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THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12: INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES
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locate relevant primary and secondary resources for interdisciplinary research, using a variety of print or electronic (online) reference materials, indexes, and databases (e.g., scientific papers and reports of conference proceedings, discipline- specific indexes, indexed abstracts);
select relevant information within resources for interdisciplinary research, using a variety of reading and critical- thinking strategies (e.g., relating informa- tion from a previously known or simpler context to information in a new or more complex context; producing sectional summaries, précis, and abstracts of com- plex works; using knowledge of character- istic features of genres and types of books, such as history texts or scientific reports, to clarify an author’s purpose and scope).
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search to determine how representative samples in scientific studies are);
record, sort, and organize information found in resources related to each of the subjects or disciplines studied, using a vari- ety of forms and technologies (e.g., tables, concept mapping applications, biblio- graphic applications) and identify gaps in information requiring further research;
record, sort, and organize sources of infor- mation in relevant footnotes, citations, end- notes, or bibliographies, using an accepted form of documentation (e.g., from a recog- nized stylebook such as that produced by the Modern Language Association or the American Psychological Association);
synthesize findings from their interdiscipli- nary research, using a variety of strategies and technologies (e.g., combining the insights and solutions found in a variety of resources; using précis and abstracts to sum- marize information; finding relationships among census data on geographic, social, economic, and historical information).
Processing Information
By the end of this course, students will:
– analyse and evaluate information from a variety of print, electronic, and mass media resources according to specific cri- teria, including the currency, comprehen- siveness, and depth of the information (e.g.,“Are the examples of genetic engi- neering research up to date?”,“Are the perspectives of both developed and devel- oping nations represented in the socio- economic study on global trade?”,“How thorough or superficial is the newspaper article examining the impact of technol- ogy on archaeology?”);
– identify and critically analyse ideas, argu- ments, bias, and stereotyping found in resources, using a variety of strategies (e.g., analysing fallacies in an author’s argument, using a review of a text in a periodical to discover its omissions in data and information, conducting an Internet
Assessing and Extending Research
By the end of this course, students will:
– re-examine the comprehensiveness of their interdisciplinary research to update and modify their interdisciplinary prod- ucts (e.g., formal essays, dramatic presenta- tions, web pages with directories) in light of new findings and feedback;
– assess their effectiveness in generating
new ideas in each of the subjects or disci- plines studied as a result of their research (e.g.,“What new direction has my research on faith communities suggested?”,“How can my research encourage younger students to become interested in archaeology?”);