Academics
Curriculum

Social Sciences

Citizens of the World

Social Sciences at Trafalgar: Understanding the Past, Shaping the Future

At Trafalgar, Social Sciences are where critical thinking, empathy, and curiosity come together. Whether students are studying history, geography, economics, or ethics, they are learning to ask deep questions about the world and their place in it:

  • Why do societies rise and fall?
  • Who gets to write history?
  • What makes a system fair?
  • How can we build a more just and sustainable future?
Our Social Sciences program is not about memorizing dates or facts—it’s about developing informed, thoughtful citizens who are ready to lead with insight and purpose.
Inquiry-Driven Learning

We begin with inquiry. Each unit is built around essential questions that spark investigation, discussion, and debate. Students analyze historical sources, interpret data, explore multiple perspectives, and tackle ethical dilemmas. They learn to evaluate information critically, think like historians and social scientists, and back up their ideas with evidence.

A history class might turn into a mock international summit. A geography unit could lead to a sustainable urban planning challenge. A civics project might involve designing policy proposals based on real-world issues. Students will take part in Harness method, a teaching approach centered on student-led discussions around an oval table with a facilitator to explore ideas in a supportive environment.

Learning is active, participatory, and always connected to the world beyond the textbook.
Exploring People, Power, and Possibility

Through the Social Sciences, Trafalgar students explore:
  • History: Understanding the forces that have shaped societies—from revolutions to civil rights movements—and recognizing the voices often left out of traditional narratives.
  • Geography: Investigating the relationship between people and their environments, and using tools like GIS mapping to study everything from climate change to urbanization.
  • Economics: Learning how systems of trade, labour, and policy impact everyday lives—and how students themselves are participants in the global economy.
  • Ethics and Philosophy: Engaging in big-picture thinking about right and wrong, justice, freedom, and what it means to live a good life.
Throughout, students develop the ability to hold complexity, to consider multiple points of view, and to think critically about the systems and structures that shape our world.
Beyond the Classroom

Social Sciences at Trafalgar are rooted in real-world relevance. Our students:
  • Visit historical sites, museums, and community organizations
  • Engage with guest speakers, researchers, and activists
  • Design and present solutions to current social and political challenges
  • Participate in Model UN, debates, and leadership conferences
  • Undertake independent research projects on topics that matter to them

These experiences help students see that they are not just learning about society—they are preparing to influence it.
In the Social Sciences, Trafalgar students become thoughtful leaders, compassionate citizens, and powerful storytellers of our shared human experience.

Latest News

  • FEDERAL ELECTIONS ROUND TABLE

    Traf Senior students welcomed candidates from the five main parties, including Kevin Majaducon of the Bloc Québécois, Steve Shanahan from the Conservative Party of Canada,  Nathe Perrone from the Green Party of Canada and Suzanne Dufresne, from the New Democratic Party all from the riding where Trafalgar is located (Ville-Marie--Le-Sud-Ouest-Île-des-Soeurs), as well as Emmanuella Lambropoulos of the Liberal Party of Canada from the riding of Saint-Laurent. The panelists engaged in a lively discussion as they answered questions posed by our students. Thank you to Ms. Fainsilber for coordinating the event, Sophie R and Anne-Sophie B for moderating, Adrienne B for timing, the Sec. 5 Contemporary World class for the substantive questions they wrote in advance, and to all the students who asked questions during the event. For those interested, here’s the recording of the event, we kindly ask that you do not share this video.
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  • SSUNS

    From round robins in the FIA to a cardinal officiating weddings in the Congress of Vienna, 1815, our delegates proposed motions, made speeches, wrote directives, and enjoyed their time at SSUNS to the fullest! Congratulations to Traf’s delegation and a special shout-out to our beginners who made it through 4 days of MUN along with the other 1500 delegates, staffers, and faculty advisors! You made Ms. Fainsilber proud! Check out this year’s official video and see if you can spot one of the Traf students featured.
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  • GUEST SPEAKER

    On Monday, October 28th, Ms. Fainsilber’s Sec. 3 and Sec. 5 classes welcomed Colonel (Retired) Pierre Leblanc who spoke about various aspects of his life, including his work in the Canadian Armed Forces. In their own words, Sec. 5 students learned about:
    • Peacekeeping being a Canadian invention.
    • The current challenges facing the Canadian Forces, including the decrease in peacekeeping personnel and Canada’s reliance on collective defence through NATO and NORAD.
    • The Canadian Arctic’s size and vulnerability, and in turn Canada’s lack of investment in the military.
    The Sec. 5s also reflected on the experience:
    • The artefacts Colonel Leblanc brought in were very intriguing  which made everything feel more real and vivid.
    • He provided solutions that we can act upon which was really intriguing.
    • Colonel Leblanc has had such an interesting path and done so many things it appears that there really is no limit to what one can do, which is very inspiring. 
    We thank Colonel Leblanc for generously sharing his time with us to teach us about these important issues and how we can personally bring about positive changes. 
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  • SEC. VS VISIT THE CYPRUS EXHIBIT AT THE CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM

    Thanks to the support of Dr. Paul Kavanaugh of Operation Veteran, five lucky Secondary V students attended a special program at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa as part of the inauguration of an exhibit commemorating the 60th anniversary of Canada’s involvement in UN peacekeeping in Cyprus.

    Several veterans shared their memories of the fighting in 1974 and their efforts to negotiate between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots until Canada’s departure in 1993. The veterans also spoke about their peacekeeping missions in other countries and the experience of being in Canada’s armed forces, such as what motivated them to join, their respective first days in the army, and what helped them through the difficult moments. Students then had the privilege of speaking with the guest of honour Major-General Alain Forand over lunch and of being toured through the section on Cyprus in the permanent exhibit by Colonel Pierre Leblanc who served during the conflict in 1974. Students plan to share some of their learning at our upcoming Remembrance Day Assembly on November 8th.
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  • BIG WINS FOR TRAF AT THE 12TH MCGILL INTERNATIONAL CELLPHILM FESTIVAL

    As a final assignment in Ms. Fainsilber’s Contemporary World class, Secondary V students created Cellphilms – very brief videos created on mobile devices – on a topic related to the course's theme of Wealth. Three students earned recognition and a monetary prize in the competition’s Youth Category of McGill’s Cellphilm Festival: Roxana's film “CATS: The Big Boss” will receive an honourable mention, while Lola’s “L'exploitation des ressources naturelles" and Sofia’s “Where are you from?" were selected to win prizes.

    The films will be shown and their placement in the competition (1st, 2nd or 3rd place) will be revealed at the festival on Thursday, June 13th. Meanwhile, please enjoy the variety and creativity of the three films at this link.

    Congratulations, Lola, Sofia and Roxana! We are so proud of you!
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  • JOHN ABBOTT COLLEGE MODEL UNITED NATIONS (JACMUN)

    Although Traf had not attended JACMUN since 2019, when Old Girl Skye was the Secretary General, we returned with a sizeable delegation of 6 students. MUN veterans Lexi (Sec V), Sofia (Sec V) and Violet (Sec IV) participated in the GA (General Assembly) United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime representing powerhouse countries USA, China, and South Korea, respectively. We also welcomed three new MUN members: Secondary II student Sarah capably took on the role of Greta Gerwig in the SA (Specialized Agency) The Academy: Oscars Committee, while Secondary IV students Naomi (as Henry Jennings) and Lea (as John ‘Calico Jack’ Rackham) participated in the fast-paced Crisis committee The Fall of The Republic of Pirates.

    All new students said they would try it out again! And we hope to see our soon-to-be graduates Lexi and Sofia at MUN events next year.
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  • DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

    This Tuesday, Secondary IV and V students attended a special session offered by The Jewish Community Foundation of Montreal in collaboration with the Holocaust Education and Genocide Prevention Foundation. The workshop titled "Misinformation and Disinformation: Down the Rabbit Hole” was facilitated by Leo Wurmbrand and Gabriel Steinberger, two young Austrian interns who defined the terms misinformation and disinformation, provided examples of each, and drew comparisons between the use of Nazi propaganda and the information spread by white supremacist hate groups on the internet today.

    Traf students shared their own experiences with mis- and disinformation and their strategies for identifying false information. As well, our students found out that in lieu of a 6-month compulsory military service, Austrian men can volunteer for 10 months in Holocaust memorial institutions. The Gedenkdienst commemorates the victims of the Holocaust and educates people around the globe about this genocide and the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis. At the end of the presentation, Traf students asked questions to learn more about the experience of the two interns who visited our school and over 30 other schools in the Montreal area.
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  • MariMUN

    Congratulations to Lexi, Violet and Sofia for participating in the 37th iteration of the Marianopolis Model United Nations Conference (MariMUN). Lexi and Violet, respectively representing Denmark and Sweden in the General Assembly - UNIDO (Sustainable Industrialization and Workers' Rights), advocated for better working conditions in the fashion industry. Meanwhile, Sofia took on the role of Genevan philosopher, Jean-Jacques Rousseau in a specialized agency called The Age of Reason: An Enlightenment Salon. Although it was her first Model United Nations conference, Sofia quickly developed her skills in diplomacy over the course of the weekend and earned herself a certificate and gavel as the recipient of the committee’s Kew Dock Yip Award for Remarkable Determination.

    All three students are to be commended for their active involvement in committee sessions and we hope they will continue to shine at future MUN conferences.
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  • EPHROIM JABLON

    This afternoon, the Sec 3, 4 and 5 students hosted Mr. Ephroim Johnny Jablon, a Holocaust survivor, who was born in Krakow, Poland, and was sent to the Plaszow concentration camp at the age of 17. He told students the many times he came very close to losing his life, only to survive until the liberation. His words and stories were incredibly moving and we thank him for taking the time to visit us. A donation in his name was made to the Montreal Holocaust Museum.
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  • MMIW

    This past Thursday, Trafalgar students wore red shirts to show solidarity with Indigenous communities, as a part of the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. This student-led initiative was proposed and promoted by Secondary II student, Iotsistokwatenion.
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  • MODEL UN

    From Friday, April 29 through Sunday, May 1st, Traf represented the Philippines in an online Model United Nations event, SOMA XLIX.

    As part of the general assembly, Camila T-M discussed neocolonialism in Africa and Asia as well as privacy rights in this digital age of surveillance, while Lexi D worked on resolutions to help women have better access to medicine and to reduce the impacts of air pollution on global health as part of the World Health Organization. Meanwhile, after much research and preparation, Betsy B was all set to dive into her bilingual committee, Interpol, when it was canceled at the last minute and, with grace and flexibility, Betsy joined the Adhoc Committee about Western Australia during the Great Depression.
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  • SOMA

    Students in grades 9 through 11 are invited to participate online in SOMA (the Southern Ontario
    Model United Nations Assembly) from Friday, April 29 through Sunday, May 1, 2022. 
     
    Please see the details regarding this exciting opportunity on the Parent Portal at this link or on the
    Resources page under Permission Forms.
    Read More
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Trafalgar School for Girls

3495 Simpson Street
Montreal, Quebec
H3G 2J7
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info@trafalgar.qc.ca
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