This curriculum policy replaces The Ontario Curriculum: Social Studies, Grades 1 to 6; History and Geography, Grades 7 and 8, 2018. Beginning in September 2023, all social studies, history, and geography programs for Grades 1 to 8 will be based on the expectations outlined in The Ontario Curriculum: Social Studies, Grades 1 to 6; History and Geography, Grades 7 and 8, 2023. The revisions for the 2023 curriculum policy focused on learning in Grades 1 to 3 and Grade 6 social studies.

elementary

Social Studies, History, and Geography (2023)

Version history

Appendices
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Appendix A. The Goals of the Additional Subjects in Canadian and World Studies
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Charts identify the vision and overall goals of the elementary and secondary program in social studies, history, geography, and Canadian and world studies, as well as the specific goals for the three subjects that constitute the program in Grades 1 to 8 (social studies, history, and geography). This appendix identifies the goals of politics, law, and economics, the subjects that constitute (along with history and geography) the Canadian and world studies program in Grades 9 to 12. Although these five areas of study are separate subjects within Canadian and world studies, it is important to note that they are all represented to some extent in the interdisciplinary subject of social studies.

Goals of Politics – Developing a sense of responsibility

Where do I belong? How can I contribute?

Goals of Law – Developing a sense of fairness and justice

What are our rights and responsibilities? How does society create its rules? What structures can people use to address conflict?

Goals of Economics – Developing a sense of value

What do we value? How do we determine the worth of goods and services? What are their costs?
What are their benefits?

Students will work towards:

developing an understanding of how to influence change within the diverse communities to which they belong, and of how individuals and groups can participate in action that promotes change;
analysing current political issues, and assessing methods and processes that can be used to influence relevant political systems to act for the common good;
assessing the power and influence of different people involved in civic issues, using political perspective;
developing a respect and appreciation for different points of view on various political issues.

Students will work towards:

developing an understanding of the fundamental principles of justice as well as the relevance of law to society and to the daily lives of individuals;
analysing the role of law in determining and upholding the rights and responsibilities of all people, and assessing the impact of the law and legal systems in people’s lives;
developing an understanding of the role of the justice system in a healthy democracy and the contribution of individuals and groups to the evolution of law;
analysing issues and managing conflict in their own lives through the application of legal reasoning.

Students will work towards:

developing an understanding of how scarcity and wealth affect individual and collective choices, and assessing the trade-offs that can influence and/or arise from these choices;
analysing the application of economic models and assessing the factors that can influence economic decisions;
analysing how competing stakeholders influence economic policies, and assessing the impact of these policies on different stakeholders;
developing an understanding of the basic needs and wants of people and that people’s needs should be respected when economic decisions are made.

Appendix B. Citizenship Education Framework
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The citizenship education framework that is represented in a circular graphic is recast here in tabular form, suitable for screen readers and potentially useful for teachers when preparing instruction. Each of the four main elements of citizenship education – active participation, identity, attributes, and structures – is addressed in a separate table. Readers are encouraged to refer to the introductory text in the Citizenship Education in the Social Studies, History and Geography section when using this appendix.

Structures – Power and systems within societies

Ways of Developing Citizenship Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes	Related Terms and Topics
Develop an understanding of the importance of rules and laws Develop an understanding of how political, economic, and social institutions affect their lives Develop an understanding of power dynamics Develop an understanding of the dynamic and complex relationships within and between systems	democracy self-determination rules and law institutions power and authority security systems

Active Participation – Work for the common good in local, national, and global communities

Ways of Developing Citizenship Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes	Related Terms and Topics
Voice informed opinions on matters relevant to their community Adopt leadership roles in their community Participate in their community Investigate controversial issues Demonstrate collaborative, innovative problem solving Build positive relationships with diverse individuals and groups	decision making and voting influence conflict resolution and peace building reconciliation reciprocity advocacy stewardship leadership volunteering

Identity – A sense of personal identity as a member of various communities

Ways of Developing Citizenship Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes	Related Terms and Topics
Identify and develop their sense of connectedness to local, national, and global communities Develop a sense of their civic self-image Consider and respect others’ perspectives Investigate moral and ethical dimensions of developments, events, and issues	interconnectedness beliefs and values self-efficacy culture perspective community relationships

Attributes – Character traits, values, habits of mind

Ways of Developing Citizenship Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes	Related Terms and Topics
Explore issues related to personal and societal rights and responsibilities Demonstrate self-respect, as well as respect and empathy for others Develop attitudes that foster civic engagement Work in a collaborative and critically thoughtful manner	inclusiveness equity empathy and respect rights and responsibilities freedom social cohesion justice fairness truth citizenship collaboration and cooperation

Appendix C. Map, Globe, and Graphing Skills – A Continuum
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The following charts identify a continuum for the purposeful introduction from Grade 1 through Grade 12 of (1) universal map and globe skills, and (2) universal graphing skills. Students need these skills in order to be spatially literate, to communicate clearly about “place”, and to develop a sense of place. The charts show the progression of spatial skills in the social studies, history, geography, and Canadian and world studies programs. The first chart, Map and Globe Skills, is divided into (A) Map Elements, and (B) Spatial Representation.

All these skills should be taught in an issue-based context, and not as an end in themselves. They can be used at many stages of the inquiry process, helping students gather, organize, and analyse data and information, both visual and written, and communicate their findings.

Map, globe, and graphing skills can be used in the following ways:

to extract information and data: students read maps, globes, and graphs to locate information and/or data
to analyse information and data: students process information and/or data from maps, globes, and graphs
to construct maps and graphs: students create maps and graphs to help them analyse and communicate information and/or data and solve problems

It is important to note that map, globe, and graphing skills can be linked to skills related to literacy, mathematical literacy, and technology (see the discussion).

Map and Globe Skills

A. Map Elements

CATEGORY	Grade 1	Grades 2–3	Grades 4–6	Grades 7–8	Grade 9	Grades 11–12
	The student:
Title	uses the title to identify the purpose of a map
Legend	uses appropriate pictorial representations to convey meaning (e.g., photographs of a playground, library, school) uses colour to represent particular elements (e.g., a park, an ocean)
		uses colour to represent common characteristics of an area (e.g., the same provincial, territorial, and/or national area, the same physical landforms, similar temperatures, settlement by a particular group) uses symbols to represent places on print and digital maps (e.g., a dot to represent cities, a square with a flag to represent a school) uses labels with different font sizes and styles to indicate hierarchy of cities, countries, continents
				uses colour and contour lines to show elevation
					uses lines (e.g., isotherms, isobars) to connect places with common physical characteristics uses proportional representation for symbols (e.g., size of flow arrows, size of populations circles) determines and uses appropriate intervals for data to communicate intended messages
						uses appropriate elements of a legend to communicate intended messages
Direction	uses relative direction (e.g., right, left, in front, behind) to explain location and movement
		uses cardinal compass points (i.e., N, S, E, W) to provide direction
			uses intermediate cardinal compass points (i.e., NE, NW, SE, SW) to provide direction
					is able to orient a map
						makes connections between degree bearings and cardinal compass points to provide direction
Scale	uses non-standard units of measurement (e.g., footprints, blocks, houses) uses relative distance (e.g., near, far, farther) to describe measurement
		uses standard units (e.g., metre, kilometre) to measure distance uses absolute distance (e.g., measures distance on a map, uses a measuring tool on a digital map)
					uses large- to small-scale maps, as appropriate, to investigate a specific area
						determines appropriate scale and intervals to communicate intended messages
Location	uses relative location (e.g., near, far, up, down) to describe the location of a person or object
		locates hemispheres, poles, and the equator on a map or globe
			uses number and letter grids to locate something on a map uses latitude and longitude to locate something on a map or globe understands time zones
				uses locational technologies (e.g., compass, GPS)

B. Spatial Representation

CATEGORY	Grade 1	Grades 2–3	Grades 4–6	Grades 7–8	Grade 9	Grades 11–12
	The student:
Map types (e.g., sketch, thematic, topographic)	extracts information from and creates sketch maps (e.g., showing a local neighbourhood, the layout of a classroom) creates 2D maps of familiar surroundings creates 3D models using blocks and toys
		extracts information from, analyses, and creates thematic maps, including the following: political (e.g., Canada’s political regions, countries of the world) physical (e.g., climate, landforms) historical (e.g., settlement patterns) land use (e.g., community features) extracts information from, analyses, and creates digital maps (e.g., online interactive)
			extracts information from, analyses, and creates thematic maps, including the following: demographic (e.g., population distribution) flow (e.g., movement of people) issue-based (e.g., pollution or poverty in Canada) annotated (e.g., illustrating an aspect of student inquiry)
				extracts information from, analyses, and creates increasingly complex thematic maps, including the following: demographic (e.g., population density, literacy rates) physical (e.g., frequency of natural events) extracts information from and analyses topographic maps
					uses lines (e.g., isotherms, isobars) to connect places with common physical characteristics uses proportional representation for symbols (e.g., size of flow arrows, size of populations circles) determines and uses appropriate intervals for data to communicate intended messages
						extracts information from, analyses, and creates increasingly complex thematic maps, including the following: issue-based maps layering two or more themes (e.g., population density and CO₂ emissions; population settlement and weather events) uses and creates appropriate types of maps to analyse data and communicate intended messages
Image types	extracts information from and analyses photographs of familiar places and sites (e.g., schoolyard, local community)
		extracts information from and analyses the following images: photographs of unfamiliar places and sites aerial images (e.g., satellite images, photographs taken from a plane)
					extracts information from and analyses remote sensing images (e.g., showing urban growth, water pollution, vegetation disease)
						extracts information/data from various image types uses various image types to communicate intended messages
Geographic information systems (GIS)				selects and uses appropriate base maps for chosen locations and for specific inquiry uses pre-selected layer content required for inquiry interprets and analyses information from layers placed on map
					chooses the appropriate data to create a map for a specific purpose determines and selects layer content required for a specific inquiry interprets and analyses a GIS generated map uses a GIS generated map to communicate ideas and recommendations
						generates data from various sources (e.g., GPS, statistics, surveys) creates layers relevant to a specific inquiry applies GIS to solve problems and make recommendations
Plan types					analyses land use plans (e.g., community and regional plans, official site plans)
						extracts and analyses information/data from various plan types uses various plan types to communicate intended messages
Globes		locates key reference points (e.g., poles, equator) identifies hemispheres locates selected countries and cities
Projections and map perspectives					understands the distortions in various map projections (e.g., Mercator, Peters, Lambert)
						uses various projections to communicate intended messages about data and information

Graphing Skills

Grade 1	Grades 2–3	Grades 4–6	Grades 7–8	Grade 9	Grades 11–12
The student:
extracts information from, analyses, and creates: pictographs tallies
	extracts information from, analyses, and creates: bar graphs line graphs
		extracts information from, analyses, and creates: double bar graphs multiple line graphs climate graphs uses computer technology (e.g., graphing software and online programs) to create graphs
			extracts information from, analyses, and creates: scatter graphs population pyramids circle graphs stacked bar graphs cross-sectional profiles
				uses lines (e.g., isotherms, isobars) to connect places with common physical characteristics uses proportional representation for symbols (e.g., size of flow arrows, size of populations circles) determines and uses appropriate intervals for data to communicate intended messages
					uses appropriate graphs to communicate data, make recommendations, and solve problems

On this page

Social Studies, History, and Geography (2023)

AppendicesLink

Appendix A. The Goals of the Additional Subjects in Canadian and World StudiesLink

Appendix B. Citizenship Education FrameworkLink

Appendix C. Map, Globe, and Graphing Skills – A ContinuumLink

Map and Globe Skills

Graphing Skills

Appendices
Link

Appendix A. The Goals of the Additional Subjects in Canadian and World Studies
Link

Appendix B. Citizenship Education Framework
Link

Appendix C. Map, Globe, and Graphing Skills – A Continuum
Link