Page 436 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies

Grade 12, Workplace Preparation
THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies
irrigation techniques, the use of Sumerian cuneiform tablets to track agricultural production, terrace farming, feudalism and other developments in land-holding systems)
Sample questions: “What impact did the domestication of animals have on people’s lives?” “What does the use of terrace farming in Asia and South America tell us about changes in agricultural societies during this time?” “What role did staple crops, such as rice, corn, and/or beans, play in the cultural practices of different societies around the world?”
B3.2 describe some key aspects of the development of trade during this period, and analyse their impact (e.g., early trade in spices and salt, the barter system, the development of currencies,
the Hopewell Exchange, Arab trade networks, Champagne Fairs, the increasing importance of the role of merchants in the economies of many countries, the Hanseatic League)
Sample questions: “Why were currencies developed? Who created and monitored them? How did currencies change over time? Where were coins first used? What was the impact of this development? What impact did the evolving use of currency have on people’s social roles and daily interactions?” “How extensive was the Silk Road? What impact did trade along this route have on various groups?”
B3.3 describe the work roles of different people in selected societies and how they contributed to those societies (e.g., hunters, slaves, farmers, gladiators, merchants, artisans, stonemasons, blacksmiths, elders, healers, educators, scribes, warriors, shamans, vestals, monks and/or nuns)
Sample questions: “Why did various societies use slaves? What were some of the differences in the way slaves were treated in different societies? What are some of the ways in which slaves demonstrated resistance within different societies?” “What were some differences in the roles of women in ancient Athenian, Norse, and Wendat societies?”
B4. Culture and Heritage
FOCUS ON: Historical Significance; Continuity and Change
By the end of this course, students will:
B4.1 explain some ways in which the development of language contributed to ancient societies and to our understanding of them (e.g., the importance of language for cultural identity; the use of language to codify laws, to record historical events, for propaganda, or for cultural production; the
development of hieroglyphics, alphabets, oral trad- itions; the historical importance of Mesoamerican codices, Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets, the Dead Sea Scrolls, or Confucian dynastic histories; early literature such as The Epic of Gilgamesh, Ramayana, or The Iliad)
Sample question: “Why was the discovery of the Rosetta Stone so important for our understanding of ancient Egypt?”
B4.2 compare some key beliefs and practices associated with two or more religious/spiritual traditions (e.g., Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Aboriginal spiritual practices)
Sample questions: “What do Incan and Hindu funeral rites or burial practices tell us about those people’s beliefs related to the afterlife?” “Which prophets are revered in both the Judeo- Christian and Muslim traditions? How would you account for this commonality?” “How important was the environment to the religious/ spiritual beliefs of the Maya and some Aboriginal people in what would become Canada? What evidence do you have to support your ideas?” “How did adherents of dominant and minority religions in a society view or respond to each other’s practices, beliefs, and values?”
B4.3 analyse the role of religion/spirituality in selected societies during this period (e.g., with reference to the spread of Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, and/or Islam; the impact of religion/ spirituality on art, music, and/or architecture; festivals and rites; religious conflict such as
the Crusades and/or the Spanish Inquisition; monasticism and learning)
Sample questions: “In what ways were the ancient Olympic Games connected to religious beliefs and practices in ancient Greece?” “Why would religious leaders have chosen to build the Al-Aqsa mosque on the spot of the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem? How did that decision lead to this site’s becoming one of the most contested in the world?”
B4.4 describe some key developments in science and/or technology during this period (e.g., the domestication of fire; the invention of the wheel; stone and iron tools; irrigation systems in Egypt
or Mesopotamia; urban sanitation systems in the Indus Valley; developments in mathematics or astronomy in Greece, Mesoamerica, or India; Mayan or Roman calendars; development in military technology), and assess their impact (e.g., on agriculture, warfare, transportation, cultural production, trade)
Sample questions: “What was the significance of the development of calendars? What are the origins of the calendar we use? What are
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