Welcome to CHI4U, where we embark on a captivating journey through Canada’s rich history, exploring the evolution of our national identity and culture, alongside the diverse groups shaping our nation. Throughout CHI4U, students will delve into pivotal developments and events, from precontact to the present, analyzing the contributions of various Canadian communities to our collective heritage. Investigating the dynamic interplay of culture and identity, students in CHI4U will sharpen their historical inquiry skills, applying concepts of historical thinking to interpret evidence and understand the forces shaping Canada. Join us as we unravel the intricate tapestry of Canada’s past with CHI4U!
Course curriculum
Inside %course-code%: how Canada became Canada
The Grade 12 Canadian history credit
A U credit that counts toward the top six for history, political science, education, law and Indigenous studies applicants, with a prerequisite most Grade 12 students already meet.
Historical thinking before the history
The course opens with bias, primary versus secondary sources and how to read a historical text, then applies those skills to every period that follows.
Pre-contact to the present, through many communities
First Nations, Métis and Inuit teachings, French and British rule, Loyalists and rebellions, Confederation and the West, both world wars, and post-war Canada seen through women, immigrants, Francophones and Indigenous peoples.
A biography, an essay, a recorded presentation
Each period unit has a mid-unit check and a final task: a PowerPoint, a researched biography, an original essay and a recorded presentation, building toward the summative project and exam.
CHI4U Course outline
Full unit-by-unit breakdown.
Identify reasons to study history, practise different ways of reading text, build a critical understanding of bias and why it occurs, distinguish primary from secondary sources, and examine career paths that use historical skills.
Key topics
Why study history · reading historical texts · bias · primary and secondary sources · careers using history
Assessed by
Diagnostic activities and discussion
Analyse how First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities understand the world through teachings, legends and cultural practices; examine why Europeans came to North America, how they shifted the balance of power, the conflicts among European and Indigenous groups, and how England came to dominate the continent.
Key topics
FNMI worldviews and teachings · early European contact · shifting balance of power · French–British conflict · British dominance
Assessed by
Mid-unit evaluation · unit PowerPoint project with independent research
Understand the effects of the American Revolution on British North America and why it did not join, examine the Loyalists and their influence, study the causes and effects of the War of 1812, and analyse colonial life up to Confederation, including the Upper and Lower Canada Rebellions.
Key topics
American Revolution and British North America · Loyalists · War of 1812 · Upper and Lower Canada Rebellions · road to Confederation
Assessed by
Mid-unit summary · researched biography of a key individual
Apply research strategies to the growth of the West after Confederation and key Canadians leading up to the 20th century, analyse the effects of the First World War on soldiers and citizens at home, and examine the social and economic events of the 1920s and 1930s.
Key topics
Settlement of the West · key Canadians before 1900 · First World War at the front and at home · the 1920s and the Great Depression
Assessed by
Mid-unit evaluation · original researched essay
Analyse the causes of the Second World War and Canada’s response abroad and at home, research how life changed after the war for women, immigrants, Francophones and Indigenous communities, and examine constitutional change and current international and domestic issues.
Key topics
Second World War · post-war Canada · women, immigrants, Francophones and FNMI communities · constitutional change · contemporary issues
Assessed by
Mid-unit summary · original recorded presentation
Bring the main topics and concepts of the course together in one culminating historical inquiry project.
Key topics
Culminating historical inquiry · synthesis across periods
Assessed by
Summative project (10%)
