Social Studies Lessons and Rationale

Field Trip to Black Creek Pioneer Village
Field Trip

HERITAGE AND IDENTITY: EARLY SOCIETIES, 3000 BCE–1500 CE

Rationale

I chose this topic because Canada welcomes people from all over the world with different lifestyles, languages, religion, culture and tradition, people with barely any knowledge about the country, except its generosity and openness to strangers. These people will question the root or beginning of the people of Canada; there will be similar questions to what I asked when I was new, that, who are the original Canadians? Do they have ancestors like where I came from? Can we find any history about the people? What about their ancestors, are there any great men or women? What impacts have they made and where are the landmarks? These are prominent questions that will be asked. The Ontario curriculum on Social Studies/History provides the answers to these questions and many more.

Teaching social studies serves as a unique form of inquiry into solving current problems and if we must understand today, we must investigate yesterday so as to face the future. Learning social studies is not all about the history of the past but also connecting the people with the environment and how we all form a strong identity with each other by respecting our differences and celebrating what makes us the same. Teaching in the 21st Century has evolved through implementing different teaching skills that incorporates different subjects, teaching tools and learning styles into a lesson and present it in a way that addresses the needs of every student and at the same time nurture their knowledge to the level it needs to be.

Moreover the people of Canada have built a strong relationship with countries all over the world through the prompt response to international issues and provided and continues to provide viable solutions to many international issues, in doing so, we keep building strong bonds with other nations and students will develop to become active participants in reading and understanding history and become confident in seeing themselves as representatives and ambassadors of Canada. Canada’s response to international crisis has encouraged students to model the act of responsible nation builders in making valuable decisions by showing empathy, compassion, acceptance and resilience, appreciating their democratic values as active citizens. This will encourage students to go beyond the classroom and be of active service to their community and the world around them.

According to Statistics Canada, Canada’s national identity has continuously changed, being shaped by shifts in the socio-demographic landscape of Canada, historical events and social relationships. Students will formulate significant questions for research and inquiry to understand the statistics. Through inquiry students are required to view events in a chronological order and determine the validity and credibility of events with evidence in order to analyze, construct and reconstruct narratives about events and ideas of the past in order to appreciate the diversity that determines our identity as Canadians.    

Students will also have the opportunity to apply critical literacy skills to explore the role of the media in creating public perceptions of issues, and come to terms with the portrayal of the multiple cultural and linguistic dimensions of our society and inquire, also examine viewpoints, take stand, clarify issues and form relationships that are important to them in shaping their Canadian identity.

Lesson Overview

Teacher: Peace Dogbey

Subject: Social Studies Strand A. Heritage and Identity: Early Societies,    

            3000 BCE–1500 CE

Big Idea: Why are early societies worth learning about and how does this narrative impact and shape

               our identity as Canadians?               

Learning Goals/Objectives:

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• develop an understanding of responsible citizenship;
• develop an understanding of the diversity within local, national, and global communities, both past and present;
• identify some similarities and differences between First Nation societies and the early societies

Curriculum Expectation:

Inquiry: Use the social studies inquiry process to investigate ways of life and relationships with the environment in two of more early societies (3000 BCE–1500 CE), with an emphasis on aspects of the interrelationship between the environment and life in those societies.

A2.1- Formulate questions to guide investigations into ways of life and relationships of early societies with the environment in two or more societies, with an emphasis on aspects of the interrelationship between the environment and life in those societies.

A2.2- Gather and organize information on ways of life and relationships with the environment in early societies, using a variety of primary and secondary sources in both print and electronic formats.

Lesson Narrative:

In this opening lesson to the first line of inquiry, students speculate on the similarities and differences that make the study of early societies worthwhile. They develop an understanding of the idea of an early society by sorting images from long ago and present-day. With the use of maps and pictures students investigate the historical order of early societies by examining images. They share existing beliefs about how life compared during these different time periods, and distinguish between similarities and differences among these communities. In this this lesson, students examine images from various early societies to help them draw conclusions about daily life. They use observational strategies through technological devices to search for documentaries, and images that will help them understand the basic content of an image, and are presented with the criteria for making effective observations. Students are introduced to categories for describing aspects of daily life, and learn how to draw reasonable conclusions based on their observations. Students are provided with image sets depicting information about one aspect of daily life from each of the five different early societies as well as present-day. They work in pairs and small groups to make observations and form conclusions. In this lesson, students will examine reports from different perspectives; compare examples of conflict and cooperation from both present-day and early societies. They use criteria for conflict and cooperation to help them interpret a variety of images, and form conclusions about why the conflict and cooperation is occurring. Students look for similarities and differences between conflict and cooperation of people in early societies and present-day.

Assessment:

During the lesson assessment will take a continuous process, students will be asked diagnostic questions relating to their prior knowledge of the First Nation communities prior and after the arrival of the Europeans. Students’ will discuss who FNMI (Aboriginals) are and why they are referred to as FNMI or Aboriginals. IPad, computers and pictures will be referenced and Students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of culture, diversity, and world view, while recognizing the similarities and differences reflected in various personal, cultural, and ethnic perspectives. Reference will be made to field trips taken in the past to visit First nation communities. In the absence of any previous field trips, the teachers will arrange for an upcoming field trip to significant places like Crawford Lake conservation area. Teacher will give feedback to students questions and lead students to understand that their are different perspectives to the study of the events of the early communities. The perspective of the First Nation people and that of the early settlers. With the use of technology such as the class computer and iPads, students will search up pictures and maps of the locations of the early communities and working in groups students will formulate questions through inquiry learning, to develop their own ideas and arrive at logical conclusions. Assess students’ ability to think critically, by exploring the similarities and differences past and present communities. Give a short quiz at the end of class to check for comprehension.    

Formative Questions will be asked during the learning activity to investigate if the students are learning the information regarding diversity among the First Nations and early settlers.what is the difference in diversity then and now? Students will relate the past experience to the challenges and opportunities that immigration presents to newcomers in Canada. How does these opportunities contribute to the development of self-esteem, identity and citizenship?

"What were some of the games and sports played by the pre-contact First Nations in Canada? In what ways are they similar or different from the games and sports you play?"

"What agricultural practices did the First Nations use, are they similar to the medieval times?

What farming techniques are practiced in Canada now?

Summative Questions: Students will be asked to complete a written task to determine what students know and how much knowledge and understanding students’ have accomplished. Test will likely be in multiple choice format. Students responses to questions should reflect their understanding of diversity, citizenship and the importance of learning about the existence of the FNMI before and after the early settlers arrived. Students will be allowed to write about their reflection after the lesson and cue cards will be displayed for reflection.

Rubrics and checklists are effective tools for teachers to set out criteria for evaluation.