Assignment1LIBE463


 * Grade 5 **

= Assignment 1 de 5 = = Selection of Curriculum Area, Grade Level, and Rationale =
 * // Can //**


 * For my course work this term I have chosen to focus on the Social Studies Curriculum for Grade 5.

There are five curriculum organizers in each of the Social Studies IRPS for all elementary grades:
 * Skills and Processes of Social Studies**
 * Identity, Society, and Culture**
 * Governance**
 * Human and Physical Environment**
 * Economy and Technology**

Below, I have listed the key elements and the prescribed learning outcomes for each of the curriculum organizers from the Grade 5 Socials Studies IRP.

Grade 5 Social Studies Canada – From Colony to Country

It is expected that students will:
 * Skills and Processes of Social Studies - Key Elements **
 * critical thinking skills (e.g., hypothesizing, comparing, imagining, inferring, identifying patterns, and summarizing)
 * maps and timelines of physical, political, and economic features of BC and Canada
 * gathering information using primary and secondary sources
 * presentation skills
 * defending a position
 * plan of action to address a selected school, community, or national problem or issue
 * Skills and Processes of Social Studies **** - Prescribed Learning Outcomes **

A1 apply critical thinking skills – including hypothesizing, comparing, imagining, inferring, identifying patterns, and summarizing – to a range of problems and issues A2 use maps and timelines to locate, interpret, and represent major physical, political, and economic features of BC and Canada A3 gather a body of information from a variety of primary and secondary sources A4 create a presentation on a selected topic A5 defend a position on a selected topic A6 implement a plan of action to address a selected school, community, or national problem or issue It is expected that students will:
 * Identity, Society, and Culture- Key Elements **
 * significance of key events and factors in the development of BC and Canada (e.g., fur trade, railroad, gold rushes)
 * immigration – why they came, challenges faced, contributions to Canada
 * contributions of significant individuals to BC and Canada
 * Identity, Society, and Culture- Prescribed Learning Outcomes **

B1 describe the significance of key events and factors in the development of BC and Canada, including -the fur trade -the railroad -the Fraser/Cariboo gold rush B2 assess why immigrants came to Canada, the individual challenges they faced, and their contributions to Canada B3 describe the contributions of significant individuals to the development of Canada’s identity It is expected that students will:
 * Governance- Key Elements **
 * Confederation
 * levels and responsibilities of government
 * First Nations governance
 * Governance - Prescribed Learning Outcomes **

C1 demonstrate knowledge of how Confederation formed Canada as a nation C2 describe levels, responsibilities, and the election of government in Canada C3 identify the distinct governance structures of First Nations in Canada
 * Economy and Technology- Key Elements **
 * resources and economic development of communities
 * transportation systems in BC and Canada

It is expected that students will:
 * Economy and Technology- Prescribed Learning Outcomes **

D1 analyse the relationship between the economic development of communities and their available resources D2 analyse the development of transportation systems in BC and Canada It is expected that students will:
 * Human and Physical Environment- Key Elements **
 * physical regions of Canada
 * location of natural resources in BC and Canada
 * sustainability
 * environmental effects of settlement in early BC and Canada
 * Human and Physical Environment - Prescribed Learning Outcomes **

E1 describe the major physical regions of Canada E2 describe the location of natural resources within BC and Canada, including -fish and marine resources -forests -minerals -energy resources E3 explain why sustainability is important E4 analyse environmental effects of settlement in early BC and Canada

The entire document can be located at []

**Rationale**

In choosing a curriculum area to focus on for this term I considered not only my personal interests but also the area of need in my libraries. If this is to be as close to a real exercise I tried to draw on my day to day experience to guide my choice.

A good portion of the Grade Five Socials Studies deals with Canadian and British Columbia historical content. Much of my undergraduate coursework dealt with Canadian studies and Canadian history. Consequently, I feel I have some expertise in this area. Additionally, I am keenly interested Canadian history. Canadian studies is also an area that is repeated throughout the Social Studies curriculum for several grades. Consequently, in using Grade Five as a focus area I will potentially be able to create a resource base that will service other grades.

Within the Grade Five curriculum Aboriginal governance is addressed. Although this is a small portion of the entire curriculum it is imperative that the resources dealing with Aboriginal issues be current, culturally appropriate and sensitive. I want to ensure we have resources that reflect current perspectives and appropriate terminology and usage.

In the Prescribed Learning Outcomes for the Skills and Processes of Social Studies organizer it states: students are to ‘gather a body of information from a variety of primary and secondary sources’. I am eager to ensure students have access to both types of sources, particularly primary sources. It will be interesting to find out what is available online in the way of newspaper databases, copies of memoirs or letters, even autobiographies or journals of famous people in our history. I believe the primary sources would be a way to bring the history to life for the students. Social Studies at the Grade 5 level can be supported by a textbook yet by focusing on this Curriculum area I will seek varied supplemental resources that will enhance the classroom experience.

In my experience Grade five classroom teachers often seek support from the teacher-librarian with their Social Studies unit as this is often the beginning of independent research for many students. As I reflected back on what resources I have been able to offer classroom teachers in the way of resources I recall feeling less than satisfied by what we had in the collection. As I do my buying I have been on the look out for more exciting offerings, however with this opportunity by focusing on this curriculum area I will be able to take the time to not only look at varied levels and type of resources to meet the needs of all of our students, but also to attempt to find exciting and intriguing resources that will engage the students.

Developing critical thinking skills have become an increasing focus in all areas of education. Additionally, I personally am interested in fostering information literacy as I work with students. Ensuring students have varied types resources to explore and analyze will help to fulfill these educational goals.

Examining resources for the Grade Five Social Studies curriculum will provide a focus for me as I work through the process of thoughtful collection development and management. Additionally, the ground work I do through this process will benefit me at a grassroots level as I apply my findings to my collections.