Hands-On Social Studies for Ontario is filled with a year’s worth of classroom-tested activities. The grade four book is divided into two units:

• Early Societies 30000 BCE–1500 CE
• Political and Physical Regions of Canada

With materials for both teachers and students, this new edition includes many familiar great features: curriculum correlation charts; summary charts showing expectations; complete, easy-to-follow lesson plans; visuals and reproducible masters; materials lists; and hands-on, student-centred activities. Exciting new features include:

• ideas for extending the learning
• opportunities for self-reflection and activating prior knowledge
• authentic assessment for, as, and of learning opportunities
• the five components of the inquiry model
• concepts of social studies thinking, guided inquiry questions, and learning goals
• support for developing historical thinking skills
• photo files that relate to the lesson topic(s)

Hands-On Social Studies for Ontario is expanded to strengthen students’ knowledge and understanding of Indigenous histories, cultures, perspectives, contributions, and ways of knowing, as well as the history of the residential school system, treaties, and the Indian Act.

This resource, developed by experienced educators, focusses on the goals of the Ontario Social Studies curriculum as identified by the Ontario Ministry (2013) and adheres to the Growing Success document for assessment, evaluating, and reporting in Ontario schools.