Curriculum Coordinator and Learning Strategist

Dr. Karen McCloskey

MA, PhD, QM Quality Matters

CHA3U

Grade 11

University Preparation

American History

Find additional course details below, including delivery format, course availability, course duration, prerequisite, tuition fee, hardware/software requirements, etc.

CHA3U

Grade 11

University Preparation

American History

Find additional course details below, including delivery format, course availability, course duration, prerequisite, tuition fee, hardware/software requirements, etc.

Course Details

Course Code

CHA3U

Course Name

American History

Grade

Grade 11

Course Type

University Preparation

Format

Asynchronous Delivery

Prerequisite

Canadian History since World War I, Grade 10, Academic or Applied

Tuition Fee

$500.00

Course Duration

At Your Own Pace (4 weeks to 6 months)

Credit Value

1.0

Availability

Start Anytime

Course Reviser/Developer

Dr. Karen McCloskey

Latest Revision Date

July 2026

Curriculum

CHA3U – The Ontario Curriculum, Canadian and World Studies, Grades 11 and 12, 2015 (Revised)

Course Description, Unit Overview, Timeline

History is an argument, not just a story. Every account of the past reflects choices about what to include, whose voices to centre, and what questions to ask. In CHA3U, you learn to ask those questions about American history, from the Indigenous nations who inhabited this land long before European arrival through to the forces shaping the United States today. You will read primary sources, analyse competing interpretations, and build evidence-based written arguments about how the United States became what it is and why that matters. Students develop the skills of historical inquiry across four units, studying the colonial period and the Revolution, the expansion of the republic and the Civil War, the Gilded Age through World War II, and the Civil Rights era through to the present day. The course concludes with a Historical Inquiry Project and a final exam. Outlined below is a description of each unit, including what students will learn and the recommended hours for completion.

Outlined below is a description of each unit, including what students will learn and the recommended hours for completion.

Unit Title & Description

Time Allocated

Unit 1: Foundations, Indigenous Peoples, Colonial Society, and the Road to Revolution

Long before the United States existed, this land was home to hundreds of Indigenous nations with complex societies, governance systems, and economies. This unit traces the full story from precontact through European colonisation, the transatlantic slave trade, and the tensions that produced the American Revolution, including the founding documents of 1787 to 1791 and the question of who they actually included. The historical thinking concepts and inquiry skills introduced here are used throughout the entire course.

25 Hours

Unit 2: Revolution, Nation-Building, and the Expanding Republic

Building a new nation proved far harder than winning independence. From the first political battles between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans, through the age of Jackson, westward expansion, and the deepening crisis over slavery, the United States was a country in constant internal conflict. This unit follows that conflict to its breaking point in the Civil War and into the incomplete promise of Reconstruction, asking throughout: who did American democracy include, and who did it leave behind?

25 Hours

Unit 3: Industrial Growth, Reform, and Global Conflict

The United States that emerged from Reconstruction transformed at a speed no one had seen before. Steel mills, railways, and oil refineries made a small number of men extraordinarily rich while millions laboured in dangerous conditions. This unit covers the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era, World War I, the Great Depression, the New Deal, and World War II, asking throughout how industrial capitalism created wealth and inequality at the same time, and how crisis after crisis permanently changed the role of government.

25 Hours

Unit 4: Modern America: Rights, Power, and Global Influence

The United States emerged from World War II as the most powerful nation on earth, but for African Americans, women, and Indigenous peoples the gap between American ideals and American reality remained enormous. This unit examines how those contradictions played out from 1945 to the present. You will study the Cold War and McCarthyism, the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam, the Reagan era, globalisation, September 11, and the forces shaping contemporary American identity today.

25 Hours

Final Exam/Culminating Task

Complete a historical inquiry project and a final exam.

10 Hours

Total Hours

110 Hours

Teaching and Learning Strategies

“At Royal Ontario Academy, our asynchronous, self-paced courses are crafted to engage students actively, encouraging deep learning and self-reflection. Our online OSSD courses are normally divided into 8-10 smaller sections to help students learn content in manageable portions. Lessons connect concepts to practical, relatable social, environmental, and economic issues, fostering lifelong learning by helping students apply knowledge to real-life contexts.

Students are encouraged to explore, investigate, and think critically as they progress independently. This approach emphasizes problem-solving skills, guiding students to persist through challenges, reason through complex ideas, and explore alternative solutions on their own, building resilience and independence essential for success beyond the classroom.

Our virtual high school courses provide a variety of learning experiences through virtual labs, simulations, knowledge checks, reflections, and videos. Interactive activities and discussion forums are designed to draw on students prior knowledge, keeping them engaged and actively participating. These tools enable OSSD students to practice, reflect, and apply concepts flexibly at their own pace, creating a personalized learning journey tailored to each students’ interests and goals.

“

Assessment and Evaluation

A wide variety of assessment and evaluation tools will be used to earn credits towards the Ontario Secondary School Diploma at Royal Ontario Academy, including quizzes, tests, projects, essays, journals, and final assessments. The final exam is a closed-book, online test that is proctored and has a time limit. Students may also be required to appear on video for other assessments in certain courses.

At Royal Ontario Academy, the final mark in every course is made up of three parts:

65% is based on coursework completed throughout the online course.
25% is based on a final evaluation.
10% is based on attendance and participation, reflecting consistent weekly engagement with the course.

Depending on the course, the final evaluation may be a proctored written exam, a culminating task such as a project, essay, or presentation, or a combination of both. Attendance and participation reflects how consistently a student engages with their learning each week, and excused absences approved by the Principal do not lower this part of the mark.

Students will receive two reports per course:

First Report (Midterm): Issued when the student reaches the halfway point of the course. It reflects achievement and development to that point, including attendance and participation.
Final Report: Reflects overall achievement and development for the entire course, including attendance and participation.

This course follows the current Growing Success requirements, including the mandatory assessment and evaluation updates that take effect in the 2026-2027 school year. According to Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools, the primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. To ensure that assessment, evaluation, and reporting are valid and reliable, and that they lead to the improvement of learning for all students, Royal Ontario Academy teachers use practices and procedures that:

are fair, transparent, and equitable for all students;
support all students, including those with special education needs, those who are learning the language of instruction (English or French), and those who are First Nation, Metis, or Inuit;
are carefully planned to relate to the curriculum expectations and learning goals and, as much as possible, to the interests, learning styles and preferences, needs, and experiences of all students;
are communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the course and at other appropriate points throughout the course;
are ongoing, varied in nature, and administered over a period of time to provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning;
provide ongoing descriptive feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful, and timely to support improved learning and achievement;
develop students’ self-assessment skills to enable them to assess their own learning, set specific goals, and plan next steps for their learning.

Accommodations and IEP for Students

At Royal Ontario Academy, we believe that all OSSD students can benefit from a more accommodating online learning experience Accommodations allow for increased access to the course, without any changes to the knowledge and skills the student is expected to demonstrate.

An Individual Education Plan (IEP)is a personalized document that outlines a students’ learning needs, as well as the accommodations or services they require to succeed in their courses. At Royal Ontario Academy, our flexible online learning environment already addresses many common accommodation needs, but if a student requires additional support, our Principal is ready to help you!

– Students with Existing IEP: If a student has an existing IEP from another elementary or secondary school, Royal Ontario Academy can implement the listed accommodations, provided they are applicable within our online learning environment. To do so, a copy of the students’ IEP must be submitted to our Principal for review.

– Students Without IEP: If a student requires accommodations but does not currently have an IEP, our Principal will work with the student to assess their learning needs and develop a path forward. In this case, students will need to submit supporting documentation to help determine the appropriate accommodations.

– English Language Learners:– English Language Learners: Students who enroll at Royal Ontario Academy can provide information about their English language proficiency during the registration process. This information helps our teachers and Principal to tailor their teaching strategies and implement accommodations that support English language learners effectively.

For students and parents wishing to submit IEP documentation or request accommodations, please contact our Principal at info@royalontarioacademy.com

Resources Required by the Student

General Resources Students Should Have Access To

Google Docs or similar: For creating and submitting reports and projects.
Google Slides or similar: For presentations.
Google Scholar: For researching scholarly articles and papers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is CHA3U?
CHA3U is a Grade 11 American History course at University Preparation level.

2. What are 3U – (eg: 3U in AWQ3M (CHA3U))
3U for the CHA3U refers to the grade level and the course type. 3 refers to the 9th Grade and the second digit refers to the University Preparation course type.

3. What is the prerequisite for CHA3U?
The prerequisite for American History is Issues in Canadian Geography, Grade 9, Academic or Applied

4. How long does it take to complete the CHA3U online course?
The completion of the CHA3U course varies depending on the pace of each student. However, the course can be completed in as little as 4 weeks up to a maximum of 6 months. Longer timelines are available on approval by the Principal.

5. Will my marks be sent directly to OUAC or OCAS?
Yes. We can send your CHA3U online course marks to OUAC (Ontario University’ Application Centre) or OCAS (Ontario College Application Service).

6. How lessons are delivered for the CHA3U?
At Royal Ontario Academy, course learning is asynchronously delivered for the CHA3U in various formats such as videos, question and answers, interactive tools, written notes, simulations, presentations, and external websites/links depending on the subject material of the course.

7. What is the withdrawal policy?
For students registered in Grade 9 and 10 courses, withdrawals can be made at any time and are not recorded on the Ontario Student Transcript (OST).
For students registered in Grade 11 and 12 courses, withdrawals made within 5 days of the issuance of the first (mid-term) report card from Royal Ontario Academy will result in the mark not being recorded on the Ontario Student Transcript (OST). Withdrawals after 5 days of the issuance of the first (mid term) report card will result in a “”W”” being entered in the “”Credit”” column of the OST, along with the mark at the time of withdrawal.

8. What is the due date of my course?
Since your course is self-paced, there are no set due dates, allowing you to progress at your own speed. However, please be mindful of any deadlines for university or college applications.

9. Can I earn my OSSD (Ontario secondary school diploma) credits through online courses?
Yes, you can earn your Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) credits fully online through Royal Ontario Academy. To earn OSSD credits, you will need to complete 30 credits (18 compulsory and 12 optional), pass the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, and fulfill 40 hours of community involvement.

Canadian Course Pricing

$500

/ 1 course

$900

/ 2 courses

$1275

/ 3 courses

Start your learning journey with us.

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American History