| Grade 8: Economic Systems |
|
Overall Expectations |
| describe the characteristics of different
types of economic systems and the factors that influence them, including
economic relationships and levels of industrial development; |
| use a variety of geographic representations, resources,
tools, and technologies to gather, process, and communicate geographic
information about regional, national, and international economic systems;
|
| compare the economies of different
communities, regions, or countries, including the influence of factors
such as industries, access to resources, and access to markets. |
|
Specific Expectations |
| Knowledge and Understanding |
| outline the fundamental questions
that all economic systems must answer: what goods are produced; how they
are produced; for whom they are produced; by whom they are produced; and
how they are distributed; |
| describe the characteristics of different
types of economic systems (e.g., traditional, command, market) and explain
why most countries, including Canada, have a mixed economy that includes
features from more than one system; |
| explain how the availability of particular
economic resources (e.g., quantity and quality of land, labour, capital,
entrepreneurial ability) influences the economic success of a region;
|
| identify and give examples of the three
major types of industries – primary (resource), secondary (manufacturing),
and tertiary (service) – and describe how these industries have
developed in Canada. |
| Developing Inquiry/Research and Communication Skills |
| formulate questions to guide and analyse research on
economic influences and relationships (e.g., Where would be the best place
to start a new logging industry in Canada? How have the types of industries
in Canada changed since the nineteenth century? How has technology changed
a specific industry?); |
| locate relevant information from a variety of primary
and secondary sources (e.g., primary sources: statistics, interviews,
published field studies, a field trip to a local industry; secondary sources:
maps, illustrations, print materials, videos, CD-ROMs, Internet sites);
|
| communicate the results of inquiries for specific purposes
and audiences, using computer slide shows, videos, websites, oral presentations,
written notes and reports, illustrations, tables, charts, maps, models,
and graphs (e.g., use a brief dramatization to explain an industry to
the class; produce a map showing the locations of natural resources and
raw materials needed by an industry); |
| use appropriate vocabulary
(e.g., economy; traditional, command, market, and mixed economies; supply
and demand; production; goods; services; consumer; market; distribution;
imports; exports; land; entrepreneurial; capital; primary, secondary,
and tertiary industries) to describe their inquiries and observations. |
| Map, Globe and Graphic Skills |
| use thematic maps to identify economic patterns (e.g.,
the location of industries in relation to sources of raw materials, markets,
and transportation; the proportional flow of trade between countries;
sources of labour). |
| Application |
| compare the economies of some top trading nations and
explain the reasons for their success, taking into account factors such
as industries, access to resources, and access to markets; |
| investigate and explain the advantages and disadvantages
of Canada's involvement in major trade associations/agreements (e.g.,
North American Free Trade Agreement [NAFTA], World Trade Organization
[WTO]); |
| investigate and describe
how a new or existing industry affects the economy of a region. |