Understanding By Design Unit Template

Title of Unit Governance Grade Level 12

Subject History 30 Canadian Studies Time Frame Nine 50 min lessons

Developed By Shayla

Stage 1 - Identify Desired Results

Broad Areas of Learning
How are the BAL incorporated into this unit?

Students will learn about topics and situations within governance that will benefit them in the future. This unit will
engage in them qualities of Life Long Learners as they will become aware of the ways that the information they learn
about is extremely relevant in their lives. As students interact with the material they will be studying they will learn
how important it is to ask questions of their government and of the governing bodies. These questions will demonstrate
to them how important it is for students to continue to ask questions and learn as much as they can when they consider
these topics in the future.
Building Engaged citizens is key to this unit as it strives to uncover the realities of Governance and power within our
society. As students make moral decisions they will grow as citizens who are passionate, as individuals who want to
evoke change for the good of the people in their society. By learning about what they believe and the way that
communities can stand together to have their needs met, students will come to see they have a role to play in society.
As students come to recognize their role and voice in society as important they will become engaged citizens who are
well informed and able to understand both sides of conflict in governance, while also asserting their voice in a way that
helps society.
Cross curricular Competencies
How will this unit promote the CCC?

Develop Thinking- embedded within this unit plan students will take part in dialectic thinking, and moral testing. This
Unit will help students develop their skills as out lined within the Saskatchewan Social Studies 30: Canadian Studies
curriculum guide. Dialectic thinking is an important skill that students will take with them into society as the nature of a
pluralistic society, such as Canada, is found in the many divisions that are present. In learning these skills students will
be prepared for evaluating arguments and determining the best outcome in the future as members of society. Students
will also learn how to evaluate information as a part of developing thinking, and they will be more equip to choose from
the various points of view while drawing distinctions between legitimate knowledge and propaganda.

Learning Outcomes
What relevant goals will this unit address?
(must come from curriculum; include the designations e.g. IN2.1)
PA30.3Assesshowinvolvedthegovernmentshouldbeinthelivesofitscitizens(Medicare,immigration,socialpolicies)
DR30.4AnalyzehowcentralCanadasdecisionmakingeffecteditsrelationshipwithotherpartsofCanada
DR30.1Analyzedecisionmakingmodelsthatinvolvedebateandconsensusfortheirstrengthsandweakness.
DR30.2Discussandevaluatedifferentviewpoints,tomakeatentativejudgmentorhowanissuemaycausecontroversy.
DR30.3AssesshowhistoricaleventsinCanadahaveaffectedthepresentCanadianidentity
* outcomes taken from http://curriculum.nesd.ca/Non-Renewed-Curricula/_layouts/15/WopiFrame.aspx?sourcedoc=/Non-
Renewed-Curricula/History-Supports/History%2030/History%2030%20Outcomes.docx&action=default

Enduring Understandings Essential Questions

What understandings about the big ideas are desired? (what you
want students to understand & be able to use several years from
now)
What misunderstandings are predictable?
Students will understand that...
- Governments make decisions in society that affect people in
society
- People have a role to play in society as citizens in having their
needs represented and met
- Students will understand that those who make up the Governing
body in Canada are bound by the Constitutional Act.
-Students will understand how the Government handles issues of
Governance
-Students will understand how Governance in Canada works.
What provocative questions will foster inquiry into the content?
(open-ended questions that stimulate thought and inquiry linked
to the content of the enduring understanding)
Content specific.
- How is power distributed to the people?
- Who holds power in society?
- What is Governance?
- Why is it important to understand all perspectives before
understanding or reaching a personal stance on a topic?
- Does constitutionalism play out today to be as moral and
ethical as it was created to be?

FNMI, multicultural, cross-curricular

Related misconceptions
- Governance is based on the decisions and ideas of only leaders
- Canada does not have a governing body
- Peoples voice is not heard among leaders.
First Nations modes and models of governance and the
relationship between First Nations and European in
understanding differences in governance. Understanding the
conflict that is created and how that strained relationship has
influenced Canadas governing climate.

Knowledge:
What knowledge will student acquire as a result of this unit? This
content knowledge may come from the indicators, or might also
address pre-requisite knowledge that students will need for this
unit.
Skills
What skills will students acquire as a result of this unit? List the
skills and/or behaviours that students will be able to exhibit as a
result of their work in this unit. These will come from the
indicators.
Students will know...
- Students will know how to use dialectic thinking and evaluation to
gain insight into the way that Canadas governance system works
- students will know that in Canada the Governance models and
methods are a result of the constitutional act in (1867)
- students will know the way that the constitution informs provincial
rights within Canada.
- Students will know how to use moral reasoning to come to
conclusions from moments of conflict and tension in Canadian
society.
- Students will understand the governing system in Canada and how
power is divided within it.
Students will be able to
- students will be able to exercise dialectic thinking and moral
testing to evaluate concepts and conflicts within society
- Students will be able to differentiate between legitimate
perspectives, and propaganda.
- students will be able to understand how Canadas past and
constitution influences governance in Canada
- students will be able to make moral test and decisions based
on dialectic thinking/reasoning.

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Performance Task
Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate the desired understandings, knowledge, and skills? (describes the
learning activity in story form. Typically, the P.T. describes a scenario or situation that requires students to apply knowledge and skills
to demonstrate their understanding in a real life situation. Describe your performance task scenario below)
By what criteria will performances of understanding be judged?
GRASPS Elements of the Performance Task
G Goal Students will create a project that displays their understanding of a topic that has created a
What should students accomplish by governing conflict in society today. Students will be asked to research and use dialectic thinking to
completing this task? understand a current controversy and create something that displays their stance on the subject.
R Role This process draws heavily on the practice that will be had in classroom activities and lectures as
What role (perspective) will your students will use this type of thinking and evaluating throughout. This assignment is developed to
students be taking? have students interact with their current contexts and make a moral stance on an issue. This
A Audience process will serve as a practice for students as they prepare to leave high school and enter the
Who is the relevant audience? working world and become more engaged citizens who will have voting rights and a more prevalent
voice in society. One way to have students become more aware of this process is to have them
S Situation
write journal entries throughout the process where they can reflect on their thinking. This
The context or challenge provided to
the student. metacognitive aspect of the assignment will ensure that students develop these skills more
P Product, Performance purposefully. Students will present their projects to the class and class mates will give feedback
 about the project. To supplement their creation students must write an artist statement that will
What product/performance will the explain and give meaning to each aspect of their project. Students will be creating something from
student their own perspective and understanding to present to their classmates. The product will be
create? anything that the student believes shows their understanding and processing of a controversial
topic and their moral stance towards the issue.
S Standards & Criteria for
Success Attach rubric to Unit Plan
Create the rubric for the Performance
Task
Other Evidence Student Self-Assessment
Through what other evidence (work samples, observations, How will students reflect upon or self-assess their learning?
quizzes, tests, journals or other means) will students demonstrate
achievement of the desired results? Formative and summative
assessments used throughout the unit to arrive at the outcomes.
- direct questioning - Final project self-assessment
- exit slips - Artist statement in final project where they are able to tell me
- observation of student involvement what they have learned after they have showed the class
- journals throughout the unit, and in their final project. - journal entries
- samples of student work when they are given a situation upon
which they need to come to a moral stance

Stage 3 Learning Plan

What teaching and learning experiences will you use to:
achieve the desired results identified in Stage 1?
equip students to complete the assessment tasks identified in Stage 2?
Where are your students headed? Where have they been? How will you make sure the students know where they are
going?
What experiences do the learners bring to the unit? How have the interests of the learners been ascertained? Have the
learners been part of the pre-planning in any way? What individual needs do you anticipate will need to be addressed?
Learning environment: Where can this learning best occur? How can the physical environment be arranged to enhance
learning?
By the end of this unit my students will understand the process by which Canada governs itself and how the constitution has played a
significant role in establishing these principles. Students will understand how power is distributed in Canada as well as understanding the
way that the charter of rights and freedoms has changed parliaments processes in governance. Students will understand different modes
of governance, and they will become aware of the conflict that governance has produced in Canada. Each student brings experiences into
the classroom that will inform their opinion of governance and government control in individuals lives. Each student is a product of their
environment and that includes political views. Some students might even benefit from government initiatives that will be studied in the
until. In this way topics of conflict need to be studied and represented in a way that is fair for the students. The student will know where
we are going at my initial explanation of the unit and the topics that will be studied. In knowing how much the students like to study
culture in the previous unit and those aspects that shape culture, I know that the students will enjoy a more microscopic look at the way
that Governance affects culture. In considering this unit students would have taken a survey to show their interest in governance, and in
topics within Governance. That information will help me to choose and narrow in on topics to discuss in lessons. For EAL students I plan on
giving them as much concise information rather than requiring them to summarize slides and make sense of words on the board. I will
print off slides and provide information in steps to help narrow the focus of the information they receive. I will give all students the option
to receive printed out slides from the PowerPoint, or make them available to them on their computers so that they can make notes on the
PowerPoint itself. If any additional help is needed students are welcome to come to me for help at any point in the learning. The learning
will take place within the classroom and the desks will be arranged in pods so that students are encouraged to conference with each other
and bounce ideas off one another.
How will you engage students at the beginning of the unit? (motivational set)

Students will split into 5 groups and will participate in a jeopardy game. https://jeopardylabs.com/play/governance-in-canada-ch-1-5-review
Their competitive natures will enhance this activity and there will be a prize for the winning team. All of the questions in the jeopardy
game will be based around governance, rights, laws and government. This will serve as a formative assessment tool for me to see what
the students already know about these topics. After the jeopardy activity students will do a quick right responding to an essential question
from the Unit: Why do we need governance in Canada?
What events will help students experience and explore the enduring understandings and essential questions in the unit?
How will you equip them with needed skills and knowledge?
# Lesson Title Lesson Activities CCC Resources
s
1 What is DT; -Governance
Governance? ~3 mins Direct questioning introduce the topic DSR PowerPoint
- Goal for the unit: students understand Governance, that students can analyze - Sticky notes
systems of Governance in Canada as critical and engaged citizens, and that - Article from

students engage in dialectic thinking and moral reasoning on conflicting issues of http://news.natio
nalpost.com/full-
governance. Ultimately, the goal of this unit is to introduce students to the issues
comment/todays-
that arise in our society because of Governance, and help them to understand the letters-canadas-
role they play in society as individuals with different moral beliefs. broken-child-
~10 mins YouTube video welfare-system
~15 mins PowerPoint for review/discussion and further notes and
recap/summary of the video -
~15 mins welfare as an example of an attempt for Governance https://www.yout
~6 mins Think- Pair-Share pros/cons for the Welfare system ube.com/watch?
~4 mins Exit slip: If governance is supposed to work for the good of the people, v=3Grh2XPGNlg-
how do we make sense of the ways that the system fails individuals? Can you Institute on
Governance-
think of a different solution to meeting the needs of the people? Why is learning
What is
about these systems important? Governance?

2 DSR - PowerPoint &

How is power ~5 mins- Introduction game PowerPoint Fill in
distributed? ~ 15 mins Teacher Instruction: students have a choice to use a fill in the blank the Blank Notes
sheet to follow along on the PowerPoint or to create their own notes form the - Access to
PowerPoint laptops/
computer lab
~ 27 mins Jigsaw/ Research - Level Rule
(game):
~ 3 mins Exit slip/ Final discussion - Q: How does the distribution of power affect http://www.lop.pa
the citizens in a democratic country? Why is learning this information important? rl.gc.ca/About/Par
liament/Educatio
n/OurCountryOur
Parliament/game
2-e.aspx
 - Exit slips

3 ~ 10 mins Personal Constitution activity DT - PowerPoint

Canadas ~ 20 mins - Explicit teaching - case studies
Constitution ~ 25 mins Problem solving/ case study student activity - Exit slip
~ 5 mins exit slip

4 Historical ~10 mins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrHx7tL9INQ - charter of rights and DT - YouTube

analysis of freedoms rap - PowerPoint
Canadian ~30 mins Explicit teaching
Rights and ~10 mins Closure of the lesson by asking how rights and freedoms correlate with
Freedoms governance and democracy, as a lead up to the next lesson.

5 A Closer look ~10 mins- Democracy game with students: the state is set up, teacher is the elected DT; - Game scenarios
at Democracy leader. Students are the citizens who make their needs known to the elected leader. DSR
in Canada. Leader provides for the needs unequally, but constantly reminds the students they are in a
democratic state where things are equal. At the end of the activity have students to a
quick write outlining how they felt doing the activity.
~10 Review of Democracy Ideology
- Is Canada a truly democratic state?
~25 mins Disrupting achieved Democracy in Canada activity
~5 mins what have you learnt?
6 Aboriginal ~10 mins If you could rule yourself- what would you do? Brainstorm with a partner DT - YouTube
Governance ~ 20 mins- show videos Viewing for meaning - Questions from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlA0NNCSKmc the videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-MgYKvIWPs - Exit Slip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-MgYKvIWPs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJaKGXOTe_g
~15 mins Students answer questions about Aboriginal Governance from the videos.
~ 5 mins- Exit slip
7 Aboriginal ~ 3 mins What creates conflict discussion DT - computer lab
Governance ~ 30 mins- student research for debate on these issues in governance access/ laptops
vs. Student Conflict or power and wealth for research
Eurocentric Culture conflict
ideology of Differing political customs
Governance ~ 27 mins debate time
8 Moral ~ 5 mins would you rather game DT; - PowerPoint for
Reasoning ~ 15 mins- discussion Think- Pair- Share What is a moral decision? What guides our DSR would you rather
decision making? How do we make sense of things we disagree with? Why do we have - scenarios
disagreements?
~30 mins Students practice moral decision making by reading different scenarios
~ 5 mins What did we learn today about moral decisions?? Direct questioning closure.
9 Performance - Students will create a project that displays their understanding of a topic that has DT - Hand out
Task created a governing conflict in society today. Students will be asked to research and use
dialectic thinking to understand a current controversy and create something that displays
their stance on the subject.

Assess and Reflect (Stage 4)

Considerations Comments
Required Areas of Study:
Is there alignment between outcomes,
performance assessment and learning
experiences?
Adaptive Dimension: For struggling students:
Have I made purposeful adjustments to the
curriculum content (not outcomes), instructional
practices, and/or the learning environment to meet
the learning needs and diversities of all my
students?

For students who need a challenge:

Instructional Approaches:
Do I use a variety of teacher directed and student
centered instructional approaches?

Resource Based Learning:

Do the students have access to various resources
on an ongoing basis?
FNM/I Content and Perspectives/Gender
Equity/Multicultural Education:
Have I nurtured and promoted diversity while
honoring each childs identity?

From: Wiggins, Grant and J. McTighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, ISBN # 0-87120-
313-8 (pbk)

Performance Task Rubric:

Knowledge/ Skills Poor (1) Average (2) Proficient (3) Exceptional (4)

Demonstrates an Students disregard Students attempt to Students attempt to Students address each essential
understanding of essential questions in understand a few of address essential question in a through manner.
essential questions their project and do not the essential questions and offer
shown throughout mention them in their questions from the responses to them.
the unit. understanding. unit.

Students create and display

understanding in a way that is
Students attempt to Students attempt to outside of traditional knowledge.
Creativity No creativity, be creative but do create and display They make connections to their
understanding or effort not convey any understanding, however personal lives and create something
was put into the product understanding of the lack personal connections that has meaning to them and the
of students assignment. topic and there is no in a new way. topic.
personal
connections.

Demonstrates
understanding
based on the
following
outcomes of the
unit.
The student does not The student attempts The student portrays an The students project portrays a deep
DR30.4 Analyze consider cause-effect to include examples understanding of cause- understanding of cause- effect
how central relationships and does of cause-effect effect relationships and relationships and they have
Canadas decision not have any examples relationships in provides a few well extensive, thought out examples
making effected or considerations of Canada but does not thought out examples through-out their project
its relationship such. provide any
with other parts of examples.
Canada.
 Student understands
IN 30.1 Analyze Student does not have a worldview and is Student understands Student has a clear understanding
how worldview basic understanding of beginning to their person worldview about their personal world view and
impacts the ways worldview and does not articulate and but does not clearly what shapes them and how it
a society develops acknowledge their own understand their understand how their changes the way they see society.
a relationship with worldview or how personal world view lives and view of society Their work shows that they are also
land and people. worldview shape society. however does not is shaped by it. Their aware and consider how worldview
mention how that work shows they are has influenced society.
shapes their becoming aware of how
understanding of worldview has influenced
society. They make society.
attempts to greater
societal worldviews
but do not draw any
conclusive
relationships.
Student shows a deep understanding
PA 30.3 Assess Student does not Student considers Students show an and assessment of government
how involved the consider or understand but does not understanding and are involvement and considers the
government the ways in which understand or assess beginning to assess the cause-effect relationship of
should be in the government should be the way that government is government involvement.
lives of its citizens involved in the lives of government/citizen involved in the lives of its
(Medicare, citizens. relationship. They do citizens. The cause-effect
immigration, social consider the cause- relationship is considered
policies) effect relationship but is not fully developed.
but it is not
expanded upon, only
stated.
DR 30.2 Discuss Student does not Student can consider Student can evaluate Student successfully and with great
and evaluate consider different different viewpoints multiple view points and depth evaluates multiple view points
different viewpoints and cannot but is unable to can make a judgement on in a moment of conflict and can
viewpoints, to make a judgement on consider making a a controversial topic. coherently support their perspective
make a tentative issues of controversy. cs judgement on a while considering the others.
judgement on how controversial topic
an issue may without adopting one
cause controversy view or the other.
DR 30.3 Assess Student does not Student attempts to Student can assess the Student can comprehensively assess
how historical understand that make connections to ways that Canadian the ways that Canadian Identity has
events in Canada Canadas past has had the shaping of identity has been created been created and influenced. The
have affected the any influence in shaping Canadian identity and influenced. Student student can clearly articulate the key
present Canadian Canada today. They do however they are not can articulate the moment they study and understand
identity not address their topic of conclusive. Student moment they study and the implications of such a time
study as something that begins to hit towards understand the historically and presently. All sides of
has shaped society. Their moments in history implications of such a the change/ conflict are clearly
project does not reflect that shape identity, time historically and presented and put forth for deeper
consideration of how but not presently. They present understanding of todays society.
Canadas identity has comprehensively. most sides of the
been shaped by their They understand change/conflict and grasp
topic. their topic is of great for a deeper
 importance, but understanding of society.
cannot connect it to
the greater changes
in society.

Personal Reflection about Unit Plan:

In this lesson plan my formative assessment occurs in exit slips that students will fill out at the end of every lesson. This formative

assessment will help me to gauge my students understanding as we go through each lesson. By using this type of assessment I will be able to

make any changes to my teaching plans. These exit slips might show me areas where students need further instruction or scaffolding leading

up to the activities in each lesson. By using this type of formative assessment to help me know where my students understanding is, it will

also help me to see that the student have understood the big ideas, or the goals of the lessons. Each question is a topical assessment of what

we have talked about and around the activities we do in the lesson. These formative assessment questions help me to see where I want my

instruction and assessment to take us as a class for my students to reach the goals. My formative assessment will also help me to see when

students arent following along in the unit or when they clearing grasping what we are studying. The connections that the students make, or

fail to make will help me to know how to change the plans as I go. In making the rubric for the students I will schedule time to co-construct

what the requirements for the outcomes. In this way, the students will shape what a (4) on the rubric will entail. By co-constructing per the

outcomes students can understand what they are to do as they choose the language that defines what meets that requirement.

My goals for the unit is in the Enduring Understanding and outlined in during the first lesson What is Governance, as a part of the

introduction to the topic. By starting out the unit with an overall explanation about why we are studying Governance, students will also be

reminded about the goal of the unit at the end of each class in the exit slip, and in the activities where they encounter real issues of governance
that are experienced today. I chose to outline the goal of the unit initially to students so that they know where they are going and the exit slips

help to reinforce the where, but they also bring the content full circle when the students must answer the why aspect of learning this

information. Answering the why helps to solidify the information the students just heard in a way that they can understand it.

To help students, analyze decision making in Canada and governance students need to first have the foundation laid out for them to

understand. I chose to have brief instruction and direct questioning as the instructional strategies because it would ensure that all students had

access to the same information while also having the opportunity to respond to questions using their understanding and their prior knowledge.

I have the students working together often so that they can collaborate and help each other learn. This way students are interacting with

different thoughts and opinions that will help them to refine their own thoughts and understandings about the topics we study. By refining

their understanding, students will already have experience interacting with others ideas while also forming their own. In a sense this helps

students in the process of dialectic thinking and reasoning.

By having students fill out exit slips, by observing their behavior during the lesson, and by directly asking the students if they are

understanding the content and if things are making sense, this evidence will help me to make sense of the progress we are making towards the

goals of the unit. As students work through the assignments and I observe the way they respond and what they say about the assignments I

will gain an idea of what needs to be changed for future progress and success. My plans encourage and support all students to ask questions

along the way in their learning experience to ensure that their needs are being met so that they can succeed. I have given students option to

have printed out notes or to make their own during the lectures, and I have provided summaries and have scaffolded information for students

as they go. This takes the same of offering additional support and explanation, providing step by step direction and allowing for

differentiation for the performance task where I provide for the student the two sides of the conflict and ask them to identify differences and

common ideologies. In this differentiation students are still making a moral stance and explaining why, but the work of dialectic reasoning is

not as overwhelming. I dont expect students to know everything about Governance but I have given enough space for practice and

connection making for the students to take ownership of their learning. Students have a lot of choice about what they want to learn and
present in the final performance task and in this way, I am hoping to inspire them to choose a topic they are passionate about. Students can

self-assess and improve literacy strategies as they write about their learning in their journals, and as they engage in reading and analyzing

texts. Students will have the opportunity to use different skills and literacy tools as they read and encounter the content. For the performance

task students, will also fill out a self -assessment where they will assess their learning, and their product. They will address their strengths and

weaknesses and make goals for the next time they encounter similar assignments, or situation in life. Considering all of the elements of

assessment and differentiation in this unit, I believe that students will be able to demonstrate the outcomes of the unit. Through ample practice

and classroom discussions students will gain practice in analyzing content, and they will have the historical background to understand the

contexts they find themselves analyzing.