Literacy (English/French)
Literacy courses develop communication and critical thinking through drafting, feedback, and reflection. The Award fits naturally as a Skill by giving students a structured way to track progress in reading, writing, speaking, or media work over time. It strengthens purpose, reflection, and confidence while using evidence already gathered in class.
Building Your Award:
Find classroom examples to support activity planning
Class activities you can count:
Drafting and revising writing, presentations, reading responses, media creation, speaking practice, peer feedback etc.
Example SMART goal:
Over the next 13 weeks, I will improve my communication by completing one writing or speaking task each week and revising it once using feedback. I will upload evidence and write a weekly reflection on what improved and what I will adjust next.
Example Assessor:
English or French teacher.
Example ORB log:
I revised my work today and improved clarity by shortening sentences and using stronger evidence. Next week I will focus on smoother transitions and check that my examples support my main point.
Class activities you can count:
Well-being routines that support focus and stress management, PE participation with improvement goals, fitness routines or training plans, school team training, intramurals or sport clubs, outdoor conditioning, personal fitness routines etc. etc.
Example SMART goal:
Over the next 13 weeks, I will improve my well-being by doing 2–3 active sessions each week and reflecting on how it affects my focus and stress. I will track progress and adjust my routine if needed.
Example Assessor:
Teacher, coach, or approved adult.
Example ORB log:
Started doing a walking book club with some friends in my class so we can get exercise in and discuss the books we are reading in class. Next week I will come prepared with a few questions to ask the group.
Class activities you can count:
Reading buddies, tutoring, library support, creating accessible resources, supporting younger students etc.
Example SMART goal:
Over the next 13 weeks, I will volunteer 1 hour per week supporting literacy for others. I will track what I did, what impact it had, and what I improved about my communication each week.
Example Assessor:
Librarian or supervising teacher.
Example ORB log:
I helped a younger student choose a book and improved by asking better questions about their interests. Next week I will bring three options at different levels and check in more often to build confidence.
General activity:
Complete a journey with a literacy purpose: document observations or stories and create a short written or media piece after.
Example team SMART goal (Bronze AJ):
Over our overnight journey, we will strengthen communication and teamwork by documenting observations and producing a short piece connected to our course focus, followed by a structured group debrief on what we learned and how we worked together.
Example Supervisor/Assessor:
Teacher or adult supervisor.
Example group debrief:
We improved our documentation by assigning roles and agreeing on what to record. Next time we would set clearer criteria for what counts as strong evidence so our final piece is more focused.
