Sample 5: Grade 6

Topic:

Prescribed Learning Outcomes:

Applications of Social Studies

• research information using print, non-print, and electronic sources
• evaluate the credibility and reliability of various sources
• organize information from a variety of sources into a structured presentation using more than one form of representation

Society and Culture

• describe ways social and economic organizations satisfy needs and wants in a variety of cultures
• describe daily life, work, family structures, and gender roles in Canada and the world
• analyse how a society's artistic expression reflects its culture
• demonstrate appreciation of contributions of a variety of cultures to Canada and the world

Politics and Law

• compare individual rights and social responsibilities in various cultures

Economy and Technology

• describe Canada's changing economic relationship with Pacific Rim countries
• evaluate mass media stereotypes of cultural groups or geographic regions

Environment

• interpret and use graphs, tables, aerial photos, scales, legends, and various types of maps
• compare use of resources and conservation practices, in Canada and other countries

Overview

Planning for Assessment and Evaluation

• The teacher displayed works by a variety of Canadian artists and invited students to discuss how the art reflects Canadian culture. They compiled their findings using data collection sheets, which included prompts such as:
  • Describe and sketch what you see.
  • What do you think is the purpose of this object or representation? Why?
  • How is it like other objects or representations in the collection? How is it different?
  • What can you infer about Canadian culture from this object or representation?
• The teacher then introduced a study of Japan by displaying, at stations around the room, several photographs, prints, and artifacts illustrating Japanese art. Students moved from one station to another, examining the materials and recording information on the same data sheets they used for the Canadian art.
• Students made inferences about Japanese interests, beliefs, and way of life from the artworks they observed. The class then developed a chart to compare Canadian and Japanese art.
• Students extended their research about Japanese art through various sources (e.g., library resources, the Internet, a guest speaker who demonstrated art techniques and talked about styles and themes). Students applied what they learned to complete several art projects imitating Japanese techniques, styles, and themes.
• Students then researched daily life in Japan (e.g., lives of Japanese children, role of grandparents). They viewed videos, read library books, and accessed information from CD-ROMs and the Internet.
• Students used their research information to conduct role plays demonstrating aspects of typical Japanese life. Scenes included:
  • a math lesson in a Japanese school
  • a family eating dinner together
  • a ride on the Japanese "bullet train"
  • dealing with household waste
• A parent from the school community who had been born and raised in Japan was invited to the classroom. Students prepared interview questions and recorded the answers. Some students used the same questions to conduct e-mail interviews with Japanese university students through the Internet.
• Students read several Japanese myths and legends. They discussed how the stories reflected Japanese life, and they made inferences about Japanese values and beliefs from their readings. Then students conducted research to confirm their speculations and added this information to their notes about life in Japan.
• While they conducted their study of Japan, students kept a news watch for information about Japan and Japanese-Canadians. Once students had gathered enough stories, the class was organized into groups, and each group was assigned to research a different story or article. The teacher asked groups to report on:
  • the relationship between Japan and Canada
  • Japanese immigration to Canada
  • the contributions of Japanese-Canadians
  • media stereotyping of Japan
• Each group began by brainstorming a list of questions about the background of the story­what had gone on in the past that contributed to the current event or issue. They researched to find the answers to their questions and then reported to the class. Their research was displayed on wall charts with the original articles. All students wrote response journal entries for each issue, summarizing the key points and giving personal perspectives.
• The teacher used students' research on immigration and stereotyping to initiate a discussion about the issues of immigration and racial prejudice. The discussion was guided by questions such as:
  • Why might a family or a person from Japan choose to come to Canada?
  • How does Canada benefit from Japanese immigrants?
  • What evidence of racial prejudice have you seen?
  • What can we do to help ensure that all people are treated equally and without prejudice?
• Following the discussion, students viewed a play about an immigrant student in a Canadian school. Afterward, they each took on the role of the immigrant student and wrote letters telling about some of the difficulties he or she faced in Canada. They exchanged their letters with partners, who responded by writing advice and encouragement from the perspective of a Canadian student. The pairs displayed their letters and responses around the room.

Defining the Criteria

To what extent does the student:

• include all required elements in the portfolio
• make inferences about Japanese culture and society from observing the art and literature
• record information accurately, in detailed and organized notes
• use a variety of appropriate research sources
• organize information into clear presentations (including paragraphs, letters, and charts)
• show respect and appreciation for the features and contributions of Japanese culture
• gather information from a variety of appropriate sources (e.g., interviews, books, CD-ROMs, the Internet, pictures, videos)

Assessing and Evaluating Student Performance

Individual Entries

Overall Evaluation

Key: 4­Outstanding: complete, clear, accurate, detailed, specific; shows depth of understanding.
     3­Good: complete, clear, accurate; includes relevant detail.
     3­Satisfactory: meets basic requirements; generally complete and accurate; may be vague in places.
     2­Incomplete: key information missing, inaccurate, or unclear.
     1­Omitted.

*The teacher assigned grades of C+ for work that exemplified the top of this range; C- for work that met these requirements at a minimal level.

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