Political Inquiry and Skill Development |
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Overall Expectations Political Inquiry: use the political inquiry process and the concepts of political thinking when investigating issues, events, and developments of civic importance; Specific Expectations select and organize relevant evidence, data, and information on issues, events, and/or developments of civic importance from a variety of primary and secondary sources (e.g., primary sources: interviews, photographs, podcasts, speeches, statistics, surveys; secondary sources: investigative news stories, textbooks, most websites), ensuring that their sources reflect multiple perspectives assess the credibility of sources relevant to their investigations (e.g., the reliability of the evidence presented in a source; the purpose, intended audience, and context of a source; the bias, values, and expertise of the speaker/author) |
MediaSmarts Resources Beyond Media Messages: Media Portrayal of Global Development Finding and Authenticating Online Information on Global Development Issues
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Civic Awareness |
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Overall Expectations 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 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 Specific Expectations describe some civic issues of local, national, and/or global significance (e.g., bullying in schools; violence in local communities; accessibility of buildings in the local community for people with disabilities; availability of recreational facilities in the local community; casino development; voter turnout; issues related to freedom of information, taxation, water quality; Aboriginal treaty rights; the impact of consumer choices; human rights issues related to racism, child labour, the rights of girls or women, homophobia, or classism; intervention in foreign conflict), and compare the perspectives of different groups on selected issues describe fundamental beliefs and values associated with democratic citizenship in Canada (e.g., rule of law; freedom of expression; freedom of religion; equity; respect for human dignity, the rights of others, and the common good; social responsibility), and explain ways in which they are reflected in citizen actions (e.g., voting, various protest movements and/or demonstrations, various ethnic or religious celebrations or observances, organ donation, environmental stewardship, volunteer work) explain why it is important for people to engage in civic action, and identify various reasons why individuals and groups engage in such action (e.g., to protect their rights or the rights of others, to advocate for change, to protect existing programs, to protect the environment, to achieve greater power or autonomy, out of a sense of social justice or social responsibility, for ethical reasons, to protect their own interests) analyse rights and responsibilities of citizenship within a global context, including those related to international conventions, laws, and/or institutions (e.g., the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights [1948], Convention on the Rights of the Child [1989], Rio Declaration on Environment and Development [1992], or Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples [2007]; the International Criminal Court) identify examples of human rights violations around the world (e.g., hate crimes, torture, genocide, political imprisonment, recruitment of child soldiers, gender-based violence and discrimination), and assess the effectiveness of responses to such violations (e.g., media scrutiny; government sanctions; military intervention; regional, national, and/or international tribunals; boycotts; pressure from governments and/or NGOs) |
MediaSmarts Resources Beyond Media Messages: Media Portrayal of Global Development Finding and Authenticating Online Information on Global Development Issues |
Civic Engagement and Action |
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Overall Expectations 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 Specific Expectations describe a variety of ways in which they could make a civic contribution at the local, national, and/or global level (e.g., by serving on student council or on an organization offering support to students who are being bullied; by reducing the amount of solid waste they generate and by properly disposing of hazardous waste; by volunteering at a food bank, retirement home, hospital, humane society, or recreational facility in the local community; by donating blood; by participating in community clean-up or tree-planting days; by raising funds for a charity or a development NGO; by writing to or speaking with their city or band councillor, MPP, or MP to request action on an issue) explain how various actions can contribute to the common good at the local, national, and/ or global level (e.g., engaging in a non-violent protest can heighten awareness of an issue and pressure for change; buying fair trade products helps ensure that producers are fairly compensated for the products they produce; the organized boycotting of products can pressure corporations to change irresponsible practices; donating to a development NGO can help improve the lives of people affected by a natural disaster or enhance health care in developing countries; canvassing or fundraising for an organization that works for social justice can raise people’s awareness of issues related to inequity or human rights abuses) describe various ways in which people can access information about civic matters (e.g., websites of governments, political parties, NGOs, or other groups and/or institutions; social media; meetings organized by elected representatives; newspapers or newscasts), and assess the effectiveness of ways in which individuals can voice their opinions on these matters (e.g., by contacting their elected representatives, being part of a delegation to speak on an issue under consideration by city council, organizing a petition, voting, making a presentation to a commission of inquiry, participating in a political party or interest group; by expressing their views through the media, including social media, or at a town-hall meeting; through court challenges; through art, drama, or music) analyse a civic issue of personal interest, including how it is viewed by different groups propose different courses of action that could be used to address a specific civic issue (e.g., a public awareness campaign, a plan for local action, a campaign to pressure for political action), and assess their merits develop a plan of action to implement positive change with respect to a specific civic issue, and predict the results of their plan develop criteria that could be used to assess the effectiveness of their plan of action if it were implemented |
MediaSmarts Resources Beyond Media Messages: Media Portrayal of Global Development Cyberbullying and the Law (Grades 9-12) |