B2. Inquiry: Differing Perspectives on Social and Environmental Issues
Specific Expectations
B2.1
formulate questions to guide investigations into social and/or environmental issues in Canada from various perspectives, including the perspective of Indigenous peoples and of the level (or levels) of government responsible for addressing the issues (e.g., the perspectives of different levels of government, non-governmental organizations [NGOs], professionals in the field, and people directly affected by an issue such as child poverty on and off reserves, preservation of traditional languages, homelessness, bullying in schools, access to health care, climate change in the Arctic, waste disposal, or deforestation)
- What costs and benefits should be considered when discussing the development of a new mine or energy project? Whose knowledge and understanding of the land needs to be included throughout the consultation process? Why might different groups have different opinions on such development? Why might there be a variety of Indigenous viewpoints on resource extraction on traditional territory? Why does the federal and/or provincial government tend to support resource extraction industries?
- What costs and benefits should be considered when deciding whether to develop a public transit system? Why might different groups have different views on the costs and benefits? What level or levels of government would have a say on this issue?
- Whose voices should be heard in discussions about the building of a new housing subdivision?
- What groups should be consulted when policy to address climate change is being developed?
- What are various governments and community groups doing to preserve Indigenous languages in Canada?
- What are some questions that need to be considered around the issue of funding for First Nations schools? Who should be consulted in such discussions?
B2.2
gather and organize a variety of information and data that present various perspectives about Canadian social and/or environmental issues, including the perspectives of Indigenous peoples and of the level (or levels) of government responsible for addressing the issues (e.g., with respect to the issue of climate change, gather data on sources of carbon dioxide emissions affecting Canada, photographic evidence of melting polar ice and its impact on Inuit and on Arctic wildlife, information on the positions and/or actions of various NGOs working on climate change, projections from corporations on the costs of addressing greenhouse gas emissions, information on the impact of climate change on the natural world from oral history and interviews with Elders, knowledge keepers, and Métis Senators, editorials and articles from Indigenous media outlets on the impact of climate change, and/or information on the positions of the federal, provincial, and/or territorial governments)
- Where might you look for information about child poverty in a large Canadian city? Who might have different perspectives on this issue? How would you ensure that the information you gather reflects more than one perspective?
- What key words might you use to search a government website for information on the issue of climate change? How would you find material that reflects the perspectives of NGOs working in this area? How would you find material that reflects First Nations, Métis, or Inuit perspectives on this issue?
- Where might you look for information about the cost of food in northern Canada?
- Why would it be important to consult Indigenous media sources when gathering information about the impact of resource development on Indigenous territories?
- Where might you look for information on the Mother Earth Water Walkers and the actions they are taking in response to Great Lakes water contamination?
B2.3
analyse and construct maps in various formats, including digital formats, as part of their investigations into social and/or environmental issues (e.g., a thematic map showing the extent of the areas affected by climate change or how air pollution generated in one jurisdiction affects another; a demographic map showing levels of poverty or homelessness in different provinces; a thematic map showing the location of potential resource-extraction sites in relation to treaty territories, historic Métis settlements, and sacred sites)
- What information would you need to include on your map to show how and why the issue of pollution in the Great Lakes involves several different governments?
- What have you learned from reading this map on income in Canada?
- What information could you include on a map on the potential impact of climate change to show that the issue involves all levels of government as well as people in different regions?
- What information would you need in order to create a map that demonstrates the impact of the pulp and paper industry on First Nations communities along a waterway?
- What information would you include on an annotated map that shows regional flooding before and after the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the impact of any changes on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and the Anishinaabe?
B2.4
interpret and analyse information and data relevant to their investigations, using a variety of tools (e.g., use an idea web to help them determine connections between the way in which a group is affected by climate change and its perspective on the issue; extract information from a line or bar graph to determine variations in homelessness in several municipalities; use a double bar graph to help them determine the effectiveness of recycling and waste-diversion programs)
- How are these different groups affected by this issue? How might they be affected by possible solutions?
- What type of chart could you use to help you determine similarities and differences in the position of various groups on this issue?
- When you analyse information on this issue, what differences and similarities do you find in coverage in the mainstream and Indigenous media?
- What type of graphic organizer could you use to help you analyse the perspectives of advocacy groups, industry, and different levels of governments, including Indigenous governments, on the sustainable use of a resource in Canada?
B2.5
evaluate evidence and draw conclusions about social and/or environmental issues, outlining the strengths and weaknesses of different perspectives on the issues, including the perspectives of Indigenous peoples and of the level (or levels) of government responsible for addressing the issues
- Whose position on this issue do you think is strongest? Why?
- Is there agreement among different levels of government with a stake in this issue? Why or why not?
- What are the most difficult challenges associated with this issue?
- In coming up with a way to address this issue, why is it important to consider the perspectives of all stakeholders?
B2.6
communicate the results of their inquiries, using appropriate vocabulary (e.g., government, local, municipal, provincial/territorial, federal, chief, band council, municipal council, Parliament, member of Parliament [MP], member of provincial parliament [MPP], non-governmental organization, stakeholder) and formats (e.g., a report to present to their local MP, MPP, or city/town councillor; a photo essay on the impact of the issue; a brochure or informational poster that presents the strongest points in the position of various stakeholders; a song, rap, or poem promoting the most convincing arguments on the issue; a map to accompany an oral presentation; a role play that other students can participate in to present differing perspectives)