Unit Rationale

This unit in Grade 6 Social Studies explores the ancient Athenian democratic system and

the extent to which it was fair and equitable. Students will engage in a variety of interactive and

collaborative activities that require them to think critically about the past and determine if there

are lessons to be learned present day. It is important for students to understand and critically

evaluate past models of democracy because it helps them to understand and critically evaluate

Canada’s model of democracy. Furthermore, it is essential for students to appreciate their power

and its limitations within Canada’s system of government.

Students will build upon their prior knowledge from the previous units (i.e. municipal

and provincial government, and the Iroquois Confederacy) to gain a broader and deeper

understanding of democracy, fairness, and equity. This unit on ancient Athens will lead to an

exploration of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Students will have a strong grasp

on rights, freedoms, and responsibilities after learning about ancient Athenian social and

government structure. They will also have an excellent conceptual understanding of fairness and

equity. This will help to ensure their success in the next unit and beyond.

Additionally, this unit focuses on building and refining students’ historical thinking

skills, skills of decision making and problem solving, and skills of oral, written, and visual

literacy. These skills are essential for students to be active and responsible citizens in Canada’s

democracy. As mentioned above, they will engage in collaborative activities that will provide

them with several opportunities to make decisions and problem solve in a respectful,

understanding, and fair way. Moreover, students will analyze primary sources throughout the

unit to foster their historical thinking skills. Current events will be used as frequently as possible

to engage students and promote an appreciation for the world around them. Students will also

improve their oral, written, and visual literacy skills as Cardston Jr. High School has identified
literacy as an area upon which to improve. Technology will frequently be integrated into lessons

and assessments to help students improve their digital literacy and citizenship. Lastly, this unit

aims to begin preparing students for the upcoming Provincial Achievement Test (PAT). This will

be done through direct instruction on test-taking strategies and regular quizzes with questions

styled similarly to those on the PAT. The first part of this unit’s culminating task, a newspaper

article, also aims to prepare students for this test.