Guidelines for Middle Level Survey Courses

Students entering grade seven will be required to take at least three Practical and Applied Arts (PAA) survey courses before completing grade nine. Students in grades 7-9 may use Christian Ethics or Catholic Studies courses to fulfill two of the three PAA survey courses requirements

At the middle level, a survey course is a configuration of suggested modules from a minimum of three pure Practical and Applied Arts (PAA) curricula to create a survey course that totals 50 instructional hours.

Middle Level Practical and Applied Arts Survey Courses

• Only modules from provincial secondary PAA curricula can be used in middle level PAA survey courses.
• Modules for middle level PAA survey courses are generally introductory level modules, although intermediate modules may also be used provided any prerequisites are met.
• Modules must be selected from at least three curricula in at least 2 clusters to provide a broad range of learning for students.
• If a module selected for a middle level PAA survey course has prerequisite(s), the prerequisite module(s) must be taught before attempting the module.
• Appropriate safety concepts must be integrated throughout middle level PAA survey courses.
• Recordkeeping is essential to avoid repetition of modules in another PAA course—either survey or pure—at any level.
• These modules which are common to secondary PAA curricula cannot be taught in middle level PAA survey courses:
  • Career;
  • Work study (series of three);
  • Extended study;
  • Apprenticeship; and,
  • Small business/entrepreneurship.
• Some modules should not be used in middle level PAA survey courses for reasons such as safety or developmental appropriateness. PAA curricula developed or renewed since 2017 contain a section titled, Suggested Modules for Middle Level PAA Survey Courses where modules appropriate for middle level PAA survey courses are listed. If a curriculum (e.g., Career and Work Exploration 10, 20, 30 and Commercial Cooking 10, 20, 30) is not recommended for middle level, no chart is included and a rationale is provided within the curriculum document.
• For curricula developed or renewed prior to 2017, suggested modules for middle level PAA survey courses can be found in Appendix A of the Practical and Applied Arts Handbook.
• Middle level survey courses can be configured in the horizontal (modules support a theme) or random (modules are randomly selected) approach. Examples of middle level PAA survey course configurations using both approaches include:
  • Horizontal Approach - Modules are selected from the following curricula in the Health Care, Hospitality and Human Services and Communication, Media and Design clusters to support the project of a community dessert theatre event:
    • Tourism;
    • Theatre Arts; and,
    • Information Processing.
  • Random Approach - Modules are randomly selected from the following curricula in Career and Life Management; Construction, Manufacturing and Transportation; Communication, Media and Design; and Agriculture and Food Sustainability clusters:
    • Financial Literacy;
    • Mechanical and Automotive;
    • Design Studies; and,
    • Food Studies.