Page 41 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Science, 2008 (revised)

ANTIDISCRIMINATION EDUCATION
Overview
The implementation of antidiscrimination principles in education influences all aspects of school life. It promotes a school climate that encourages all students to work to attain high standards, affirms the worth of all students, and helps students strengthen their sense of identity and develop a positive self-image. It encourages staff and students alike to value and show respect for diversity in the school and the wider society. It requires schools to adopt measures to provide a safe environment for learning, free from harassment, violence, and expressions of hate.
Antidiscrimination education encourages students to think critically about themselves and others in the world around them in order to promote fairness, healthy relationships, and active, responsible citizenship.
Schools have the responsibility to ensure that school–community interaction reflects the diversity in the local community and wider society. Consideration should be given to a variety of strategies for communicating and working with parents and community mem- bers from diverse groups, in order to ensure their participation in such school activities as plays, concerts, and teacher interviews. Families new to Canada, who may be unfamiliar with the Ontario school system, or parents of Aboriginal students may need special out- reach and encouragement in order to feel comfortable in their interactions with the school.
Antidiscrimination Education and Science
The science program provides students with access to materials that reflect diversity with respect to gender, race, culture, and ability. Diverse groups of people involved in scientific activities and careers should be prominently featured. In planning the science program, teachers should consider issues such as access to laboratory experiences and equipment. Laboratory benches and lighting should be adjustable and appropriate for students with physical disabilities. Equipment and materials can also be adapted in ways that make them accessible to all students.
The examples used to illustrate knowledge and skills, and the practical applications and topics that students explore as part of the learning process, should vary so that they appeal to both boys and girls and relate to students’ diverse backgrounds, interests, and experiences.
In many instances, variations in culture and location (whether rural, urban, or suburban) can be found in a single classroom. Students living in apartment buildings will have differ- ent access to plants and animals than students living in a rural setting or on a First Nation reserve. There may be cultural sensitivities for some students in areas such as the use of biological specimens. For example, a number of religions have prohibitions regarding pigs. Although it is impossible to anticipate every contingency, teachers should be open to adjusting their instruction, if feasible, when concerns are brought to their attention.
It is important that learning activities include opportunities for students to describe, study, or research how women and men from a variety of backgrounds, including Aboriginal peoples, have contributed to science, used science to solve problems in their daily life and work, or been affected by scientific processes or phenomena. The agricultural practices of various cultures and the uses they have made of medicinal plants might be considered. Students might examine the impact of water pollution, resource extraction, or power
SOME CONSIDERATIONS FOR PROGRAM PLANNING