Grade 8 - Self and Society (Building Community)

This sub-organizer contains the following sections:
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
Suggested Instructional Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
Recommended Learning Resources

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

It is expected that students will use language to help establish and maintain relationships within the school and community, to collaborate to get things done, and to value and support others.

It is expected that students will:

interact purposefully, confidently, and respectfully in a variety of situations
use language to demonstrate that they respect and value diversity
use language to contribute to school celebrations of special events and accomplishments

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Self and Society (Building Community) in other grades click on an icon below.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Students learn to respect and value differences in society by examining the ideas of others - both those that support and those that contradict their own viewpoints.

Brainstorm with students various positions on a school issue. Ask them to work in groups to develop two short skits - one that demonstrates respectful ways of dealing with different views and another that illustrates inappropriate ways of working with others to resolve the same issue. Have the groups present their skits to the class.
Ask each student to create a list of questions and ask a partner about occasions they celebrate. Be sure that students include questions about special language use (e.g., "Happy Birthday," "Gung Hay Fat Choy" ). Once students have conducted their interviews, have the interviewers present their information to the class in the roles of the people they interviewed.
Have students research words and phrases that reveal past or present values (e.g., stewardess, chairperson, rule of thumb, virtue, master, majorette, school marm ). Ask students to debate the role of language in transmitting social and cultural values.
Suggest that each student bring to class something that is personally precious and then describe in writing what makes it special. Have students share their ideas first with partners and then with the whole class. Provide examples of how to respond appropriately to other people when they communicate their values.

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

Students need a variety of opportunities in school and in the community to practise and demonstrate their communication knowledge, skills, and attitudes. As they discuss and represent their experiences in increasingly diverse situations, they offer insights into their strengths and needs. In their day-to-day interactions with their classmates, students reveal their confidence, as well as their respect and value for others.

To assess students' abilities to apply their communication skills in situations outside the classroom, develop with the class a list of different interactions that each student is to participate in and document over a period of time. Students can report on their experiences by creating posters or visual representations for presentation with brief oral reports to the class or a small group. The following might be an appropriate list of situations to include:
- coaching or teaching someone
- completing a business interaction (e.g., placing an order, making an inquiry, interviewing for a job or volunteer position)
- contributing to a celebration
- interacting by using communications technology
- praising, encouraging, or supporting someone
- learning from someone
When students participate in classroom discussions and activities, note the extent to which various students are willing to:
- attend equally to all speakers
- contribute ideas and information to the class
- consider new or unusual ideas
- work equally well with all of their classmates
- volunteer support and encouragement to others
- risk offering controversial or divergent views