Socials Studies 9
View the complete Learning Standards for this course here: Social Studies 9
In Social Studies 9, you’ll learn how ideas, the land, power, and identity shape the world we live in. You’ll explore why societies change, why people disagree, and how different groups tell their stories. You’ll also learn how your own ideas, experiences, and choices fit into the bigger picture.
Each module includes short activities, reflections, and a final project. You’ll be able to show your learning in different ways—writing, drawing, recording, creating slides, or another format that works for you. By the end, you’ll understand more about how the world works and how you can make a difference in it.
Course Outline
Start Here Module
In the Start Here module, you will complete a Citing Sources and Plagiarism Quiz, and a Bias paragraph.
Module 1 — Ideas & Ideologies
Big Idea: Ideas can change the world.
You’ll learn what ideologies are and how they influence people and societies. You’ll look at past revolutions, modern movements, and ideas that matter to you.
Final Project: Explore and explain a movement you choose (such as Idle No More, Orange Shirt Day, or Black Lives Matter).
Module 2 — Geography
Big Idea: The land shapes how we live.
In this module, you’ll learn about the geography of Canada, the land around you, and how people use natural resources. You’ll also explore how Indigenous peoples lived on the land before contact and how those relationships changed.
You will also practice writing a full persuasive essay by researching a natural resource and forming your own opinion about how it should be used. This will help you build clear writing and argument skills.
Final Project: Tell the story of one of Canada’s landform regions.
Module 3 — Power & Relationships
Big Idea: When power isn’t shared fairly, relationships change.
You’ll learn what power is, how it works in governments and communities, and how it affects people differently. You’ll revisit your Module 1 movement to examine it through the lens of power and resistance.
Final Project: A project that shows different voices and perspectives in an issue involving power.
Module 4 — Identity & Change
Big Idea: Identity isn’t fixed—it changes over time.
You’ll explore what identity means for people, communities, and countries. You’ll learn about missing voices in Canada’s story, how migration shapes identity, and how youth influence change today.
Final Project: Research a current event and explain what’s happening, why it matters, and how identity plays a role.
Optional Module — Democracy & the Political Spectrum
If you choose this extra module, you’ll learn how democracy works, why people see issues differently, and how citizens make decisions together. This will help you understand the political world you’re growing into.
Assessment
Assessments include a quiz, an essay, module portfolios and module projects