Page 298 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies

History
Formulate Questions
Students formulate questions:
− to explore various events, developments, and/or issues that are related to the overall expectations
in order to identify the focus of their inquiry
− to help them determine which key concept or concepts of historical thinking are relevant to their
inquiry
− that reflect the selected concept(s) of historical thinking
− to develop criteria that they will use in evaluating evidence and information, making judgements
or decisions, and/or reaching conclusions
Gather and Organize
Students:
− collect relevant evidence and information from a variety of primary sourcesa and secondary sources,b
including, where possible, community sourcesc
− determine if their sources are credible, accurate, and reliable
− identify the purpose and intent of each source
− identify the points of view in the sources they have gathered
− use a variety of methods to organize the evidence and information from their sources
− record the sources of the evidence and information they are using
− decide whether they have collected enough evidence and information for their investigation
The Historical Inquiry Process
In each history course in the Canadian and world studies curriculum, strand A focuses explicitly
on the historical inquiry process, guiding students in their investigations of events, developments, issues, and ideas. This process is not intended to be applied in a linear manner: students will use the applicable components of the process in the order most appropriate for them and for the task at hand. Although strand A covers all of the components of the inquiry process, it is important to note that students apply skills associated with the inquiry process throughout the content strands in each course. (See page 32 for a fuller discussion of the inquiry process in the Canadian and world studies program.)
The following chart identifies ways in which students may approach each of the components of the historical inquiry process.
THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies
a. Primary sources may include, but are not limited to, artefacts, art works, census data and other statistics, diaries, letters, legislation and policy documents, oral histories, period newspapers, photographs, speeches, treaties, and some maps.
b. Secondary sources may include, but are not limited to, current news and scholarly articles, documentaries and other films, reference books, textbooks, and most websites.
c. Community sources may include, but are not limited to, local museums and heritage sites, and resources from community groups and associations.
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