Social Studies

The Social Studies curriculum for grades 8-10 is concerned most importantly with imparting the ability to define and clarify a problem, issue or enquiry amongst students. These activities undertake to do that in a manner whereby students learn to critique the sources they rely upon for historical understanding. Also, they should be encouraged to maintain a broadly comparative framework, to compare across societies so as to understand the components of identity formation for themselves and larger totalities, especially Canada.

Lesson One - Application of Social Studies
Lesson Two - Society and Culture
Lesson Three - Politics and Law

Objectives:

 Facilitate an understanding of culture as being directly represented in daily living.
 Illucidate the linkages between technological advancement and commerce / trade.
 Illuminate the manner in which Canadian culture is an embodiment of varied and disparate elements.
 Illustrate the manner in which history can be understood as something more than an accounting of 'important events'.
 Understand global linkages as they are represented in the things that we consume.
 Develop a thematic understanding of history; industrialization, colonization, imperialism, being amongst the themes understood.

Lesson One - Application of Social Studies

Historical enquiry should involve varied sources and is reliant upon the basic assumptions of the person writing the history. Making students aware of their centrality to the telling of histories can be accomplished by juxtaposing the fantastical or mythical against secondary source research.

Lesson Plan

Request that each student formulate an original tale about any one food item. Examples include other beverages such as coffee, soda or foodstuffs such as noodles or pizza. The tale should have a mythological dimension in that it should be focused on discovery and that discovery should have a chance or accidental character to it. Reference should be made to the story of Bodhidharma or Daruma in the introduction of this site, which highlights the sleep-dispelling character of tea.

The second component of the exercise involves the student actually conducting historical research about this particular item and writing a short essay based on its history. Its actual discovery or manner of invention should be highlighted. At the end of the assignment, the teacher can request that the students give a short presentation where they present their myth and explain which of the particular qualities of the item inspired their imaginative tale. They can also provide a short annotated version of the actual empirical history they have discovered and illustrate the manners in which colonialism, imperialism and trade or commerce actually fuelled its incorporation into a social context.

Learning Objectives

This exercise allows students to reflect on the role of mythology in cultures and to learn history in a manner where it is not simply an accounting of important events and dates. It also presents the opportunity for them to understand how relations of commerce and power underlay many cultural forms.

Lesson Two - Society and Culture

It is expected that Students will learn to reflect on cultural practice and ritual in a manner that is cognitive of social relations and the different practices that emerge because of differences in class, gender, race and ethnicity.

Lesson Plan

The class should be divided into three groups. Each of the groups should be assigned one of the following forms of tea ceremony to recreate: The Cha-no-yu, the British Afternoon tea and the Farmers Tea. Ask them to create dialogue that would be close to authentic to the situation they are enacting in the roles they are assuming. For example, in the Japanese ceremony they would be expected to comment on surrounding artifacts and wildlife and in the afternoon tea, they could discuss a recent political or cultural event.

Learning Objectives

Differences between cultures, races and classes are highlighted by referencing the common activity of tea drinking.

Lesson Three - Politics and Law

This component of the Social Sciences curriculum might best be incorporated by asking students a direct question which allows them to reflect on new material in the context of what they understand about contemporary political structures.

Lesson Plan

The following essay question encourages students to think critically about the relations between a government and its people.

Question:
It has been said that a country's taxation system is one of its greatest tools for organizing its citizens' behaviour. From what you know about the taxation of tea in Britain and its colonies, what goals was the government pursuing by its taxation? What kinds of movements did such a pattern of taxation actually inspire there and in the British colonies?

Learning Objectives

Students should be encouraged to analyze factors that contribute to revolution and rebellion, including inequity and differential burdens and privileges. Also, the tendency towards rigidity in rulers should be contrasted with the desirability of change that is based on principles of equity and fairness.

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