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Overview
Civics, Grade 10, Open (CHV2O)
This course explores what it means to be an informed, participating citizen
in a democratic society. Students will learn about the elements of democracy and
the meaning of democratic citizenship in local, national, and global contexts.
In addition, students will learn about social change, examine decision-making
processes in Canada, explore their own and others’ beliefs and perspectives on
civics questions, and learn how to think and act critically and creatively about
public issues.
The Civics course is organized into the following three strands.
Informed Citizenship. An understanding of key
civics questions, concepts, structures, and processes is fundamental to informed
citizenship. In a diverse and rapidly changing society that invites political
participation, the informed citizen should be able to demonstrate an
understanding of the reasons for and dimensions of democracy. In the Civics
course, students will gain an understanding of contrasting views of citizenship
within personal, community, national, and global contexts. As well, they will
learn the principles and practices of decision making.
Purposeful Citizenship. It is important that
students understand the role of the citizen, and the personal values and
perspectives that guide citizen thinking and actions. Students need to reflect
upon their personal sense of civic identity, moral purpose, and legal
responsibility – and to compare their views with those of others. They should
examine important civic questions and consider the challenges of governing
communities in which contrasting values, multiple perspectives, and differing
purposes coexist.
Active Citizenship. Students need to learn basic
civic literacy skills and have opportunities to apply those skills meaningfully
by participating actively in the civic affairs of their community. Civic
literacy skills include inquiry strategies, critical and creative thinking,
decision making, resolving conflicts, and collaborating. Full participatory
citizenship requires an understanding of practices used in civic affairs to
influence public decision making. As well, students will learn about the work
and contributions of agencies serving community interests and needs.
Informed Citizenship
Overall Expectations
By the end of the course, students will:
 | demonstrate an understanding of the reasons for democratic decision
making; |
| compare contrasting views of what it means to be a “citizen”; |
| describe the main features of local, provincial, and federal governments
in Canada and explain how these features work; |
| explain the legal rights and responsibilities associated with Canadian
citizenship; |
| demonstrate an understanding of citizenship within a global context. |
Specific Expectations
Democratic Decision Making
By the end of the course, students will:
| explain the causes of civic conflict, and identify the need for
decision-making processes and structures (e.g., ensure individual and
community needs are met, resolve conflict, adapt to change); |
| distinguish between democratic and authoritarian forms of decision making,
and compare the benefits and drawbacks of each form when used in everyday
contexts; |
| research and report on the elements of democratic decision making (e.g.,
rights and responsibilities of citizens, rule of law, common good,
parliamentary system, majority rule, rights of minorities); |
| analyze how dimensions of democratic decision making were practiced in
different historical contexts (e.g., Magna Carta, Periclean Athens, Iroquois
Confederacy) and in their current circumstances (e.g., classroom, community
associations); |
| identify similarities and differences in the ways power is distributed in
groups, societies, and cultures to meet human needs and resolve conflicts
(e.g., in families, classrooms, municipalities). |
Elements of Democratic Citizenship
By the end of the course, students will:
| explain what it means to be a citizen in diverse political communities
(e.g., school student union, community groups, ethnocultural groups, national
and international organizations); |
| research and write profiles of citizens with varying backgrounds (e.g.,
culture, religion, gender, socioeconomic status, nationality) who have made a
difference in public life, and compare the different types of civic
involvement they represent. |
The Rights and Responsibilities of Canadian Citizenship
By the end of the course, students will:
| identify the rights and responsibilities of citizenship expected and
practiced in their school or classroom, explain why these rights and
responsibilities were developed, and evaluate the extent to which they apply
to all students; |
| describe the changing nature of Canadian citizenship rights and
responsibilities based on an examination of provincial legislation, the Bill
of Rights (1960), and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982)
(e.g., in terms of fundamental freedoms, democratic rights, mobility rights,
legal rights, equality rights, language rights, Aboriginal rights); |
| explain why it is essential in a democracy for governments to be open and
accountable to their citizens, while protecting the personal information
citizens are required to provide to governments (e.g., Municipal Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Act); |
| demonstrate an understanding of how the judicial system (e.g., law courts,
trials, juries) protects the rights of both individuals and society (e.g., the
rights of the accused, the rights of the victim, and the role of the
judiciary); |
| describe a case in which a citizen’s rights and responsibilities have been
upheld or restricted, outlining the concerns and actions of involved citizens
and the reasons for the eventual outcome; |
| identify significant political leaders in today’s Canada. |
Making Decisions, Resolving Conflicts, and Developing Policy in Canada
By the end of the course, students will:
| explain the main features and functions of the different levels of
government in Canada (e.g., federal, provincial, municipal); |
| compare how laws, regulations, public policies, and decisions are made and
enforced at the local, provincial, and federal levels; |
| examine and analyze the importance and value of different ways of
resolving disputes (e.g., mediation, arbitration) that differ from judicial
approaches; |
| demonstrate an understanding of the important role played by regulatory
and adjudicative (quasi-judicial) agencies in our democratic society when
resolving issues and disputes between individuals and groups, and between
individuals or groups and government; |
| investigate the role of political parties in the parliamentary process and
examine the selection process for majority, minority, and coalition
governments, using provincial and federal examples; |
| examine and describe the roles played by elected representatives and
interest groups in the political process (e.g., lobbying); |
| research recently passed legislation at the community, provincial, or
federal level to resolve public conflict (e.g., smoking and health
regulations, drinking and driving laws, gun laws), and then produce a report
analysing the key issues and different points of view on the issues. |
Citizenship Within the Global Context
By the end of the course, students will:
| analyze contemporary crises or issues of international significance (e.g.,
health and welfare, disasters, human rights, economic development,
environmental quality) in the context of the global community; |
| summarize the rights and responsibilities of citizenship within the global
context, as based on an analysis of the United Nations Universal Declaration
of Human Rights (1948) and Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989); |
| research and summarize civic actions of individuals and non- governmental
organizations that have made a difference in global affairs (e.g., Cardinal
Paul-Emile Léger, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Craig Kielburger, David
Suzuki, Jean Vanier, Red Cross, Frontier College, Doctors Without Borders,
YWCA/YMCA); |
| compare the contributions of individuals, as explored in the student
summaries, to arrive at a definition of the term “global citizen”; |
| examine and describe methods of electing governments in other countries
(e.g., France, Israel, South Africa, Ireland). |
Purposeful Citizenship
Overall Expectations
By the end of the course, students will:
| examine beliefs and values underlying democratic citizenship, and explain
how these beliefs and values guide citizens’ actions; |
| articulate clearly their personal sense of civic identity and purpose, and
understand the diversity of beliefs and values of other individuals and groups
in Canadian society; |
| demonstrate an understanding of the challenges of governing communities or
societies in which diverse value systems, multiple perspectives, and differing
civic purposes coexist. |
| demonstrate an understanding of a citizen’s role in responding to
non-democratic movements (e.g., supremacist and racist organizations, fascism,
and communism) through personal and group actions (e.g., actions of the
Righteous Among the Nations during the Holocaust, Medgar Evers, Emily Murphy). |
Specific Expectations
Democratic Beliefs and Values
By the end of the course, students will:
| describe fundamental beliefs and values associated with democratic
citizenship (e.g., rule of law, human dignity, freedom of worship, respect for
rights of others, work for common good, sense of responsibility for others,
freedom of expression); |
| explain, based on an analysis of cases in local, provincial, national, and
global contexts, how democratic beliefs and values are reflected in citizen
actions; |
| articulate and clarify their personal beliefs and values concerning
democratic citizenship, and determine the influence of significant factors
(e.g., community, nation, cultural group, religion, gender, socioeconomic
status) on their sense of civic purpose. |
Beliefs, Values, and Multiple Perspectives
By the end of the course, students will:
| compare the varied beliefs, values, and points of view of Canadian
citizens on issues of public interest (e.g., privacy, reducing voting age,
freedom of information, compulsory military service, Native self-government,
Québec sovereignty); |
| explain how different groups (e.g., special interest groups, ethnocultural
groups) define their citizenship, and identify the beliefs and values
reflected in these definitions; |
| analyze a current public issue that involves conflicting beliefs and
values, describing and evaluating the conflicting positions; |
| describe how their own and others’ beliefs and values can be connected to
a sense of civic purpose and preferred types of participation. |
Civic Purpose, Community, and Personal Responsibilities
By the end of the course, students will:
| describe and assess the contributions that citizens and citizens’ groups
make to the civic purposes of their communities; |
| describe, compare, and analyze Canadian cases in which contrasting value
systems, multiple perspectives, and civic purposes coexist (e.g.,
constitutional debates, Québec sovereignty question, Native self-governance);
|
| research and summarize the introduction of the Nuremberg laws, the public
response to these laws in pre–World War II Europe, and the subsequent erosion
of human rights that led to the Holocaust; |
| analyse the evolution of Canada’s participation in international
tribunals, from the Nuremberg trials after World War II to the International
Court of Justice’s ongoing prosecutions involving war crimes and genocide
(e.g., Somalia, Rwanda, Bosnia); |
| describe ways citizens can be involved in responding to issues in which
contrasting value systems, multiple perspectives, and differing civic purposes
coexist, and determine their own sense of responsibility in relation to these
opportunities for involvement; |
| demonstrate an ability to anticipate conflicting civic purposes, overcome
personal bias, and suspend judgment in dealing with issues of civic concern. |
Active Citizenship
Overall Expectations
By the end of the course, students will:
| demonstrate an ability to research questions and issues of civic
importance, and to think critically and creatively about these issues and
questions; |
| demonstrate an ability to apply decision-making and conflict-resolution
procedures and skills to cases of civic importance; |
| demonstrate an ability to collaborate effectively when participating in
group enquiries and community activities; |
| demonstrate a knowledge of different types of citizenship participation
and involvement. |
Specific Expectations
Inquiry Skills
By the end of the course, students will:
| demonstrate an ability to formulate questions; locate information from
different types of sources (e.g., texts, special references, news media, maps,
community resources, Internet); and identify main ideas, supporting evidence,
points of view, and biases in these materials; |
| demonstrate an ability to organize information effectively (e.g., using
summaries, notes, timelines, visual organizers, maps, comparison organizers);
|
| demonstrate an ability to effectively use strategies within the inquiry
process when studying questions of civic importance in their school or local
community. |
Decision Making and Conflict Resolution
By the end of the course, students will:
| analyse approaches to decision making and conflict resolution that can
affect their own lives; |
| analyse important historical and contemporary cases that involve
democratic principles in the public process of conflict resolution and
decision making; |
| demonstrate an ability to apply conflict-resolution and decision-making
strategies (e.g., identify points of view and values, collect data) to public
issues affecting their own lives. |
Collaboration
By the end of the course, students will:
| demonstrate an ability to contribute to a positive climate in group
settings (e.g., respect rights and opinions of others, accept personal
responsibility for group duties, provide leadership when appropriate,
encourage others to participate); |
| communicate their own beliefs, points of view, and informed judgements,
and effectively use appropriate discussion skills (e.g., persuasion,
negotiation); |
| demonstrate an ability to work collaboratively and productively with
others when researching civics topics in their community. |
Citizenship Participation and Community Involvement
By the end of the course, students will:
| research and compare significant contributions made by individuals and
groups to their communities and assess the impact of these individuals’ and
groups’ contributions; |
| compare and evaluate the impact of various types of non-violent citizen
participation (e.g., advocacy, community service, voting, serving on juries)
in resolving public issues in Canada; |
| research and describe how family, gender, ethnicity, class, nationality,
and/or institutional affiliation may affect one’s ability to participate; |
| participate effectively in a civil action or project of interest to them
and of importance to the community (e.g., attend public hearings, plan
religious or cultural event, join special interest group, write letters to
editor); |
| produce a research report on the contributions of public agencies (e.g.,
government bodies, service clubs, media, public interest groups) and evaluate
the value of these contributions to society. |
Canadian by Conviction: Asserting Our Citizenship ($45.00)
The purpose of this course is to allow Ontario Catholic School Graduates to
develop attitudes and values based on Catholic social teachings and to integrate
faith with civic duty and responsibility. Students will be encouraged to
examine, evaluate, and apply knowledge of political, ethical, and socio-economic
systems for the promotion of a just, peaceful, and compassionate society.
Students will be encouraged to make decisions in light of gospel values with an
informed conscience. This course will involve activities that will encourage
students to act morally and legally as persons formed in Catholic traditions.
Civics course graduates will be effective communicators of the Good News of
Jesus Christ in their attitudes and approaches to historical and contemporary
issues involving citizenship.
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Unit 1 |
The Individual as Citizen |
21.25 hours |
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Unit 2 |
The Citizen at the Provincial and National Level |
13.75 hours |
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Unit 3 |
The Global Citizen |
10 hours |
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Unit 4 |
The Active Citizen |
10 hours |
Throughout the course a number of
instructional strategies will be used by the teacher including cooperative
learning, conferencing, discussion/debate, case study, lectures, and
inquiry-based research among other strategies.
The report card provides a
record of the learning skills demonstrated by the student in every course, in
the following five categories: Works Independently, Teamwork, Organization, Work
Habits, and Initiative. The learning skills are evaluated using a four-point
scale (E–Excellent, G–Good, S–Satisfactory, N–Needs Improvement). The separate
evaluation and reporting of the learning skills in these five areas reflects
their critical role in students’ achievement of the curriculum expectations.
Achievement charts provide a reference
point for all assessment practice and a framework within which to assess and
evaluate student achievement. The charts provide a standard province-wide
method for teachers to use in assessing and evaluating their students’
achievement. Teachers assess student achievement in four categories. The 4
categories of the achievement chart can be summarized as:
Knowledge/Understanding; Thinking/Inquiry/Problem Solving; Communication;
Application.
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70% Course work (tests, assignments,
ongoing assessment) |
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30% Final Evaluation (15% Exam, 15% Final
Performance Task) |
70% of the course final grade will represent the evidence
of student achievement collected from all four categories throughout the course
with the following designated weighting factors applied:
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25% Knowledge |
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25% Thinking/Inquiry |
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25% Communication |
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25% Application |
N.B.
Should a student miss all or part of the
scheduled final evaluation activities, the student will forfeit whatever
portion of the thirty percent that was not completed. In extenuating
circumstances (e.g., illness, death in the family, etc.) the principal shall
determine an alternative resolution for a missed final evaluation.
To ensure that the mark reflects the students knowledge of the
subject matter it is important to write all tests on the scheduled dates,
complete and hand in all assignments on time. Late and/or missed
assignments do impact the student's grade. If a due date has been missed, the
student is still responsible for completing the assignment before the evaluated
assignment is returned to the class. Missed assignments impact greatly in
cases where there is insufficient assessment evidence to determine a final
course grade. Extensions will be given if
deemed appropriate by the instructor, Mr.
Gord Walden, in person or by voice mail at (519) 631-2392 x215 or by email Mr._Walden@3waldens.com
A
"Funny" to Start you on your Civics Way
The Lord came to
Noah, in Canada, in the year 2003.
The earth was
wicked and over-populated. The Lord
instructed Noah to
build another Ark and save two of
every living thing
along with a few good humans.
"Here's the
blue print." said the Lord. "Hurry -- in six
months I start the
unending rain for 40 day and for 40
nights."
Six months later
the rain started. The Lord looked
down and saw Noah
weeping in his flooded yard ---
"And no
Ark,Noah", He roared," Where is the Ark?"
"Forgive me,
Lord," begged Noah."Things have changed.
I needed a
building permit. I've been arguing with the
inspector about
the need for a sprinkler system. My
neighbours claim
that I have violated the neighbourhood
zoning laws by
building the Ark in my yard and the height
limitation being
exceeded.
We had to go to the
Development Appeal
Board for a decision."
"Then
Transport Canada and the Department of Highways
and Hydro wanted a
bond posted for the future costs of
moving power,
trolley and other overhead obstructions, to
clear the passage
for the Ark's move to the sea. I argued
the sea would be
coming to us, but they would hear nothing
of this."
"Getting the
wood was another problem. There's a ban on
cutting local
trees in order to save the spotted owl. I tried
to convince the
environmentalists that I needed the wood
to save the owls.
No go!"
"I gathered
the animals, but then, I got sued by an Animal
Rights Group. They
insisted that I was confining wild animals
against their
will. As well, they argued the accommodation
was too
restrictive and it was crueland inhumane to put so
many animals in so
confined a space."
"Environment
Canada decided that I could not build the Ark
without filing an
environmental impact statement on your
proposed flood."
"I'm still
trying to resolve a complaint with the Human Rights
Commission on how
many minorities I'm supposed to hire
for my building
crew. The trades union wants me to hire only
Union trades -
people with Ark building experience."
"To make
matters worse, Canada Customs and Revenue
Agency seized all
my assets, claiming I'm trying to leave the
country illegally
as well as with endangered species."
"So, forgive
me, Lord, but it would take at least ten years to
finish thisArk."
Suddenly the skies
cleared and the sun began to shine. A
rainbow stretched
across the sky.
Noah looked up in
wonder --- "You mean you're not going
to destroy the
world?" he asked.
"No"
sayeth the Lord "Your Government beat me to it."
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