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Social Studies

Social Studies assists students in acquiring the basic knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes needed to be responsible citizens and contributing members of society. The content of Social Studies draws upon history,geography, economics, other social sciences, behavioral sciences and the humanities.

Term 1 Study Guide
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3

Units

Historical Models of Democracy: Ancient Athens and the Iroquois Confederacy 

Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the democratic principles exemplified by ancient Athens and the Iroquois Confederacy. 

Textbook

Chapter 4

Democracy, Rights and UnderstandingIn this unit students will define democracy as a whole. The 4 pillars of democracy: Freedom, Justice, Equity and Representation, are the foundation of our learning in grade 6 Social Studies.  Students will understand that with the rights and freedoms we enjoy come responsibilities.  We will also look at how citizens are able to participate in democracy and understand how our justice system protects our democratic and constitutional rights. 

 

Athens
Students will learn about the structure of the Athenian government.  Students will study the social structure of ancient Athens and understand how the citizens took part in this early democracy.  They will understand how the social and political structures are linked and will assess how much the democractic ideals were present in the Athenian decision-making process.

Iroquois
In this unit students will study the Iroquois Confederacy to learn about another early model of democracy.
They will learn about the concept of consensus and how the Six Nations used consensus as a decision-making process.  Included in this study, students will learn about the Wampum belt and how it addressed collective identity.  Students will also assess how much the democratic ideals were present in the Iroquois Confederacy.

Citizens Participating in Decision Making 

Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the dynamic relationship between governments and citizens as they engage in the democratic process.

Provincial Government
In this unit students will study the structure of the provincial government.  They will be able to identify the different roles of members of our government (MLA, Cabinet Minister, Opposition MLA) and understand their respective responsibilities.  Students will also understand the electoral process of the provincial government.  The responsibilities of the Provincial Government (taxes, laws and services) will also be studied.

Local Government
In this unit students will study the structure of the local (municipal) government.  They will learn why we have local governments, how they are organized and how we can participate as citizens of our own municipality.  Students will understand that there are a variety of types of municipal governments.  

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (CCRF) is an important part of Canada's constitution.  In this unit students will be able to identify different elements of the CCRF and its role in protecting our individual and collective rights and freedoms.     

Fair and Just Canada and Active Citizenship
In this unit students will understand how associations such as the Association canadienne-francaise de l'Alberta, the Metis Nation of Alberta Association and the First Nations Authorities provide their members a voice at the different levels of government.  Students will also understand how elected officials demonstrate their accountability to the electorate.  They will also determine how individuals, groups, and associations within a community participate in the decision-making process regarding current events or issues.
 

Current Events
Throughout the year we will include current events to help our students be aware of and connected with the world around them.


 

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