Page 55 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9 AND 10 | Canadian and World Studies

Critically literate students understand that meaning is not found in texts in isolation. People make sense of a text, or determine what a text means, in a variety of ways. Students therefore need to be aware of points of view (e.g., those of people from various cultures), the context (e.g., the beliefs and practices of the time and place in which a text was created and those in which it is being read or viewed), the background of the person interacting with the text (e.g., upbringing, friends, communities, education, experiences), intertextuality (e.g., information that a reader or viewer brings to a text from other texts experienced previously), gaps in the text (e.g., information that is left out and that the reader or viewer must fill in), and silences in the text (e.g., voices of a person or group not heard).
In Canadian and world studies, students who are critically literate are able, for example, to actively analyse media messages and determine potential motives and underlying messages. They are able to determine what biases might be contained in texts, media, and resource material and why that might be, how the content of these materials might be determined and by whom, and whose perspectives might have been left out and why. Students would then be equipped to produce their own interpretation of the issue. Opportunities should be provided for students to engage in a critical discussion of “texts”, which can include books (including textbooks), television programs, movies, web pages, advertising, music, gestures, oral texts, visual art works, maps, graphs, graphic texts, and other means of expression. Such discussions empower students to understand the impact on members of society that was intended by the text’s creators. Language
and communication are never neutral: they are used to inform, entertain, persuade,
and manipulate.
Another aspect of critical thinking is metacognition, which involves developing one’s thinking skills by reflecting on one’s own thought processes. Metacognitive skills include the ability to monitor one’s own learning. Acquiring and using metacognitive skills has emerged as a powerful approach for promoting a focus on thinking skills in literacy and across all disciplines. In Canadian and world studies, metacognitive skills are developed in a number of ways. Throughout the inquiry process, students use metacognitive skills to reflect on their thinking, ensuring, for example, that their questions are appropriate, that they have logically interpreted the information they have generated, and that the appropriate concepts of disciplinary thinking are reflected in their analysis. Through the application of metacognitive skills, students constantly revisit and rethink their work, leading to a deepening of the inquiry process.
Outside of the inquiry and skill development strand, students are given many opportunities to reflect on and monitor their learning. As they develop hands-on practical skills related to daily life, as well as relationship skills, communication skills, and critical-thinking skills, students are given opportunities to reflect on their strengths and needs and to monitor their progress. In addition, they are encouraged to advocate for themselves to get the support they need in order to achieve their goals. In all areas of Canadian and world studies, students are expected to reflect on how they can apply the knowledge and skills they acquire in their courses to their lives, in meaningful, authentic ways – in the classroom, in the family, with peers, and within the various communities to which they belong. This process helps students move beyond the amassing of information to an appreciation of the relevance of Canadian and world studies to their lives.
SOME CONSIDERATIONS FOR PROGRAM PLANNING IN CANADIAN AND WORLD STUDIES
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