Canada · Ontario Curriculum Expectations
Grade 11 Geography
This course investigates the complex interactions between physical environments and human societies. Students analyze spatial patterns, resource management, and the geopolitical forces that shape our modern world through a geographic lens.
Geographic Foundations and Spatial Technologies
Students master the tools of the geographer, focusing on how spatial data is collected, analyzed, and used to solve real world problems.
An exploration of how satellite imagery and digital mapping layers transform our understanding of terrestrial changes.
Examining how personal experience and cultural background influence the way individuals map their surroundings.
The methodology of primary research in geography, emphasizing observation and systematic recording of the environment.
Physical Systems: The Dynamic Earth
An investigation into the lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere to understand the natural processes that create landforms and climate patterns.
Studying the internal forces of the Earth that shape mountains and cause seismic activity.
Analyzing how solar energy and moisture move across the globe to create distinct climate regions.
Understanding the movement of water and the importance of drainage basins in local ecosystems.
Human Populations and Migration
Exploring demographic trends and the movement of people across borders in response to economic, social, and environmental factors.
Analyzing birth rates, death rates, and population growth patterns across different stages of development.
Investigating why people leave their homes and what draws them to specific destinations.
Examining the rapid growth of cities and the challenges of providing infrastructure for millions of residents.
Global Resources and Food Systems
A study of how humans extract, distribute, and consume natural resources, with a focus on agriculture and energy.
Comparing large scale commercial farming with traditional methods of food production.
Analyzing how the distribution of oil, gas, and renewable energy sources influences international relations.
Examining the increasing competition for fresh water resources in arid and semi-arid regions.
Economic Development and Globalization
Analyzing the patterns of global wealth and the interconnectedness of economies through trade and technology.
Critiquing different metrics used to define 'success' in a nation, from GDP to the Human Development Index.
Tracing the path of consumer goods from raw materials to the final product.
Evaluating the economic benefits and environmental/cultural costs of the global travel industry.
Environmental Challenges and Sustainability
A culminating unit focusing on the human impact on the planet and strategies for a sustainable future.
Investigating how different regions are modifying their infrastructure and lifestyles to cope with a changing climate.
Examining the causes of habitat destruction and the importance of preserving ecosystems.
Exploring alternatives to the 'take-make-waste' model of consumption.