In this unit, students develop a sense of identity as they explore who they are culturally. They define and develop their roles within Canada's multicultural society, and learn why Canada is often call "a nation of immigrants." In addition, they explore ways that their identity reflects the multicultural nature of Canada.
The following chart provides an overview of Unit three:
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Major Concept Identity Related Concepts self, roles, multiculturalism, socialization, assimilation, acculturation, ethnocentrism, norms, mores, folkways, laws Topics Topic One: Who You Are Topic Two: What's In a Name? Topic Three: Societal Roles and Identity Topic Four: The Media - Shaping Identity Topic Five: Family Influences on Identity Topic Six: Identity and Environment Topic Seven: Cultural Identity Topic Eight: Canadian Culture Topic Nine: Canada - A Nation of Immigrants Topic Ten: Immigration Experiences |
Glossary of Terms
| Acculturation | Adapting to a different culture. |
| Assimilation | The process whereby a minority group adopts the customs and attitudes of the majority. |
| Belief | Acceptance of an idea. |
| Culture | A learned pattern of behaviours, knowledge, beliefs, values, laws and language that is shared among a group of people, and passed on to members through socialization. |
| Ethnocentrism | The belief that one culture is superior to other cultures, and that all other cultures should be compared with it. |
| Laws | The rules that are enforced by the governing body of a culture or society. |
| Mores | Strongly held norms that reflect the values and morals of a culture. |
| Multiculturalism | A policy supporting the existence of many distinct cultural groups in one society. |
| Norms | The accepted ways of behaving and acting towards others. |
| Self | A person's own distinct individuality and character. |
| Socialization | The interactive process of shaping an individual and his or her environment. |
Resources
All units are resource-based; teachers and students are encouraged to use a variety of resources and sources throughout. The accompanying bibliography contains annotations of current, useful resources, including print, video, Internet sites and other media selections. Teachers are encouraged to assess their current resource collection, identifying those that are still useful, and to acquire small quantities of each title, rather than class sets, in order to provide students with a broad range of perspectives and information. The bibliography that accompanies this curriculum guide includes detailed annotations of a large number of resources that will assist teachers in making selections appropriate to the abilities and needs of the students.
The following list of titles provides a starting point for developing a Unit Three resource collection that is current and relevant, and that addresses students' various learning styles and abilities.
Becoming Canadians: Pioneer Sikhs in Their Own Words
Coming to Gum San: The Story of Chinese Canadians
Home Child (England, 1914)
Leading the Way: Black Women in Canada
Multiculturalism in Canada: Images and Issues (includes a Teachers' Guide)
Nellie's Quest
Prairie Fire (Europeans settling the Canadian West)
Roses Sing on New Snow
Spirit of the Dragon: The Story of Jean Lumb - A Proud Chinese-Canadian
Struggle and Hope: The Story of Chinese Canadians
Trials and Triumphs: The Story of African-Canadians
We Are Canadians (kit)
The following print resources are listed for Middle Level English Language Arts (grades 6-9), and offer opportunities for interdisciplinary instruction.
The Always Prayer Shawl
Amish Adventure
Canadian Childhoods
Changes - Multisource (kit)
Children of the River
The Crossing
Cultures - Insights collection
Days of Terror
Discoveries in Non-Fiction
Eleanora's Diary (use excerpts for read alouds)
Escape to Freedom
The Eternal Spring of Mr. Ito
Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman
Futures - Issues Collection
Get on Board: The Story of the Underground Railroad
Ghost Train
Grab Hands and Run
Home and Homeland: The Canadian Immigrant Experience
Honor Bound
Immigrant Experiences - Issues Collection
I Remember When (kit)
Identity - In Perspectives Series
Identity and Learning - The Insights Collection
In Honour of Our Grandmothers: Imprints of Cultural Survival
Immigrant Experiences - The Insights Collection
Laura's Choice: The Story of Laura Secord
Letters from Rifka
A Little Tiger in the Chinese Night: An Autobiography in Art
Louis, Son of the Prairies
Multiculturalism - Issues Collection
My Name is Seepeetza
Naomi's Road
Native Voices - Issues Collection
Nykola and Granny
Remember My Name
Relationships and Responsibility - Insights Collection
Room for a Stranger
Shabash!
Shadow in Hawthorne Bay
Silver Threads
Skateway to Freedom
The Sky is Falling
Songs Are Thoughts: Poems of the Inuit
Teenage Refugees from Bosnia-Herzegovina Speak Out
Teenage Refugees from Nicaragua Speak Out
Ticket to Curlew
Tikta'liktak (Inuit)
Transitions: Fiction, Poetry, and Non-Fiction
True North: A Novel of the Underground Railroad
Underground to Canada
Values - Issues Collection
A Very Small Rebellion
White Jade Tiger (Chinese)
Wrong Time, Wrong Place
All the Right Stuff (video)
For Angela (video)
Life Without Fear (video)
Mai Lien: Refugee (video)
The Media (video)
Multicultural Canada (video)
Passage from India- - A Scattering of Seeds: The Creation of Canada (video series)
Pheria: Refugee (video)
Nitro - Heritage Minutes (video segment)
Orphans - Heritage Minutes (video segment)
Race to Freedom: The Underground Railroad (video)
A Rough Crossing (video)
A Scattering of Seeds: The Creation of Canada (video series)
Talking Back (video)
The Underground Railroad - Heritage Minutes (video segment)
We Are Canadians (kit)
Teachers are advised to check the bibliography for Internet site addresses that support this unit. As well, many general interest sites are listed in Social Studies: An Information Bulletin for the Renewed Middle Level Curricula (Grades 7-9), March 1999, pp. 19-20. Due to the unstable nature of Internet sites, teachers are advised to access Saskatchewan Education's Web site at http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/curr_inst/social/socialsciences.html. See pages 378-381 in this curriculum guide for information about locating and evaluating Internet sites.
Incorporating current events enhances students' understanding of the concepts under study and extends their learning experiences by relating the events to real life and making them relevant. Sources for current event stories include newspapers, news magazines, daily and weekly television and radio newscasts and documentaries and the Internet. Many Canadian daily newspapers are available on-line and are a reliable source of current events. Select articles and news items to support the objectives and concepts as often as possible, and encourage students to contribute also. See pages 346-350 in this curriculum guide for some current event activities.
This unit may be adapted for interdisciplinary study. See page 336 in this curriculum guide for information about developing interdisciplinary units of study. The following are some suggestions for connecting this unit to other subject areas: