History

Welcome to Newmarket High School's History Department. On this web page.

Our department is pleased to offer a wide selection of courses to NHS students in the disciplines listed below. Several of them are also offered in the French Immersion program.

All students will receive the Student Start-up Package at the beginning of the school year. It is strongly advised that all students, and parents and guardians, look at carefully as it outlines many of the policies that the History Department will be following in it Assessment, Evaluation, and Communication policies. See, specifically, pages 4-8.

Canadian and World Studies

Vision

The social studies, history, geography, and Canadian and world studies programs will enable students to become responsible, active citizens within the diverse communities to which they belong. As well as becoming critically thoughtful and informed citizens who value an inclusive society, students will have the skills they need to solve problems and communicate ideas and decisions about significant developments, events, and issues.

Goals

  • In social studies, history, and geography, and all the subjects in Canadian and world studies, students realize the vision for the program as they:

  • develop the ability to use the “concepts of disciplinary thinking” to investigate issues, events, and developments;

  • develop the ability to determine and apply appropriate criteria to evaluate information and evidence and to make judgments;

  • develop skills and personal attributes that are needed for discipline-specific inquiry and that can be transferred to other areas in life;

  • build collaborative and cooperative working relationships;

  • use appropriate technology as a tool to help them gather and analyse information, solve problems, and communicate.

In Canadian and world studies, students develop skills, knowledge and understanding, and attitudes that will serve them both inside and outside the classroom, including in the world of work and as responsible citizens in the various communities to which they belong. The focus of teaching and learning in the Canadian and world studies curriculum is the development of ways of thinking and of transferable skills that students need in order to acquire and apply knowledge and understanding. Students apply these concepts of thinking and skills in a variety of contexts to examine information critically; to assess the significance of events, developments, and processes; to develop an understanding of and respect for different points of view; to reach supportable conclusions; and to propose solutions to, and courses of actions to address, real problems.

Social Sciences and Humanities

The discipline of social sciences and humanities in the Ontario secondary school curriculum encompasses five subject areas: equity studies, family studies, general social sciences, philosophy, and world religions. Although these subject areas are very different from one another, they all systematically explore the ways in which individuals influence and are influenced by families, communities, cultures, institutions, and societies, and by ideas, norms, and values.

Learning Skills

Throughout your courses with the History Department, you will be assessed on a variety of learning skills.  Often, but not necessarily always, your teacher will let you know when such assessments are taking place.  These assessments will help determine both the comments and the levels of your learning skills on your report cards.  See below for the list of skills and criteria.

Responsibility: The student...

  1. fulfills responsibilities and commitments within the learning environment

  2. completes and submits class work, homework, and assignments according to agreed-upon timelines

  3. takes responsibility for and manages own behaviour

Organization: The student...

  1. devises and follows a plan and process for completing work and tasks

  2. establishes priorities and manages time to complete tasks and achieve goals

  3. identifies, gathers, evaluates, and uses information, technology, and resources to complete tasks

Independent Work: The student...

  1. independently monitors, assesses, and revises plans to complete tasks and meet goals

  2. uses class time appropriately to complete task

  3. follows instructions with minimal supervision

Collaboration: The student...

  1. accepts various roles and an equitable share of work in a group

  2. responds positively to the ideas, opinions, values, and traditions of others

  3. builds healthy peer-to-peer relationships through personal and media-assisted interactions

  4. works with others to resolve conflicts and build consensus to achieve group goals

  5. shares information, resources, and expertise and promotes critical thinking to solve problems and make decisions

Initiative: The student...

  1. looks for and acts on new ideas and opportunities for learning

  2. demonstrates the capacity for innovation and a willingness to take risks

  3. demonstrates curiosity and interest in learning

  4. approaches new tasks with a positive attitude

  5. recognizes and advocates appropriately for the rights of self and others

Self-Regulation: The student...

  1. sets own individual goals and monitors progress towards achieving them

  2. seeks clarification or assistance when needed

  3. assesses and reflects critically on own strengths, needs, and interests

  4. identifies learning opportunities, choices, and strategies to meet personal needs and achieve goals

  5. perseveres and makes an effort when responding to challenges

Teachers:

The History Office is located in Room 325. Parents can contact teachers at 905-895-5159 ext. 325.

Ms. Tanner - Department Head

Ms. Curran

Mr. Giardetti

Ms. Jaworski

Madelle Mathon

Ms. Matthews

Ms. Mendelson

Ms. Shariat

Ms. Zver