Grade 9 Social Studies: how to help at home
What your child learns in Grade 9 social studies in the Nova Scotia Curriculum, and simple things to try at home.
The Big Ideas this year
- Engaged Citizenship. Learners will construct a collaboratively-designed service learning project which addresses a need in the school or larger community.
- Who Am I as a Citizen?. Learners will evaluate evolving concepts and attributes of citizenship as members of different kinds of communities.
- Who Am I as a Citizen?. Learners will evaluate key changes in the citizenship rights of Mi’kmaw and other traditionally disempowered people.
- Financial Citizenship. Learners will compare the impact of economic decisions from the perspectives of various groups of people.
- Financial Citizenship. Learners will analyse how effective decision-making and informed participation in society affect, and are affected by, personal financial management.
- Digital Citizenship. Learners will evaluate how perceptions of current issues are influenced by various media, and how this shapes actions, choices, and reactions.
- Digital Citizenship. Learners will evaluate risks, rights, and responsibilities of digital citizens.
- Governance. Learners will analyse how issues become valued within and across all areas of government and society.
- Governance. Learners will investigate the structure, operation, and selection of government in Canada, including federal, provincial, territorial, indigenous, and municipal government models.
- Governance. Learners will evaluate strategies to meaningfully engage as citizens within a democratic process.
- Global Citizenship. Learners will evaluate the consequences of action and inaction as twenty-first century global citizens.
Easy ways to practise social studies at home
- Follow a current event together and ask who is affected and why people see it differently.
- Build a timeline of a family event or a historical topic they are studying.
- Use an atlas or online map to trace a trade or travel route.
- Ask “Whose voice is missing from this story?” when reading about the past.
What each unit covers
Who Am I as a Citizen?
Practises citizens' rights and responsibilities, worldview, how rights have changed for groups once shut out, treaties, the Charter and reconciliation, as in Nova Scotia's Citizenship 9 course. Indigenous content is light and is to be reviewed with community partners.
Governance
Practises federal, provincial, municipal and Indigenous governments, Nova Scotia's House of Assembly, Canada's Parliament, elections and ways to take part, as in the Governance strand of Nova Scotia's Citizenship 9 course. Questions are non-partisan and name no party.
Digital Citizenship
Practises how media represent groups, bias and misinformation, algorithms, digital footprints, privacy, consent, cyberbullying, copyright and respectful online behaviour, as in the Digital Citizenship strand of Nova Scotia's Citizenship 9 course.
Financial Citizenship
Practises needs and wants, taxes and what they pay for, economic fairness, budgets, saving, credit, interest and scams, as in the Financial Citizenship strand of Nova Scotia's Citizenship 9 course.
Global Citizenship
Practises global issues such as climate change, clean water, refugees and pandemics, the United Nations and Sustainable Development Goals, and weighing short-term and long-term consequences, as in the Global Citizenship strand of Nova Scotia's Citizenship 9 course.
Service Learning Projects
Practises choosing a real community need, setting goals, planning roles and timelines, working with community partners and reflecting on citizenship, as in the Engaged Citizenship strand of Nova Scotia's Citizenship 9 course.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Minimal
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Satisfactory
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practising the tricky parts.
- Good
- Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Very good to excellent
- Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Your child’s teacher decides the level on the report card. Read the Nova Scotia report card guide.
Common questions
How can I help my Grade 9 child with social studies?
Follow a current event together and ask who is affected and why people see it differently. Build a timeline of a family event or a historical topic they are studying. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.
What does my child learn in Grade 9 social studies in Nova Scotia?
The Nova Scotia Curriculum Grade 9 social studies units include who am i as a citizen?, governance, digital citizenship, financial citizenship, global citizenship, service learning projects.
Free printable Grade 9 social studies practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.