Page 97 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | Classical Studies and International Languages

A. CRITICAL THINKING AND LITERACY SKILLS
OVERALL EXPECTATIONS Throughout this course, students will:
A1. Research: select and organize information about the classical world from a variety of oral, written, and visual primary and secondary sources;
A2. Interpretation and Evaluation: interpret and evaluate information to make inferences about the cultural customs and values of the classical world;
A3. Communication: communicate knowledge and understanding of the classical world using a variety of media;
A4. Intercultural and Other Connections: describe how learning about the classical world relates to and enhances their understanding of other cultures and fields of study, the contemporary world, and their own experience.
SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS
A1. Research
Throughout this course, students will:
A1.1 Formulating Questions: formulate different types of questions to guide research and facilitate making predictions and inferences about aspects of classical civilizations (e.g., factual question: “What types of Minoan artefacts have been identi- fied in the grave goods found in Mycenaean tombs, and what might this information indicate about trading and other relationships between Crete and mainland Greece in the Bronze Age?”; comparative question: “What are some key similarities and differences in mood and expression between Catullus’s early and later poems to Lesbia?”; causal questions:“How might the results of the First Punic War have created conditions leading to the Second Punic War?” “How did Roman demand for timber and other resources affect the local environment and create a need to expand territory?”)
Teacher prompts: “What questions would you ask to guide an inquiry into the contributions of classical societies to scientific knowledge?” “What questions would you ask to guide an inquiry into the similarities and differences between the military achievements of Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar?” “What questions would you ask to guide an inquiry into the underlying causes of the transition from the Roman Republic to the Principate?” “What questions would you ask to guide an inquiry into the environmental effects of the expansion of the Roman Empire?”
A1.2 Reading Complex Texts: use decoding strategies (e.g., referring to glossaries and specialized dictionaries and encyclopedias) and information technology (e.g., Internet search features) to understand unfamiliar vocabulary, writing
and numerical systems, and textual and visual representations in a broad range of classical sources (e.g., historical commentaries, tomb inscriptions, statuary, coins, public notices and advertisements)
Teacher prompt: “What corroboration of Josephus’s account of the Roman conquest of Jerusalem do the relief sculptures on the Arch of Titus provide?”
A1.3 Using Primary and Secondary Sources: distinguish between and make appropriate use of different types of primary and secondary sources (e.g., identify similarities and differences in the information acquired from primary and secondary sources; use information in classical literary texts to supplement historical and geo- graphical information; use historical maps and diagrams to clarify and enhance their understanding of historical events; locate ancient sites on modern maps)
Teacher prompts: “Where on a map of the Mediterranean world in the third and second centuries BCE are places associated with the life of Hannibal, and what was their significance in his life? For example, what stages in his career are associated with Saguntum, Carthage,
CRITICAL THINKING AND LITERACY SKILLS
95
Classical Civilization
LVV4U