Part B Learning Plan – Social Studies 20, History 20, Native Studies 20

This section gives a brief overview of the students’ learning path, inquiries students will be doing in class, and various connections to larger concepts.
Teacher Note

Throughout these inquiries students are encouraged to practice the principles of dialectical thinking and work to consider multiple perspectives in their decision-making processes.

The citizenship inquiries incorporate the three perspectives of Social Sciences by exploring historical and contemporary issues through a number of viewpoints, which in Canada’s case must include Indigenous perspectives.  Teachers may choose, however, to explore citizenship considerations specifically through the lens of their respective social science areas. 
Teachers many begin with any inquiry or combine inquiries to use the approach that resonates best with their students.

Inquiry

What responsibilities do we have to one another?

  • Are Human Rights Universal?

Big Ideas Explored:

  • individuals in society make decisions as to what degree they will honour human rights;
  • Societies vary in their understanding and application of human rights and responsibilities;
  • Citizens decide which obligations and responsibilities individuals, and groups will collectively assume for each other’s human rights; and,
  • Imperialism and colonization have affected the application of human rights.

Inquiry

How did events of the 20th and early 21st century influence our perspectives of and about citizenship and human rights?

  • What role did conflict play in this development?

Big Ideas Explored:     

  • There are interconnections between social, economic, political and cultural systems that are important to examine to understand how change in one affects the others;
  • The relationship between collective and individual rights varies according to the political system of the society;
  • Groups seek to have control over decision-making processes which have an impact on their cultural distinctiveness and well-being; and,
    • Society structures itself to find a balance between domestic priorities and international considerations.
    • From whose perspective are these decisions made?
    • What are the responsibilities of citizens to society?
    • What are the responsibilities of society to its citizens?
Opportunity for Interdisciplinary study.  Connection to ELA 20.

Questions to Guide Inquiry

Essential questions are posed here to frame the context for student thinking and have students begin thinking about the topic. Answers to essential questions establish a baseline regarding student understanding as they identify the basic knowledge that students have and give teachers an idea of what students will need to learn to explore these outcomes. The essential questions and inquiries incorporate the three perspectives of Social Sciences through exploration of historical and contemporary issues, which in Canada’s case must include Indigenous perspectives.  Teachers may choose, however, to explore these citizenship considerations specifically through the lens of their respective social science area.  
Teacher Note

Essential questions and guiding questions are posed to support teachers as they facilitate students’ exploration of the inquiry.  Teachers are encouraged to adjust the wording, omit, or add questions as they choose.

Essential Questions: Guiding Questions  

  • In what ways is ideology useful in explaining human beliefs and behavior?
    • What are the limitations of ideology in guiding beliefs and behavior?
    • How can governments be held accountable for their human rights violations?
  • What are the limitations of ideology in explaining beliefs and behaviours?
    • Perspective?
    • What role do the following play in achieving human rights?
      • Economy
      • History
      • Compassion
    • How does ideology and worldview influence our view of social justice?
      • What are the historical and international influences on social justice?
    • How does society achieve a balance between the responsibilities of citizens to society and society’s responsibilities to its citizens?
      • In considering its best interests, what should a nation consider:
        • The needs of its citizens and the state as being of paramount concern; or,
        • The needs of the nation as being part of a larger whole which must be considered.
      • Has Canadian society been organized to reflect national values and beliefs?

Surface additional questions that students have.

CONNECT TO TOPIC AND SURFACE STUDENTS’ THINKING ABOUT …

This section indicates ways to introduce the lesson by engaging students.

Suggestions are posed here to frame the context for student thinking and cause students to begin thinking about the topic.

Vocabulary is introduced and noted here. This section frames the “We do” portion of the lesson where teachers guide the initial structure of the inquiry.

Teacher Note

  • Surface student thinking in response to the prompts or hook questions posed.
  • Add questions from students; adjust wording of questions as needed.
  • Chart student thinking for later reflection.

Exploring our responsibilities to one another

This inquiry examines the range of responses that exist internationally to protecting and ensuring human rights.  Students examine the links between ideology, economic prosperity, and human rights.

Structured suggestions are provided here but teachers familiar with inquiry are encouraged to use the questions to allow the inquiries to develop according to student interests.

Inquiry

What responsibilities do we have to one another?

  • Are Human Rights universal?
  • How have our perspectives on this issue changed?
    • How did events of the 20th and early 21st century influence our perspectives of and about human rights and citizenship?
Learn more

Hook Questions Think about… Talk about…

  • What human rights do you have?
  • How do we decide what should be a human right within a society?
  • What happens when people’s ideas of human rights come into conflict?
  • Can countries/governments be held to account for violation of basic human rights?

Present a current human rights issue and have students debate and consider the following responses to the questions above based on the issue, then develop some parameters for responses above.  Possible examples:

Does everyone have the right to:

  • clean drinking water?
  • food?
  • housing?
  • health care?
  • education?

Identify your students’ responses.

Examine where your response to question came from.

What influenced or guided your response?  What are the similarities and differences arising?  What themes are students noticing?

Vocabulary

  • Dignity
  • Compassion
  • Concern
  • Human Rights
  • Individual Rights
  • Collective Rights
  • Universal Rights
DEVELOPING UNDERSTANDING
This section is the core of the lesson.  It describes the main activity(ies) involved.  In inquiry-based learning, the teacher facilitates the activities that lead to the understandings that student make of the essential questions.  It is critical then, that students be allowed to raise questions and talk about issues that develop as they explore the learning activities.  This forms the  “They do” section of the inquiry where students are finding answers to the overarching questions and then searching for themes and patterns as possible explanations. Teachers work with students to clarify understandings.
Strategies to develop and explore inquiries include:

  • Surfacing student thinking, posting, and then reflecting on thinking to note how thinking has changed and what has caused the changes.
  • Jigsaw strategy approach: Students, individually or in groups, explore similar questions, present their findings to the group. The teacher helps to note similarities, differences, themes.  Students are encouraged to develop summary statements to clarify their thinking and describe new learning.
  • Reflect on initial thinking to note how thinking has changed. What is the evidence to support the new learning? 
  • Continue to make connections to the Enduring Understandings.

Define:

  • human rights,
  • collective rights
  • individual rights
  • universal rights

In examining human rights issues have students use the Action Cycle strategy. For chosen issues have students Identify:

  • Conditions, Objectives, Actions, Result
Learn more

As a class Think about… Talk about…

Choose 3 events that were turning points in the development of contemporary Human Rights.

Defend your choices.

Discussion of these points will clarify issues and mis-understandings that students may have.

What were the tipping points that culminated in the declaration of:

  • Human Rights?
  • Indigenous Declaration of Human Rights?
  • Declaration of the Rights of the Child?
  • Identify
    • What rights were infringed upon/violated/abused?
    • Context that allowed situation to exist
    • Prevailing ideology/worldview
    • Effects of agreements
Teacher Note

For all these inquiry suggestions, teachers are encouraged to make links to current national or international events that characterize the recurring citizenship themes and understandings.  Students should not see this information as something that happened in the past.  Rather students should understand that citizenship requires constant vigilance.

Learn more

Surface student thinking in response to the prompts or guiding questions.  Chart or record their thinking for later reflection.

The statement: Geography is destiny.

  • What difference / how does your birthplace, time of birth, impact your human rights?
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages that are inferred upon you because of your place of birth?

Basic Human Rights

  • Safe from violence,
  • Free,
  • Literate and Educated,
  • Access to Technology,
  • Live in a Democracy

Exploring a Universal Human Rights, Finding an International Other

Research some international human rights issues. 

See Section C for suggestions.

  • Tell why the issue or individual was chosen
    • Refer back to International Development Index – Indices of Well-being. Identify these indices and have them name why that issue or person was chosen
    • Rights that issue/ individuals do not have – impact on self/person
    • Prevailing ideology/worldview in country that allows issue to exist

Options for investigation

a) Pick a human rights inequity, undertake an action to address/redress the inequity.

Sources – http://www.amnesty.ca/

Find “their/my international other” and examine their issue.

Have students go to the website – choose an international issue they want to examine.  What privileges do you have as a Canadian that you can leverage to assist your international other?

b) Interview a refugee, newcomer to community about their human rights issue that brought them to Canada

Identify:

  • Conditions
    • Evidence that there is a problem
    • Current ideology of country/government that allows that situation to exist
    • Current state of human rights in the country
  • Objectives
    • What human right do you have that if applied to your international self would change their expected outcome?
  • Actions
    • What actions are you willing to assume to redress issue?
    • What collective actions are required to redress issue?
    • What actions can Canadians do to redress issue?
  • Results
    • What happened as a result of your actions?
    • What are your next steps?
Throughout these inquiries students are encouraged to practice the principles of dialectical thinking and work to consider multiple perspectives in their decision-making processes.

CONNECT TO TOPIC AND SURFACE STUDENTS’ THINKING ABOUT …

This section introduces the concepts and helps teachers gain an understanding of the current thinking of the class.  Present essential questions and allow students to think about and talk about.  Student answers will give teachers a baseline or beginning understanding of the amount of specific and incidental teaching required to explore these outcomes. Vocabulary is introduced and noted here.  This section frames the “We do” portion of the lesson where teachers guide the initial structure of the inquiry.
In this inquiry, students are examining the:

  • Interconnections between social, economic, political, and cultural systems.
  • Relationship between collective and individual rights and societal political systems.
  • Controls over decision-making processes and their impact on distinctiveness and well-being.
Inquiry

How did events of the 20th and early 21st century influence our perspectives of and about citizenship and the rights of the individual?

  • What role did conflict play in this development?

Placing events in history

The purpose of this discussion is to surface students’ understanding of the interplay between historical events and ideology on citizenship and human rights issues.  Students are exploring themes of behaviour and looking for principles of civil interaction among them, rather than identifying the chronology of specific events.  Teachers may wish to use a timeline in the classroom to help students see that issues of power inequity, struggle for rights, etc. continue to recur through time.

Historical events

  • What are some of the historical events that have had an impact on our views of citizenship and human rights? Identify:
    • the issues and perspectives involved,
    • the ideologies or opposing constructs
    • the consequences of the event
    • the primary historical influences on current thinking of human rights

Effects of Imperialism and Colonialism

  • How have citizens in Canada been impacted / continue to be impacted by imperialism and colonialism? Identify:
    • the issues and perspectives involved,
    • the ideologies or opposing constructs
    • the consequences of the event
    • the primary historical influences on current thinking of human rights
  • How have imperialism and colonization affected the application of human rights
    • In Canada?
    • Globally?

Develop a list of events that students may wish to explore to find the answers to the questions posed above.

DEVELOPING UNDERSTANDING
This section is the core of the lesson.  It describes the main activity(ies) involved.  In inquiry-based learning, the teacher facilitates the activities that lead to the understandings that student make of the essential questions.  It is critical then, that students be allowed to raise questions and talk about issues that develop as they explore the learning activities. This forms the “We do” “They do” section of the inquiry where students are finding answers to the overarching questions and then searching for themes and patterns as possible explanations.

Have students choose a specific area to consider and use the jigsaw strategy to research and present findings so that themes can be identified and explored.

Research options

Choose a specific event to research either in groups or individually.  Students are reminded that there are many options to research other than reading text.  Video and audio files can supplement research.  What resident experts are available to be interviewed for their views on the issue?

Allow students to present their findings.  Identify the time period of the event on the posted class timeline.

What did we learn? 

  • What similarities are students noticing?
  • What themes are arising?
Learn more
  • What were/are the world conditions that allow the event to occur?
    • How often did the event have global consequences?
    • Why did that happen?
  • What constructs / principles are/were nations / stakeholders trying to balance?
    • rule by majority or greatest common good (greatest good for the greatest number)
    • What were the similarities and differences in philosophy?
      • What were the determiners, primary impacts on decisions?
      • Whose perspective / worldview was not represented?
    • What were the prevailing ideologies that impacted the decisions made and the forming of societal structures?
    • What was guiding their decision making? What were nations striving to achieve? i.e.
      • national security and international peace
      • wealth and power
      • competition vs. cooperation
Teacher Note

Citizenship challenges are ongoing.  Teachers are challenged to bring current issues into the classroom so that students can make citizenship connections. 

Teachers are encouraged to use the Historical Thinking Concepts constructs in exploring any of the inquiries.

Historical Thinking Connections 

Historical Significance: How do we decide what is important to learn about the past?

Primary Source Evidence: How do we know what we know about the past?

Cause and Consequence: Why do events happen and what are their impacts?

Historical Perspectives: How can we better understand the people of the past?

Ethical Dimension: How can history help us to live in the present?

Continuity and Change: How can we make sense of the complex flows of history?

  • What have been the consequences of the events on:
    • human rights,
    • traditional order and values?
    • other?
  • What was the progress achieved as a result of the event? i.e.
    • allowing as many people as possible to live;
    • giving as much wealth and power as possible; or,
    • learning to live in harmony with the environment.
    • other?
  • What was the impact on the relationship between competition and cooperation and the impact of each on (dealing with conflict in) society?
  • Were human rights expended in favour of the maintenance of order and security? i.e. What is more important to do?
    • Maintain order and security regardless of the legal protection of human rights; or,
    • Protect human rights regardless of the short-term effect on order and security?
  • Which was more critical to meet; the needs of the citizens or the needs of the state/country as a whole?
  • How was the global community impacted?

APPLY AND EXTEND KNOWLEDGE

This section includes ideas to extend the inquiry or apply concepts explored. This section may also include additional reflective questions to promote student connection to the topic.  This forms the “You do” section of the inquiry – may be “you do it collaboratively” or “you do it alone”.   Invite students to extend their thinking beyond the classroom discussions and inquiry experiences.  Pose additional reflective questions that have been raised to encourage critical and creative thinking.  
  • Should the future be viewed as something to be:
    • Resisted as threatening and dangerous; or
    • Welcomed as a natural process of change and development?
    • Does your answer depend on which side of privilege you lie?

Prepare a response to your thinking that is represented in a manner other than paper pencil presentation.

EVIDENCE OF LEARNING

This section suggests ways in which students may demonstrate their understanding.  Ideal demonstrations will be in authentic performance tasks.  Citizenship studies may have its own smaller assessment piece or be compiled to support one larger performance task assessment.  Assessment pieces vary, but should allow students to demonstrate their understanding in a variety of ways.
Have students demonstrate what they have learned about the questions.  How has their thinking changed from their initial thinking?  What evidence do they have to support their thinking?
Have students use the following prompts to make connections to or respond to any of the essential questions, the enduring understandings, or the inquiry questions to demonstrate their evidence of learning.

  • What do you think now about…?
  • What has caused your thinking to change?
  • What evidence supports your thinking?
  • Why is this information important to know?
  • How will you use this information?
Inquiry Questions

Are Human Rights Universal?

How did the events of the 20th and early 21st century influence our perspectives of and about citizenship?

Essential Questions 

  • In what ways is ideology useful in explaining human beliefs and behaviour?
  • What are the limitations of ideology in guiding beliefs and behaviour?
  • How does ideology influence our view of social justice?
  • How does a society structure itself to find a balance between opposing constructs of:
    • freedom and order, individual rights and collective rights, hierarchy and equality; and,
    • what factors influence the finding of this balance?
  • Has Canadian society been organized to reflect our national values and beliefs?

What kind of summary statements can students make regarding their understanding of the following:

  • Individuals in society make decisions as to what degree they will honour human rights.
  • Societies vary in their understanding and application of human rights and responsibilities.
  • Individuals and groups choose the obligations they will collectively assume for each other’s human rights.
Enduring Understandings

  • Injustices of today have roots in the past.
  • Canadian society is challenged to manage the co-existence of diverse worldviews.
  • Canadian citizens work to achieve a balance between rights and responsibilities through learning and action.
  • Canadian society has inequities and elimination of these is beneficial for all Canadians.
  • For each individual, becoming aware of racism in Canadian society is an evolutionary process and a precursor to change.
  • As citizens of local, national, and global communities, Canadians are conscious, self-reflective, and critical of their own beliefs and actions and seek to make positive change.
  • Citizens show flexibility of mind.
What connections are students making to the Enduring Understandings?

STUDENT CITIZENSHIP JOURNAL OPPORTUNITIES

Students will continue to explore their understanding of their role as a Canadian citizen and reflect on their perspective in an Ongoing Journal.  Look for video journaling opportunities. Art should be included throughout the journal; some to accompany the journal entry and some that are random drawings and sketching. The journal entries are a record of the student’s thinking and chronicle students’ reflection on their citizenship.

Students are keeping a Citizenship Journal to reflect upon their developing views of citizenship.  This section provides prompts for student journals.  Students are invited to choose one that interests them or propose their own. Students can also respond to any of the essential questions.

Students are encouraged to respond using a variety of genres.

  • Is it important for a citizen to be compassionate? Caring?
  • What did students learn about themselves in their research?
  • Should Canada continue to respond to global human rights issues when there are basic human rights that are not being fulfilled in Canada? (i.e. clean drinking water for First Nations reserves)
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20-Level ResourcesLevel 20 Engaged Citizens Part B Learning Plan