This Grade 7 Social Studies course is designed to develop students' knowledge and understanding about four major concepts: location, resources, power, change and a number or related concepts. The content used to develop these concepts focuses on the exploration of Pacific Rim countries and Canada's relationships with some of these countries.

Unit One	Location	Students learn about the concept of location by exploring the physical geography of Canada and various Pacific Rim countries. They practise their map interpretation skills and investigate the interdependence of humans and the environment. They also explore relationships between locations in Canada and locations in the Pacific Rim.
Unit Two	Resources	Students learn that humans depend on renewable and non-renewable resources to meet their needs and wants. They develop an understanding about the unequal distribution of resources in the world, and the need for local, national and global resource management strategies and practices to ensure the continuing availability of those resources to meet people's needs and wants.
Unit Three	Power	Students develop an understanding of the concept of power-the power of individuals and the power of nations. They learn about the sources and forms of power, including the power held by individuals and by nations with various governmental structures: democratic, autocratic and oligarchic. As well, they explore the concept of collective power such as cooperatives in Saskatchewan and in other nations of the world.
Unit Four	Change	Students develop their understanding of the concept of change by exploring the role of resources and technology in the change process. As well, students learn about decision making at various levels, from individual to national and international, and come to understand that all decisions result in consequences.

Pacific Rim Countries

Students may explore some, or all, of the Pacific Rim countries listed below. While the Pacific Rim provides the content for the units in this course, teachers may find it more relevant at times to have students explore other countries of immediate global importance or that are currently in the news.

Argentina	El Salvador	Korea
Chile	Guatemala	Vietnam
Peru	Mexico	Indonesia
Equador	United States	Malaysia
Colombia	Canada	Philippines
Panama	Russia	New Guinea
Costa Rica	China	Australia
Nicaragua	Japan	New Zealand

Topics

Each unit in this course is presented as a series of topics designed to develop students' understanding of the major and related concepts. Each topic description includes the following components: learning objectives, instruction suggestions and activities and suggested assessment techniques. As well, topic descriptions may include teacher notes, suggested resources, teacher information sheets and/or student handouts. Depending upon the students' prior knowledge, experience and abilities, a topic may require more or less than one class period. For the purposes of this curriculum guide, each topic study is referred to as one lesson.

Instruction

An instructional procedure is suggested for each lesson in each unit. Teachers are advised to review the lessons and adapt them to meet students' needs and abilities. Suggested instructional strategies within each lesson are cross-referenced to pages in the curriculum guide where the strategy is described, and often exemplified. As well, options are provided in many lessons, and teachers should select the strategy that is most applicable to their students' learning abilities and styles. The options may be useful to review or reinforce student learning, or to provide independent practice of the skill or process. Extended learning suggestions are provided in many lessons. Teachers should choose the suggestions that best meet student needs and interests, and fit within the time available.

It is important to plan so that students experience all four units of study. Teachers may choose to spend less time on one unit and a longer time on another, depending upon their individual students and circumstances. The key objectives, identified in bold font within each lesson, are required; therefore, teachers can adapt the length of each unit of study and still plan to provide instruction in all four units.

Assessment and Evaluation

Teachers must plan for assessment and evaluation of the key objectives: knowledge/content, skills/processes and values/attitudes. To assist teachers with this responsibility, assessment suggestions are provided in most lessons. Teachers are advised to read the assessment and evaluation section of this curriculum guide, and to identify the most authentic and effective methods of assessment for their students. Assessment suggestions included in the lessons are cross-referenced to the section in the document where they are explained and often exemplified with criteria and/or sample templates.

Sample unit assessment questions are provided at the conclusion of each unit to be used in conjunction with other assessments conducted throughout the unit. Teachers are advised to select relevant questions from those provided, based on the objectives that they have chosen for the unit. As well, teachers may find that they must create other evaluation questions to assess their students' progress. It is important to evaluate students fairly, and this can be achieved by assessing them in authentic ways and addressing the objectives they have been taught.

Note: On the Saskatchewan Education web site at http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/social.html under the heading Curriculum Evaluation Project: Student Assessment Forms, teachers will find all assessment questions used during the curriculum evaluation conducted in 1995.]