Part A: Curricular Connections and Background

They will learn about the various cultures that have shaped Saskatchewan communities; analyze the contributions of First Nations and Métis people to the province, historically and currently; and, learn about the influence that the climate and geography of Saskatchewan had on the decisions made by the people and the development of the province.

They consider the importance of the environment and the contemporary influences on the sustainable management of Canada’s environment. Finally students are also asked to think about possible economic changes that may impact Canada. Students will continue to examine decisions made and consider the consequences of those decisions.

Students will actively engage in:

• Understanding the dynamics of change and seek information and skills for action;
• Developing a critical understanding of and actively exploring and analyzing events and the effects of decisions on a local, national and global level.

• Decision-making is a complex process with far-reaching impacts and is influenced by history.
• A person’s worldview frames their understanding of the world.
• Citizens value the need of the collective common good and consider how their actions impact the collective well-being.
• Governments and the people who elect them are responsible to one another.
• Empathy and respect for diversity in cultural and social groups help strengthen one’s community and requires appreciation of different perspectives.
• Individuals have the power to affect others and make a difference.
• Canada has a long relationship with First Nations Peoples through treaty relationships.
• Canada has a constitutional responsibility to support First Nation, Métis and Inuit people.
• Societies create rules, written and unwritten, to promote order that lead to inclusion or exclusion and are enforced by social behaviours and expectations.
• Belonging requires participation and is a fundamental right of all citizens.
• Active citizens become engaged in discussions, negotiations, debates and consider action regarding Canadian issues.

Inferences to make:

• Positive collective action enhances self-esteem
• Empathy requires understanding and appreciating another person’s perspective
• Societies create rules – written and unwritten – that lead to inclusion or exclusion and are enforced by social behaviours and expectations/actions.
• Citizens value the need of the collective common good and consider how their actions impact the collective well-being.

• How empathy and sympathy are different
• How to compare and contrast
• How to look for alternate points of view
• How to examine an issue from a variety of perspectives

Students will continue to develop skills for:

• Examining issues from a variety of perspectives
• Looking for alternate points of view

Students will use their independent learning to:

• Develop skills for treating self and others with respect
• Demonstrate empathy in social situations
• Continually reassess where they belong (changing contexts/roles and expectations) i.e. school, family, community
• Reflect upon the impact of their choices

• How do you control the impact of your actions/decisions?
• What responsibility do you have to balance personal needs with the community’s needs?
• What is the power and responsibility of the individual to can make a difference in the world?
• What are the rules for belonging and how are they developed and enforced?
• What role does empathy play in citizenship?

(Sask. Curriculum/Student Friendly)
DR5.2
Assess the impact of the environment on the lives of people living in Canada: Examine the relationship between the environment and Citizens of Canada.
Indicators:

• Describe the climate of different regions of Canada, and investigate how population distribution in Canada is related to climate, resources, and topographical features.
• Explain how different traditional worldviews of Earth affect the use of resources in Canada (e.g., Indigenous and European attitudes toward ownership, Treaties, Crown land, homesteads, and the seigniorial system).
• Investigate the relationship of various First Nations peoples with the environment, including economic relationships, migration, and settlement patterns prior to Confederation.
• Investigate maps from the Métis National Council to determine the recognized homelands of the Métis in Canada.

RW 5.1
Explain the importance of sustainable management of the environment to Canada’s future: Examine the practices of sustainable management by Canadians.
Indicators:

• Differentiate between renewable resources (e.g., forests, fish, water) and non-renewable resources (e.g., oil, minerals).
• Create an inventory of current non-sustainable practices (e.g., presence of plastics, packaging, dumping of waste into river systems).
• List the possible consequences of non-sustainable practices related to the use of resources (e.g., lack of resources for future generations, endangered species, climate change).
• Taking one resource as an example, illustrate how resource use and the extraction process of the resource affects the environment (e.g., forests, tar sands, coal, uranium, potash).
• Give examples of policies and actions that contribute to sustainability (e.g., water conservation, informed decisions by consumers, reusing materials).

RW 5.2
Hypothesize about the economic changes that Canada may experience in the future: Consider the economic changes that Canada may experience.
Indicators:

• Using factual data and statistics, predict the future demographic make-up of Canada (e.g., growth in senior citizen population, Indigenous populations, rates of immigration, birth rates, rural depopulation).
• Describe the effect the movement of people has on local and provincial communities.
• Predict which industries will be of future significance in Canada using factual information, statistics, and other data to support your prediction.
• Give examples of possible changes in Canada’s principal industries (e.g., large agricultural companies replacing family farms; the importance of technological industries).
• Speculate upon how contrasting worldviews toward the natural environment may affect the use of resources. Consider the traditional First Nation worldview model.