Social Studies 3201/02

The goal of the social studies is to encourage civic competence through promotion of a well-informed and actively engaged citizenry. To do this and respond to present and future issues that may arise it requires a focus on the ability to collect and evaluate new information, make sense of this information by looking through a variety of lenses, and to communicate conclusions to an appropriate audience. The social studies use inquiry, questioning, and investigation to achieve this.

Each of the courses you will find on this site, though they cover different content, are all grounded in this basic approach, which is referred to as the Integrated Concepts and Processes Skills (ICPS). This framework has three main parts:

• an appreciation for the values and influence of democratic principles, collaboration, and active citizenship;

• forms and models of analysis that help students gain and process new information; and

• using the process of inquiry to deepen understanding of relevant issues and communicating this for a purpose.

While there is a unit (Unit 1) and specific curriculum outcomes for each of these elements in Social Studies, they are not intended to be taught as a standalone topic, but rather integrated and used continuously throughout these courses. This can be done through questions or tasks that challenge students to use one or more ICPS in the context of a new topic being investigated.