Course Overview
Course Title: Civics and Citizenship, Grade 10
Course Code: CHV 2O
Grade: 10
Course Type: Open
Credit Value: 0.5
Prerequisite: None required
Department: Guidance and Career Education
Tuition Fee (CAD): $449
This course explores rights and responsibilities associated with being an active citizen in a democratic society. Students will explore issues of civic importance such as healthy schools, community planning, environmental responsibility, and the influence of social media, while developing their understanding of the role of civic engagement and of political processes in the local, national, and/or global community. Students will apply the concepts of political thinking and the political inquiry process to investigate, and express informed opinions about, a range of political issues and developments that are both of significance in today’s world and of personal interest to them.
Overall Curriculum Expectations
By the end of the course, students will gain proficiency in the following areas:
Political Inquiry and Skill Development
- Political Inquiry: use the political inquiry process and the concepts of political thinking when investigating issues, events, and developments of civic importance;
- Developing Transferable Skills: apply in everyday contexts skills developed through investigations related to civics and citizenship education, and identify some careers in which civics and citizenship education might be an asset.
Civic Awareness
- Civic Issues, Democratic Values: describe beliefs and values associated with democratic citizenship in Canada, and explain how they are related to civic action and to one’s position on civic issues
- Governance in Canada: explain, with reference to a range of issues of civic importance, the roles and responsibilities of various institutions, structures, and figures in Canadian governance
- Rights and Responsibilities: analyse key rights and responsibilities associated with citizenship, in both the Canadian and global context, and some ways in which these rights are protected
Civic Engagement and Action
- Civic Contributions: analyse a variety of civic contributions, and ways in which people can contribute to the common good
- Inclusion and Participation: assess ways in which people express their perspectives on issues of civic importance and how various perspectives, beliefs, and values are recognized and represented in communities in Canada
- Personal Action on Civic Issues: analyse a civic issue of personal interest and develop a plan of action to address it
Unit Overview
| Unit 1: In Your Community To help you understand these civic issues, you will need to take some time to learn about the difference between facts and opinions. You will also have an opportunity to look at some civic role models who hopefully will inspire and challenge you to think about ways that you can become more involved in civic life. In fact, you will have a chance to reflect on the ways in which you may already be making a political statement or participating in civic activities in your day-to-day life. | 17 hours |
| Unit 2: Taking a Stand You will investigate the roles of certain stakeholder groups and find out how they have an impact on people and government decisions. An introduction to Canada’s political parties will help you understand some of their differing positions on various issues. After that, it’s time to learn about the various ways that citizens try to influence their government-through actions such as voting, campaigning, and protesting. In your Culminating Activity for this unit, you’ll be asked to create your very own “how-to” manual that could be used by other citizens who want to create change on a specific civic issue. | 17 hours |
| Unit 3: Global Civics ou’ll begin by responding to a social media video that addresses a civic issue of interest. Next, you’ll learn about Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms and study a famous case involving a student who was searched for drugs while on school property. After discussing the case with your classmates, you’ll write a portfolio reflection on which section of the Charter is most important to you on a personal level. From there, you’ll turn your attention to human rights, and you’ll analyse some of the ways in which individuals and groups respond when their rights are violated. Next, you’ll shift your focus from rights to responsibilities, looking at the key responsibilities associated with Canadian citizenship. | 17 hours |
| Unit 4: Culminating Project Your focus will be on objectives and results while assessing the degree of change that comes with action. You will be faced with many civic issues throughout your lifespan but the analytical skills and critical thinking you have developed here will help you work through these issues as you continue to be an informed, involved, and responsible citizen. | 4 hours |
| Total Hours | 55 hours |
Teaching and Learning Strategies
Enthusiastic teachers and instructors bring unique teaching and assessment methods to the classroom because students learn best when they are engaged in a range of different learning techniques. The activities allow students to apply learned concepts to current world social, economic, and environmental issues which impact daily life. Opportunities to relate knowledge and skills to these wider contexts will motivate students to learn in a meaningful way and to become life-long learners. Instructors also inspire students to become successful problem solvers by investigating, providing alternative reasoning and solutions to problems as well as dedicating time and energy to the tasks at hand.
Effective instructional techniques utilize students’ existing knowledge and by capturing their interest and engaging in meaningful participation. Students will be engaged when they are able to see the correlation between the learned concepts and their ability to apply them to the world around them and in real-life situations. Students will have the chance to learn using a wide range of methods which include self-learning, cooperative learning as well as learning through teacher guidance as well has hands-on experiences. The methods and strategies teachers implement will be tailored to the learning requirements and the individual needs of the students. Teachers will achieve effective instruction in an online environment by using videos, interactive animations and virtual labs and discussion forums and video conferencing/live chat.
Individualized Accommodations for Students
Our methodology for student assessment follows the Growing Success Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting in Ontario Schools First Edition, Covering Grades 1 to 12 (2010) manual published by the Ontario Ministry of Education. Assessment is the process of gathering information that accurately reflects how well a student is achieving the curriculum expectations in a subject or course. Assessment tools are designed to improve student learning which includes descriptive feedback, coaching, observations and self-assessments. In addition, student can be independent and set individual goals, monitor progress against these goals, determine next steps and reflect on their thinking and learning.
For a student with special education needs who requires modified or alternative expectations, assessment and evaluation of his or her achievement will be based on the modified curriculum expectations or alternative expectations outlined in the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). Accommodations required to facilitate the student’s learning may be identified by the teacher, however recommendations from a School Board generated in the form of an Individual Education Plan (IEP) should be used, if available.
For a student with special education needs who requires “accommodations only”, as described in his or her IEP, assessment and evaluation of achievement will be based on the appropriate subject/ grade/course curriculum expectations and the achievement levels outlined in the curriculum documents.
A student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) describes his or her educational program and any accommodations that may be required. The IEP specifies whether the student requires:
accommodations only; or
modified learning expectations, with the possibility of accommodations;
Assessment accommodations are changes in procedures that enable the student to demonstrate his
or her learning. These may include:
visual supports to clarify verbal instructions, assistive devices, or some form of human support;
alternative methods for the student to demonstrate his or her achievement of expectations (e.g., allowing the student to take tests orally) or the allowance of extra time to complete the assessment;
alternative settings that may be more suitable for the student to demonstrate his or her learning.
If accommodations are required to assess and evaluate student learning, the strategies to be used are outlined in the student’s IEP.
For further details about the different types of accommodations, modified learning expectation and alternative programs please refer to Growing Success Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting in Ontario Schools First Edition, Covering Grades 1 to 12 (2010)
Ministry Policy Guidance
Materials Required
Standard Computer Requirements for all courses:
-Processor speed of 2 GHz or faster
-Memory of 4 GB RAM or greater
-A high speed internet connection with a connection speed of 10 MB/s or better.
-Monitor and video card with 1024×768 or greater resolution
-Keyboard and Mouse is recommended
-Speakers/Headphones