Factors That Shape Community Life

How do different communities contribute a quality of life for their members?

Synopsis

Most of the specific outcomes for:

"Communities of the World," may be addressed by inviting students to consider the factors that influence quality of life in four communities in India, Tunisia, Peru and Ukraine. An important theme is to help students recognize that people in different communities enjoy life in different but perhaps equally valid ways.

Critical Challenges

Students might explore this overarching theme by completing these challenges:

Where Is the Community?

Learn about the influence of physical geography on life in communities in Tunisia, Peru, India and Ukraine by matching photographs with the communities they represent

Public Services Contribute to Communities

Consider the role of public services in four communities in India, Tunisia, Peru and the Ukraine by looking at the biggest contribution of a particular service in each community

Cultural Identities

Explore the ways in which traditions, celebrations, stories and customs reflect a group's values and attitudes by creating a collage representing the perceived cultural values and attitudes of each profiled community

How Communities Work Together

Learn about the practices for choosing leaders, making decisions, maintaining peace, cooperating and respecting diversity that operate in the four profiled communities by deciding what students might learn from these examples that could improve their own class community

Environment: The Biggest Impact

Examine the role of natural environment on communities by deciding which environmental factor has the biggest impact on daily life in each of the profiled communities

Changing Lives

Explore the influence of physical, social and cultural factors by considering the most significant changes experienced by a guest speaker who has immigrated to Canada

Where Is the Object's Home?

Consider the influence of geography, natural resources and culture on human activity by interpreting clues to determine the country of origin of various mystery objects

Imagine If...

In a possible culminating challenge, students might apply their understanding of a community's influence on human activity by imagining the most significant positive difference they would experience if they and their families lived in one of the four profiled communities

Help Documents

Embedding Critical Thinking Into Teaching and Learning PDF
This document provides a definition of critical thinking, and discusses how to embed critical thinking into teaching and learning.

Definitions of Terms Used in Overarching Critical Inquiries
This document provides definitions of Overarching Critical Inquiry, Critical Challenge, Modelling the Tools, Support Material, Graphic Organizer, Assessment, and Background Information.

Meeting the Diverse Learning Needs of All Students PDF
This document provides suggestions to help teachers plan for diverse learning needs.

Reference Charts

The following charts provide a quick overview of correlations, references, and summaries for all the Critical Challenges. In the charts, the Critical Challenges are organized according to which Overarching Critical Inquiry they address.

Last updated: July 1, 2014 | (Revision History)
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