Core Curriculum Components and Initiatives

Adaptive Dimension

The essence of the Adaptive Dimension lies in the phrase "seeking other ways". Providing students with alternative means of accessing and expressing their ideas and knowledge facilitates their abilities to learn. Just as physical environments can be made more accessible through modifications such as ramps or wider doorways, learning environments can be made more accessible through adjustments in settings, instructional and assessment strategies or resources.

The Adaptive Dimension serves to:

• maximize student learning and independence
• reduce discrepancies between ability and achievement
• promote positive self-concept and a sense of belonging
• foster a willingness to become involved in learning.

Because the Adaptive Dimension means tailoring content, instruction and environment to meet individual needs, the extent of the adaptation and the duration of the adaptation will vary for each student. This is why groupings of students should be set for short durations,a response to needs rather than a permanent arrangement.

Some guidelines for incorporating the Adaptive Dimension include:

• Create a classroom environment in which students' backgrounds, cultures, interests, language, thinking abilities and learning styles are accepted and respected.
• Vary instructional strategies and methods to meet the needs of all students.
• Use a variety of assessment techniques to ensure the observation, recording and reporting of students' growth, strengths and needs.
• Alter the pace of lessons to ensure that students understand the concept being presented or that students are being challenged by the presentation. Give students sufficient time to explore, create, question and experience as they learn.
• Encourage a variety of responses and culminating activities, including oral, written, visual, dramatic and multimedia.
• Incorporate flexible grouping, cooperative learning strategies, peer response and collaborative groups to promote development of concepts, language and social skills.
• Involve students, as often as is possible and when appropriate, in planning for their own learning, instruction and assessment.

Common Essential Learnings

Communication

The teacher should:

• encourage students to represent their thoughts and understandings in written, spoken and visual formats
• instruct students about reading and writing strategies that are useful in the content area of Social Studies (e.g., selecting appropriate formats for expository text, summarizing, finding the main idea) and model these strategies
• develop students' Social Studies vocabulary so they acquire the terms and the language with which to discuss the subject-specific information and concepts
• value students' existing language competencies and extend their language abilities by building on the language skills they bring to the classroom
• follow student responses with requests for elaboration, clarification, evidence, reasons and judgement.

The teacher should:

• facilitate reflective, critical and creative personal responses to issues and ideas
• encourage students to articulate interpretations and conclusions, then support their ideas and make judgements
• encourage students to defend their assertions and responses to ideas and information
• have students analyze the content, presentation and biases of popular media for accurate and realistic portrayal of society and human behaviour
• encourage students to use analogies and metaphors in descriptions and comparisons, and in attempts to understand unfamiliar concepts, ideas and information
• encourage students to look for and create patterns and identify relationships among ideas, as well as among historical and contemporary issues, people and events
• extend students' abilities to infer, organize, classify, categorize and summarize ideas and information, orally, visually and in written form.

The teacher should:

• help students' connect their understanding and life experiences with historical and contemporary events and issues, so that they begin to acquire rational processes for examining value claims and moral dilemmas
• incorporate multicultural content and perspectives in units of study to extend students' understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity and richness
• extend students' awareness of cultural, racial and gender bias in print and non-print resources and in real life experiences
• model and encourage sensitive, respectful responses to the beliefs, views and abilities of others
• provide frequent opportunities for students to work collaboratively and cooperatively in a variety of group structures (e.g., interest groups, friendship groups, homogenous groups, ability groups, gender mixed groups)
• provide instruction and practice for students to develop their collaborative and cooperative skills, abilities and attitudes.

The teacher should:

• encourage students to gather information and ideas from a variety of sources and materials
• provide frequent opportunities for student choice in selecting concept-related research and reading topics, issues and events
• involve students in reflecting upon and assessing their learning experiences and identifying their strengths and needs
• extend students' abilities to reflect on experiences through the use of oral, written and visual means (e.g., learning logs, surveys, reports, discussion, graphic organizers)
• involve students in a variety of ways of learning (e.g., observing, interviewing, discussing, reading, viewing).

The teacher should:

• provide opportunities for students to interpret and produce maps, graphs and charts for their own understanding and information, and to convey their ideas and information to others
• provide opportunities for students to discuss the meaning of commonly used quantitative terms in the context of their social studies experiences (e.g., in understanding statistics, making comparisons, making inferences)
• develop students' understanding of quantitative information as it contributes to their learning in a lesson or unit of study.

The teacher should:

• extend students' technological vocabulary and their awareness of how technological developments affect and change cultures
• develop students' understanding of how technology impacts on their lives, on the environment and on society at large
• help students determine and understand their role in using, and therefore in shaping, technological developments.

Within the units of study in this curriculum guide, the CELs objectives are identified as follows:
 
 

Communication	COM
Critical and Creative Thinking	CCT
Personal and Social Skills and Values	PSV
Independent Learning	IL
Numeracy	NUM
Technological Literacy	TL

 
 

Gender Equity

The suggestions in Gender Equity: Policy and Guidelines for Implementation, (Saskatchewan Education, 1991) will help educators to promote gender equity and understanding. The following guidelines reflect the equitable approach incorporated in this Social Studies curriculum guide.

The teachers should:

• select and use resources that reflect the current and evolving roles of women and men in society
• have equally high expectations for both male and female students
• incorporate flexible and diverse groupings for projects and activities
• model and encourage gender-fair language in all classroom interactions
• instruct students on how to recognize gender inequities in what they read, view, hear, say and write
• examine classroom resources for gender equitable content and perspectives, and discuss gender-biased materials with students
• seek a balance of female and male representatives of historical and contemporary concepts, issues and events
• ensure that students of both genders have comparable time and access to equipment and resources, including the teacher's time and attention.

Resource-based Learning

Resource-based learning offers students and teachers increased opportunities to share the responsibility for determining the skills, processes and resources for individual learning requirements. Students in resource-based classrooms learn to select resources, in a variety of media, that are best suited to their learning needs, abilities and interests. Resource-based education accommodates all learning styles and provides opportunities for the exceptional student and for the student who learns in a different manner.

The following guidelines will help teachers to implement resource-based learning in Social Studies classrooms.

The teachers should:

• involve students in the planning process whenever appropriate by discussing unit topics, objectives, resources, activities, concepts, interests and needs
• allow flexibility and choice over the course of the school year by negotiating such things as research topics, activities and projects with students
• select a wide range of visual, auditory and human resources
• encourage students to explore a wide range of print and non-print material for information and enjoyment, and to investigate a variety of sources such as those found in school and public libraries, electronic databases and at home or in the immediate community
• model resource use by performing as a co-learner with the students and by choosing diverse resources for instruction and student use
• include learning experiences that incorporate the need to locate, analyze, organize and apply information gathered
• instruct students about how to determine the skills and identify the resources that they will need to accomplish a learning task or address personal needs and interests
• design learning activities that incorporate resource-based assignments and unit projects
• collaborate with teacher-librarians and other personnel in planning and teaching units of study.

Aboriginal Content, Perspectives and Resources

Saskatchewan Education recognizes that the Aboriginal peoples of the province are historically unique peoples and occupy a unique and rightful place in society today. Saskatchewan Education recognizes that education programs must meet the needs of Aboriginal peoples, and that changes to existing programs are also necessary for the benefit of all students .

Knowledge of Aboriginal peoples promotes understanding and positive attitudes in all students, whether or not they are students from Aboriginal backgrounds. An effective way of teaching the content is to use quality resources written and produced by and about Aboriginal peoples. Carefully selected materials and resources can provide a vehicle whereby harmful effects of inaccurate thinking can be identified and addressed in a positive manner. Awareness of one's own culture and the cultures of others develops self-esteem and promotes appreciation of Canada's cultural diversity.

As is the case for all students, Aboriginal youth grapple with the complex factors at work in identity formation (such as gender, family, socio-economic class, culture, religion and regional background) and

the nature of their own membership in society and the global community. However, the issues around identity for Aboriginal students can be further complicated by the negative attitudes and perceptions that they sometimes encounter. This can result in a serious loss of self-esteem, confidence and/or motivation to succeed in school. Informed teachers can counter these negative effects on identity and self-concept through effective teaching. Aboriginal students in Saskatchewan possess a wide range of physical characteristics and come from extremely diverse cultural backgrounds and social environments including northern, rural and urban areas. Levels of ethnicity or the degrees to which individuals choose to identify with the cultures of their families of origin also vary and change over time. It is important that teachers recognize and affirm this diversity and the complex factors surrounding identity formation. Such teaching enhances the educational experience of all students. It is important that curriculum, resources and instruction and assessment strategies foster personally meaningful and culturally identifiable experiences for Aboriginal students.

The language abilities of Aboriginal students in Saskatchewan range from fluency in an Indian language, to degrees of bilingualism in an Indian language and in English, to fluency in English. Some students may speak a variety of dialects of English. Dialects feature variations in pronunciation, grammar and syntax that are the result of influences from the mother tongue. Such variations in oral language are normal and should not be perceived as evidence of language deficiency. Teachers who understand and respect linguistic diversity use a variety of teaching strategies that build upon their students' existing knowledge of language to further extend their English language abilities. Cross-cultural education, language acquisition theory and second language teaching strategies will assist teachers in meeting the needs of individual students. As well, it is crucial to use a variety of instructional, motivational and assessment approaches that are sensitive to the range of Aboriginal cultural values and ways of communicating.

Social Studies units of study must include accurate and appropriate Aboriginal content, resources and perspectives. Teachers have a responsibility to evaluate all resources based upon criteria such as literary and structural excellence, informational accuracy and freedom from bias and stereotyping. As students develop their ability to think critically, they will be able to recognize bias and stereotyping in what the read, view, hear, say and write.

Guidelines in Diverse Voices: Selecting Equitable Resources for Indian and Métis Education (Saskatchewan Education, 1995) can assist teachers and students in understanding examples of bias and stereotyping in resources that inaccurately portray Aboriginal peoples. These guidelines can help teachers plan classroom experiences that will effectively increase awareness of such bias, as well as develop students' language and critical thinking abilities. Aboriginal resources are included in the bibliography developed for Middle Level Social Studies to support teachers and students in choosing materials that present Aboriginal peoples in a fair and equitable manner.

The following points summarize the expectations for inclusion of Aboriginal content, perspectives and resources in curriculum and instruction.

• Curricula and materials will concentrate on positive images of and accurate information about Aboriginal peoples.
• Curricula and materials will reinforce and complement the beliefs and values of Aboriginal peoples.
• Resources and materials by Aboriginal authors and creators will be used whenever possible and appropriate.
• Curricula and materials will reflect the legal, political, social, economic and regional diversity of Aboriginal peoples.

Multicultural Content, Perspectives and Resources

While the first and most lasting influence on a child is that of the home environment, educators and educational institutions have a responsibility to prepare children to function in our culturally diverse society. The educational system must address a variety of issues with cultural diversity in mind: second

language programming, teaching and learning styles, curriculum and resource materials, teacher attitudes and expectations, student groupings, and assessment and evaluation. Sound teaching practices such as being aware of a child's social and psychological background, encouraging the development of self-esteem and responding to individual needs are consistent with the philosophy underlying multicultural education.

Multicultural Education and Heritage Language Education Policies (Saskatchewan Education, 1994) identifies goals that provide a foundation for multicultural education in the classroom. These goals include self-concept development, understanding and relating to others, spiritual development and membership in society.

To demonstrate and promote cultural respect and understanding, teachers can:

• affirm each student's language use as unique and important
• accept and respect the language that each student brings to the classroom
• become educated about the cultural backgrounds of their students
• determine if unexpected behaviours and actions reflect a student's culture
• respect students' knowledge about their own cultures
• build a classroom environment that discourages racial put-downs of others' language usage and abilities, and their cultural and ethnic backgrounds
• deal with racist incidents in a positive manner, if they occur
• view students of all cultures as having equal potential
• become informed about a variety of cultures and inform their students
• help students to understand that individual identities are shaped by many factors, one of which is cultural background
• give students opportunities to select and respond to the resources that they listen to, read and view
• encourage students to read, view and listen to a variety of resources and media representative of cultural groups with which they do and do not identify
• encourage students to take risks when expressing themselves in spoken and written forms
• use interpreters for second language speakers (e.g., parents, community members)
• use a variety of instructional and assessment strategies to accommodate students' cultural learning preferences and backgrounds
• develop students' collaborative and cooperative skills and attitudes through group work, problem solving discussions and consensus activities
• encourage students to talk and write about their experiences and places they have lived or travelledprovide opportunities for students to tell their stories orally and in writing
• choose resources and media selections that represent a diversity of cultures and cultural perspectives
• discuss stereotypical beliefs and cultural biases in resources and media.

Portrayal of Persons with Disabilities

Wherever possible, ability rather than disability should be emphasized. Materials implying that persons with disabilities must be cared for or pitied should not be used. Materials should convey respect for the individuality of all persons, including those with disabilities. For example, terminology such as "people with disabilities" or "has a disability" should be used rather than terms like "the less fortunate", "afflicted" or "suffers from a disability" that tend to have negative connotations.

Heim (1994) suggests that it is important to be aware that literature, the media and other resources frequently portray people with disabilities in a stereotypical way. When evaluating material for use in the Social Studies classroom, the teacher should consider the following:

Accuracy of Information

Accurate and up-to-date information should be used in the resource to describe the disability. The best approach is one where aspects of the disability are revealed, not as the main focus of the text, but through the unfolding of the documentary or story.

Stereotypes

Stereotypes frequently found in media portrayals of people with disabilities include: pitiable and pathetic, objects of violence or burdens who are incapable of fully participating in everyday life. Material that include characters or people with disabilities should provide an insight into the feelings and thoughts of the individuals with disabilities. The characters should not be used to provoke certain feelings and thoughts in the reader, listener or viewer (e.g., pity).

Growth in Character

Often, in fiction, a character with a disability is used as a vehicle for the growth of another character who is "normal". The "normal" character gains sensitivity or awareness as a result of his or her relationship with the character with a disability. The character with a disability does not grow or change. This treatment is troubling because the character with a disability is relegated to a passive role; the character is not treated as a unique, whole individual.