Page 268 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies

Grade 12, College Preparation
B1. Economic Disparities: analyse interrelationships between social conditions, access to natural resources, government policies, and economic disparities within and between countries or regions (FOCUS ON: Interrelationships; Geographic Perspective)
B2. Resources and Human Systems: analyse global patterns of natural resource and population distribution and their interrelationship with human networks and systems (FOCUS ON: Patterns and Trends; Interrelationships)
B3. Characteristics of World Regions: classify and compare countries and regions of the world, using appropriate criteria and statistical measures (FOCUS ON: Spatial Significance; Patterns and Trends)
THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies
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SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS
B1. Economic Disparities
FOCUS ON: Interrelationships; Geographic Perspective
By the end of this course, students will:
B1.1 analyse the impact of a variety of economic, social, and political factors (e.g., economic: availability of natural resources, level of economic development, foreign debt, dependence on foreign investment, technological change; social: level of education, access to health care, water and sewage infrastructure, openness to innovation and other cultural factors; political: stability of government, rule of law, degree to which government is repre- sentative of the population, colonial legacies) on the unequal distribution of wealth within and between countries
Sample questions: “What is the relationship between gross domestic product and social indicators such as number of doctors per thousand people, availability of potable water, and average caloric intake per person?” “How is personal wealth distributed throughout the population of a selected country, and how does that compare with the way it is distributed in your community?” “What are some possible causes of economic disparity within your local community?” “How might socio-economic status affect a person’s access to water and food resources in different parts of the world?” “How is technological change affecting economic disparity in Canada?”
Using spatial skills: Students can use GIS to layer countries with respect to their ratings on the Human Development Index (HDI) and such indices as gross domestic product (GDP), caloric intake, and infant mortality. Using the map layers that have been generated, students can compare the relative importance of different factors in determining a country’s HDI and identify areas in which a country could benefit most from development assistance.
B1.2 analyse environmental, economic, social, and political implications of the unequal distribution of natural, economic, and social resources, nationally and globally (e.g., over- exploitation of scarce resources and destruction of ecosystems, disparities in standard of living, migration from resource-poor to resource-rich areas, conflict over access to and control over resources)
Sample questions: “What are the possible consequences of the privatization of water supplies?” “How does an unequal distribution of food and water affect migration patterns? What is an environmental refugee?” “How does the use or abuse of a natural resource contribute to global economic disparities?” “What natural resources do you anticipate a high demand for in the near future, and what consequences might such a demand have?” “How might global inequities in resources lead to ethical dilemmas?”
B. SPATIAL ORGANIZATION: REGIONAL SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES
OVERALL EXPECTATIONS
By the end of this course, students will: