Social Studies

The Social Studies program develops globally aware and socially responsible students who possess the skills, knowledge and aptitudes needed to navigate, contribute and tackle the challenges and opportunities of an interconnected 21st-century world in flux. Through interdisciplinary exploration, students uncover social, cultural, economic, and political forces that shape our world while fostering and developing collaboration, critical thinking, empathy and a deep appreciation for

Grade 10

diversity, equity and differing perspectives. Students construct informed personal understandings of complex issues through direct instruction, inquiry, research, analysis, feedback and reflection. We aim to empower and equip students to be agents of positive change locally and globally by promoting civic engagement, activism, and responsible citizenship.

5 CREDITS IB MYP Social Studies, Y5: Individuals and Societies

The aims of the IB MYP Social Studies course are to equip 21st-century learners with:

(1) the skills to respect and understand the world around them, (2) encourage an understanding of the impact of historical, contemporary, geographical, political, social, economic, religious, technological and (3) cultural contexts that influence and impact individuals, societies, and environments; and (4) develop the student as a whole through critical thinking. Students explore globalization within the context of identity, history, sustainability and citizenship. The infusion of a multiple perspectives approach allows students to examine the effects of globalization on people in Canada and throughout the world. Recognizing and appreciating the influence of globalization will lead students to examine their roles as responsible and active citizens in a globalizing world. As well, this course develops the knowledge, skills and attitudes that enable students to: appreciate human and environmental commonalities and diversity; understand the interactions and interdependence of individuals, societies and the environment; understand how both environmental and human systems operate and evolve; identify and develop concern for the well-being of human communities and the natural environment; act as responsible citizens of local and global communities; and develop inquiry skills that lead towards conceptual understandings of the relationships between individuals, societies and the environments in which they live.

Social Studies 20, Perspectives on Nationalism

PREREQUISITE: IB MYP Social Studies 10, Y5: Individuals and Societies, or Principal approval

Based on the Alberta Education Program of Studies curriculum, students explore the complexities of nationalism in Canadian and international contexts in this course. They will study the origins and influence of nationalism on regional, international, and global relations. The combination of multiple perspectives will allow students to understand nationalism and how it contributes to the citizenship and identities of people in Canada. Understanding the various points of view associated with nationalism and an appreciation for the perspectives of others will encourage students to develop personal and civic responses to emergent issues related to nationalism. Four units of inquiry comprise this course: (1) Identity and Nationalism, (2) National Interest and Conflict, (3) Internationalism, and (4) Canadian Nationalism.

IB DP History SL, Y1 / IB DP History HL, Y1

PREREQUISITE: IB MYP Social Studies 10, or Principal approval

History is a dynamic, contested, evidence-based discipline that involves an exciting engagement with the past. The IB Diploma Programme (DP) history course is a world history course based on a comparative and multi-perspective approach to history. It is a rigorous intellectual discipline focused on key historical concepts of change, causation, significance, perspectives, continuity and consequence. History is an exploratory subject that fosters a sense of inquiry. It is also an interpretive discipline, allowing an opportunity for engagement with multiple perspectives and a plurality of opinions. Studying history develops an understanding of the past, leading to a deeper understanding of the nature of humans and the world today.

The central focus of this course is an in-depth analysis of nationalism. Exploring the complexities of nationalism will contribute to an understanding and appreciation of the interrelationships among nations, nationalism, internationalism, globalization, and citizenship and identity. Developing an understanding of the various points of view associated with nationalism as well as an appreciation for the perspectives of others, will encourage students to develop personal and civic responses to emergent issues related to nationalism. While nationalism has historically examined the citizen’s relationship to the state, contemporary understandings of nationalism include evolving individual, collective, national and state realities. (Adapted from IB History Guide (2017 Examinations) and Alberta Social Studies 20 Curriculum Guide).

There are three units of inquiry spanning 130 years of European history that comprise this course: (1) The French Revolution and Napoleon, (2) Europe and the First World War, and (3) Versailles to Berlin: Diplomacy in Europe.

5 Credits