The first thing that strikes me about the new Social Studies Curriculum is the rationale for it found on the Social Studies page:

“The primary goal of Social Studies education is to give students the knowledge, skills, and competencies to be active, informed citizens who are able to think critically.”

I am especially struck by the goal of creating critical thinkers. This is outlined not just here, but as a Core Competency. When I heard that the new Curriculum was creating by centrally framing the consideration of what characteristics would create and contribute to a good neighbour, I was thrilled. Certainly there is much work to be done, but it is hopeful to see that the Ministry of Education has some relevant values in place. Overall it seems to create a good foundation for relationship building, and the incentive to try to understand the perspectives and experiences of others.

This goal incentivized me to suggest to my Inquiry group that we investigate how this Curriculum can be used to encourage students to be good people. It is a complicated and somewhat intangible topic to investigate, but an important one nonetheless.

Here is a video that I find outlines what makes a good person pretty succinctly without making a fuss about being the only list, or insisting one feel guilty if they are not these things. These aspects of the Core Competencies stood out the most to me:

COMMUNICATING: Connecting and engaging with others

COLLABORATION: Supporting group interactions, Determining common purposes

CRITICAL AND REFLECTIVE THINKING: Reflecting and assessing, Questioning and investigating

POSITIVE PERSONAL AND CULTURAL IDENTITY: Understanding relationships and cultural contexts, recognizing personal values and choices, identifying personal strengths and abilities

SOCIAL AWARENESS AND RESPONSIBILITY: Building relationships, Resolving problems, Contributing to community and caring for the environment, Valuing diversity

PERSONAL AWARENESS AND RESPONSIBILITY: Self-advocating, Self-regulating, Well-being

As per Big Ideas, this one struck me as especially powerful and moving (from the Grade 8 Social Studies Curriculum):

Changing ideas about the world created tension between people wanting to adopt new ideas and those wanting to preserve established traditions.

I think the Curricular Competencies tie in especially well towards the goal of relationship building and creating understanding between people and groups:

  • Explain different perspectives on past or present people, places, issues, or events, and compare the values, worldviews, and beliefs of human cultures and societies in different times and places (perspective).
  • Make ethical judgements about past events, decisions, or actions, and assess the limitations of drawing direct lessons from the past (ethical judgement).

The evidence of my understanding of the new Social Studies Curriculum is my desire to use it as a tool to encourage kinder and more understanding humans (demonstrated here, and in both my inquiry and my Unit and Lesson plans). I am struck by how difficult and convoluted this work will be, although always worth it.

Photo by Ave Calvar on Unsplash