Grade 9 Unit Three Topics

Topic One: Causality

Topic Two: Causality and Social Organization

Topic Three: Paradigms

Topic Four: Causality and Changing Worldviews

Topic Five: Shifting Paradigms

Topic Six: Worldviews

Topic Seven: Paradigm Shifts in History

Topic Eight: Growth of the Enlightenment

Topic Nine: The American Revolution

PDF file for all of Grade 9 Unit 3 Topics

Topic One: Causality

Learning Objectives

Knowledge/Content

Skills/Processes

Values/Attitudes

Identify the cause of various events or phenomena. (COM, CCT)

Know that a particular effect may have a number of causes. (COM)

Identify cause and effect relationships. (COM, CCT)

Draw inferences from reliable data. (CCT)

Collaborate to generate ideas and organize information in chart form.

Appreciate that the effect of an event or action often depends upon one's reaction to it. (PSVS)

Appreciate that individuals are responsible for the consequences of their actions.

Procedure

Teacher Notes

Causality:

Causality involves the principle of cause and effect.

Assessment Suggestions

Use a checklist to identify students' skills in making inferences.

Determine students' abilities to identify cause and effect relationships by assessing the charts they completed, or by giving them Student Handouts #3A and #3B to complete individually.

This principle is based on the notion that nothing can happen or exist without a cause.

Causality is not the same as coincidence.

The cause(s) of an event is (are) often difficult to determine.

Events often have more than one cause and more than one effect.

Events can have both immediate and long term effects, and it is likely that long term effects will remain unknown for some time.

The effect of an event often manifests itself long after an event is over.

The effect of an event often depends on the ways that individuals or societies respond to it.

Instruction Suggestions

Distribute "Student Handout #1: Causality." Have students work in pairs to complete the chart. Have students share their responses with the class.

Read aloud to students the information beneath the chart on Student Handout #1 and ask students to follow along on their copies.

As a class, identify two or three major points that relate to causality. Have students record a definition of causality in their notebooks.

Distribute "Student Handout #2: A Case Study in Causality." Go through it with the students.

Have students identify an event that happened in their lives. Instruct them to use a procedure like the one they have just used to identify and trace the causality of their events.

And/Or

Use the same procedure to determine the causality of a current news event from the local paper. Individuals or groups may be given the same or different news items.

Have students share their event and the conclusions about the causes of the event. They should give reasons for their conclusions.

Extended Learning: If students require more examples to help them understand the concept of causality, involve students in a Jigsaw activity using Student Handouts #3A and 3B. These handouts contain legal examples in which causality had to be determined. Have students read and discuss each case, taking the role of either a judge or part of a jury, and making a judgement about the event.

Each group should make a judgement based on a rationale about what it believes to be the cause of the event, and be prepared to report and defend its judgement to the class.

After students have done this, have them compare and discuss their findings with each other.

When students have done this, have them compare their findings with the actual judgements that were rendered by the courts-see "Teacher Information Sheet #1: Determining Causality."

Topic Two: Causality and Social Organization

Learning Objectives

Knowledge/Content

Skills/Processes

Values/Attitudes

Know that institutions are created within societies to meet the needs and wants of people. (COM)

Know that acceptance of certain values and beliefs will cause societies to behave in certain ways and create certain types of organizations. (COM)

Brainstorm to generate ideas and information.

Classify information into relevant categories. (CCT)

Make inferences based on relevant data. (CCT)

Accept everyone's ideas during brainstorming. (PSVS)

Appreciate that beliefs and values serve as criteria for creating organizations or institutions.

Procedure

Teacher Notes

See page 415 in this curriculum guide for a sample template for assessing inferring skills.

Social Organizations and Causality:

Societies are collections of individuals who have needs and wants that must be satisfied.
Institutions and organizations are created within society to meet the needs and wants of people.
Material needs and wants cause the creation of economic organizations.
The need for structure and order cause the creation of political organizations.
Social needs and wants cause the creation of a range of social institutions from the family to the state.
Needs and wants of the mind and spirit cause the formation of educational and religious organizations.
Acceptance of certain sets of values by individuals and societies will cause certain kinds of behaviour.

Assessment Suggestions

Observe students for their ability to accept others' contributions during brainstorming, and record these observations as anecdotal notes.

Use a checklist to determine students' abilities for making inferences.

Instruction Suggestions

Discuss the idea of basic needs and explain that the effort to meet our needs and wants causes us to act in certain ways (e.g., get jobs, earn money, go to university or technical college, attend church, save money, buy RRSPs).

Have students brainstorm a list of types of organizations in our society (e.g., banks, churches, universities, government, media, police, military, schools, legal system).

Explain to students that meeting our needs and wants is the cause for the formation of these organizations, and many others.

Using three categories, have students classify the organizations they have brainstormed by creating a chart similar to the following:

Needs/Wants
Economic
Organizations
Social Religious
Organizations

Material needs and wants

Social needs and wants

Needs and wants of the mind

Needs of the spirit

Have students work in pairs to make inferences about the beliefs and values of our society that caused the development of the organizations they have listed in their charts.

Topic Three: Paradigms

Learning Objectives

Knowledge/Content

Skills/Processes

Values/Attitudes

Know that a paradigm is a set of ideas, beliefs and values that cause individuals and societies to view reality in particular ways. (COM)

Know that individuals define reality according to their particular paradigms. (COM)

Know that paradigms limit an individual's ability to perceive aspects of reality in different ways.

Make comparisons to help develop an understanding of specific concepts. (CCT)

Apply new understandings and concepts to new situations. (CCT)

Collaborate and cooperate in groups to examine opposing paradigms.

Appreciate the role of paradigms in helping people understand reality. (PSVS)

Learning Objectives

Teacher Notes
Paradigm:
A paradigm is a set or pattern of ideas, beliefs and values used by individuals and societies as a means of making sense of reality.
People choose and/or accept patterns of ideas, beliefs and values known as paradigms.
A widely accepted paradigm will seem to be common sense to people who believe it.
A group of different paradigms about a variety of aspects of life form the basis of a worldview.

Assessment Suggestions
Work with students to develop a checklist to assess students' comparison skills.

Instruction Suggestions

Introduce students to the concept of paradigms by having them think of games as paradigms. When we play a game we accept certain rules and regulations and we try to see how successfully we can function using those limitations. This is similar to the way in which paradigms function in reality.
Discuss the basic structure of a game:
it must have a central purpose that defines the rules and goal of playing the game
it must have a set of basic rules (e.g., values) specifically defining acceptable behaviour for players of the game
there will be a variety of beliefs about style of play, strategies, what is cheating and what is fair.
Have students select three or four games they would like to analyze:
Ask students to list various aspects of the games. Record the points on the chalkboard as students present them.
Develop a classification system similar to the one on "Teacher Information Sheet #2: Classifying Games."
Review with students how a game is like a paradigm. In a game we accept certain rules and regulations and expect everyone involved to abide by these. In life we also have certain beliefs and values to which we expect everyone to adhere.

This activity gives students an opportunity to explore opposing paradigms (in this case the technological and the ecological). Teachers may choose other issues and opposing paradigms. The intent is to help students understand that paradigms both limit and focus viewpoints on issues. It should also help students understand that the society they live in has a worldview about how to understand and deal with reality, and that this worldview gives us some stability and predictability in our lives.

Divide students into either two, four or six groups depending on the size of the class. Give every second group "Student Handout #4: Fundamental Values of the Technological Paradigm." Give the other groups "Student Handout #5: Fundamental Values of the Ecological Paradigm." Instruct students to accept the four statements as absolute truth, and then complete the rest of the handout.
Have each group be prepared to make an oral presentation in which they indicate in their views regarding:

the fundamental issues facing society

the best solutions for these issues and their consequences

the worst solutions for these issues and their consequences.

Give students the opportunity to exchange views about the two paradigms.
Have students attempt to develop another paradigm that they believe is better than the original paradigms.

Topic Four: Causality and Changing Worldviews

Learning Objectives

Knowledge/Content

Skills/Processes

Values/Attitudes

Know that worldviews can change significantly from one historical era to another. (COM)

Know ways that the worldview of a society is reflected through its art. (COM, CCT)

Know that humans learn to define reality according to a set of criteria that they have internalized. (COM)

Draw inferences from sources of data by asking effective questions. (CCT)

Compare information and ideas.

Make reasoned judgements based on research. (CCT)

Use reasoned arguments in debate. (CCT, COM)

Appreciate that strongly held beliefs and values have an effect on perception. (PSVS)

Procedure

Teacher Notes
Worldview and Paradigms:
A paradigm is a set pattern of ideas, beliefs and values used by individuals and societies as a means of making sense of reality.
Paradigms have a powerful effect on how people see the world. In other words, paradigms determine worldview.
Paradigms act as filters: facts fitting the paradigm are accepted, while those not fitting the paradigm are distorted, rejected ignored or not even perceived.
See "Teacher Information Sheet #3: Analyzing and Debating Paradigms" for information to support the student activity using Student Handouts #6, #7 and #8.

Assessment Suggestions
Assess students' abilities to state reasons to support their own paradigms.

Instruction Suggestions

Involve three groups of students in debates about topics reflecting different paradigms: the shape of the Earth (flat Earth versus round Earth), how to predict the future (astrology versus science), and the purpose of life (work to live versus live to work). The purpose is to give students some experience exploring paradigms as a way of viewing reality. Students should be helped to see that if one accepts a set of assumptions (ideas, beliefs and values) and uses these as criteria to define reality, then this causes the individual to arrive at certain conclusions.
Give each of the three groups one of the following: "Student Handout #6: Flat Earth Versus Round Earth," "Student Handout #7: Astrology Versus Science" or "Student Handout #8: Work to Live Versus Live to Work."
As well, give each group a copy of "Student Handout #9: Paradigms Analysis Sheet" on which to record their ideas.

See page 351 of this curriculum guide for information about debating.
· Debrief the debate by discussing with students whether:
a person with no understanding of gravity and a belief that the Earth is the centre of the universe would see any sense in looking at the world from the modern, sun-centred perspective
a person who believes in the supernatural would find the scientific approach to understanding reality believable
a person who believes life has no purpose other than work could consider living a life of leisure.

Perception Check:
Most people who read the sentence see three fs the first time. Usually they do not see the fs in the word of because they assume prepositions to be there and so do not really see them.
Another reason may be that the eyes of good readers track across the words in rhythmic arcs stropping only to look at key words on the page.
The important point to stress here is that what our minds expect to see will, to a large extent, determine what we actually see.
Another example of differing perceptions is the young woman-old woman picture found on "Teacher Information Sheet #3: Check Your Perception." There is both a young face and an old face in the diagram. What one sees depends on what one focuses, and how one's mind organizes the information it receives.
· Have students do at least one of the perception activities on "Teacher Information Sheet #4: Perception Check." This will help students understand that paradigms act as a filter that causes us to see only certain aspects of reality.
Once students have estimated the approximate age of the woman, write all of the guesses on the board. Then categorize them and make a graph to display the results. You may want to group the estimates of age into the following categories: under 25, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65 and over.
What causes people to see this figure in two different ways?
What does this say about perception in humans?

Topic Five: Shifting Paradigms

Learning Objectives

Knowledge/Content

Skills/Processes

Values/Attitudes

Know that when the existing paradigm no longer makes sense, there may be a shift to a more adequate paradigm. (CCT, COM)

Know that people and societies will resist change before they accept it. (COM)

Know that, at certain points in history, paradigms change significantly . (COM)

List examples of significant changes in history.

Develop and apply criteria to evaluate the usefulness of ideas. (CCT)

Make generalizations based on the data and inferences previously developed. (CCT)

Appreciate ways that values serve as criteria in decision making.

Appreciate that a tentative generalization needs to be approached with open-minded scepticism. (PSVS, CCT)

Procedure

Teacher Notes
See page 410 for a sample checklist for assessing the skill of generalizing.
Paradigm Shift:
Over the course of time a paradigm (set of ideas, beliefs and values) seen as explaining an aspect of reality will be increasingly seen as inadequate. Initially, only a few people will see this inadequacy. They will have to risk the resistance of the majority, who do not yet see the problems with the old paradigm. At some point, it will become more obvious that the old paradigm needs to be replaced. When this occurs, there will be significant implications for many areas of society.

Assessment Suggestions
Observe students' for the ability to keep open minds, and make thoughtful generalizations.

Instruction Suggestions

Have the students think of examples of change from the period of the 1960s to the 1990s and discuss the effects of each change. Some things for students to think about:

the hippy movement

the civil rights movement

the women's movement

computerization

space age

information explosion

environmentalism.

Have students list and discuss other significant events at other times that could be considered turning points in history.

After a class list has been created, discuss the following:

If the idea was so good why did it take so long to be accepted?

Why do people resist change?

Why can each event be considered significant? (Major criteria to use would be the effects that the event has on society and on the course of history.)

Place these events on the classroom timeline, and use the examples as a basis for developing with the students the concepts of paradigm shifts and causality.

Explain that paradigm shifts lead to changed worldviews. Give students examples, or have students conduct research to find examples of changed paradigms that have lead to changed worldviews.

Topic Six: Worldviews

Learning Objectives

Knowledge/Content

Skills/Processes

Values/Attitudes

Know that a group of paradigms about various aspects of life/society form the basis for a worldview. (COM)

Know that a society's worldview causes people of that society to behave in certain ways. (COM, CCT)

Know that when paradigms change, worldviews also change.

Generalize about worldviews at particular times in history, using the art of the people. (CCT)

Make relevant comparisons. (CCT)

Participate effectively in groups by sharing in the research process. (COM)

Appreciate that a society's art reflects its worldview. (PSVS)

Become aware of the contributions of the Renaissance to contemporary society.

Procedure

Teacher Notes
Worldview:
A worldview is a distinctive way of looking at reality that creates a context for living.
A worldview is based upon a group of paradigms about a variety of aspects of life/society.
Over time the worldview of a society can change a great deal.
The Evolution of the Renaissance:
From about 1050 to1300 A.D. there had been prosperity, large population growth and growth of political power of cities. The Renaissance (from 1300 to almost 1600 A.D.) saw a great deal of development in art, music, literature, science, etc .

Assessment Suggestions
Have students submit their paragraphs for assessment. Give them the criteria in advance of their writing.

Instruction Suggestions

Explain to students that a paradigm is a way of viewing aspects of reality, and that a group of paradigms about several aspects of life form the basis for a worldview.
Tell students that other paradigms could create a different worldview.
Explain that the Renaissance is an example in history of a time of changing paradigms and, ultimately, changing worldviews.
Show students some examples of medieval and Renaissance art, and have them compare these.
Ask students which of the paintings seem to be a more accurate portrayal of reality to them, the medieval or the Renaissance?
Ask students to identify the underlying values of each kind of painting.
Ask students what message they think the artist is trying to communicate in each painting.
How do the personalities of people and what they are doing compare in each kind of painting? What does this tell you about the change in attitude and beliefs?
Ask students, on the basis of what they have seen and inferred from the art, to make a generalization about the paradigms of the medieval era and the Renaissance era.
Divide students into small groups.
Provide students with a variety of resources about the Renaissance.
Instruct students to use the resources to research the Renaissance.

See pages 382-390 in this curriculum guide for information about the research process, and pages 371-380 for information about reporting research data.
Renaissance thinkers believed they were living in a new age that had some basic values:
individualism, which stressed personality, genius, uniqueness and the full development of potential
humanism, which emphasized the achievements, interests and capabilities of people
secularism, which involved concentrating on the material world instead of the spiritual world.

Instruct students to use the resources to research the what, who, where, when, why and how of this major change in worldviews.
Once their research is complete, have individual students write a paragraph to explain the significance of the Renaissance for contemporary society.

The basic values above could be considered the core values for new paradigms in:
art (defining a new reality)
economics (trade, banking, etc. )
religion (individual vs. collective conscience)
politics (role of king, towns, etc.)
finding truth (growth of empirical science)
etc.

Topic Seven: Paradigm Shifts in History

Learning Objectives

Knowledge/Content

Skills/Processes

Values/Attitudes

Know that the Reformation was a major paradigm shift that, to a great extent, determined the religious paradigms of Europe. (COM)

Know the fundamental criteria that medieval society accepted as the basis for its paradigms of religion. (COM)

Know how the Reformation stimulated development of different theological paradigms. (CCT, COM)

Know that certain paradigms are controversial and often cause a great deal of social unrest. (CCT, COM)

Draw inferences to interpret what is read. (CCT)

Make reasoned decisions and justify them. (CCT)

Simulate an historical trial. (COM, CCT)

Examine a problem from more than one perspective. (CCT)

Contribute ideas in small group discussions.

Interpret information to show valid relationships.

Appreciate the role of paradigms in helping people make sense of reality.

Appreciate how values serve as criteria in personal decision making. (PSVS, CCT)

Demonstrate consideration for others' views. (PSVS)

Appreciate that different sets of beliefs and values lead to different social organizations.

Procedure

Teacher Notes
Paradigm Shifts in History:
The Reformation and development of the Renaissance worldview created a challenge to the medieval paradigms, which were seen as inadequate in explaining reality as it could be observed or understood. The period from the 16^th to the 18^th centuries represents a time in history when a number of paradigm shifts occurred as people struggled to deal with a new view of reality.

Assessment Suggestions
Assess students' abilities to make inferences from what they read.
Observe students' group skills during the simulation activity.

Instruction Suggestions

Give each student a copy of "Student Handout #10: Changing Worldviews in History." Read it aloud and have students follow on their copies. Discuss each area of change described on the handout.
Trial Simulations

Divide students into six groups: prosecution and defence for Luther, prosecution and defence for Galileo and prosecution and defence for Charles I.
One group would prosecute an historical figure who represents a paradigm that is unacceptable to the group in power.
A second group would defend the historical figure by showing that the actions of the defendant were reasonable.
At the time of the trial the rest of the class would act as a jury and decide on a verdict. Students hearing the case must make reasoned decisions that can be justified.
Remind students to present their arguments within the scope of their paradigms, depending on the group they represent.

If the class is too small for all the cases, then choose Galileo and one other case .

See "Teacher Information Sheets #5 and #6" for information about organizing a court room simulation and helping students research their court cases.
Give students "Student Handouts #11, #12 and #13" to help them organize their cases, play the role of the jury, and record the information necessary to making a wise decision about the case.
"Student Handouts #14, #15 and #16" will also assist with the trial simulations.

The Reformation began a revolution of religious thinking. Within the framework of this revolution in religion, there developed a paradigm that led to different views on the way societies should be organized:
· Calvinism refers to the development of a religious ethic that emphasized individuality, hard work, productivity and personal responsibility.

Debriefing Trial Simulation

Discuss with the jury its reasons for coming to the conclusion it did.
Encourage students to base their decisions on criteria relating to justice rather than on their desire to win. Some time spent on developing criteria to define justice might make the discussion more fruitful.
Have students compare their decisions with the historical decisions. ("Teacher Information Sheets #7 and #8" provide information.) Use the criteria defining justice developed above as a basis for examining history.
Help students to understand that an important reason for the differences between their trial outcomes and the historical outcomes is that the paradigms, which were in effect at that time, are different than those in effect now. We no longer see reality in the same way.
Using "Student Handout #17: The Effects of the Reformation," have students apply the different religious/social paradigms to a number of possible characteristics a society might have. Their task will be to decide what will be rejected, accepted or emphasized according to the particular paradigm.
Have students think of paradigms as a filter. The rules, regulations, beliefs and values of the paradigm create a screen, which filters certain information and highlights other information.

· Anabaptism refers to the development of a religious ethic that emphasized a communal life style, cooperative work, sharing and group discipline
· Catholicism refers to the development of a religious ethic that emphasized obedience, service, charity and confession
Possible student responses include:
Society A
Individual lifestyle
Hard work
Productivity
Personal responsibility

Give students a problem to solve using two different paradigms as a way of looking at reality. They then should identify what seem to them to be logical conclusions from the standpoint of each paradigm ("Student Handout #18: Paradigm Problems").
Have students apply the different religious paradigms (Calvinism, Anabaptism and Catholicism) to a number of possible characteristics a society might have. Instruct them to decide what would be accepted, rejected or emphasized according to each paradigm.
Brainstorm possible characteristics of a society (e.g., people should be free to be themselves, people ought to be obedient to their superiors).

Society B
Communal lifestyle
Cooperative work
Sharing
Group discipline
Society C
Obedient lifestyle
Service
Charity
Confession

In order to understand the effect of these paradigms on present day society, students might research and/or discuss the following questions:
Is there a relationship between a belief in Calvinism and success in commercial enterprise?
Is the Hutterite paradigm the way of the future?
Did Mother Teresa represent a valid approach for dealing with the problems of the enormous disparities in the distribution of wealth?

Topic Eight: Growth of the Enlightenment

Learning Objectives

Knowledge/Content

Skills/Processes

Values/Attitudes

Know how the scientific paradigm was used as the basis for re-assessing a particular worldview. (COM)

Know that new assumptions about the abilities and values of humans led to the question of whether society needed to be organized differently. (COM)

Know ways that the Enlightenment has contributed to contemporary society. (COM, CCT)

Read to develop ideas and understanding.
Apply new understanding to new situations. (CCT)

Identify cause and effect relationships. (CCT)

Make inferences. (CCT)

Be aware that one's personal view of human nature affects the approach taken with other people and social organizations.

Procedure

Teacher Notes
See pages 406-407 for information about assessment using anecdotal notes.
The Enlightenment:
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, philosophers attempted to apply the scientific paradigm to human behaviour and society. These people based their thinking on three beliefs/values about human beings:
Individualism--the importance of individuals and their rights as members of society.
Relativism--the idea that different ideas, cultures, religions, values and behaviour have as much value as one's own.
Rationalism--the belief that humans have the ability to arrive at truth through the power of reason.
Locke and Hobbes developed two different paradigms about the relationship of individuals and government within a society.
Hobbes - humans need authority for their own protection because they are selfish and egotistical.
Locke - humans can live a reasonable life and need government only to protect the rights of life, liberty and property .

Assessment Suggestions

Record anecdotal notes about students' abilities to identify cause and effect relationships.

Instruction Suggestions

Distribute "Student Handout #19: The Ideals of the Enlightenment." Have students examine some of the values and ideas of the Enlightenment (individualism, relativism and rationalism).
Have students apply these ideals to a political philosophy by using "Student Handout #20: John Locke Declares that all Men are Created Equal."
Following this, have the students compare Locke's ideas with those of Hobbes, using "Student Handout #21: Social and Political Paradigms." One way to analyze these two paradigms is to examine them in the context of how social organizations are administered.
Distribute "Student Handout #22: Administering Social Organizations." In this handout, students are given specific situations to which they have to apply the paradigms of Locke and Hobbes in order to manage the situation.
Extended Learning: Involve students in discussing the following questions:
Under what situations would the basic values of the authoritarian paradigm best apply?
Under what situations would the basic values of the more democratic paradigm best apply?
In what areas of Canadian society can there be freedom and in what areas must there be strict control?
What are the consequences of adopting either paradigm as a way of administering society?

Topic Nine: The American Revolution

Learning Objectives

Knowledge/Content

Skills/Processes

Values/Attitudes

Know that paradigms can form the basis for a way of life in a developing society. (COM)

Know that the United States of America is an example of a government that was based on the paradigms that had been developed to that point in history.

Identify cause-effect relationships. (CCT)

Draw inferences from reliable data. (CCT)
Present information in a logical manner to show relationships.

Appreciate the risks and challenges involved in adopting new paradigms to use as the basis for social organization.

Procedure

Teacher Notes
See page 415 for a sample rating scale for assessing inferencing skills.
In this lesson, students use the American Revolution to explore how the abstract ideas that were discussed in the Enlightenment eventually had a very real and profound effect on actual political systems. The United States of America was the first country to be founded upon the ideals of the Enlightenment. This was an incredible social experiment unlike any tried before.
The last years of the 18^th century were a time of great change. A series of revolutions challenged the old paradigms of aristocrats and kings. A great revolution began in America in 1775, which established the United States of America as a new social experiment. This revolution has had profound effects on the world and on Canada.

Assessment Suggestions
Assess students' abilities to draw inferences.

Instruction Suggestions

Have students explore the American Revolution as a case study of a society experimenting with social change. As the students read for information, these are some of the questions they can ask:
What issues separated the Americans from the British?
To what extent were these issues a result of different paradigms?
What were some of the factors that led to the Americans developing a different paradigm from their British brothers?
Was there room for compromise between the two ideas?
Consider how Canada's history may have been affected by the movement of United Empire Loyalists to Canada.
Speculate why Canada's experience as a British colony was so different from that of the United States.

The United Empire Loyalists:
Canada has roots in this revolution. The United Empire Loyalists disagreed with the political paradigms of the American revolution and migrated to what would become Canada so they could pursue a way of life based on more traditional paradigms.
See pages 382-390 in this curriculum guide for information about the research process, and pages 371-380 for suggested ways of reporting research data.

And/Or
· The American Revolution case study could be an evaluation/research assignment that would give students an opportunity to apply their understanding of the concepts of change, causality, worldview and paradigms.
The case study could examine:

the basic premises of the new society

the conflicts involved in achieving change

the successes and failures of the society

the future directions the society might take.

See page 351 in this curriculum guide for information about conducting debates.

And/Or
Conduct a debate. The following are some suggested resolutions for debate:

Be it resolved that America has the right to be free and independent of Britain.

Be it resolved that the Declaration of Independence is an act of treason against the British government.

Be it resolved that the United Empire Loyalists are guilty of treason against the American cause.

Be it resolved that the Declaration of Independence be changed to give freedom to women as well as men.

"Student Handouts #23-#28" can be used as resource material for any or all of the above activities.

Learning Objectives
Knowledge/Content	Skills/Processes	Values/Attitudes
Identify the cause of various events or phenomena. (COM, CCT) Know that a particular effect may have a number of causes. (COM)	Identify cause and effect relationships. (COM, CCT) Draw inferences from reliable data. (CCT) Collaborate to generate ideas and organize information in chart form.	Appreciate that the effect of an event or action often depends upon one's reaction to it. (PSVS) Appreciate that individuals are responsible for the consequences of their actions.

Learning Objectives
Teacher Notes Paradigm: A paradigm is a set or pattern of ideas, beliefs and values used by individuals and societies as a means of making sense of reality. People choose and/or accept patterns of ideas, beliefs and values known as paradigms. A widely accepted paradigm will seem to be common sense to people who believe it. A group of different paradigms about a variety of aspects of life form the basis of a worldview.	Assessment Suggestions Work with students to develop a checklist to assess students' comparison skills.
	Instruction Suggestions Introduce students to the concept of paradigms by having them think of games as paradigms. When we play a game we accept certain rules and regulations and we try to see how successfully we can function using those limitations. This is similar to the way in which paradigms function in reality. Discuss the basic structure of a game: it must have a central purpose that defines the rules and goal of playing the game it must have a set of basic rules (e.g., values) specifically defining acceptable behaviour for players of the game there will be a variety of beliefs about style of play, strategies, what is cheating and what is fair. Have students select three or four games they would like to analyze: Ask students to list various aspects of the games. Record the points on the chalkboard as students present them. Develop a classification system similar to the one on "Teacher Information Sheet #2: Classifying Games." Review with students how a game is like a paradigm. In a game we accept certain rules and regulations and expect everyone involved to abide by these. In life we also have certain beliefs and values to which we expect everyone to adhere.
This activity gives students an opportunity to explore opposing paradigms (in this case the technological and the ecological). Teachers may choose other issues and opposing paradigms. The intent is to help students understand that paradigms both limit and focus viewpoints on issues. It should also help students understand that the society they live in has a worldview about how to understand and deal with reality, and that this worldview gives us some stability and predictability in our lives.	Divide students into either two, four or six groups depending on the size of the class. Give every second group "Student Handout #4: Fundamental Values of the Technological Paradigm." Give the other groups "Student Handout #5: Fundamental Values of the Ecological Paradigm." Instruct students to accept the four statements as absolute truth, and then complete the rest of the handout. Have each group be prepared to make an oral presentation in which they indicate in their views regarding: the fundamental issues facing society the best solutions for these issues and their consequences the worst solutions for these issues and their consequences. Give students the opportunity to exchange views about the two paradigms. Have students attempt to develop another paradigm that they believe is better than the original paradigms.

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Teacher Notes Worldview and Paradigms: A paradigm is a set pattern of ideas, beliefs and values used by individuals and societies as a means of making sense of reality. Paradigms have a powerful effect on how people see the world. In other words, paradigms determine worldview. Paradigms act as filters: facts fitting the paradigm are accepted, while those not fitting the paradigm are distorted, rejected ignored or not even perceived. See "Teacher Information Sheet #3: Analyzing and Debating Paradigms" for information to support the student activity using Student Handouts #6, #7 and #8.	Assessment Suggestions Assess students' abilities to state reasons to support their own paradigms.
	Instruction Suggestions Involve three groups of students in debates about topics reflecting different paradigms: the shape of the Earth (flat Earth versus round Earth), how to predict the future (astrology versus science), and the purpose of life (work to live versus live to work). The purpose is to give students some experience exploring paradigms as a way of viewing reality. Students should be helped to see that if one accepts a set of assumptions (ideas, beliefs and values) and uses these as criteria to define reality, then this causes the individual to arrive at certain conclusions. Give each of the three groups one of the following: "Student Handout #6: Flat Earth Versus Round Earth," "Student Handout #7: Astrology Versus Science" or "Student Handout #8: Work to Live Versus Live to Work." As well, give each group a copy of "Student Handout #9: Paradigms Analysis Sheet" on which to record their ideas.
See page 351 of this curriculum guide for information about debating.	· Debrief the debate by discussing with students whether: a person with no understanding of gravity and a belief that the Earth is the centre of the universe would see any sense in looking at the world from the modern, sun-centred perspective a person who believes in the supernatural would find the scientific approach to understanding reality believable a person who believes life has no purpose other than work could consider living a life of leisure.
Perception Check: Most people who read the sentence see three fs the first time. Usually they do not see the fs in the word of because they assume prepositions to be there and so do not really see them. Another reason may be that the eyes of good readers track across the words in rhythmic arcs stropping only to look at key words on the page. The important point to stress here is that what our minds expect to see will, to a large extent, determine what we actually see. Another example of differing perceptions is the young woman-old woman picture found on "Teacher Information Sheet #3: Check Your Perception." There is both a young face and an old face in the diagram. What one sees depends on what one focuses, and how one's mind organizes the information it receives.	· Have students do at least one of the perception activities on "Teacher Information Sheet #4: Perception Check." This will help students understand that paradigms act as a filter that causes us to see only certain aspects of reality. Once students have estimated the approximate age of the woman, write all of the guesses on the board. Then categorize them and make a graph to display the results. You may want to group the estimates of age into the following categories: under 25, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65 and over. What causes people to see this figure in two different ways? What does this say about perception in humans?

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Teacher Notes Worldview: A worldview is a distinctive way of looking at reality that creates a context for living. A worldview is based upon a group of paradigms about a variety of aspects of life/society. Over time the worldview of a society can change a great deal. The Evolution of the Renaissance: From about 1050 to1300 A.D. there had been prosperity, large population growth and growth of political power of cities. The Renaissance (from 1300 to almost 1600 A.D.) saw a great deal of development in art, music, literature, science, etc .	Assessment Suggestions Have students submit their paragraphs for assessment. Give them the criteria in advance of their writing. Instruction Suggestions Explain to students that a paradigm is a way of viewing aspects of reality, and that a group of paradigms about several aspects of life form the basis for a worldview. Tell students that other paradigms could create a different worldview. Explain that the Renaissance is an example in history of a time of changing paradigms and, ultimately, changing worldviews. Show students some examples of medieval and Renaissance art, and have them compare these. Ask students which of the paintings seem to be a more accurate portrayal of reality to them, the medieval or the Renaissance? Ask students to identify the underlying values of each kind of painting. Ask students what message they think the artist is trying to communicate in each painting. How do the personalities of people and what they are doing compare in each kind of painting? What does this tell you about the change in attitude and beliefs? Ask students, on the basis of what they have seen and inferred from the art, to make a generalization about the paradigms of the medieval era and the Renaissance era. Divide students into small groups. Provide students with a variety of resources about the Renaissance. Instruct students to use the resources to research the Renaissance.
See pages 382-390 in this curriculum guide for information about the research process, and pages 371-380 for information about reporting research data. Renaissance thinkers believed they were living in a new age that had some basic values: individualism, which stressed personality, genius, uniqueness and the full development of potential humanism, which emphasized the achievements, interests and capabilities of people secularism, which involved concentrating on the material world instead of the spiritual world.	Instruct students to use the resources to research the what, who, where, when, why and how of this major change in worldviews. Once their research is complete, have individual students write a paragraph to explain the significance of the Renaissance for contemporary society.
The basic values above could be considered the core values for new paradigms in: art (defining a new reality) economics (trade, banking, etc. ) religion (individual vs. collective conscience) politics (role of king, towns, etc.) finding truth (growth of empirical science) etc.

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Teacher Notes Paradigm Shifts in History: The Reformation and development of the Renaissance worldview created a challenge to the medieval paradigms, which were seen as inadequate in explaining reality as it could be observed or understood. The period from the 16^th to the 18^th centuries represents a time in history when a number of paradigm shifts occurred as people struggled to deal with a new view of reality.	Assessment Suggestions Assess students' abilities to make inferences from what they read. Observe students' group skills during the simulation activity.
	Instruction Suggestions Give each student a copy of "Student Handout #10: Changing Worldviews in History." Read it aloud and have students follow on their copies. Discuss each area of change described on the handout. Trial Simulations Divide students into six groups: prosecution and defence for Luther, prosecution and defence for Galileo and prosecution and defence for Charles I. One group would prosecute an historical figure who represents a paradigm that is unacceptable to the group in power. A second group would defend the historical figure by showing that the actions of the defendant were reasonable. At the time of the trial the rest of the class would act as a jury and decide on a verdict. Students hearing the case must make reasoned decisions that can be justified. Remind students to present their arguments within the scope of their paradigms, depending on the group they represent.
If the class is too small for all the cases, then choose Galileo and one other case .	See "Teacher Information Sheets #5 and #6" for information about organizing a court room simulation and helping students research their court cases. Give students "Student Handouts #11, #12 and #13" to help them organize their cases, play the role of the jury, and record the information necessary to making a wise decision about the case. "Student Handouts #14, #15 and #16" will also assist with the trial simulations.
The Reformation began a revolution of religious thinking. Within the framework of this revolution in religion, there developed a paradigm that led to different views on the way societies should be organized: · Calvinism refers to the development of a religious ethic that emphasized individuality, hard work, productivity and personal responsibility.	Debriefing Trial Simulation Discuss with the jury its reasons for coming to the conclusion it did. Encourage students to base their decisions on criteria relating to justice rather than on their desire to win. Some time spent on developing criteria to define justice might make the discussion more fruitful. Have students compare their decisions with the historical decisions. ("Teacher Information Sheets #7 and #8" provide information.) Use the criteria defining justice developed above as a basis for examining history. Help students to understand that an important reason for the differences between their trial outcomes and the historical outcomes is that the paradigms, which were in effect at that time, are different than those in effect now. We no longer see reality in the same way. Using "Student Handout #17: The Effects of the Reformation," have students apply the different religious/social paradigms to a number of possible characteristics a society might have. Their task will be to decide what will be rejected, accepted or emphasized according to the particular paradigm. Have students think of paradigms as a filter. The rules, regulations, beliefs and values of the paradigm create a screen, which filters certain information and highlights other information.
· Anabaptism refers to the development of a religious ethic that emphasized a communal life style, cooperative work, sharing and group discipline · Catholicism refers to the development of a religious ethic that emphasized obedience, service, charity and confession Possible student responses include: *Society A* Individual lifestyle Hard work Productivity Personal responsibility	Give students a problem to solve using two different paradigms as a way of looking at reality. They then should identify what seem to them to be logical conclusions from the standpoint of each paradigm ("Student Handout #18: Paradigm Problems"). Have students apply the different religious paradigms (Calvinism, Anabaptism and Catholicism) to a number of possible characteristics a society might have. Instruct them to decide what would be accepted, rejected or emphasized according to each paradigm. Brainstorm possible characteristics of a society (e.g., people should be free to be themselves, people ought to be obedient to their superiors).
*Society B* Communal lifestyle Cooperative work Sharing Group discipline *Society C* Obedient lifestyle Service Charity Confession	In order to understand the effect of these paradigms on present day society, students might research and/or discuss the following questions: Is there a relationship between a belief in Calvinism and success in commercial enterprise? Is the Hutterite paradigm the way of the future? Did Mother Teresa represent a valid approach for dealing with the problems of the enormous disparities in the distribution of wealth?

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Teacher Notes See page 415 for a sample rating scale for assessing inferencing skills. In this lesson, students use the American Revolution to explore how the abstract ideas that were discussed in the Enlightenment eventually had a very real and profound effect on actual political systems. The United States of America was the first country to be founded upon the ideals of the Enlightenment. This was an incredible social experiment unlike any tried before. The last years of the 18^th century were a time of great change. A series of revolutions challenged the old paradigms of aristocrats and kings. A great revolution began in America in 1775, which established the United States of America as a new social experiment. This revolution has had profound effects on the world and on Canada.	Assessment Suggestions Assess students' abilities to draw inferences. Instruction Suggestions Have students explore the American Revolution as a case study of a society experimenting with social change. As the students read for information, these are some of the questions they can ask: What issues separated the Americans from the British? To what extent were these issues a result of different paradigms? What were some of the factors that led to the Americans developing a different paradigm from their British brothers? Was there room for compromise between the two ideas? Consider how Canada's history may have been affected by the movement of United Empire Loyalists to Canada. Speculate why Canada's experience as a British colony was so different from that of the United States.
The United Empire Loyalists: Canada has roots in this revolution. The United Empire Loyalists disagreed with the political paradigms of the American revolution and migrated to what would become Canada so they could pursue a way of life based on more traditional paradigms. See pages 382-390 in this curriculum guide for information about the research process, and pages 371-380 for suggested ways of reporting research data.	And/Or · The American Revolution case study could be an evaluation/research assignment that would give students an opportunity to apply their understanding of the concepts of change, causality, worldview and paradigms. The case study could examine: the basic premises of the new society the conflicts involved in achieving change the successes and failures of the society the future directions the society might take.
See page 351 in this curriculum guide for information about conducting debates.	And/Or Conduct a debate. The following are some suggested resolutions for debate: Be it resolved that America has the right to be free and independent of Britain. Be it resolved that the Declaration of Independence is an act of treason against the British government. Be it resolved that the United Empire Loyalists are guilty of treason against the American cause. Be it resolved that the Declaration of Independence be changed to give freedom to women as well as men. "Student Handouts #23-#28" can be used as resource material for any or all of the above activities.