FAQs
Who designed the School Program Curriculum?
- The ChristmasFuture curriculum has benefited from many volunteer teachers and educators who have helped develop the curriculum. They have specifically aided making the lessons grade-appropriate with defined learning outcomes
- It has been designed by Christmas Future to make the lesson plans as accessible as possible, in simple and flexible downloadable format.
- Many of the original lesson plans have been amalgamated from various existing sources such as Sharing the Harvest – A Year-Round Activity Guide about Global Citizenship (2005), created by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
How is the School Program curriculum different from other global curriculums offered online?
Our curriculum is another great resource that is available to educators. It is extremely simple to access and has been tailored to grade-specific learning outcomes. It can easily complement and build upon other existing online lesson plans.
What are the topics of individual lessons?
The topics covered vary slightly from grade to grade, as not all subjects are appropriate for all learning levels. All of the lesson plans however do maintain a consistent overall arch in creating awareness of extreme poverty and global citizenship. Specific topics include global citizenship, definitions of poverty, lifestyle comparisons (“If the world were a village”), millennium development goals, HIV/AIDS, and models of development.
Does the curriculum require additional resources?
All of the lesson plans are available for free download at www.christmasfuture.org in PDF format. They can be downloaded in a complete set all together, or teachers can pick and choose which lessons to download. There are no special resources required by the lessons themselves.
Does the curriculum require in-class used of the ChristmasFuture website?
No. Lesson plans can be downloaded, printed, and then taught in class.
Can a teacher use the curriculum individually or does it have to be done as a school?
The curriculum is entirely flexible and can be implemented by as many classes/teachers as need be. The curriculum structure does not restrict how many people/classes are involved.
Will the curriculum be available throughout the year?
Yes! Although we encourage teacher’s to join with other schools by participating during the holiday season and/or in End Poverty Week, the curriculum is available year-round.
Who else is using the School Program curriculum?
We have piloted this curriculum at the Calgary Science School in 2006 and 2007. It is offered to any instructor that wishes to use it and the curriculum has been downloaded by teachers in Calgary, nationally, and internationally.
How does this curriculum meet criteria from Alberta Education?
While the learning objectives meet established citizenship goals under the social studies curriculum, we believe that teachers will be able to apply the lesson plans in many areas. Creating global citizens and ending poverty are truly multi-disciplinary endeavours.
How does this curriculum meet criteria set by the Calgary Board of Education?
The Calgary Board of Trustee’s has established Citizenship as one of its educational “ends” and encourages the development of responsible citizens who are informed and involved in their local, national, and global communities.
Other Resources
www.un.org/cyberschoolbus
www.millenniumpromise.org
www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/mvp/
www.youthnoise.org
www.givemeaning.com
www.one.org
www.metowe.org
