Page 227 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies

E. CHANGING ECUMENES OVERALL EXPECTATIONS
By the end of this course, students will:
E1. Quality of Urban Life: analyse interrelationships between urban environments and quality of life (FOCUS ON: Spatial Significance; Interrelationships)
E2. AnalysisofSolutions:assessfromageographicperspectivetheeffectivenessofsolutionstoissues affecting the built environment (FOCUS ON: Interrelationships; Geographic Perspective)
SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS
E1. Quality of Urban Life
FOCUS ON: Spatial Significance; Interrelationships
By the end of this course, students will:
E1.1 analyse factors affecting quality of life in urban environments generally and in selected communities (e.g., water, sanitation, energy, and transportation infrastructure; educational, cultural, and recreational facilities; health care services; housing; employment; population density; security)
Sample questions: “What influence does the built environment have on our quality of life?” “What services are most important for main- taining an acceptable quality of life? What services enhance the quality of life in urban communities?” “Why do people move from the countryside to cities? Why do people move from cities to suburbs?” “What are the negative effects of high population density? In what ways does high population density help to enhance quality of life? How does urban sprawl affect quality of life?” “How does the decay of a city core affect the quality of life of core residents?” “Does the selected community provide sufficient services for the population? Does it provide ample opportunity for employment? How would you improve the quality of life in this community?”
E1.2 assess the role of planning (e.g., land-use planning, infrastructure planning, green- and open-space planning, transportation flow planning) in maintaining and enhancing the quality of life in urban communities
Sample questions: “Who is responsible for planning for quality of life?” “How can land-use decisions affect the quality of life of urban
residents?” “What strategies do planners use to protect and enhance the quality of life in a city?” “What factors need to be considered in a green-space plan if it is to improve the quality of life of everyone in a community?” “How do planners accommodate growth while limiting urban sprawl?” “What role does a city’s official plan play in its development?”
Using spatial skills: To support their analyses of the quality of life in built environments, students can use annotated maps of two urban communities of similar size to compare features that affect quality of life, such as schools, hospi- tals, transportation infrastructure, public green spaces, libraries and other cultural facilities, and sports and recreation facilities.
E1.3 analyse factors affecting the quality of life in slums (e.g., population density; types of building materials available; the state of infrastructure, including the type of water supply and the avail- ability of facilities for waste and sewage treatment and disposal; access to medical care and education; the existence of class, racial, and other forms of discrimination)
Sample questions: “Is quality of life necessarily tied to wealth?” “What is the difference between a ‘slum of hope’ and a ‘slum of despair’? What factors determine whether a slum will become a slum of hope or a slum of despair? “Could a slum of despair become a slum of hope? What could cause a slum of hope to become a slum of despair?” “How do surrounding areas respond to the presence of slums?” “What can be done to improve the quality of life in slums?” “Has globalization affected the quality of life in slums?”
CHANGING ECUMENES
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World Geography:
Urban Patterns and Population Issues
CGU4M