Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10

Citizenship Resources
Grade 10 Citizens Connected to Self, Community, Place

Part A
Broad Area of Citizenship: Social Studies/History/Native Studies
Diversity is a fundamental aspect of human interaction. Living
together as members of society requires understanding and
appreciation of human diversity and diverse perspectives. (Social
Studies 9 (2009) Ministry of Education)
Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place value and
demonstrate a commitment to understanding the connections between
people, the societies they create, and the environment in which they
live. They strive to right inequities of social injustice.
Students begin by examining causes of injustice and the
considerations that must occur when trying to redress wrongs (10).
They move to understanding the implications of injustice at the
international level (20) and consider the additional complications of
working with many countries with differing ideologies and political
structures. In the final year of study (30) students continue to examine
the historical and contemporary issues that arise from injustice and the
structures, societal, and political that perpetuate ongoing inequities,
including accepting the status quo.
Overview and Desired Results of Citizenship Study
Students continue to explore the attributes of engaged citizenship and
the importance and purpose of community stewardship. They examine
social justice issues and seek to the work towards a resolution for
these issues, on a regional and national level.
Students reflect on how society and its institutions support or impede
citizenship and the ability of citizens to redress injustices. They will
also understand the implications of history on the present social
contract but strive to commit themselves to bringing about positive
change to contemporary Citizenship issues as an aspect of
participation in the democratic process.

Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place reflect upon their

decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10
10
Social Studies students will consider how our social structures and
institutions have supported or
impeded citizen empowerment to act
1. Enduring
on issues of social injustice.
understandings and
questions stimulate
Historical Studies students will
thinking, guide the
consider how our historical
inquiry and are
perspectives and ideologies
linked to outcomes.
contributed to the current state of
2. These questions
reality/social contract
point to the big
Native Studies students will examine
ideas in the area of
inquiry and should
how existing political processes and
be considered and
structures attempt to address
reconsidered as the
contemporary issues.
inquiry progresses.
3. Deliberation of these
understandings

Enduring Understandings of Citizenship

Study
Students will use this information to understand:
The causes of injustice
Strategies to address injustice
Essential Questions are
open-ended
questions
The individuals responsibility to
that
are
continually
society
Knowledge and Skill Development
Students will be able to:
Identify and analyze social justice
issues
Compare and contrast strategies to
address those issues
Investigate the underlying causes
of social injustice

revisited,
encompass
concepts that students
will explore throughout
the unit of study, form
the
evidence
of
understanding
and
frame the assessment
at the end of the study.

Essential Questions
What is social justice?
Why do injustices exist?
What responsibility do individuals have to address injustices in
society? How could this be accomplished?
What responsibilities do governments have to address injustices in
society? How can this be accomplished?
How does an ethical and democratic society define and pursue
justice?
Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place reflect upon their
decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10

Saskatchewan Curriculum Concept Connections

This level of study

examines Canadian
issues and therefore
must include First
Nations, Mtis, and
Inuit perspectives, at
both the historical and

This section connects teachers and students to

the concepts explored through Social Sciences
Studies: Social Studies, History, and Native
Studies. General outcomes/objectives are
identified. It is the opinion of the development
committee that the outcomes incorporate the
three perspectives of Social Sciences through
exploration of historical and contemporary issues, which in Canadas case
must include Indigenous perspectives. Teachers may choose, however, to
explore these outcomes/citizenship considerations specifically through the
lens of their respective social science areas.

Students will:
investigate a variety of injustices, contemporary and historical in
social, economic, religious, and/or cultural areas;
understand the importance and purpose of community stewardship
and take action at provincial, national, and global levels;
determine and implement an action plan to affect change or a
specific social justice issue;
identify the common understandings which implicitly and explicitly
govern members of any group, society or nation.
understand that in order to have security, stability and predictability,
humans tacitly agree to conform to the beliefs, values and mores
imposed on them by the various organizations of society;

Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place reflect upon their

decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10
explore the processes that groups or organizations use to resolve
differences and develop strategies to provide resolution so that a
collective course of action can be carried out.

Understand that any group or organization uses some means of

decision-making that will allow it to function effectively. (Unit 1)

Understand that whenever any

group, society, or nation interacts, it does
The citizenship inquiry
so according to understandings which are
incorporates the three
perspectives of Social
both implicitly and explicitly accepted by
Sciences through
the members of the group. (Unit 3)

Part B

exploration of historical
and contemporary
issues, which in
Canadas case must
include Indigenous
perspectives. Teachers
may choose, however,
to explore citizenship
considerations

Learning Plan Social Studies 10, History 10,

Native Studies 10
This section provides a brief overview of the students learning path; inquiries
students will be researching; and, the various connections to larger concepts.

Inquiry 1: What are the considerations when trying to redress

injustice?
Students will:
Investigate a variety of injustices: contemporary and/or historical in
areas of social, economic, religious, and cultural.
Determine an action plan to affect change for a specific social justice
issue.
Students will be asked to explore a variety of social justice inequities to
understand that in order to have security, stability and predictability,
humans tacitly agree to conform to the beliefs, values and mores
imposed on them by the various organizations of society. In doing so,
students will understand that whenever any group, society, or nation
interacts, it does so according to understandings which are both
implicitly and explicitly accepted by the members of the group.
Think about Talk about
What are the agreements that citizens agree to adopt and
support so that they can live together?

Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place reflect upon their

decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10
Who is responsible for determining the parameters of these
agreements?
What happens when alternate perspectives are not
considered?
After exploration, students will be asked to consider and develop action
plans to attempt, as citizens, to resolve the issue. Students will
explore the processes that groups or organizations use to resolve
differences and develop strategies to provide resolution so that a
collective course of action can be carried out.
Think about Talk about
What are the processes that are used to resolve differences?
How has time impacted current thinking on conflict
resolution?

Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place reflect upon their

decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10
Questions to Guide Inquiry
Essential questions are posed here to frame the context for student thinking
and have students begin thinking about the topic. Answers to essential
questions establish a baseline regarding student understanding as they
identify the basic knowledge that students have and give teachers an idea of
what students will need to learn to explore these outcomes. The essential
questions and inquiries incorporate the three perspectives of Social Sciences
through exploration of historical and contemporary issues, which in Canadas
case must include Indigenous perspectives. Teachers may choose, however,
to explore these citizenship considerations specifically through the lens of
their respective social science areas.

Essential Questions: Guiding Questions

What is social justice?
o What is injustice?
o How do we know it is injustice?
Why do injustices exist?
o Why do injustices exist in free
and democratic societies?
o What can be done about
injustice?
What responsibility do individuals
have to address injustices in
society?
How do we decide which
injustice to address?
How can engaged citizens affect
positive change?

Essential questions are

posted and discussed
with students at the
start of the exploration
of study. These openended questions are
continually
revisited;
encompass
concepts
that
students
will
explore throughout the
unit of study; form the
evidence
of
understanding;
and,
frame the assessment
at the end of the unit of
study.
Guiding
questions are posed to
support
student
thinking as they explore
the answers to the
larger
overarching
questions.
Teachers may want to
consider putting
the

What responsibilities do
governments have to address
injustices in society? How can this be accomplished?
o What are the agreements that citizens agree to adopt and
support so that they can live together?
o Who is responsible for determining the parameters of these
agreements?
o What happens when alternate perspectives are not
considered?
o What are the processes that are used to resolve
differences?
o How has time impacted current thinking on conflict
resolution?
Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place reflect upon their
decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10

Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place reflect upon their

decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10
Connect to Topic and Surface Students Thinking about

This section introduces the concepts and helps teachers gain an

understanding of the current thinking of the class. Present essential
questions and allow students to think about and talk about. Student answers
will give teachers a baseline or beginning understanding of the amount of
specific and incidental teaching required to explore these outcomes.
Vocabulary is introduced and noted here. This section frames the We do
portion of the lesson where teachers guide the initial structure of the inquiry.

Inquiry 1: What are the considerations when trying to redress

injustice?
Hook Questions Think about Talk
about
What is justice?
How do we know when it is not being
achieved?
Is there a common understanding of justice
and injustice?
What has been done about injustice?
Whose responsibility is it to right an
injustice?
What does society do to try to protect
justice?
What is the relationship between human
rights and justice?

Hook Questions
These questions get
students thinking about
the content and concepts
of the inquiry. They are
designed to surface what
students already know
about the concepts and
give teachers an idea of
the specific teaching that
will be required.
Minimal suggestions are
provided but teachers are
encouraged to surface
initial thinking from
students based on their
understanding of the

Note and record student thinking; surface

additional questions.
Vocabulary

Justice

Injustice

Privilege

Think about Talk about

What are the agreements that citizens
Marginalizatio
agree to adopt and support so that
n
they can live together?
Equity
Who is responsible for determining the
parameters of these agreements?
What happens when alternate perspectives are not
considered?
What are the processes that are used to resolve differences?

Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place reflect upon their

decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10
How has time impacted current thinking on conflict
resolution?

Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place reflect upon their

decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10
From the following list of historical injustices:
o First Nations issues
o Gender based issues
Strategies to develop
o Environmental issues
and explore inquiries
o Socio-economic issues
include:
Surfacing student
o Cultural issues
thinking, posting, and
then reflecting on
thinking to note how
thinking has changed
and what has caused
the changes.
Jig-saw strategy
approach: Students,
individually or in
groups, explore
similar questions,
present their findings
to the group. The
teacher helps to note
similarities,
differences, themes.
Students are
encouraged to
develop summary
statements to clarify
their thinking and
describe new

Identify
What were the issues? Why were they
significant?
What actions were taken to make a
positive difference and what was the
impact of those actions?
What challenges were faced in trying to
right this historical wrong?
How would todays world be different if
someone had been successful in stopping
this historical injustice?
As a class think abouttalk about
What are the similarities and differences
between the issues?
What themes are students noticing?

Teachers are encouraged to use the Historical Thinking Concepts

constructs in exploring any of the inquiries.
Historical Thinking Concepts
Concept
Key Question
Historical Significance
How do we decide what is important to learn
about the past?
Primary Source
How do we know what we know about the
Evidence
past?
Continuity and Change How can we make sense of the complex flows
of history?
Cause and
Why do events happen and what are their
Consequence
impacts?
Historical Perspectives
How can we better understand the people of
the past?
Ethical Dimension
How can history help us to live in the
present?

Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place reflect upon their

decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

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Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10
Developing Understanding
This section is the core of the lesson. It describes the main activity(ies) involved. In
inquiry-based learning, the teacher facilitates the activities that lead to the
understandings that student make of the essential questions. It is critical then, that
students be allowed to raise questions and talk about issues that develop as they
explore the learning activities. This forms the They do section of the inquiry
where students are finding answers to the overarching questions and then searching
for themes and patterns as possible explanations. Teachers work with students to
clarify understandings.

Action for Change Symposium / Inquiry

Think about Talk about
Clarify with students, reasons for
choosing the issue they will be focusing
Students will be
on.
dividing themselves
into groups to choose a
Criteria to narrow their focus include:
specific justice issue to
o relevance,
research. They will be
o importance,
finding more
o proximity,
information about the
issue and determine a
o interest,
course of change to
o possible impact [racial,
social, economic, political],
o urgency,
o timeline,
o likelihood of success,
o available resources (Might need to examine the availability
of resources before moving forward)?
Social Justice Issue Inventory
Expose students to snippets of information from a wide variety of
social justice issues.
o Social marginalization issues
o Community issues
o Environmental issues
o Economic issues
Using the criteria above, rate the issues according to importance
Have the students divide themselves into groups for further
investigation.
Action Plan to Affect Change
For your particular Social Justice issue, research and identify:
Issue particulars
What has already been done?
What can be done?
What are the short term and long term targets for change?
Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place reflect upon their
decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

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Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10
What skills/resources do we need to affect this change?
What allies can I access?
What barriers will I face?
How will this help my own intellectual, moral and social growth?
Action Plan to affect change
Issue:
Significant History

Goal

Present state:

Significance:

Short Term Change Target(s) Rationale

Skills/Resources
needed

Allies

Barriers

Long Term Change Target(s) Rationale

Skills/Resources
needed

Allies

Barriers

Why chose and how this will help my own intellectual, moral and social
growth.

Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place reflect upon their

decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

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Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10

In reporting and reflecting upon their process in addressing a specific

social justice issue have students:
A.
Explain, examine, and
evaluate their strategy
for change.
Identify the impact of
their actions.
B.
What criteria did you use
in choosing your specific
social justice issue?
What were the root
causes of the issue?
Where did you find your
information?
What criteria did you use
in selecting the action
you took?

These concepts are

complex.
The groups of questions
are intentional.
Teachers are
encouraged to decide
how many of the

C.
What success did you have?
What challenges did you experience?
What are the barriers to implementing change?
D.
Who has a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, and why?
What are the implications of change for all stakeholders (those with
power, those seeking change, those indirectly affected, etc)?
E.
What would you do differently next time?
How did your thinking about the issue evolve during the process?
What are the next steps you will take?

Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place reflect upon their

decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

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Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10
Apply and Extend Knowledge
This section includes ideas to wrap up the inquiry or apply concepts
explored. This section may also include additional reflective questions to
promote student connection to the topic. This forms the You do section
extend thinking beyond the classroom discussions and inquiry experiences.
Pose additional reflective questions that have been raised to encourage
critical and creative thinking.

Implement the Action Plan (This will require time. Should be

started at beginning of year.)
Have the students assess the impact of their actions. Did they
achieve the desire results? What more needs to be done?
Conduct the Action for Change Symposium as a class.
Explore the relationship between economic, social, and environmental
efficiencies and the responsibility of Canadian citizenship.
Possible Inquiry Questions for Extension
Do citizens have an obligation to get involved in all social justice
issues?
How do citizens determine which social justice issues to undertake?

Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place reflect upon their

decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

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Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10
Evidence of Learning
This section suggests ways in which students may demonstrate their understanding.
Ideal demonstrations will be in authentic performance tasks. Each citizenship study
may have its own smaller assessment piece or be compiled to support one larger
performance task assessment. Assessment pieces vary, but should allow students to
demonstrate their understanding in a variety of ways.

Have students address any of the essential questions, inquiry

questions or make connections to any of the enduring understandings
to demonstrate their evidence of learning. Explain:
What do you think now? How has your thinking changed?
What has caused your thinking to change? What evidence
supports your thinking?
Why is this information important to you? Why is it
important to know?
What will you do with this information?
Inquiry: What are the considerations when trying to redress
injustice?
How does the process change when higher levels of
government become involved? i.e. regional vs. provincial vs.
national
Social Justice Issue Reflection
For each prompt give your reasons and explain your thinking.
How would you rate your resolution of your social justice issue?
What were you most pleased about?
What continues to cause you concern?
What needs to change in order for you to achieve a stronger
resolution?
Additional Inquiry Questions for Assessment:
Can all social justice issues be resolved satisfactorily?
Do citizens have an obligation to get involved in all social justice
issues?
What would be your criteria for satisfactory resolution of social
justice issues?
What is required from the Canadian citizens in order for successful
resolution of social justice issues to occur?
What are some of the barriers that keep citizens/people from
becoming involved in social justice issues?

Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place reflect upon their

decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

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Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10

Student Citizenship Journal Opportunities

Students will continue to explore their
understanding of their role as a Canadian citizen
and reflect on their perspective in an Ongoing
Journal. Art should be included throughout the
journal; some to accompany the journal entry
and some that are random drawings and
sketching. The journal entries are a record of the
students thinking and should be completed with
a sense of pride.

How much did you think about human

rights before this inquiry?

What role does privilege play in human

rights?

What is required for true equality?

What surprised you about your learning?

Students are
keeping a
Citizenship
Journal to reflect
upon their
developing views
of citizenship.
This section
provides prompts
for student
journals.
Students are
invited to chose
one that
interests them or
propose their
own. Students
can also respond
to any of the

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decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

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Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10

Part C
Inquiry Resources
Democracy Watch democracywatch.ca
Take Action: A Guide to Active Citizenship (Kielburger)
Service-Learning: From Classroom to Community to Career (Watkins
and Braun)
Active Citizenship: Student Action Projects (Case, Falk, Smith and
Werner)
The Complete Guide to Service Learning: Prove, Practical Ways to
Engage Students in Civic Responsibility, Academic Curriculum, and
Social Action (Kane)
The Kids Guide to Social Action: How to Solve the Social Problems
You Choose And Turn Creative Thinking Into Positive Action (Lewis)
WeDay.com
Upworthy.com
The Rise of the Occupy Movement (R.O.V.E.R.)
BC Teachers Federation
Canadian Teachers Federation
Teaching for Peace
Canadian Civil Liberties Association

Cross Curricular Connections

ELA
Create information posters, brochures, websites, social media, etc,
that highlight the students social justice issue and the change the
students are trying to achieve.

Further Investigation Suggestions

Have students assume the historical persona of someone in the
position to be able to combat a historical injustice. Present their issue
and tell how they would combat the issue. Identify why the outcome
would be different.
Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place reflect upon their
decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

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Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10

Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place reflect upon their

decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

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Citizens Connected to Self, Community, and Place

Grade 10
Glossary

Citizens connected to Self, Community, and Place reflect upon their

decisions and actions as it relates to the world.

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