The big ideas include: 

• Understanding legal rights and responsibilities allows citizens to participate more fully in society. 

• Laws can maintain the status quo and can also be a force for change. 

• A society’s laws and legal framework affect many aspects of people’s daily lives. 

• Laws are interpreted, and these interpretations may evolve over time as a society’s values and worldviews change. 

Social Justice 12 course examines power and privilege in diverse populations. Students explore contemporary and historical examples of oppression. Students also examine their own prejudices and biases. Social Justice 12 is designed to empower students by providing them with strong communication skills, an understanding and appreciation of social justice issues. Students are guided in learning to think critically, creatively, and reflectively; to construct a sense of personal and cultural identity; and to be respectful of a range of perspectives and worldviews. The course is organized around key social justice issues such as gender, race, ableism, poverty, and the environment. These will be framed by an understanding of the definitions, frameworks, and interpretations of social justice as see through the lens of social injustices in Canada and the world affecting individuals, groups and society. You will also examine the role governmental and non-governmental organizations play in issues of social justice and injustice, and learn about the processes, methods, and approaches individuals use to promote social justice. 

The big ideas include: 

• The intentional destruction of peoples and their cultures is not inevitable, and such attempts can be disrupted and resisted.  

• The use of the term “genocide” to describe atrocities has political, legal, social and cultural ramifications.  

• Despite international commitments to prohibit genocide, violence targeted against groups of people has continued to challenge global peace and prosperity.  

• While genocides are caused by and carried out for different reasons, all genocides share similarities in progression and scope. 

The big ideas include: 

• Philosophy is a discipline that examines the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence.  

• Philosophy provides tools for investigating and fostering understanding of different ways of thinking.  

• Examining questions in philosophy allows people to question their assumptions and better understand their own beliefs.  

• While philosophical questions often examine issues with no definitive answers, logic and reasoned arguments can show which answers have more or less value. 

The big ideas in this course include: 

• Nationalist movements can unite people in common causes or lead to intense conflict between different groups. 

• The rapid development and proliferation of technology in the 20th century led to profound social, economic, and political changes. 

• The breakdown of long-standing empires created new economic and political systems. 

The big ideas include: 

• The identities, worldviews, and languages of BC First Peoples are renewed, sustained , and transformed through their connection to the land. 

• The impact of contact and colonialism continues to affect the political, social, and economic lives of BC First Peoples.  

• Cultural expressions convey the richness, diversity, and resiliency of BC First Peoples.  Through self-governance, leadership, and self-determination, BC First Peoples challenge and resist Canada’s ongoing colonialism. 

** This course meets the Indigenous focused graduation requirement.