World issues is part of a series of curriculum reforms in the social studies undertaken by Saskatchewan Education, Training and Employment.
This comprehensive curriculum development process began with the establishment of the Social Studies Task Force in 1981. The Task Force was made up of people representing various sectors of Saskatchewan society. It surveyed a wide range of public opinion and on the basis of its findings compiled a report outlining a philosophy for social studies education.
In October 1982, the Minister of Education established a Social Sciences Reference Committee. The Reference Committee developed a plan of action based on the recommendations of the Task Force to give specific direction to the planned course revisions.
The Reference Committee defined the aim of social studies education:
....as a study of people and their relationships with their social and physical environments. The knowledge, skills, and values developed in social studies help students to know and appreciate the past, to understand the present and to influence the future. Therefore, social studies in the school setting has a unique responsibility for providing students with the opportunity to acquire knowledge, skills and values to function effectively within their local and national society which is enmeshed in an interdependent world.
Report of the Social Sciences Reference Committee,
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The following model represents the social studies curricula:
This model of social studies education prescribes four major goals for social studies teaching:
| concept formation | - helping students to understand and apply social studies concepts; |
| knowledge | - providing students with basic social studies content; |
| skills/abilities | - developing in students the necessary skills/abilities to understand and use social studies information; and, |
| values | - in a democratic classroom environment, helping students to learn those skills and attitudes that will allow them to discuss, debate, and critically evaluate the ideas and beliefs facing citizens of a democratic society. |
The Reference Committee has outlined a set of twelve themes, one for each grade level. The themes present a content sequence designed to guide students from the familiar to the unfamiliar and from a local to a global view of the world. The themes for grades 1-12 are:
| Grade 1 | Families | Grade 7 | Canada and the World Community |
| Grade 2 | Local Communities | Grade 8 | The Individual in Society |
| Grade 3 | Community Comparisons | Grade 9 | The Roots of Society |
| Grade 4 | Saskatchewan Communities | Grade 10 | Social Organizations |
| Grade 5 | The Canadian Identity | Grade 11 | World Issues |
| Grade 6 | Canada's Global Neighbours | Grade 12 | Canadian Studies |
The major components of Core Curriculum are the required areas of study and the common essential learnings. Core Curriculum also provides for locally-determined options to meet needs at the local level and the adaptive dimension which provides opportunities for teachers to individualize instruction.
Core Curriculum is intended:
| "to provide all Saskatchewan students with an education that will reinforce the teaching of basic skills and introduce an expanded range of new skills to the curriculum. It will also encompass the processes and knowledge needed to achieve broader goals as identified by the Curriculum and Instruction Review Committee."
Adapted from Core curriculum: Plans for implementation.
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The seven required areas of study within the core curriculum are language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, health education, arts education, and physical education.
Six common essential learnings (C.E.L.s) have been defined and will be incorporated into social studies teaching as perspectives which influence how social studies is taught. The C.E.L.s are to be taught and evaluated as part of the social studies courses. The Common Essential Learnings (C.E.L.s) are summarized below.
Independent Learning involves the creation of opportunities and experiences necessary for students to become capable, self-reliant, self-motivated, and life-long learners who see learning as an empowering activity of great personal and social worth.
Personal and Social Values and Skills deals with the personal, moral, social, and cultural aspects of each school subject and has as a major objective the development of responsible and compassionate citizens who understand the rational basis for moral claims.
Critical and Creative Thinking is intended to help students develop the ability to create and critically evaluate ideas, processes, experiences, and objects related to the social studies.
Communication focuses on improving students' understanding of language use in the social studies.
Numeracy involves helping students to develop a level of competence which would allow them to use mathematical concepts in the social sciences.
Technological Literacy will help students appreciate that technological systems are integral to social systems and cannot be separated from the culture within which they are shaped.
The integration of Indian and Métis content and perspectives within the K-12 curriculum fulfils a central recommendation of Directions (1983), the Five Year Action Plan for Native Curriculum Development (1984) and the Indian and Métis Education Policy from Kindergarten to Grade 12 (1989).
| Saskatchewan Education recognizes that the Indian and Métis peoples of the province are historically unique peoples and occupy a unique and rightful place in our society today. Saskatchewan Education recognizes that education programs must meet the needs of Indian and Métis peoples, and that changes to existing programs are also necessary for the benefit of all students . |
Indian and Métis Education Policy
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The inclusion of Indian and Métis perspectives benefits all students in a pluralistic society. Cultural representation in all aspects of the school environment empowers children with a positive group identity. Indian and Métis resources foster a meaningful and culturally identifiable experience for Indian and Métis students, and promote the development of positive attitudes in all students towards Indian and Métis people. This awareness of one's own culture and the cultures of others develops self-concept, enhances learning, promotes an appreciation of Canada's pluralistic society and supports universal human rights.
Saskatchewan Indian and Métis students come from varied cultural backgrounds and social environments including northern, rural, and urban areas. Teachers must understand the diversity of the social, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds of Saskatchewan Indian and Métis students. All educators need cross-cultural education, and increased awareness of applied sociolinguistics, first and second language acquisition theory, and standard and non-standard usage of language. Teachers must utilize a variety of teaching strategies that match and build upon the knowledge, cultures, learning styles, and strengths which Indian and Métis students possess. Responsive adaptations are necessary to all curriculum for effective implementation.
The following four points summarize the Department of Education, Training and Employment's expectations for the appropriate inclusion of Indian and Métis content in curriculum and instruction.
Indian and Métis Education Policy
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Saskatchewan teachers are responsible for integrating into the appropriate units resources that reflect accurate and sufficient Indian and Métis content and perspectives. Teachers have a responsibility to evaluate all resources for bias and to teach students to recognize such bias.
Saskatchewan Education, Training and Employment is committed to providing quality education for all students in the K-12 system. Expectations based primarily on gender limit students' ability to develop to their fullest potential. While some stereotypical views and practices have disappeared, others remain. Although many schools have tried to provide equal opportunity for male and female students, continued efforts are required so that equality of benefit or outcome may be achieved. It is the responsibility of
schools to create an educational environment free of gender bias. This can be facilitated by increased understanding and use of gender balanced material and non-sexist teaching strategies. Both girls and boys need encouragement to explore non-traditional as well as traditional options.
Resource-based teaching and learning is a means by which teachers can greatly assist the development of attitudes and abilities for independent, life-long learning. Resource-based instruction means that the teacher, and teacher-librarian if available, will plan units which integrate resources with classroom assignments, and teach students the processes needed to find, analyze, and present information.
It is intended that secondary social studies students will use a variety of learning resources in order to develop both knowledge and skills. Resource-based instruction is an approach to curriculum which uses all types of resources. Some possible resources are books, magazines, films, audiotapes and videotapes, computer software and data bases, manipulable objects, commercial games, maps, community resources, museums, field trips, pictures and study prints, real objects and artifacts, and media production equipment.
Social studies teachers should introduce current events whenever possible. A vertical file, containing current pamphlets, articles and newspaper clippings is needed. Ideally, this file is housed, circulated and maintained through the school library. With some time and patience a classroom teacher may develop a file for social studies using headings from a standardized list such as Sears List of Subject Headings (1991), and Sears List of Subject Headings: Canadian Companion (1987).
The following points will help teachers use resource-based teaching and learning: