Helping Hands:

Promoting Global Awareness

~Rae-dene Lacey

Subject Area: Social Studies

Intended Learners: Grade 11

This unit would fit well into either a larger unit on human geography or global education.

Prior Knowledge: Students should have prior understanding of the terms adult literacy rate, birth rate, death rate, export, gross domestic product, import, infant mortality, life expectancy, population density, population pyramid, and standard of living. (if not, add approximately 30 minutes to teach these new concepts.)

Rationale:

The purpose of this unit is to integrate the themes of global education and the human geography learning outcomes for social studies 11 by examining Canada’s aid to developing nations.

Learning Outcomes:

It is expected that students will:

·  Develop and express appropriate responses to issues and problems

·  Reassess their responses to issues on the basis of new information

·  Demonstrate appropriate research skills including the ability to:

·  Collect original data

·  Use a range of research tools and resources

·  Compile and document task specific information from a wide variety of print and electronic sources

·  Present and interpret data in graphic form

·  Evaluate and interpret data for accuracy, reliability, bias, point of view

·  Demonstrate mapping skills, including the ability to organize and synthesize various types of mapping data

·  Recognize the importance of both individual and collective action in responsible global citizenship

·  Describe and assess Canada’s participation in world affairs

·  Explain the environmental impact of economic activity, population growth, urbanization, and standard of living

CIDA Themes:

·  Health and Nutrition

·  HIV/AIDS

·  Environment

Performance Standards:

This lesson uses the Grade 10 Social Responsibility Performance Standards as an evaluative tool.

Description of Lesson Aid:

This lesson integrates a variety of learning strategies including power point presentation, collaborative learning, and essay writing to explore the major themes of human geography from a global perspective. Students will examine Canada’s role in delivering foreign aid by looking at specific countries Canada gives aid to. By exploring Canada’s contribution to world development through foreign aid, students will develop an action plan indicating specific aid contributions from various levels including individual, local, and national.

Timeline:

This unit will take approximately 15 hours or 10 one hour and thirty minute classes.

Assessment Strategies:

·  Presentation(designed for powerpoint presentation, but can be a regular presentation)

·  Journal Entries

·  Action Plan

·  Essay

Lesson #1:

Learning Outcomes:

It is expected that students will:

·  Develop and express appropriate responses to issues and problems

·  Reassess their responses to issues on the basis of new information

CIDA Themes:

·  None

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students will explore the concept of whether or not Canada should provide aid to developing nations. Students will work in groups and explore their personal opinions and ideas on this topic.

Materials:

Chart paper

Markers

Signs posted around the room reading: STRONGLY AGREE, AGREE, NOT SURE, DISAGREE, STRONGLY DISAGREE

Timeline:

1 one and a half hour class

Procedure:

  1. Do a creative thinking exercise using the following statement:

Canada has a responsibility to provide aid to foreign nations.[1]

  1. Have students draw a large “T” on a sheet of their own paper. On one side of the “T”, have them put a + sign and on the other a – sign.

e.g. Canada has a responsibility to provide aid to foreign nations.

+ -

  1. List two reasons why you agree with the statement(+) and two reasons why you disagree with the statement(-). There are no right or wrong answers at this point.
  1. Have students put an asterisk “*” by the statement that they believe is their strongest statement. Have signs posted around the room for STRONGLY AGREE, AGREE, NOT SURE, DISAGREE, STRONGLY DISAGREE. Have students move to the sign that they feel best reflects their own opinion on the statement “Canada has a responsibility to provide aid to foreign nations.”
  1. Allow the students to share with their group the reasons for moving to the area that they did. In groups of 2 or 3, have students prepare a two-minute justification for being in the group they have chosen. Remind students that one student from each area will have to get up and present their two minute justification. Tell them you don’t know whom you will be calling on so each student must be prepared to share the justification. (The time limit is not necessary, but it keeps students focused and helps them to develop their arguments thoroughly).
  1. When the class is ready to present their responses, tell the “NOT SURE” group, that they must listen carefully to the other groups’ justifications. At the end of the presentations, they must decide which rationale they felt was more powerful and join one of the other groups by physically getting up and moving to that group. (This strategy helps students to develop a perspective, rather than ‘sitting on the fence’ about important issues).
  1. Select one pair from each of the four main groups to present their two-minute justification. Give each group exactly two minutes. If they are finished early, they must wait in silence until the entire two minutes have passed. If they are too long, cut them off after two minutes. After all of the groups have presented give the not sure students a minute or two to vote and chose another group to join.
  1. Give a piece of chart paper and a marker to each group. In a sentence, they must summarize their position and write at the top of the chart paper.
  1. Leave the chart paper on the desks or pin in up around the room. Invite all of the students to visit each of the charts and write a comment in support or questioning the statement. No put downs are allowed and students must sign their names to their comments. Help students to phrase their questions tactfully and respectfully e.g. “I agree with… Have you thought about…” Students must visit all of the chart papers and must choose at least 5 to write comments and sign their names to.
  1. Have students write a brief reflection of how this activity went whether or not their perspective on Canada’s foreign aid has changed as a result of the activity.
  1. Students should do some background reading on Canada’s foreign aid at this point. This information can be found on CIDA’s website at: http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/whatwedo.htm (this is some general background) http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/aideffectiveness (more specific and detailed information about Canada’s new foreign aid plan).

Lesson #2:

Learning Outcomes:

It is expected that students will:

·  Demonstrate appropriate research skills including the ability to:

·  Collect original data

·  Use a range of research tools and resources

·  Compile and document task specific information from a wide variety of print and electronic sources

·  Present and interpret data in graphic form

·  Evaluate and interpret data for accuracy, reliability, bias, point of view

·  Demonstrate mapping skills, including the ability to organize and synthesize various types of mapping data

·  Describe and assess Canada’s participation in world affairs

·  Explain the environmental impact of economic activity, population growth, urbanization, and standard of living

CIDA Themes:

·  Health and Nutrition

·  HIV/AIDS

·  Environment

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students will research a country that Canada gives foreign aid to. This research will culminate in the creation of a powerpoint presentation that uses the human geography concepts of social studies 11 including standard of living, economic activity, population, etc. to provide insight into the country.

Materials:

Internet accessible computers with powerpoint technology OR chart paper and alternative research materials(e.g. 1-800-O-CANADA – will give information on Canada’s aid contributions, World Almanac, encyclopedias etc.)

Wall size map of the world

Colored push pins or stickers or flags

Timeline:

3 one and a half hour class periods for research and preparation and 1 one and a half hour class for presentations.

Procedure:

  1. Using the CIDA website:

(http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/cidaweb/webcountry.nsf/index.html), have each student locate a country Canada gives aid to and place a pin on that country on the map of the world. See Handout #2 Sample Country Tag for a sample cutout. Be sure that each student identifies a different country. If you do not have access to a computer for the whole class, see the Handout #1 Nations Canada Gives Aid To for further information!

  1. Initiate a class discussion based on the students’ findings Some possible questions might be: Does Canada give aid to a lot/ a few nations? Were you surprised by the number of nations Canada gives aid to? Why or why not? Why do you think we give aid to all of these nations?)
  1. If students do not already have an understanding of the terms import, export, gross

domestic product, standard of living, population pyramid, birth rate, death rate, infant mortality, life expectancy, review them with the students. You may use Handout #3 Human Geography Vocabulary Terms to help you teach these concepts.

  1. Divide students into groups of three of four and have each group choose a different

country that Canada gives aid to. Supply each group with a copy of Handout #4 Canada Gives Aid Project Outline and Handout #5 Canada Gives Aid Project Checklist and Criteria. Go over the criteria and expectations for the project.

  1. Have each group create their powerpoint presentations according to the project outline. Students must also be sure to include a bibliography and a map of their country that shows where it is in relation to Canada. The easiest sites for students to use here are the CIDA website www.cida.ca and the World Fact Book http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
  1. Have students present their powerpoint presentations. The presentations should be evaluated using Handout #5 Evaluation Criteria for Powerpoint Presentations.

Lesson #3:

Learning Outcomes:

It is expected that students will:

·  Explain the environmental impact of economic activity, population growth, urbanization, and standard of living

CIDA Themes:

·  Health and Nutrition

·  HIV/AIDS

·  Environment

Lesson Overview:

Using the information they presented about their countries, students will create a journal entry of a day in the life of an individual in their country.

Materials:

Internet accessible computers

Timeline:

2 one and a half hour class periods.

Procedure:

  1. Have students move into think-pair-share pairings. To do this, you may want to use Handout #6: Global Ideas Pairing Game. Handout one term or question to each student and have them find the answer that matches their question.
  1. Have each student write down a timeline of what they do in a typical day. Students should include things such as wake time, bed time, food consumption, chores, school work, work, sports, etc.
  1. Have students move back into their pairs and share their ideas one at a time.
  1. As a class, share some of the ideas that have been discussed in the student groups.
  1. Have student groups do a second think-pair-share of what they think a day in the life of a person in the country they researched would be like.
  1. Have each student report out what a day would be like in the other student’s country.
  1. As a class discuss the differences.
  1. Give students Handout #6 A Day in the Life Assignment Sheet and Criteria. Have the students create a 2 page journal entry of what a day in the life of a child their own age would be like in their researched country. They may decide to go back to the computers to gather more information to complete their journal entry. Students should include a sentence or two about how there character views his or her future.
  1. Journal entries should be assessed using Handout #7 A Day in the Life Criteria.

Lesson #4:

Learning Outcomes:

It is expected that students will:

·  Develop and express appropriate responses to issues and problems

·  Reassess their responses to issues on the basis of new information

·  Recognize the importance of both individual and collective action in responsible global citizenship

CIDA Themes:

·  Health and Nutrition

·  HIV/AIDS

·  Environment

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students will examine samples of action plans for change that demonstrate how individuals, schools, communities and nations can contribute to global change. The activity will culminate in the creation of an action plan illustrating how each level of society from the individual to the nation, can assist other nations in their development.

Materials:

Chart Paper

Markers

Timeline:

3 one and a half hour class periods.

Procedure:

1.  Introduce the quote “Give a man a fish and he will each fish today. Teach him how to fish and he will eat fish every day.” Ask students what they believe the statement might mean. Follow this by asking them if they can think of how this statement might relate to Canada’s aid to foreign nations.

2.  Brainstorm with the entire class how an individual might be able to contribute to developing nations.

3.  Have students look at the website: http://www.climatechangesolutions.com/english/default.htm and find one way each of the following levels of society can contribute to the issue of climate change: individuals, municipalities and schools. Discuss the methods students have found as a class. You may want to examine in more detail, the feasibility of the options presented.

4.  Use Handout #8 Action Plan and the sample action plans from the website on climate change (http://www.climatechangesolutions.com/english/default.htm ) as a guide and have students create an action plan for how each level of society can contribute to foreign nations. Remind students that even small changes can contribute to the larger global effort and contributions do not necessarily have to be financial. Be sure to share the Performance Standards for Social Responsibility Grade 10 with students prior to beginning the action plans. This will be the criteria for evaluating this assignment. The performance standards can be located at http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/perf_stands/social_resp.htm.

5.  Have each group present their action plan. Evaluate the action plans based on the performance standards.