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Introduction We Would Like to Thank You for Accepting the Important Responsibility of Bringing Democracy and Civic Education Into Your Classroom

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Introduction We Would Like to Thank You for Accepting the Important Responsibility of Bringing Democracy and Civic Education Into Your Classroom STUDENT VOTE RESOURCE Introduction We would like to thank you for accepting the important responsibility of bringing democracy and civic education into your classroom. Your enthusiasm toward special initiatives like Student Vote provides an example to students and their families and friends that democratic engagement is an important and worthwhile effort. What is the purpose of the Student Vote program? The program provides young people with an opportunity to experience the voting process firsthand and to practice the habits of informed and engaged citizenship. The Student Vote program applies the concept of the “teachable moment” and uses the official election as a springboard for discussing current affairs and the value of democratic participation. What is the rationale for this resource? These lessons are intended to improve civic literacy, introduce the concepts of democracy and elections, increase awareness about the workings and impact of government, and teach students how to actively participate in the democratic process. The final lesson allows students to reflect on their participation in Student Vote and the outcome of the election. The whole process is an empowering lesson in civic responsibility and citizen engagement. Why is it important to encourage discussion with family and friends? Based on feedback from teachers, we know that students are eager to share their newfound knowledge with family and friends, and engage them in conversation about the election. This exchange allows students to explore different points of view, further develop their own opinions and start conversations that they may not have started otherwise. This dialogue also has a positive impact on families and their voting habits. We encourage you to incorporate take-home activities into your Student Vote plans and find ways to promote political discussion at home. What is Student Vote Day? During National Student Vote Week, more than 500,000 students from across Canada will vote using the ballots and ballot boxes provided. Students will take on the roles of election workers to conduct a parallel vote on the official election candidates. The results of the parallel election will be shared on the Student Vote website following the closing of the official polls and with the media for broadcast and publication. Additional Resources, Comments or Questions? We hope this resource is helpful to you and your students. The lessons, editable worksheets in Word and additional resources, including videos and PowerPoint presentations, can be found on the Student Vote website (www.studentvote.ca). If you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to contact the CIVIX team at 1-866-488-8775 or by email at [email protected]. STUDENT VOTE RESOURCE Acknowledgements Student Vote is the flagship program of CIVIX. CIVIX is a non-partisan registered charity building the skills and habits of citizenship among young Canadians. CIVIX has partnered with Elections Canada to provide the Student Vote program free to schools across Canada in conjunction with the 2015 federal election. Elections Canada is an independent body set up by Parliament to conduct federal elections, by-elections and referendums, and administer other important aspects of our democratic electoral system. This resource is meant to support teachers in implementing the Student Vote program and to facilitate the engagement of students in the election campaign. Resource Development Team We would like to thank educators Michelle Barrett, Mark Glor, Charlene O’Hanley and Pat Orobko for contributing their ideas and feedback to the development of this activity resource. Copyright Notice This resource is copyright of Elections Canada and CIVIX. Pages of this publication may be reproduced freely for non-profit and educational purposes. STUDENT VOTE RESOURCE Table of Contents Suggestions for Wider Engagement - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 How to Use this Resource - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 LESSON 1: Governance and Democracy - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 LESSON 2: Democratic Rights and Responsibilities - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14 LESSON 3: Governments in Canada - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 21 LESSON 4: Political Parties - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 31 LESSON 5: Local Candidates and Issues - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 41 LESSON 6: The Role of Media in Elections - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 47 LESSON 7: Opinion Polling - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 52 LESSON 8: The Voting Process - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 55 LESSON 9: Post-Election Analysis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 62 Assessment Opportunities - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 65 Glossary - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 72 STUDENT VOTE RESOURCE Suggestions for Wider Engagement The Student Vote program can be organized for your class, with several classes or your entire school. The CIVIX team is here to help you, regardless of how you decide to run the program. If you choose to engage more than just your own class, there are great ways to involve your students in the implementation of the program and provide them with an opportunity to develop their leadership skills. By organizing an election team, students will be empowered to take on the roles and responsibilities of coordinating the Student Vote program for their school. You can divide students into groups and assign each group a specific department or responsibility (see examples below). Getting the Word Out/Communications: Responsible for informing students about the Student Vote program and encouraging participation. • Develop a plan to advertise the program and election (e.g., goals, methods, activities) • Create a calendar for your communications and announcements, including the who, what, when, where and how (e.g., morning announcements, videos, classroom presentations, posters) • Develop key messaging (slogans) and create materials • Discuss the communications plan and carry out the activities Informing Student Voters: Responsible for educating students about the parties, candidates and election issues. • Develop an education plan about what students should know (e.g., federal government responsibilities, national issues of concern, local candidates running for election) • Conduct student polls on election issues, discuss the results and share them with students • Create literature and activities for distribution to classes throughout the school (e.g., bulletins, newsletters, multi-media presentations, worksheets) Events: Responsible for organizing events during the campaign period in coordination with the other teams. • Design a special event to encourage excitement in the election and improve voter turnout (e.g., vote mob, rally) • Coordinate the local candidates to visit over lunch or coordinate an all-candidates meeting • Invite a guest speaker to discuss the role of government and how elections work (e.g., public servant, journalist) • Assign the roles and manage the event(s) Student Vote Day Operations: Responsible for organizing the election. • Determine which voting method will work best on Student Vote Day (e.g., voting in the gym or library, voting by class or grade). Refer to the Student Vote Election Manual for options • Train election workers for their duties (e.g., deputy returning officers, poll clerks, scrutineers) • Compile a voters list and determine ID requirements (if applicable) • Decide on options for advance polls for students who may be away on Student Vote Day • Conduct an information session, or prepare a poster or skit about how to fill out a ballot • Ensure all materials are ready for Student Vote Day (ballot boxes, voting screens, seals or tape, tally sheets, voters list) Media and Community Relations:Responsible for communicating and engaging with local media and the greater community. • Write a letter or email to invite media to attend your campaign events or Student Vote Day • Write an op-ed piece for your local paper about the election and your school’s Student Vote activities • Interview students and/or take photos of your Student Vote Day to share on your school’s website, newsletter or through social media • Develop and implement ideas to increase election awareness in the school community 4 STUDENT VOTE RESOURCE How to use this Resource This activity resource was designed by teachers, for teachers. Each lesson has several options available to easily adapt it to your particular classroom. Please use, modify, rearrange and choose from this resource as you see fit. We hope you find it easy to navigate and implement in your classroom. The lessons build upon one another and have an easy flow, but they can also be used as stand-alone lessons depending on the needs of your classroom and schedule. Below you will find a brief description of the different features in each lesson. Objective: Provides a brief summary of what the lesson entails and what knowledge students are expected to have acquired upon completion. Key Words: Important words used in this lesson. These definitions can be found in the Glossary and in the Background Information for Teachers sections. Questions to Explore During this Lesson:Key questions that may be used as an entry point to an opening discussion with students, or as guiding questions to keep you on track during the lesson. Supplementary Tools: A list of handouts, worksheets, PowerPoints and videos developed to aid in the implementation of the lesson. Teaching Strategies: Each lesson has been broken
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