Page 284 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies

Grade 12, Workplace Preparation
A1. Geographic Inquiry: use the geographic inquiry process and the concepts of geographic thinking when investigating issues relating to the natural environment and sustainability;
A2. Developing Transferable Skills: apply in everyday contexts skills, including spatial skills, developed through geographical investigation, and identify some careers in which a background in geography might be an asset.
THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies
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OVERALL EXPECTATIONS Throughout this course, students will:
SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS
A1. Geographic Inquiry
Throughout this course, students will:
A1.1 formulate different types of questions to guide investigations into issues affecting the natural environment (e.g., factual questions: Which three countries in the world have the greatest freshwater reserves? comparative questions:
How does the ecological footprint of the average Dane or German compare with that of the average Canadian?; causal questions: How does your choice of consumer goods affect the consumption
of natural resources?)
A1.2 select and organize relevant data and information on geographic issues from a variety of primary and secondary sources (e.g., primary: raw data from fieldwork, both quantitative and qualitative; photographs; satellite images; secondary: published statistics, newspapers, books, atlases, geographic magazines, websites, graphs, charts, digital and print maps), ensuring that their sources represent a diverse range of perspectives
Sample questions: “How would you use photo- graphs of your community from different time periods to determine how much the amount of developed land has grown? Where might you find these photographs and related information?” “What type of data and information do you need to collect in order to analyse the impact that a new park has had on your community?” “What types of maps and graphs will help you analyse air quality in your region?”
A1.3 assess the credibility of sources and informa- tion relevant to their investigations (e.g., by
considering how the data are constructed to support the author’s point of view, the possible bias of the author, the expertise of the author, the accuracy
of the text and supporting data, the intended audience, the purpose of the messaging, the context in which the information was presented)
Sample questions: “Who are the authors of this source, and what are their qualifications for writing on this topic? What organizations are the authors affiliated with? Do these affiliations suggest a bias? What are the objectives of the organization that sponsored or published their work?” “Have you consulted other sources that represent other points of view?” “Which source is most credible and why?”
A1.4 interpret and analyse data and information relevant to their investigations, using various tools, strategies, and approaches appropriate for geographic inquiry (e.g., interpret diagrams illustrating the environmental impacts of a product throughout its life cycle, from resource extraction to disposal; identify trends and correlations by analysing graphs and charts showing the amounts and types of solid waste generated by households, institutions, and businesses in the community; use decision-making templates to analyse points of view on an issue; use graphic organizers to outline various perspectives on natural resource use)
Sample questions: “What type of graphic organizer would you use to help analyse the costs and benefits of separating compostable material from garbage that is to be sent to a landfill?” “What type of information might you include in geographic information system (GIS) data layers in order to analyse the global distri- bution of pollutants emitted by vehicles that use fossil fuels?”
A. GEOGRAPHIC INQUIRY AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT