Grade 8 Social Studies
10 units matched to the Prince Edward Island Curriculum.
Learning focus
- Canadian identity. Canadian identity and its cultural, political and societal roots, from the 1920s to present-day Canada.
- Geographic influences. Canadian identity explored through geographic influences.
- Decades of change. Canadian identity explored through decades of change.
- Citizenship. Canadian identity explored through citizenship.
- Culminating project. A project-based expression of their own understanding of Canadian identity, presented in the final weeks.
Units
Unit 1
What Is Canadian Identity?
Practises the idea of Canadian identity and its cultural, political and societal roots from the 1920s to present-day Canada.
Curriculum outcome: Canadian identity · the idea of Canadian identity and its cultural, political and societal roots from the 1920s to now
Unit 2
Newcomers and Communities
Practises how immigration, refugees, Acadian and Black Canadian communities, and the fight against discrimination have shaped Canadian identity since the 1920s.
Curriculum outcome: Canadian identity · how immigration, diverse communities and the struggle for equal rights have shaped Canadian identity
Unit 3
Land & Identity
Practises how geography has influenced Canadian identity, using maps and geographic thinking.
Curriculum outcome: Geographic influences · how geographic influences have shaped Canadian identity
Unit 4
Sources & Evidence
Children practise choosing and judging sources, reading artifacts and art, comparing accounts and drawing conclusions from evidence.
Curriculum outcome: Decades of change · judging sources, comparing accounts and drawing conclusions from evidence
Unit 5
Decades of Change
Practises how events and changes in the decades from the 1920s to present-day Canada have shaped Canadian identity.
Curriculum outcome: Decades of change · how changes in the decades since the 1920s have shaped Canadian identity
Unit 6
Canada at War and Peace
Practises how the Second World War, the Korean War, the Cold War and peacekeeping changed Canada, and how Canadians remember those who served.
Curriculum outcome: Decades of change · how the Second World War, the Cold War and peacekeeping shaped Canada and Canadian identity
Unit 7
Work and Money Through the Decades
Practises how work, money and government programs changed in Canada from the Great Depression to today, from the family allowance and pensions to free trade and the loonie.
Curriculum outcome: Decades of change · how the economy, work and social programs changed in Canada from the 1920s to now
Unit 8
Perspectives & Bias
Children practise listening to other points of view, recognizing bias and stereotyping, using respectful language and sharing their own beliefs with reasons.
Curriculum outcome: Citizenship · recognizing bias and stereotypes and respecting different points of view
Unit 9
Citizenship & Identity
Practises how citizenship connects to Canadian identity, including rights, responsibilities and taking part in society.
Curriculum outcome: Citizenship · how citizenship is part of Canadian identity
Unit 10
How Canada Is Governed
Practises how Canadian government works: the monarchy, Parliament and the Legislative Assembly, how a bill becomes law, elections, the courts and the three levels of government.
Curriculum outcome: Citizenship · how Canada’s federal, provincial and municipal governments work and how citizens take part
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