The social studies, history, geography, and Canadian and world studies programs will enable students to become responsible and active members within the diverse communities to which they belong. As well as becoming critically thoughtful and informed individuals who value an inclusive society, students will have the skills they need to solve problems and communicate ideas and decisions about significant developments, events, and issues.

In social studies, history, and geography, and all the subjects in Canadian and world studies, students realize the vision for the program as they:

• develop the ability to use the “concepts of disciplinary thinking” to investigate issues, events, and developments;
• develop the ability to determine and apply appropriate criteria to evaluate information and evidence and to make judgements;
• develop skills and personal attributes that are needed for discipline-specific inquiry and that can be transferred to other areas in life;
• build collaborative and cooperative working relationships; use appropriate technology as a tool to help them gather and analyse information, solve problems, and communicate.

Adapted from Ontario Ministry of Education, The Ontario Curriculum Grades 9 and 10: Canadian and World Studies, 2018. p. 6.

Would you like to learn more? Take a look at The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 AND 10, Canadian and World Studies  and The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 AND 12, Canadian and World Studies.

The discipline of social sciences and humanities in the Ontario secondary school curriculum encompasses five subject areas: equity studies, family studies, general social sciences, philosophy, and world religions. Although these subject areas are very different from one another, they all systematically explore the ways in which individuals influence and are influenced by families, communities, cultures, institutions, and societies, and by ideas, norms, and values.

Students in social sciences and humanities develop a critical lens through which they can build their awareness of and make decisions with respect to critical issues in our increasingly complex, multifaceted, and diverse society. Study of this discipline helps to build understanding about individuals, families, and diverse groups – what people think, how they live, and how we all interact with one another and the world around us. 

Ontario Ministry of Education, The Ontario Curriculum Grades 11 and 12: Social Sciences and Humanities, 2013. p. 7.

Would you like to learn more? Take a look at The Ontario Curriculum, Social Science and Humanities Grades 9 to 12.