Course Information

Unit

Social Studies 9 has five units. Each unit is developed around a major learning outcome. You are introduced to an issue question for each unit. Each unit has two sections, and each section has one or more workbooks. Also included in each unit is an introduction, a summary, and a quiz.

•   Unit Introduction
  
  The Unit Introduction previews the content presented in the unit and in each of the two sections of the unit.
  

•   Unit Quiz
  
  The unit quiz focuses on material in the unit and is a review of major concepts.
  

•   Unit Summary
  
  The Unit Summary reviews the unit-related issue question and provides you with the opportunity to reflect on the issues and inquiries you explored in the unit.
  

Section

Each unit has two sections comprised of one or more workbooks. Each section includes an introduction, an Inquiry into the Issue piece, a glossary, and a summary.

• Section Introduction
  
  The Section Introduction previews the content in the workbooks of the section. Each new section presents an issue question related directly to the unit issue question.
  
  

• Inquiry into the Issue
  
  The Inquiry into the Issue introduces you to the big picture. The inquiry activity helps you make connections to your own life.
  

• Section Glossary
  
  The Section Glossary contains all pertinent vocabulary highlighted in each workbook of the section.
  
  

• Section Summary
  
  The Section Summary reviews the concepts of the workbooks and prepares you for the Unit Quiz.

Workbook

Each workbook is comprised of activities. Each activity presents its own specific issue question or questions related to the unit and section issue questions.

• Get Focused
  
  Get Focused serves as the introduction and prepares you by making connections to your prior learning and personal knowledge. You begin with an introductory activity.
  

• Explore
  
  Explore provides you with the background information, textbook references (Read), and/or multimedia interaction (Watch and Listen) to support the workbook inquiry. Explore also provides you with the information needed to complete the activities and assignments at the workbook level.
  

• Going Beyond
  
  Going Beyond is an extension of the activity. You may explore further the activity inquiry with challenging and enriching activities. The Going Beyond activities are optional.
  

• Summary
  
  The Workbook Summary concludes the workbook inquiry and the concepts presented.

To work effectively through this course, you should

• Read the information provided on the web pages of the course.
  
  
• Work through the web pages of the course in the order they are presented.
  
  
• Complete all activities and readings from the textbook you are directed to in the course web pages.
  
  
• Complete all activities and readings in a workbook before proceeding to the assignment.
  
  
• Complete all questions in an assignment before uploading it for grading. Please note that incomplete assignments may be returned unmarked so they can be completed (and resubmitted) before grading.
  

The following icons are used in this course.

Read

This icon indicates that you will be reading a selection from the textbook, Issues for Canadians.

Watch and Listen

This icon indicates that you will watch and/or listen to multimedia content.

 Assignment

This icon indicates that you will complete and submit an assignment for marking.

 Tool kit

This icon indicates that further explanations or guidance for completing assignments or activities are available.

 Vocabulary

This icon indicates that you are required to add vocabulary terms to your definitions handout.

  Internet Web Search

This icon indicates that you are required to research the Internet for information on a specific topic.

Activities

In this course, the items of work you will complete to learn the required material are called activities. You will download these activities and save them to a folder you create on your computer or external device.

This folder should be labelled Social Studies Activities. You will use the completed activities to assist you when completing assignments and when preparing for quizzes and exams.

At times, you will be asked to complete tasks that will be done in your notes. You may complete these on your own paper or on your computer.

Save all your activities and notes to your Activities folder.

You are required to complete all activities and assignments in the units.

Self Checks
At the end of each workbook, you will complete a self-check. The self-checks allow you to check your understanding of concepts studied in the workbook.

You may complete the self-checks more than once if you wish. Self-checks are NOT for marks.

Assignments

At the end of each workbook, you are required to complete an assignment. You will download the assignments from one of the links provided on the assignment pages and save the assignments to your computer or external device.

Remember, you are expected to submit your best work the first time. 

Assignments should be submitted for marking as you complete them. Please do not stockpile assignments and submit many at once.

Please note: Bulk submitting assignments will not result in your assignments being marked quicker. You must allow 3 - 4 business days for the marking of each assignment.

Read the feedback on your marked assignments so you can make any necessary corrections and/or review of the material to ensure your understanding of concepts.

Note: Completing the review process of making corrections to your assignments will prepare you for exams. However, do not submit your corrections for a second marking. If you have questions about the material, contact your teacher.

Some tips for Success on Assignments:

- Be sure to read the assignment questions carefully and address what is being asked.
- Be sure to address ALL parts of the question.
- Pay attention to the mark values of the questions. These values indicate the expectations for your responses. For example, a question worth 3 marks generally indicates that three points are required to earn full marks.

Add Your Name

Be sure to add your name to the title of the assignment. All assignments must have your name when you submit them.

If you are using Internet Explorer, the easiest way to do this is to add your name in front of the title in the File Name box before you save the assignment to your computer or disk.

An example for the first assignment is below.

joesmith9ssA1

Your final mark in this course will be determined by the following formula.

Assignments        45%
Quizzes               15%
Midterm Exam     10%
Final Exam           30%

Scoring Criteria

In this course, you will encounter scoring criteria, also called rubrics, in many of your activities and assignments.

Reading the scoring criteria before you complete activities and assignments is a valuable exercise in ensuring you understand the expectations of the activity or assignment before you start.

If you do not understand the expectations or requirements of an activity or assignment, please contact your teacher for assistance.

When you see scoring criteria in activities, this is your opportunity to self-evaluate your performance on an activity. Self-evaluation is when you can reflect on your work and ask yourself if you have met the requirements of the activities as outlined and described in the scoring criteria.

Scoring criteria in assignments will be the tool used by your teacher to evaluate your performance on the assignments.

Quizzes

This course contains five quizzes. At the end of each unit, you will write a quiz that reviews the concepts covered in the unit. Quizzes will be written online and will require a password given to you by your teacher when the required work has been submitted for marking.

Your teacher will provide the password for the quiz in the comments when your assignment has been marked. Or, you may email your teacher for the password when you have submitted the required work and are ready to write the quiz.

You are required to complete each quiz in designated time limits (for example, 60 minutes). The time limit for each quiz is identified in the introduction for the quiz.

You may use your activities, assignments, and textbook to assist you as you write the quizzes. However, you must complete the quizzes within the designated time limit.

Marks may be deducted if you exceed the allotted time when writing the quizzes.

You are permitted to write each quiz one time only. Therefore, do not log into a quiz until you are ready to complete it.

Please note: Each unit contains a link to a printable checklist on the Unit Summary page so you can ensure that you have completed all required work in the unit before proceeding to quizzes and subsequent units.

Exams

The Midterm Exam and the Final Exam both require an approved supervisor. Please contact your teacher for additional information regarding approved supervisors.

No outside materials (such as textbooks, notes, assignments) are permitted during the writing of the Midterm and Final exams.

This course contains a Midterm Exam that you will write after you complete Units 1, 2, and 3.

You will also write a Final Exam after you have completed all five units. The Final Exam will cover material from the entire course.

Exams will be written online. Passwords will be sent to the approved supervisor when you have completed (and submitted) all required course work. 

Please note: Exams are not released to supervisors until the required work has been submitted and marked. Ensure that you leave enough time for the marking of assignments (3 - 4 business days for each assignment) when planning to write your exams.

Please note:

If you score less than 40% on the Final Exam, your course work will not be used to determine your final grade. For example, scoring 20% on the Final Exam results in a course mark of 20%.

Provincial Achievement Test (PAT)

In addition to the course final exam, Grade 9 students in Alberta are required to write the Social Studies 9 provincial achievement test (PAT). The PAT is a multiple choice test. Students are given eighty minutes to complete the test.

The purpose of this test is to identify how well you have completed the Social Studies 9 program of studies. It also provides important information to help your school, your school district, and Alberta Education to monitor and to improve student learning. All Grade 9 students are expected to write the Social Studies 9 PAT.

The dates on which students may write the Social Studies 9 PAT in either January or June are determined by school authority superintendents. Please contact your school facilitator for more information.

Please note: The PAT does not replace the course final exam. The course final exam must be written to receive a final mark in the course.

Discussion Boards (Forums)

Developing communication skills is an important part of the Social Studies 9 curriculum. Practicing these skills will assist you as a student in this course, and will be valuable to you as an active citizen of Canada.

Social Studies offers you the opportunity to learn about and discuss many issues. Posting your comments and ideas on the Discussion Board (Forum) will allow you to practice your communication skills, share your ideas and points of view with your classmates, and learn about your classmates' ideas and points of view.

The Discussion Board (Forum) contains one topic of discussion for each unit. The discussion topics are related to the course material being studied in each unit. Thus, you will post your comments and ideas for the discussion topics as you work on each unit of the course.

As an active participant in this course, it is your responsibility to contribute to Discussion Board (Forum) conversations.

Toolkit

Read the Etiquette for Discussion Forum information here (or in the Toolkit) to ensure you understand the expectations regarding participation on the Discussion Board (Forum) for this course.

Suggested Timeline

This course is designed for regular submission of assignments or quizzes.

Most students begin about the second week of September and complete by the last week of June.

Below is a suggested schedule for students working from September to June.

Note: This timeline is a general guideline; some assignments may take you longer to complete than the schedule and some may take you less time to complete. If you are submitting work regularly and following the timeline as closely as possible, you will complete the course by the end of June.

If you do not wish to use the suggested timeline, you will need to create a timeline of your own.

Please advise your teacher of this alternate timeline or contact your teacher if you require assistance in creating an alternate timeline.

Assignment                              Suggested  Completion Date

Unit 1

Assignment 1                                   By September 16 

Assignment 2                                   By September 25  
Assignment 3                                   By October 7 

Assignment 4                                   By October 16

Quiz 1                                             By October 23

Unit 2
Assignment 5                                   By November 4  
Assignment 6                                   By November 13  
Assignment 7                                   By November 25  
Assignment 8                                   By December 4

Quiz 2                                             By December 16

Unit 3

Assignment 9                                   By January 8

Assignment 10                                 By January 20  

Assignment 11                                 By January 29 
Assignment 12                                 By February 10

Assignment 13                                 By February 19  
Quiz 3                                             By February 26

Midterm Exam                                By March 10

Unit 4
Assignment 14                                By March 19  
Assignment 15                                By April 1 

Assignment 16                                By April 14

Quiz 4                                            By April 23

Unit 5
Assignment 17                                By May 5 
Assignment 18                                By May 14 

Assignment 19                                By May 26 

Assignment 20                                By June 4

Quiz 5                                            By June 11      

Final Exam                  When all assignments have been completed and submitted

Contact with your Teacher

Regular contact with your teacher is encouraged. If you need help or have a question, contact your teacher. If the phone offers voice mail, please leave a detailed message and your teacher will respond as quickly as possible.

Aim to submit all assignments in a timely manner. Through regular submissions and attention to the comments provided, you can benefit when you complete future assignments.

If you fail to submit work within a certain period of registering, your teacher will contact you to discuss the reasons your assignments are not being submitted. Then, some suggested solutions or plans of action can be arranged.

Technical Requirements

To run this course successfully, you must meet the following technical requirements.

PC Compatible

• Intel(R) Pentium(R) III or AMD-K6(R)-2 processor-based computer
  
  
• 450 MHz CPU
  
  
• Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 2000/XP
  
  
• 512 MB RAM
  
  
• monitor capable of 1024 x 768 screen resolution and 16-bit colour
  
  
• 16-bit sound card and speakers
  
  
• 1x DVD-ROM drive (print course)
  
  
• A printer is recommended.
  

Macintosh(R)

• Power Macintosh(R) G3
  
  
• 500 MHz CPU
  
  
• Mac OS(R) X
  
  
• 512 MB RAM
  
  
• monitor capable of 1024 x 768 screen resolution and thousands of colours
  
  
• 16-bit sound card
  
  
• 1x DVD-ROM drive (print course)
  
  
• A printer is recommended.

Minimum Software Requirements*:

For All Platforms

• Adobe(R) Reader(R) 6.0 (Download from http://www.adobe.com/downloads/)
  
  
• Adobe(R) Shockwave(R) Player 8.5 (Download from http://www.adobe.com/downloads/)
  
  
• Adobe(R) Flash(TM) Player 9 (Download from http://www.adobe.com/downloads/)
  
  
• Microsoft(R) Office Excel(R) 2003 (optional)
  
  
• Microsoft(R) Office Word 2003
  
  
• QuickTime(R) Player 7.0 (Download from http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download)
  
  
• Euclid fonts for clear viewing of equations in Microsoft(R) Office Word 2003 (Download from http://www.dessci.com/en/dl/fonts/getfont.asp)

For Windows(R) 2000/XP

• Microsoft(R) Internet Explorer 6.0 for Windows(R) (Download from
  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie6/downloads/default.mspx) OR
  
  
• Mozilla(R) Firefox(R) (Download from http://www.mozilla.org/download.html)
  
  
• Java(TM) 2 Platform Standard Edition (J2SE 1.4.1) (Download from http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp)
  
  

For Mac OS(R) X

• Safari(TM) 1.3 OR
  
  
• Mozilla(R) Firefox(R) (Download from http://www.mozilla.org/download.html)
  
  
• Java(TM) 2 Platform, Standard Edition, version 1.4.1 for Mac OS(R) X (Download from http://apple.com/java)
  
  

* Please note that vendors may have versions of their players and/or plug-ins more current than the minimum software requirements listed above. You can download these from their sites.