Grade 9 - Social Studies

Issues for Canadians: Governance and Rights

Issues for Canadians: Economic Systems in Canada and the United States 

Dimensions of Thinking

Appreciate the impact of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on rights and governance in Canada

Appreciate the various effects of government policies on citizenship and on Canadian society

Appreciate how emerging issues impact quality of life, citizenship and identity in Canada

Examine the structure of Canada’s federal political system by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:

Analyze the role that citizens and organizations play in Canada’s justice system by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:

Assess, critically, the impact of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on the legislative process in Canada by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:

Assess, critically, how the increased demand for recognition of collective rights has impacted the legislative process in Canada by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:

Assess, critically, how legislative processes attempt to address emerging issues of immigration by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:

Appreciate the values underlying economic decision making in Canada and the United States

Appreciate the relationship between consumerism and quality of life

Appreciate the impact of government decision making on quality of life

Compare and contrast the principles and practices of market and mixed economies by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:

Assess, critically, the relationship between consumerism and quality of life in Canada and the United States by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:

Assess, critically, the interrelationship between political decisions and economic systems by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:

develop skills of critical thinking and creative thinking

develop skills of historical thinking

develop skills of geographic thinking

demonstrate skills of decision making and problem solving

demonstrate skills of cooperation, conflict resolution and consensus building

develop age-appropriate behaviour for social involvement as responsible citizens contributing to their community, such as

apply the research process

demonstrate skills of oral, written and visual literacy

develop skills of media literacy

How are laws passed in the federal political system?

What is the relationship between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of Canada’s federal political system? 

What processes are used to determine Members of Parliament (MPs) and Senators?

To whom are Members of Parliament and Senators accountable? 

What is the role of political parties within Canada’s federal political system?

What is the role of the media in relation to political issues?

How do lobby groups impact government decision making?

To what extent do political and legislative processes meet the needs of all Canadians?

How do citizens and organizations participate in Canada’s justice system (i.e., jury duty, knowing the law, advocacy, John Howard Society, Elizabeth Fry Society)?

What are citizens’ legal roles and their responsibilities? 

What is the intention of the Youth Criminal Justice Act?

In what ways has the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms fostered recognition of individual rights in Canada?

How does the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms support individuals in exercising their rights?

In what ways has the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms affected conditions in the workplace (i.e., issues of gender, age, race, religion)?

What is the relationship between the rights guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the responsibilities of Canadian citizens?

In what ways has the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms fostered recognition of collective rights in Canada?

In what ways does the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms meet the needs of Francophones in minority settings?

To what extent does the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms meet the needs of Francophones in Québec?

To what extent should federal and provincial governments support and promote the rights of official language minorities in Canada?

How does the Indian Act recognize the status and identity of Aboriginal peoples? 

How does legislation such as Treaty 6, Treaty 7 and Treaty 8 recognize the status and identity of Aboriginal peoples? 

How do governments recognize Métis cultures and rights through legislation (i.e., treaties, governance, land claims, Métis Settlements in Alberta)? 

What factors influence immigration policies in Canada (i.e., economic, political, health, security)? 

How are changes to Canadian policies on immigration and refugees a reflection of world issues?

What impact does increasing immigration have on Aboriginal peoples and communities? 

How are provincial governments able to influence and implement immigration policies? 

How is the implementation of immigration policies in Québec an attempt to strengthen the French language in North America? 

What is the relationship between immigration policies in Canada and the rights guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms? 

To what extent does Canada benefit from immigration? 

What are the principles of a market economy?

Why do governments intervene in a market economy?

Why is Canada viewed as having a mixed economy?

What is the role of the consumer in market and mixed economies?

To what extent do consumer actions reflect individual and collective identity?

How has the emergence of labour unions impacted market and mixed economies?

What are some similarities and differences in the way governments in Canada and the United States intervene in the market economies?

How do the economic systems of Canada and the United States differ in answering the basic economic question of scarcity? 

What are the indicators of quality of life?

How does individual consumer behaviour impact quality of life (e.g., environmental issues)? 

How does marketing impact consumerism?

How does consumerism provide opportunities for and limitations on impacting quality of life?

How is consumerism used as a power of a collective (e.g., boycotts)?

To what extent do perspectives regarding consumerism, economic growth and quality of life differ regionally in North America? 

What societal values underlie social programs in Canada and the United States?

How do the economic platforms of political parties differ from one another (i.e., Democrat versus Republican; Liberal versus Conservative)?

How is a political party’s philosophy reflected in its platform (i.e., social programs, specific taxes, taxation model)?

How does the underground economy impact the federal and provincial tax base and social programs (i.e., tax evasion, black market)?

How do government decisions on environmental issues impact quality of life (i.e., preservation, exploitation and trade of natural resources)?