The document discusses the evolution of Ontario's social studies curriculum from the early 1990s to present day. It focuses on how the curriculum has incorporated or removed concepts like social justice, citizenship, and environmental awareness over time in response to political influences. It proposes analyzing the curriculum through a social justice and environmental lens and modifying it to make these concepts more clear and central.

4. Canada and World Connections Strand, Grade 6 : Canada’s Links to the World • identify and describe Canada’s economic, political, social, and physical [environmental] links with the United States and other regions of the world; • use a variety of resources and tools to gather, process, and communicate information about the domestic and international effects of Canada’s links with the United States and other areas of the world; • explain the relevance to Canada of current global issues and influences .

7. Global Education & Social Activist centred curriculum Which end of the spectrum do you think The Ontario Curriculum presently lies? Inclusion * * * * * * (“other peoples and other cultures”) (“we/some of us”)

8. Heritage and Citizenship: Grade 4 – Medieval Times Overview Students discover the major features of daily life in medieval European societies. Students investigate the major events and influences of the era and determine how they shaped medieval society. Students apply their understandings to compare communities in medieval times with their own communities today. Overall Expectations By the end of Grade 4, students will: • identify and describe major features of daily life and social organization in medieval European societies from about 500 to 1500 C.E. (Common Era); • use a variety of resources and tools to investigate the major events and influences of the era and determine how they shaped medieval society; • relate significant elements of medieval societies to comparable aspects of contemporary Canadian communities.

9. Fundamental Concepts Environment: The natural and built elements of which the earth is composed, and the complex web they form. • human and natural systems • human and natural patterns • exploitation and utilization of resources • regions • ecosystems • urbanization Gd 2 • explain how the environment affects people’s lives and the ways in which their needs are met. Gd3 • explain how communities interact with each other and the environment to meet human needs. Gd 4 • use a variety of resources and tools to determine the influence of physical factors on the economies and cultures of Ontario and the other provinces and territories;

12. Repatriate this mask Make careful observations of the artefact to help you decide which of the Aboriginal groups we have studied would likely have produced this artefact? How are Aboriginal cultures and ways of life unique in each of the western, northern, central and eastern regions of Canada? Critical Thinking Consortium www.TC2.ca

13. We also want students to be able to entertain Ambiguity & make Judgments based on Evidence

14. Who was Mathieu Da Costa? Where might he have come from? When was he in Canada? How did he gain his skills? What did he do? Could he have been enslaved or was he a free man? Was he a valuable person to the French and Dutch and why ? What business activities might Da Costa’s skills be important for?

15. Systems Thinking Systems Thinking