A Look Through the Ontario Curriculum:

Examples that Reference Technology

As per a reflection that Ray Swinarchin put together on our behalf, Ray and I have been examining the grade 5 curriculum for implicit and explicit references to technology. We have found that most of the references are implicit and left up to the teacher’s interpretation. We have focussed only on Language, Science, and Social Studies because these are the subjects we both teach within our rotary setting. Below are our findings. We have pulled out the expectations that we felt referenced technology and highlighted these sections. In our reflection that Ray put together, we have provided reference to a few examples of how we might tackle using technology for some these expectations.

Social Studies - Firsts Nations and Europeans in New France and Early Canada

A2.2 gather and organize information on interactions among and between First Nations and Europeans during this period, using a variety of primary and secondary sources that present various perspectives (e.g., treaties, paintings, maps of trade routes, artefacts and their replicas, traditional First Nations and European stories relating to similar themes/events, census records, journals written by early explorers, Internet resources, books on Canadian history)

Sample questions: “Where would you locate information about the alliance between Champlain and the Wendat? Whose perspective or perspectives does this information present?” “When using this painting as a historical source,

why is it important to consider when and by whom it was created?” “When using information from the Internet, why is it important to consider who created it and for what purpose?”

A2.4 interpret and analyse information and evidence relevant to their investigations, using a variety of tools (e.g., use a graphic organizer to compare First Nations and European views on nature and resource use; examine the content of

journals or diaries to determine how Europeans reacted when meeting and working with First Nations peoples; use a comparison chart to help them analyse different perspectives on the fur trade or the establishment of missions) Sample questions: “What does this account suggest about how Jesuit missionaries viewed the Wendat? About how the Wendat viewed the missionaries?” “How could you use a comparison chart to help you determine differences in the ways various First Nations interacted with Jesuit missionaries?” “How could you use a fishbone organizer to help you analyse information on economic, military, and cultural interactions between the British and the Haudenosaunee?”

A2.6 communicate the results of their inquiries, using appropriate vocabulary (e.g., Elder, shaman, wampum, pictograph, missionary, charter, coureur de bois, seigneur, Filles du Roi) and formats (e.g.,  a poem, song, or story that describes the founding of Quebec from two distinct perspectives; an annotated map that shows different perspectives on the growth of the fur trade and resulting settlements; a collection of images they have created themselves, downloaded

from websites, and/or taken from printed sources, showing different perspectives on the work of missionaries)

Social Studies - People and Environments:  The Role

of Government and Responsible Citizenship

B2.2 gather and organize a variety of information and data that present various perspectives about Canadian social and/or environmental issues, including the perspective of the level (or levels) of government responsible for addressing the issues (e.g., with respect to the issue of climate change, gather data on sources of carbon dioxide emissions affecting Canada, photographic evidence of melting polar ice and its impact on Inuit and Arctic wildlife, information on the positions and/or actions of various NGOs working on climate change, projections from corporations on the costs of addressing greenhouse gas emissions, and/or information on the positions of the federal, provincial, and territorial governments)

B2.3 analyse and construct maps in various formats, including digital formats, as part of their investigations into social and/or environmental issues (e.g., a thematic map showing the extent of the areas affected by climate change or how air pollution generated in one jurisdiction affects another; a demographic map showing levels of

poverty or homelessness in different provinces)

B2.6 communicate the results of their inquiries, using appropriate vocabulary (e.g., government, local, municipal, provincial/territorial, federal, chief, band council, municipal council, Parliament, member of Parliament [MP], member of provincial  parliament [MPP], non-governmental organization [NGO], stakeholder) and formats (e.g., a report to present to their local MP, MPP, or city/town councillor; a photo essay on the impact of the issue; a brochure or informational poster that presents the strongest points in the position of various  stakeholders; a song, rap, or poem promoting the most convincing arguments on the issue; a map to accompany an oral presentation; a role play

that other students can participate in to present differing perspectives)

B3.7 describe some different ways in which citizens can take action to address social and environmental issues (e.g., by determining the position of their local candidates on various issues and supporting/voting for the one whose position they agree with; through the court system; by organizing petitions or boycotts; by volunteering

with organizations that work on specific issues; by writing to their elected representatives or to the media)

Science and Technology

Understanding Life Systems

Human Organ System

2.5 use a variety of forms (e.g., oral, written, graphic, multimedia) to communicate with different audiences and for a variety of purposes (e.g., create labelled charts or graphs to show changes in heart rate and breathing as a result of exercising)

3.1 identify major systems in the human body (e.g., musculoskeletal system, digestive system, nervous system, circulatory system) and describe their roles and interrelationships

UNDERSTANDING STRUCTURES AND MECHANISMS
FORCES ACTING ON STRUCTURES AND MECHANISMS

1.1 analyse the effects of forces from natural phenomena (e.g., tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis) on the natural and built environment
Sample guiding questions: (a) What is a tornado? Where does the force of a tornado come from? What kinds of damage does a tornado inflict on the built environment (e.g., on structures such as houses and shopping malls)? What is the impact of a tornado on the natural environment (e.g., on trees, on animals such as fish and birds)? How can humans protect themselves from the force of a tornado?
(b) What is an earthquake? Where does the force of an earthquake come from? How is the damage from an earthquake different from that of a tornado? What is the impact of an earthquake on the natural environment? What can humans do to protect themselves from the forces of an earthquake?

UNDERSTANDING MATTER AND ENERGY
PROPERTIES OF AND CHANGES IN MATTER

2.6 use a variety of forms (e.g., oral, written, graphic, multimedia) to communicate with different audiences and for a variety of purposes (e.g., create a labelled chart or graph to show the time required for an ice cube to melt completely)

UNDERSTANDING EARTH AND SPACE SYSTEMS
CONSERVATION OF ENERGY AND RESOURCES

1.2 evaluate the effects of various technologies on energy consumption (e.g., improving our home's insulation allows us to conserve heat and reduce energy consumption; aerodynamic design can improve the energy efficiency of cars and buses; household appliances designed to make our lives easier use large amounts of energy; some cars and recreational vehicles use energy less efficiently than others), and propose ways in which individuals can improve energy conservation

2.2 use scientific inquiry/research skills (see page 15) to investigate issues related to energy and resource conservation (e.g., interview an Aboriginal person about his or her traditional teachings on conservation)
Sample guiding questions: Why did you choose this issue to research? Where will you find information about it? How will you determine if the source of information is a good one (e.g., unbiased, current, knowledgeable)? Why might some of the sources be biased one way or another on the issue? What are some of the concerns that were raised in your research? How might this issue be relevant to our local community? Who can take action on this issue? How might you as an individual influence the outcome of the issue?

3.1 identify a variety of forms of energy (e.g., electrical, chemical, mechanical, heat, light, kinetic) and give examples from everyday life of how that energy is used (e.g., electrical energy for cooking; chemical/electrical energy to run our cars; mechanical energy to hit a baseball; light energy for managing traffic on the roads; heat energy to warm homes and schools)

3.3 describe how energy is stored and transformed in a given device or system (e.g., in a portable electric device, chemical energy stored in a battery is transformed into electrical energy and then into other forms of energy such as mechanical, sound, and/or light energy)

Language

I have not pulled out all of the expectations from the language curriculum that reference technology because I found that almost all of them allowed for the possibility of at least an implicit reference to the use of technology. The beauty of the language curriculum is that tools such as the internet, ebooks, podcasts, SMART boards, and a variety of apps could be used to facilitate many of the reading expectations. Tools like Google Apps for Education, tablets, blogging, and presentation software lend themselves nicely to most of the writing expectations. As well, any of the recording tools such as VoiceThread or iMovie are great for practicing and assessing the oral speaking skills; while audiobooks aid in oral listening skills. The Media strand is endless in allowing opportunity to use technology. YouTube videos provide endless access to advertising videos to teach how to interpret messages and how creators design for target audiences. And of course, the options are bountiful in allowing students to explore different forms of media creation using technology.