For our Cross Curricular Instruction class we were tasked with creating lesson, unit, assignment or activities that relate to and help foster growth in each of the core competencies. These are ideas that can and will be extended to be used in the future.
Communication
Social Studies 9: Focusing on the curriculum competency of explaining different perspectives on issues or events and the content focusing on the development of modern nation-states such as Canada, students will participate in a debate surrounding confederation. Students will be split into teams which represent the provinces at the time of confederation. They will have to argue on behalf of their province explaining why they think they should be a part of Canada and what they think are the most important things to consider when forming a new country.
Personal Awareness and Responsibility
Law Studies 12: In order to understand legislature concerning children and youth, students will write letters to newspapers, MPs or MLAs. We can discuss and research issues that students feel passionate or concerned about and we I will also teach students how to properly format a letter. Having students have their work published or getting a reply from a member of government can help students feel like their voice matters, take ownership of their learning and help students to discern what they want from their government.
Critical Thinking
Human Geography 11: Focusing on the curricular competency “Make reasoned ethical judgments about controversial actions in the past or present” and focusing on the relationship between natural resources and people, I will have students write a report on a present issue such as the Site C Dam. In this report students must outline 3 reasons for and 3 reasons against the project. They must use 3 types of sources that they perceive to be accurate and credible in order to support the arguments on both sides.
Positive Personal and Cultural Awareness
Social Studies 10: Using whatever form of mixed media students want, students will create a collage of what “Canadian” and “Canadian Identity” means to them. This can be done either on paper using images from magazines, the internet, newspapers etc. or in a digital format using similar images. Students will be encouraged to explore their own Canadian identity, as well as perceived Canadian identity. This must include Indigenous perceptions or understandings of the Canadian identity.
Social Responsibility
Social Studies 10: To cover content related to economic development and Canada’s role in a global economy I will have a lesson regarding the role of NGOs and their role in promoting (or potentially hindering) economic development in Canada and globally. In pairs or small groups students will have to create an NGO that will be directed in a certain country or region and will address an issue that they believe is unjust. With guidance from students on their particular interests the nature of the NGOs can become more specific.
Creative Thinking
Urban Studies 12: In order to help students understand the big idea “Decision making in urban and regional planning requires balancing political, economic, social, and environmental factors”, I would like to my students to design a public place in their local community that addresses something they think is missing. They will have to create a visual representation of the place they want to create and explain to the class why they think this space is needed, as well as the political, economic or social factors that must be considered in order for this space to be built.