The latest draft of Alberta’s elementary school social studies curriculum is out, with revisions that integrate more Indigenous perspectives and what the government describes as a greater focus on critical thinking.
The third iteration of kindergarten to Grade 6 social studies content comes after the province took the curriculum back to the drawing board in the wake of backlash over a 2021 draft, with critics saying it was age-inappropriate and culturally exclusive.
The government subsequently did a new round of consultations with the public, teachers, community leaders and curriculum experts to come up with a new plan.
Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said Friday that the government listened to feedback that there was too much focus on memorization, and some content was being introduced too early. The new draft curriculum now introduces taxes in Grade 5 instead of Grade 2, and the amount of content in Grade 4 social studies has been reduced.
“I think our approach has been to take politics out of the classroom and give students a deep understanding of history, to understand an evolving and complex world, and give students the skills that they need to be successful,” Nicolaides said.
An overview of the new draft says citizenship is an ongoing theme, with more exploration of diverse communities. First Nations, Métis and Inuit histories and contributions are addressed more consistently, according to the government, and additional content about discrimination and racism has been added for grades 3 and 6.
University of Alberta adjunct faculty member and education instructor Jean-Claude Couture is among the education academics consulted on the latest draft.
WATCH | The latest on changes to Alberta’s draft K-6 social studies curriculum:
Alberta’s education minister says the new K-6 social studies curriculum incorporates constructive feedback but some educators say it still needs work.
He said from his perspective, it looks like there are some attempts to integrate ideas the group brought to the minister.
“Unfortunately, it’s a case of lifting key words and phrases and inserting them into what the government was planning to do anyway, which is still a very knowledge-based curriculum,” he said.
He points to the long list of information that’s part of the knowledge expected for Grade 6.
“How can you claim that you’re going to have time to do critical thinking and inquiry … when I am, as a Grade 6 student, being trotted through 100 knowledge items on the history of democracy, going back to ancient Greece and Rome and the evolution of the Magna Carta?” Couture said.
“All of that is important, but the question becomes: what is the purpose?”
He said that kind of approach poses a problem for teachers to find the time for students to meaningfully engage with the concepts behind the content.
School pilot process
School authorities will have the option to begin piloting the new social studies curriculum this fall, but classroom pilots aren’t mandatory.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association is calling for a delay, with ATA president Jason Schilling saying Thursday that elementary teachers are overstretched as it is.
He said teachers who are already dealing with large class sizes and new curriculum in other subject areas are “not so keen to sign up, and put their hand up for yet one more thing new to do, where they don’t have the support and the resources.”
Edmonton Public Schools plans to let teachers decide whether they’d like to pilot all or parts of the new social studies curriculum in the upcoming school year, a spokesperson told CBC News. Edmonton Catholic schools are signing up for the piloting phase “to ensure our teachers can provide valuable feedback,” chair Sandra Palazzo said.
A statement from the Calgary Board of Education says officials are still reviewing options for their schools, but plan to make a decision about piloting before the province’s May 15 deadline.
After the previous social studies draft curriculum came out in 2021, most school authorities refused to pilot test draft versions while they were optional.
Details of the draft
When the draft subject overview for the revised social studies curriculum came out last month, some curriculum experts who participated in the latest round of consultations said their concerns and feedback have still been left unaddressed.
Nicolaides said despite that, he thinks the latest curriculum revision “moves the needle” for elementary school social studies.
“Some of their concerns related to content in junior high and high school. So obviously, we haven’t developed that content,” Nicolaides said. “I’m sure we’ll be able to address that.”
In an interview, Alberta NDP education critic Amanda Chapman said an over-reliance on memorization and a lack of Indigenous perspectives were some of the biggest issues experts raised with previous versions of the curriculum.
“We need to see whether they feel that their feedback has been not just heard by the government, but whether that feedback has been actioned.”
In the draft curriculum, kindergarten students start learning about the general concepts of community and belonging. More specific information about traditions, cultures and symbols starts in Grade 1.
Grade 2 students start learning about “the diversity of people and places” in Canada, including Indigenous communities, and are introduced to the concept of distinguishing between fact and opinion.
Lessons about provincial and municipal governments, as well as the five numbered treaties in Alberta, begin in Grade 3. The draft also has students cover specifics about the distinct languages and cultural practices of First Nations communities.
There’s no mention of residential schools in the K-6 draft social studies curriculum. In its 2015 Calls to Action, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools, treaties and Indigenous contributions be taught starting in kindergarten.
Grade 4 includes details about European colonization of North America and an understanding of the establishment of Canada. And in grades 5 and 6, students learn more about ancient civilizations and the principles of government and democracy.