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Geography

Abbey Park’s Geography courses help students explore global challenges like sustainability, natural disasters  and human development. Through inquiry-based learning and real-world applications, students build the skills to understand and shape the world around them.

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Grade 9 Issues in Canadian Geography

Course Overview

This course examines interrelationships within and between Canada’s natural and human systems and how these systems interconnect with those in other parts of the world. You will explore environmental, economic, and social geographic issues relating to topics such as transportation options, energy choices, and urban development. You will apply the concepts of geographic thinking and the geographic inquiry process, including spatial technologies, to investigate various geographic issues and to develop possible approaches for making Canada a more sustainable place in which to live.

Units of Study

  • A. Geographic Inquiry and Skill Development: Geographic Inquiry, Developing Transferable Skills
  • B. Interactions in the Physical Environment: The Physical Environment and Human Activities, Interrelationships between Physical Systems, Processes, and Events, The Characteristics of Canada’s Natural Environment
  • C. Managing Canada’s Resources and Industries: The Sustainability of Resources, The Development of Resources, Industries and Economic Development
  • D. Changing Populations: Population Issues, Immigration and Cultural Diversity, Demographic Patterns and Trends
  • E. Liveable Communities: The Sustainability of Human Systems, Impacts of Urban Growth, Characteristics of Land Use in Canada

To see the learning expectations for this course, visit the Ministry of Education Curriculum Page.

Learning Skills & Work Habits

Responsibility, Organization, Independent Work, Collaboration, Initiative, and Self-Regulation are key skills that will be taught, assessed, and reported. These skills offer insight into how students learn and grow.

Assessment and Evaluation

Term Work (70% of Final Grade):

  • Knowledge & Understanding: 17%
  • Application: 18%
  • Thinking: 17%
  • Communication: 18%

Final Evaluation (30% of Final Grade):

  • Performance Task: 20% – completed in class near the end of the course
  • Evaluation Block Final: 10% – completed during the formal evaluation period (max. 1.5 hours)

Additional Information

Your teacher can provide you with a printed copy of this outline upon request.

Course Overview

This course focuses on current geographic issues that affect Canadians. Students will draw on their personal and everyday experiences as they explore issues relating to food and water supplies, competing land uses, interactions with the natural environment, and other topics relevant to sustainable living in Canada. They will also develop an awareness that issues that affect their lives in Canada are interconnected with issues in other parts of the world. Throughout the course, students will use the concepts of geographic thinking, the geographic inquiry process, and spatial technologies to guide and support their investigations.

Units of Study

  • A. Geographic Inquiry and Skill Development: Geographic Inquiry, Developing Transferable Skills
  • B. Interactions in the Physical Environment: Natural Processes and Human Activity, Influence of the Natural Environment on Human Activity, Characteristics of Canada’s Natural Environment
  • C. Managing Canada’s Resources and Industries: Managing Resources, Canadian Industries, The Use of Natural Resources
  • D. Changing Populations: Population Trends and their Impacts, Immigration Trends, Population Characteristics
  • E. Liveable Communities: Sustainable Communities, Impacts of Land Use, Patterns of Land Use

To see the learning expectations for this course, visit the Ministry of Education Curriculum Page.

Learning Skills & Work Habits

Responsibility, Organization, Independent Work, Collaboration, Initiative, and Self-Regulation are important skills that will be taught, assessed, evaluated, and included on your report card. These help students grow and provide meaningful feedback to parents and guardians.

Assessment and Evaluation

Term Work (70% of Final Grade):

  • Knowledge & Understanding: 21%
  • Application: 21%
  • Thinking: 11%
  • Communication: 17%

Final Evaluation (30% of Final Grade):

  • Performance Task: 20% – completed in class during protected time at the end of the course
  • Evaluation Block Final: 10% – completed during the formal evaluation period (max. 1.5 hours)

Additional Information

Your teacher can provide you with a printed copy of this outline upon request.

Grade 11 - Forces of Nature

Course Overview

In this course, students will explore physical processes related to the Earth’s water, land, and air. They will investigate how these processes shape the planet’s natural characteristics and affect human systems, how they are involved in the creation of natural disasters, and how they influence the impacts of human disasters. Throughout the course, students will apply the concepts of geographic thinking and the geographic inquiry process and use spatial technologies to analyse these processes, make predictions related to natural disasters, and assess ways of responding to them.

Units of Study

  • A. Geographic Inquiry and Skill Development: Geographic inquiry, Developing transferable skills
  • B. Spatial Organization: Spheres of the Earth: Physical processes and natural hazards, Spatial connections, Physical characteristics of the Earth
  • C. The Physical Environment: Sustainability and Stewardship: Renewing the physical environment, Human impact on the physical environment, Human use of the physical environment
  • D. Systems: Interaction and Interdependence: Sharing the physical environment, Population and disasters, Earth’s planetary characteristics and life
  • E. Impacts of Change: Impacts of processes and disasters, Disaster preparedness, Processes of change

To see the learning expectations for this course, visit the Ministry of Education Curriculum Page.

Learning Skills & Work Habits

Responsibility, Organization, Independent Work, Collaboration, Initiative, and Self-Regulation are important skills that will be taught, assessed, evaluated, and included on your report card. These help students grow and provide meaningful feedback to parents and guardians.

Assessment and Evaluation

Term Work (70% of Final Grade):

  • Knowledge & Understanding: 14%
  • Application: 21%
  • Thinking: 21%
  • Communication: 14%

Final Evaluation (30% of Final Grade):

  • Performance Task: 15% – completed in class during protected time at the end of the course
  • Evaluation Block Final: 15% – completed during the formal evaluation period (max. 2 hours)

Additional Information

Your teacher can provide you with a printed copy of this outline upon request.

Grade 12 - Canadian & World Issues

Course Overview

In this course, students will address the challenge of creating a more sustainable and equitable world. They will explore issues involving a wide range of topics, including economic disparities, threats to the environment, globalization, human rights, and quality of life. Students will analyze government policies, international agreements, and individual responsibilities relating to these issues. Throughout the course, students will apply the concepts of geographic thinking and the geographic inquiry process, including the use of spatial technologies, to investigate these complex issues and their impacts on natural and human communities around the world.

Units of Study

  • A. Geographic Inquiry and Skill Development: Geographic inquiry, Developing transferable skills
  • B. Spatial Organization: Relationships and Disparities: Natural resource disparities, Population disparities, Classifying regions of the world
  • C. Sustainability and Stewardship: Strategies and initiatives, Population growth, Caring for the commons
  • D. Interactions and Interdependence: Globalization: Trade and immigration, Impacts and management, Characteristics and driving forces
  • E. Social Change and Quality of Life: Leadership and policy, Agents of change, Continuing challenges

To view the official learning expectations for this course, visit the Ontario Ministry of Education Curriculum Page.

Learning Skills & Work Habits

Responsibility, Organization, Independent Work, Collaboration, Initiative, and Self-Regulation will be taught, assessed, and evaluated. These skills appear on the report card to provide insight into student development beyond academic achievement.

Assessment and Evaluation

Term Work – 70% of Final Grade:

  • Knowledge & Understanding: 15%
  • Application: 20%
  • Thinking: 20%
  • Communication: 15%

Final Evaluation – 30% of Final Grade:

  • Performance Task: 10% – Completed in class near the end of the course
  • Evaluation Block Final: 20% – Written final during the designated evaluation period (max. 2 hours)

Additional Resources

Your teacher can provide a printed version of this information upon request.

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