In this unit students develop an understanding about the interdependent nature of individuals, groups and institutions. They explore the interdependence of people at various levels: in families, at school and work, locally and globally. They develop an appreciation for the amount of effort and number of people involved in creating the products we use daily, and often take for granted. They investigate the United Nations and develop an understanding of the significance of global interdependence, for Canada and its citizens, as well as for the world community.
The following chart provides an outline of Unit Four:
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Major Concept interdependence Related Concepts labour, land, technology, capital, location, entrepreneur, human rights Topics Student Handout #1: Case Study - Regina Women's Construction Co-op Student Handout #2: Case Study - Recycling Co-op, Colombia Student Handout #3: Assembly Line Simulation Student Handout #4: Global Interdependence Anticipation Guide Student Handout #5: The United Nations Student Handout #6: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Student Handout #7: Children's Rights Student Handout #8: The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Student Handout #9: United Nations Globingo |
Glossary of Terms:
| Capital | The money, machines and technology necessary to use human and natural resources in production and business. |
| Collateral | An asset, such as property or something valuable, that can be pledged as security against a loan. In the event that a business owner or an individual cannot repay the loan, the lender takes ownership of the asset (item) that was pledged as collateral against the loan. |
| Credit | Money in the form of a loan that is available to a business or individual. |
| Credit Rating | The rating of a person's ability to repay a loan. Someone with a "good" credit rating is a good credit risk and is very likely to repay a loan. Someone with a "poor" credit rating generally has little ability to repay a loan and is not able to receive credit. Someone with no credit rating has not demonstrated his/her ability to repay a loan and is unlikely to receive credit. |
| Entrepreneur | Someone who starts and manages a business. |
| Enterprise | A business organization that uses capital to try to make a profit for the owner(s). |
| Human Rights | The freedom, equality and dignity that belong to every human being. |
| Interdependence | The interrelationship that exists among individuals, groups, institutions and nations. |
| Loan | Money that is borrowed. |
| Micro | Very small. |
| Micro-enterprise | A very small business that provides employment to usually just one person. |
| Peer-lending | A system of borrowing money that allows an individual who would not normally qualify for a loan to receive credit. Micro-business owners join a peer-lending group that supports the loan application and helps to ensure it is repaid. Loan approval is based on the confidence fellow group members have in each other's commitment, resourcefulness and ability to pay. A Credit Circle is another name for peer-lending. |
| Specialization of Labour | Certain people being knowledgeable and skilled in one part of a production process. |
| Technology | All the tools used and invented by people, and the skills to use the tools. |
| Tool | An object created to serve a purpose. A tool requires power or energy to function. |
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 that will assist in making resource selections appropriate to the abilities and needs of the students.
The following list of resource titles provides a starting point for developing a Unit Four resource collection that is current and relevant, and that addresses students' various learning styles and abilities.
Print Resources
The Day Gogo Went to Vote: South Africa April 1994 (picture book)
The Dust Bowl (picture book)
Green Teacher (journal containing articles and activities about environmental and global issues)
The New Land: A First Year on the Prairie (picture book)
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: An Adaptation for Children
The United Nations: Its History and the Canadians Who Shaped It - Fifty Years of Struggle and Hope
You and Your World (previously listed resource, much of which is still useful)
Non-print Resources
Columbia: Dreams from the Dust (video)
Peacekeepers - Heritage Minutes (video segment in We Are Canadians kit)
Water Pump - Heritage Minute (video segment in 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:
· Link this unit with English Language Arts by reading aloud the novella Hiroshima. Help students to see that as a result of W.W. II, in which Hiroshima was bombed, the United Nations was formed and the Declaration of Human Rights was developed. Have students respond to the read-aloud sessions, and help them to develop their critical reading and response skills as outlined in the ELA curriculum guide.
· Have students form Literature Circles to read and respond to non-fiction selections from the In Their Own Voices Series, which describe the refugee situations in various countries as seen through teenage eyes. Have students respond personally and critically to the selections, and then compare the viewpoints and experiences of the teenagers in each country. See the Middle Level English Language Arts curriculum for information about Literature Circles. In addition, students should connect the refugee issues with human rights.
· Study dance, drama, music and visual art that expresses artists' concerns with human rights. Students might find examples of the work of Japanese artists after the bombing of Hiroshima, or listen to a section of Oliver Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, which he composed in a concentration camp during W.W.II. The work is a tribute to the human spirit, as are many works of art.