Concentus Citizenship Education Pilot in SPS

I keep hearing the words “Concentus Citizenship Education.” What’s it all about?

History
In 1990, the Office of the Treaty Commissioner issued a call to the province’s K-12 teachers to integrate First Nations, Metis, and Inuit history, knowledge, and worldview into student learning.

Why? Deep, intercultural understanding is the key to decolonizing citizens’ minds and the province’s institutions.

In 2008, the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission issued a second call for a change in pedagogy and citizenship with the words, “Responsibilities Revolution.”

Why?: Citizenship education is the key to ensuring the vitality of democracy, in our classrooms and nation.

The leader in both cases was Chief Justice David Arnot.

2017-2018 SPS Pilot
Saskatoon Public Schools is currently piloting K-12 Concentus Citizenship Education Resources, developed by Saskatchewan teachers. In 8 elementary schools, teachers, teacher librarians, coaches, and administrators are participating in professional learning and working together to integrate units of inquiry. In all elementary schools and collegiates, teacher librarians will be collaborating with a colleague to implement an inquiry from the resources this year.

The Resources
The K-12 online resources embed social studies outcomes and indicators into units of inquiry organized into 3 “Broad Areas of Citizenship.”

The continuum of citizenship education in the Concentus resources is divided into grade bands: K-2, 3-5, 6-9, and 10-12. Inquiries in each grade band share the same essential questions. By engaging with the same questions at increasing levels of complexity over a period of 3-4 years, students develop a justice orientation which combines deep understanding with the skills to effect change.

Essential Questions Evolve as Students Mature
A grade 1 student may explore, “What makes a rule fair?”
A grade 5 student may wonder, “To whom are rule makers responsible?”
A grade 10 student may examine, “How does ideology influence views of social justice?”
A grade 12 student may investigate, “To what extent has Canadian society been organized to reflect the values encoded in Treaties and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms?”

As they move through the inquiries, students become increasingly capable of having respectful and constructive “courageous conversations” on controversial, potentially divisive topics.

Essential Citizenship Competencies
Inquiries are designed to foster the 5 Essential Citizenship Competencies (ECCs): Enlightened, Empowered, Empathetic, Ethical, and Engaged. These are the attributes of citizens with a justice orientation – citizens equipped and motivated to challenge the root causes of injustices in our democratic society.

You can find the full resources here: http://concentus.ca/

Talk to your teacher librarian if you are interested in learning more about the resources and integrating them into your work.