Grade 9 - Self and Society (Working Together)

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

It is expected that students will:

• use language to prompt and support others
• use a variety of ways to express their opinions effectively
• use a variety of strategies to solve problems, resolve conflicts, and build consensus
• evaluate and modify their own roles in group interactions in a variety of contexts

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

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

• Have small groups of students examine an important controversial issue, such as racism or sexism, in a piece of literature. Assign each student a character from the literature and ask them to write journal entries about the issue in the roles of their characters. Suggest that students work in groups to discuss the issue from their assigned characters' viewpoints and to come to a consensus about what their characters will do and how they will solve the problems they face. Then ask students to write about how they would use these strategies to deal with real-life issues.
• During a writing unit, model both successful and unsuccessful feedback sessions. Have students note the features of the successful session and, with partners, practise them when giving feedback on sample pieces of writing.

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

• When students take on different roles to examine controversial issues, assign one student in each group to facilitate the discussion by helping the group achieve consensus, rather than focussing on the contribution of opinions or perspectives. While the other students are researching their perspectives, the facilitators from all groups should meet and discuss possible strategies, then have them meet again at the end of the activity to compare experiences. Have them develop a list of criteria for effective consensus building that students can use in other situations.
• Provide each student with a copy of the chart from the reference set Evaluating Group Communication Skills Across Curriculum . Ask them to underline the words and phrases that describe their skills and then meet with partners or in small groups to discuss their analyses. After their discussions, ask them to record:
  • something that surprised them
  • two phrases or excerpts from the chart that describe areas of strength they can build on
  • one phrase or excerpt that describes a goal they want to work toward
• When students work in pairs or groups, focus observations and feedback on one or two specific behaviours. For example:
  • the ways students try to involve each other in the activity
  • the strategies groups use for deciding how to work together
  • the ways that students give and receive feedback

RECOMMENDED LEARNING RESOURCES

• The 21st Century Dictionary of Quotations
• 3-D English
• Beyond Chalk & Talk
• Discoveries in Non-Fiction
• Global Reading Safari
• The Issues Collection
• "Just Talking About Ourselves": Voices of Our Youth
• Literature Circles
• Mini Anthologies - Grade 9/10
• On Common Ground
• Pathways to Co-operation
• Prism of Poetry
• Sightlines
• Speaking for Success
• Stories from Asia
• Storytelling Games
• Touching all the Bases
• The Whole Language Catalogue

• MultiSource

• In Perspective

Previous Organizer Next Organizer

  BC Ministry of Education Home Page