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Grade 9 Courses

Where we begin high school.

Grade 9 is the foundation year. We teach the common Ontario curriculum in small classrooms that close the gap between middle school and the senior years, and help students build the habits they carry through to graduation.

Courses offered
11
Compulsory credits
3
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A Vaughan College teacher working through a textbook one-on-one with a student in uniform

Grade 9 Courses

Browse the Grade 9 catalogue.

Compulsory credits are marked Required. The Grade 9 English, mathematics, and science courses are de-streamed, so every student begins from the same foundation.

Every course is offered in person; some are also available online.

11 courses

  • A student writing in a notebook by a sunlit classroom window
    ENL1W

    English

    Grade 91 CreditRequired

    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.

    $580

  • A hand working through algebra on a chalkboard
    MTH1W

    Mathematics

    Grade 91 CreditRequired

    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.

    $580

  • A student examining a test tube in a school science class
    SNC1W

    Science

    Grade 91 CreditRequired

    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.

    $580

  • Students collaborating on a project around laptops
    BEM1O

    Building the Entrepreneurial Mindset

    Grade 91 Credit

    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.

    $580

  • An antique world map with a compass and brass instruments
    CGC1W

    Exploring Canadian Geography

    Grade 91 Credit

    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.

    $580

  • A student writing in a notebook by a sunlit classroom window
    ESLAO

    English as a Second Language

    ESL Level 11 Credit

    This course builds on students’ previous education and language knowledge to introduce them to the English language and help them adjust to the diversit y in their new environment. Students will use beginning English language skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing for everyday and essential academic purposes. They will engage in short conversations using basic English language structures and simple sentence patterns ; read short adapted texts ; and write phrases and short sentences. The course also provides students with the knowledge and skills they need to begin to adapt to their new lives in Canada.

    $580

  • A student writing in a notebook by a sunlit classroom window
    ESLBO

    English as a Second Language

    ESL Level 21 Credit

    This course extends students’ listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English for everyday and academic purposes. Students will participate in conversations in structured situations on a variety of familiar and new topics; read a variety of texts designed or adapted for English language learners; expand their knowledge of English grammatical structures and sentence patterns; and link English sentences to compose paragraphs. The course also supports students’ continuing adaptation to the Ontario school system by expanding their knowledge of diversity in their new province and country.

    $580

  • A teacher mentoring a student one-on-one
    GLS1O

    Learning Strategies 1: Skills for Success in Secondary School

    Grade 91 Credit

    This course focuses on learning strategies to help students become better, more independent learners. Students will learn how to develop and apply literacy and numeracy skills, personal management skills, and interpersonal and teamwork skills to improve their learning and achievement in school, the workplace, and the community. The course helps students build confidence and motivation to pursue opportunities for success in secondary school and beyond.

    $580

  • Students talking together in a seminar discussion
    NAC1O

    Expressions of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Cultures

    Grade 91 Credit

    This course explores various arts disciplines (dance, drama, installation and performance art, media arts, music, storytelling, utilitarian or functional art, visual arts), giving students the opportunity to create, present, and analyse art works, including integrated art works/ productions, that explore or reflect First Nations , Métis , and Inuit perspectives and cultures. Students will examine the interconnected relationships between art forms and individual and cultural identities, histories, values, protocols, and ways of knowing and being. They will demonstrate innovation as they learn and apply art-related concepts, methods, and conventions, and acquire skills that are transferable beyond the classroom. Students will use the creative process and responsible practices to explore solutions to creative arts challenges.

    $580

  • A student bumping a volleyball in the gymnasium
    PAD1O

    Healthy Active Living Education

    Grade 91 Credit

    This course equips students with the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy choices now and lead healthy, active lives in the future. Through participation in a wide range of physical activities, students develop knowledge and skills related to movement competence and personal fitness that provide a foundation for active living. Students also acquire an understanding of the factors and skills that contribute to healthy development and learn how their own well-being is affected by, and affects, the world around them. Students build their sense of self, learn to interact positively with others, and develop their ability to think critically and creatively.

    $580

  • A student working at a lathe wearing ear protection
    TAS1O

    Technology and the Skilled Trades

    Grade 91 Credit

    This hands-on course enables students to further explore the engineering design process and develop other technological knowledge and skills introduced in earlier grades. Students will design and safely create prototypes, products, and/or services, working with tools and technologies from various industries. As students develop their projects to address real-life problems, they will apply technological concepts such as precision measurement, as well as health and safety standards. Students will begin to explore job skills programs and education and training pathways, including skilled trades, that can lead to a variety of careers.

    $580

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Keep Exploring

A look at Grade 10.

Grade 10 keeps the core subjects and widens the catalogue. These are the courses that come next.

Grade 10
  • Students collaborating on a project around laptops
    BEP2O

    Launching and Leading a Business

    Grade 101 Credit

    This course introduces students to the world of business and what is required to be successful, ethical, and responsible in today’s economy. Students will develop the knowledge and skills needed to be an entrepreneur who knows how to respond to local and global market opportunities. Throughout the course, students will explore and understand the responsibility of managing different functions of a business. This includes accounting, marketing, information and communication technology, financial management, human resources, and production.

    $580

  • An antique world map with a compass and brass instruments
    CHC2D

    Canadian History since World War I (effective beginning in the 2026–27 school year)

    Grade 101 Credit

    This course explores social, economic, and political developments and events and their impact on the lives of different individuals, groups, and communities, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals and communities, in Canada since 1914. Students will examine the role of conflict and cooperation in Canadian society, Canada’s evolving role within the global community, and the impact of various individuals, organizations, and events on identities, citizenship, and heritage in Canada. Students will develop an understanding of some of the political developments and government policies that have had a lasting impact on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals and communities. They will develop their ability to apply the concepts of historical thinking and the historical inquiry process, including the interpretation and analysis of evidence, when investigating key issues and events in Canadian history since 1914.

    $580

  • A student reading in a wood-panelled library
    CHV2O

    Civics and Citizenship

    Grade 100.5 Credits

    This course explores rights and responsibilities associated with being an active citizen in a democratic society. Students will explore issues of civic importance and the influence of social media, while developing their understanding of the role of civic engagement and of political processes in the local, national, and/or global community. Students will apply the concepts of political thinking and the political inquiry process to investigate, and express informed opinions about, a range of political issues and developments that are both of significance in today’s world and of personal interest to them. This course also includes learning on digital literacy and critical-thinking skills, the mechanisms of government, Indigenous governance systems and structures, the historical foundations of the rights and freedoms we enjoy in Canada, ways in which government policy affects individuals’ lives and the economy, and ways for students to serve their communities.

    $580

  • A student writing in a notebook by a sunlit classroom window
    ENG2D

    English

    Grade 101 Credit

    This course is designed to extend the range of oral communication, reading, writing, and media literacy skills that students need for success in their secondary school academic programs and in their daily lives. Students will analyse literary texts from contemporary and historical periods, interpret and evaluate informational and graphic texts, and create oral, written, and media texts in a variety of forms. An important focus will be on the selective use of strategies that contribute to effective communication. This course is intended to prepare students for the compulsory Grade 11 university or college preparation course.

    $580

  • A student writing in a notebook by a sunlit classroom window
    ESLCO

    English as a Second Language

    ESL Level 31 Credit

    This course further extends students’ skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English for a variety of everyday and academic purposes. Students will make short classroom oral presentations; read a variety of adapted and original texts in English; and write using a variety of text forms . As well, students will expand their academic vocabulary and their study skills to facilitate their transition to the mainstream school program. This course also introduces students to the rights and responsibilities inherent in Canadian citizenship , and to a variety of current Canadian issues.

    $580

  • A teacher mentoring a student one-on-one
    GLC2O

    Career Studies

    Grade 100.5 Credits

    This course gives students the opportunity to develop the skills , knowledge, and habits that will support them in their education and career/life planning. Students will learn about global work trends, and seek opportunities within the school and community to expand and strengthen their transferable skills and their ability to adapt to the changing world of work. On the basis of exploration, reflective practice, and decision-making processes, students will make connections between their skills, interests, and values and their postsecondary options, whether in apprenticeship training, college, community living, university, or the workplace. They will set goals and create a plan for their first postsecondary year. As part of their preparation for the future, they will learn about personal financial management – including the variety of saving and borrowing tools available to them and how to use them to their advantage – and develop a budget for their first year after secondary school.

    $580

  • A teacher mentoring a student one-on-one
    GLE2O

    Learning Strategies 1: Skills for Success in Secondary School

    Grade 101 Credit

    This course focuses on learning strategies to help students become better, more independent learners. Students will learn how to develop and apply literacy and numeracy skills, personal management skills, and interpersonal and teamwork skills to improve their learning and achievement in school, the workplace, and the community. The course helps students build confidence and motivation to pursue opportunities for success in secondary school and beyond.

    $580

  • A student writing code on a laptop
    ICD2O

    Digital Technology and Innovations in the Changing World

    Grade 101 Credit

    This course helps students develop cutting-edge digital technology and computer programming skills that will support them in contributing to and leading the global economic, scientific and societal innovations of tomorrow. Students will learn and apply coding concepts and skills to build hands-on projects and investigate artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and other emerging digital technologies that connect to a wide range of fields and careers. Using critical thinking skills with a focus on digital citizenship, students will investigate the appropriate use and development of the digital technologies that they encounter every day, as well as the benefits and limitations of these technologies.

    $580

  • A hand working through algebra on a chalkboard
    MPM2D

    Principles of Mathematics

    Grade 101 Credit

    This course enables students to broaden their understanding of relationships and extend their problem-solving and algebraic skills through investigation, the effective use of technology, and abstract reasoning. Students will explore quadratic relations and their applications; solve and apply linear systems; verify properties of geometric figures using analytic geometry; and investigate the trigonometry of right and acute triangles. Students will reason mathematically and communicate their thinking as they solve multi-step problems.

    $580

  • Students talking together in a seminar discussion
    NAC2O

    First Nations, Métis, and Inuit in Canada

    Grade 101 Credit

    This course explores the histories of First Nations and Inuit in Canada from precontact, as well as Métis from their beginnings, to the present day. Students will examine the continuing impact of past social, cultural, economic, political, and legal trends and developments on First Nations, Métis and Inuit individuals and communities. Students will apply the concepts of historical thinking and the historical inquiry process to investigate a range of issues, events, and interactions that have affected First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals and communities, including those that continue to affect relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.

    $580

  • A student bumping a volleyball in the gymnasium
    PAD2O

    Healthy Active Living Education

    Grade 101 Credit

    This course enables students to further develop the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy choices now and lead healthy, active lives in the future. Through participation in a wide range of physical activities, students develop knowledge and skills related to movement competence and personal fitness that provide a foundation for active living. Students also acquire an understanding of the factors and skills that contribute to healthy development and learn how their own well-being is affected by, and affects, the world around them. Students build their sense of self, learn to interact positively with others, and develop their ability to think critically and creatively.

    $580

  • A student examining a test tube in a school science class
    SNC2D

    Science

    Grade 101 Credit

    This course enables students to enhance their understanding of concepts in biology, chemistry, Earth and space science, and physics, and of the interrelationships between science, technology, society, and the environment. Students are also given opportunities to further develop their scientific investigation skills. Students will plan and conduct investigations and develop their understanding of scientific theories related to the connections between cells and systems in animals and plants; chemical reactions, with a particular focus on acid–base reactions; forces that affect climate and climate change; and the interaction of light and matter.

    $580

  • A student working at a lathe wearing ear protection
    TAS2O

    Technology and the Skilled Trades

    Grade 101 Credit

    This hands-on course enables students to apply the engineering design process and other technological knowledge and skills introduced in earlier grades. Students will design and safely create prototypes, products, and/or services, working with tools and resources from various industries. As students develop their projects to address real-life problems, they will apply technological concepts such as quality control, and health and safety standards. Students explore opportunities for job skills programs and education and training pathways, including skilled trades, that can lead to a variety of careers.

    $580

See all courses

About Grade 9

The foundation year.

Grade 9 is the start of high school and the common foundation year in Ontario, where the English, mathematics, and science credits are de-streamed so every student begins from the same point. We teach it in small classes, with the close attention that helps a student settle into senior-level expectations.

Begin Your Inquiry

Ready to start Grade 9 with us?

Admissions are rolling. Our team will walk you through the application form, the documents you will need on hand, and the steps to schedule a campus visit.

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