Canadian Citizenship Teaching Guide (Grades 1-6)
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#StandForCanada CITIZENSHIP TEACHING GUIDE ELEMENTARY Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2 Introductory Lesson: Introducing Canadian Rights and Responsibilities ...................................................... 3 Key Terms .................................................................................................................................................. 5 Rights & Responsibilities (Primary‐level version) ..................................................................................... 6 Rights & Responsibilities (Junior‐level version) ........................................................................................ 8 Lesson 1: Citizen Responsibilities ................................................................................................................ 10 Canadian Responsibilities ....................................................................................................................... 12 Canadian Responsibility Scenes .............................................................................................................. 13 Lesson 2: The Importance of Being a Good Citizen .................................................................................... 15 Lesson 3: Celebrating Everyday Citizens ..................................................................................................... 17 Certificate of Outstanding Citizenship .................................................................................................... 19 Lesson 4: Welcome to Canada! ................................................................................................................... 20 Lesson 5: Canada Quiz ................................................................................................................................ 22 Quiz Questions ........................................................................................................................................ 23 Quiz Answers ........................................................................................................................................... 26 GUIDE CREDITS Elementary guide writer: Courtney White Developed in partnership by: Sponsored by: #StandForCanada CITIZENSHIP TEACHING GUIDE ELEMENTARY Introduction What does it mean to be Canadian? How do we define ourselves on the global stage? These are questions that are not simple for anyone to answer, and it can seem like a large concept to tackle with elementary students, however when we think of Canada there are certain aspects of our lives that we know shape our communities. These lessons help your students to understand their rights and responsibilities as Canadian citizens, and encourage them to think about what they appreciate about our country such as individual freedoms, valuing multiculturalism, volunteerism, helping those in need, welcoming new citizens, taking care of the environment, and protecting Canada’s heritage and culture. Organization of Lessons Each lesson is designed with consideration for grade and ability level, and the lessons are flexible in order to suit the needs of your students. Consideration has also been given in regards to what materials you may have available to you. Suggestions for Junior and Primary grades are outlined, as well as opportunities to integrate technology and read‐aloud books. Each lesson contains the following: • Key Concept: What the lesson focusses on • Key Terms: New words your students may need defined • Learning Goals: What you want students to understand by the end of the lesson • Materials: Anything that is required to complete the lesson in‐full • Overview: A summary of the steps • Steps: How to facilitate the lesson Curriculum Connections These lessons are easily connected to many areas of curriculum with a focus primarily on Social Studies, Visual Arts, Drama, and Language. Engaging students in these lessons is a wonderful way to encourage them to make connections to their local and national communities, and let them learn from one another’s experiences. The knowledge they gain through these interactive activities will give them an appreciation for the role they can play in enriching Canada as participating citizens. | 2 #StandForCanada CITIZENSHIP TEACHING GUIDE ELEMENTARY Introductory Lesson: Introducing Canadian Rights and Responsibilities Grades 1 to 6 Key Concept Materials Needed This lesson will teach students the meaning of Printed or copied Key Terms (provided) the term Citizen and what it means to have Printed or copied Rights and Responsibilities Rights and Responsibilities as a Canadian. (provided) Key Terms Blank Sheets of paper (primary only) Crayons, pencil crayons or markers Citizen, Right, Responsibility, Heritage (primary only) Learning Goals Chart paper Marker Students understand what a citizen is Tape, magnets or reusable adhesive putty Students know the difference between a Right and a Responsibility students share with the class. Next, reveal the Overview definition below on a piece of chart paper. Being a Canadian citizen involves maintaining and upholding rules and responsibilities so that Canadian Citizen: Someone who is born in we can live peacefully. Our core values as Canada, or who moves to Canada and receives Canadians focus on respect. We work hard to a certificate of citizenship. ensure that Canadians respect themselves, each Ask Students what Heritage means and allow other, the environment, and the heritage of the them to discuss with an elbow partner. Return nation. This lesson will teach students what it to full‐group discussion and share answers, then means to be a Canadian Citizen, and about their reveal the definition below on a piece of chart rights and responsibilities. Students will learn paper. the difference between a right and a responsibility, and how these apply to them as Heritage: Objects, buildings, talents, or young Canadians. traditions that are passed down and shared with a new generation of people Suggested Read-Aloud Books From Far and Wide: A Canadian Citizenship Tell students that it is their Right to receive an Scrapbook by Jo Bannatyne‐Cugnet education. Ask them what they think this Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners by means. After a few student suggestions, reveal Laurie Keller the definition below for Right on a piece of chart paper. Activity 1 Right: Something that every person deserves, Ask students “What does the word Citizen and that cannot be taken away from them. mean?” Ask students to take a few seconds to think of Tell them to turn to an elbow‐partner (someone other things that are their Right as a Canadian sitting near them) and discuss. Return to full citizen with an elbow‐partner. group discussion and share answers, writing a few on the board if desired. Tell students that it is their Responsibility to obey the law. Ask them what they think this Repeat with the question “What is a Canadian means. After a few student suggestions, reveal citizen?” Ask students to create a definition the definition for Responsibility on another with their elbow‐partner, and have a few piece of chart paper. | 3 #StandForCanada CITIZENSHIP TEACHING GUIDE ELEMENTARY Responsibility: Something that is expected of Primary: you, and that benefits everyone. Label one side of the room RIGHT and the other side RESPONSIBILITY. The teacher stands in the Ask students to take a few seconds to think of middle of the room and reads examples at other things that are their Responsibility as a random from the Rights and Responsibilities List Canadian citizen and have them share with a provided. The students have to decide if what partner or the class. the teacher said was a right or a responsibility, Activity 2 and they travel to that side of the room. The teacher then reveals if it is a right or a Split the class in half. One side is Team One and responsibility. If many students get one the other is Team Two. Print or copy the Key incorrect, check for understanding by repeating Terms provided, and give out copies to each it again later in the game to see if they now go team. Allow each team to read and study the to the correct side. definitions for a few minutes. Take away all definitions before beginning the game. Consolidation Begin the game by having someone from Team Junior: One go somewhere that they cannot hear the Give students a minute to view the papers. teacher. The teacher will then give Team One a Referring back to the definitions, discuss as a key term from this lesson (Citizen, Right, class which sentences are Rights and which are Responsibility, or Heritage). Students on Team Responsibilities. Invite students who spot errors One must describe the word to their teammate to come up and move the slip of paper, without saying the actual word, and the student explaining how they know where it must guess the word correctly. After the belongs. Discuss ones that you think were teacher‐determined amount of time (likely 30 tricky, and ask the students how they know it is seconds) if the student has not guessed a right or responsibility. correctly then Team Two has the chance to Primary: make a guess and steal the point. If neither Give students blank paper and ask them to team guesses correctly, the word is revealed. draw an example of a Right or Responsibility Repeat these steps, alternating between teams. that they learned in this lesson. Activity 3 Ensure that the definitions