Course Overview

Canadian Politics and Citizenship, Grade 11, Open, CPC3O

Course Description

This course explores the role of politics in people’s lives. Students investigate the different ways in which individuals and groups can participate in the political process, examine the influence of citizen action on public policy, and assess the effectiveness of political systems and institutions in meeting people’s needs and promoting the common good. In addition, students learn to distinguish between the legitimate and illegitimate exercise of power by individuals, groups, and governments.

How This Course Supports the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations

The Catholic student recognizes the value of political process and active citizenship. Being rooted in faith, every student will come to deepen and enliven their understanding of Canadian Politics and Citizenship with the lens of Gospel values and church teaching. From this perspective, each student acquires a more meaningful appreciation of the purpose of democracy as it relates to the Canadian experience. The content of the course provides each student with the opportunity to apply Catholic insight and critique to issues relating to politics and citizenship. With the centrality of Christ, his church, and the focus of the gospel, students are empowered to discover a truly just and human vision of the Canadian political project as they are integrated into the fabric of the course material.

Course Notes

Canadian Politics and Citizenship at the Grade 11 level provides an interesting and challenging course. Through an interactive study of self, society, and groups, students can develop an understanding of the complexities of the Canadian political system. Furthermore, students can gain insight into their own roles within our system. As active and informed citizens, students are able to evaluate the use and misuse of power, the promotion of the common good, and Canada’s role within the global village. With the skills of social scientists and active citizens, students will participate in forming and transforming Canada in the new century.

The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12, Canadian and World Studies, 2000 outlines a framework for students to explore political studies. It addresses the meaning of citizenship within a democracy; the role of power and influence in the resolution of differences; the nature of decision-making systems and process; the role of political values, beliefs, and ideologies in politics; and methods of political inquiry. This document has taken the curricular framework and sub-divided it into six units, providing a logical and sequential development of material that meets the needs of the student. Each unit builds upon its predecessor, culminating in a final community-based project where the student applies classroom lessons to a real-life political scenario.

It is important for the teacher to keep in mind that the only prerequisite for this course is Canadian History in the Twentieth Century, Grade 10, Academic or Applied. However, it could also build upon the Civics and Geography programs, preparing students to participate more fully in other courses, such as law, history, and, in the Catholic system, the senior morality course. In any case, students bring varying levels of ability and motivation with them. The course should be of use to all students, helping them become more informed and active members of the Canadian political system regardless of their chosen destination.

Using personal beliefs and experiences as a springboard, the first unit deals with political socialization. The key question students must explore is: “How do people learn to be political?” Students discover the forces and experiences that make them political creatures. Teachers, at this point, must establish an atmosphere of respect and trust at course inception. Students need the security and freedom to express their political ideas, while also learning to listen to and weigh the ideas and beliefs of others – the basis of any democratic political system.

From an understanding of political socialization, the student then moves on to explore the role of ideas and theories in politics and the nature of the Canadian political spectrum. Here again the student must ask: ‘What is the relationship between political ideology and political action?’ This second unit requires students to create their own political ideology after examining those currently in practice. This unit also allows students to consider issues that they might raise during their Political Awareness Day – the culminating activity of the course.

The third unit affords students the opportunity to analyse Canadian government, examining access to political power in a liberal democracy. Students gain an understanding of the ways in which Canada affects and is affected by global political and economic systems. As well, students are introduced to Canadian decision-makers who can serve as an audience for letters written for the Political Awareness Day.

Having established a global context for Canadian politics, the fourth unit examines how power and influence are exercised within Canada’s borders. Students investigate the roles of lobbyists, activists, etc., in determining policy in Canada, and understand the ways in which differences between these and other pressure groups can be resolved.

Unit 5 is an investigation into the common good and allows students to evaluate the extent to which Canadian policy at home and abroad promotes the common good. This unit provides students with the framework to develop questions for Canadian political policy participants who might be included in the Political Awareness Day, the culminating activity of the course, in which students explore the role of political activism within the Canadian context.

The table below lists the six units of study and the suggested allotted time per unit. It is suggested and perhaps more feasible to incorporate the unit on Activism and Research throughout the course, thus ensuring an ongoing development of skills and process for students.

Units: Titles and Times

* Unit 1	Political Socialization	16 hours
Unit 2	Political Ideas and Ideologies	18 hours
Unit 3	The Canadian Government in Comparative Perspective	16 hours
Unit 4	Power, Influence, and the Resolution of Differences	25 hours
* Unit 5	Defining a Vision of the Common Good	20 hours
Unit 6	Activism and Research	15 hours

* These units are fully developed in this Course Profile.

Unit Overviews

Unit 1: Political Socialization

Unit Description

This unit provides students with a basic understanding of the process of political socialization. This refers to the ways in which members of society acquire and pass along their attitudes and beliefs about the political system in which they live. Students learn about how various agents of socialization, including the family, school, church, and mass media, among others, function in the formation of individuals’ and groups’ political beliefs and subsequent actions. The unit begins with a review of students’ knowledge and understanding of the content of the Grade 10 Civics course. It then proceeds to introduce the concept of political socialization and demonstrates how it functions on a personal level through the use of a student-generated individual political socialization timeline. Students analyse the influence of major agents of political socialization through relevant case studies and other examples. These materials help students understand the relationship between the process of political socialization and the agents promoting it, and the continuing existence of socio-economic and political inequality in Canada today.

Unit 1 Overview Chart

Activity	Expectations	Assessment	Focus/Activity
1	CD2.01, CD1.01, PI4.02, PI1.02, PI1.03, PI3.02 CGE3e	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry	Introduction to Politics (Review of Civics content and social science methodology. Defining the term “Politics.)”
2	CDV.03, CD1.01, CD1.03, CD2.01, CD2.02, CD2.03, CD3.01, CD3.03, VBV.03, VB3.03, PI1.03, PI1.04, PI3.02, PI4.02, PI4.05	Thinking/Inquiry Communication Application	Introducing the process of political socialization
3	VBV.03, CDV.03, VB2.01, VB3.01, VB3.02, CD3.01, PI1.02, PI4.03	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication	Analysing the influence of major agents of political socialization
4	VBV.03, CD2.01, CD2.02, PI1.03, PI3.01, PI4.05	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Application Communication	Assignment: Personal Political Socialization Timeline Display
5	CD3.01, CD3.03, PO1.01, PO3.01, PO3.02, PO3.03, DM3.01, VB2.01, PI2.01, PI2.02, PI2.04, PI4.01, PI4.03, PI4.04, PI4.05 CGE1b, 1f	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication Application	Political Socialization: The case of Native residential schools
6	VB3.01, VB3.02, VB3.03, PI2.03, PIV.01, PIV.02, PI1.01, PI1.02	Communication Application Thinking/Inquiry	The Influence of Television on Students’ Political Knowledge and Attitudes
7	VBV.03, VB3.03, CD3.03, PI3.02, PI2.04	Application Thinking/Inquiry	Reinforcing the Status Quo – how computer simulations affect our perceptions of political reality

Unit 1 Culminating Activity

The culminating activity for this unit involves individual students constructing a personal socialization timeline for display. The investigation of political socialization in the Canadian context helps students understand their own process of being socialized politically; they plot this visually in ways that can be displayed around the classroom and in the halls of the school. A timeline format helps students understand the different forces acting upon them through childhood and also allows them to learn from the work of others. Evaluation is based upon a combination of peer and teacher assessment.

Unit 2: Political Ideas and Ideology

Unit Description

The ideology unit exists to provide students with the theoretical background to discuss and research political ideas. Students reflect on the ideas at work in Canada and abroad and identify the ideologies that best represent their own informed opinions. This unit begins with an introduction to the power of ideas. Students understand the ways in which ideas have helped to shape our world and become familiar with political language. They identify the distinctiveness of terms such as democracy, communism, socialism, etc. Having established the theoretical basis, students then focus on examples of these ideas in action. Historical and contemporary examples of totalitarianism, democracy, communism, etc., are researched. As well, students identify the relationship between political ideology and economics and become familiar with concepts such as corporatism, unionism, etc. The focus then shifts as students begin to analyse political ideologies at work in Canada. Students access the platforms of Canada’s political parties to determine the ideas at work in our system. Roving conferences and individual interviews aid in the assessment of work done in the ideology unit. This unit culminates in each student constructing his/her own political ideology. Students formulate questions for guest speakers on the Political Awareness Day as well as brainstorm ideas for letter writing campaigns.

Unit 2 Overview Chart

Activity	Expectations	Assessment	Focus/Activity
1	CDV.01, CD1.02, POV.01, PO1.03, VBV.01, VB1.02, VB1.03, VB1.04 CGE1g, 1h, 3f	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry	Introduction to the power of ideas as well as terminology associated with leading political thought
2	POV.03, PO3.01, PO3.02, VBV.02, VB2.03 CGE2e, 3d	Thinking/Inquiry Communication	Political ideology in practice – universal
3	DMV.02, DM3.02, DM3.04, VB2.02 CGE3b, 6c	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication	Political ideology in practice – Canada
4	PIV.03, PI3.02, PI4.04, PI4.03, PI3.01 CGE2a, 5a, 5d, 7d	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication Application	Culminating Activity – the creation of a personal political ideology

Unit 2 Culminating Activity

This unit culminates in each student constructing his/her own political ideology. Incorporating the best of the various political ideas introduced in the unit, each student creates an ideology that they deem the most beneficial for Canada’s success in the future. This activity aids students in determining the issues they will raise with their guest speakers during their political awareness day. As well, it allows them to formulate thoughtful research questions in determining challenges to Canada’s success in the future.

This unit offers students an opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding skills in studying leading political thought. As well, this unit enhances their thinking, inquiry, and application skills in analysing these political ideas and creating their own.

Unit 3: The Canadian Government in Critical Perspective

Unit Description

This unit begins with a focus on why people form governments, the purposes that governments serve, and the basis for the legitimacy of political power within democratic contexts. This opening serves as a transition from both the previous unit, with its emphasis on ideas and ideologies, and the Grade 10 Civics course, which introduced students to the study of government. This leads to a review of the main characteristics of Canada’s political system and a re-evaluation of our system of government, including the role and influence of key players. In particular, there is a new emphasis on evaluating ways in which Canadian governments “affect and are affected by global political and economic systems.” From this re-examination, students should develop an enhanced understanding of the complexity of our system and be able to analyse the differences between the ideal and real in politics—especially as they pertain to citizen participation and control of the political process. The unit concludes with students addressing the challenge in a research report about equalizing political access and power. As a result, students have an excellent opportunity to further develop their research and communication skills.

Unit 3 Overview Chart

Activity	Expectations	Assessment	Focus/Activity
1	PO1.02, PO1.04, CD1.01, PI2.04, PI4.05 CGE4h	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry	Why do we have governments? (The purposes of government and the basis for its legitimacy)
2	DMV.01, PIV.01, DM1.01, DM1.02, PI3.02, PO2.04, VBV.01	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication	How are we governed? (Review of main characteristics of Canada’s political system)
3	DMV.02, PIV.02, CD2.01, PO1.03, PO2.04, DM3.01, DM2.02, DM2.03	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication	Elites and Political Leadership (Role and influence of key players in Canadian politics)
4	CDV.03, PIV.02, PO2.01, PO2.04, CD3.02 CGE5e, 5h	Thinking/Inquiry Communication Application	Citizenship in Canada (The role of “the people”)
5	PIV.03, CD2.02, CD3.02, DM1.03, CD3.03, PO2.04 CGE4b	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication Application	Research Report (Investigating the barriers to participation of select groups and identifying strategies to overcome barriers)

Unit 3 Culminating Activity

Students address the problem of political inequality in a research report. They work alone or in pairs to investigate the participation rates of under-represented groups in Canadian politics, identifying barriers to participation and strategies to overcome those barriers.

The research report format allows students to investigate, explore, organize, apply, and communicate new information about access and barriers to political participation. It is designed to allow students to explore areas of interest in greater depth, to encourage critical and creative thinking, particularly through the analysis and evaluation of information, and to support students in building capacity for information retrieval, selection, organization, and communication.

To support the writing of this research report, the teacher should plan to:

· co-ordinate a program of research and inquiry instruction and access to appropriate resources with the school’s teacher-librarian;

· schedule regular progress conferences with the learner;

· model the skills associated with acquiring, organizing, and communicating information;

· provide support with organization, timelines, and sources for information;

· arrange for access to equipment and resources (e.g., books, multimedia computers, VCR);

· intervene as required to maintain student confidence in the self-directed learning;

· transfer control as students demonstrate the ability to assume greater responsibility for the research;

· assist with structure for self-assessment;

· provide a forum and feedback for the communication of research.

The report should both assess students’ ability to communicate ideas in writing and measure understanding and mastery of complex information on political participation. To do so it must include a scoring plan which specifies attributes for a quality answer (e.g., conciseness, factual knowledge, connection between argument and supporting facts) and indicate the value associated with each of the attributes.

Unit 4: Power, Influence, and the Resolution of Differences

Unit Description

This unit is divided into three areas of concentration. The topics are organized in a manner that builds upon the understanding of pressure group behaviour, which leads to an examination of how actual pressure groups have influenced and do influence Canadian political decision-makers. Next, students learn about conflict-resolution theory and determine what they believe democratic conflict resolution should look like in practice. Finally, students are challenged to apply the principles of conflict resolution to real-life political issues – first through guided practice, then through a dramatic role-play. Students are expected to use political terminology appropriately as they analyse power relationships among individuals, groups, and governments, including new vocabulary related to social science methodology, political action, pressure groups, conflict, and the resolution of differences.

Unit 4 Overview Chart

Activity	Expectations	Assessment	Focus/Activity
1	CDV.02, POV.02, PI4.04, PO1.01 CGE6a, 6b	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry	Pressure Group Behaviour
2	POV.01, PIV.02, DM2.03, PO2.02, PO2.04 CGE7i	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Application	Canadian Pressure Groups (Major groups that influence Canadian political life)
3	CDV.01, PIV.01, PO3.01, PO1.01, PO1.04 CGE7c	Thinking/Inquiry Communication Application	Conflict-Resolution Theory in a democratic context
4	PIV.03, PO1.04, PO2.02, CD2.03, PO3.02 CGE6e	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication Application	Resolving Conflict Democratically (Applying conflict resolution theory to government policy-making)
5	POV.03, PIV.04, PO1.04, CD2.04 CGE6b, 7a	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication Application	Role-play (Applying conflict resolution strategies in an issue-based role-play)

Unit 4 Culminating Activity

Role-playing is used to encourage students to explore a current political issue in depth and move beyond their first impressions. They examine a variety of viewpoints and apply skills in decision making and problem solving. To engage students in a problem, the teacher must ensure that students consider the issue under investigation to be important and relevant. Expressing a point of view involves more than just the examination of an issue from the vantage point of an affected person or group. It includes:

· identifying a person or group who is affected by an issue that needs to be addressed;

· defining the needs and concerns of the person or group identified;

· discovering information about the person or group identified;

· summarizing the position of the identified person or group with respect to the issue;

· practising thinking like someone else without letting personal bias interfere unduly;

· making conclusions about what has been learned from taking on the persona of another.

To support the role-play, the teacher should:

· model positive attitudes about different points of view;

· provide opportunities ahead of time for students to engage in point-of-view activities;

· assign roles and manage groups;

· select reading/writing/oral/visual activities that present the issues from many perspectives;

· observe students as they respond to questions, study, and complete assigned tasks;

· listen to students as they speak and discuss with others;

· observe nonverbal forms of communication (e.g., attentiveness to lessons, signs of frustration);

· observe students’ performances, then record observations on recording devices (checklist, rating scale, anecdotal record), which outline the framework and criteria for observation;

· provide frames to respond to the experience, such as: What did I think before I examined the issue from another point of view and what do I think now?;

· assess skills and knowledge.

Unit 5: The Common Good

Unit Description

This unit is comprised of four components. Each component builds upon the other and thus serves to both inform and deepen students’ understanding of the topic. Overall, students come to know that decisions made for the common good affect the well-being of people and the environments in which they live. Students also grasp the common good as it relates to Catholic teaching and values rooted in the gospel. As such, fundamental questions that relate to the quest for a truly human and just society are explored within the context of the Canadian experience. The flow of the unit, therefore, consists in first analysing the common good as a concept; secondly, discerning the common good within the political fabric of Canadian society; thirdly, examining Canada’s role in applying the common good internationally; and lastly, providing students with an opportunity to assess the challenges Canada faces in its continued search for the common good. Group skills rubrics for both self- and peer evaluation aid in the assessment of the work in this unit. Students become familiar with key players in Canada’s policy-making process, invitees to the Political Awareness Day, or recipients of letters written about the day.

Unit 5 Overview Chart

Activity	Expectations	Assessment	Focus/Activity
1	DMV.03, DM3.01, DM3.02, DM3.05 CGE1d, 3c, 7e	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry	Discerning the Common Good within Canada
2	DMV.02, CDV.02, VBV.02, CD2.01, CD3.01, CD3.02, DM2.01, DM2.02, DM3.04, VB2.01 CGE1e, 2c, 2d	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication	Canada and the Common Good nationally
3	DMV.02, PIV.02, DM3.02, DM3.05, PI1.01 CGE1i, 7b	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication	Canada and the Common Good internationally
4	CDV.03, PIV.01, PIV.02, PIV.03, CD1.01, PI1.01, PI2.01, PI3.01 CGE5b, 7f, 7g	Communication Application	Mock Trial: Assessing the Common Good

Unit 5 Culminating Activity

The final activity provides students with an opportunity to test and synthesize the unit material. They assess current challenges to the common good in the form of a mock trial. As such, each student researches and inquires into an issue related to the unit and develops an organizational plan that will culminate in a court test. The student is expected to formulate arguments and evidence as to which decisions need to be made in order to achieve the common good in areas of social justice, economics, politics, education, the Third World, the United Nations, Aboriginal rights, etc. Students act in the role of judge and jury as arguments are presented and then assessed. They are challenged to draw conclusions based on learning achieved in the unit. Further, the class is invited to submit conclusions to an appropriate Member of Parliament as a formal method of participation in the democratic process.

Unit 6: Activism and Research

Unit Description

Ideally, this unit should not be crammed into the last few weeks of the course. Instead, it should encompass approximately fifteen hours integrated throughout the entire year, culminating in the Political Awareness Day. It is meant to be a focus that challenges students to take the practical knowledge and skills they have learned throughout the course and apply them by preparing and presenting their findings to an authentic audience, such as parents, community members, and other students. A designated day each week (e.g., Friday) throughout the course could be set aside for students to work on planning and preparing the event. This unit is divided into four main areas of concentration. The first requires that students identify and research topics raised within the course, including both domestic and international issues, such as the role of housing, the nature of the rights of Aboriginal peoples, fairness in international trade, or Third-World debt relief. In so doing, students learn to employ a variety of research techniques and use and present data in a meaningful fashion. Students should be encouraged to use a variety of sources, such as books, articles, CD-ROMs, and the Internet. Once students have chosen and defined their topics they must write a letter to a person or group who possesses expertise and is engaged in political action connected to their topic. Students should request information from the given source. They should find out: a) what the person/group/organization stands for; b) what type of activities they are involved in; c) how they are part of the political system; d) how a student might get involved if she or he were interested; e) what skills are required and what would be learned. If appropriate, students could request that the given person/group/organization present at the Political Awareness Day. Having obtained the information, students then begin organizing the day.

Unit 6 Overview Chart

Activity	Expectations	Assessment	Focus/Activity
1	PIV .01, PI1.04, PI2.02, PI2.03, PI3.03 CGE2b, 4f, 5f, 5g	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Application	Locating and researching information
2	PIV.01, CDV.02, CD2.04, PI1.01 CGE4c, 4d, 7h	Application Communication	Letter writing campaign
3	CDV.01, POV.03, VBV.03, CD2.02, PO2. 03, PO3.03, VB3.02 CGE3a, 4e, 4g	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Application Communication	Formulating the issues
4	DMV.02, PIV.04, DM2.04, DM3.03, PI4.01, PI4.04 CGE1j, 4a, 5c, 7j	Knowledge/Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Application Communication	Political Awareness Day

Unit 6 Culminating Task

The culminating task within this final unit is the presentation of the Political Awareness Day. In the final activity, students prepare questions for guest speakers, prepare displays, and develop an open debate on such topics as: Which political ideology would best serve Canada in the future? Students should use a variety of technologies in presenting their findings. Students may organize the day in many ways, which might include oral presentations, displays, and a debate. The instructor and students may wish to conclude the day with a multicultural lunch. Group skills rubrics for both self- and peer evaluation can be used in assessing work.

Teaching/Learning Strategies

This course provides students with the opportunity to explore, analyse, and reflect on politics through diverse teaching and learning strategies. The teacher is encouraged to develop teaching and learning strategies that meet the needs of students with a wide variety of learning styles and abilities. Because the world of politics can seem intimidating and remote to many students, teachers need to use active learning in the classroom and community to engage students and build confidence. Students are likely to find such strategies as brainstorming, community involvement, conferencing, debating, field trips, interviewing, peer teaching, problem-solving, puppetry, reading responses, role-playing, simulations, story-telling, and tableaux motivating. Cooperative learning is another important active learning strategy fundamental to many activities in the course, particularly in Unit 1. Students can apply these skills to real-life situations.

This course also is ideally suited to develop research and critical-thinking skills and encourage students to become life-long learners. When students are presented with a variety of learning situations, they construct meaning and develop skills that are useful throughout life. Skills, such as formulating and defending a thesis, identifying bias and viewpoint, debating, analysing print and non-print sources, and problem-solving, encourage students to think critically and discuss complex political issues meaningfully.

Focussed inquiry, data analysis, note taking, guided Internet searches, and the emphasis on responsible research skills allow students to draw informed conclusions about themselves and the world in which they live. Evident throughout the course, these skills are also essential components of the culminating activities for Units 3 and 6. Students should have multiple opportunities to communicate their learning through personal reflections, informal and formal presentations, role-playing, writing in role, and persuasive report writing. Units 4 and 5, in particular, challenge students to apply decision-making and problem-solving skills in an issues-based role-play and a mock trial, respectively.

Political scientists draw from a wide variety of social science disciplines to express political concepts. In order to help all students, but especially ESL/ELD students, teaching and learning strategies should pay particular attention to the following aspects of language in written and oral forms:

· Specialized vocabulary/idioms (especially in Unit 1, Activity 2; Unit 2, Activity 1; Unit 3, Activity 2; Unit 5, Activity 4; Unit 6, Activity 1);

· Wide range of tense use, active and passive voice

· Word phrases and clause structures that indicate:

· Cause/effect relationships (especially in Unit 1)

· Contrast/comparatives/superlatives (especially in Unit 2)

· Statements of opinion, interpretation, inference (especially in Units 3 and 6)

· Statements of speculation/hypothesis, prediction (especially in Unit 4)

· Statements of belief, intent, necessity, persuasion, evaluation, definition (especially in the mock trial in Unit 5)

· Explanation of reason (especially in Unit 6)

· Formation of questions for formal and informal circumstances, oral or written

· Active listening skills, for example, phrases and syntax that expresses encouragement, requests for repetition, clarification, and restatement (especially in Unit 4)

· Activities such as reading/listening tasks (case study/video viewing) that need a specific and concrete product expected of the student

· Completion of a graphic organizer/re-enactment or structured oral response

· Note taking/summarizing (especially in Units 3 and 6)

· Non-verbal communication skills of particular importance to presentation tasks

Language development and the expression of concepts taught are greatly facilitated if written tasks are reinforced by oral tasks and vice versa. All learners, especially those with difficulties, will benefit greatly if models or guidelines for oral and written tasks are provided initially.

To help all students achieve success, the teacher should create a classroom environment that is as encouraging and supportive as possible. Toward this end, the teacher should:

· ensure that all students feel valued as members of the class;

· involve students in goal setting;

· develop and implement consistent behavioural expectations and consequences;

· recognize/praise effort and improvement as well as task completion;

· facilitate, model, and encourage appropriate social skill development (e.g., role-play, understanding body language).

The teacher should acquire a wide range of classroom resources, many of which are available from government and non-government organizations.

Assessment & Evaluation of Student Achievement

The Achievement Chart in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12, Science and Humanities,
p. 142-143. is the basis for the assessment and evaluation of this course. It contains four categories: Knowledge/Understanding, Thinking/Inquiry, Communication, and Application. Each category is further divided into levels of achievement, which explain what students need to achieve/produce in order to be classified within that level. The accepted provincial standard is Level 3. To develop fair and meaningful assessment and evaluation instruments, teachers must be familiar with each category and strand.

Many varied forms of assessment and evaluation should be employed. It is expected moreover, that teachers use both formative and summative evaluation to identify clearly the strengths and weaknesses of each student. It is suggested, as well, that large assignments, such as the final assessment, which must constitute 30% of the final grade, be prepared for over a protracted period of time. This should help students to avoid low achievement on the final task due to last-minute time pressures. All six units provide opportunities for a variety of evaluation and assessment models and techniques. Some suggestions for assessment, evaluation, and teaching strategies within this course context are:

· Provide rubric frameworks and develop them with students, using the criteria for the assigned task so that they may better understand the evaluation process and be active participants in their own evaluation.

· Outline and explain to students the skills the teacher wishes students to have, such as research techniques, formulating questions, understanding themes, etc.

· Be sure that the assessments relate to the criteria identified in the Achievement Chart.

· Peer work should seek to develop not only interdependent skills but also the appreciation and respect for other’s opinions.

· Be sure that there is a logical and meaningful progression of skills.

· Explore substantive public issues.

· Develop capacities for personal and interpersonal understanding.

· Some types of useful “projects” may be community-based, exhibits, mock/model activities, letter writing, attending meetings, interview, etc.

· Adapt to and accommodate the variety of learning skills and special needs within the given classroom.

· Students should continually evolve into active and informed members of their society.

· Refer to the exceptional students’ Individual Education Plan to ensure recommendations are being carried out.

· Identify and develop units that enhance and develop reading and comprehension skills.

· Remember to adapt and change activities as student needs dictate.

Teachers may choose to evaluate categories in the Achievement Chart individually or in unison with any other category. For example, if a student is asked to prepare an exhibit then this may indeed entail Knowledge/Understanding, Thinking/Inquiry, Communication, and Application.

Accommodations

In this course, specific adaptations and accommodations are recommended with each activity. These include strategies that many students without exceptionalities also may find helpful. The teacher may:

· provide a structured overview of the lesson prior to beginning instruction;

· announce what they are going to say before they say it, say it, then say what they said (this kind of structure helps to ‘glue’ the ideas in place);

· use outlines, teach outlining and underlining to help structure and shape what is being learned as it is being learned, or to summarize previous learning (as in Unit 1, Activity 1 and Unit 3, Activity 2);

· use visual aids, demonstrations, simulations, and manipulatives to ensure that students understand concepts presented;

· make use of overheads and keep each overhead for later review by students;

· provide a copy of peer or teacher notes to allow students to focus on listening;

· provide opportunities to ‘pair/share’ or activity breaks to assist students’ ability to focus on instruction;

· include a variety of activities for students in each lesson;

· pre-teach important vocabulary (especially in Unit 1, Cluster 2; Unit 2, Cluster 1; Unit 3, Cluster 2; Unit 5, Cluster 4; Unit 6, Cluster 1);

· directly teach the skills necessary to manage instructional materials;

· enhance memory by teaching little tricks such as mnemonics; (e.g., cues, rhymes, codes);

· talk through the process required to complete the task (especially around culminating activities such as the political socialization timeline in Unit 1, the research report in Unit 3, and the mock trial in Unit 5);

· arrange for students to have ‘study buddies’ in each subject, when possible.

Appropriate adaptations in assessment and evaluation for Grade 11 students include modified expectations and adapted assessment strategies (e.g., granting of extra time, use of oral interviews, use of scribes, tasks requiring completion of graphic organizers, and cloze sentences instead of essay questions). However, the teacher should make any necessary adaptations and accommodations, working in collaboration with Special Education teachers and other professionals. Also, Individual Education Plans provide the teacher with recommendations for specific learning strategies that work best with individual students.

In addition, considerations for students learning English as their second language are necessary. The teacher should be familiar with The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9-12, English As A Second Language and English Literacy Development.

Resources

Note Concerning Permissions

Units in this profile make reference to the use of specific texts, magazines, films, and videos. Before reproducing materials for student use from books and magazines, teachers need to ensure that their board has a Cancopy licence and that resources they wish to use are covered by this licence. Before screening videos for their students, teachers need to ensure that their board/school has obtained the appropriate public performance videocassette licence from an authorized distributor (e.g., Audio Cine Films Inc.). Teachers are also reminded that much of the material on the Internet is protected by copyright. That copyright is usually owned by the person or organization that created the work. Reproduction of any work or a substantial part of any work on the Internet is not allowed without the permission of the owner.

General

Human

Teacher-librarian/Resource teacher

Human resources will vary based on locality, but could also include: school board trustee, town counsellor, mayor, member of provincial parliament, member of parliament, ambassador or consulate official.

Boyko, John. Politics: Conflict and Compromise. Ontario: Oxford University Press, 1990.

British Columbia Teachers’ Federation. Citizenship Education for Democracy in the 21st Century. A Report from the 1998 BCTF Public Education Conference (Draft), 1988.

Clark, Penney and Roland Case. “Four Purposes of Citizenship Education.” In The Canadian Anthology of Social Studies. Simon Fraser University Press, 1997, pp. 17-27.

Glassford, Larry A., Robert J. Clark, and Larry Chud. Challenge of Democracy: Ideals and Realities in Canada. ON: Nelson Canada, 1984.

McLean, Ian. Oxford Concise Dictionary of Politics. Oxford University Press, 1996.

Nelson, Barbara J. and Najma Chowdhury, eds. Women and Politics Worldwide. Yale University Press, 1994.

Pike, Graham and David Selby. In The Global Classroom. Toronto: Pippen Publishing Corporation, 1999.

Pike, Graham and David Selby. Global Teacher, Global Learner. London: Hodder & Stoughton Educational, 1988.

Magazines

Pertinent issues of magazines such as:

Adbusters

Briarpatch

Maclean’s

Our Times

THIS Magazine

UTNE Reader

Electronic Newspapers & Magazines

Note: The URLs for the websites have been verified by the writer prior to publication. Given the frequency with which these designations change, teachers should always verify the websites prior to assigning them for student use.

Local or national newspapers, magazines – Indexes, Databases & Full Text Periodicals at BCIT Libraries – www.lib.bcit.bc.ca/le.htm

Newspapers and Magazines and Editorials – www.facts.com/eof.htm

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – www.policyalternatives.ca/

Globe and Mail – www.globeandmail.com

The National Post – www.nationalpost.com

The Toronto Star – www.thestar.com

Maclean’s Magazine – www.macleans.ca

This Magazine – www.THISmag.org

Canadian Communities Atlas – http://www.cgdi.gc.ca/ccatlas

Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) – http://cbc.ca

The United Nations Association of Canada – http://www.unac.org

Canadian SchoolNet – http://www.schoolnet.ca

Local, National, and International Archives – http://www.4editorials.com

Learning Materials for the History/Social Studies Classroom

http://www.socialstudies.com/

http://www.google.com

ERIC Document Retrieval Service – http://edrs.com/cgi-bin/askERIC

United Nations – http://www.un.org/

Other

Mission Statements from the school, the board, or a community agency

Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Canada, 1982.

Unit 1

The Faculty of Education at the University of Hawaii has a storehouse of “Teaching Tips,” including suggestions for starting courses effectively – http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/teachtip.htm#firstday

There is also an excellent article on discipline and establishing a positive classroom climate from the ASCD – http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/books/curwin99book.html

Civics’ Teaching Resources
http://civnet.org.
http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/
http://www.civiced.org/
http://www.abc.net.au/civics/msp.htm

Citizenship Test – http://www.rpl.richmond.bc.ca/

Timeline example – www.bbc.co.uk/history/walk/index.shtml

Folk stories – www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/storfolk.html

“An Open Letter to Herb Gray (Globe and Mail), ” “Television’s Influence on the Political Attitudes of Children” – www.transy.edu/homepages/alerity/influences.html

Hepburn, Mary A. “The power of the electronic media in the socialization of young Americans: Implications for social science education,” Electronic Library of Canada, 1999.

There are sources of critique on games like SimCity; one example is Sherry Turkle, “Seeing Through Computers” – http://www.prospect.org/print/V8/31/turkle-s.html

Unit 2

Baldwin, Douglas and William Calder. Ideologies. McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited, 1982.

Political Science Website – www.polisci.nelson.com/#adopt.

Political Cartoons – www.cagle.com/teacher

Social Studies Newsgroups – www.coe.uh.edu./~asoucek/newsgroup/social.html

The PBS Democracy Project – www.pbs.org/democracy/

Human Rights In Action – www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoollBus/humanrights/index.html

Canadian Resource Bank for Democracy and Human Rights – www.front.web.net/canadem

Unit 3

Golick, Jill. Government in Action. Gage Educational Publishing Company, 1990.

Tindal, Richard C. A Citizen’s Guide to Government. McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited, 1997.

Canada At the Polls, Elections Canada (613-993-2975) – www.elections.ca

Canadian Elections on the Internet – www.library.ubc.ca/poli/cpwebe.htmlwww.artsci.lsu.edu/poli/research.htmlwww.lsu.edu/guests/poli/public_html

Elections Ontario (416-326-6155) – www.electionsontario.on.ca/English/voter_list.htm

Government of Canada www.canada.gc.ca/main~e.html

StudyWeb: Government & Politics: World Government and Canadian Government – www.studyweb.com/links907.htm

Elections and Electoral Systems by Country – www.psr.keele.ac.uk/election/htm

Statistics Canada – www.statcan.ca

Canadian Statistics – www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb
Access the Canadian Statistics table of contents screen. Select The State and then Government. There are over 15 tables, updated regularly under the headings: elections, revenue expenditures and debt, and employment. http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/State/govern.htm

Video

Canada Votes. Elections Canada, 1995.

Evolution of the Canadian Constitution. School Services of Canada Ltd.

News in Review. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

Parliament in Action. Magic Lantern Communications, 1991.

Passage of a Bill, The Parliamentary Process. Magic Lantern Communications, 1991.

Unbroken Line. National Film Board (office of the Governor General)

Kits

Canada Votes, “Election Map”. Elections Canada.

Election Tool Kit. Citizens for Public Justice.

Unit 4

Teachers’ Institute on Parliamentary Democracy – http://www.parl.gc.ca

Department of Justice – Lawcanada.justice.gc.ca/Loireg/index_en.html

Sources of Canadian Federal and Provincial Legislation: LIS2133: Legal Literature – www.fis.utoronto.ca/courses/LIS/2133/legisour.htm

Federal Elections – http://www.statcan.ca/english/kits/feder1.htm
Students see the effects of regional challenges within Canada through studying the results of recent Federal elections.

Political Parties and Election Results
Students integrate data and knowledge with other research materials to produce a 2- to 3-page election strategy for a specific political party – http://www.statcan.ca/english/kits/vote/vote1.htm

Distribution of House of Commons seats at general elections (for the last five federal elections) – http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/State/Government/govt10a.htm

Federal general elections, by electors, ballots cast and voter participation – http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/State/Government/govt09c.htm

This profile of Federal Electoral Districts is based on a selection of 1996 Census data. The data have been grouped into the following categories: “Demographic Characteristics,” “Education,” “Income and Work,” “Families and Dwellings” – http://ceps.statcan.ca/english/fedprofil/fedselect.cfm

Unit 5

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Catechism of the Catholic Church. Ottawa, 1994.
(Par.1905-1942)

Dorr, Donald. Option For the Poor. A Hundred Years of Catholic Social Teaching. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1983.

Estes, Ralph. Tyranny of the Bottom Line: Why Corporations Make Good People Do Bad Things. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 1995.

Pope John XXIII. Pacem in Terris. Boston: Daughters of St. Paul.

Richardson, Boyce, ed.. Drum Beat: Anger and Renewal in Indian Country. Toronto: Summerhill Press, 1989.

Sheridan, E.F. Love Kindness: Social Teaching of the Canadian Catholic Bishops, 1958-1989. Toronto and Sherbrooke: The Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice and Editions Pauline, 1991.

Sheridan, E.F. Do Justice! The Social Teaching of the Canadian Catholic Bishops, 1945-1986. Toronto and Sherbrooke: The Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, 1987.

The Copenhagen and Beijing Commitments to Share the Wealth: Catalysts for Global Action and Achievement – www.un.org/esa/socdev/wssd.htm.

Social Watch – www.socwatch.org

International Council on Social Welfare – www.icsw.org

Citizens for Public Justice – www.web.net/~cpi

Ten Days for Global Justice – www.web.net/~tendays

Craig Kielburger’s Story: A Journey into Child Labour – mcnabbconnolly@homeroom.ca

Internet

The Common Good Project – http://www.abc.net.au/civics/site/using.htm

Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre – http://calcn.ab.ca/acl/ac/rc.html

BC Civil Liberties Association – http://www.bccla.org

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
– http://insight.mcmaster.ca/org/efc/pages/law/charter/charter.text.html#7

Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency – http://www.ceaa.gc.ca/site_e.htm

Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board – http://www.cisr.gc.ca

Canadian Local Newspapers – http://www.ccna.ca/

Canadian Native Law Cases – http://library.usask.ca/native/cnlch.html

Chiefs of Ontario – http://www.chiefs-of-ontario.org/

Cree-Naskapi Commission – http://ppp.atreide.net/cnc/

CSIS – http://www.csis-scis.gc.ca/

Great Whale Project – http://kafka.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS/sov/allcree.html

Hamilton Spectator. CSIS and wire tapping
– http://insight.mcmaster.ca/org/efc/pages/media/spectator.01oct97b.html

Inuit Tapirisat Canada – http://www.tapirisat.ca/

Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties – http://www.winnipeg.freenet.mb.ca/marl/marl_hm.html

Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee – http://www.bloorstreet.com/200block/sindact.htm

Indonesia Information Page – merlin.capcollege.bc.ca/apmcp/Indonesia.htm

“Newsfront” SEE Magazine – www.greatwest.ca/see/Issues/1998/0416/news2.html

Stages of a Trial – www.bradley.edu/campusorg/trial/basic_info/stages/

Films

Kielburger, Craig. It Takes a Child: Craig Kielburgers’s Story, A Journey into Child Labour. Judy Films Inc., 1998.

Sparks, Richard. Making Sense of Christian Morality; The Gospel is a Social Message. A Fisher Production, NY.

Rubrics

“BLM 1 Roleplay Assessment Rubric” in Civics Today: Teacher’s Resource Guide. Toronto: Irwin Publishing, 2000.

“BLM 2 Debating Assessment Rubric” in Civics Today. Toronto, Irwin Publishing, 2000.

“BLM 3 Argumentative Paragraph/Position Paper Assessment Rubric” in Civics Today. Toronto: Irwin Publishing, 2000.

“BLM B Group Skills Assessment” in Civics: Participating in a Democratic Society – Teacher’s Resource Guide. Toronto: McGraw-Hill, Ryerson Ltd., 2001.

“BLM C My Collaboration Skills” in Civics. Toronto: McGraw-Hill, Ryerson Ltd., 2001.

Unit 6

Bartlett, John W., ed. The Future is Ours: A Handbook for Student Activists in the 21st Century. New York: Henry Holt and Company, Inc., 1996.

Fretts, Derald, Pamela S. Perry-Globa, Martin Spiegelman, and Reginald C. Stuart. Canadian Citizenship in Action. Edmonton/Regina: Weigl Educational Publishers Limited, 1992.

Hoose, Phillip. It’s Our World, Too! Stories of Young People Who Are Making a Difference. Little, Brown & Company (Inc.), 1993.

Isaac, Kathrine. Ralph Nader Presents Civics for Democracy: A Journey for Teachers and Students. Washington: Essential Books, 1992.

Lewis, Barbara A. The Kids Guide To Social Action: How to Solve the Social Problems You Choose—And Turn Creative Thinking into Positive Action. Espeland, Pamela, ed. Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing Inc., 1991.

Peace Child International. Stand Up For Your Rights. Chicago: World Book Inc., 1998.

Youth in Action Network – www.mightymedia.com/act

UNICEF – www.unicef.org

Amnesty International – www.io.org/amnesty

Women’s Environment and Development Organization – www.wedo.org

Greenpeace – www.greenpeacecanada.org

OXFAM Canada – www.oxfam.ca

World Alliance for Citizen Participation – www.civicus.org

Catholic Resources

Brueggeman, W., S. Parks, and T.H. Groome. To Act Justly, Love Tenderly, Walk Humbly. NY: Paulist Press, 1986.

Coleman, J.A., S.J. One Hundred Years of Catholic Social Thought. NY: Orbis Books, 1991.

Cooke, B.J. Christian Sacraments and Christian Personality. US: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1965.

Flannery, A. Vatican Council II, The Counciliar and Post Counciliar Documents Vol. 1 and 2. NY: Costello Publishing Co. Inc., 1984.

Franklin, W. Catholic Education and Politics in Ontario. Toronto: Catholic Education Foundation, 1985.

Groome, T.H. Christian Religious Education, Sharing Our Story and Vision. CA: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1980.

Groome, T.H. Educating For Life A Spiritual Vision for Every Teacher and Parent. TX: Thomas More, 1998.

Haring, B. Dare To Be Christian Developing a Social Conscience. MO: Liguori Publications, 1983.

John Paul II. The Gospel of Life. Boston, Pauline Books, 1999.

Kavanaugh, J.F. Following Christ in a Consumer Society. NY: Orbis Books, 1991.

McGinnis, James B. Bread and Justice: Toward a New International Economic Order. NY: Paulist Press, 1979.

Morneau, R. Themes and Theses of Six Recent Papal Documents: A Commentary. NY: Alba House, Society of St. Paul, 1985.

Sheridan, E.F. Love Kindness: Social Teaching of the Canadian Catholic Bishops, 1945-1986. Toronto and Sherbrooke: The Jesuit Centre for Social Faith and Justice and Editions Pauline, 1987.

Sheridan, E.F. Love Kindness: Social Teaching of the Canadian Catholic Bishops, 1958-1989. Toronto and Sherbrooke: The Jesuit Centre for Social Faith and Justice and Editions Pauline, 1991.

Woodger, J. Social Justice: 1891-1991 A Century of Catholic Social Teaching. Toronto, Archdiocese of Toronto, Catholic Office of Religious Education, 1990.

Encyclicals

Pope Paul VI. Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes. Boston: Daughters of St. Paul, 1965.

Pope John Paul II. On the Mercy of God, Dives in Misericordia. Boston: Daughters of St. Paul, 1982.

Pope John Paul II. Catholic Teaching on Human Rights and Development, On Social Concern. Sollicitudo Rei Socialis - Encyclical Letters of John Paul II.

Pastoral Letters

Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops. Choosing a Government. Toronto, 1998.

Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops. Ethical Reflections on the Economic Crisis. Ottawa, 1983.

Agencies

Catholic Information Centre. 830 Bathurst St. Toronto, Ontario, M5R 3G1

Institute for Catholic Education, 10 St. Mary Street Suite 305, Toronto, Ontario, M4Y 1P9

Jesuit Centre for Faith and Social Justice, 947 Queen St. E. Toronto, Ontario, M4M 1J9

OSS Considerations

This profile is designed to aid the teacher whose assignment includes delivering the course Canadian Politics and Citizenship, Grade 11, Open, as found in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12, Canadian and World Studies, p. 229-230. Furthermore, this course would fulfill the requirements, outlined in section 3.1 of the Ontario Secondary Schools, Grades 9 to 12, Program and Diploma Requirements, for gaining a Secondary School Diploma. It can meet the stipulation that a student must gain at least one additional social science and humanities, English or Canadian and World Studies credit as part of the compulsory eighteen credits needed for transferring an OSS diploma. The course would also aid in the implementation of sections 7.13, 7.14, and 7.16 of the OSS initiative outlined in the aforementioned Program and Diploma Requirements. The purpose of Open courses and the basis for assessment and evaluation are outlined in sections 4.2.2 and 4.3.6 of the same document. Modification and accommodations may be made so long as they meet the requirements outlined in section 7.12 and Appendices 6 and 8 of the same document.

Coded Expectations, Canadian Politics and Citizenship, Grade 11,
Open, CPC3O

Citizenship, Democracy, and Participation

Overall Expectations

CDV.01 · describe the key features of an ideal democracy;

CDV.02 · evaluate the influence of various forms of citizen action (e.g., voting, lobbying, demonstrating) on public policy;

CDV.03 · explain ways in which family, religion, gender, ethnicity, nationality, socio-economic class, and other aspects of social and cultural identity influence citizens’ political participation.

Specific Expectations

Principles of Democracy

CD1.01 – explain the importance of democratic principles such as political equality; majority rule; minority representation; responsible government; representation by population; decision making for the common good; the rule of law; and universal human rights, freedoms, and responsibilities;

CD1.02 – identify important milestones (e.g., Athenian democracy, the Magna Carta, the French Revolution) and individuals (e.g., Pericles, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Stuart Mill, John Locke) in the development of democratic thought;

CD1.03 – describe landmark Canadian struggles for the expansion of democratic rights.

Active Citizenship

CD2.01 – identify opportunities for citizens to participate in governmental and non- governmental political decision making at the community, municipal, provincial, federal, and international levels;

CD2.02 – explain the benefits to individuals, groups, communities, and societies of political participation, and the challenges associated with equalizing the participation of diverse groups;

CD2.03 – evaluate the contributions of individuals and groups who have had an influence on different levels of government;

CD2.04 – apply the techniques of democratic participation (e.g., signing petitions; creating posters or newsletters; lobbying; speaking to schools or community groups; writing letters to the editor, songs, and other forms of artistic expression) to a political question under investigation.

Identity and Participation

CD3.01 – evaluate the extent to which various segments of Canadian society (e.g., women, Aboriginal peoples, racial minorities, rural and northern communities) participate in the formal political process (e.g., election campaigns) and informal political bodies (e.g., parent councils, neighbourhood associations);

CD3.02 – evaluate Canada’s multiculturalism policy in terms of its ability to promote both greater pluralism and participation in social and political affairs;

CD3.03 – describe the barriers to participation and representation in the political process faced by various social groups, and identify strategies to overcome these barriers through the legislative process.

Power, Influence, and the Resolution of Differences

Overall Expectations

POV.01 · explain power relationships among individuals, groups, and governments;

POV.02 · evaluate the role of pressure and interest groups in the political process;

POV.03 · demonstrate a practical understanding of conflict resolution strategies.

Specific Expectations

Power Relationships

PO1.01 – explain examples of tensions between individuals and groups with respect to their needs and wants, using concepts such as gender, lifestyle, status, and socio-economic class;

PO1.02 – compare selected theories on the purpose of government and on ways in which government powers are acquired, used, and justified;

PO1.03 – describe different leadership styles (e.g., democratic, authoritarian);

PO1.04 – differentiate between the legitimate and illegitimate exercise of power by individuals, groups, and governments.

Influences on Canadian Politics

PO2.01 – identify the types of pressure and interest groups that can legally participate in the Canadian political system;

PO2.02 – describe examples of pressure and interest group actions that have influenced and changed government policies;

PO2.03 – describe the role of opinion polls and media reporting on the political process;

PO2.04 – evaluate ways in which Canadian governments affect and are affected by global political and economic systems.

Conflict Resolution Strategies

PO3.01 – identify key stages in resolving conflicts (i.e., gathering information, identifying points of view and values, recommending solutions, identifying potential consequences and alternative courses of action, taking action);

PO3.02 – evaluate a government’s approach to resolving a significant conflict, using an appropriate conflict resolution model;

PO3.03 – apply an appropriate conflict resolution model to a political issue that needs to be resolved.

Decision-Making Systems and Processes

Overall Expectations

DMV.01 · describe the main characteristics of the Canadian political system and of government decision-making processes;

DMV.02 · evaluate the role and influence of key participants in Canadian government decision-making;

DMV.03 · describe the extent to which political and economic systems and institutions meet people’s needs and promote the common good.

Specific Expectations

Canada’s System of Government

DM1.01 – evaluate the organizing principles that shape Canadian government (e.g., constitutional monarchy, federal organization, parliamentary system);

DM1.02 – explain the purposes and functions of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government;

DM1.03 – evaluate how well the Canadian electoral process succeeds at choosing representative and popularly supported leaders at all levels of government.

Key Roles in Decision Making

DM2.01 – compare opinions on the ideal roles and the actual roles of the following in the decision-making process in Canada: the prime minister, premiers, cabinet ministers, MPs, MPPs, MLAs, senators, mayors, and councillors;

DM2.02 – evaluate the effectiveness of the parliamentary opposition, including the role of the official opposition;

DM2.03 – evaluate the role of unelected key players in government decision making (e.g., members of the judiciary, political party strategists, senior bureaucrats);

DM2.04 – analyse differing positions on the future role of the monarch, the governor general, and the lieutenant governors in Canadian politics.

Making Decisions for the Common Good

DM3.01 – demonstrate an understanding that there are political, economic, and cultural challenges in governing a complex society like that of Canada;

DM3.02 – explain the implications of choices made in Canada for the current and future well-being of people and environments in Canada and around the world (e.g., the environmental standards enacted today will affect the physical well-being of Canadian and world citizens tomorrow);

DM3.03 – identify the types of decisions made by government that are critical for protecting individual rights and promoting the common good (e.g., non-smoking legislation, RIDE programs and legislation against drunk driving, gun control legislation, the Freedom of Information Act);

DM3.04 – evaluate the extent to which Canadian decision-making systems and institutions reflect and foster Canada’s democratic ideals, as expressed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms;

DM3.05 – describe recommendations for making the Canadian political system function in a more democratic way.

Values, Beliefs, and Ideologies

Overall Expectations

VBV.01 · describe the main features and content of modern political ideologies;

VBV.02 · evaluate the major historical, geographic, economic, and cultural influences that shape Canadian political ideologies;

VBV.03 · describe how political socialization shapes the political values and beliefs of Canadians.

Specific Expectations

Political Ideologies

VB1.01 – explain the relationship between the ways in which individuals and groups live and the values and beliefs they hold;

VB1.02 – describe the role and function of political ideologies and of the political spectrum;

VB1.03 – explain key features of fascism, conservatism, liberalism, socialism, communism, and the “neo-” forms of each of these (e.g., neo-fascism, neo-conservatism);

VB1.04 – explain the similarities and differences among different sets of values and ideologies.

Influences on Political Ideologies

VB2.01 – describe Aboriginal, French, British, and American influences on past and present Canadian political values;

VB2.02 – explain the relationship between economic systems and political ideologies;

VB2.03 – describe the relationship between major Canadian political ideologies and their real-life manifestations (e.g., social democracy and medicare, neo-conservativism and privatization).

Political Socialization

VB3.01 – compare the processes of political socialization and political indoctrination with regard to their effects on individuals, families, groups, and governments;

VB3.02 – analyse the variety of political messages that Canadian youth receive from key agents of socialization (e.g., the family, the school, peers, the media);

VB3.03 – evaluate ways in which major agents of political socialization (e.g., religion, the media, political parties) influence the ways in which Canadians participate formally and informally in politics.

Methods of Political Inquiry

Overall Expectations

PIV.01 · correctly use social science methods to gather, organize, and synthesize information;

PIV.02 · draw supportable conclusions about political events, issues, and trends and their relationship to social, economic, and cultural systems;

PIV.03 · communicate knowledge, beliefs, and interpretations of politics and citizenship, using a variety of formats;

PIV.04 · use political knowledge, skills, and values to act as responsible citizens in a variety of contexts.

Specific Expectations

Researching, Recording, and Organizing Information

PI1.01 – formulate meaningful questions that lead to a deeper understanding of a political issue and of the different ways to approach an issue;

PI1.02 – collect data from a range of media and sources (e.g., print or electronic media, interviews, government and community agencies);

PI1.03 – classify and clarify information by using timelines, organizers, mind maps, concept webs, maps, graphs, charts, and diagrams;

PI1.04 – prepare summary notes in a variety of forms and for a variety of purposes (e.g., for recording research findings, making oral presentations, and studying for tests and examinations).

Analysing and Evaluating Information

PI2.01 – distinguish among opinions, facts, and arguments in sources;

PI2.02 – evaluate the credibility of sources and information (e.g., published and Internet sources) by checking for logical errors, accuracy, and underlying assumptions, including prejudices and biases; by analysing the quantity and quality of the evidence presented; and by evaluating the methods used by authors to verify their claims (e.g., the use of footnotes);

PI2.03 – demonstrate an understanding of a variety of propaganda techniques;

PI2.04 – draw appropriate conclusions about political events, issues, and trends and their relationship to social, economic, and cultural systems, basing their conclusions on an analysis of data and the application of political and social theories.

Communicating Research Results

PI3.01 – present ideas, understandings, and arguments effectively in a variety of contexts (e.g., in role plays, interviews, simulations, debates, group presentations, seminars), using graphic organizers and displays (e.g., graphs, charts, images);

PI3.02 – use political terms accurately;

PI3.03 – write clear, coherent, and logically organized reports, papers, and essays that include correctly documented citations and bibliographies, demonstrate academic honesty, and avoid plagiarism.

Responsible Citizenship

PI4.01 – think creatively to reach resolutions to given issues and issues that they select;

PI4.02 – work effectively both individually and in groups;

PI4.03 – demonstrate the ability to seek and respect the opinions of others;

PI4.04 – identify various career opportunities related to the study of politics (e.g., in research, the civil service, law, journalism);

PI4.05 – communicate and exercise their own political views and convictions in a responsible, democratic manner.

Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations

The graduate is expected to be:

A Discerning Believer Formed in the Catholic Faith Community who

CGE1a -illustrates a basic understanding of the saving story of our Christian faith;

CGE1b -participates in the sacramental life of the church and demonstrates an understanding of the centrality of the Eucharist to our Catholic story;

CGE1c -actively reflects on God’s Word as communicated through the Hebrew and Christian scriptures;

CGE1d -develops attitudes and values founded on Catholic social teaching and acts to promote social responsibility, human solidarity and the common good;

CGE1e -speaks the language of life... “recognizing that life is an unearned gift and that a person entrusted with life does not own it but that one is called to protect and cherish it.” (Witnesses to Faith)

CGE1f -seeks intimacy with God and celebrates communion with God, others and creation through prayer and worship;

CGE1g -understands that one’s purpose or call in life comes from God and strives to discern and live out this call throughout life’s journey;

CGE1h -respects the faith traditions, world religions and the life-journeys of all people of good will;

CGE1i -integrates faith with life;

CGE1j -recognizes that “sin, human weakness, conflict and forgiveness are part of the human journey” and that the cross, the ultimate sign of forgiveness is at the heart of redemption. (Witnesses to Faith)

An Effective Communicator who

CGE2a -listens actively and critically to understand and learn in light of gospel values;

CGE2b -reads, understands and uses written materials effectively;

CGE2c -presents information and ideas clearly and honestly and with sensitivity to others;

CGE2d -writes and speaks fluently one or both of Canada’s official languages;

CGE2e -uses and integrates the Catholic faith tradition, in the critical analysis of the arts, media, technology and information systems to enhance the quality of life.

A Reflective and Creative Thinker who

CGE3a -recognizes there is more grace in our world than sin and that hope is essential in facing all challenges;

CGE3b -creates, adapts, evaluates new ideas in light of the common good;

CGE3c -thinks reflectively and creatively to evaluate situations and solve problems;

CGE3d -makes decisions in light of gospel values with an informed moral conscience;

CGE3e -adopts a holistic approach to life by integrating learning from various subject areas and experience;

CGE3f -examines, evaluates and applies knowledge of interdependent systems (physical, political, ethical, socio-economic and ecological) for the development of a just and compassionate society.

A Self-Directed, Responsible, Life Long Learner who

CGE4a -demonstrates a confident and positive sense of self and respect for the dignity and welfare of others;

CGE4b -demonstrates flexibility and adaptability;

CGE4c -takes initiative and demonstrates Christian leadership;

CGE4d -responds to, manages and constructively influences change in a discerning manner;

CGE4e -sets appropriate goals and priorities in school, work and personal life;

CGE4f -applies effective communication, decision-making, problem-solving, time and resource management skills;

CGE4g -examines and reflects on one’s personal values, abilities and aspirations influencing life’s choices and opportunities;

CGE4h -participates in leisure and fitness activities for a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

A Collaborative Contributor who

CGE5a -works effectively as an interdependent team member;

CGE5b -thinks critically about the meaning and purpose of work;

CGE5c -develops one’s God-given potential and makes a meaningful contribution to society;

CGE5d -finds meaning, dignity, fulfillment and vocation in work that contributes to the common good;

CGE5e -respects the rights, responsibilities and contributions of self and others;

CGE5f -exercises Christian leadership in the achievement of individual and group goals;

CGE5g -achieves excellence, originality, and integrity in one’s own work and supports these qualities in the work of others;

CGE5h -applies skills for employability, self-employment and entrepreneurship relative to Christian vocation.

A Caring Family Member who

CGE6a -relates to family members in a loving, compassionate and respectful manner;

CGE6b -recognizes human intimacy and sexuality as God given gifts, to be used as the creator intended;

CGE6c -values and honours the important role of the family in society;

CGE6d -values and nurtures opportunities for family prayer;

CGE6e -ministers to the family, school, parish, and wider community through service.

A Responsible Citizen who

CGE7a -acts morally and legally as a person formed in Catholic traditions;

CGE7b -accepts accountability for one’s own actions;

CGE7c -seeks and grants forgiveness;

CGE7d -promotes the sacredness of life;

CGE7e -witnesses Catholic social teaching by promoting equality, democracy, and solidarity for a just, peaceful and compassionate society;

CGE7f -respects and affirms the diversity and interdependence of the world’s peoples and cultures;

CGE7g -respects and understands the history, cultural heritage and pluralism of today’s contemporary society;

CGE7h -exercises the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship;

CGE7i -respects the environment and uses resources wisely;

CGE7j -contributes to the common good.

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Acknowledgments

Course Description

How This Course Supports the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations

Course Notes

Units: Titles and Times

Unit Overviews

Unit 1: Political Socialization

Unit 2: Political Ideas and Ideology

Unit 3: The Canadian Government in Critical Perspective

Unit 4: Power, Influence, and the Resolution of Differences

Unit 5: The Common Good

Unit 6: Activism and Research

Teaching/Learning Strategies

Assessment & Evaluation of Student Achievement

Accommodations

Resources

General

Unit 1

Unit 2

Unit 3

Unit 4

Unit 5

Unit 6

Catholic Resources

OSS Considerations

Citizenship, Democracy, and Participation

Overall Expectations

Specific Expectations

Power, Influence, and the Resolution of Differences

Overall Expectations

Specific Expectations

Decision-Making Systems and Processes

Overall Expectations

Specific Expectations

Values, Beliefs, and Ideologies

Overall Expectations

Specific Expectations

Methods of Political Inquiry

Overall Expectations

Specific Expectations