreneurship. For specific interdisciplinary courses, see Student Services at your school.

* Students may take only one interdisciplinary course per grade, per level.

Students may take a maximum of three interdisciplinary studies courses – one each of Interdisciplinary Studies, Grade 11, Open; Interdisciplinary Studies, Grade 12, University Preparation; and Interdisciplinary Studies, Grade 12, Open.

Course Descriptions

IDC3O1 – Applied Journalism

1 credit, Open, Prerequisite: None

This course combines the expectations for Interdisciplinary Studies, Grade 11, Open with selected expectations from two or more other courses, (e.g., Media Arts, Grade 11 (ASM3O) The Enterprising Person, Grade 11 (BDP3O) Media Studies, Grade 11 (EMS3O) Communications Technology, Grade 11 (TGJ3M). This course will help students create informative print, media and electronic products for school and community audiences in diverse formats (e.g., yearbook entries, newspapers, radio and television broadcasts, photojournalism, web pages). Students will investigate sources of information and compare differing perspectives on key issues, developing both a sense of news and news judgment. They will also learn editorial conventions and practices, principles of print and web design and management skills and will explore legal and ethical uses of information that is made public, as well as journalism careers.

IDC3O2 – Police Sciences/Foundations

1 credit, Open, Prerequisite: None

This course combines the expectations for the Interdisciplinary Studies, Grade 11 Open with selected expectations from the following courses: Grade 11, Health for Life (PPZ3O), Grade 11, Chemistry (SCH3U), Grade 11, Biology (SBI3U/C) and Grade 11, Law (CLU3M). The Police Sciences course will include aspects of law and research with physical education and forensic science. Students will be conducting legal research, arguing cases before a mock court and will be expected to complete physical training to assist in the preparation for the police physical readiness exam. They will also be learning how to process a crime scene using current forensic science techniques. The final project of the course will be to set up a crime scene to be solved and then use the evidence in a mock trial.

IDC3O – Deconstructing Anti-Black Racism in a North American Context

1 Credit, Grade 11, Open, Prerequisite: None

This Interdisciplinary Studies course will examine and deconstruct the complex nature of anti-Black racism in Canada, and within the broader North American context, through the study of historical oppression, via overt and covert means, as well as the political and social theories around Blackness. Students enrolled in this course will develop their ability to identify, name, and effectively address anti-Black racism and discrimination in its various forms. Furthermore, the course will examine the concept of allyship and partnering in the fight for racial equality.
Ultimately, this course will enable students to understand the intergenerational trauma that has been inflicted upon Black people, develop their critical consciousness in understanding issues of equity, in a broader context, and equip students with the tools needed to create and carry out social action initiatives designed to enhance & empower their local community.

This course combines all the expectations of the Interdisciplinary Studies, Grade 11, Open course with a relevant selection of expectations from other disciplines, including: World History Since the Fifteenth Century (CHY4C), Media Studies (EMS3O), Gender Studies (HSG3M), Equity and Social Justice (HSE3E), Origin and Citizenship: The
History of Canadian Ethnic Group (CHE3O) and, World History since 1900: Global and Regional Interactions (CHT3O)

IDC4O1 – Introduction to Police Foundations

1 credit, Open, Prerequisite: None

This course combines the expectations for the Interdisciplinary Studies, Grade 12 Open with selected expectations from the following courses: Grade 11, Understanding Canadian Law (CLU3M), Grade 12, Chemistry (SCH4C) and Grade 12, Healthy and Active Living Education (PAF4O). Topics and themes are explored using an interdisciplinary approach. Students will be expected to describe and critically analyze the existing concepts, problem solving formats and organizational systems within the field of law enforcement. Research skills will be developed and used to assist in the production and presentation of an interdisciplinary product. Throughout the course students will be provided with the opportunity to develop the fitness and skills necessary to complete the Physical Readiness Evaluation for Police (PREP). Information literacy and systems thinking will be used by the students to not only understand the field of law enforcement but to make a contribution towards development in this field.

IDC4O2 – Fire Service and Fire Protection

1 credit, Open, Prerequisite: None

This course combines the expectations for the Interdisciplinary Studies, Grade 12 Open with selected expectations from the following courses: Grade 12, Healthy Active Living Education: Focus on Personal and Fitness Activities (PAF4O), Grade 12, Chemistry (SCH4C), Grade 11, Biology (SBI3C). The Fire Service and Fire Protection course will focus on introducing key core concepts such as fire chemistry and fire behaviour. Students will engage in physical training and its theory in order to prepare for the CPAT physical test for firefighters. In addition, as a potential First Responder, students will cover First Aid and CPR. The course is designed to introduce students to the rewarding career of a firefighter through similar curriculum covered in drill school and exposing them to tangible activities that simulate the instruction that career firefighters receive during their training.

IDC4U1 – Mentorship

1 credit, University, Prerequisite: Any University or University/College preparation course

This course combines the expectations for the Interdisciplinary Studies, Grade 12 University, with selected expectations from the following courses: Grade 11, Leadership and Peer Support (GPP3O), Grade 12, Challenge and Change in Society (HSB4U) and Grade 12, Families in Canada (HHS4U). All course descriptions can be found in the Ottawa Catholic School Board Course Selection Guide. Students acquire the theoretical understandings contained in the Interdisciplinary Studies course to become knowledgeable and skilled in the practice of mentorship. Students explore human relations, communication and behavior; learning strategies and barriers; and personality and leadership styles that affect individuals in educational and social settings. During the process, students have many opportunities to develop and consolidate their knowledge and skills in different subject areas; they are motivated to solve problems, make decisions, create personal meaning and present findings beyond the scope of a single subject or discipline. A key aspect of this program is the mentoring of students in Grade 7, 8 and 9 during which time the senior students apply the knowledge and skills that they have developed. Students are paired with senior students and through the mentoring process, they improve their literacy, numeracy, communication and planning skills and become more independent and successful learners.

IDC4U2 – Management Sports and Event Planning

1 credit, University, Prerequisite: Any University preparation course or University/College preparation course.

This course combines the expectations for the Interdisciplinary Studies, Grade 12 University with selected expectations from the following courses: Grade 11, Marketing: Goods, Services, Events (BMI3C), Grade 12, Analysing Current Economic Issues (CIA4U), Grade 12, Canadian and International Law (CLN4U), Grade 12, Financial Accounting Principles (BAT4M) and Grade 12, Healthy Active Living (PPL4O). All course descriptions can be found in the Ottawa Catholic School Board Course Selection Guide. This course explores the important role that sports and entertainment play in our modern economy. Using diverse resources and research methods, students will analyze the depiction of sports and entertainment in a variety of media. Students will obtain an understanding of business fundamentals and how to apply these fundamentals to sport and entertainment. This course will cover the following topics: marketing essentials, marketing sports, products/services unique to sports marketing, sports media, stadium design, sales, visual merchandising, marketing entertainment, legal issues for sports and entertainment and others.

IDC4U6 – Issues in Criminology, Paramedicine and Public Safety

1 credit, University, Prerequisite: Any University preparation course or University/College preparation course.

This course combines the expectations for Interdisciplinary Studies, Grade 12, University, with selected expectations from the following courses: Health Care (TPJ4M), Human Development Through the Lifespan (HHG4M), Challenge and Change (HSB4U), Equity and Social Justice (HSE4M) and Canadian and International Law (CLN4U). All courses can be found in the Ottawa Catholic School Board Course Selection Guide. This course will help students develop and consolidate the skills required for and knowledge of different subjects and disciplines related to the fields of Criminal Justice, Paramedicine, and Public Safety. This course examines the skills, perspectives, challenges, and current operation(s) of Public Safety branches through a criminological and social health lens. Students will also learn and apply general skills in both familiar and new contexts, create innovative solutions to current issues in these fields, and communicate new knowledge of each of these sectors.

IDC4U8 – Studies in Education

1 credit, Open, Prerequisite: Any University preparation course or University/College preparation course.

This Interdisciplinary Studies course will provide Black students with some of the foundations to start their career as a Black educator. The course will examine the policies that have affected Black students and teachers and contributed to the current deficit of Black educators in Ontario. Students will study the history of education in Ontario and understand how it was steeped in racism. Additionally, the course will allow students to examine elements of discrimination bound in curriculum. The course will look at recent efforts to improve diversity and inclusion within education in Ontario and discuss how to move toward a more equitable education system. Students will have the opportunity to speak with equity consultants, Human Resources professionals and administrators so that they can learn how educational systems are attempting to make positive changes. Additionally, students will examine different forms of evaluation and assessment and lesson planning and technology use in education. In learning how to recognize the racist constructions that have been prevalent within the education system in Ontario, students will learn how to deconstruct them and be the archetypes of a new equitable education system in Ontario.