Course Outline - Social Studies 30-1

Welcome

Welcome to CBe-Learn and Social Studies 30-1! It's important that you read through this page (and all the Introduction pages) so you're aware of how the course works. Please take a few minutes to read about what makes a successful online summer school student.

Course Description

Students will examine the origins, values, and components of competing ideologies. They will explore multiple perspectives regarding relationships among individualism, liberalism, the common good, and collectivism. An examination of various political and economic systems will allow students to determine the viability of the values of liberalism. Developing an understanding of the roles and responsibilities associated with citizenship will encourage students to respond to emergent global issues (Alberta Program of Studies pg. 25).

Units

In this course, there is one key issue we are addressing: To what extent should we embrace an ideology?

You, the student, will understand, assess, and respond to the complexities of ideologies. In order to address this issue the course is divided into 4 Units. The unit descriptions are as follows:

• Identity & Ideology - Introductory Unit:  Demonstrates values & attitudes and knowledge & understanding of individualism, collectivism and the foundations of ideology.
• Unit 1 - Liberalism and its Origins: Demonstrates values & attitudes and knowledge & understanding of the viability of the principles of liberalism.
• Unit 2 - Rejections of Liberalism: Demonstrates values & attitudes and knowledge & understanding of the justification for resistance to liberalism.
• Unit 3 - Ideologies in Conflict and the Imposition of Liberalism:  Demonstrates values & attitudes and knowledge & understanding of the extent to which ideologies compete.
• Unit 4 - Illiberalism and our Role: Demonstrates values & attitudes and knowledge & understanding of the impact of ideology on citizens' actions.

Assessment

In the course, there are:

• Quizzes - These are completed in the Quiz tool and are graded. They will cover a whole unit.
• Written Assignments - These are submitted to the similarly named Assignment Folder. They will be graded.
• Discussion Posts - These are submitted in the Discussions tool. They will be graded.
• Specific instructions for each of the above assessments (if it's open book or closed book, how much time you have, how many attempts you're given, etc) will be included on their content page.

Rubrics will be used to score all assignments and discussion posts. Rubrics are available to be viewed on the content page related to the task.

D2L Gradebook

Your grades will be available to you throughout the course by clicking "Gradebook" on the navbar. 

*Note: Your final class mark will be available on PowerSchool at the end of the course and your overall final grade including the Diploma Exam will be available on myPass later in the summer.

Class Mark - Units/Weightings

The table below will show you the weightings of each unit that will make up your class mark.

Final Grade & Diploma Exam

At the end of the semester, after you are done with all of your classwork, you will write a Diploma Exam to determine your final grade.

There is a separate Module in the Content with detailed information about the Diploma Exam & how to study but here are a few key points:

• It will be written in person, at the end of the semester at a day/time specified by the Government of Alberta.
• You are required to write the Diploma Exam in order to receive credit for the course.
• Writing Diploma Exams - This Alberta Education site has all the information about schedules, what to expect and examples of past exams.
• Quest A+ - This Alberta Education resource has practice multiple choice tests based on items that appeared on past diploma exams and field tests.
• SOLARO - This site is accessible for free through the Calgary Public Library (library card required). It contains summaries of all the content covered in the course as well as practice quizzes and study tools.

Required Instructional Materials

Textbook/Software:

• There is no required textbook for this course
• Microsoft Word (Instructions | How to access a free version of Microsoft 365 for students)
• CBE Google Workspace for Education account (Login | How to access your account) - this is for using Google Docs, forms, etc
• Adobe Acrobat Reader (Download) - This is for opening PDF documents

Engagement with Learning

This course progresses very rapidly. Make every effort to stay engaged and up-to-date with your learning.

• Plan to spend the equivalent of 90 minutes per school day working on this course.
• Complete the "Checklist" as you submit each assignment, quiz or discussion post to stay organized.
• Use "Announcements" on the course home page to know what to do for the week and to see the latest information.
• Read Private Discussion Posts daily to look for messages from your teacher.
• If you choose to skip learning on some school days, you will need to double the time spent learning on subsequent days. Courses are open 24/7; you are responsible to stay on track with the course calendar by catching up on evenings/weekends as needed.
• Please see the "Course Calendar" section below for due dates and late work policies.

Course Calendar

• This course requires consistent engagement with learning. Quiz, Assignment, and Discussion due dates are listed in two places:
  • Course Checklist (you can get to this from the navbar)
  • On each individual Quiz/Assignment/Discussion
• You are welcome to work ahead in the course
• Late work may be accepted but you will need to discuss this with your teacher
• Rewrites may be accepted or required depending on certain circumstances
• Have you fallen behind? Contact your teacher through private discussions, they can help you figure out the best way to get caught up so you can successfully complete the course.

Lessons and Practice Work

Your course includes lessons for each concept we learn.

How to use your lessons:

• Click "Content" on the navbar to go to each lesson.
• Read through the lesson carefully. 
• Seek support for practice questions or lesson topics you do not understand.

Online Sessions

Live/Virtual/Online/Synchronous Sessions... did you know these all mean the same thing?

This course will offer one-hour, daily online sessions. Attendance at these sessions is optional. The session may be recorded and made available for viewing if you are unable to attend. Please check the course home page for information about the times of these live sessions. Your teacher may use Virtual Classroom in D2L or Google Meet for live sessions.

Accommodations

If you require specific accommodations to facilitate your learning, communicate early with your teacher. Accommodations may include:

• Reading software. CBE offers all students free access to Read & Write for Chrome.
• Extra time
• Detailed instructions on how to complete coursework
• Individual meetings with your teacher to ensure your understanding 

*Note: Every student receives extra time for the Diploma Exam automatically up to a maximum of 5 hours. If you require other accommodations for the Diploma Exam, please contact student services.

Communicating with Your Teacher

• Private Discussions: This is the preferred method of communication. You will use this area to communicate with your teacher regarding anything that is personal to you (for example: content questions,  special circumstances, etc). The next pages have more information on this!
• All private discussion questions will be answered within 24 hours except on weekends, holidays, and professional development days
• Do you want to talk to your teacher live or in person? You can ask your teacher to call you or schedule a virtual meeting.