Curriculum Coordinator and Learning Strategist
Dr. Karen McCloskey
MA, PhD, QM Quality Matters
HFA4U
Grade 12
University Preparation

Nutrition and Health

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

Course Code

HFA4U

Course Name

Nutrition and Health

Grade

Grade 12

Course Type

University Preparation

Format

Asynchronous Delivery

Prerequisite

Any university or university/college preparation course in social sciences and humanities, English, or Canadian and world studies

Tuition Fee

$500.00

Course Duration

At Your Own Pace
(4 weeks to 12 months)

Credit Value

1.0

Availability

Start Anytime

Course Reviser/Developer

Dr. Karen McCloskey

Latest Revision Date

Feburary, 2025
This course examines the relationships between food, energy balance, and nutritional status; the nutritional needs of individuals at different stages of life; and the role of nutrition in health and disease. Students will evaluate nutrition-related trends and will determine how food choices can promote food security and environmental responsibility. Students will learn about healthy eating, expand their repertoire of food-preparation techniques, and develop their social science research skills by investigating issues related to nutrition and health. Prerequisite: Any university or university/college preparation course in social sciences and humanities, English, or Canadian and world studies
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: Introduction to Nutrition and Health

Let’s kick off by exploring nutrition basics and how they impact our health. We’ll ask questions about what we eat, learn about major nutrients, and evaluate our own eating habits using Canada’s Food Guide. Get ready for an online quiz on nutrient functions and a written report on dietary habits! 
12 Hours
Unit 2: Energy Balance and Nutrient Intake

We’ll delve into how much energy we need and how nutrients keep us going. We’ll develop a research plan, analyze factors influencing energy needs, and write an analysis of nutrient intake and its impact on nutritional status. 
12 Hours
Unit 3: Nutrition across the Lifespan

It’s time to understand how our nutritional needs change throughout life. We’ll use a variety of perspectives, including Indigenous knowledge. We’ll virtually cook up meals using nutrition analysis tools like MyFitnessPal, explore how poor nutrition leads to diseases, and research the impact of Canadian nutritional guidelines on our food choices. 
12 Hours
Unit 4: Food Security and Environmental Impacts

We’ll define food security, examine environmental impacts on food production, and explore sustainable food practices. We’ll discuss strategies for achieving food security and write a research paper on sustainable practices and their environmental impacts. 
12 Hours
Unit 5: Food-Preparation Skills and Safety

Let’s get hands-on in the kitchen! We’ll identify hazards, practice safe handling of equipment, and cook nutritious meals. We’ll take a kitchen safety quiz and demonstrate equipment handling, followed by a cooking assessment.
12 Hours
Unit 6: Trends in Nutrition and Health

Stay updated on the latest nutritional guidelines and their effects on food production and consumption. We’ll present findings on trends, analyze factors influencing food patterns, and write about their impact on our diets. 
12 Hours
Unit 7: Personal Dietary Practices

Time to reflect on our own diets! We’ll evaluate our habits using Canada’s Food Guide, conduct a nutrient analysis, and make recommendations for improvement. We’ll write reports on our findings. 
12 Hours
Unit 8: Chronic Disease Prevention

We’ll investigate how nutrition plays a role in preventing chronic diseases. Through case studies and analyses, we’ll understand the link between poor nutrition and health issues, reflecting on our findings in a written reflection. 
12 Hours
Culminating Activity 

You’ll create a comprehensive nutrition plan to show off all you have learned. 
12 Hours
Practice – Final Exam 

We’ll prepare you for your exam with a practice exam for review. 
12 Hours
Final Exam
Finally, we’ll review and synthesize everything we’ve learned! The proctored exam will be 2 hours, testing our knowledge and communication skills across the entire course. 
12 Hours
Total Hours
132 Hours
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 student’s interests and goals.

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.

All OSSD courses follow a simple evaluation breakdown at our virtual high school:
70% of the grade will be based on evaluations conducted throughout the online course. The remaining 30% of the grade will be based on a final evaluation or exam. This may be a final exam, a final project/report, or a combination of both an exam and a project.

Students will receive two reports per course:
  • First Mid Term Report: Reflects achievement and development after the first 4 Units.

  • Final Report: Reflects overall achievement and development for the entire course.


According to Growing Success First Edition, Grades 1 to 12, 2010, 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, Métis, 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 school year or course and at other appropriate points throughout the school year or 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.

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 student’s 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 student’s 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
Students should have the following minimum hardware and software requirements to access the Advanced Functions

Minimum Technical Specifications

Hardware
  1. A PC running Windows XP or higher or
  2. A Mac running OS X or
  3. A Chromebook running Chrome OS
  4. 2GB of RAM
  5. High speed internet connection
  6. A sound card with speakers or headphones
  7. A functional webcam and microphone

Software
  1. Adobe Reader
  2. Java
  3. A typical Office Suite including a word processor application, equation editor and spreadsheets

Browser
  1. Mozilla Firefox4 or higher or
  2. Internet Explorer 7 or higher or
  3. Safari 5 or higher or
  4. Google Chrome 11 or higher
  5. In some cases, a scanner or phone/camera may be used to submit handwritten assignments.

Do students need any additional resources (i.e. textbooks)?

Every student in a virtual high school needs access to a desktop computer or laptop with high-speed internet and word processing software.

Any additional course-specific resources (i.e., calculators, software downloads, etc.) are listed on the individual course outline pages on our website.

All Royal Ontario Academy online course content is contained within our moodle learning management system, so no textbooks are required. For English courses and some social science/humanities courses, students may be required to locate copies of novels and plays that are readily available at public libraries or bookstores.
1. What is HFA4U?
HFA4U is a Grade 12 Nutrition and Health course at University Preparation level.

2. What are 4U – (eg: 3M in AWQ3M (HFA4U))
4U for the HFA4U refers to the grade level and the course type. 4 refers to the 12th Grade and the second digit refers to the University Preparation course type.

3. What is the prerequisite for HFA4U?
The prerequisite for Nutrition and Health is Core Nutrition and Health, Grade 11, University Preparation

4. How long does it take to complete the HFA4U online course?
The completion of the HFA4U course varies depending on the availability and pace of each student. However, the course can be completed in minimum of 4 weeks to maximum of 12 months.

5. Will my marks be sent directly to OUAC or OCAS?
Yes. We can send your HFA4U online course marks to OUAC (Ontario University’ Application Centre) or OCAS (Ontario College Application Service).

6. How lessons are delivered for the HFA4U?
At Royal Ontario Academy, course learning is asynchronously delivered for the HFA4U 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.

Price Detail

$500

/ 1 Course

$800

/ 2 Course

$1050

/ 3 Course

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Contact Us

Have questions or need more information? Our team is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about our programs, services, and how Royal Ontario Academy can help you achieve your academic goals.

  • Email: info@royalontarioacademy.com
  • Phone: 647-205-3788
  • Hours: Monday to Friday, 9. – 5 (EST)
  • Address: Virtual, Everywhere and 121 Brunel Rd, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L4Z 3E9