Grade 9 Civics (Winter Term)
From Rsgc Library
Contents |
Course Information
Assessment & Evaluation
Students will be assessed and evaluated according to the four desired outcomes in the Ontario curriculum:
- Knowledge & Understanding
- Inquiry & Thinking
- Communication
- Application
Each form of evaluation will attempt to incorporate aspects of these four outcomes.
The types of evaluation will include:
- Written work (short essays, formal responses to items of discussion, short answers to different scenarios discussed in class): 35% of final mark
- Oral work (formal debating, presentations, role playing): 35% of final mark
- Summative (series of written pieces near the end of the course meant to demonstrate achievement of overall learning outcomes: 30% of final mark
Students should expect regular feedback on their learning in order to assist them in achieving the desired learning outcomes.
Introduction to the Course
Class #1: January 17, 2008
- Distribution of course outline and explanation of grading practices
- Class web page, SSD
- Exercise:
- Take some time to think about five issues that are important to you.
- Try to come up with at least one local, national, and international issue.
- Explain, in a few sentences, why the issue is important to you.
- Be prepared to share them with the class.
- Video: Prelude to War
Curriculum expectations met in this class include:
- Explain the causes of civic conflict and how decision-making processes and structures can avert or respond to such conflicts (rise of Nazism and Soviet communism);
- Compare the benefits and drawbacks of democratic and authoritarian forms of decision-making, drawing on examples from everyday contexts (dictatorship vs. democracy)
Class #2: January 21, 2008
- YPI Student Questionnaire 1: Complete in class
- Exercise: Correct the spelling and grammatical mistakes in the passage
- Video: Prelude to War, followed by discussion and note
- Note: Forms and expressions of power: influence, authority, coercion
Curriculum expectations met in this class include:
- Identify similarities and differences in the way power is distributed in groups, institutions, and communities
Units 1-2: Youth & Philanthropy Initiative, Canadian Government and Politics
The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative, and Unit 2, Canadian Government & Politics, will be covered concurrently.
Class #3: January 23, 2008 : Introductory workshop on YPI with Megan Tasker from the Toskan-Casale Foundation
- This full period workshop will introduce students to several important concepts: philanthropy, volunteerism, major Canadian social issues, the non-profit social service sector, and help them focus their own priorities and interests for the YPI project.
Class #4: January 25, 2008: YPI Lesson 1
Writing Exercise: Correct the passage
By the end of this lesson students will have:
- an understanding of language related to philanthropy and charity
- be able to describe the different charitable sectors and distinguish between them
- have identified the benefits of philanthropy for society and the donors/volunteers
Handouts include:
- Appendix A: Charitable Donors
- Appendix B: Description of Charitable Sectors
- Worksheet #1: What is Charity
- Worksheet #2: Charity, Volunteerism & Philanthropy
Create MS Word document named YPI#1.doc and answer questions 1-3 on page 47 of handout.
Class #5: January 29, 2008: YPI Lesson #1 continued and Text Reading Period: Canadian Civics, chapter 1 (pp. 2 - 19)
Read chapter 1: Why Civics? Why Democracy? and complete the following:
Define the Key Terms listed in box on page 2 in full sentences in an MS Word file named "Chapter 1 Key Terms.doc" and save to the Civics folder on your computer. Be prepared to share your answers in a future class.
Class #6: January 31, 2008: YPI Lesson #2 Charitable Deeds and Events, Research Skills
Curriculum expectations met in this class include:
- formulate appropriate questions for inquiry and research; locate relevant information in a variety of sources (e.g., texts, reference materials, news media, maps, community resources, the Internet); and identify main ideas, supporting evidence, points of view, and biases in these materials;
Complete Activity Sheet for Chapter 1.
Class #7: February 6, 2008: Power Note, Discussion of YPI Lesson #2, and Take Up Activity Sheet for Chapter 1.
- Create MS Word document called Power.doc.
- Distribute Activity Sheet for Chapter 2.
- 12 question multiple choice test on chapter 1 next class
Class #8: February 8, 2008
- 12 question quiz on chapter 1
- Class discussion: Afro-centric schools
- YPI: DIamond Activity: Important Social Issues
- YPI: Research charities
Class #9: February 12, 2008
- YPI: Researching Charities
Class #10: February 14, 2008
- Work Period: Start chapter 2 (Chapter 2 Key Terms.doc)
- Answer gambling questions on page 26, print, and bring to class
Class #11: February 20, 2008
- Collect gambling questions
- Review Key Terms on page 22
- British Columbia Budget: Carbon Tax
- YPI: form groups and research/decide charities
- Chapter 2 activity sheet (time permitting)