Course
Profile Literacy in
Daily Life, ELD Level 3, Public
Unit 2: Make Your Mark: Government in Canada
Time: 25 hours
Activity 1 | Activity 2
| Activity 3 | Activity 4
| Activity 5 | Activity 6
Students
learn about the main elements of the Canadian political system. Through
research, role-plays, interviews, and oral presentations, students increase
their understanding of the rights and responsibilities of the Canadian
electorate. The literacy focus is on expanding reading and writing skills by
locating and using information from print and non-print sources. Students
create and maintain a political issues response journal and a vocabulary log
throughout the unit. In the culminating activity, students participate in a
mock election and the creation of a Government and Me scrapbook.
Time: 300 minutes
The
expectations for this activity are clustered to develop citizenship awareness
about the levels of government in Canada. Students read non-fiction texts,
watch videos, and complete graphic organizers to increase their knowledge of
basic facts about the levels of government in Canada. Students begin a
vocabulary log of key government terminology. The culminating task is a quiz
demonstrating knowledge of the basic facts about the levels of government in
Canada.
Strand: Oral and Visual Communication
COR1.01L
- contribute to discussions by sharing ideas and information and responding to
the contributions of others.
Strand: Reading
CRE2.02L
- use a variety of strategies to learn specialized terms in subject areas;
CRE3.02L
- read efficiently for information.
Strand: Writing
CWRV.03L
- use some sentence structures and conventions of standard Canadian English
correctly in written work;
CWR3.01L
- use conventional spelling for commonly used and personally significant words.
Strand: Social and Cultural Competence
CSCV.01L
- demonstrate an understanding of the main elements of the Canadian political
system;
CSC1.01L
- demonstrate knowledge of basic facts about the levels of government in
Canada.
·
Familiarity
with cooperative learning exercises
·
Familiarity
with vocabulary logs
·
Familiarity
with response journals
·
Create
a flow chart for the structure of the Canadian Federal Government to use in
Strategy 5. Make an overhead of the chart to model completion. Reproduce one
without text for students to complete.
·
Make
copies of Appendix 2A – Levels of Government Cards to use in a jigsaw task.
Students use these cards to learn information on the assigned level of
government in their expert groupings. They then regroup and share their
information with the new group to complete cloze exercises.
·
Create
cloze exercises on Levels of Government by using Appendix 2A and deleting key
vocabulary. Students then need to fill in the blanks with the vocabulary they
have learned from the jigsaw exercise.
·
Create
a flow chart of the structure of provincial government to use in Strategy 6.
This chart helps students understand the similarities and differences that
exist between the structure of the federal and provincial governments.
·
Create
a flow chart for the structure of local governments for Strategy 6. Information
on specific municipalities in Ontario can be found at http://www.intergov.gc.ca/mun/on-e.html.
·
Have
available photos of major politicians from all three levels of government.
·
Make
copies of a Key People in Our Government graphic organizer such as the
following for use in Strategy 8.
|
Politician’s Name |
Job Title |
Level of Government |
|
Jean
Chrétien |
Prime
Minister |
Federal |
|
|
|
|
·
Create
a quiz to test students’ understanding of the levels of Canadian government as
well as the structure of Canadian government (e.g., name level of government
responsible for garbage collection).
·
Be
prepared to allow some time for review prior to the quiz.
Materials: copies of Appendix 2A, copies of graphic organizers,
a TV/VCR; video on the structure of government, photos of politicians, copies
of quiz.
1. Explain to students that in this unit they
will be involved in learning information about how government works in Canada
and how government impacts on their lives. Inform students that a final unit
test based on information from all the activities will take place.
2. Inform students that they will keep a
vocabulary log throughout this unit. Remind students to continue the same
format for their logs as in Unit 1. Words from Activity 1 should include:
federal, provincial, municipal, Senate, MP, MPP, Councillor, Prime Minister,
Premier, Mayor, Minister, Parliament, House of Commons, Legislature, City
Council, Governor General, and Leader of the Opposition. Write these words on
chart paper to post in class. Instruct students to copy them into their
vocabulary logs.
3. Using a simplified text on Canadian
government, introduce students to the idea that in Canada, there are three
levels of government. Use the simple readings and accompanying vocabulary and
comprehension exercises presented. Continue with reading in the chapter
entitled “The Federal and Provincial Government.” Continue the vocabulary
building strategy of word families as students encounter new terms in these
readings.
4. Use a jigsaw exercise for students
to learn about the three levels of government. Students use Appendix 2A –
Levels of Government Cards to complete the jigsaw exercise. First students
learn about the levels of government in their expert groups. Then students move
to the second groupings where they complete copies of the cloze exercises with
information learned in the expert groups.
5. Using
the flow chart on the structure of the Canadian Federal Government, explain to
students how the structure of the Canadian government is organized. Distribute
copies of the organizer with empty boxes for students to complete as you
explain. Instruct students to keep it in their notebooks for future reference.
6. Distribute copies of a blank flow chart based
on the structure of the provincial government. Allow students time to work in
groups to complete their charts using the information gathered in the cloze
exercise. To ensure accuracy, complete the chart on an overhead. As a homework
assignment have students fill in a flow chart for the municipal level using the
information in the cloze exercise and the website for their community. Check
for accuracy.
7. If available show a video, either Local and Provincial Governments–Working
Together or Government in Canada,
to reinforce concepts learned about levels of government.
8. Show students photos of political leaders.
Tell the level of government they work in and their job titles. Distribute and
complete copies of the graphic organizer Key People in Our Government. Instruct
students to keep this in their notebooks as a reference for use throughout this
unit.
9. Allow students time to review the information
learned in this activity prior to distributing the quiz.
10. Distribute a short quiz in which students
demonstrate their knowledge of the levels and structure of the Canadian
government.
11. Remind students that a final unit test based
on information from all the activities will take place.
·
Chart
showing the structure of government is assessed for completion and accuracy.
(Knowledge/Understanding: CSC1.01L)
·
Quiz
on Levels and Structure of Government is assessed for knowledge of key facts
(Knowledge/Understanding, Thinking/Inquiry: CRE2.02L, CSC1.01L)
·
Create
a graphic organizer for the structure of the municipal government for students
who are unable to create their own. Students then only need to fill boxes with
the accurate information.
·
Viewing
and/or discussing a Question period from the House of Commons is a possible
extension activity.
·
Have
texts available for students to use to consolidate knowledge.
·
Create
a graphic organizer for the structure of governments in which part of the
information is supplied by the teacher and part is left blank for the students
to complete.
Texts
Burley,
Tony. Government Matters.
This text contains information on how government works in
Coelho,
E. and M. Wong. My Country, Our History:
Teacher’s Resource Book.
This text contains information on government in
Kaskens,
Anne Marie. A Beginning Look at Canada.
Toronto: Prentice Hall Allyn and Bacon, 1998.
Part 4, pp. 103-161 have information on government in Canada in simplified
English.
Quinlan,
D., M.J. Pickup, and T. Lahey. Government:
Participating in Canada. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN
0-19-541279-6
Chapters 1, 2, and 4 have information on general features of government,
government’s role in our everyday lives, and the division of powers between the
federal and provincial levels of government.
Videos
Government in Canada. Classroom Video, Unit C, 9005
Centaurus Circle Burnaby, BC V3J 7N4
Tel. (604) 420-3066
This 24-minute video contains segments on different political ideologies, the
history of Canadian government, the structure of parliament, elections, and
issues affecting the government.
National
Film Board of Canada. Local and
Provincial Governments–Working Together.
One of the videos in a four-part kit on Government in Canada. It is 37 minutes
in length and explains the structure of provincial and municipal governments
and how a local issue is addressed. National Film Board of Canada, 1990.
Websites
http://canada.gc.ca/gowgoc/queen
(contains information on and a photo of Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II)
http://pm.gc.ca
(contains information on and a photo of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien)
www.citytoronto.on.ca/council/structure.htm#3
(the structure of the municipal government in Toronto)
http://www.intergov.gc.ca/mun/on-e.html
(links to Ontario’s municipalities)
www.gg.ca
(contains information on and a photo of the Governor-General of Canada,
Adrienne Clarkson)
www.gov.on.ca
(information on the structure of Ontario and municipal governments)
www.lt.gov.on.ca
(contains a photo and information on the Lieutenant Governor Hilary M. Weston)
www.premier.gov.on.ca
(contains information on and a photograph of Premier Mike Harris)
Time: 240 minutes
Students
apply their knowledge of the levels of government by looking at how government
impacts their daily lives. Students begin a Government and Me scrapbook
summarizing and writing response journals of newspaper articles on political
issues. They complete a 24-hour log of government services used and practise
using the past tense. Students also develop skills in locating key information
through an assignment based on using the Blue Pages.
Strand: Reading
CRE3.02L
- read efficiently for information;
CRE3.03L
- scan texts for specific information.
Strand: Writing
CWR1.02L
- use journals to record events, observations, and opinions;
CWR1.03L
- write in a variety of forms;
CWR3.02L
- use appropriate verb tenses and make subjects and verbs and nouns and
pronouns agree in written work, some of the time.
Strand: Social and Cultural Competence
CSC1.01L
- demonstrate knowledge of basic facts about the levels of government in
Canada;
CSC1.04L
- participate in discussions about important local, national, and international
current events and issues.
·
Familiarity
with newspaper articles
·
Familiarity
with the WH6 format (See Planning Notes)
·
Create
a bulletin board display to highlight news clippings on issues that demonstrate
the levels of government. Divide it into three sections: Federal, Provincial,
and Municipal. Include a map of the area beside the title. Schedule time for
students to present a brief oral summary of their chosen article.
·
Choose
a short article on a political issue to read with students. You will be
modeling how to write a summary of the newspaper article. A good method for
writing a newspaper summary is following the WH6 questions: Who, What, Why,
When, Where and How.
·
Have
available copies of newspapers for the students to use both in their response
journals as well as on the bulletin board display.
·
Students
begin to create their Government and Me Scrapbook, which is collected for
assessment at the start of the final activity. Choose an article and use the
WH6 format to write a brief summary to use as a model. Using the same article
write a brief response. This will also be used as a model for the scrapbook
assignment.
·
Have
copies of phone books available for students to access the information about various
government services found in the blue pages.
·
Make
copies of Appendix 2B – Government Blue Pages.
·
Make
copies of Appendix 2C – Government Responsibilities Matching Exercise.
·
Make
copies of Appendix 2D – Mr. Lang’s Busy Day.
·
Make
copies of Appendix 2E – Government and Me Scrapbook Assignment.
·
Make
copies of Appendix 2F – Scrapbook Assignment Checklist.
Materials: newspapers, copies of a newspaper article, copies of
Appendices 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, and 2F.
1. Ask students to think about an entire day in
their lives, from waking up in the morning until going to sleep at night. As a
class have students share parts of their day and try to determine what
government organizations and services they might come in contact with at
different points in an average day. Make a list of all the government services
elicited during this discussion and post on chart paper.
2. Distribute copies of phone books.
Review/teach the use of the Blue Pages to find information related to
government services. Distribute copies of Appendix 2B – Government Blue Pages.
3. Distribute copies of Appendix 2C – Government
Responsibilities Matching Exercise. Remind students that this sheet will help
reinforce their knowledge about which level of government is responsible for
providing specific services and programs. Tell them that this exercise will
help them prepare both for the quiz at the end of this activity as well as the
final unit test. Allow students time to complete the matching exercise working
with a partner. Take up responses with the class to ensure accuracy.
4. Choose several vocabulary words from the
previous tasks. Have students identify to which part of speech (noun, verb,
adjective, adverb) each word belongs. On the board, draw a chart containing a
column for each of these parts of speech. Show students how words can be
manipulated to form different parts of speech depending on their suffixes.
Students should keep a “parts of speech/word families chart” in their
notebooks. Working with word derivations should be a regular feature of the
vocabulary study in this unit. An example could be government, govern,
governing, governor.
5. Review/teach the simple present and past
tense. Distribute copies of Appendix 2D – Mr. Lang’s Busy Day. Have students
read the story and then complete the assignment.
6. Instruct
students to write a response journal based on one of the topics from the
following list. Write the following statements on the board for the students to
use as starters for their response journals. I think it is good that the
government is responsible for…, I think the provincial government should…, I
think the federal government should…, etc.
7. Introduce students to the bulletin board
display and explain that they are responsible for finding news articles and
headlines for it. Explain that this is ongoing throughout the unit. Divide the
class into groups and assign each group a government level and a week for
posting articles, photos, and headlines. Inform students that they will be
giving a brief oral summary of the articles they post.
8. Distribute copies of a news article on a
current issue. Read the article aloud. Write the WH6 questions: Who, Where,
When, Why, What, and How on the board. Model for the students how to write a
brief summary of the article. Have students copy the summary into their
notebooks as a reference for their future use. Brainstorm possible responses
that could be written based on issues developed in the article.
9. Students write response journals based on
political issues discussed in the unit. These journals are used to create a
Government and Me scrapbook to be assessed in Activity 5. Hand out copies of
Appendix 2E – Government and Me Scrapbook Assignment. Clarify expectations for
the assignment.
10. Distribute copies of Appendix 2F for students
to use while completing their scrapbook.
·
Response
journal on how government affects daily life in Canada is assessed for the
ability to make links between key facts and personal daily life. (Thinking and
Inquiry: CWR1.02L)
·
Written
paragraph in the past tense is assessed for accurate use of past tense verbs.
(Communication: CWR3.02L)
Provide a
selection of articles for the student to choose from for use on the bulletin board.
Coelho,
E. and M. Wong. My Country, Our History:
Teacher’s Resource Book. Toronto: Pippin Publishing Limited, 1996. ISBN
0-88751-059-0
Quinlan,
D., M.J. Pickup, and T. Lahey. Government:
Participating in Canada. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN
0-19-541279-6
Chapters 1, 2, and 4 have information on general features of government,
government’s role in our everyday lives, and the division of powers between the
federal and provincial levels of government.
Local
Phone Books and Newspapers
Time: 240 minutes
Through
guided research from Internet sites, texts, newspapers, and pamphlets from
political parties, students find information on the major political parties in
Canada. Students develop note-taking skills and present their research findings
to the class. In the culminating activity, students create a political party
and a poster to promote it.
Strand: Oral and Visual Communication
CORV.03L - create and analyse a variety of
simple media works;
COR1.02L
- use non-verbal communication techniques appropriately in discussions and
guided presentations;
COR3.03L
- create new reports and brief dramatic presentations, using technology.
Strand: Reading
CREV.04L
- locate and use information from print and non-print sources for guided
research projects, with teacher guidance;
CRE3.03L
- scan texts for specific information;
CRE4.01L
- find information in a variety of classroom and library sources.
Strand: Writing
CWR1.03L
- write in a variety of forms;
CWR2.04L
- use simple graphics software to format and embellish pieces of writing;
CWR3.03L
- vary sentence structure to create interest and emphasis, following models
provided by the teacher.
Strand: Social and Cultural Competence
CSC1.03L
- find and discuss information about the political parties in Canada;
CSC1.04L
- participate in discussions about important local, national, and international
current events and issues.
·
Familiarity
with the use of symbols
·
Familiarity
with five sentence paragraphs
·
Familiarity
with research techniques
·
Collect
samples of political party signs, logos, pamphlets, etc. from the main
political parties.
·
Have
available a variety of posters representing the five main political parties in
Canada to display around the room.
·
Make
copies of Appendix 2G – Political Party Research to distribute to students to
guide them in their note taking. It will also help students organize their
information for their group presentations.
·
Make
an overhead of a map of Canada. On this map, provide information on the
political parties’ results in the most recent federal election.
·
Prepare
strategies to introduce students to the importance of acknowledging the sources
of information.
·
Arrange
for students to have time in the computer lab and/or Library/Resource Centre to
complete research on political parties. Book marking appropriate websites may help
find the information quickly.
·
Create
a graphic organizer for students to complete during the group presentations
such as:
|
Political Party |
Leader of the Party |
Party’s Slogan,
Logo, and Colours |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Materials:
poster
paper, samples of political slogans and logos, copies of Appendix 2G, copies of
graphic organizers, newspapers, overhead of map of Canada.
1. In this activity, words for the vocabulary
log include: ideology, political platform, logos, slogans, candidate, society,
economy, majority, minority, left-wing, right-wing, conservative, liberal,
socialist, and separatist.
2. Explain that political parties are groups of
people who hold similar beliefs on political issues and governance. Tell
students that the members of a political party and their supporters work
together to win elections for their candidate. Explain that some candidates run
as independents because they do not wish to belong to any of the political
parties. Brainstorm the names of the major political parties that exist in
Canada. Ask students to name political parties that they are familiar with from
other countries.
3. Use a map of Canada to show federal ridings
and regions controlled by each party. Briefly explain the difference between a
majority and a minority government. From the map have students tell you which
party controls the federal government and if that party holds a majority or a
minority government.
4. Distribute copies of Appendix 2G – Political
Party Research for students to complete using the information they find in
their research. Inform students that they will be using this information in
oral presentations to the class and to design a poster to demonstrate their
knowledge about the political party. Review your expectations for their
presentations and posters.
5. Use the overhead to model how to complete the
assignment. Use one of the main political parties to model the assignment.
Demonstrate how they can find information on a party’s leader, logos, etc. by
using the party’s website or printed material. Reinforce the importance of
taking accurate notes.
6. Model how to complete the bibliographic
information. Explain the importance of giving credit to the original source.
7. Divide the class into groups. Assign each
group a particular political party: Alliance, Bloc Quebecois, Liberal, New
Democratic Party, and Progressive Conservative.
8. Allow time in the computer lab for students
to complete their research. Show students how to access the websites that
contain the information they are looking for. Remind students to complete
Appendix 2G carefully since their notes will be used during their presentations
to the class and for designing a poster.
9. Distribute copies of a graphic organizer for
students to complete during the presentations. Each group presents their
information to the class. Remind students to keep the information in their
notebooks since a final unit test based on information from all the activities
will take place.
10. After the groups have presented their posters,
have students independently write a hamburger paragraph explaining the details
on the poster. Collect paragraphs for assessment.
11. Display examples of students’ posters in the
room.
·
Group
Oral Presentations are assessed for knowledge of political parties in Canada
and using the appropriate style of language in a presentation. (Communication:
COR1.02L, COR3.03L)
·
Creation
of a poster with facts about a political party is assessed for clarity of
information and creative representation. (Knowledge/Understanding: CORV.03L,
CSC1.03L)
·
Paragraph
explaining illustrations on the poster of a political party is assessed for
knowledge of paragraph format and accuracy of details. (Communication:
CREV.04L, CRE4.01L, CSC1.03L)
As an
extension, show a portion of a political leaders’ debate. Have students
identify the main issues in the debate. Lead a class discussion on how the
leaders presented their party platforms on each of the issues.
Texts
Granfield,
Linda. Canada Votes: How we elect our
government. Toronto: Kids Can Press Ltd., 1997. ISBN 1-55074-250-7 – This
text has information on the history of political parties in Canada (pp. 20-24).
Quinlan,
D., M.J. Pickup, and T. Lahey. Government:
Participating in Canada. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN
0-19-541279-6 – Chapter 5 deals with political parties, their platforms, the
political spectrum, and the difficulties women often face as members of political
parties.
Skeoch,
A., P. Flaherty, and D.L. Moore. Civics:
Participating in a Democratic Society. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2000.
ISBN 0-07-086389-X
Websites
www.blocquebecois.org
www.canadianalliance.ca
www.liberal.ca
www.pcparty.ca
www.ndp.ca
http://cbc4kids.ca/election/leaders.html
A site containing simple descriptions of the main party leaders, and the main
political parties.
Time: 180 minutes
Students
conduct a research assignment with teacher guidance using the Internet,
CD-ROMs, and texts to learn about famous Canadian politicians. In preparation
for writing short biographies, students review verb tenses and how to write
linked paragraphs. In the culminating task, students write brief biographical
sketches of famous Canadian politicians.
Strand: Oral and Visual Communication
COR1.02L
- use non-verbal communication techniques appropriately in discussions and
guided presentations.
Strand: Reading
CRE3.03L
- scan texts for specific information;
CRE4.01L
- find information in a variety of classroom and library sources;
CRE4.02L
- organize information for oral or written presentations.
Strand: Writing
CWR1.04L
- take notes from texts, videos, and group presentations, with teacher
guidance;
CWR3.02L
- use appropriate verb tenses and make subjects and verbs and nouns and
pronouns agree in written work, some of the time.
·
Familiarity
with biographies
·
Familiarity
with writing paragraphs
·
Create
a visual display of pictures of famous Canadian politicians. Photos of current
politicians can be found on party websites. Photos of other politicians can be
found in encyclopedias and history texts.
·
Prepare
a web diagram to help students organize their brainstorming in Strategy 3.
Sample webs can be found in Appendix 1A. The web would have the word politician
inside the circle. On the spokes would be words like money, stamps, highways,
libraries, schools, universities, etc. Each of these words could branch off
into more specific words. An example could be universities with the names
Ryerson and Laurier or bills with the names Laurier and MacDonald.
·
If
possible, have the library staff compile appropriate texts and bookmark
Internet sites for students to use in their research.
·
Create
a list of famous Canadian politicians. Examples are listed below. Make copies
of this sample list for students:
|
Sir Robert Borden |
Kim Campbell |
Therese Casgrain |
|
Jean Chrétien |
Joe Clark |
Sheila Copps |
|
William Davis |
Leslie Frost |
Mike Harris |
|
William Lyon Mackenzie King |
Sir Wilfrid Laurier |
Flora MacDonald |
|
Sir John A. Macdonald |
Agnes MacPhail |
Nellie McClung |
|
Alexa McDonough |
Brian Mulroney |
Lester Pearson |
|
Bob Rae |
John Robarts |
Jeanne Sauve |
|
Pierre Elliott Trudeau |
|
|
·
Choose
a short biography of a famous Canadian politician to read to the class. Samples
of easy-to-read biographies can be found in encyclopedias and websites. Create
a cloze exercise based on the biography.
·
Create
ten review sentences for students to complete with the use of the simple past
and simple present verb tense (e.g., Jean Chrétien is Canada’s current Prime
Minister; Sir Wilfrid Laurier was the Prime Minister during World War I).
·
On
chart paper have examples of how to cite bibliographical information found from
a variety of sources. Post chart paper in class for students to refer to while
they are completing their research.
·
Book
time in the Library/Resource Centre and/or computer lab for students to
complete their research.
·
Make
copies of Appendix 2H – A Famous Canadian Politician.
Materials: chart paper, copies of
Appendix 2H, pictures of Canadian politicians, word web diagrams, copies of a
short biography of a Canadian politician, copies of the teacher-created cloze
exercise
1. Vocabulary words for this activity should
include achievements, bibliography, and affiliation.
2. Have a display of famous Canadian politicians
to view as students enter the class.
3. Draw a web on the board. Write the word
politician in the centre. Brainstorm places students might find pictures or
names of famous politicians (e.g., money, stamps, highways, schools, etc.).
Write their responses on the spokes around the centre. You may need to provide
examples for students.
4. Read a simple biography about a famous
Canadian politician to the class. Distribute a cloze exercise to be completed
by students based on the biography read in class.
5. Draw attention to the verb tenses used. Call
attention to any irregular verbs.
6. Distribute review sentences for students to
complete using appropriate verb tense. Check for accuracy.
7. Inform students that they will be researching
a famous Canadian politician. Tell them that their research findings are to be
presented to the class in an oral presentation. Show them an overhead of
Appendix 2H – A Famous Canadian Politician and give an overview of the
assignment expectations.
8. Distribute
the list of famous Canadian politicians. Have students choose a person to
research.
9. Show students samples of texts, CD-ROMs, and
Internet sites where further information can be found. Review the importance of
giving credit to the sources of information. Review how to cite resources in a
bibliography.
10. Review the WH6 question format for
understanding and giving information. Distribute copies of the graphic
organizer, Appendix 2H – A Famous Canadian Politician, for students to use when
researching. Inform students that their written paragraphs should contain the
answers to the questions such as Who is the politician? When was s/he born?
Where was s/he born? How long was s/he involved in politics? What positions in
government did s/he hold? Why is s/he remembered? etc.
11. Allow students time in the Library/Resource
Centre and/or computer lab to complete their research, fill in the graphic
organizer, and organize their notes before writing their paragraph.
12. Collect students’ written paragraph on a
famous Canadian politician.
·
Completion
of Famous Canadian graphic organizer is assessed for organized note taking and
research skills. (CRE4.01L, CRE4.02L, CWR1.04L)
·
Written
paragraph on a famous Canadian politician is assessed for knowledge of
paragraph format and accuracy of details. (Knowledge/Understanding,
Thinking/Inquiry)
·
The
teacher reads the biography with students.
·
Help
students highlight the text to aid in note taking.
Texts
Granfield,
Linda. Canada Votes: How We Elect Our
Government. Toronto: Kids Can Press Ltd., 1997. ISBN 1-55074-250-7
The chapter “Now You Have It, Now You Don’t” contains brief biographies on
Nellie McClung, Agnes Macphail, and Therese Casgrain.
Websites
http://cnet.uub.ca/achn/pme
This site gives bibliographic information on Canadian Prime Ministers in both
point-form notes and paragraphs.
Time: 240 minutes
Students
explore issues that might concern the electorate and look at ways in which
people make their voices heard by politicians. Through role plays and a radio
phone-in simulation, students learn to use the appropriate style of language
for a given situation. In the culminating task, students write letters of
concern about a particular issue that affects them or their community.
Strand: Oral and Visual Communication
COR2.02L
- compare the styles of language used in various situations;
COR2.03L
- use the appropriate style of language in a variety of role plays.
Strand: Reading
CRE3.01L
- identify the main idea and supporting details in a piece of writing;
CRE4.01L
- find information in a variety of classroom and library sources.
Strand: Writing
CWR1.03L
- write in a variety of forms;
CWR3.01L
- use conventional spelling for commonly used and personally significant words;
CWR3.02L
- use appropriate verb tenses and make subjects and verbs and nouns and
pronouns agree in written work, some of the time;
CWR3.03L
- vary sentence structure to create interest and emphasis, following models
provided by the teacher;
CWR3.04L
- use correct punctuation in simple sentences.
Strand: Social and Cultural Competence
CSC1.04L
- participate in discussions about important local, national, and international
current events and issues.
·
Familiarity
with Canadian political parties
·
Familiarity
with a letter writing format
·
Familiarity
with radio phone-in programs
·
Be
sensitive to the fact that students in your class may come from countries where
freedom of speech is not a guaranteed constitutional right.
·
Collect
samples of letters to the editor on a variety of political issues to help
students identify the main issue or idea in a piece of writing. Make overheads
of the letters to read with the class.
·
Collect
examples from a variety of media sources on current political issues.
·
Create
an overhead of a business letter and business envelope to model the format for
students.
·
Arrange
for students to listen to a radio phone-in show about current issues in
society.
Materials: overhead of a business letter and envelope, a letter
to the editor, radio.
1. Vocabulary words for this activity could
include petitions, rallies, democracy, protest, and lobby.
2. Brainstorm reasons why people would want to
contact the government. Examples may include an increase in taxes, cuts to health
care, or the closing of a local library.
3. Brainstorm ways people can get involved in
government, such as: letter writing, petitions, peaceful demonstrations,
rallies, and volunteering.
4. Read a letter to the editor to the class. On
an overhead identify the issue of concern in the letter.
5. Discuss the major political issues of the
previous day/week. Have students work in small groups. Each group is given
samples of coverage from different sources such as different newspapers,
magazines, or news websites. Students choose one issue that they feel is
important to them or their community. Ask students to analyse their article
using the WH6 questions. Write the questions on the board for students to refer
to while they work in their groups. Students use the WH6 questions to organize
their writing.
6. Offer students the choice of writing a letter
to an editor of a local paper about their concerns or writing a letter to their
local politician or the Prime Minister. Remind students that letters to the
Prime Minister do not require any postage.
7. Model
the correct format of a formal letter and envelope. The first paragraph states
the concern. The second paragraph states what they hope to see done to address
their concerns. The third paragraph states that they hope the matter will be
dealt with promptly. Allow time for editing before collecting for assessment.
8. Discuss the key people involved in a radio or
television phone-in show. Explain that the class will be creating their own
radio shows. Highlight the responsibilities of the host as well as the
expectations of what is acceptable language “on air.” Listen to a broadcast of
a phone-in show.
9. Brainstorm issues the class would like to
discuss on a radio phone-in show.
10. Divide class into groups. Allow time for
students to choose their issues and write their scripts in preparation for
their radio phone-in simulations. Ensure that each issue has both sides
represented.
11. Have students present their radio show
simulations to the class.
·
Letter
of concern to the editor is assessed for ability to clearly present an issue of
concern and for grammatical accuracy. (Thinking/Inquiry, Application: CWR1.03L,
CWR3.03L)
·
Radio
phone-in simulation is assessed for ability to negotiate group roles and to
participate in discussions about important issues. (Communication: COR2.03L,
CSC1.04L, CSC2.01L)
·
Provide
a guided example of a letter to an editor.
·
Allow
students to tape their radio show to play to the class.
·
Offer
a script of a radio show for students to read.
Texts
Dawe,
R., B. Duncan, and W. Mathieu. Resource
Lines 9/10. Toronto: Prentice Hall Ginn, 1999.
ISBN 0-7702-6648-7
This text contains information on how to write correspondences and has examples
of letters to the editor and petitions (pp. 128-134).
Daily
newspapers
Local
radio stations
Time: 420 minutes
The
expectations are clustered around the development of citizen awareness through
the study of the Canadian electoral system. Students learn about the election
process. The culminating tasks are the collection of the Government and Me
scrapbook, a mock election of a class government, and a unit test.
Strand: Oral and Visual Communication
COR1.01L
- contribute to discussions by sharing ideas and information and responding to
the contributions of others;
COR1.02L
- use non-verbal communication techniques appropriately in discussions and
guided presentations;
COR3.01L
- identify important similarities and differences among different types of
media;
COR3.03L
- create news reports and brief dramatic presentations, using technology.
Strand: Reading
CREV.01L
- read and respond to a variety of fiction and non-fiction materials, with
teacher guidance;
CRE1.02L
- express opinions and participate in discussions about fictional characters;
CRE4.02L
- organize information for oral or written presentation.
Strand: Writing
CWR1.03L
- write in a variety of forms;
CWR3.01L
- use conventional spelling for commonly used and personally significant words;
CWR3.02L
- use appropriate verb tenses and make subjects and verbs and nouns and
pronouns agree in written work, some of the time;
CWR3.04L
- use correct punctuation in simple sentences.
Strand: Social and Cultural Competence
CSC1.01L
- demonstrate knowledge of basic facts about the levels of government in
Canada;
CSC1.02L
- explain basic facts about the Canadian electoral system;
CSC1.03L
- find and discuss information about the political parties in Canada.
·
Familiarity
with making oral presentations
·
Familiarity
with persuasive language techniques
·
Obtain
a copy of the picture book, The Day GoGo Went to Vote.
·
Obtain
a copy of Election’s Canada’s Teacher Resource kit entitled, Canada at the
Polls!
·
Review
the process for running an election as explained in Canada at the Polls!, section 2: The ABCs of Elections.
·
Prepare
election result materials and ballots for use in the class election. These
items can be found in the resource kit, Canada at the Polls!
·
Create
and make copies of a flow chart showing the steps in an election. Page 12 in
Canada at the Polls! contains the steps in the election process.
·
Arrange
for students to view the CBC4kids website which contains an election word
search.
·
Create
a unit test with questions covering information learned from all of the
activities. Include a variety of question formats, such as multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank,
short answer, and true and false.
·
Be
prepared to allow students some time to work on the completion of their
scrapbook assignment.
Materials: copies of flow charts on elections, copies of handout
“Elections in Canada”, copies of ballots, copies of the unit test.
1. Words in the vocabulary log could include:
ballot, campaign, constituencies, debate, election, enumeration, poll, polling
station, riding, and scrutineers
2. Remind students that this is the final activity
in the unit and that they will hand in their Government and Me scrapbook and
write a unit test which includes questions on information from every activity.
3. Collect Government and Me scrapbook
assignment for assessment.
4. Read aloud a story such as The Day GoGo Went to Vote. Students
write a personal response to the story.
5. Ask students why voting is important. Review
who is eligible to vote in Canada.
6. Distribute copies of a flow chart to
review/teach the steps taken in the organization of an election.
7. Inform students that they will be creating a
mock election for a class government. They decide on how many students they
will need to run the government. Schedule a date for the elections to be held.
Inform them that two to three days of campaigning should be sufficient. Assign
roles for election duties.
8. Show students examples of campaign
advertisements. Highlight the persuasive language. Create a checklist with the
students of what makes a good campaign advertisement. Inform students that the
checklist will be used later in their evaluation.
9. Discuss with students what makes a speaker
persuasive, e.g., use of repetition, slogans, voice quality, etc. Create with
students a checklist for a good speech.
10. Explain to students the purpose and format of
a town hall meeting. Highlight the roles of the facilitator and the audience
members in asking the candidates questions. Review appropriate language for
asking questions in a formal setting.
11. Inform students that they will either write a
campaign speech or role-play a town hall meeting. Direct students to choose
which style of speaking presentation they will perform for the class. Remind
students that their issue should come across clearly.
12. Allow students time to work on their oral presentations.
13. Organize the class into small groups for
students to rehearse presentations and receive peer feedback using the
checklists.
14. Organize the class in a mock election. Teach
the steps of calling an election. Organize the times for the presentations of
the advertisements, speeches, and town hall meeting.
15. When all the presentations are completed set
up the polling station.
16. Review/teach how to mark a ballot. Distribute
ballots. Begin the voting process.
17. Count the results and announce the winners.
18. Prior to the unit test, distribute a
teacher-developed handout about elections for the students to complete as a
homework assignment. This helps reinforce some of the information learned.
19. Review the highlights from each activity of
this unit to prepare for the unit test.
20. Students write a unit test.
·
Personal
response to the story is assessed for ability to read and respond to fiction
and to express opinions about fictional characters. (Thinking/Inquiry:
CREV.01L, CRE1.02L, CWR1.03L, CWR3.01L)
·
Oral
presentation of a campaign advertisement, debate, or town hall meeting is
assessed for proficiency in oral communication. (Communication: COR1.02L,
COR3.03L)
·
Government
and Me scrapbook is assessed for ability to report on personal reading and
write short summaries. (Thinking/Inquiry, Communication: CRE4.02L, CWR1.03L,
CWR3.01L, CWR3.02L, CWR3.04L)
·
Unit
test is assessed for knowledge of key facts about levels of government, political
parties, and the electoral process. (Knowledge/Understanding: CSC1.01L,
CSC1.02L, CSC1.03L)
·
Students
can work together to create their campaign speeches.
·
Students
choosing to ask questions in the town hall meeting may choose their questions
from a selection of teacher pre-prepared questions.
·
For
enrichment, students can visit the CBC4kids and Elections Canada websites and
participate in some fun and challenging activities based on elections.
Texts
Citizen and Immigration Canada. A
Look at Canada.
Ottawa, 1995. ISBN 0-662-21457-9
pp. 26-29 have information on how elections run in Canada.
Elections
Canada. Canada at the Polls! 1999.
ISBN0-662-27617-5
An election simulation kit designed for students Grade 5 and up.
Granfield,
Linda. Canada Votes: How We Elect Our
Government. Toronto: Kids Can Press Ltd., 1997. ISBN 1-55074-250-7
Contains information on who can vote, and election-day happenings.
Hux,
A, J. Brandao, and M. Wong. My Country,
Our History. Toronto: Pippin Publishing Ltd., 1995. ISBN 0-88751-047-7
pp. 218-220 contain information on how elections work in Canada.
Quinlan,
D., M.J. Pickup, and T. Lahey. Government:
Participating in Canada. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN
0-19-541279-6
Chapter 6 contains information on the electoral process in Canada and how a
campaign is conducted.
Sisulu,
Elinor. The Day Gogo Went to Vote.
Canada: Little, Brown & Company, 1996.
ISBN 0-316-70267-6
The story of a young girl and her great-grandmother as they go to vote on the
historic day when black South Africans are allowed to vote for the first time.
Websites
www.elections.ca
(information on ordering the teacher resource kit, Canada at the Polls!)
http://cbc4kids.ca/election/wordsearch.html
(election word search based on the Federal Election of 2000)
http://cbc.ca/election2000/quiz
A series of five quizzes consisting of ten multiple-choice questions. Each
answer receives an immediate response with details about the correct facts.
http://www.elections.ca/youth/index.html
This site has an Elections Canada trivia game. It offers multiple-choice
questions with research links to find the correct responses.
http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/State/govern.htm#3l3
Links to information on distribution of House of Commons seats and Federal general
elections.
The
Federal Government
The
Federal government is the government for all of Canada. It is based on the
model of government of England. The Queen is the head of Canada. She is
represented by the Governor General of Canada because she lives in England and
cannot be in Canada to perform all her duties. The Governor General of Canada
performs the duties of the King or Queen at Canadian functions. The federal
government in Canada is called Parliament. It is responsible for making
Canadian laws. Parliament is made up of two parts, the House of Commons and the
Senate. The people in the Senate are called Senators. The Prime Minister
chooses or appoints Senators.
The
Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected to the House of Commons. The people who
live in a specific area called a home riding elect MPs. An MP’s job is to serve
the people who elect them by participating in daily sessions of Parliament.
The
political party with the most Members of Parliament elected to the House of
Commons forms the government. The leader of the party that forms the government
becomes the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister chooses the Cabinet. The Cabinet
Ministers help and advise the Prime Minister in specific areas. An example is the
Cabinet Minister responsible for Immigration.
The
federal government is responsible for things such as the armed forces, postal
services, and immigration.
The
political party with the second most Members of Parliament forms the Official
Opposition.
The
Provincial Government
In the
provincial government, the Queen is represented by a Lieutenant Governor.
The
provincial Legislative Assembly is the provincial equivalent to the federal
House of Commons. The Legislative Assembly is responsible for making the
provincial laws. The voters in an Ontario election vote for their Members of
the Provincial Parliament* (MPPs). The political party with the most Members of
the Legislative Assembly elected forms the provincial government. The leader of
the party that forms the provincial government becomes the Premier of the
province. The Premier chooses the Cabinet Ministers. It is their job to help
and advise the Premier in specific areas. An example is the provincial Cabinet
Minister responsible for Education.
The provincial
government is responsible for things such as health care, natural resources,
and education.
The
political party with the second most Members of the Legislative Assembly forms
the Opposition.
*Note:
The members of the
Legislative Assembly have different titles in the different provinces in
Canada. In Quebec, they are called Members of the National Assembly, in
Newfoundland they are called Members of the House of Assembly, and in the rest
of Canada they are called the Members of the Legislative Assembly.
The
Municipal and Regional Governments
The
municipal government is also called the local government. It is responsible for
making local bylaws. People in cities and towns vote for their municipal
government. The members of the municipal governments are called Councillors.
The Mayor is the head of the municipal government.
The
regional government is made up of representatives from municipalities, or
wards, if a municipality is divided into wards.
This
level of government is responsible for things such as urban and rural planning,
transportation, community safety and health, garbage collection, water supply,
and police.
Use
the information in the Blue Pages of the phone book to complete this worksheet.
1. What are the three symbols for the three
levels of government in the phone book?
2. What is the phone number for information on
the Government of Canada?
3. What is the website address for the
Government of Canada?
4. What is the phone number for information on
Ontario provincial services?
5. What is the website address for the
Government of Ontario?
6. What is the phone number for information on
your local government services?
7. What is the website address for your local
government?
8. The programs and services provided by all
three levels of government are combined and grouped under keyword headings in
the Blue Pages. What are the letters used to represent each level of
government?
9. The keyword headings are listed
alphabetically. The following are examples of some government services. List
these services in alphabetical order.
|
Training and Apprenticeship |
Seniors |
Drivers and Vehicles |
|
Weather |
Education |
Swimming |
|
Citizenship and Immigration |
Welfare |
Health |
|
Housing |
Libraries |
|
10. You may know what service or program you want
but you may still have difficulty finding the correct telephone number. From
the services and programs listed below, underline the word that you think is
the keyword you would use to search the keyword headings. Use the Blue Pages to
check if you are looking under the correct headings. Write the keyword heading
used in the Blue Pages. Beside each write in the correct phone number for the
service or program.
|
Government Service or Program |
Keyword Heading in the Blue Pages |
Phone # |
|
Health
Card |
|
|
|
Drivers
and Vehicles License Issuing |
|
|
|
Employment
and Training |
|
|
|
Assaulted
Women’s Helpline |
|
|
|
Hockey
arenas |
|
|
|
Recycling
depots |
|
|
A variety
of government services and programs are listed below. Beside each write the
level of government responsible for the service or program. Federal = F Provincial = P Municipal
= M
|
a) Employment insurance b) Licensing of drivers and motor vehicles c) Providing city police services d) Snow and garbage removal e) Postal services f) Royal Canadian Mounted Police g) Providing health care h) Collecting property taxes |
i) Providing education j) Controlling immigration k) Public transit l) Currency and coinage m) Sales tax – PST n) The census o) Marriage and divorce |
When
Mr. Lang wakes up he listens to the national news and the local weather. He
gets ready and drives to work on the highway. At lunchtime, he eats in the park
beside his office. On his way home, he stops by the school to pick up his
children. Then they all go to the library to borrow some books. When they get
home, Mr. Lang checks the mail. There is a letter reminding him to renew his
driver’s licence. Mr. Lang has a busy day.
1. Identify one federal, one provincial, and one
municipal government service that Mr. Lang uses throughout his day.
2. Underline all the verbs in the paragraph.
3. Rewrite the paragraph changing all the verbs
to the past tense.
Over the
course of this unit you will be learning a lot of information about the
government in Canada. You will be learning facts about:
· the levels of government in Canada
· the main political parties in Canada
· famous Canadian politicians
· how elections work
You
will also become aware of many current political issues.
Your
scrapbook must contain the following:
· Copies of newspaper articles about current political issues facing each level of government. You will need one article for each level of government.
· A brief written summary of each article following the WH6 format.
· A response journal for each article. Your response journal should be written in paragraph form. Explain how you feel about the issue and why you chose this article to include in your scrapbook.
Use
this checklist to help you organize your scrapbook and ensure that your
assignment is completed to the best of your ability. Check off each assignment
when it is completed and entered into your scrapbook.
|
I have
chosen a newspaper article about a federal political issue. |
Yes |
No |
|
I have
completed a summary of this article using the WH6 format. |
Yes |
No |
|
I have
written a response journal explaining how I feel about this issue and why I
chose to include it in my scrapbook. |
Yes |
No |
|
I have
chosen a newspaper article about a provincial political issue. |
Yes |
No |
|
I have
completed a summary of this article using the WH6 format. |
Yes |
No |
|
I have
written a response journal explaining how I feel about this issue and why I
chose to include it in my scrapbook. |
Yes |
No |
|
I have
chosen a newspaper article about a local political issue. |
Yes |
No |
|
I have
completed a summary of this article using the WH6 format. |
Yes |
No |
|
I have
written a response journal explaining how I feel about this issue and why I
chose to include it in my scrapbook. |
Yes |
No |
Your
group will be presenting the findings of your research to the class in an oral presentation.
Design a poster to demonstrate your knowledge about the political party.
My
group’s political party is … The leader of
the party is …
Does the
party have a slogan? If so, what is the party’s slogan?
Does the
party have a logo? If so, what does it look like?
What are
the colours associated with the party?
Do you
have a photo of the leader to show to the class? Yes _____ No ______
Bibliography
Websites
used during research:
Texts
used to supply information for presentation (Title, Author, pages used):
|
Name of Politician |
Place and Date of Birth |
Level of Government |
Party Affiliation |
Years in Government |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Most Important Political Accomplishments
·
___________________________________________________________
·
___________________________________________________________
Bibliography (Titles, Authors, Pages Used; Websites;
CD-ROMs)
·
___________________________________________________________
·
___________________________________________________________
Course Overview | Unit 1
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