Unit: Grade 6 Geography: Canada
GPS Strand
History
Geography
Civics
Economics
Unit Connecting Themes/Concepts
Conflict and Change
Environment and Society
Power and Authority
Wealth and Trade
Connecting Enduring Understandings Across the Social Studies Curriculum:
1. Conflicts over land, wealth, power, and between cultures drive changes in history that continue over time.
2. Geographic principles influence how the history, economic and civic characteristics change over time.
3. Political systems develop from conflicts over wealth, power and the need for independence and economic structure.
4. Economic systems change and develop over time due to fluctuations in wealth and trade and conflicts between cultures and political
systems.
Unit Focus:
In this unit students will explore the historical, geographic, economic, and political characteristics of the country known as Canada.
Students will examine historical and geographic occurrences, such as the development of Canada as colonies of European nations.
Students will also identify important physical and human characteristics in Canada while explaining how those characteristics impact
various countries. In addition, students will analyze how governments in this region make decisions based on their political structures,
economic systems, and cultural characteristics.
Unit one focus:
History
Unit Two focus:
Geography
Unit Three Focus:
Economics
Unit Four Focus:
Civics
Standards:
Standards:
SS6G1-SS6G2
Standards:
SS6E1-SS6E4
Standards:
SS6G2, SS6G4,
SS6CG1
SS6H2-SS6H3
SS
Essential Questions:
Essential Questions:
Essential Questions:
Essential Questions:
1. How did Canada
develop and what were
their characteristics of
their culture prior to
contact with Europeans?
a. How do the origins and
culture of the French and
English influence affect
the current processes of
Quebec?
b. How did Canada
become an independent
nation?
2. What was the impact
of European exploration
and colonization on
Canada?
a. What are the reasons for
British and French
colonization of Canada?
b. Why does Quebec want
independence?
1. What are the
important physical and
human characteristics
of Canada?
a.. Where are and what
are the major physical
features of the Gulf of
Alaska, the St.
Lawrence River?
1. How do buyers in
Canada benefit
from voluntary
trade?
a. How does free
trade benefit
Canada,
specifically the
impact of
NAFTA?
2. What are the
trade barriers for
Canada?
a. What factors
influence economic
growth and examine
their presence or
absence in Canada?
b. What are the roles of
natural resources in
Canada?
1. How do the current
political structures in
Canada reflect their
national
governments?
a. What is Canada’s
relationship to the
United Kingdom?
b. Where are the
provinces of Alberta,
British Columbia,
Manitoba, New
Brunswick,
Newfoundland &
Labrador, Nova Scotia,
Nunavut, Ontario,
Quebec, Saskatchewan,
the Yukon Territory, the
Northwest Territories,
and Prince Edward
Island?
2. What are the
political structures of
Canada?
a. What is the structure
of the national
government of Canada,
including the type of
government, form of
leadership, type of
legislature, and role of
citizen?
What is the structure
of the Canadian
government including the
type of government, form
of leadership, type of
legislature, and the role of
a citizen?
b.