Page 304 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies

Grade 11, University Preparation
A1. Historical Inquiry: use the historical inquiry process and the concepts of historical thinking when investigating aspects of American history;
A2. Developing Transferable Skills: apply in everyday contexts skills developed through historical investigation, and identify careers in which these skills might be useful.
THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies
OVERALL EXPECTATIONS Throughout this course, students will:
SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS
A1. Historical Inquiry
Throughout this course, students will:
A1.1 formulate different types of questions to guide investigations into issues, events, and/or developments in American history (e.g., factual questions: What was the Monroe Doctrine?; comparative questions: What were the main similarities and differences in the treatment of African Americans before the abolition of slavery and during the Jim Crow era?; causal questions: What criteria should be used to determine the most important causes of the American Revolution?)
A1.2 select and organize relevant evidence and information on aspects of American history from a variety of primary and secondary sources (e.g., primary: artefacts, autobiographies, diaries/ journals, letters, maps, period newspaper articles, photographs, political cartoons, treaties; secondary: books and/or articles from the library, documentaries or other films, later newspaper articles, textbooks, websites), ensuring that their sources reflect a range of perspectives
Sample questions: “What types of sources might you consult to get a sense of the perspectives of people on both sides of the U.S. Civil War as well as the perspectives of different groups in both the Union and the Confederacy?” “Where might you find sources that can give you a sense of the social and/or political response to a pivotal court decision in American history?”
A1.3 assess the credibility of sources and informa- tion relevant to their investigations (e.g., by considering emphasis and omission as well as the perspective, bias, accuracy, purpose, and context of the source and the values and expertise of its author)
Sample questions: “What biases might you expect to find in a newspaper article about American foreign policy written at the height of the Cold War? Why is it important to place such sources in historical context?”
A1.4 interpret and analyse evidence and informa- tion relevant to their investigations, using various tools, strategies, and approaches appropriate for historical inquiry (e.g., develop criteria to rank the significance of the causes of the War of 1812; use a concept map to help them determine the short- and long-term consequences of Reconstruction; compare press reports relating to Freedom Summer from northern and southern newspapers)
Sample questions: “What criteria might you use to assess the impact of the Progressive Era on American society and politics?” “How does this source view President Kennedy’s response to the Cuban Missile Crisis? Is the author’s inter- pretation consistent with that in your other sources? If not, how will you decide which argument is most persuasive?”
A1.5 use the concepts of historical thinking (i.e., historical significance, cause and consequence, continuity and change, and historical perspective) when analysing, evaluating evidence about, and formulating conclusions and/or judgements
A. HISTORICAL INQUIRY AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT
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