CGU4M World Geography
World Geography: Urban Patterns and Population Issues
University / College Prep.
Ministry of Education Course Title: Canadian and World Studies, Grade 12, University/College Preparation
Course Code: CGU4M
Grade Level: 12
Prerequisite: Any university, university/college, or college preparation course in Canadian and world studies, English, or social sciences and humanities
Department: Geography
Course Description:
The world’s population is growing, it is moving and intermixing, and it is increasingly found in cities. This course explores these changes and the challenges that come with them. It investigates the forces that are shaping the world’s communities, the patterns of interaction between them, the quality of life within them, and their impact on the world around them. Students will apply the concepts of geographic thinking, the geographic inquiry process, and spatial skills and technologies as they investigate issues related to population change and urban life and propose ways of enhancing the sustainability of communities around the world.
Total Time: 110 hours
Course Content
Unit 1 Geographic Inquiry and Skill Development
A1. Geographic Inquiry: use the geographic inquiry process and the concepts of geographic thinking when investigating issues affecting ecumenes;
A2. Developing Transferable Skills: apply in everyday contexts skills, including spatial skills, developed through geographical investigation, and identify some careers in which a background in geography might be an asset.
Unit 2 Spatial Organization of Ecumenes
B1. Increasing Liveability: assess the liveability of ecumenes in Canada and other parts of the world, and analyse factors that influence liveability (FOCUS ON: Spatial Significance; Patterns and Trends)
B2. Processes that Shape Ecumenes: describe interrelationships between the environmental, social, economic, and political processes that shape ecumenes (FOCUS ON: Spatial Significance; Interrelationships)
B3. Understanding Ecumenes: describe the spatial distribution of land use in human settlements according to selected theories (FOCUS ON: Patterns and Trends; Interrelationships)
Unit 3 Sustainability and Stewardship
C1. Working towards Sustainability: analyse impacts of human activity and human settlements on the environment, and assess the effectiveness of solutions to these impacts in selected ecumenes (FOCUS ON: Spatial Significance; Geographic Perspective)
C2. Stewardship: assess ways in which stewardship practices can contribute to the sustainability of human settlements (FOCUS ON: Interrelationships; Geographic Perspective)
C3. Modifying the Environment: describe ways in which human societies modify their local environments in order to meet economic, social, political, and other needs, and assess the effects of these modifications on sustainability (FOCUS ON: Spatial Significance; Geographic Perspective)
Unit 4 Systems: Interdependence of Ecumenes
D1. Policies and Change: analyse impacts of public opinion and policy on interactions within and between ecumenes (FOCUS ON: Patterns and Trends; Interrelationships)
D2. Population Change and Migration: analyse impacts of population change and migration on the social characteristics and built environment of cities (FOCUS ON: Patterns and Trends; Interrelationships)
D3. Challenges of Interdependence: analyse the effects of international assistance and formal and informal international economic activity on quality of life in developed and developing countries (FOCUS ON: Interrelationships; Geographic Perspective)
Unit 5 Changing Ecumenes
E1. Quality of Urban Life: analyse interrelationships between urban environments and quality of life (FOCUS ON: Spatial Significance; Interrelationships)
E2. Analysis of Solutions: assess from a geographic perspective the effectiveness of solutions to issues affecting the built environment (FOCUS ON: Interrelationships; Geographic Perspective)