Canadian and World Studies

The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10

2005, revised

Introduction
	
This document replaces The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: Canadian and World Studies, 1999. Beginning in September 2005, all Grade 9 and 10 Canadian and world studies courses will be based on the expectations outlined in this document.

The Place of Canadian and World Studies in the Curriculum

The Canadian and world studies program encompasses five subjects: economics, geography, history, law, and politics. In studying these subjects, students learn how people interact with and within their social and physical environments today, and how they did so in the past.

The main goals of the Canadian and world studies program in Grades 9 and 10 are to help students to:
	* gain an understanding of the basic concepts of the subjects taught at this level, as a foundation for further studies in the discipline;
	* develop the knowledge and values they need to become responsible, active, and informed Canadian citizens in the twenty-first century;
	* develop practical skills (such as critical-thinking, research, and communication skills), some of which are particular to a given subject in Canadian and world studies and some of which are common to all the subjects in the discipline;
	* apply the knowledge and skills they acquire in Canadian and world studies courses to better understand their interactions with the natural environment; the political, economic, and cultural interactions among groups of people; the relationship between technology and society; and the factors contributing to society’s continual evolution.

These goals are all of equal importance. They can be achieved simultaneously in a concrete, practical context through learning activities that combine the acquisition of knowledge with the application of various skills, including inquiry/research, communication, and map and graphic representation skills.

Students’ learning in the various courses in this discipline will contribute significantly to their understanding of Canada’s heritage and its physical, social, cultural, governmental, legal, and economic structures and relationships. It will also help them to perceive Canada in a global context and to understand its place and role in the world community.

Students and teachers need to be aware that success in these courses is not measured simply in terms of how well students memorize a series of facts. Rather, these courses teach students to assess how events, ideas, and values affect them individually and their society as a whole. Courses in Canadian and world studies actively involve students in research, critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making. They also help students develop a variety of communication skills, as well as the ability to use information technology to collect, organize, interpret, and present information. Students can apply these skills and understandings in other secondary school subjects, in their future studies, and in today’s rapidly changing workplace.

The five subjects in Canadian and world studies are fundamentally connected to one another and can easily be linked to other secondary school curriculum areas as well. For example, civics has close ties with history; geography with science and technology; history with arts, languages, and social sciences and humanities.

Beginning in Grade 7, students study geography and history as distinct subjects. In Grade 9, students build on the foundational skills and knowledge acquired in earlier grades to expand their knowledge of the geography of Canada. The Grade 10 history course picks up where the Grade 8 program ends, and completes the story of Canada’s development to the present time. The Grade 10 civics course rounds out students’ understanding of their role in society by teaching them the fundamental principles of democracy and of active, responsible citizenship.

After Grade 10, the Canadian and world studies program offers a broad range of specialized, optional courses. The Grade 11 and 12 courses build on the compulsory courses offered in Grade 9 and Grade 10. Students will be able to expand their knowledge, refine their skills, and pursue their interest in the particular subject or subjects they are most curious about. These courses will prepare students for further studies at the postsecondary level and for responsible and informed participation in their community and world.

Concepts Underlying the Canadian and World Studies Curriculum

The curriculum in Canadian and world studies is built around a set of fundamental concepts: systems and structures; interactions and interdependence; environment; change and continuity; culture; and power and governance. Economics, geography, history, law, and politics offer different perspectives on these concepts. In history, for example, change and continuity may be applicable to the relatively short period covered by the story of a country or a person. In geography, on the other hand, this same concept may be applicable over much longer time periods covering the slow, almost imperceptible, changes in certain physical features.

Although the specific content of programs changes from grade to grade, the conceptual framework within which topics are presented remains consistent throughout the curriculum, from Grades 1 to 12, and gives continuity to students’ learning. As students progress through the curriculum, they extend and deepen their understanding of these concepts and learn to apply this understanding with increasing sophistication.

Understanding relationships among concepts is also an important part of student learning. Each of the fundamental concepts listed in the left-hand column of the chart (opposite) can be linked with a number of related concepts (in the right-hand column) that help to explain the concept further.

[Page 5 chart omitted]

Roles and Responsibilities in Canadian and World Studies Programs

Students. Students have many responsibilities with regard to their learning in school. Students who are willing to make the effort required and who are able to apply themselves will soon discover that there is a direct relationship between this effort and their achievement, and will therefore be more motivated to work. There will be some students, however, who will find it more difficult to take responsibility for their learning because of special challenges they face. For these students, the attention, patience, and encouragement of teachers can be extremely important factors for success. However, taking responsibility for one’s progress and learning is an important part of education for all students, regardless of their circumstances.

Successful mastery of concepts and skills in Canadian and world studies requires a sincere commitment to work, study, and the development or strengthening of appropriate skills. As well, students should be encouraged to actively pursue opportunities outside the classroom to extend and enrich their understanding of these subjects. For example, it is recommended that they create their own files on current events that relate to their areas of study, or that they explore subject-related volunteer opportunities, recreational reading materials, movies or documentaries, or public affairs programs on television.

Parents. Parents have an important role to play in supporting student learning. Studies show that students perform better in school if their parents or guardians are involved in their education. By becoming familiar with the curriculum, parents can find out what is being taught in the courses their children are taking and what students are expected to learn. This awareness will enhance parents’ ability to discuss schoolwork with their children, to communicate with teachers, and to ask relevant questions about their children’s progress. Knowledge of the expectations in the various courses also helps parents to interpret teachers’ comments on student progress and to work with teachers to improve student learning.

The Canadian and world studies curriculum promotes lifelong learning not only for students but also for their parents and all those with an interest in education. In addition to supporting regular school activities, parents can help their sons and daughters by encouraging them to take an active interest in current events and issues and offering them opportunities to question and reflect on what is happening in the world. Other examples of effective ways to support student learning include attending parent-teacher interviews, participating in parent workshops and school council activities (including becoming a school council member), and encouraging students to complete their assignments at home.

Teachers. Teachers and students have complementary responsibilities. Teachers are responsible for developing appropriate instructional strategies to help students achieve the curriculum expectations in their courses, as well as for developing appropriate methods for assessing and evaluating student learning. Teachers also support students in developing the reading, writing, oral communication, and numeracy skills needed for success in their courses. Teachers bring enthusiasm and varied teaching and assessment approaches to the classroom, addressing different student needs and ensuring sound learning opportunities for every student.

Using a variety of instructional, assessment, and evaluation strategies, teachers provide numerous opportunities for students to develop skills of inquiry and communication, as well as map and graphic representation skills, while discovering and learning fundamental concepts. The activities offered should enable students to connect and apply these skills and concepts to relevant societal, environmental, and economic contexts. Opportunities to relate knowledge and skills to these wider contexts – to the goals and concerns of the world in which they live – will motivate students to learn and to become lifelong learners.

Principals. The principal works in partnership with teachers and parents to ensure that each student has access to the best possible educational experience. To support student learning, principals ensure that the Ontario curriculum is being properly implemented in all classrooms using a variety of instructional approaches. They also ensure that appropriate resources are made available for teachers and students. To enhance teaching and learning in all subjects, including Canadian and world studies, principals promote learning teams and work with teachers to facilitate participation in professional development. Principals are also responsible for ensuring that every student who has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is receiving the modifications and/or accommodations described in his or her plan – in other words, for ensuring that the IEP is properly developed, implemented, and monitored.

The Program in Canadian and World Studies
	
Overview of the Program

The Canadian and world studies program offers courses in history and geography in Grades 9 and 10. The Geography of Canada course is compulsory in Grade 9, and Canadian History Since World War I is compulsory in Grade 10. These courses are offered in two types: academic and applied. Students in Grades 9 and 10 make the choice between academic and applied courses primarily on the basis of their strengths, interests, and needs. The two course types are defined as follows:
	* Academic courses develop students’ knowledge and skills through the study of theory and abstract problems. These courses focus on the essential concepts of a subject and explore related concepts as well. They incorporate practical applications as appropriate.
	* Applied courses focus on the essential concepts of a subject, and develop students’ knowledge and skills through practical applications and concrete examples. Familiar situations are used to illustrate ideas, and students are given more opportunities to experience hands-on applications of the concepts and theories they study.

The Canadian and world studies program also includes a compulsory Grade 10 half-credit course in civics. Civics is offered as an open course   that is, a course designed to be appropriate for all students.

To proceed to any Grade 11 geography course, students must successfully complete either the academic or the applied Grade 9 geography course; to proceed to any Grade 11 course in economics, history, law, or politics, students must successfully complete either the academic or the applied Grade 10 history course (see the prerequisite charts).

School boards may develop locally and offer a Grade 10 course in Canadian history that can be counted as a student’s compulsory credit in Canadian history (see Program/Policy Memorandum No. 134, which outlines a revision to section 7.1.2,“Locally Developed Courses”, of Ontario Secondary Schools, Grades 9 to 12: Program and Diploma Requirements, 1999 [OSS]). Whether it is counted as the compulsory credit or not, this course may be developed to prepare students for success in any of the Grade 11 workplace preparation courses in economics, history, or law. Ministry approval of the locally developed course authorizes the school board to use it as the prerequisite for any of those courses.

Although Grade 11 and 12 courses in Canadian and world studies are optional, students should keep in mind that, to meet the requirements for the secondary school diploma, they must earn at least one senior-level credit in their choice of Canadian and world studies, English, social sciences and humanities, or a third language. Any Grade 11 or 12 course in the program will allow students to fulfil this requirement.

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Half-Credit Courses. The courses outlined in this document, with the exception of the half-credit Grade 10 civics course, are designed to be offered as full-credit courses. However, they may also be delivered as half-credit courses.

Half-credit courses, which require a minimum of fifty-five hours of scheduled instructional time, must adhere to the following conditions:
	* The two half-credit courses created from a full course must together contain all of the expectations of the full course. The expectations for each half-credit course must be drawn from all strands of the full course and must be divided in a manner that best enables students to achieve the required knowledge and skills in the allotted time.
	* A course that is a prerequisite for another course in the secondary curriculum may be offered as two half-credit courses, but students must successfully complete both parts of the course to fulfil the prerequisite. (Students are not required to complete both parts unless the course is a prerequisite for another course they wish to take.)
	* The title of each half-credit course must include the designation Part 1 or Part 2. A half credit (0.5) will be recorded in the credit-value column of both the report card and the Ontario Student Transcript.

Boards will ensure that all half-credit courses comply with the conditions described above, and will report all half-credit courses to the ministry annually in the School October Report.

Prerequisite Chart for Canadian and World Studies, Grades 9-12 – Geography

This chart maps out all the courses in the discipline and shows the links between courses and the possible prerequisites for them. It does not attempt to depict all possible movements from course to course.

[Page 10 chart omitted]

Prerequisite Chart for Canadian and World Studies, Grades 9-12 – History

This chart maps out all the courses in the discipline and shows the links between courses and the possible prerequisites for them. It does not attempt to depict all possible movements from course to course.

[Page 11 chart omitted]

Prerequisite Chart for Canadian and World Studies, Grades 9-12 – Economics, Law, and Politics

This chart maps out all the courses in the discipline and shows the links between courses and the possible prerequisites for them. It does not attempt to depict all possible movements from course to course.

[Page 12 chart omitted]

Curriculum Expectations

The expectations identified for each course describe the knowledge and skills that students are expected to acquire, demonstrate, and apply in their class work, on tests, and in various other activities on which their achievement is assessed and evaluated.

Two sets of expectations are listed for each strand, or broad curriculum area, of each course.
	* The overall expectations describe in general terms the knowledge and skills that students are expected to demonstrate by the end of each course.
	* The specific expectations describe the expected knowledge and skills in greater detail. The specific expectations are arranged under subheadings that reflect particular aspects of the required knowledge and skills and that may serve as a guide for teachers as they plan learning activities for their students.

The organization of expectations in strands and subgroupings is not meant to imply that the expectations in any one strand or group are achieved independently of the expectations in the other strands or groups. The subheadings are used merely to help teachers focus on particular aspects of knowledge and skills as they develop and present various lessons and learning activities for their students. The concepts, content, and skills identified in the different strands of each course should, wherever appropriate, be integrated in instruction throughout the course. (Note, however, that the expectations in the strand entitled “Methods of Inquiry and Communication” in every course can be achieved only in connection with expectations from the other strands of the course.)

Many of the expectations are accompanied by examples, given in parentheses. These examples are meant to illustrate the kind of skill, the specific area of learning, the depth of learning, and/or the level of complexity that the expectation entails. They are intended as a guide for teachers rather than as an exhaustive or mandatory list. Teachers do not have to address the full list of examples but might select two or three areas of focus from that list or might choose areas of focus that are not included in the list.

Assessment and Evaluation of Student Achievement
	
Basic Considerations

The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. Information gathered through assessment helps teachers to determine students’ strengths and weaknesses in their achievement of the curriculum expectations in each course. This information also serves to guide teachers in adapting curriculum and instructional approaches to students’ needs and in assessing the overall effectiveness of programs and classroom practices.

Assessment is the process of gathering information from a variety of sources (including assignments, demonstrations, projects, performances, and tests) that accurately reflects how well a student is achieving the curriculum expectations in a course. As part of assessment, teachers provide students with descriptive feedback that guides their efforts towards improvement. Evaluation refers to the process of judging the quality of student work on the basis of established criteria, and assigning a value to represent that quality.

Assessment and evaluation will be based on the provincial curriculum expectations and the achievement levels outlined in this document.

In order to ensure that assessment and evaluation are valid and reliable, and that they lead to the improvement of student learning, teachers must use assessment and evaluation strategies that:
	* address both what students learn and how well they learn;
	* are based both on the categories of knowledge and skills and on the achievement level descriptions given in the achievement chart;
	* are varied in nature, administered over a period of time, and designed to provide opportunities for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning;
	* are appropriate for the learning activities used, the purposes of instruction, and the needs and experiences of the students;
	* are fair to all students;
	* accommodate the needs of exceptional students, consistent with the strategies outlined in their Individual Education Plan;
	* accommodate the needs of students who are learning the language of instruction (English or French);
	* ensure that each student is given clear directions for improvement;
	* promote students’ ability to assess their own learning and to set specific goals;
	* include the use of samples of students’ work that provide evidence of their achievement;
	* are communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the school year or semester and at other appropriate points throughout the year.

All curriculum expectations must be accounted for in instruction, but evaluation focuses on students’ achievement of the overall expectations. A student’s achievement of the overall expectations is evaluated on the basis of his or her achievement of related specific expectations. The overall expectations are broad in nature, and the specific expectations define the particular content or scope of the knowledge and skills referred to in the overall expectations. Teachers will use their professional judgement to determine which specific expectations should be used to evaluate achievement of the overall expectations, and which ones will be covered in instruction and assessment (e.g., through direct observation) but not necessarily evaluated.

The characteristics given in the achievement chart for level 3 represent the “provincial standard” for achievement of the expectations in a course. A complete picture of overall achievement at level 3 in a course in Canadian and world studies can be constructed by reading from top to bottom in the shaded column of the achievement chart, headed “70–79% (Level 3)”. Parents of students achieving at level 3 can be confident that their children will be prepared for work in subsequent courses.

Level 1 identifies achievement that falls much below the provincial standard, while still reflecting a passing grade. Level 2 identifies achievement that approaches the standard. Level 4 identifies achievement that surpasses the standard. It should be noted that achievement at level 4 does not mean that the student has achieved expectations beyond those specified for a particular course. It indicates that the student has achieved all or almost all of the expectations for that course, and that he or she demonstrates the ability to use the specified knowledge and skills in more sophisticated ways than a student achieving at level 3.

The Ministry of Education provides teachers with materials that will assist them in improving their assessment methods and strategies and, hence, their assessment of student achievement. These materials include samples of student work (exemplars) that illustrate achievement at each of the four levels.

The Achievement Chart for Canadian and World Studies

The achievement chart that follows identifies four categories of knowledge and skills in Canadian and world studies. The achievement chart is a standard province-wide guide to be used by teachers. It enables teachers to make judgements about student work that are based on clear performance standards and on a body of evidence collected over time.

The purpose of the achievement chart is to:
	* provide a framework that encompasses all curriculum expectations for all courses in all grades and subjects represented in this document;
	* guide the development of assessment tasks and tools (including rubrics);
	* help teachers to plan instruction for learning;
	* assist teachers in providing meaningful feedback to students;
	* provide various categories and criteria with which to assess and evaluate student learning.

Categories of knowledge and skills. The categories, defined by clear criteria, represent four broad areas of knowledge and skills within which the subject expectations for any given course are organized. The four categories should be considered as interrelated, reflecting the wholeness and interconnectedness of learning.

The categories of knowledge and skills are described as follows:

Knowledge and Understanding. Subject-specific content acquired in each course (knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding).

Thinking. The use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes, as follows:
	* planning skills (e.g., focusing research, gathering information, organizing an inquiry)
	* processing skills (e.g., analysing, evaluating, synthesizing)
	* critical/creative thinking processes (e.g., inquiry, problem solving, decision making, research)

Communication. The conveying of meaning through various forms, as follows:
	* oral (e.g., story, role play, song, debate)
	* written (e.g., report, letter, diary)
	* visual (e.g., model, map, chart, movement, video, computer graphics)

Application. The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various contexts.

Teachers will ensure that student work is assessed and/or evaluated in a balanced manner with respect to the four categories, and that achievement of particular expectations is considered within the appropriate categories.

Criteria. Within each category in the achievement chart, criteria are provided, which are subsets of the knowledge and skills that define each category. For example, in Knowledge and Understanding, the criteria are “knowledge of content (e.g., facts, terms, definitions)” and “understanding of content (e.g., concepts, ideas, theories, procedures, processes, methodologies, and/or technologies)”. The criteria identify the aspects of student performance that are assessed and/or evaluated, and serve as guides to what to look for.

Descriptors. A “descriptor” indicates the characteristic of the student’s performance, with respect to a particular criterion, on which assessment or evaluation is focused. In the achievement chart, effectiveness is the descriptor used for each criterion in the Thinking, Communication, and Application categories. What constitutes effectiveness in any given performance task will vary with the particular criterion being considered. Assessment of effectiveness may therefore focus on a quality such as appropriateness, clarity, accuracy, precision, logic, relevance, significance, fluency, flexibility, depth, or breadth, as appropriate for the particular criterion. For example, in the Thinking category, assessment of effectiveness might focus on the degree of relevance or depth apparent in an analysis; in the Communication category, on clarity of expression or logical organization of information and ideas; or in the Application category, on appropriateness or breadth in the making of connections. Similarly, in the Knowledge and Understanding category, assessment of knowledge might focus on accuracy, and assessment of understanding might focus on the depth of an explanation. Descriptors help teachers to focus their assessment and evaluation on specific knowledge and skills for each category and criterion, and help students to better understand exactly what is being assessed and evaluated.

Qualifiers. A specific “qualifier” is used to define each of the four levels of achievement – that is, limited for level 1, some for level 2, considerable for level 3, and a high degree or thorough for level 4. A qualifier is used along with a descriptor to produce a description of performance at a particular level. For example, the description of a student’s performance at level 3 with respect to the first criterion in the Thinking category would be: “the student uses planning skills with considerable effectiveness”.

The descriptions of the levels of achievement given in the chart should be used to identify the level at which the student has achieved the expectations. In all of their courses, students must be provided with numerous and varied opportunities to demonstrate the full extent of their achievement of the curriculum expectations, across all four categories of knowledge and skills.

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Evaluation and Reporting of Student Achievement

Student achievement must be communicated formally to students and parents by means of the Provincial Report Card, Grades 9–12. The report card provides a record of the student’s achievement of the curriculum expectations in every course, at particular points in the school year or semester, in the form of a percentage grade. The percentage grade represents the quality of the student’s overall achievement of the expectations for the course and reflects the corresponding level of achievement as described in the achievement chart for the discipline.

A final grade is recorded for every course, and a credit is granted and recorded for every course in which the student’s grade is 50% or higher. The final grade for each course in Grades 9–12 will be determined as follows:
	* Seventy per cent of the grade will be based on evaluations conducted throughout the course. This portion of the grade should reflect the student’s most consistent level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration should be given to more recent evidence of achievement.
	* Thirty per cent of the grade will be based on a final evaluation in the form of an examination, performance, essay, and/or other method of evaluation suitable to the course content and administered towards the end of the course.

Some Considerations for Program Planning in Canadian and World Studies
	
Teachers who are planning a program in Canadian and world studies must take into account considerations in a number of important areas, including those discussed below.

Teaching Approaches

Students learn best when they are engaged in a variety of ways of learning. Canadian and world studies courses lend themselves to a wide range of approaches in that they require students to research, think critically, work cooperatively, discuss relevant issues, and make decisions about significant human concerns. When students are engaged in such active learning strategies, they tend to retain knowledge for longer periods and to develop meaningful skills. Active learning strategies also enable students to apply their knowledge and skills to real-life issues and situations.

Some of the teaching and learning strategies that are suitable to material taught in Canadian and world studies are fieldwork (including data collection), cooperative small-group learning, role playing, simulations, brainstorming, mind mapping, creating scenarios for decision making, independent research, personal reflection, seminar presentations, Socratic lessons, and constructive or creative dialogue. In combination, such approaches promote the acquisition of knowledge, foster positive attitudes towards learning, and encourage students to become lifelong learners.

Teachers must provide a wide range of activities and assignments that encourage mastery of basic concepts and development of inquiry/research skills. To make their programs interesting and relevant, they must help students to relate the knowledge and skills gained to issues and problems in the world outside – for example, to the challenges associated with sustainable development, or the advantages and disadvantages of various economic associations, or present-day trends in employment and the workplace. It is essential to emphasize the relationship of Canadian and world studies to the world outside school so that students recognize that these areas of study are not just school subjects but fields of knowledge that affect their lives, their communities, and the world.

Students’ attitudes towards Canadian and world studies can have a significant effect on their achievement of expectations. Teaching methods and learning activities that encourage students to recognize the value and relevance of what they are learning will go a long way towards motivating students to work and learn effectively.

In all courses, consideration should be given to including visits from guest speakers and trips to local museums, archaeological digs, geographic features (e.g., land formations, rivers), art galleries, and festivals. Students develop a better understanding of various aspects of the study of history and geography when they can see and experience actual examples of historical events and/or the geographic features they are studying. Such experiences also give them a better appreciation of the unique features and people in the community in which they live.

The Importance of the Study of Current Events

The study of current events forms an integral component of the Canadian and world studies curriculum, enhancing both the relevance and the immediacy of the program. Discussion of current events not only stimulates student interest and curiosity but also helps students to connect what they are learning in class with past and present-day world events or situations. The study of current events needs to be thought of not as a separate topic removed from the program but as an integral extension of the expectations found in the curriculum.

Planning Canadian and World Studies Programs for Exceptional Students

In planning Canadian and world studies courses for exceptional students, teachers should begin by examining both the curriculum expectations for the course and the needs of the individual student to determine which of the following options is appropriate for the student:
	* no accommodations* or modifications; or
	* accommodations only; or
	* modified expectations, with the possibility of accommodations

If the student requires either accommodations or modified expectations, or both, the relevant information, as described in the following paragraphs, must be recorded in his or her Individual Education Plan (IEP). For a detailed discussion of the ministry’s requirements for IEPs, see Individual Education Plans: Standards for Development, Program Planning, and Implementation, 2000 (referred to hereafter as IEP Standards, 2000). More detailed information about planning programs for exceptional students can be found in The Individual Education Plan (IEP): A Resource Guide, 2004 .

Students Requiring Accommodations Only. With the aid of accommodations alone, some exceptional students are able to participate in the regular course curriculum and to demonstrate learning independently. (Accommodations do not alter the provincial curriculum expectations for the course.) The accommodations required to facilitate the student’s learning must be identified in his or her IEP (see IEP Standards, 2000). A student’s IEP is likely to reflect the same accommodations for many, or all, courses.

There are three types of accommodations. Instructional accommodations are changes in teaching strategies, including styles of presentation, methods of organization, or use of technology and multimedia. Environmental accommodations are changes that the student may require in the classroom and/or school environment, such as preferential seating or special lighting. Assessment accommodations are changes in assessment procedures that enable the student to demonstrate his or her learning, such as allowing additional time to complete tests or assignments or permitting oral responses to test questions (see IEP Standards, 2000, for more examples).

If a student requires “accommodations only” in Canadian and world studies courses, assessment and evaluation of his or her achievement will be based on the appropriate course curriculum expectations and the achievement levels outlined in this document.

Students Requiring Modified Expectations. Some exceptional students will require modified expectations, which differ from the regular course expectations. For most students, modified expectations will be based on the regular course curriculum, with changes in the number and/or complexity of the expectations. It is important to monitor, and to reflect clearly in the student’s IEP, the extent to which expectations have been modified. As noted in Section 7.12 of the ministry’s policy document Ontario Secondary Schools, Grades 9 to 12: Program and Diploma Requirements, 1999, the principal will determine whether achievement of the modified expectations constitutes successful completion of the course and will decide whether the student is eligible to receive a credit for the course. This decision must be communicated to the parents and the student.

When a student is expected to achieve most of the curriculum expectations for the course, the modified expectations should identify how they differ from the course expectations. When modifications are so extensive that achievement of the learning expectations is not likely to result in a credit, the expectations should specify the precise requirements or tasks on which the student’s performance will be evaluated and which will be used to generate the course mark recorded on the Provincial Report Card. Modified expectations indicate the knowledge and/or skills the student is expected to demonstrate and have assessed in each reporting period (IEP Standards, 2000). Modified expectations represent specific, realistic, observable, and measurable achievements and describe specific knowledge and/or skills that the student can demonstrate independently, given the appropriate assessment accommodations. The student’s learning expectations must be reviewed in relation to the student’s progress at least once every reporting period, and must be updated as necessary (IEP Standards, 2000).

If a student requires modified expectations in Canadian and world studies courses, assessment and evaluation of his or her achievement will be based on the learning expectations identified in the IEP and on the achievement levels outlined in this document. If some of the student’s learning expectations for a course are modified but the student is working towards a credit for the course, it is sufficient simply to check the IEP box. If, however, the student’s learning expectations are modified to such an extent that the principal deems that a credit will not be granted for the course, the IEP box must be checked and the appropriate statement from the Guide to the Provincial Report Card, Grades 9–12, 1999 (page 8) must be inserted. The teacher’s comments should include relevant information on the student’s demonstrated learning of the modified expectations, as well as next steps for the student’s learning in the course.

English As a Second Language and English Literacy Development (ESL/ELD)

Young people whose first language is not English enter Ontario secondary schools with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Some may have experience of highly sophisticated educational systems, while others may have had limited formal schooling. All of these students bring a rich array of background knowledge and experience to the classroom, and all teachers must share in the responsibility for their English-language development.

Students who come to Ontario from other countries will find the study of the subjects within Canadian and world studies particularly useful. Through this study, they can develop an understanding of Canadian economics, geography, history, law, and politics that will help them to become well-informed Canadian citizens.

Teachers of Canadian and world studies must incorporate appropriate strategies for instruction and assessment to facilitate the success of the ESL and ELD students in their classrooms. These strategies include:
	* modification of some or all of the course expectations, based on the student’s level of English proficiency;
	* use of a variety of instructional strategies (e.g., extensive use of visual cues, graphic organizers, scaffolding; previewing of textbooks; pre-teaching of key vocabulary; peer tutoring; strategic use of students’ first languages);
	* use of a variety of learning resources (e.g., visual material, simplified text, bilingual dictionaries, and culturally diverse materials);
	* use of assessment accommodations (e.g., granting of extra time; use of oral interviews and tasks requiring completion of graphic organizers and cloze sentences instead of essay questions and other assessment tasks that depend heavily on proficiency in English).

Students who are no longer taking ESL or ELD courses may still require program adaptations to be successful. When learning expectations in a course other than ESL and ELD are modified, or accommodations to the learning environment are made, this must be clearly indicated on the student’s report card by checking the ESL or ELD box. (See Guide to the Provincial Report Card, Grades 9–12, 1999.)

For further information on supporting ESL and ELD students, refer to The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12: English As a Second Language and English Literacy Development, 1999.

Antidiscrimination Education in Canadian and World Studies

The Canadian and world studies curriculum is designed to help students acquire the “habits of mind ”essential for citizens in a complex democratic society characterized by rapid technological, economic, political, and social change. Students are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of citizenship, as well as willingness to show respect, tolerance, and understanding towards individuals, groups, and cultures in the global community and respect and responsibility towards the environment. They are also expected to understand that protecting human rights and taking a stand against racism and other expressions of hatred and discrimination are basic requirements of responsible citizenship.

In Canadian and world studies, students learn about the contributions of a variety of peoples, in the past and the present, to the development of Canada and the world. The critical thinking and research skills acquired in Canadian and world studies courses will strengthen students’ ability to recognize bias and stereotypes in contemporary as well as historical portrayals, viewpoints, representations, and images. Learning activities and resources used to implement the curriculum should be inclusive in nature, reflecting diverse points of view and experiences, including Aboriginal perspectives. They should enable students to become more sensitive to the experiences and perceptions of others.

Literacy, Numeracy, and Inquiry/Research Skills

Success in Canadian and world studies courses depends in large part on strong literacy skills. Many of the activities and tasks students undertake in Canadian and world studies courses involve the use of written, oral, and visual communication skills. For example, students use language to record their observations, to describe their inquiries in both informal and formal contexts, and to present their findings in oral presentations and written reports. The language of Canadian and world studies courses includes special terms associated with the subjects that the program encompasses. The study of these subjects will thus encourage students to use language with greater care and precision and will enhance their ability to communicate effectively. The Ministry of Education has facilitated the development of materials to support literacy instruction across the curriculum. Helpful advice for integrating literacy instruction in Canadian and world studies courses may be found in the following resource documents:
	* Think Literacy: Cross-Curricular Approaches, Grades 7–12, 2003
	* Think Literacy: Cross-Curricular Approaches, Grades 7–12 – Geography: Subject-Specific Examples, Grades 7–9, 2004

The Canadian and world studies curriculum also builds on and reinforces certain aspects of the mathematics curriculum. For example, clear, concise communication may involve the use of various diagrams, charts, tables, and graphs to organize, interpret, and present information.

In all courses in Canadian and world studies, students will develop their ability to ask questions and to plan investigations to answer those questions. They need to learn a variety of research methods in order to carry out their investigations; they also need to know which methods to use in a particular inquiry. Students will learn how to locate relevant information from a variety of sources, such as books, newspapers, field studies and interviews, climate maps, aerial photographs and satellite images, diagrams and charts, and electronic sources. As they advance through the grades, students will be expected to use these sources with increasing sophistication. They will also be expected to distinguish between primary and secondary sources, to determine their validity and relevance, and to use them in appropriate ways.

The Role of Technology in Canadian and World Studies

Information and communications technology (ICT) provides a range of tools that can significantly extend and enrich teachers’ instructional strategies and support students’ learning in Canadian and world studies. These tools include simulations, multimedia resources, databases, and computer-assisted learning modules. Teachers can use ICT tools and resources both for whole class instruction and for the design of curriculum to meet diverse student needs.

ICT can be used to connect students to other schools, locally and abroad, and to bring the global community into the local classroom. Through Internet websites and CD-ROM technology, students can now access primary resources held in museums, libraries, archives, and public institutions across the country and around the world. ICT resources allow secondary students to conduct more far-ranging and authentic research than ever before.

Applications such as databases, spreadsheets, word processors, and presentation software can be used to support various methods of inquiry. The technology also makes possible simulations of complex systems that are useful for problem-solving purposes or when field studies on a particular topic are not feasible. Students are able to develop job-related computer skills through the use of industry applications such as geographic information systems (GIS) and the global positioning system (GPS).

Career Education in Canadian and World Studies

The knowledge and skills students acquire in Canadian and world studies courses will be useful in a variety of careers. For example, the study of economics increases students’ awareness of the ways in which local and global events and trends affect not only the economy but also their own career opportunities. A background in geography, history, politics, or law can lead to employment in fields such as law, politics, resource management, information technology, teaching, recreation, hospitality and tourism, and journalism. Students should be made aware of these possibilities and encouraged to explore areas of interest to them.

Health and Safety in Canadian and World Studies

Although health and safety issues are not normally associated with Canadian and world studies, they may be important when the learning involves fieldwork. Out-of-school fieldwork can provide an exciting and authentic dimension to students’ learning experiences. It also takes the teacher and students out of the predictable classroom environment into unfamiliar settings. Teachers must preview and plan activities and expeditions carefully to protect students’ health and safety.

Geography
	
Overview

Geography is an integrative subject that brings a variety of perspectives, both social and physical, to the study of people, places, and environments around the world. Knowing where physical, social, or political events or processes occur helps students gain a spatial perspective on them. Understanding the processes that shape the earth and knowing how life forms interact with the environment allow them to view events from an ecological perspective. Historical and economic perspectives help students understand the relationship between people and their environments, as well as interactions that occur among groups of people. Studying geography, students receive practical guidance for decision making and problem solving in geographic planning, economic development, and environmental and resource management.

As the world’s economies become increasingly interdependent, as pressures on the world’s resources mount, and as concerns about issues such as global warming, urbanization, and population growth escalate, people need to become geographically literate and able to make informed judgements about environmental and social issues. The Grade 9 Geography of Canada course provides students with a foundation in this essential area of learning.

Strands

The following are the five strands into which the Geography of Canada course is organized.

Geographic Foundations: Space and Systems. When geographers study the earth’s surface, they work with spatial measurements such as elevation, distance, area, direction, and scale, as well as with complex ideas such as place, region, distribution, and pattern. Geography also includes the study of physical, economic, cultural, and political systems. By learning about the structure, evolution, and interaction of these systems, students gain insight into the interconnectedness of the physical and human worlds.

Human-Environment Interactions. People are an integral part of the natural environment. The natural environment affects people’s lives in many fundamental ways, and people in turn affect the environment through their policies and activities. A similar relationship exists between people and their urban, cultural, and economic environments. Students need to understand these relationships in order to analyse the human consequences of natural events and the effects of human decisions on the environment.

Global Connections. Geography requires that students assume a global perspective on events and processes in any part of the world. Geographers study the special characteristics of different parts of the world and the connections between them. They consider issues that affect local communities and those that affect the whole world. Since the world’s economies are becoming increasingly interconnected, and the flow of people, products, money, information, and ideas around the world is accelerating, a global perspective is particularly important for today’s students.

Understanding and Managing Change. As the world undergoes continual change, students need many different kinds of knowledge and skills to be successful. Geographers use both local and global perspectives to identify trends, analyse the factors that cause change, and forecast the effects of change in the relationships between the earth’s natural and human systems. These kinds of knowledge and skills are invaluable in problem solving and planning.

Methods of Geographic Inquiry and Communication. Geographers use a wide array of approaches and tools in their work. Some of these, such as fieldwork and computer analysis, are used in various disciplines; others are specific to geographic studies. The latter include mapping, interpretation of aerial photographs, remote sensing, and image analysis using the global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information systems (GIS). The study of geography is especially relevant to contemporary students because, in addition to teaching them to view the world from both spatial and ecological perspectives, it familiarizes them with this broad range of new and traditional techniques and approaches.

Geography of Canada, Grade 9, Academic (CGC1D)

This course explores Canada’s distinct and changing character and the geographic systems and relationships that shape it. Students will investigate the interactions of natural and human systems within Canada, as well as Canada’s economic, cultural, and environmental connections to other countries. Students will use a variety of geotechnologies and inquiry and communication methods to analyse and evaluate geographic issues and present their findings.

Geographic Foundations: Space and Systems

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* describe the components and patterns of Canada’s spatial organization;
	* demonstrate an understanding of the regional diversity of Canada’s natural and human systems;
	* analyse local and regional factors that affect Canada’s natural and human systems.

Specific Expectations

Building Knowledge and Understanding

By the end of this course, students will:
	* explain the terms and concepts associated with regions (e.g., bioregion, ecozone, “ecological footprint”, boundaries, transition zone, ecumene);
	* describe the characteristics (e.g., complex, interconnected, life supporting, driven by solar energy) of natural systems (e.g., climate, biomes, the lithosphere, the hydrosphere);
	* describe the characteristics (e.g., complex, interconnected, affecting natural systems) of human systems (e.g., transportation, communication, infrastructure, energy networks, economic systems);
	* outline the criteria used to define selected Canadian ecozones and describe the processes and interactions that shape those ecozones;
	* distinguish between the characteristics of urban and rural environments (e.g., differences in population density, land use, forms of settlement, development patterns, types of employment);
	* explain the geographical requirements that determine the location of businesses, industries, and transportation systems.

Developing and Practising Skills

By the end of this course, students will:
	* analyse variations in population density and use their findings to explain overall population patterns;
	* illustrate and explain the regional distribution patterns of various peoples across Canada (e.g., Aboriginal peoples, Francophones, immigrant groups);
	* analyse the location pattern of recent First Nation land claims in Canada.

Learning Through Application

By the end of this course, students will:
	* identify criteria with which to evaluate the effect of government land use policy on planning in the local community;
	* compare different ways of providing human systems (e.g., transportation, social services, resource management, political structures) for a territory (e.g., Nunavut) and areas in southern Canada;
	* use a reasoned argument to identify the best place to live in Canada and justify their choice;
	* predict future locations of businesses, industries, and transportation systems in Canada;
	* identify and describe examples of Canadian art (e.g., in dance, drama, literature, music, visual arts) that reflect natural or cultural landscapes.

Human-Environment Interactions

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* explain the relationship of Canada’s renewable and non-renewable resources to the Canadian economy;
	* analyse the ways in which natural systems interact with human systems and make predictions about the outcomes of these interactions;
	* evaluate various ways of ensuring resource sustainability in Canada.

Specific Expectations

Building Knowledge and Understanding

By the end of this course, students will:
	* explain how human activities (e.g., agricultural and urban development, waste management, parks development, forest harvesting, land reclamation) affect, or are affected by, the environment;
	* describe how natural systems (e.g., climate, soils, landforms, natural vegetation, wildlife) influence cultural and economic activities (e.g., recreation, transportation, employment opportunities);
	* describe the regional distribution of Canada’s energy sources and the relative importance of each source;
	* identify the role of government in managing resources and protecting the environment;
	* explain the ways in which the traditional ecological knowledge of Aboriginal peoples, including their concepts of place, wilderness, and boundaries, influences how they interact with their environment.

Developing and Practising Skills

By the end of this course, students will:
	* assess the value of Canada’s key natural resources, including agricultural lands and wilderness;
	* assess the feasibility of using selected renewable and alternative energy sources (e.g., solar, wind, tidal, hydrogen fuel cell) to implement conservation strategies;
	* evaluate differing viewpoints on the benefits and disadvantages of selected resource megaprojects (e.g., James Bay hydro complex, Hibernia offshore oilfields, Athabasca oil sands, diamond mines in the Northwest Territories, Mackenzie Valley oil/gas pipeline);
	* assess how the effects of urban growth (e.g., development on former farm lands, destruction of wildlife habitats,  draining of marshes) alter the natural environment;
	* present findings from research on ways of improving the balance between human and natural systems (e.g., recycling, river clean-ups, ecological restoration of local woodlots or schoolyards, industrial initiatives to reduce pollution).

Learning Through Application

By the end of this course, students will:
	* analyse and evaluate the success, in environmental and economic terms, of local waste management methods;
	* evaluate solutions to environmental problems proposed by various groups (e.g., by government, industry,  environmentalists, community members) and make recommendations for sustainable resource use;
	* recommend ways in which individuals can contribute to the quality of life in their home, local ecozone, province, nation, and the world.

Global Connections

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* describe how Canada’s diverse geography affects its economic, cultural, and environmental links to other countries;
	* analyse connections between Canada and other countries;
	* report on global issues that affect Canadians.

Specific Expectations

Building Knowledge and Understanding

By the end of this course, students will:
	* explain the role of selected international organizations and agreements and why Canada participates in them (e.g., United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, World Health Organization, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, World Trade Organization, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Sommet de la Francophonie, International Olympic Committee, Inuit Circumpolar Games; North American Free Trade Agreement, Kyoto Protocol);
	* summarize significant contributions Canada makes to the world (e.g., in peacekeeping, telecommunications technology, humanitarian aid, sports, arts);
	* explain how Canada’s natural systems form part of global natural systems (e.g., Pacific Ring of Fire, continental shelves, global biomes).

Developing and Practising Skills

By the end of this course, students will:
	* compare Canada’s approaches to specific concerns (e.g., species loss, deforestation, pesticide use, cross-border pollution, movement of people, trade) with the approaches of other nations;
	* evaluate Canada’s participation in organizations that deal with global issues (e.g., global warming, biodiversity, human rights);
	* analyse the global distribution of selected commodities and determine Canada’s share of each (e.g., minerals, fuels, forest and agricultural products, manufactured goods and services);
	* summarize ways in which the economies of Canada and the rest of the world are interdependent;
	* evaluate the importance of tourism to Canada’s economic development.

Learning Through Application

By the end of this course, students will:
	* compare, in terms of resource use and consumption, the “ecological footprint” of an average Canadian with that of an average citizen in a developing country;
	* produce a set of guidelines for developing a solution to a global geographic or environmental issue.

Understanding and Managing Change

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* explain how natural and human systems change over time and from place to place;
	* predict how current or anticipated changes in the geography of Canada will affect the country’s future economic, social, and environmental well-being;
	* explain how global economic and environmental factors affect individual choices.

Specific Expectations

Building Knowledge and Understanding

By the end of this course, students will:
	* recognize the similarities among cultures and the need to respect cultural differences;
	* explain how selected factors cause change in human and natural systems (e.g., technological developments, corporate and government policies, zoning by-laws, natural hazards, global warming);
	* identify and explain the factors influencing demographics and migration in Canada.

Developing and Practising Skills

By the end of this course, students will:
	* analyse different perspectives on a geographic issue (e.g., clear-cutting, waste disposal, urban sprawl) and present arguments supporting a point of view;
	* predict the consequences of human activities (e.g., agriculture, recreation) on natural systems (e.g., soil depletion, climate change);
	* analyse the positive and negative effects on people and the environment of the manufacture, transportation to market, and consumption of selected products (e.g., cars, clothing, tropical food products).

Learning Through Application

By the end of this course, students will:
	* evaluate the impact of change (e.g., new technologies) on a selected planning project (e.g., residential or resort development, urban renewal, installation of water and sewage systems);
	* predict various global environmental changes (e.g., global warming) and the impact they may have in the future on the occupations of Canadians (e.g., wheat farming in the Arctic) in various sectors of the economy (e.g., primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary).

Methods of Geographic Inquiry and Communication

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* use the methods and tools of geographic inquiry to locate, gather, evaluate, and organize information about Canada’s natural and human systems;
	* analyse and interpret data gathered in inquiries into the geography of Canada, using a variety of methods and geotechnologies;
	* communicate the results of geographic inquiries, using appropriate terms and concepts and a variety of forms and techniques.

Specific Expectations

Research

By the end of this course, students will:
	* develop and use appropriate questions to define a topic, problem, or issue and to focus a geographic inquiry;
	* gather geographic information from primary sources (e.g., field research, surveys, interviews) and secondary source (e.g., reference books, mainstream and alternative media, CD-ROMs, the Internet) to research a geographic issue;
	* evaluate the credibility of sources (e.g., authority, impartiality, expertise) and the reliability and usefulness of  information (e.g., accuracy and relevance, absence of bias or prejudice, arguments substantiated by evidence);
	* identify various career opportunities in the field of geography, and the educational requirements associated with them.

Interpretation and Analysis

By the end of this course, students will:
	* distinguish among opinion, argument, and fact in research sources;
	* identify and describe the technologies used in geographic inquiry (e.g., geographic information systems [GIS], global positioning system [GPS], hypermedia);
	* use graphic organizers (e.g., semantic webs, timelines, future wheels, analogy charts, Venn diagrams) to clarify and interpret geographic information;
	* use different types of maps (e.g., road, topographical, thematic) to interpret geographic relationships, including changes over time in a specific location;
	* use appropriate statistical methods (e.g., calculate averages, medians, correlations) and categories of data (e.g., population distribution, density, migration rates) in geographic analysis, observing accepted conventions;
	* provide appropriate and sufficient geographic evidence and well-reasoned arguments, to support opinions and conclusions;
	* collect and synthesize information about the local ecozone;
	* analyse a regional or national geographic issue on the basis of information gathered through research (e.g., designate a World Heritage Site; select the best site for a particular manufacturing industry);
	* make planning decisions concerning a regional community after studying its existing natural and human systems (e.g., transportation, communication, energy networks, ecozones).

Communication

By the end of this course, students will:
	* communicate the results of geographic inquiries, for different audiences and purposes, using a variety of forms (e.g., reports, role plays, presentations, essays) and including geographic visual supports, both conventional (e.g., photographs, charts, graphs, models, organizers, diagrams, maps) and geotechnological (e.g., computer-generated maps and graphs, aerial photographs, satellite images);
	* use an accepted form of academic documentation (e.g., footnotes, endnotes, or author-date citations; bibliographies or reference lists) to acknowledge all information sources, including electronic sources;
	* use appropriate terminology (e.g., location, place, region, pattern, urban, suburban, rural, wilderness) to  communicate results of geographic inquiries.

Geography of Canada, Grade 9, Applied (CGC1P)

This course focuses on geographic issues that affect Canadians today. Students will draw on personal and everyday experiences as they learn about Canada’s distinct and changing character and the natural and human systems and global influences that shape the country. Students will use a variety of geotechnologies and inquiry and communication methods to examine practical geographic questions and communicate their findings.

Geographic Foundations: Space and Systems

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* identify patterns and diversity in Canada’s natural and human systems;
	* illustrate regional differences using the concept of ecozone;
	* describe issues that affect natural and human systems in Canada.

Specific Expectations

Building Knowledge and Understanding

By the end of this course, students will:
	* use the terms and concepts associated with regions (e.g., single- and multi-factor, boundaries, transition zone, ecozone);
	* describe selected characteristics of natural systems (e.g., climate, landforms, natural vegetation);
	* describe selected characteristics of human systems (e.g., transportation networks, population, industry);
	* describe how natural and human systems interact within selected Canadian ecozones;
	* identify characteristics of urban, suburban, fringe, and rural environments (e.g., population density, land use).

Developing and Practising Skills

By the end of this course, students will:
	* compare and contrast two ecozones to illustrate physical and cultural diversity;
	* determine the best place (e.g., ecozone, region, city) to locate an industry in Canada, using a decision-making process;
	* propose criteria (e.g., public support, accessibility, uniqueness of physical features) for determining the most appropriate location for a new provincial or national park;
	* identify and explain the regional patterns of population distribution of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people across Canada (e.g., where various groups are located and why they settled there).

Learning Through Application

By the end of this course, students will:
	* explain the challenges of developing human systems (e.g., transportation, social services, resource management, political structures) in a territory (e.g., Nunavut);
	* evaluate how well Canadian natural systems are protected (e.g., by means of conservation areas, provincial parks,  national parks, World Heritage Sites).

Human-Environment Interactions

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* assess the impact of human systems and/or resource extraction on the natural environment;
	* describe ways in which renewable, non-renewable, and flow resources are used in Canada;
	* relate current lifestyle choices of Canadians to the prospects for sustaining Canada’s economic and environmental well-being.

Specific Expectations

Building Knowledge and Understanding

By the end of this course, students will:
	* describe the role of key stakeholders (e.g., governments, non-governmental organizations [NGOs], the private sector, cultural and community groups, individuals) in protecting the environment (e.g., through emissions testing, air-quality regulations, environmental assessments, waterquality testing);
	* describe the techniques used in various forms of resource extraction (e.g., strip and shaft mining, clear-cutting and selective cutting, intensive and extensive agriculture, inshore/offshore fishing and aquaculture);
	* identify the ways in which the traditional ecological knowledge and perspective of Aboriginal peoples influence how they interact with their environments today (e.g., Aboriginal view of hot springs as traditional sacred sites, not tourist attractions);
	* identify the locations and determine the relative importance of Canada’s major energy sources.

Developing and Practising Skills

By the end of this course, students will:
	* use selected criteria (e.g., costs, capacity, availability, sustainability, application, local attitudes) to evaluate alternative energy sources (e.g., solar, wind, tidal, hydrogen fuel cell) and conservation strategies;
	* compare the benefits and costs (e.g., social, economic, environmental) of selected resource megaprojects (e.g., James Bay hydro complex, Athabasca oil sands, Hibernia offshore oilfields, diamond mines in the Northwest Territories, Mackenzie Valley pipeline);
	* describe the views of key stakeholders on a local environmental issue (e.g., urban sprawl, highway expansion, waste management, resource extraction, recreational development, changing land use, residential infilling).

Learning Through Application

By the end of this course, students will:
	* describe the collective and individual/personal methods used in the community to reduce waste and conserve energy and water;
	* create a visual (e.g., poster, cartoon, multimedia presentation) to address an environmental sustainability issue or promote environmental awareness;
	* compare Canada’s quality of life with that of other countries (e.g., by constructing a rating scale, by studying the United Nations Human Development Index).

Global Connections

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* identify the economic, cultural, and environmental connections between Canada and other countries;
	* report on how Canada influences and is influenced by its economic, cultural, and environmental connections with other countries;
	* explain how current global issues affect Canadians.

Specific Expectations

Building Knowledge and Understanding

By the end of this course, students will:
	* describe Canada’s participation in major international organizations (e.g., United Nations, World Health Organization, Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation) and agreements (e.g., North American Free Trade Agreement, Kyoto Protocol);
	* identify significant contributions Canada makes to the world (e.g., peacekeeping, technology, humanitarian aid);
	* compare Canadian and global trends in resource consumption and pollution (e.g., level of development versus rate of resource use, GDP versus pollution levels).

Developing and Practising Skills

By the end of this course, students will:
	* evaluate Canada’s effectiveness and commitment in responding to global challenges (e.g., climate change, depletion of ocean resources, terrorism) and promoting international well-being (e.g., humanitarian aid, human rights advocacy, peacekeeping);
	* analyse the potential impact on the global community of their personal choices (e.g., in music, clothes, food, work, recreation);
	* describe the effect on Canadian society of the cultural influences of the “global village” (e.g., in music, dance, fashion, food, media).

Learning Through Application

By the end of this course, students will:
	* produce an oral, visual, or written report on a current international trade, cultural, or sporting event involving Canada (e.g., a trade mission, Sommet de la Francophonie, Commonwealth Conference, Olympic Games, Inuit Circumpolar Games, Commonwealth Games, Pan-American Games);
	* compare the “ecological footprint” of a typical Canadian with those of people from other countries.

Understanding and Managing Change

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* explain the relationship between sustainability, stewardship, and an “ecological footprint”;
	* identify current or anticipated physical, social, or economic changes and explain how they could affect the lives of Canadians;
	* apply the concepts of stewardship and sustainability to analyse a current national or international issue.

Specific Expectations

Building Knowledge and Understanding

By the end of this course, students will:
	* describe the calculations and criteria used to determine their “ecological footprint”;
	* explain the relationship between stewardship, sustainability, and change in Canada’s consumption of energy (e.g., use of conventional versus alternative sources) and other resource-use practices (e.g., “consume and discard” versus “reduce, reuse, recycle”);
	* describe how regional disparities (e.g., in resource accessibility) affect the economic sustainability of communities.

Developing and Practising Skills

By the end of this course, students will:
	* evaluate different perspectives on a geographic issue (e.g., clear-cutting, waste disposal, urban sprawl) and present arguments supporting a point of view;
	* identify the costs and benefits (e.g., income, resource protection, cultural self-determination) to selected groups in Canada of recent Aboriginal land claims;
	* assess Canada’s environmental stewardship and sustainability based on the average Canadian’s “ecological footprint”.

Learning Through Application

By the end of this course, students will:
	* report on how current national or international trends or events (e.g., immigration, rural-urban migration, changing demographics, natural or human disasters) affect the sustainability of Canada’s human systems;
	* predict the impact of selected technological changes (e.g., in communications and information technology, renewable energy technology) on the future quality of life for Canadians (e.g., working conditions, air and water quality, education, transportation).

Methods of Geographic Inquiry and Communication

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* use the methods and tools of geographic inquiry to locate, gather, evaluate, and organize information about Canada’s natural and human systems;
	* analyse and interpret data gathered in inquiries into the geography of Canada, using a variety of methods and geotechnologies;
	* communicate the results of geographic inquiries, using appropriate terms and concepts and a variety of forms and techniques.

Specific Expectations

Research

By the end of this course, students will:
	* develop and use appropriate questions to define a topic, problem, or issue and to focus a geographic inquiry;
	* gather geographic information from primary sources (e.g., field research, surveys, interviews) and secondary sources (e.g., reference books, mainstream and alternative media, CD-ROMs, the Internet) to research a geographic issue;
	* evaluate the credibility of sources (e.g., authority, impartiality, expertise) and the reliability and usefulness of information (e.g., accuracy and relevance, absence of bias or prejudice, arguments substantiated by evidence);
	* identify some job, career, or volunteer opportunities requiring geographic knowledge and skills.

Interpretation and Analysis

By the end of this course, students will:
	* distinguish among opinion, argument, and fact in research sources;
	* identify and describe the technologies used in geographic inquiry (e.g., geographic information systems [GIS], global positioning system [GPS], hypermedia);
	* use graphic organizers (e.g., mind maps, semantic webs, timelines, Venn diagrams, cross-classification charts) to clarify and interpret geographic information;
	* use different types of maps (e.g., road, topographical, thematic) to interpret geographic relationships;
	* use appropriate statistical methods (e.g., calculate averages, ranges, percentages) and categories of data (e.g., population distribution, density, migration rates) in geographic analysis, observing accepted conventions;
	* provide appropriate and sufficient geographic evidence and well-reasoned arguments to support opinions and conclusions;
	* collect and synthesize information about the local ecozone;
	* conduct an inquiry, using a variety of appropriate tools, into a current Canadian geographic issue (e.g., loss of farm land, declining fish stocks, petroleum industry in the Arctic).

Communication

By the end of this course, students will:
	* communicate the results of geographic inquiries, for different audiences and purposes, using a variety of forms (e.g., reports, role plays, presentations, essays) and including geographic visual supports, both conventional (e.g., photographs, charts, graphs, models, organizers, diagrams, maps) and geotechnological (e.g., computer-generated maps and graphs, aerial photographs, satellite images);
	* use an accepted form of academic documentation (e.g., footnotes, endnotes, or author-date citations; bibliographies or reference lists) to acknowledge all information sources, including electronic sources;
	* use appropriate terminology (e.g., location, place, region, pattern, urban, suburban, rural, wilderness) to communicate results of geographic inquiries.

History
	
Overview

The study of history fulfils a fundamental human desire to know about our past. It also appeals to us because of our love of stories – and history consists of stories. Through the narrative of history we hear and see the people, events, emotions, struggles, and challenges that produced the present and that will shape the future. The better we understand history, the easier it becomes to understand other times and places. Such knowledge teaches us that our particular accomplishments and problems are not unique – an important lesson in a world in which the forces of globalization are drawing people of different cultures closer together. Canadian and world studies offers students a variety of history courses that will enhance their knowledge of and appreciation for the story of Canada. The compulsory Grade 10 course, Canadian History Since World War I, focuses on the events and personalities that have shaped our nation since 1914. Optional Canadian history courses in Grades 11 and 12 provide further opportunities to investigate Canada’s past and examine issues that the country will face in the future.

History

Strands

The following are the five strands into which the course Canadian History Since World War I is organized.

Communities: Local, National, and Global. Communities may be viewed from local, regional, national, and world perspectives. Communities interact with one another through commerce, cultural exchanges, colonization, war, and international agreements. These interactions are the basis of today’s globally connected world. Over time, communities and their interactions have changed because of factors such as changing technologies and patterns of human migration. It is through the study of communities that students begin to understand who they are in time and place.

Change and Continuity. Continuity refers to aspects of life that are constant. For example, humans have always lived in communities, although the structures of communities have varied from century to century. Change may be gradual, as in the case of industrialization in Canada or the evolution of Canada’s Constitution, or it may be sudden, as in the case of war and its consequences. Chronology, the sequencing of past events according to time, enables us to investigate continuity and change as well as cause-and-effect relationships.

Citizenship and Heritage. Citizenship implies rights, privileges, and obligations – although each is defined differently from generation to generation, and from one society to another. Heritage refers to what we receive from the past and includes institutions, values, religion, architecture, art forms, social traditions, and political practices. Heritage can be national, regional, or personal, or a combination of all three. An essential aspect of history is learning the stories of the past. Through the telling of stories, students become connected to their heritage and come to understand their role as citizens.

Social, Economic, and Political Structures. Human beings throughout time have organized themselves into social groupings. The study of these social structures considers the relationships among people in society, gender roles, forms of work, leisure activities, and the interaction between majorities and minorities. The investigation of economic structures examines the what, how, and why of human production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The study of political structures looks at distribution of power, political participation, and changes in government and legal systems.

Methods of Historical Inquiry and Communication. Students of history use a wide range of skills and information technologies. In conducting research, they must draw on primary sources, such as artifacts and original documents, as well as on secondary sources, such as textbooks, reference works, and various media and electronic information sources. They should develop a clear focus for their investigations by formulating appropriate questions on historical topics. Students must learn to consider chronology and cause-and-effect relationships in order to successfully organize, analyse, interpret, and apply their findings. Finally, they must communicate their findings in a variety of written, oral, and visual forms.

Canadian History Since World War I, Grade 10, Academic (CHC2D)

This course explores the local, national, and global forces that have shaped Canada's national identity from World War I to the present. Students will investigate the challenges presented by economic, social, and technological changes and explore the contributions of individuals and groups to Canadian culture and society during this period. Students will use critical-thinking and communication skills to evaluate various interpretations of the issues and events of the period and to present their own points of view.

Communities: Local, National, and Global

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* explain how local, national, and global influences have helped shape Canadian identity;
	* analyse the impact of external forces and events on Canada and its policies since 1914;
	* analyse the development of French-English relations in Canada, with reference to key individuals, issues, and events;
	* assess Canada’s participation in war and contributions to peacekeeping and security.

Specific Expectations

Forging a Canadian Identity

By the end of this course, students will:
	* identify contributions to Canada’s multicultural society by regional, linguistic, ethnocultural, and religious  communities (e.g., Aboriginal peoples, Franco-Ontarians, Métis, Black Canadians, Doukhobors, Mennonites, local immigrant communities);
	* explain why the federal government has tried to promote a common Canadian identity, and how it has done so (e.g., through various agencies such as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, National Film Board, Canada Council for the Arts, Department of Canadian Heritage, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission);
	* explain how participation in international events, institutions, and agreements has contributed to Canada’s evolving  identity (e.g., peacekeeping operations, United Nations agencies, Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change).

The Impact of External Forces on Canada

By the end of this course, students will:
	* assess the influence of Great Britain and Europe on Canada’s participation in war and peacekeeping (e.g., World War I, World War II, Suez Crisis, Cyprus, Bosnia);
	* describe some of the ways in which American culture and politics have influenced Canada since World War I (e.g., movies, magazines, television, the Internet; Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., George W. Bush);
	* analyse economic developments and international agreements and organizations that have contributed to the globalization of the Canadian economy since World War II (e.g., Auto Pact, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade [GATT], North American Free Trade Agreement [NAFTA], World Trade Organization [WTO]);
	* explain the impact in Canada of the experience and memory of the Holocaust (e.g., immigration of Holocaust survivors; introduction of human rights legislation; policy dealing with hate crimes and Nazi war criminals; nature of response to occurrences of genocide/ethnic cleansing in the world after World War II; participation in International War Crimes tribunal);
	* evaluate how selected international political trends or events have contributed to political challenges facing Canada (e.g., American isolationism; decision to use atomic weapons against Japan; end of the Cold War; economic globalization; Gulf War, 1991; invasion of Iraq, 2003).

French-English Relations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* describe how the conscription crises of World War I and World War II created tensions between English Canada and Quebec;
	* describe the major events that have contributed to the growth of Quebec nationalism and the separatist movement in Quebec (e.g., Duplessis era, 1936-39, 1944-59; Quiet Revolution, 1960-66; October Crisis, 1970; election of René Lévesque, 1976; two sovereignty referendums, 1980, 1995);
	* identify the major groups of French Canadians outside Quebec (e.g., Franco-Ontarians, Franco-Manitobans, Acadians) and describe their struggle for recognition;
	* analyse the changing relationship between English Canada and Quebec, with a focus on the evolution of language policy and constitutional issues (e.g., Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, Bill 101, repatriation of the Constitution, Meech Lake and Charlottetown Accords).

Canada's Participation in War, Peace, and Security

By the end of this course, students will:
	* explain the causes of World War I and World War II and how Canada became involved in these two wars;
	* describe Canada’s and Canadians’ contributions to the war effort overseas during World War I and World War II (e.g., Ypres, Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele, Hong Kong, Battle of the Atlantic, Dieppe, Sicily, D-Day; contributions of individuals, such as Billy Bishop, Georges Vanier, Tommy Prince; contributions of groups, such as Aboriginal peoples; convoys; liberation of prisoners from Nazi concentration/death camps);
	* describe Canada’s and Canadians’ contributions to the war effort at home during World War I and World War II, as well as some of the effects the wars had on the home front (e.g., munitions industry, Halifax explosion, women war workers, British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, Camp X, the war effort in local communities);
	* analyse significant events related to the Holocaust (e.g., the rise of anti-Semitism and Nazism; Kristallnacht; establishment of ghettos, concentration camps, and death camps) and Canada’s response to those events;
	* describe atrocities committed during World War II and assess Canada’s response to them (e.g., Nanking massacre, Battle of Hong Kong and its aftermath, concentration camps, Nazi murder of Canadian prisoners of war in Normandy, fire bombing of Dresden);
	* analyse changes in Canadian policies towards refugees since 1930 (e.g., the closed-door policy towards Jewish refugees in the 1930s; acceptance of displaced persons after World War II; current refugee and immigration policies);
	* analyse Canada’s role in Cold War activities until 1989 (e.g., espionage, Korean War, nuclear arms race, North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO], North American Air Defence Command [NORAD], Vietnam War);
	* describe the roles and functions of the Canadian armed forces since 1945 (e.g., maintaining collective security, asserting national sovereignty, providing aid to civil powers in the wake of disasters, peacekeeping and peace making) and assess their success in performing these tasks.

Change and Continuity

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* analyse changing demographic patterns and their impact on Canadian society since 1914;
	* analyse the impact of scientific and technological developments on Canadians;
	* explain how and why Canada’s international status and foreign policy have changed since 1914.

Specific Expectations

Demographic Patterns and Their Effects on Society

By the end of this course, students will:
	* identify the major groups of immigrants that have come to Canada since 1914 and describe the circumstances that led to their decision to emigrate (e.g., impact of war, political unrest, famine);
	* analyse the similarities and differences between current and historical patterns of immigration to Canada, making reference to changing immigration policies and pull factors (e.g., incentives for immigrants) that were in effect during different periods;
	* evaluate the impact on Canadian society of post-World War I urbanization and post-World War II population shifts to the suburbs and outlying towns and cities;
	* evaluate the impact of social and demographic change on Aboriginal communities (e.g., relocation, urbanization, education, pressures to assimilate);
	* describe the impact of the baby boom generation on Canadian society since the 1950s.

Impact of Scientific and Technological Developments

By the end of this course, students will:
	* demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between invention and the economy (e.g., the invention of the car and its effect on the transportation industry and expenditures on infrastructure);
	* describe various ways in which technological developments have affected the lives of Canadians since World War I (e.g., telephones, cars, airplanes, radio, television, nuclear arms and nuclear power, satellites, computers, the Internet, developments in petrochemicals and biotechnology);
	* analyse how technological developments have changed working conditions in Canada since World War I;
	* assess the scientific and technological innovations of Canadian scientists and inventors (e.g., Sir Frederick Banting, Edward Rogers Sr., Joseph-Armand Bombardier, Elsie Gregory MacGill, Ursula Franklin; the Avro Arrow, the Canadarm).

Canada's International Status and Foreign Policy

By the end of this course, students will:
	* summarize the evolution of Canadian political autonomy from Great Britain since World War I (e.g., Treaty of Versailles, Balfour Report, Statute of Westminster, patriation of the Constitution);
	* analyse the significance of Canada’s contribution to the United Nations and other international organizations, such as the Commonwealth of Nations and la Francophonie (e.g., Universal Declaration of Human Rights, peacekeeping forces, Convention on the Rights of the Child, development assistance, International Campaign to Ban Landmines);
	* analyse Canada’s responses to some of the major human tragedies since World War I (e.g., genocide in Ukraine; the Holocaust; Japanese atrocities prior to and during World War II; famine in Africa; genocide in Somalia; civil war in Bosnia; the AIDS crisis in Africa; September 11);
	* assess the development of Canada’s role as a world leader in defending human rights since World War II (e.g., drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for the United Nations; introduction of Ontario Human Rights Code, 1962, and Canadian Human Rights Act, 1977; the work of Louise Arbour in Bosnia);
	* analyse Canada’s changing relationship with the United States (e.g., Lend-Lease Act; St. Lawrence Seaway Agreement; Vietnam War; voyage of the Manhattan; Foreign Investment Review Agency; Canada–U.S. Free Trade Agreement; softwood lumber disputes; invasion of Iraq, 2003).

Citizenship and Heritage

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* analyse the contributions of various social and political movements in Canada since 1914;
	* assess how individual Canadians have contributed to the development of Canada and the country’s emerging sense of identity.

Specific Expectations

Social and Political Movements

By the end of this course, students will:
	* analyse the impact of the women’s movement in Canada since 1914 (e.g., suffrage, the Famous Five, broadening access to employment, Royal Commission on the Status of Women, enshrining gender equality in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, combating violence against women, equal pay for work of equal value);
	* explain how the labour movement has affected social, economic, and political life in Canada (e.g., Winnipeg General  Strike, On-to-Ottawa Trek, Regina Manifesto, Canadian Labour Congress, Canadian Auto Workers);
	* explain how pacifist groups, human rights organizations, and the civil rights movement have influenced Canadian society (e.g., Hutterites, Mennonites, Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies, Amnesty International, Black United Front);
	* describe the achievements of Aboriginal organizations (e.g., Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Assembly of First Nations, National Aboriginal Veterans Association, Union of Ontario Indians) in gaining recognition of the rights of Aboriginal peoples in Canada;
	* evaluate the role of movements that resulted in the founding of political parties (e.g., Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, Social Credit, Union Nationale, Bloc Québécois, Reform Party of Canada).

Individual Canadians and Canadian Identity

By the end of this course, students will:
	* assess the contributions of selected individuals to the development of Canadian identity since 1914 (e.g., Nellie  McClung, Arthur Currie, Thérèse Casgrain, Maurice Richard, Georges and Pauline Vanier, Max Ward, Marshall McLuhan, Rosemary Brown, Matthew Coon Come, Adrienne Clarkson);
	* assess how artistic expression has reflected Canadian identity since World War I (e.g., in the work of Ozias Leduc, the Group of Seven, Gabrielle Roy, Farley Mowat, Joy Kogawa, Oscar Peterson, Chief Dan George, the Guess Who, Toller Cranston, Karen Kain, Michael Ondaatje, Drew Hayden Taylor, Susan Aglukark);
	* assess the contributions of selected Canadian political leaders since 1914.

Social, Economic, and Political Structures

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* analyse how changing economic and social conditions have affected Canadians since 1914;
	* analyse the changing responses of the federal and provincial governments to social and economic pressures since 1914.

Specific Expectations

Economic and Social Conditions

By the end of this course, students will:
	* compare economic conditions of the 1920s and 1930s, and describe the impact of those conditions on Canadians,  individually and collectively;
	* explain how and why the Canadian economy developed and became more diversified as a result of World War II;
	* compare the advantages and disadvantages of American participation in the Canadian economy (e.g., branch plants, media and entertainment, fishing and lumber disputes, tourism);
	* compare regional social and economic disparities in Canada in selected decades (e.g., Saskatchewan in the 1930s, Quebec in the 1950s, Newfoundland in the 1990s) with current conditions;
	* assess the contributions made by Canadian entrepreneurs and Canadian-owned corporations to the development of the Canadian economy (e.g., Samuel Bronfman, K.C. Irving, George Weston, Frank Stronach, Edward “Ted” Rogers Jr., Heather Reisman; Canadian Pacific Railway, Quebecor, Power Corporation of Canada).

Changing Role of Government

By the end of this course, students will:
	* analyse how different levels of government in Canada reacted to the economic conditions of the Depression of the 1930s;
	* explain how and why the Canadian government restricted certain rights and freedoms in wartime, and describe the impact, both short- and long-term, of these restrictions on the general population and on various groups within Canada (e.g., centralized planning, rationing, censorship, conscription, treatment of Japanese Canadians);
	* explain how and why social welfare programs (e.g., old age pensions, unemployment/employment insurance, family allowance, medicare) were designed, and assess their effectiveness in meeting the needs of various segments of society;
	* evaluate the role of government in promoting economic opportunity in post–World War II Canada (e.g., developing infrastructure such as the Trans-Canada Highway and the St. Lawrence Seaway; implementing agreements for the DEW Line and free trade; promoting resource development at Elliot Lake; promoting tourism by supporting the Olympic and Commonwealth games).

Methods of Historical Inquiry and Communication

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* formulate questions on topics and issues in the history of Canada since 1914, and use appropriate methods of historical research to locate, gather, evaluate, and organize relevant information from a variety of sources;
	* interpret and analyse information gathered through research, employing concepts and approaches appropriate to historical inquiry;
	* communicate the results of historical inquiries, using appropriate terms and concepts and a variety of forms of communication.

Specific Expectations

Research

By the end of this course, students will:
	* formulate different types of questions (e.g., factual: What were the elements of the Lend-Lease agreement?; causal: What were the causes of the Winnipeg General Strike?; comparative: How were patterns of immigration to Canada in the 1930s different from those in the 1990s?; speculative: What would be some of the consequences of closer economic ties with the United States?) when researching historical topics, issues, and events;
	* gather information on Canadian history and current events from a variety of sources (e.g., textbooks and reference books, newspapers, the Internet) found in various locations (e.g., school and public libraries, resource centres, museums, historic sites, community and government resources);
	* distinguish between primary and secondary sources of information (e.g., primary: artifacts, diaries, documents; secondary: books, articles), and use both in historical research;
	* evaluate the credibility of sources and information (e.g., by considering the authority, impartiality, and expertise of the source and checking the information for accuracy, underlying assumptions, stereotypes, prejudice, and bias);
	* organize and record information gathered through research (e.g., using notes, lists, concept webs, timelines, charts, maps, graphs, mind maps);
	* formulate and use a thesis statement when researching a historical topic or issue;
	* identify various job, career, and volunteer opportunities related to the study of history (e.g., researcher, museum or archive curator or assistant, teacher, journalist), and the educational requirements for them.

Interpretation and Analysis

By the end of this course, students will:
	* analyse information, employing concepts and theories appropriate to historical inquiry (e.g., chronology, cause and effect, short- and long-term consequences);
	* distinguish between fact, opinion, and inference in texts and visuals found in primary and secondary sources;
	* identify different viewpoints and explicit biases when interpreting information for research or when participating in a discussion;
	* draw conclusions and make reasoned generalizations or appropriate predictions on the basis of relevant and sufficient supporting evidence;
	* complete research projects that reflect or contain the elements of a historical inquiry process: preparation, research, thesis, supporting evidence, conclusion based on evidence.

Communication

By the end of this course, students will:
	* express ideas, arguments, and conclusions, as appropriate for the audience and purpose, using a variety of styles and forms (e.g., reports, essays, debates, role playing, group presentations);
	* use an accepted form of documentation (e.g., footnotes, endnotes, or author-date citations; bibliographies or reference lists) to acknowledge all sources of information, including electronic sources;
	* use appropriate terminology to communicate results of inquiries into historical topics and issues.

Canadian History Since World War I, Grade 10, Applied (CHC2P)

This course explores some of the pivotal events and experiences that have influenced the development of Canada's identity as a nation from World War I to the present. By examining how the country has responded to economic, social, and technological changes and how individuals and groups have contributed to Canadian culture and society during this period, students will develop their ability to make connections between historical and current events. Students will have opportunities to formulate questions, locate information, develop informed opinions, and present ideas about the central issues and events of the period.

Communities: Local, National, and Global

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* describe some of the major local, national, and global forces and events that have influenced Canada’s policies and Canadian identity since 1914;
	* explain the significance of some key individuals and events in the evolution of French-English relations in Canada since 1914;
	* evaluate Canada’s participation in war and contributions to peacekeeping and security.

Specific Expectations

Forces Shaping Canada's Policies and Canadian Identity

By the end of this course, students will:
	* describe some of the policies championed by political leaders since 1914 that have contributed to a sense of Canadian identity (e.g., Tommy Douglas and medicare; Pierre Trudeau and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms);
	* identify the contributions made by selected regional, provincial, linguistic, ethnic, and/or religious communities to Canada’s multicultural society (e.g., Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Franco-Ontarians, Aboriginal nations, Métis, Inuit, Black Canadians, local immigrant groups, Doukhobours, Hutterites, Mennonites);
	* describe how Canada’s participation in selected world events and contributions to international organizations and  agreements (e.g., the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; peacekeeping; International Campaign to Ban Landmines) have contributed to an evolving sense of national identity;
	* identify some of the ways in which foreign powers (e.g., British, European, American) have influenced Canadian foreign policy (e.g., alliances, participation in wars, peacekeeping, international aid, trade);
	* describe some aspects of the impact in Canada of the experience and memory of the Holocaust (e.g., immigration of Holocaust survivors; introduction of human rights legislation; policies relating to hate crimes and Nazi war criminals; nature of response to occurrences of genocide/ethnic cleansing in the world since World War II; participation in International War Crimes tribunal);
	* explain how American culture and lifestyles (e.g., music, dance, clothing, speech, movies, television, Internet) have influenced Canada and Canadians in selected periods.

French-English Relations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* explain why conscription was a controversial issue and how it divided English Canada and Quebec during World War I and World War II;
	* identify some major events that contributed to the growth of Quebec nationalism and the separatist movement in Quebec from 1945 (e.g., Asbestos Strike, Quiet Revolution, October Crisis, Parti Québécois election victory in 1976, Bill 101, sovereignty referendums in 1980 and 1995);
	* describe key responses by Canadians and their political leaders to the Quebec separatist movement (e.g., Pearson, Trudeau, Lévesque, Bourassa, Mulroney, Bouchard, Manning, Chrétien; Constitution Act, 1982; Meech Lake Accord; unity rallies; sovereignty referendums in 1980 and 1995; Calgary Declaration, 1997; Clarity Act);
	* identify the major groups of French Canadians outside Quebec (e.g., Franco-Ontarians, Franco-Manitobans, Acadians) and describe some of their efforts to achieve recognition.

Canada's Participation in War, Peace, and Security

By the end of this course, students will:
	* identify the causes of World War I and World War II and explain how Canada became involved in these two wars;
	* describe some of the contributions Canada and Canadians made to the war effort overseas during World War I and World War II (e.g., Ypres, Vimy Ridge, Hong Kong, the Battle of the Atlantic, Dieppe, Ortona, D-Day; contributions of individuals, such as Billy Bishop; contributions of groups, such as Aboriginal peoples; liberation of the Netherlands; convoys; liberation of prisoners from Nazi concentration/death camps);
	* describe some of the contributions Canada and Canadians made to the war effort at home during World War I and World War II, as well as some of the effects the wars had on the home front (e.g., munitions industry, Halifax Explosion, women war workers, British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, Camp X, the war effort in local communities);
	* describe the events leading up to the Holocaust (e.g., rise of anti-Semitism and Nazism; Kristallnacht; establishment of ghettos, concentration camps, and death camps; voyage of SS St. Louis) and assess Canada’s response to those events;
	* summarize Canada’s role in some key Cold War activities from 1945 to 1989 (e.g., espionage, nuclear arms race, North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO], Korean War, North American Air Defence Command [NORAD], Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War, détente, cruise missile testing and protests);
	* assess some examples of the roles and functions of the Canadian armed forces since 1945, such as peacekeeping and peace making and maintaining security (e.g., Suez Crisis, Cyprus, October Crisis, Oka Crisis, Gulf War of 1991, Somalia, Afghanistan).

Change and Continuity

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* explain some major ways in which Canada’s population has changed since 1914;
	* evaluate the impact of some technological developments on Canadians in different periods;
	* describe changes in Canada’s international status and its role in the world since 1914.

Specific Expectations

Demographic Patterns

By the end of this course, students will:
	* identify some major groups of immigrants that have come to Canada since 1914 and describe the circumstances that led to their immigration (e.g., push factors: impact of war, political unrest, famine; pull factors: economic opportunities in Canada, government incentives);
	* describe some of the ways in which Canadian immigration policies have changed over time (e.g., quotas, point systems, incentives), and how such changes have affected patterns of immigration;
	* explain some of the ways in which the lives of adolescents, women, and seniors have changed since World War I as a result of major demographic shifts and social changes (e.g., years in school, targeting as consumer group; labour force participation, birth rates, divorce rates; age of retirement, life expectancy);
	* describe the changing impact of the baby boom generation on Canadian society from the 1950s to the present.

Impact of Scientific and Technological Developments

By the end of this course, students will:
	* explain how some key technological developments have changed the everyday lives of Canadians since World War I (e.g., telephones, cars, airplanes, appliances, radio, television, computers, satellites, developments in biotechnology);
	* explain how some key technological innovations in military and other fields (e.g., gas warfare, radar, aircraft, guided missiles, electronic surveillance, media innovations) have changed the way war has been planned and fought, and describe their impact on combatants and civilians (e.g., fire bombing, death camps, “collateral damage”, postwar casualties from landmines);
	* describe the effects of selected scientific and technological innovations developed by Canadians (e.g., Reginald Fessenden, Sir Frederick Banting, Joseph-Armand Bombardier, Elsie Gregory MacGill, Ursula Franklin; the Avro Arrow, the
	* Canadarm).

Canada's International Position

By the end of this course, students will:
	* identify changes in Canada’s international status since World War I (e.g., increasing independence from Britain; membership in international organizations such as the League of Nations, the United Nations, the G8, the Commonwealth of Nations, la Francophonie);
	* describe Canada’s responses to some of the major human tragedies that have occurred since World War I (e.g., genocide in Ukraine; the Holocaust; the Nanking massacre; genocide in Somalia and Rwanda; civil war in Bosnia; the AIDS crisis in Africa; September 11);
	* describe the development of Canada’s role as a world leader in defending human rights since World War II (e.g., drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for the United Nations; introduction of Ontario Human Rights Code, 1962, and Canadian Human Rights Act, 1977; the work of Louise Arbour in Bosnia);
	* summarize Canada’s changing relationship with the United States (e.g., Lend-Lease Act; Alaska Highway; St. Lawrence Seaway Agreement; Auto Pact; Vietnam War; Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement; Gulf War, 1991; September 11; Afghanistan; invasion of Iraq, 2003).

Citizenship and Heritage

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* describe the impact of significant social and political movements on Canadian society;
	* describe how individual Canadians have contributed to the development of Canada and its emerging sense of identity.

Specific Expectations

Social and Political Movements

By the end of this course, students will:
	* summarize the key contributions of women’s movements in Canada since 1914 (e.g., suffrage; access to employment, including non-traditional occupations; maternity leave; equal pay for work of equal value; child care);
	* identify key struggles and contributions of the labour movement in Canada (e.g., Winnipeg General Strike, On-to-Ottawa Trek, Quebec Asbestos Strike, Canadian Labour Congress, Canadian Auto Workers, forty-hour work week, health and safety legislation, minimum wages, employment standards), as well as key contributions of selected labour leaders (e.g., Madeleine Parent, Beverly Mascoll, LuAn Mitchell-Halter, Bob White, Judy D’Arcy);
	* describe some of the factors shaping the experience of Aboriginal peoples in Canada since 1914 (e.g., relocation, urbanization, education, pressures to assimilate) and ways in which Aboriginal people have worked to achieve recognition of Aboriginal and treaty rights;
	* compare the different beliefs and values of selected political parties that emerged out of political movements (e.g., Co-operative Commonwealth Federation [CCF], Social Credit, Union Nationale, Bloc Québécois, Reform/Canadian Alliance, Green Party).

Individual Canadians and Canadian Identity

By the end of this course, students will:
	* describe how selected significant individuals have contributed to the growing sense of Canadian identity since 1914 (e.g., Nellie McClung, Arthur Currie, Thérèse Casgrain, Maurice Richard, Georges and Pauline Vanier, Max Ward, Marshall McLuhan, Rosemary Brown, Matthew Coon Come, Adrienne Clarkson);
	* describe how the work of selected artists (e.g., Ozias Leduc, the Group of Seven, Gabrielle Roy, Farley Mowat, Joy  Kogawa, Oscar Peterson, Chief Dan George, the Guess Who, Toller Cranston, Karen Kain, Michael Ondaatje, Drew Hayden Taylor, Susan Aglukark) has reflected Canadian identity.

Social, Economic, and Political Structures

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* explain changing economic conditions and patterns and how they have affected Canadians;
	* assess the changing role and power of the federal and provincial governments in Canada since 1914.

Specific Expectations

Influence of Economic Structures on Daily Life

By the end of this course, students will:
	* compare economic conditions at selected times in Canada’s history and describe their impact on the daily lives of Canadians (e.g., boom periods of the 1920s, the 1950s–1960s, the 1980s; the Great Depression; World War II; 1970s inflation; the oil crisis of 1973; the recession of the 1990s; the dot-com bubble of 2000);
	* assess the advantages and disadvantages of American participation in the Canadian economy (e.g., branch plants; market for resources; Auto Pact; free trade agreements; fisheries, lumber, and cattle disputes; big box stores);
	* identify some of the major effects of, and concerns arising with, freer trade and globalization (e.g., creation of the North American Free Trade Agreement [NAFTA], World Trade Organization [WTO]; changing role of marketing boards; problems relating to trade of genetically modified organisms; reactions to fear of spreading disease, such as mad cow disease; effects on working conditions; creation of organizations such as Free the Children), focusing on at least two groups (e.g., farmers, businesses, workers, consumers, the poor);
	* identify the contributions of selected Canadian entrepreneurs and Canadian-owned firms to the development of the Canadian economy (e.g., Samuel Bronfman, K.C. Irving, Tom Bata, George Weston, Frank Stronach, Heather Reisman; Canadian Pacific Railway, Quebecor, Power Corporation of Canada).

Changing Role and Power of Governments

By the end of this course, students will:
	* explain why selected social welfare programs (e.g., old age pensions, unemployment/employment insurance, family allowance, medicare, Ontario Disability Support Program) were established in Canada;
	* assess key instances in which the Canadian government chose to restrict citizens’ rights and freedoms, in wartime and peacetime (e.g., centralized planning, rationing, censorship, Wartime Elections Act, War Measures Act, mandatory registration of enemy aliens, Japanese-Canadian internment, Anti-Terrorism Act after September 11);
	* identify how the federal government has used the media (e.g., radio, television, film, books, magazines, Internet) to promote a common Canadian identity.

Methods of Historical Inquiry and Communication

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* formulate questions on topics and issues in the history of Canada since 1914, and use appropriate methods of historical research to locate, gather, evaluate, and organize relevant information from a variety of sources;
	* interpret and analyse information gathered through research, employing concepts and approaches appropriate to historical inquiry;
	* communicate the results of historical inquiries, using appropriate terms and concepts and a variety of forms of communication.

Specific Expectations

Research

By the end of this course, students will:
	* formulate different types of questions (e.g., factual: What were the consequences of the Halifax Explosion?; causal: What were the main causes of the Oka Crisis?; comparative: What are the main differences in the demands of the first- and second-wave women’s movement?; speculative: What would be some of the consequences of closer economic ties with the United States?) when researching historical topics, issues, and events;
	* gather information on Canadian history and current events from a variety of sources (e.g., textbooks and reference books, newspapers, the Internet) found in various locations (e.g., school and public libraries, resource centres, museums, historic sites, community and government resources);
	* distinguish between primary and secondary sources of information (e.g., primary: diaries, documents; secondary: textbooks, television documentaries), and use both in historical research;
	* evaluate the credibility of sources and information (e.g., by considering the authority, impartiality, and expertise of the source and checking the information for accuracy, underlying assumptions, stereotyping, prejudice, and bias);
	* organize and record information gathered through research (e.g., using notes, lists, concept webs, timelines, charts, maps, graphs, mind maps);
	* formulate and use a thesis statement when researching a historical topic or issue;
	* identify various job, career, or volunteer opportunities related to the study of history and their own history-related interests (e.g., teacher, journalist, tour guide).

Interpretation and Analysis

By the end of this course, students will:
	* analyse information, employing concepts and approaches appropriate to historical inquiry (e.g., chronology, cause and effect, short- and long-term consequences; adopting the perspectives of different participants in historical events);
	* distinguish between fact, opinion, and inference in texts and visuals found in primary and secondary sources;
	* identify different viewpoints and explicit biases when interpreting information for a research project or when participating in a discussion;
	* draw conclusions on the basis of relevant and sufficient supporting evidence.

Communication

By the end of this course, students will:
	* express ideas, arguments, and conclusions, as appropriate for the audience and purpose, using a variety of oral, written, and visual forms (e.g., reports, essays, biography projects, opinion pieces, feature articles, visual essays, oral reports, debates, role playing, group presentations);
	* use an accepted form of documentation (e.g., footnotes, endnotes, or author-date citations; bibliographies or reference lists) to acknowledge all sources of information, including electronic sources;
	* use appropriate terminology to communicate results of inquiries into historical topics and issues.


Civics
	
Overview

As the twenty-first century unfolds, Canada is undergoing significant change. Canadians are struggling with a range of challenging questions, such as the following: As our population becomes more diverse, how do we ensure that all voices are heard? How do we resolve important societal and community issues in the face of so many diverse and divergent views influenced by differing values? What role will Canada play within an increasingly interconnected global community? Our responses to these questions will affect not only our personal lives but the future of our communities, our provinces and territories, and our country. In civics, students explore what it means to be a “responsible citizen” in the local, national, and global arenas. They examine the structures and functions of the three levels of government, as well as the dimensions of democracy, notions of democratic citizenship, and political decision-making processes. They are encouraged to identify and clarify their own beliefs and values, and to develop an appreciation of others’ beliefs and values about questions of civic importance.

Strands

The Civics course is organized into the following three strands.

Informed Citizenship. An understanding of key civics questions, concepts, structures, and processes is fundamental to informed citizenship. In a diverse and rapidly changing society that invites political participation, the informed citizen should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the reasons for and dimensions of democracy. In the Civics course, students will gain an understanding of contrasting views of citizenship within personal, community, national, and global contexts. As well, they will learn the principles and practices of decision making.

Purposeful Citizenship. It is important that students understand the role of the citizen, and the personal values and perspectives that guide citizen thinking and actions. Students need to reflect upon their personal sense of civic identity, moral purpose, and legal responsibility – and to compare their views with those of others. They should examine important civic questions and consider the challenges of governing communities in which contrasting values, multiple perspectives, and differing purposes coexist.

Active Citizenship. Students need to learn basic civic literacy skills and have opportunities to apply those skills meaningfully by participating actively in the civic affairs of their community. Civic literacy skills include skills in the areas of research and inquiry, critical and creative thinking, decision making, conflict resolution, and collaboration. Full participatory citizenship requires an understanding of practices used in civic affairs to influence public decision making.

Civics, Grade 10, Open (CHV2O)

This course explores what it means to be an informed, participating citizen in a democratic society. Students will learn about the elements of democracy in local, national, and global contexts, about political reactions to social change, and about political decision-making processes in Canada. They will explore their own and others’ ideas about civics questions and learn how to think critically about public issues and react responsibly to them.

Informed Citizenship

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* demonstrate an understanding of the need for democratic decision making;
	* explain the legal rights and responsibilities associated with Canadian citizenship;
	* describe the main structures and functions of municipal, provincial, and federal governments in Canada;
	* explain what it means to be a “global citizen” and why it is important to be one.

Specific Expectations

Democratic Decision Making

By the end of this course, students will:
	* explain the causes of civic conflict and how decision-making processes and structures can avert or respond to such conflicts (e.g., by ensuring that individual and community needs are met, by developing strategies for adapting to change);
	* compare the benefits and drawbacks of democratic and authoritarian forms of decision making, drawing on examples from everyday contexts (e.g., with respect to the rights and responsibilities of citizens; the rule of law; the common good; the parliamentary system; majority rule and the rights of minorities, including Aboriginal peoples);
	* identify similarities and differences in the ways power is distributed in groups, institutions, and communities (e.g., in families, classrooms, municipalities) to meet human needs and resolve conflicts.

Rights and Responsibilities of Canadian

Citizenship

By the end of this course, students will:
	* identify the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship, based on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and describe how these rights and responsibilities are exercised in schools, communities, and the nation;
	* explain why it is essential in a democracy for governments to be open and accountable to their citizens, while protecting the personal information citizens are required to provide to governments (e.g., Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act);
	* explain how the judicial system (e.g., law courts, trials, juries) protects the rights of both individuals and society (e.g., the rights of the accused, the rights of the victim, and the role of the judiciary);
	* analyse cases that have upheld or restricted a citizen’s rights and responsibilities, outlining the concerns and actions of involve d citizens and the reasons for the eventual outcome.

Functions of the Three Levels of Government in Canada

By the end of this course, students will:
	* compare key features and functions of different levels of government in Canada (i.e., municipal, provincial, and federal);
	* compare how laws, regulations, public policies, and decisions are made and enforced at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels;
	* demonstrate an understanding of the process of electing governments in Canada (e.g., riding distribution, decision to call an election, voters’ lists, campaigning, candidates’ debates, election – day procedures) ;
	* describe the role of political parties in the parliamentary process and explain how this role changes in majority, minority, and coalition governments, using provincial and federal examples;
	* explain the roles played by elected representatives, interest groups, and the media in the political process (e.g., legislative and constituency work; lobbying; providing public information on, and analysis of, issues facing government).

Citizenship Within the Global Context

By the end of this course, students will:
	* analyse contemporary crises or issues of international significance (e.g., health and welfare, disasters, human rights, economic development, environmental quality, terrorism);
	* summarize the rights and responsibilities of citizenship within the global context, as based on an analysis of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989);
	* evaluate civic actions of individuals and non-governmental organizations that have made a difference in global affairs (e.g., Cardinal Paul-Émile Léger, Jean Vanier, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Jody Williams, Craig Kielburger, David Suzuki, Stephen Lewis; International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, YWCA/YMCA and YWHA/YMHA, Greenpeace, Inuit Circumpolar Conference).

Purposeful Citizenship

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* demonstrate an understanding of the beliefs and values underlying democratic citizenship and explain how they guide citizens’ actions;
	* describe the diversity of beliefs and values of various individuals and groups in Canadian society;
	* analyse responses, at the local, national, and international levels, to civic issues that involve multiple perspectives and differing civic purposes.

Specific Expectations

Democratic Beliefs and Values

By the end of this course, students will:
	* describe fundamental beliefs and values associated with democratic citizenship (e.g., rule of law, human dignity, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, work for the common good, respect for the rights of others, sense of responsibility for others);
	* explain how democratic beliefs and values are reflected in citizen actions (e.g., Remembrance Day services, Montreal unity rally, National Aboriginal Day, December 6 commemorations of the Montreal Massacre, White Ribbon campaign);
	* articulate and clarify their personal beliefs and values concerning democratic citizenship (e.g., voting age, compulsory military service, mandatory retirement age).

Diversity of Beliefs and Values

By the end of this course, students will:
	* compare the varied beliefs, values, and points of view of Canadian citizens on issues of public interest (e.g., freedom of information, censorship, health care funding, pollution, water quality, nuclear power, taxation, casinos);
	* explain how different groups (e.g., special interest groups, ethnocultural groups) define their citizenship, and identify the beliefs and values reflected in these definitions;
	* analyse Canadian issues or events that involve contrasting opinions, perspectives, and civic purposes (e.g.,  constitutional debates, Quebec sovereignty, Oka Crisis of 1990, Native self-governance);
	* describe how their own and others’ beliefs and values can be connected to a sense of civic purpose and preferred types of participation (e.g., membership in political parties; participation in protest movements; financial or volunteer support for educational or community service programs; support for religious or ethnic charitable organizations).

Responses to Civic Issues

By the end of this course, students will:
	* describe and assess the contributions that citizens and citizens’ groups make to the civic purposes of their communities (e.g., neighbourhood associations, service clubs);
	* demonstrate an understanding of a citizen’s role in responding to non-democratic movements and groups (e.g., fascism, Stalinism; supremacist and racist organizations) through personal and group actions (e.g., the actions of individuals such as Medgar Evers, Emily Murphy, Norman Bethune, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Simon Wiesenthal, and those granted the title “Righteous Among the Nations”; of groups such as the Canadian Civil Liberties Association);
	* describe examples of human rights violations (e.g., Nuremberg laws, hate crimes, torture, genocide, political imprisonment, recruitment of child soldiers, gender-based discrimination) and assess the effectiveness of responses to such violations (e.g., media scrutiny, political responses, military intervention, international tribunals, pressure from non-governmental organizations);
	* analyse the evolution of Canada’s participation in international tribunals (e.g., the Nuremberg trials after World War II; the International Court of Justice’s prosecution of war crimes; formation of the International Criminal Court).

Active Citizenship

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
	* apply appropriate inquiry skills to the research of questions and issues of civic importance;
	* demonstrate an understanding of the various ways in which decisions are made and conflicts resolved in matters of civic importance, and the various ways in which individual citizens participate in these processes.

Specific Expectations

Inquiry Skills

By the end of this course, students will:
	* formulate appropriate questions for inquiry and research; locate relevant information in a variety of sources (e.g., texts, reference materials, news media, maps, community resources, the Internet); and identify main ideas, supporting evidence, points of view, and biases in these materials;
	* organize information, using a variety of methods and tools (e.g., summaries, notes, timelines, visual organizers, maps, comparison organizers);
	* communicate the results of inquiries into important civic issues, using a variety of forms (e.g., discussions and debates, posters, letters to elected officials, Web pages, visual organizers, dramatizations).

The Resolution of Public Issues and Citizenship Participation

By the end of this course, students will:
	* compare and contrast different ways of resolving disputes (e.g., through the judicial process; through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, conciliation);
	* analyse important contemporary cases and issues that have been decided or resolved through the public process of policy formation and decision making (e.g., mandatory retirement, censorship, racial profiling), taking into account the democratic principles that underlie that process;
	* demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which individual citizens can obtain information and explanations or voice opinions about important civic matters (e.g., by communicating with the appropriate elected officials or bureaucratic departments; by writing letters or e-mails to the media; by organizing petitions; by voting);
	* compare the impact of various types of non-violent citizen participation (e.g., advocacy, community service, voting, serving on juries) in resolving public issues in Canada;
	* demonstrate an understanding of their responsibilities as local, national, and global citizens by applying their knowledge of civics, and skills related to purposeful and active citizenship, to a project of personal interest and civic importance (e.g., participating in food and clothing drives; visiting seniors; participating in community festivals, celebrations, and events; becoming involved in human rights, antidiscrimination, or antiracism activities).

Glossary

The following definitions are intended to help teachers and parents/guardians use this document. Aboriginal peoples. A term used in a general manner to refer to First Nation peoples, Inuit, and Métis.
Alternative energy source. An alternative to such “conventional” energy sources as hydroelectric and nuclear power. Common alternative energy sources include solar, wind, hydrogen, fuel cell, and tidal power.
Alternative media. Alternatives to such mainstream media as major metropolitan newspapers and network television. Often, alternative media offer unique and divergent points of view.
Analogy chart. A graphic organizer intended to show similarities.
Anti-Semitism. The opposition to, and hatred of, Jews throughout history.
Authoritarian government. A system of government in which rulers expect unquestioning obedience from those who are ruled.
Biodiversity. The variety of life found within any given area.
Biome. An area with a characteristic geographic and climatic pattern that supports characteristic animal and plant populations (e.g., boreal forest).
Bioregion. A region defined by its natural and human characteristics; it constitutes a natural ecological community.
Bylaw. A law or rule passed by a municipal council and applicable only to that municipality.
Citizenship. The condition of being vested with the rights, duties, and responsibilities of a member of a state or nation.
Civics. The study of the rights and duties of citizenship.
Commodity. A good or service purchased or used by consumers.
Common good. The interests of all people in a community or society (e.g., peace, justice, economic stability).
Constitution. A set of rules and practices by which a country is governed. The rules and practices may be in a written constitution or may be unwritten. In Canada, the Constitution defines the relationship between the provincial and federal governments.
Continental shelf. A gently sloping outer border of a continent that extends below the surface of the ocean to a point of steeper descent to the ocean bottom.
Correlation. A causal, complementary, parallel, or reciprocal relationship between two things.
Culture. The beliefs, languages, customs, arts, institutions, social relations, and other human endeavours considered together as being characteristic of a particular community, people, or nation.
Decolonization. The act of freeing a colony from a dependent status.
Deforestation. The destruction and removal of a forest and its undergrowth by natural or human means.
Democracy. A form of government in which laws are made by a direct vote of the citizens (direct democracy) or by representatives on their behalf (indirect democracy). Indirect democracy involves elections with candidates often coming from competing political parties.
Dictatorship. A form of government in which one leader holds absolute power over his or her state and is unrestricted by law, written constitutions, or any other limits.
Ecological footprint. The ecological impact of human activities on the environment, measured in terms of the area of biologically productive land and water that is used to produce the goods people consume and to assimilate the wastes they generate. An ecological footprint can be calculated at the individual, community, national, or global level.
Ecological restoration. The process of restoring an ecosystem to its original, natural condition.
Ecology. The study of all interactions that occur within the biosphere, the portion of the planet that supports life and living organisms within it.
Economic indicator. A statistical measure that gives an indication of the overall performance of an economy.
Economy. The system through which scarce resources are allocated to produce various commodities, and goods are distributed for consumption among people in the society.
Ecosystem. A self-regulating system, created by the interaction of living organisms and their environment, through which energy and materials are transferred.
Ecotourism. Tourism that promotes and facilitates travel for the purpose of observing ecosystems.
Ecozone framework. An ecological land classification system developed for use by Environment Canada and Statistics Canada. Canada has fifteen distinct terrestrial and marine ecozones, based on the particular combinations of natural features and human activities that are distinct for each ecozone.
Ecumene. A permanently settled area.
Environment. Everything, both natural and synthetic, that surrounds us.
Erosion. The wearing down and carrying away of material from exposed surfaces by water, wind, or ice.
Ethnic group. A group of people sharing a social or cultural identity, based on a particular language, religion, homeland, and/or set of customs.
Federal system. A system of government in which several political jurisdictions form a unity but retain autonomy in defined areas. The central or national government is called the federal government.
First Nation(s). The term used to refer to the original inhabitants of Canada, with the exception of the Inuit.
Future wheel. A web organizer, consisting of boxes connected by lines, used to develop and show future relationships based on predictions.
Genocide. The planned, systematic destruction of an entire national, racial, political, religious, or ethnic group.
Geographic information system (GIS). An integrated software package for the input, management, analysis, and display of spatial information.
Geographic inquiry. The process of collecting, organizing, analysing, and communicating geographic information.
Geotechnologies. The various hardware and software platforms and peripherals that make possible the electronic creation, storage, manipulation, and analysis of geographic data (e.g., GIS).
Global positioning system (GPS). A navigation and positioning system that uses satellites and receivers to provide highly accurate geographic coordinates for positions on or above the earth’s surface.
Global warming. A warming phenomenon brought about by an unnatural increase, caused by human activity, in the amount of greenhouse gases (e.g., water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane) in the atmosphere.
Globalization. A process, accelerated by modern communications technology, that multiplies and strengthens the economic, cultural, and financial interconnections among many regions of the world.
Graphic organizer. A visual tool used to organize and present relationships between ideas and/or information.
Gross domestic product (GDP). The value of all the goods and services produced in a country in one year.
Gross national product (GNP). Gross domestic product with the addition of goods and services from other countries used in producing goods and services in the home country.
High density housing. Housing with a large number of people per square unit of measurement.
Holocaust. A term used to refer to the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and annihilation of European Jewry by the Nazis and their collaborators between 1933 and 1945.
Human rights. Rights belonging to all people, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the United Nations in 1948.
Hypermedia. Electronic text, sound, video, and graphics information sources, such as websites and CD-ROMs.
Ideology. A set of related beliefs, ideas, and attitudes that characterizes the thinking of a particular group or society.
Imperialism. The policy of extending the authority of one country over others by territorial acquisition or by establishing economic and political control over the other nations.
Infrastructure. The networks of transportation, communications, education, and other public services that are required to sustain economic and societal activities.
Interest group. A group of persons strongly supporting or working on behalf of a particular cause.
Land claims. The formal demands presented by First Nations peoples for ownership and control of lands on which they live or have traditionally lived.
Land reclamation. The process of restoring land or transforming it for human use.
Land use study. A study of how urban, suburban, or rural land is and can be best used (e.g., for parks, housing, industry, commercial activity).
Laws. The principles and regulations governing a community’s affairs that are enforced by a political authority and judicial decisions.
Legislative process. The government process pertaining to the making and passing of laws.
Lobbying. The act by a person or persons of trying to influence legislators or other public officials in favour of their cause.
Location. The position of a point on the earth’s surface expressed by means of a grid or in relation to the position of other places.
Majority rule. The doctrine by which the statistical majority of a group holds the power to make decisions that affect the whole group.
Megaproject. A very large and expensive project, often for the development of land or natural resources, such as the James Bay hydroelectric project.
Métis. An individual or group having partial Aboriginal ancestry, usually of mixed First Nation and European ancestry.
Migration. The permanent shift of people from one country, region, or place to another for economic, political, religious, or other reasons.
Mind map. A graphic representation showing the relationships between ideas and/or information.
Mineral. A naturally formed, solid, inorganic substance with a characteristic chemical composition and often a particular crystalline shape.
Minority rights. The privileges of full legal, economic, and social equality accorded to particular groups in society that do not comprise the majority of the society.
Nationalism. The ideology that promotes devotion to the collective interests and cultural identity of a nation.
Natural hazards. Major events in the physical system, such as floods, fires, and earthquakes.
Non-governmental organization (NGO). An organization not belonging to or associated with a government (e.g., Oxfam, Amnesty International, Greenpeace).
Non-renewable resources. Resources that are limited and cannot be replaced once they are used up (e.g., coal, oil, natural gas).
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). A trade agreement between Canada, the United States, and Mexico that became law in 1993. The main purpose of NAFTA is to facilitate and increase trade among the three countries.
Nunavut. A territory in northern Canada created in 1999 and governed by the Inuit. It includes the eastern part of what was the Northwest Territories, and most of the islands of the Arctic Archipelago.
Organic food production. The production of food without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.
Ozone layer. A region of the earth’s upper atmosphere containing a high concentration of ozone, which absorbs solar, ultraviolet radiation.
Pacific Ring of Fire. The area around the Pacific Ocean in which tectonic activity is greatest. The area is named for its large number of volcanoes.
Parliament. An elected assembly responsible for passing legislation and granting the right to levy taxes. In Canada, the federal legislature consists of the sovereign’s representative, the Senate, and the House of Commons.
Political parties. Organizations allied by a common political philosophy designed to serve the interests of particular groups in society.
Population density. The number of people per unit of area (e.g., per square kilometre); calculated by dividing the total number of people by the total area they occupy.
Population distribution. Where people live within an area.
Primary production. The production of primary products, such as minerals that are mined or quarried or an agricultural product that is harvested in its raw state.
Remote sensing. The gathering of information about the earth from a distance, as through photographs taken from satellites and aircraft.
Renewable resources. Resources that can be regenerated if used carefully (e.g., fish, timber).
Righteous Among the Nations. Individuals and groups that contributed to the attempt to rescue the Jews of Europe during World War II.
Rights. Entitlements recognized and protected by the law.
Rule of law. The fundamental constitutional principle that no governments or persons are above the law and that society is governed by laws that apply fairly to all persons.
Secondary production. The production of manufactured goods by means of applying labour to raw materials.
Semantic web. A graphic organizing tool that allows the user to develop and demonstrate the links between ideas and/or information.
Socialism. An economic system and political ideology based on the principle of equality between people, the redistribution of wealth, and equal access to benefits such as health care and education.
Soil depletion. The process by which usable soil is removed faster than it can be replenished (e.g., erosion).
Sustainable development. Development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Tertiary industries. Services, such as banking, transport, education, health care, and retailing, that are supplied directly to consumers.
Thematic map. A map focusing on a particular topic or theme, such as climate.
Topographic map. A detailed map representing the surface features of a place or region and giving the relative positions and elevations of the features.
Transition zone. An area where one region gradually blends into the next. The area contains a mixture of the natural vegetation, soils, and wildlife found in the two neighbouring regions.
Urban hierarchy. The ranking of communities according to size, starting with, for example, a hamlet and progressing in size to town, city, and so on.
Values. Personal or societal beliefs that govern a person’s behaviour and choices.
Venn diagram. A graphic organizer consisting of two or more circles, each representing sets of things. The overlap of the circles indicates the commonalities between the sets.
Vertical development. High-density housing such as apartment buildings.
Voting. The act of expressing an opinion by a show of hands or ballot, usually with the intent of electing a candidate to office or passing a resolution.
Waste management. The handling (e.g., disposal, reuse) of the waste products from human activity.
Zoning bylaws. Laws, usually passed by community governments, that control the type and amount of development in an area.

* “Accommodations” refers to individualized teaching and assessment strategies, human supports, and/or individualized equipment.