ONTARIO CURRICULUM

In Reading students will be able to do the following by the end of Grades 7 & 8:

• read a variety of non-fiction materials - reports, short stories;
• interpret the written work, supporting it with evidence from the work itself and elsewhere;
• decide on the specific purpose of reading and select material needed from a variety of sources;
• read independently showing a variety of reading strategies;
• explain various elements of a story;
• identify the main ideas in the material and explain how details support them;
• clarify and develop point of view by examining ideas of others;
• plan a research project and carry out research;
• identify various forms of writing and describe key features (e.g. histories, biographies, etc.);
• identify stylistic devices in literary works and explain them (e.g. personification, alliteration, simile, metaphor, etc.)

In Writing students will be able to do the following by the end of: Grades 7 & 8

• use writing for a variety of purposes;
• organize information to develop a central idea, using well-linked and well-developed paragraphs;
• use a variety of sentence types and structures and sentences of varying lengths;
• produce pieces of writing using a variety of forms, (e.g. descriptive, narrative, and expository);
• revise and edit work, focusing on content and elements of style (e.g. diction);
• proofread and correct final drafts, focusing on grammar, punctuation, spelling and conventions of style;
• develop thinking skills that underlie and produce clear and effective writing;
• communicate ideas and information for a variety of purposes (e.g. to evaluate information, to compare points of view) and for specific audiences, using forms appropriate for their purpose (e.g., a survey soliciting opinions on an environmental issue) and features appropriate to the form (e.g., focused questions);
• use writing for various purposes and in a range of contexts(e.g., to write technical instructions, to clarify personal concerns, to explore social issues, to develop imaginative abilities, to organize information and ideas creatively as well as logically) using paragraph structures appropriate for their purpose (e.g., paragraphs structured to develop a comparison or establish a cause-and-effect relationship);
• revise and edit work, focusing on content and on more complex elements of style (e.g., imagery) independently, or using feedback from others (In addition to imagery, the following also influence style: diction; sentence structure and variety; rhythm; coherence; emphasis; arrangement of ideas.)
• proofread and correct final drafts focusing on grammar, spelling, punctuation, and conventions of style

History
In Grade 7 the study of history focuses on the development of Canada from the seventeenth to the early nineteenth century. Students investigate the contributions of significant groups and individuals and develop an understanding of Canada's European roots. They study the early settlements of North America and their impact on the Aboriginal peoples and on English/French relations. They examine the economic, social, and political challenges faced in New France and British North America, as well as the course of conflict and change in the two colonies that culminated in the rebellions of 1837. Emphasis is placed on the development of critical-thinking skills, including the ability to examine issues from more than one point of view.

A. Developing Inquiry/Research and Communication Skills: In History by the end of Grade 7,8,9 &10, students will:

• use appropriate vocabulary (e.g., seigneurial system, rivalry, expulsion, Acadian) to describe their inquiries and observations;
• formulate questions to facilitate gathering and clarifying information (e.g., on the impact of the Church on life in New France);
• locate relevant information about how early settlers met the challenges of the new land in a variety of primary sources (e.g., artifacts, journals, letters, statistics, field trips, interviews, original documents, maps) and secondary sources (e.g., maps, illustrations, print materials, videos, CD-ROMs, Internet);
• analyse, synthesize, and evaluate historical information (e.g., examine historical accounts for evidence of bias);
• analyse and describe conflicting points of view about an historical event (e.g., the expulsion of Acadians), giving examples of fact and opinion;
• communicate the results of inquiries for specific purposes and audiences, using media works, oral presentations, written notes and reports.

C. Developing Inquiry/Research and Communication Skills: In History by the end of Grade 7, students will:

• use appropriate vocabulary (e.g., institutions, revolution, Loyalists, Patriot) to describe their inquiries and observations;
• formulate questions to facilitate research in specific areas (e.g., the impact of the American Revolution on the Loyalist migration to British North America);
• locate relevant information about how early settlers met the challenges of the new land using a variety of sources (e.g., artifacts, journals, letters, statistics, field trips, interviews, original documents, maps, illustrations, print materials, videos, CD-ROMs, Internet);
• analyse, synthesize, and evaluate historical information (e.g., examine historical accounts for evidence of bias);
• analyse and describe conflicting points of view about a series of historical events (e.g., the ways in which a Patriot and a Loyalist would view British actions in the Thirteen Colonies);
• trace the loyalist migration routes and their areas of settlement);
• communicate the results of inquiries for specific purposes and audiences, using media works, oral presentations, written notes and reports

• trace the historical development of their own community (e.g., including an account of its origins, key personalities, and the contributions of various cultural groups)

• demonstrate an understanding of the nature of change and conflict, identify types of conflict (e.g., war, rebellion, strike, protest), and present strategies for conflict resolution;
• demonstrate an awareness of the major sources of conflict that led to the rebellions of 1837 in Upper and Lower Canada (e.g., land, transportation, government, culture);
• describe the role of key personalities (e.g., Mackenzie, Papineau, Baldwin) involved in the rebellions and the methods they used to bring about change;
• describe the rebellions of 1837 in Upper and Lower Canada and their impact on ordinary people;
• explain the major political changes that resulted from the rebellions and their impact on the Canadas (e.g., Durham Report, union of the Canadas, achievement of responsible government)

• use appropriate vocabulary (e.g., rebellion, moderate, radical, conflict, responsible government, Family Compact, Château Clique, Fils de la Liberté, Doric Club) to describe their inquiries and observations;
• formulate questions to facilitate research on issues and problems (e.g., the achievement of responsible government);
• locate relevant information about key personalities involved in the rebellions from a variety of sources (e.g., journals, illustrations, print materials, videos, CD-ROMs, Internet);
• analyse, synthesize, and evaluate historical information (e.g., concerning the effect of Lord Durham's report on the development of responsible government);
• examine and communicate conflicting points of view about an historical issue (e.g., the importance of building canals versus constructing roads);
• construct and interpret a wide variety of graphs, charts, diagrams, maps, and models to organize and interpret information (e.g., on a map of Upper and Lower Canada, label the significant places and waterways);
• communicate the results of inquiries for specific purposes and audiences, using media works, oral presentations, written notes and descriptions, drawings, tables, charts, and graphs

• describe the impact of political unrest and change in the Maritimes during the rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada;
• examine and communicate methods of conflict resolution employed in everyday life: at home, at school, in the community;
• compare strategies of conflict resolution used at home and at school to strategies used historically.

CURRICULUM - a plan for student learning, including detailed descriptions of levels of achievement to assist teachers to assess how close students come to achieving expectations.

CURRICULUM GUIDELINE - (one per subject) a general outline providing equal opportunity for all students, including exceptional students, that outlines: compulsory and optional learning; the application of standards; assessment methods; and levels of achievement [performance indicators/attainment targets], that is, descriptions of levels of increasing difficulty.

COURSE PROFILE - (one per course) detailed materials specific to the subject, grade and course, containing particular requirements for the course, as well as detailed outcomes; assessment strategies; required standards; instructional materials; support for exceptional students and recommendations for support materials.

STANDARDS: goals that all students should have the opportunity to acquire, using a challenging curriculum that fosters student achievement and develops skills and knowledge. Standards, which provide a guiding vision of content and purpose, should be made clear by performance expectations or levels of achievement that define the level of performance students are expected to reach.

STANDARDS IN HISTORY provide a framework for curriculum development and outcome goals for courses/units, and provide ideas for instruction and assessment. They also make explicit the goals that all students should have the opportunity to acquire.

• be expected of all students;
• be intellectually demanding, reflect historical scholarship, and promote active learning rather than passive absorption of facts, dates, names;
• reflect ability of students to learn the meanings of history and the methods of historians;
• reflect principles of sound historical reasoning: careful evaluation of evidence; construction of causal relationships; balanced interpretation; comparative analysis;
• reflect ability to detect and evaluate distortion and propaganda by omission, suppression or invention of facts;
• use a variety of sources of evidence including written documents, oral tradition, popular culture, literature, artifacts, art and music, historical sites, photographs, films and narratives.

Students should have opportunities to study aspects of the past in outline and in depth, to apply historical knowledge in the use and evaluation of sources of information and to construct narratives, descriptions and explanations of historical events.

LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS OF INCREASING DIFFICULTY (which provide examples of the types and ranges of performance a majority of students in Grades 7-9 working at that particular level should be able to demonstrate.)

• show understanding of chronology by growing awareness that the past can be divided into different periods of time;
• recognize some of the similarities and differences between these periods;
• show awareness of chronology by their use of dates and terms;
• demonstrate factual knowledge and understanding of some of the main events, people and changes;
• begin to give a few reasons for and results of the main events and changes;
• identify some of the different ways in which the past is represented;
• find answers to questions about the past by using sources of information in ways that go beyond simple observations.

• demonstrate factual knowledge and understanding of various aspects of history;
• use this to describe the characteristic features of past societies and periods;
• use this to identify changes within and across periods;
• describe main events, people and changes;
• give reasons for and results of main events and changes;
• show how aspects of the past have been represented and interpreted in different ways;
• begin to select and combine information from sources;
• begin to produce structured work, making appropriate use of dates and terms.

• demonstrate increasing depth of factual knowledge and understanding aspects;
• use this to describe and begin to make links between features of past societies and periods;
• describe events, people and changes;
• describe and make links between relevant reasons for and results of events and changes;
• know that some events, people and changes have been interpreted in different ways and suggest reasons for this;
• using knowledge and understanding, students begin to evaluate sources of information and identify those that are useful for particular tasks;
• select, organize and deploy relevant information to produce structured work, using appropriate dates and terms.

• use factual knowledge and understanding of history to describe past societies and periods;
• make links between features within and across periods;
• examine and begin to analyse the reasons for and results of events and changes;
• describe and begin to explain different historical interpretations of events, people and changes;
• use knowledge and understanding to identify and evaluate sources of information used critically to reach and support conclusions.

• analyse relationships between features of a particular period or society;
• analyse reasons for and results of events and changes;
• explain how and why different historical interpretations have been produced;
• begin to show independence in following lines of enquiry, using knowledge and understanding to identify, evaluate and use sources of information critically.
• begin to reach substantiated conclusions independently;
• select, organize and deploy relevant information to produce well structured narratives, descriptions and explanations, making appropriate use of dates and terms.

• use outline and factual knowledge and understanding of history to analyse the relationships between events, people and changes and between features of past societies.
• explain and analyse different historical interpretations and begin to evaluate them;
• draw on historical knowledge and understanding to use sources of information critically and carry out enquiries about historical topics and independently reach substantial conclusions;
• select, organize and deploy relevant information to produce consistently well structured narratives, descriptions, explanations, making appropriate use of dates and terms.

• use extensive and detailed factual knowledge and understanding of history to analyse relationships between wide range of events, peoples, ideas, and changes and between features of past societies;
• explanations and analyses of, reasons for, and results of events and changes will be well substantiated and set in their wider historical context;
• analyse links between events and developments that took place in different periods;
• make balanced judgements about the value of differing interpretations of historical events and developments in relation to their historical context;
• drawing on historical knowledge and understanding, use sources of information critically to carry out enquiries about historical topics and independently reach and sustain substantiated and balanced conclusions;
• select, organize and deploy a wide range of relevant information to produce consistently well structured narratives, descriptions and explanations.

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