Through an integrated teaching/learning model, students investigate a current Canadian social issue. They gather background information from primary source materials, such as news articles and videos. Then they communicate their initial reactions, ideas and emotions through dance.
Guiding Questions
How does integrating the arts into social studies allow students to express their response to current issues? How this integration support concepts related to the citizenship education framework (collaboration and cooperation, decision making, respect, rights and responsibilities)?
Students create dance sequences to reflect on their feelings and understanding of the relationships and interrelationships explored during their inquiry into First Nations education. Their teacher integrates the dance concepts of space, time, relationships etc. with the ideas generated from their social studies inquiry.
Guiding Questions
How is dance a type of social action? What opportunities can you provide for students to reflect on and explore different ways to have their voices hear? How does your guiding question include historical thinking? Why is social action an important aspect of social studies teaching and learning?
Students participate in a school-wide social action letter writing campaign, inspired by letters from the Attawapiskat First Nation. Students conduct inquiries and discuss the results of their research (data and organization). Students reflect on the benefits of a whole school social action project and what they might do next.
Guiding Questions
How does your guiding question include the use of historical thinking? How can the use of primary sources be successfully integrated into other subject areas? Why is social action an important aspect of social studies teaching and learning? What opportunities can you provide for students to reflect on and explore different ways to have their voices hear?
Students conduct an integrated Inquiry into the interrelationships between people (the students) and the environment (natural and built features). They ask questions and gather information and reflect on how they can give back to nature (responsible citizenship). This investigation links Social Studies and Science and Technology curricula.
Guiding Questions
How can your schoolyard and community environment function as an outdoor inquiry classroom? What “primary resources” does your community offer that your students can access during their inquiry? David W. Barnes’ book, “My School is Alive!” was used as the inspiration for this inquiry, what fiction or non-fiction books do you have access to that you can use?