Canadian & World Studies

Read more about the different courses offered next year CWS Course Offerings 2024!

The Canadian and World Studies program encompasses five subjects: economics, geography, history, law, and politics. In studying these subjects, students learn how people interact with and within their social and physical environments today, and how they did so in the past. At Danforth, we offer senior Geography (travel & tourism, world issues), History (up to the 15th century and after the 15th century) and Law.

The discipline of social sciences and humanities in the Ontario secondary school curriculum encompasses four subject areas: family studies, general social science, philosophy, and world religions. Although these subjects differ widely in topic and approach, they all explore some aspect of human society, thought, and culture. At Danforth, we offer Introduction to Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology, Philosophy, Challenge and Change, Parenting, Anti-Black Racism and Equity courses.

Geography

Geography is an integrative subject that brings a variety of perspectives, both social and physical, to the study of people, places, and environments around the world. Knowing where physical, social or political events or processes occur helps students gain a spatial perspective on them.

Understanding the processes that shape the earth and knowing how life forms interact with the environment allow them to view events from an ecological perspective. Historical and economic perspectives help students understand the relationship between people and their environments, as well as interactions that occur among groups of people. Studying geography, students receive practical guidance for decision making and problem solving in geographic planning, economic development, and environmental and resource management.

As the world’s economies become increasingly interdependent, as pressures on the world’s resources mount, and as concerns about issues such as global warming, urbanization, and population growth escalate, people need to become geographically literate and able to make informed judgements about environmental and social issues. The Grade 9 Geography of Canada course provides students with a foundation in this essential area of learning.

History

The study of history fulfils a fundamental human desire to know about our past. It also appeals to us because of our love of stories – and history consists of stories. Through the narrative of history we hear and see the people, events, emotions, struggles, and challenges that produced the present and that will shape the future. The better we understand history, the easier it becomes to understand other times and places. Such knowledge teaches us that our particular accomplishments and problems are not unique – an important lesson in a world in which the forces of globalization are drawing people of different cultures closer together. Canadian and World Studies offers students a variety of history courses that will enhance their knowledge of and appreciation for the story of Canada. The compulsory Grade 10 course, Canadian History Since World War I, focuses on the events and personalities that have shaped our nation since 1914. Optional Canadian history courses in Grades 11 and 12 provide further opportunities.

Civics