Grade 12

Global issues: Citizenship & sustainability

GI40S

Ms. T. Tuchscherer Room 105 St. James Collegiate

Email: tara.tuchscherer@sjasd.ca
Website: tuchscherer.weebly.com

Course Description:
This course is designed to make you aware of some of the major issues facing society
today. We will examine our world from the perspective of its problems and how we as
individuals can feel empowered to affect change both locally and globally. It is my hope
that after completing this course you will be able to have a better understanding of the
world around you and the events that shape our daily lives.

Throughout the Global Issues course, you will conduct inquiry into the social, political,
environmental and economic impact of a variety of contemporary and emerging issues
in the world. Through inquiry, you will focus on questions of quality of life locally,
nationally and globally.

This course is based on the principles of active democratic citizenship, ecological

literacy, critical media literacy, and ethical decision-making, and consolidates learning
across the disciplines to empower students as agents of change for a sustainable and
equitable future.

The educational expectations for students in this course are based around the basic
tenets of UNESCO and the following 4 pillars:
Learning to know:
Acquire knowledge and understanding and think critically about our complex and
changing world.

Learning to do:
Learn to participate effectively in local, national and global communities.

Learning to be:
Build self-knowledge and be conscious of connections to nature and society.

Learning to live together:

Learn to live peacefully with others and to care for our common homeland.
Course Outline:
In the Global Issues course we will spend a great deal of time learning to research and
acquire information on many of the themes listed and then think critically and discuss
the issues surrounding these topics. Students will have the opportunity to pursue their
own interests and curiosity while working independently and with their classmates.
There will also be lots of time to share discoveries and discuss our learning as a class.

The final part of the course will involve Global Issues students taking the opportunity to
make a difference in the world around them. Students will have learned the proper
methods of inquiry and research and have acquired or furthered a passion for one of the
themes listed above and wish to exert an influence on the world around them.

Areas of inquiry:

There are a total of 10 areas of inquiry suggested for this course. Given the amount of
time we have, it will be next to impossible to touch on all areas. Based on the interests of
the class, we will explore at least 2 of the areas together in a teacher-led inquiry. You will
be engaging in personal inquiry projects of at least 3 other areas, based on interest and
time available.

Media Health and Biotechnology

Environment Poverty, Wealth and Power
Indigenous Peoples Peace and Conflict
Gender politics Oppression and Genocide
Consumerism Social Justice and Human Rights

Please Note:

This will be an interactive and engaged course. There will be numerous situations where
you will be called upon to express your opinions or present. If you are not prepared or
willing to keep up, and get involved, then this might not be the class for you.

Most of the assessment in this course will come from projects and presentations. You
will need to be ready to manage yourself, your interests and work ethic.

The topics that we’re covering in this class are often difficult, not just intellectually but
emotionally. While I expect there to be rigorous discussion and even disagreement in
the course of our class discussions, I ask that you engage in discussion with care and
empathy for the other members in the classroom. Aim to disagree without becoming
disagreeable. In this class we will not shy away from the uncomfortable. Critically
examining and assessing our most basic assumptions and values is not just one of the
tasks of philosophy but is an activity vital to living an authentic life. I urge you to have
the courage to the uncomfortable in this class. In exchange for your courage, I will work
to ensure a classroom environment that supports your taking these intellectual and
emotional risks. Source: Whitman College
 Grade 12
Global issues: citizenship & sustainability
GI40s

Course Assessment and Outcomes:

Inquiry/Process 25%
Issue selection and generation of guiding questions, inquiry planning,
engagement in dialogue, ongoing learning log, peer and self-assessment.
Inquiry/Product 25%
Written, oral and multi-media tasks, communication of inquiry results.
Critical Understanding 25%
Understanding of issues and key concepts; evidence of enduring
understandings; competencies of citizenship and ecological literacy.
Take Action/Praxis 25%
Planning of research-action project, implementation, communication and
evaluation of results.

Inquiry projects will have to be thoroughly researched and well documented and
presented. The method by which inquiry results are presented will vary by student and
very open-ended. More information will follow.

Take action project

A key component of the Global Issues course is the Take Action Project. The goal of this
project, which is worth 25% of your final mark, is to move you from awareness through
questioning, inquiry and dialogue, to critical consciousness and, ultimately, to
engagement in informed reflective action for positive change. Successful projects will
make a difference in your lives and the lives of our communities. More details will
follow.
 Grade 12
Global issues: citizenship & sustainability
GI40s

COURSE EXPECTATIONS

This is your education. Please care about it. Be ready to learn every day.

Respect
The number one rule in this course is that both the instructor and the students must be
respectful - to each other, to themselves, and to their surroundings.

• I am committed to help you succeed in this course. If you have any questions or
concerns regarding course material, please feel free to discuss them with me.

• I expect you to engage with the material presented in this course by engaging in
class discussions and classroom and at-home/online activities.

• You are expected to arrive to class on time and be in class every scheduled day.

• No food or drink in the class with the exception of water, tea, or coffee.

• The use of cell phone and listening devices is permitted in the classroom only
under the teacher’s discretion. Devices can be listened to at a reasonable volume
so as not to distract others when appropriate (ie. not during the delivery of a
lesson). Opportunities will be given to use devices in the classroom and students
will be encouraged to use them frequently to enhance lessons and assist with
assignment and project completion.

• You are expected to complete all course work, and to do so on time. Most
students who fail a course do so because assignments have not been submitted.
Assignments can be submitted online through Teams or on paper in class.

• If you are absent, it is your responsibility to catch up on any missed notes and
assignments. Course notes, assignments and links to reference materials/videos
will be uploaded in Teams for you to access in case of absence.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the use of the words, thoughts, and ideas of another person without
acknowledgement. This will include copying from other students currently taking the
class or from another semester. Plagiarism will result in the student being given a zero
for the assignment, as well as any administrative consequences that are deemed
necessary and appropriate.