Grade 9 Program
A strong academic foundation for students beginning their Ontario high school pathway.
Building a Strong Foundation
Grade 9 marks the beginning of the Ontario secondary school pathway. At C.Lawrence Academy, students develop essential academic skills, strengthen core subject knowledge, and build confidence for future high school studies.
Our Grade 9 program supports students as they transition into secondary-level learning and prepares them for more advanced coursework in Grades 10, 11, and 12.
Grade 9 Courses
Students may select from a range of Grade 9 courses designed to build core academic skills and subject foundations.
ENL1W - English
Prerequisite: None
This course enables students to continue to develop and consolidate the foundational knowledge and skills that they need for reading, writing, and oral and visual communication. Throughout the course, students will continue to enhance their media literacy and critical literacy skills, and to develop and apply transferable skills, including digital literacy. Students will also make connections to their lived experiences and to society and increase their understanding of the importance of language and literacy across the curriculum.
MTH1W - Mathematics
Prerequisite: None
This course enables students to consolidate, and continue to develop, an understanding of mathematical concepts related to number sense and operations, algebra, measurement, geometry, data, probability, and financial literacy. Students will use mathematical processes, mathematical modelling, and coding to make sense of the mathematics they are learning and to apply their understanding to culturally responsive and relevant real-world situations. Students will continue to enhance their mathematical reasoning skills, including proportional reasoning, spatial reasoning, and algebraic reasoning, as they solve problems and communicate their thinking.
SNC1W - Science
Prerequisite: None
This course enables students to develop their understanding of concepts related to biology, chemistry, physics, and earth and space science, and to relate science to technology, society, and the environment. Throughout the course, students will develop and refine their STEM skills as they use scientific research, scientific experimentation, and engineering design processes to investigate concepts and apply their knowledge in situations that are relevant to their lives and communities. Students will continue to develop transferable skills as they become scientifically literate global citizens.
BEM1O - Building the Entrepreneurial Mindset
Prerequisite: None
In this course, students will learn what makes an entrepreneur thrive and the skills required to succeed in today’s business environment. Students will begin to develop their own entrepreneurial mindset, and learn why it’s important to take initiative, adapt to change, find creative solutions, and understand the financial considerations of entrepreneurship. This hands-on course will use business software and applications to help students plan and develop their entrepreneurial ideas and learn how to present them to a target audience. Throughout the course, students will enhance their communications skills as well as develop and refine their project management skills, including goal setting, time management, and networking.
CGC1W - Exploring Canadian Geography
Prerequisite: None
This course builds on learning in Grades 7 and 8 in geography. Students will explore relationships within and between Canada’s natural and human systems and how they interconnect with other parts of the world. Students will also examine environmental and economic issues, and their impact related to topics such as natural resources and industries, careers, land use and responsible development, and sustainability. In addition, students will understand the connections that diverse communities and individuals have with the physical environment and each other throughout Canada, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives. Students will apply geographic thinking, use the geographic inquiry process, and use geospatial technologies throughout their investigations.
AVI1O - Visual Arts
Prerequisite: None
This course is exploratory in nature, offering an overview of visual arts as a foundation for further study. Students will become familiar with the elements and principles of design and the expressive qualities of various materials by using a range of media, processes, techniques, and styles. Students will use the creative and critical analysis processes and will interpret art within a personal, contemporary, and historical context.
What Students Build in Grade 9
Grade 9 helps students develop the academic habits and learning confidence needed for success in later high school courses.
• Core reading and writing skills
• Foundational mathematics and science knowledge
• Academic organization and study habits
• Confidence for future OSSD courses
Begin the Grade 9 Pathway
Contact our admissions team to learn more about Grade 9 course options and enrollment.