Themes and Concepts

The majority of the concepts identified for Unit 3 are introduced and/or further developed at other grade levels, where they will be dealt with within the contexts of the respective themes.

Major/minor Concepts	Grade Levels
	4	5	6	7	8	9	Themes for Grades 4 to 9 Gr.4: Saskatchewan Communities Gr.5: The Canadian Identity Gr.6: Canada/Atlantic Neighbors Gr.7: Canada/World Community Gr.8: Individual in Society Gr.9: Roots of Society The themes for Grades 6 and 7 is Canada's relationship with the world. The countries suggested for study include the following: Grade 6: Atlantic Region Canada (eastern) U.S.A. (eastern) Mexico Jamaica Nicaragua Brazil Argentina Great Britain France Spain Morocco Nigeria (West Africa) Grade 7: Pacific Rim Canada (western) U.S.A. (western) Mexico Peru Australia China Japan C.I.S.* *Commonwealth of Independent States
Identity	x	x	x	x	x	x
Needs/Wants	x	x	x	x	x	x
History	x	x	x	x		x
Values/Beliefs	x	x	x	x	x	x
Natural Environment	x	x	x	x	x	x
Social Environment	x	x	x	x	x	x
Resources	x	x	x	x	x	x
Lifestyle		x	x	x	x	x
Nation		x	x	x	x	x
location	x	x	x	x	x	x
symbols		x	x	x
Minority Group			x			x
rights/responsibilites	x	x	x	x	x	x
stereotype			x		x	x
Organization	x	x	x
rules/laws	x	x	x	x
participation	x	x	x
Change	x	x	x	x	x	x
Optional Concepts
Self (identity)	x	x	x		x	x

Synopsis

In this unit the students will study the current lifestyles of people from various Atlantic region countries, focusing on the identities of nations, minority groups, social organizations, and their own personal identities (optional). They will learn that identity evolves within a context of regional history, geographic location, social environment, and change. They will have the opportunity to plan and conduct a project involving participation in a social organization.

Skills/Strategies

Opportunities for Integration

Plan/carry out an activity Categorize information Identify/express (point of view) Write journal entries Discuss, describe Participate (independent/group) Read, compare, interpret (ideas/information) Brainstorm Locate (globes, maps) Locate, gather, organize, present (information) Imagine, predict Link (relationships)

Skills and strategies may be supported in all subjects. Language Arts: Readings that describe and explain current lifestyles of peoples from countries under study. Related writing and resource-based activities. Science: Units that support the concepts include Earthquakes and Volcanoes, Earth's Climate. Math: Work with currencies, statistics, and tessellations (artistic patterns) associated with various groups. Health: Create profiles of identities. Co-operative planning and participation in a social organization project. Arts Ed: Opportunities for expressive and responsive arts activities related to the concepts in this unit.