‘I am Canada’ - Exploring Social Responsibility in Social Studies Using Young Adult Historical Fiction

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by pop out

Paper examining how social studies education can cultivate democratic citizenship by linking reading practices with values, especially social responsibility. A pre-designed instructional framework guides classroom use of excerpts from a young adult historical fiction series. Selected passages support reflection on learning possibilities, prompting discussion of immigration, rights, and civic obligations. A central focus is how literature can help learners ask and answer questions about historical events and social policy.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Excerpt from Behind Enemy Lines

Background

Schools and democratic citizenship in Canada

Why Reading

Why Values

Social responsibility in Canadian curricula

Horton, 2014 Canadian Social Studies, Volume 47, No. 1 “‘I am Canada’: Exploring Social Responsibility in Social Studies Using Young Adult Historical Fiction” Todd A. Horton, PhD Schulich School of Education Nipissing University [toddh@nipissingu.ca](toddh@nipissingu.ca) Abstract This paper explores educating for democratic citizenship with a focus on the intersection between reading and values, specifically the nurturing of social responsibility. Using a pre-designed framework for teaching for social responsibility, excerpts from a young adult historical fiction series are used to consider learning possibilities in the social studies classroom. Introduction In the following excerpt from Carol Matas’book Behind Enemy Lines (2012), a Canadian soldier wonders how things got so bad for the Jews in Europe while a Jewish resistance fighter challenges him about Canada’s policy on Jewish immigration during the World War II era. ‘But why did anyone put up with it? I can tell you, if anyone had tried to do that at home—in Canada—we would have made their life a misery!’‘Really?’he said.‘Then I wonder why your country won’t take in any Jewish children with visas. We tried to get a large group out of a camp. They had visas for Canada, the Germans said they could go, and Canada refused to take them’. ‘I don’t believe you!’ I said. (Matas, 2012, p. 54) It is here, in rich excerpts such as this that creative social studies teachers begin to envision the incredible learning potential embedded within literature. Why did the Jews and others “put up” with infringements on peoples’ rights? What was Canada’s immigration policy during this time? Did this event from the book actually occur? Were there other examples of prohibited Jewish immigration? Why? These questions beg to be asked and answered using helpful thinking strategies and imaginative means of presentation. This paper explores educating for democratic citizenship with a focus on the intersection between reading and values, specifically the nurturing of social responsibility. Using a pre-designed framework for teaching for social responsibility, excerpts from a young adult historical fiction series are used to consider learning possibilities in the social studies classroom. Background For most children, schools are the first and most extensive public institution they encounter in their lives. Indeed, the first day of school is considered a significant marker Horton, 2014 Canadian Social Studies, Volume 47, No. 1 on a life journey not only because it indicates a child is growing up but because they are also growing out. He or she is adding the public sphere as a new social domain in which to conduct their lives. Schools as the arena for this initial foray into the public sphere are thus identified as having a particular mandate: educating for citizenship. In Canada, it is educating for democratic citizenship. Across Canada, curricula used to frame teaching within schools espouse this as their central goal (Sears, 2004). Education entails many things including, with greater or lesser emphasis depending on the school, province, or region of the country, learning to read, write, speak, calculate, question, and answer. In addition, schools teach children content knowledge deemed important for future employment and for the conduct of their role as democratic citizens, as well as nurturing values deemed important for personal growth and the continuance and enhancement of the civil society. It is the intersection of reading and values as part of educating for democratic citizenship that is the focus of this paper. Why Reading? It’s hard for most ofus to imagine a world in which we are unable to read. From signs to newspapers, from instruction manuals to the Internet, weare inundated daily with various forms of text that each of us is expected to be able to read if we are to live our lives fully. Therefore, society expects schools to place an emphasis on learni

FAQs

What is the main focus of the paper?

The paper focuses on educating for democratic citizenship by linking reading with values, particularly the nurturing of social responsibility.

How does the paper connect young adult historical fiction to social studies learning?

It uses excerpts from a young adult historical fiction series within a pre-designed framework to explore learning possibilities in social studies classrooms.

What questions does the paper use to guide classroom inquiry?

It asks why people endured infringements on rights, what Canada’s immigration policy was during the period discussed, whether the event occurred, and what other examples of prohibited Jewish immigration existed and why.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by pop out