Page 574 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies

THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies
United Nations. An intergovernmental organiz- ation formed in 1945 to promote peace and economic development.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A document adopted by the United Nations in 1948 setting out the basic rights and freedoms of all people.
Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate system. An international locational reference system that depicts Earth’s three-dimensional surface in a relatively accurate two-dimensional way. Due to extreme projection distortions at
the poles, the UTM coordinate system does not include areas north of 84o north latitude or
80o south latitude.
urban heat island. A term used to describe the air mass over a large city that has a slightly higher average temperature than that of the surrounding air.
urbanization. A process in which there is an increase in the percentage of people living and/or working in urban places.
urban sprawl. The spread of a city over a relatively large area of land. The term has a negative connotation as a result of the stress on infrastructure and the environment associated with such expansion.
values. Personal or societal beliefs that govern a person’s behaviours and choices.
vector. A coordinate-based data model that represents geographic features as points, lines, and polygons. Different geographical features are expressed by different shapes. See also lines; points; polygons.
voting. The act of expressing an opinion by a show of hands or ballot, usually with the intent of electing a candidate to office or passing a resolution.
voting system. The rules and processes by which governments are elected. Canada has a single member plurality system. See also proportional representation; single member plurality.
War Measures Act. An act, passed by the Canadian Parliament during World War I, that gives the federal cabinet emergency powers, permitting them to govern by decree when they believe that Canada and Canadians are under threat from war, invasion, or insurrection.
waste management. The handling (e.g., collection, disposal, reuse) of the waste products from human activity (e.g., sewage, garbage, e-waste).
weather. The conditions of the atmosphere, including temperature, precipitation, wind, humidity, and cloud cover, at a specific place and time. See also climate.
whistleblower. A person who witnesses or is told about illegal activities in a company or other organization and reports publicly on the illegal activities.
Youth Criminal Justice Act (Canada). A federal act, coming into force in 2003, that governs Canada’s youth justice system. It applies to youth between the ages of 12 and 18 who are alleged to have committed criminal offences.
In 2012 Parliament adopted amendments that were aimed at strengthening the ways in which the youth justice system deals with repeat and violent offenders.
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