Learning Areas

High School Block:

Social Studies 9

Learners have opportunities for personalization through explorations of Canadian Identities and Civics in
compulsory Grade 9 and 10 courses, and a wide range of elective courses to support their interests, passions, and
sense of identity. Learners will engage with persistent issues across Canada and the globe and apply the skills
they have developed in history, geography, civics, and economics to real-world problems locally and globally. By
the end of Grade 12 this looks like having a strong sense of personal agency to effect change, a clear sense of the
systems that influence the lives of citizens, a solid understanding of place, and a developed identity as a global
citizen.

CONTEXTS AND CONCEPTS

CANADIAN IDENTITIES

GEOGRAPHY

Canada’s physical and human landscapes
Types of maps
Climate and climate change
Natural and human resources
Pervasive geographical issues in Canada

HISTORY

National identity over time in Canada
Immigration and migration Canada’s history
Indian Residential and Day Schools
World War II and the Holocaust
Pervasive historical issues in Canada

CIVICS

Nationalism and regionalism
Human rights legislation and issues
Government and governance in Canada
Minority rights in Canada
Pervasive civic issues in Canada

WABANAKI

Historic and contemporary influences on the treaty relationship
Indigenous governance
Sovereignty
Pervasive
Indigenous issues in Canada

ECONOMICS

Cost of living
Minimum wage
Standard of living
Food security
Pervasive economic issues in Canada

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GRADE
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GRADE

Strand: Geography

Big Idea: Places and Regions

Skill Descriptor: Investigate basic features of Canada’s landscape and climate.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS

Achievement Indicators:

Interpret at least three different types of maps
Explain the variations in the physical landscape across Canada
Investigate examples of the impact of climate change in Canada
Describe characteristics of Canada’s climate regions and variations between them
Discuss the difference between climate and weather

Big Idea: Human Systems and Interactions

Skill Descriptor: Analyze the effect of human settlement on place over time.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SGC

Achievement Indicators:

Discuss the historical events that have shaped the Canadian human landscape
Explain why communities are established and grow at particular locations
Assess the effect of natural and human resources on regional prosperity
Research the causes of and responses to resource depletion
Define regionalism in Canada
Describe world locations that have economic, technological, demographic, environmental, or political connections to Canada
Describe Canada’s landscape, climate, regionalism, and cultural diversity through analysis of art, literature, media, and music

Strand: History

Big Idea: Events and Peoples

Skill Descriptor: Analyze various perceptions of identities in Canada.

Global Competencies: CL, CM, CTPS, SGC

Achievement Indicators:

Describe the concept of identity and what it means to them
Research how the concept of national identity in Canada has changed over time
Connect historical and current events to their own sense of identity
Discuss different Canadians’ point of view on what it means to be Canadian
Discuss factors that connect Canadians to shared identities
Debate the concept of a national identity in a diverse society
Describe Canadian identities through analysis of art, literature, media, and music

Skill Descriptor: Analyze the impact of migration and immigration on identities in Canada.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SGC

Achievement Indicators:

Explain why people migrate, including push and pull factors
Describe immigration patterns in Canada’s history, including the trafficking of enslaved persons
Explain the impact of immigration on Canada, including Canada’s history of discriminatory immigration policies
Investigate the impact of immigration to Canada on Indigenous ways of life
Discuss the relationship between immigration and the creation of the Residential and Day School systems for Indigenous Peoples
Explain requirements for entering Canada as an immigrant or refugee
Describe immigration and its impact in Canada through analysis of art, literature, media, and music

Strand: Civics

Big Idea: Civic Engagement

Skill Descriptor: Take age-appropriate actions that demonstrate the rights and responsibilities of citizenship (local, national, and global).

Global Competencies: CL, CM, CTPS, ICE, SASM, SGC

Achievement Indicators:

Define citizenship, including rights and responsibilities
Analyze how the history of Canada has shaped concepts of citizenship
Discuss human rights as identified in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the NB Human Rights Act
Plan and carry out age-appropriate actions that demonstrate engaged citizenship

Big Idea: Power and Governance

Skill Descriptor: Explain the structures and operations of governance in Canada.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SGC

Achievement Indicators:

Describe how democracy works in Canada
Outline the operation and responsibilities of government at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels, including First Nations governance
Describe the roles and responsibilities of executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government
Explain the election process for governance in Canada
Identify the official political parties in Canada
Research the Federal government’s responsibilities in the international community

Big Idea: Rights and Responsibilities

Skill Descriptor: Investigate persistent issues involving the rights, responsibilities, roles, and status of individuals and groups in Canada.

Global Competencies: CL, CM, CTPS, SGC

Achievement Indicators:

Discuss how the law can be a tool of oppression and a tool for equity
Describe Canada’s role in WWII and its effect on Canadian communities
Outline why some First Nations communities are seeking self-governance and what traditional modes of self-governance look like
Describe the historic and current state of duality and linguistic rights in Canada
Describe the historic and current work to end gender disparity in Canada
Describe the historic and current work to gain minority rights in Canada
Explain rights, responsibilities, roles, and status of peoples in Canada through analysis of art, literature, media, and music

Strand: Wabanaki

Big Idea: Treaty Education

Skill Descriptor: Examine key issues involving treaty relationships in Canada.

Global Competencies: CL, CM, CTPS, SASM, SGC

Achievement Indicators:

Analyze how and why Western perspectives tend to be privileged over Indigenous perspectives
Outline issues impacting the treaty relationship, both historic and contemporary (statues of Cornwallis, John A. MacDonald, naming of university buildings, etc.)
Discuss contemporary legal implications and applications of the treaty relationship
Contrast the Peace and Friendship Treaties to other Treaties in Canada (for example, the Numbered Treaties)

Strand: Economics

Big Idea: Sustainability

Skill Descriptor: Investigate living conditions for groups in Canada.

Global Competencies: CL, CM, CTPS, SGC

Achievement Indicators:

Compare minimum wage with costs of living (housing, food, amenities, childcare, etc.) across Canada
Describe minimum standards of living as described in human rights documents
Outline research-based and community-informed solutions to issues of food security, housing, and access to services in Canada
Identify ways that people use their skills and community support to address inequalities and to make life better for themselves and others

GRADE

Course Comparison >

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Other High School Clusters

Humanities Courses

Resources

Understanding Civic Power

The goal is for students to understand power, where it comes from, and how it manifests in society. They will learn how power can both support and subvert democratic values and recognize the importance of agency through active citizenship in ways that create inclusive public spaces.

Grade 10

Autonomy and Governance

This lesson explores treaty relationships in Canada, covering historical and contemporary issues. It highlights Western perspectives versus Indigenous perspectives, encouraging critical analysis. Through reading and analyzing relevant documents, discussing resource materials, and answering guiding questions, students gain insight into Indigenous experiences. Topics include Peace and Friendship Treaties and Numbered Treaties.

Grade 9

Role of Landscape and Physical Environment

This lesson focuses on key issues involving treaty relationships in Canada by discussing historical and contemporary issues. Western perspectives over Indigenous perspectives are highlighted, fostering critical analysis. Reading and analyzing relevant documents, discussing resource documents and answering guiding questions promotes understanding of Indigenous experiences. By utilizing an old map alongside a contemporary political map, students will demonstrate the ability to identify and locate the provinces and territories encompassed by different Indigenous treaties, fostering an understanding of the historical and geographical context of these agreements.

Grade 9