GEOGRAPHY OF CANADA, GRADE 9 ACADEMIC
CGC1D
Course Overview
2012/2013
Department of Geography
1 course credit
110 hours
The Ontario Curriculum, Canadian and World Studies, 2005 (Revised)
No prerequisite
Text: Clark B., Wallace J., (2006). Making Connections- Canada's Geography, 2nd ed.. Scarborough, ON: Prentice Hall.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
“This course explores Canada’s distinct and changing character and the geographic systems and relationships that shape it. Students will investigate the interactions of natural and human systems within Canada, as well as Canada’s economic, cultural, and environmental connections to other countries. Students will use a variety of geotechnologies and inquiry and communication methods to analyse and evaluate geographic issues and present their findings.” (Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: Canadian and World Studies, 2005 (Revised).
OVERALL APPROACH
In Grade 7 the boys studied Physical Geography and in Grade 8 they studied Human Geography. In Grade 9 the boys will be studying the Physical and Human aspects of one country and that country of course is Canada.
This course examines different themes in Canadian geography by focusing on a variety of important issues (physical, cultural and economical) that affect the Canadian landscape.
We begin the course with a look at the inquiry skills any good geographer needs, like latitude and longitude, scale, GIS and map mapping. The course then shifts to a study of Canada’s physical attributes. We will investigate Canada’s landform regions and Canada’s diverse climate. Canada’s human geography will focus on certain issues like immigration, and the concept of urban growth and urban sprawl. In the Urban unit the boys will be asked to select a group member and they will need to travel to a major intersection in Toronto and do a land use study of that intersection. When studying Canada’s economy we will look at some of the country’s main resources and discuss the issue of sustainable development especially in the fishing industry. Finally we will end the year with a look at Canada’s role in the world and its relationship with the United States. The events of the past few years will make this an interesting conclusion to the course.
In accordance to the Ministry of Education, at the end May and early June the boys will write a final exam (based on the entire years work) as well as writing an end of year activity (Intersection Study). Both of these will comprise 30% of their final mark.
The course also has as a goal the integration of appropriate computer technology into the curriculum. The students will use a variety of software to address problems and tasks in the curriculum. These include word processing, GIS (ArcMap), spreadsheets, electronic slide shows, drawing programs, on-line library databases, and the Internet.
The following is an outline of the units of the course. Please note that an equal amount of time is not spent on each unit nor are they necessarily covered in the order presented here.
UNITS OF STUDY
Unit 1: Canadian Connections: An Introduction (5 hours)
· What is Geography?
· Mental Map of Canada
· A Canadian Quiz
· Area, Population, Wealth
· Snapshots: Canada and the Rest of the World
Unit 2: Methods of Geographic Inquiry (10 hours)
· Maps
· Locating Places
· Map Scale
· G.I.S.
· Aerial Photos
· Satellite Imagery
· Graphs
Unit 3: Physical Connections (25 hours)
· Geologic history
· Landform regions
· Climate
· Soil and Natural Vegetation
· Canada's Ecozone
Unit 4: Cultural Connections (25 hours)
· Immigration
· Rural and Urban Settlement Patterns
· Population and Demographic
· Urban land use
· Intersection Activity
· Urban problems, urban sprawl
Unit 5: Economic Connections (25 hours)
· Types of industry
· Fishing Industry
· Farming
· Forestry
· Minerals
· Energy Industry
· Location Factors
· Services
· Transportation
· Communications
Unit 6: Canada’s Global Connections (10 hours)
· Canada and the World
· Canada’s international connections
· Foreign trade and aid
· Relationship to the United States
Unit 7: Future Connections (10 hours)
· Water: The Basic Resource
· Global Warming
· Environmental Sustainability
· Ecological Footprint
For a more complete examination of this course, please go to:
http://occ.crescentschool.org/geography/geography.asp or
The Green Room
Assessment and Evaluation:
Assessment is an ongoing process. It is the gathering of information (data) using a variety of tools and strategies such as tests, assignments and activities. Assessment can be DIAGNOSTIC. This type of assessment occurs at the beginning of a unit. It is used to see how much is known prior to delivering new content.
Assessment can be FORMATIVE. This is assessment that is ongoing; these are activities and tasks which students explore, test and practice new learning. These can take the form of homework (questions and answers), small quizzes, binder checks, homework checks. Although these do not count directly toward your mark, they may influence your final mark and your parent/teacher interviews. Formative assessment prepares the student for the next type of assessment that IS graded and DOES count. It is in the best interest of the student to do all of the formative as best they can.
Throughout the course the students will be guided to develop specific learning skills and work habits: Responsibility, Organization, Independent Work, Collaboration, Initiative and Self Regulation (Growing Success, 2010).
The next type of Assessment is called SUMMATIVE. This is assessment that occurs at the end of a unit or a piece of work. It allows students to demonstrate the new learning. Summative assessment can be more complex and lengthy than formative. They can take the form of tests, assignments, projects etc.
Evaluation is the process of bringing all of the above together and assigning a value to represent the quality of a student’s work. Evaluation is about making judgments on how the student has done. It is taking the results of the summative assessment and taking into account the formative assessment as well and coming up with a grade and/or comments and/or letter grade.
A variety of techniques are used to arrive at a ‘final mark’ for each student. This variety will be based on the four categories from the Ontario Ministry of Education’s ‘Achievement Chart’. Rubrics will be used (wherever possible) to communicate these expectations to the students. These include:
· unit tests - (types of questions include multiple choice, true/false, short answer, fill in the blanks, matching, interpretation of maps, graphs and images, and essays.
· final exam
· Assignments, Activities and Case Studies
· Student Projects or Presentations (eg. electronic slide shows)
The final percentage grade will be derived as in the table below. In summary:
· 70% is based on evaluations undertaken throughout the course and represents the student's most consistent level of achievement with special attention directed to most recent performance – Summative Assessment.
Each of the above techniques (tests, activities, assignments etc.) will evaluate the students based on the learning categories (KICA) below. Some or all will be used as appropriate and will reflect the Achievement Chart:
Knowledge & Understanding
Thinking & Inquiry
Communication
Application
o Knowledge & Understanding:
-knowledge of facts and terms
-understanding of concepts principles and theories
-understanding of relationships between concepts
o Thinking & Inquiry:
-critical thinking skills (e.g., conducting analysis, detecting point of view and bias)
-creative thinking skills (e.g., problem solving that uses multiple perspectives)
-inquiry skills (e.g., formulating questions; organising and conducting research; analysing, interpreting, and evaluating information; drawing conclusions)
o Communication:
-oral communication (e.g., debates, role playing) for different audiences and purposes
-written communication (e.g., reviews, short essays, long essays, letters) for different audiences and purposes
o Application:
-application of concepts, skills, and procedures in familiar context
-transfer of concepts, skills, and procedures to new contexts
-making logical conclusions or generalizations
-making predictions and planning courses of action
-use of technology, equipment, and materials
-making connections (e.g., between past, present, and future contexts and roles; between subjects; between subjects and the world outside the school)
· 30% is based on the final assessment (exam and/or activity) and will follow the learning categories (KICA) as well.
The students are evaluated in a number of different ways and no one item carries a lot of "weight". Each chapter of the course involves at least one test and one activity/case study as well as some assignments
BREAKDOWN OF COURSE EVALUATION
Students are evaluated in a number of ways throughout the year. These include assignments, tests, small group projects and exams. The mark is cumulative throughout the year.
Thinking/Inquiry / 17.5%
Communication / 17.5%
Application / 17.5%
Final assessment (Exam – 20, Summative Assignment – 10) / 30%
Total / 100%
Please check the document “Evaluation and Assessment in Geography” This document is linked on the main Geography page in the Green Room
Late Policy - Making the Grade and Taking Responsibility
All assignments that are submitted for evaluation will be assigned a DUE DATE. If you are not going to meet a due date for an assignment you must negotiate an extension and a deadline before class on the due date. The date negotiated for the deadline will normally be between one and three days after the original due date. You will be asked to sign a form indicating that you have asked for an extension. If you do not negotiate for an extension and do not hand in your work by the class on the original due date, you will receive a 0 for that assignment. If you do not submit your assignment by the class on the negotiated deadline, you will receive a 0 for that assignment. If you negotiate more than three assignments, your mentor and parents/guardians will be notified.
It is in the best interest of the student to submit assignments on the assigned date.
Geography of Canada Page 7