Canadian History 122 Course Description

 

This grade twelve course is intended for students who have expressed an interest in the social sciences and who have successfully passed History 112/111 in either French or English. When appropriate, the course materials will be supplemented with historical documentaries and actual media coverage from the periods of study.  The main focus of Canadian History 122 is the Post – Confederation period however students will briefly examine the early days of Canada during the first week of classes (unit one).  Political, social and economic trends will all be addressed throughout the course.

 

 

Distribution of Marks

Exam – 30%

Class Mark – 10%

Tests/Quizzes – 25%

Assignments – 15%

Formal Research Paper – 20%

 

Units of Study

 

Unit I – Getting to Know Canada

 

Students will briefly explore the settlement and organization of early Canadian communities.  In addition, students will also ensure their understanding of Canadian geography, including provinces, mountain ranges, bodies of water and other significant geographical influences.

 

Unit II – MacDonald Era – 1867 – 1896 Expansion and Consolidation

  • Section One – Nation Building
    •  the reasons for the workings of the Canadian Federal system of government
    •  the policies of the Canadian western expansion
    • the causes and consequences of the National Policy
    • the tension between the Federal and Provincial Governments, their rights and powers during this era
  • Section Two – Victorian Canada
    • the changing social and economic nature of Victorian Canada as portrayed in the literature of the time
    • how technology was affecting Canada both in a rural and urban setting

 

Unit III – Canada’s Century Begins 1896 – 1920

  • Section One – Immigration and Imperialism
    • the factors which contributed to the immigration into Canada and its’ subsequent impact
    • the manner in which industrialization and urbanization transformed Canada
    • the two forms of Canadian Nationalism as a response to  British Imperialism and the American Manifest Destiny

 

   Section Two – Canada and the Great War

o       the role and extent of Canadian participation in World War I

o       the internal turmoil caused by Canada’s participation in World War I

o       the full political maturing of Canada due to participation in World War I

 

Unit IV – New Challenges and New Ideas 1920 – 1945

o       Section One – Politics, Protest and the Economy

o       the factors leading to the establishment of regional political protest parties and movements

o       the various forces that promoted nationalism and continentalism in Canada during the 1920s, 1930s and the 1940s

o       the causes and consequences of the Great Depression on Canada following the Stock Market Crash of 1929

o       the nativist sentiments that emerged in Canada during the inter-war years

o       the response of the Canadian government and people to the rise of totalitarian regimes in Europe

  Section Two – Canada and World War II

o       the role and extent of Canada’s participation in World War II

o       the internal turmoil caused by Canada’s participation in World War II

 

Unit V – Canada and the Global Community 1945 – Present

  • Section One – Canada and the World
    • The factors which allowed Canada to play a significant role as a middle power in the post-war years, and the manner in which Canada exercised that role
    • The effect of globalization on Canada and the Canadian response

            Section Two – Inside Canada

o       the opportunities and challenges associated with sharing a continent with the American super-power which emerged from the second world war

o       the forces which threatened the unity of Canada in the second-half of the 20th century

o       the contemporary factors which shape the social and cultural fabric of today’s Canada