1. GRADE 7 SOCIAL STUDIES: Course Outline
Unit 1: Changing Your World
Chapter 1: Empowerment
Unit 2: Economic Empowerment – “Distribution of Wealth”
Chapter 2: Economies in History
Chapter 3: Economic Security
Chapter 4: Preparing for the Future
Unit 3: Political Empowerment – “Toward Confederation”
Chapter 5: Life in British North America
Chapter 6: Listening to the People
Chapter 7: Confederation

2. Chapter 8: A Growing Nation
Unit 4: Cultural Empowerment – “Many Voices”
Chapter 8: A Growing Nation
Chapter 9: Struggling to Survive
Chapter 10: Creating Canada
Unit 5: Societal Empowerment – “New Century, New Ideas”
Chapter 11: Into the Modern World
Chapter 12: Workers Unite
Chapter 13: Women and Social Reform
Unit 6: National Empowerment – “A Stronger Nation”
Chapter 14: Canada in the World
Chapter 15: The First World War
Chapter 16: On the Home Front

3. Chapter 1: Empowerment
AUTHORITY: The right to make decisions in a particular situation.
Authority gives people POWER to affect the lives of others.
EMPOWERMENT: The ability to make choices (decisions) and change (improve) things in the world.

4. Authority:
It may be given to you, or it may be LEGAL AUTHORITY (government, the courts, police, teacher, parents…)
Even the government must follow rules. In Canada, the Constitution contain rules that government must follow and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects citizens from unfair treatment by government (See page 6)
Each province also has Human Rights Laws that apply to government and private people.

5. As you get older, you will receive more power and authority over your life. But with power comes responsibility. If you don’t make responsible decisions, you may lose power, authority, rights and freedoms (Examples???)
Personal Empowerment is the ability to do something about your needs, wants, opinions, beliefs and feelings.
To achieve personal empowerment, you must be empowered in the following 5 areas:

6. THE EMPOWERMENT PUZZLE
1. ECONOMIC Empowerment:
Economics is the study of how people work to create wealth.
Economic Empowerment is having enough wealth to take care of your needs.
People with less money may have fewer choices (less power) for things like food, shelter, clothing, and education.
How can you gain economic empowerment? (see page 10)

7. 2. POLITICAL Empowerment:
Politics involves all the things societies do to organize themselves (eg. Government), settle disagreements and make decisions.
Political Empowerment involves having a say in how things are organized and how decisions are made.
To be politically empowered, you must learn the issues, think about what’s best, vote for political leaders, and work to convince others to do what you think is right. (See picture/caption, page 11)

8. CULTURAL Empowerment:
Culture is a way of life – how you live (language, food, clothing, customs, beliefs…)
Cultural Empowerment involves being free to practise your culture.
To become culturally empowered:
- know your culture, history, traditions
- pass on culture
- respect other cultures
                                                                                                                  

9. SOCIETAL Empowerment:
Society: people that live, work and interact together in communities.
Societal empowerment comes from all members and groups of society being treated fairly and equally.
How can you develop societal empowerment? (See page 12)

10. 5. NATIONAL Empowerment:
Nation = country
National Empowerment involves a nation of people having the power to make decisions for itself.
- make its own laws
- control its natural resources
- make its own decisions (eg. go to war?)
Empowerment is important for individuals, groups, and nations.

11. DISEMPOWERMENT
People who are disempowered believe that they have little or no control over their lives.
They often feel that laws and rules are unfair, and that they have no rights. This is not usually the case, though.
Laws are much fairer today than they were in the past, but things are still nor perfect for everyone.