Contemporary World

This new section of the LEARN Social Sciences Centre is being developed to support teachers implementing the new Secondary 5 Contemporary World program, which aims to:

help students grasp the complexity of the world today
and be open to the diversity of the societies that make it up
help students develop their critical faculties by studying problems and issues
of the contemporary world
prepare students to participate as responsible citizens in social debate.

MELS Programs:

French Version: Monde contemporain

English version: Contemporary World

Learning Approaches:

LEARN LESs under development

Tensions and Conflict:
The Rwandan Genocide through graphic novels and interviews
An examination of history through media, using interviews and video testimonials of survivors, and through use of the graphic novel Smile Through the Tears.
Click here for Rwanda LES>>

Wealth: Distribution of Wealth and Emerging Economies
Balancing social justice with economic development
An approach that looks at poverty and economic disparity around the world, examines causes, and reflects on our own role as consumers. Students look at products we use in everyday life, media representations of those products, and consider real responses from youth in the emerging economies where those products are produced.
(Use of Taking it Global and cell phones for image collection and collaboration is suggested.)
Click here for Wealth LES >>.

Power: The sovereignty of states and economic or political associations
The case of Turkey and the European Union
LES that examines economic and political associations. Focus on European Union, history and issues in general, then interpretation specifically around the entry application of Turkey to join the EU.
Click here for Power LES >>

LES on Tensions and Conflict:
Behind and Beyond the Oil Barrel

Gomez (EMSB) and Foltin (Littoral SB), with a little help from a few friends, have produced one of the first complete LESs for the new Contemporary World program. Their Learning and Evaluation Situation prototype is on the theme Tension and Conflict, focussing on present-day issues surrounding oil production and related foreign interventions. The package, two booklets available in PDF form, includes a teachers guide and accompanying student workbook, texts, websites, images, graphic organizers, and even evaluation tools to get you started. Click here >>

OFF SITE Learning Situations

McCord on Tensions and Conflicts:
The Role of the United Nations Organization (UN) in Conflict Management - The Cases of Somalia and the Balkans
Based on the virtual exhibition ? Where to draw the line? Editorial Cartoons in Que?bec, 1950-2000?. Student tasks include:
1. Identify the cartoon components using an interpretation grid.
2. Identify the cartoonists' and editorial writers' points of view on these international conflicts.
3. Create an intervention concept map OR analyze a contemporary global issue.
Click here to directly access their "For Teachers section"

Resources, Tools, Sites:

We will shortly be gathering together resources according the themes, concepts and program content in the new Contemporary World program. For the time being,

Browse the resources embedded in the above Learning Situations.
Browse our new links collections on

Visit the RECITUS French sector site and their section on Contemporary World articles.

Community:

LEARN is now starting up a teachers Social Sciences PLC, (professional learning community). More information can be found in our Social Sciences Communities section.