3 Facts about the 2018 Ontario Social Studies Curriculum

In 2018 the Ontario Social Studies Curriculum was revised, but do you know the reasons behind this revision?  Check out this blog post to learn why Strand A:  Heritage and Identity was the focus of the revision, and why some grade levels had no changes made to the Ontario Social Studies Curriculum at all!  Find out what role the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission on Residential Schools played in the revised curriculum. 

In 2018 the Ontario Ministry of Education revised the Social Studies Curriculum, but not all grades or strands were affected.  Here are 3 important facts to know!

1.  The Curriculum was Revised as a Direct Response to the 2015 Truth & Reconciliation Commission's Recommendations

In  2015, the TRC published 94 "Calls to Action", after spending six years hearing from more than 6500 witnesses concerning the residential school system. The Ontario Ministry of Education revised the curriculum in 2018 to include the recommendations of the TRC, so that students now learn about treaty issues, residential schools, and the contributions of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples to our country.

Call to Action 62:   Make age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools, Treaties, and Aboriginal peoples’ historical and contemporary contributions to Canada a mandatory education requirement for Kindergarten to Grade Twelve students

Call to Action 63: 

 i. Developing and implementing Kindergarten to Grade Twelve curriculum and learning resources on Aboriginal peoples in Canadian history, and the history and legacy of residential schools. 

ii. Sharing information and best practices on teaching curriculum related to residential schools and Aboriginal history. 

iii. Building student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect.

 iv. Identifying teacher-training needs relating to the above.  

2.  Not All Grades were Revised

The Ontario Ministry of Education only made changes to the curriculum expectations for Grades 4 to 10.  Grades 1 to 3 remained the same as they had been in the 2013 curriculum.  Any resources you may have had for those primary grades are still relevant!!

3.  Not All Strands Were Affected

Because the Ontario Social Studies Curriculum was revised in response to the TRC, the Ministry of Education worked only on the strands that were most relevant in terms of Indigenous content.  Their intent was to strengthen learning around treaty education, the impacts of the residential school system, and the Indian Act.  

For the junior grades, this meant that Strand A:  Heritage and Identity was the focus of the 2018 revisions.  For Grades 7 through 10, the History strands were affected; in Grades 9 and 10 changes were made to the Canadian History Since World War I (CHC2D and CHC2P).

As Strand B:  People and Environment for Grades 4-6 were not affected by the 2018 revisions, teachers can continue to use resources they had in place for the 2013 curriculum for that strand.

I have been updating my Strand A resources in my Coach's Corner TPT store.  Check out my revised Grade 5 unit for Strand A:  Interactions of Indigenous Peoples and Europeans Prior to 1713 by clicking on the image below!