Page 87 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9 to 12 | First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies

Course Introduction
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit
in Canada, Grade 10 Open (NAC2O)
OVERVIEW
The study of history fulfils a fundamental human desire to understand the past. It also appeals to our love of stories. In “First Nations, Métis, and Inuit in Canada”, students learn that Indigenous cultures have many stories and that each one is significant and requires thoughtful consideration.
This course provides students with an overview of the histories of Indigenous peoples in the land now called Canada from prior to 1500 up to the present. It conveys a sense of the dynamic and diverse nature of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit histories, focusing on topics such as interactions among Indigenous communities and between Indigenous communities and newcomers; the impact of social and economic trends and develop- ments and of colonialist political policies; and the struggle for self-determination. By investigating such topics, students learn about the people, events, emotions, struggles, and challenges that have produced the present and that will shape the future. This course enables students to become critically thoughtful and informed citizens who are able to interpret and analyse historical, as well as current, issues, events, and develop- ments, in both Canada and the world. It also helps students develop the knowledge and understanding that can help promote reconciliation in Canada.
In this course, students develop their ability to apply the concepts of historical thinking (see page 87) in order to deepen their understanding of the past and its relationship to the society in which they live. They also develop their ability to apply the historical inquiry process (see page 86), gathering, interpreting, and analysing historical evidence and information from a variety of primary and secondary sources, including Indigenous knowledge sources, in order to investigate and reach conclusions about historical issues, developments, and events.
The study of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit histories in Grade 10 builds on the know- ledge, attitudes, and skills, including thinking skills, developed in history in Grades 7 and 8 and supports further study in First Nations, Métis, and Inuit studies and/or Canadian and world studies in Grades 11 and 12.
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