Social Studies Program

As with all of our materials, our online social studies courses were created as a comprehensive package that includes lesson material, assessments, interactive activities, videos, and tools to track student progress. All of our social studies courses align to the Ontario curriculum and cover every expectation, while putting the content in a Christ-centred worldview.

Course Details

Elementary courses do not require a prerequisite and enrollment is typically based on the age of the student. If you have any questions on what grade best suits your family’s needs, reach out to our guidance department for support.

Aligned Curriculum Documents: Social Studies Grades 1-6 (2018); Social Studies Grades 7-8 (2018)

Developed By: D2L and Christian Virtual School

Development Date: September 2021

Required Resources: See below.

Course Outlines

Unit 1: Early Societies to 1500 CE

In the Early Societies to 1500 CE unit, students will compare key aspects of life in a few early societies. They will describe the differences between some of these early societies and present-day Canadian society. They will investigate the ways of life and relationships with the environment in a few early societies. Lastly, students will learn about political and social organization, daily life, and relationships with the environment in a few early societies.

Unit 2: Political Regions of Canada

In the Political Regions of Canada unit, students will demonstrate an understanding of the how industrial development and the natural environment affect each other in different political and physical regions of Canada. They will also learn about the challenges of balancing human wants and needs with the environment. Lastly, students will identify Canada’s political and physical regions and be able to describe their main characteristics and the activities that take place within them.

Unit 1: Interactions of Indigenous Peoples and Europeans

In this unit, students will learn about the lives of Indigenous peoples and European settlers. They will explore the history, daily lives, and interactions of these groups on the land that would become Canada before 1713. Students will investigate the similarities and differences between these groups and the outcomes of their interactions. As students learn about these individual communities, they will have a chance to assess these interactions. They will analyze maps, evaluate sources, and ask questions to better understand the different perspectives. Students will learn about why these historical events were important and how they impact Canada in the present day.

Expectations covered:

  • Analyze some key short- and long-term consequences of interactions among Indigenous peoples, among Europeans, and between Indigenous and European people prior to 1713 in what would eventually become Canada.
  • Use the social studies inquiry process to investigate aspects of the interactions among Indigenous peoples, among Europeans, and between Indigenous and European people prior to 1713 in what would eventually become Canada, from the perspectives of the various groups involved.
  • Describe significant features of and interactions among Indigenous peoples, among Europeans, and between Indigenous and European people prior to 1713 in what would eventually become Canada.

Unit 2: Role of Government and Responsible Citizenship

In this unit, students will learn about the role of government and responsible citizenship in Canada. They will explore their rights and responsibilities as a Canadian citizen, and how they can exercise them in Canadian society. They will learn about the levels of government and institutions that impact life in Canada and how these institutions interact with citizens and issues. Students will investigate specific government responsibilities and how they have been expressed in relation to issues. Students will analyze and evaluate different social and environmental issues that Canada is faced with, and how to practice responsible citizenship.

  • Assess responses of governments in Canada, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit governments, to some significant issues, and develop plans of action for governments and citizens to address social and environmental issues.
  • Use the social studies inquiry process to investigate Canadian social and/or environmental issues from various perspectives, including those of Indigenous peoples as well as of the level (or levels) of government responsible for addressing the issues.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the roles and key responsibilities of citizens and of the different levels of government in Canada, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit governments.

Unit 1: Communities in Canada: Past and Present

In this unit, students will identify different types of communities and how they have contributed to Canada. Students will learn about significant events and developments in Indigenous and settler communities and see how their stories shaped modern Canada. Students will explore reasons why peoples from around the world have come to Canada, how they lived, and how their cultures still influence what it means to be Canadian. Students will investigate Canada today and assess Canada’s identity as an inclusive place. Students will analyze maps that will help them understand Canadian history, and create maps themselves. They will learn to ask good questions that will help them learn more about people in Canada.

Expectations covered:

  • Assess contributions to Canadian identities made by various groups and communities, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, and by various features of Canadian communities and regions.
  • Use the social studies inquiry process to investigate different perspectives on the historical and/or contemporary experiences of a few distinct communities, including First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit communities, in Canada.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of significant experiences of, and major changes and aspects of life in, various historical and contemporary communities, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, in Canada.

Unit 2: Canada’s Interactions with the Global Community

In this unit, students will explore how Canada conducts work internationally through its participation in a variety of organizations and programs. Students will learn why Canada is part of these international agencies and how its global interactions impact Canadians. Students will examine a number of global issues as well as the role Canada plays in the global community. Students will identify Canada’s global economic relationships, and how they impact the Canadian economy. Students will also use their map skills to identify places and analyze global issues.

Expectations covered:

  • Explain the importance of international cooperation in addressing global issues, and evaluate the effectiveness of selected actions by Canada and Canadian citizens in the international arena.
  • Use the social studies inquiry process to investigate some global issues of political, social, economic, and/or environmental importance, their impact on the global community, and responses to the issues.
  • Describe significant aspects of the involvement of Canada and Canadians in some regions around the world, including the impact of this involvement.

Unit 1: New France and British North America, 1713-1800

In this unit, students will explore the daily life for settlers and Indigenous peoples in the 1700s. Students will learn about the Seven Years’ War, investigate its causes, and see how it changed the course of history. Students will also learn about events like Pontiac’s Resistance, the American Revolution, and the formation of Upper and Lower Canada. Students will examine these events from multiple perspectives and explore their long-term impacts. Students will analyze historic challenges such as displacement, discrimination, and conflict and learn what people in Canada did to face those problems.

Expectations covered:
  • Analyze aspects of the experiences of various groups and communities, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, in Canada between 1713 and 1800, and compare them to the lives of people in present-day Canada.
  • Use the historical inquiry process to investigate perspectives of different groups and communities, including First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit communities, on some significant events, developments, and/or issues related to the shift in power in colonial Canada from France to Britain.
  • Describe various significant people, events, and developments, including treaties, in Canada between 1713 and 1800, and explain their impact.

Unit 2: Conflict and Challenges in Early Canada, 1800-1850

In this unit, students will explore the challenges and conflicts that occurred in early Canada during this period. Students will learn about Canada’s expansion and growth in the 1800s. Students will explore aspects of life that had a long-term impact on present-day society, including disease, immigration, and exploration. Students will explore events such as the War of 1812 and the Rebellions of 18367 and identify their impact on people, groups, and communities today. Students will investigate the experiences of Indigenous peoples, immigrants, and those who arrived via the Underground Railroad. Students will use maps to help them understand these events and developments.

Expectations covered:

  • Analyze aspects of the lives of various groups and communities, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, in Canada between 1800 and 1850, and compare them to the lives of people in Canada in 1713–1800.
  • Use the historical inquiry process to investigate perspectives of different groups and communities, including First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit communities, on some significant events, developments, and/or issues that affected Canada and/or people in Canada between 1800 and 1850.
  • Describe various significant people, events, and developments, including treaties between Indigenous nations and imperial powers, in Canada between 1800 and 1850, and explain their impact.

Unit 3: Physical Patterns in a Changing World

In this unit, students will examine parts of the physical environment and explore how people face the challenges and opportunities presented by environmental change. Students will learn more about natural features by studying the patterns and characteristics of the world’s landforms, bodies of water, and environmental regions. Students will consider natural processes, interactions between features, and the impacts of human activity on the natural world. Students will have the chance to analyze and construct maps and charts, including topographical maps and climate graphs.

Expectations covered:

  • Analyze some challenges and opportunities presented by the physical environment and ways in which people have responded to them.
    Use the geographic inquiry process to investigate the impact of natural events and/or human activities that change the physical environment, exploring the
  • impact from a geographic perspective.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of significant patterns in Earth’s physical features and of some natural processes and human activities that create and change those features.

Unit 4: Natural Resources: Use and Sustainability

In this unit, students will explore how humans around the world use various natural resources to meet their needs. Students will examine the difference between renewable, non-renewable, and flow resources while learning about spatial tools like GIS maps. Students will analyze how resources are extracted and explore human efforts to preserve them. sing recent data, students will identify the short-and long-term impacts of resource use from multiple perspectives. Students will discuss sustainability by evaluating evidence and drawing conclusions about the use and preservation of natural resources.

Expectations covered:

  • Analyze aspects of the extraction/harvesting and use of natural resources in different regions of the world, and assess ways of preserving these resources.
  • Use the geographic inquiry process to investigate issues related to the impact of the extraction/harvesting and/or use of natural resources around the world from a geographic perspective.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the sources and use of different types of natural resources and of some of the effects of the extraction/harvesting and use of these resources.

Unit 1: Creating Canada: 1850-1890

In this unit, you will explore how Canada became a new nation as you explore the factors and consequences of Confederation. Students will formulate questions, evaluate evidence, and draw their own conclusions about events like the Red River Rebellion and the North-West Resistance. Students will analyze the settlement of Canada’s West as they develop their map skills to help understand its historical significance. Students will inquire into the Indian Act and the residential school system, gathering and organizing information about decisions that are still subjects of controversy today. Students will see the start of movements, like women’s rights and the abolition of slavery, that fundamentally changed life for millions of people.

Expectations covered:

  • Assess the impact of some key social, economic, and political factors, including social, economic, and/or political inequalities, on various groups and communities, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, and on the creation and expansion of the Dominion of Canada, between 1850 and 1890.
  • Use the historical inquiry process to investigate perspectives of different groups and communities, including First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit communities, on some significant events, developments, and/or issues that affected Canada and/or people in Canada between 1850 and 1890.
  • Describe various significant people, events, and developments in Canada between 1850 and 1890, including the Indian Act, treaties between Indigenous nations and the Crown, and the residential school system, and explain their impact.

Unit 2: Canada, 1890-1914: A Changing Society

In this unit, students will explore the themes of a transforming Canada from 1890 to 1914. They will begin by examining daily life in the 1800s and 1900s, analyzing the similarities and differences between communities and groups in the past and now. Students will explore industrialization, and discover the impact it had on life and people in Canada. They will explore how Canada became a destination for millions of immigrants. Students will learn about developments in Indigenous communities, discovering perspectives about the 1900s reserve system and many other changes that still affect people. Student swill see how Canada’s education system impacted many groups. They will learn about Canada’s role in the Boer War, and practice their map skills to understand one of the first global conflicts.

Expectations covered:

  • Analyze key similarities and differences between Canada in 1890–1914 and in the present day, with reference to the experiences of, major challenges facing, and actions taken by various individuals, groups, and/or communities, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals and/or communities.
  • Use the historical inquiry process to investigate perspectives of different groups and communities, including First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit communities, on some significant events, developments, and/or issues that affected Canada and/or people in Canada between 1890 and 1914.
  • Describe various significant people, issues, events, and developments in Canada between 1890 and 1914, including the residential school system, and explain their impact.

Unit 3: Global Settlement: Patterns and Sustainability

In this unit, students will explore the issues and factors that affect human settlement around the world. Students will analyze data and information showing trends in human settlement and use maps to identify global patterns. Students will inquire into the relationship between human settlement and the environment, communicating how they influence each other. Students will discover how physical processes may change future human settlement, how people affect the environment around them, and how people respond to important land-use issues around the world. Students will investigate sustainability, gather data, evaluate evidence, and draw their own conclusions about sustainable practices.

Expectations covered:
  • Analyze some significant interrelationships between Earth’s physical features and processes and human settlement patterns, and some ways in which the physical environment and issues of sustainability may affect settlement in the future.
  • Use the geographic inquiry process to investigate issues related to the interrelationship between human settlement and sustainability from a geographic perspective.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of significant patterns and trends related to human settlement and of ways in which human settlement affects the environment.

Unit 4: Global Inequalities: Economic Development and Quality of Life

In this unit, students will learn about economic development around the world. They will learn about indicators of quality of life while formulating their own questions to investigate aspects of life for people around the world. They will practice using tools like scatter graphs and population pyramids to help their comparisons of different countries. Students will investigate economic systems and the distribution of welath, discovering how the four main economic secotrs relate to development.

Expectations covered:

  • Analyze some interrelationships among factors that contribute to global inequalities, with a focus on inequalities in quality of life, and assess various responses to these inequalities.
  • Use the geographic inquiry process to investigate issues related to global development and quality of life from a geographic perspective.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of significant patterns in and factors affecting economic development and quality of life in different regions of the world.

Required Resources

These course are entirely online and do not require nor rely on any textbook. Students will require the following resources, however, to complete all of the activities within the courses:

  • A scanner, smart phone camera, or similar device to digitize handwritten or hand-drawn work
  • A smart phone camera or similar device to take pictures of student work
  • A device to record audio
  • A printer
  • A physical binder, folder, or notebook for offline activities
  • Various household items to complete offline activities