Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Dear Educator,
We would like to thank you for accepting this important responsibility of bringing democracy and citizenship education into your classroom. By introducing your students to the habits of citizenship, you are making an extremely worthwhile contribution to our democracy. Your enthusiasm toward special initiatives such as the Student Vote program provides an example to students (and their families) that caring about their democracy is an important and worthwhile effort. What is the purpose of the Student Vote program? The Student Vote program provides young Canadians with an opportunity to experience the democratic process firsthand and practice the habits of informed and engaged citizenship. The Student Vote program applies the concept of the ‘teachable moment’ using the official election as a backdrop to the parallel election. By matching real life events with school life, this exercise can motivate your students into becoming informed and active citizens. Our hope is that through your instruction students will enter as citizens into the community with knowledge, understanding and a sense of empowerment. Through the campaign activities and resulting vote, we look forward to inspiring a conversation about civic responsibility in your class and at home. Why is it important to encourage family discussion? Based on feedback from past programs, we know that students are eager to share their knowledge with family and friends, engaging them in conversation about the election. This family exchange allows students to explore different points of view and further develop habits of informed citizenship. Discuss ideas with your students that may encourage ‘democracy at the dinner table’ as take home assignments. What is Student Vote Day? On designated Student Vote days, which are held in advance of the official election, hundreds of thousands of students from across Canada will be voting using the ballots and ballot boxes provided. Students will take over the roles of Deputy Returning Officers and Poll Clerks to conduct an election for themselves and their peers – a very empowering process! The Student Vote results will be shared with media partners for broadcast and publication following the official election. For this reason, the more students you can engage in your school, the more empowering the process will be for schools and students across Canada. It is an honour for Student Vote to be working with you and we look forward to hearing the story of your students’ engagement. As always, Student Vote is here to support you and your students. Please feel free to contact us through email at [email protected] or toll free at 1.866.488.8775 for any assistance.
Sincerely, The Student Vote Team
1 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
How To Use This Resource
This resource has been designed for use by educators at the intermediate and secondary school levels.
Big Idea The activities have been divided into eleven lessons and each lesson is guided by a big idea, which is in- tended to act as an anchor for both the teacher and student. Hook Each lesson begins with a hook that relates to the overall theme and subject matter. Use this short exercise or idea to introduce the topic and trigger student engagement at the beginning of the lesson. School-Wide Ideas Remember that the Student Vote program is intended to engage as many students as possible in the elec- tion. Even though some students may not be taking Social Studies this semester, it is important that they are involved in some manner. Look for interesting ways to engage the entire student body throughout the campaign within these sections. Keywords In each lesson, you will find a list of keywords that relate to the various activities. Make sure you are familiar with these words and their definitions. A glossary is posted online at www.studentvote.ca. Activity Options The development of this resource was guided by the understanding that different students require different styles of instruction and ways of learning, and that educators are constantly adjusting lessons to meet the specific learning requirements of their students. Rather than a step-by-step set of instructions for directing students towards a particular skill or understanding, each lesson and big idea provide a wide variety of activity options to choose from. These options are categorized according to the orders of thinking proposed by Benjamin Bloom (2001): Know, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Create and Evaluate. Teachers have the opportunity to select activities most appropriate to the knowledge and ability of their unique group of students. Key Activities While educators should choose activities based on the requirements and abilities of their students, key activities have been highlighted in each lesson to help teachers plan their instruction. These particular activities are emphasized both because they focus on essential knowledge and understandings and because teachers and students in past elections have favoured these activities. Teaching Strategies To offer even more flexibility and creativity, an assortment of teaching strategies have been proposed after each activity’s description with the intention of providing students with a variety of ways to demonstrate understanding and mastery. For one particular activity, you might see several possible learning strategies, such as: Think-Pair-Share, Class Discussion, Writing Assignment and Worksheet. Teachers are encouraged to choose from any combination of these strategies to achieve the learning outcomes. For a refresher on these strategies, please visit www.studentvote.ca. Online Resource Library Please note that all lesson plans, worksheets, handouts and a list of supplementary resources can be found in the online Resource Library at www.studentvote.ca. The worksheets and handouts are editable for your convenience.
2 How To Use This Resource Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Lessons & Big Ideas
1. Our Rights & Responsibilities...... 7 The right to vote comes with the responsibility to cast a ballot in an informed and purposeful manner. The act of voting is a fundamental responsibility stemming from every Canadian’s democratic right.
2. The Canadian Electoral Process ...... 15 The Canadian electoral system guides the process in which votes are translated into seats in the House of Commons. The political party that wins the most seats (normally) forms the government. A thoughtful election administration strategy is essential for ensuring a fair, transparent and inclusive election.
3. The Levels of Government...... 23 Canada has three levels of government: federal, provincial and municipal. Each level of government has its own elected representatives and areas of responsibility. An understanding of the structure and function of each level of government allows citizens to efficiently present concerns to the appropriate body and hold the government to account.
4. Youth Participation...... 29 Participation in democratic processes such as elections and a personal connection with public affairs are essential for young voters to influence government institutions.
5. The Political Spectrum...... 33 The political spectrum is a means of characterizing beliefs, values and priorities, and provides a conceptual framework in which to view and evaluate political parties and platforms.
6. The Political Party...... 43 It is important to be familiar with political parties, which bring together people with similar political ideals and goals who are seeking to effect change by being elected.
7. Understanding the Issues...... 48 To be active and informed citizens, it is essential to consume news and information critically, evaluate different points of view and identify political biases in order to understand national issues, local issues and what different parties and candidates will do if elected.
8. The Leaders’ Debate ...... 55 The leaders’ debate allows citizens to gauge the qualities, substance and image of national leaders and also to compare and contrast their positions on major election issues, key priorities and visions for Canada.
9. Going Local ...... 62 Electors across the country vote for different local candidates and may be influenced by different issues. It is important to evaluate local candidates’ approaches to important local issues.
10. Preparing to Vote...... 69 Consider personal priorities and critically analyze information from a broad range of sources before making an informed and purposeful electoral decision.
11. Post-Election Analysis ...... 73 Post-election analysis allows voters to reflect on the election outcome and predict how the new Parliament will impact Canadians.
Lessons & Big Ideas 3 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Sample Pathways The following pathways have been designed to present suggested options for implementing the Student Vote curriculum and to help narrow down the choices presented in this resource. Feel free to adapt the recommendations based on time and your students’ needs.
10 Days Allotted to Student Vote Curriculum
Period Lesson Activity Strategy
1 1 - Our Rights & Hook 15 min Responsibilities Know 10 min Class Discussion Understand 1 20 min Think-Pair-Share Analyze 1 20 min Simulation Create or Reflect 5 min Journal
2 2 - The Canadian Hook 15 min Electoral Process Know 1 25 min Class Discussion Apply 30 min Group Work
3 3 - The Levels of Know 1 15 min Worksheet 3.1 Government Know 2 15 min Worksheet 3.2 Apply 1 15 min Rapid Writing Understand 1 25 min Bulletin Board
4 4 - Youth Participation Hook 5 min Understand 1 15 min Think-Pair-Share Analyze 1 15 min Graphing; Class Discussion Create 1 or 2 30 min + homework Audio, Visual or Oral Presentation Reflect 5 min Ticket Out of Class
5 5 - The Political Know 15 min Class Discussion; Handout 5.1 Spectrum
6 - The Political Party Know 1 15 min Class Discussion Apply 40 min + visits Audio, Visual or Oral Presentation; Classroom Visits
6 2 - The Canadian Apply 70 min Experiential Learning; Electoral Process Planning and Preparation
7 7 - Understanding Hook 10 min Interactive White Board the Issues Understand 20 min Internet Search
8 - The Leaders’ Debate Apply 1 Triangle Debate; Ticket Out of Class or 40 min Evaluate Rubric; Drawing Conclusions While Reading
8 9 - Going Local Hook 10 min Know 1 & 30 min Class Discussion; Placemat Understand 1 Evaluate 30 min Writing an Explanation
9 10 - Preparing to Vote Hook 5 min Apply 2 65+ min depending on Simulation arrangement of vote Understand 2 homework Mentoring
10 11 - Post-Election Hook 5 min Analysis Know & 30 min Worksheet 11.1; Class Discussion Understand 1 Evaluate 1 15 min Placemat Apply 2 20 min Write a letter
4 Sample Pathways Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Sample Pathways: Continued
5 Days Allotted to Student Vote Curriculum (Excluding Student Vote Day)
Period Lesson Activity Strategy
1 1 - Our Rights & Know 10 min Class Discussion; Worksheet 1.1 Responsibilities Understand 1 20 min Think-Pair-Share Analyze 1 20 min Simulation Reflect 5 min/homework Journal
4 - Youth Participation Understand 1 15 min Class Discussion
2 2 - The Canadian Hook 10 min Electoral Process Know 1 25 min Class Discussion
3 - The Levels of Know 1 15 min Worksheet 3.1 Government Know 2 15 min Worksheet 3.2 Reflect 5 min/homework Journal
3 2 - The Canadian Apply 70 min Experiential Learning; Electoral Process Planning and Preparation
4 6 - The Political Party Know 1 15 min Class Discussion Apply 45 min Audio, Visual or Oral Presentation; Classroom Visits 9 - Going Local Hook 10 min Class Discussion
10 - Preparing to Vote Understand 2 homework Mentoring Evaluate homework Journal
5 10 - Preparing to Vote Understand 1 5 min Rapid Writing
11 - Post-Election Hook 5 min Analysis Know 20 min Class Discussion Understand 1 or 2 20 min Map Labeling Analyze 3 20 min Write an Explanation; Publish Your Work
Sample Pathways 5 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Acknowledgements
Student Vote and Elections Canada have partnered to provide this resource and parallel election project. Student Vote is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that aims to build the capacity and commitment of young Canadians to participate in their democracy. Elections Canada is the independent, non-partisan agency responsible for conducting federal elections and referendums. Resource Development Team We would like to thank the lead writer, Jeremy Sandor, for developing this activity resource. We would also like to thank Shari Kulik, Stacey Barron, Neeta Kumar-Britten, Lela Lilko and John Thompson for contributing their ideas and feedback to the development of this resource.
6 Acknowledgements Intermediate/Secondary Resource
LESSON 1 Our Rights & Responsibilities
Big Idea The right to vote comes with the responsibility to cast a ballot in an informed and purposeful manner. The act of voting is a fundamental responsibility stemming from every Canadian’s democratic right. Background The inherent rights and responsibilities of citizens are key to a democratic government. A right is an abstract idea of something that is due to a person or governmental body by law or tradition or nature. An example of a right we all have in Canada is the right to an education. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms contains seven sections that define our rights as Canadians: fundamental rights, democratic rights, mobility rights, legal rights, equality rights, official languages of Canada and minority language education rights. Democratic rights include the right for every Canadian, 18 years of age or older, to vote in an election and be a candidate, as well as the requirement that governments hold elections at least every five years and that these governments meet at least every year. With every right comes a responsibility. A responsibility is the social force that binds you to your obligations and the courses of action demanded by that force. If we have the right to an education, then the responsibility we have is to work hard and respect others’ right to learn. School-Wide Idea Establish a word wall or an election campaign showcase in a well-trafficked area of the school where keywords and election news can be continually added. Keywords Right – Responsibility – Eligible Voter – Government – Dictatorship – Democracy Representative Democracy – Direct Democracy Activity Options Hook “Use it or lose it”. You have five minutes to accomplish three goals: 1. Find a partner. 2. Draw detailed portraits of one another using at least five different colours. 3. Accumulate as many writing utensils as possible. You must start out with three different coloured writing utensils in front of you. You may only draw with one writing utensil at a time and whenever another student asks for a writing utensil that you are not using, you must give it up. After the five minutes have ended, identify how many of your classmates were able to accomplish each of the goals. Why was it difficult to accomplish all three goals? How would you feel if a belonging was taken away from you every time you were not using it? What personal belongings would you miss after they were gone? Do some of your answers or the answers of your peers surprise you? Consider your answers to these questions and reflect upon how you would feel if your right to have a say or make decisions (in class, at home, in your social group) was temporarily revoked if you decided not to participate in a decision-making process. Know As a class, in small groups or independently, define and give examples of what the following words mean to you: government, democracy, dictatorship, right and responsibility. Compare your definitions and examples with other students and with definitions from the Student Vote glossary, dictionary or encyclopedia and decide upon a class definition for each of these words. Class Discussion | Think-Pair-Share | Placemat | Rapid Writing | Worksheet 1.1
Lesson 1 – Our Rights & Responsibilities 7 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Understand 1. As a class, in small groups or independently, examine the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Handout 1.2) and outline the responsibilities that are associated with each right. Competition | Dramatic Presentation | Think-Pair-Share | Mind Mapping | Worksheet 1.3
2. Invite a veteran into your class to speak about her or his experiences and the importance of protecting our rights and freedoms. Follow up this interview by composing a news report about the presentation/interview and how it relates to exercising our rights. Speaker | Class Discussion | News Report
Apply Voting is a means of making a decision, but sometimes we do not have enough information to make an informed decision. As a class or in small groups, identify decisions that are easy to make because you have all the information you need. What choices do you make on a regular basis? What information do you need in order to make those choices? Identify decisions that are difficult to make or about which you lack information. Consider issues shown in the news or discussed by your parents. Outline the steps you could take to learn more about a particular issue. What could you do or who could you talk to in order to acquire more information? What questions might you ask when you are trying to acquire more information? How do you decide when you are informed enough to make a decision? Class Discussion | Placemat | Mind Mapping | Worksheet 1.4
Analyze 1. Your teacher has invited you to plan a special class activity for the end of the week. As a class, list a variety of activities that you would enjoy and try using each of the decision-making models below to select a single activity. Model A – Dictatorship: The tallest or oldest person will make the decision regarding the special class activity. Model B – Democratic (Limited): All the males in the classroom will vote to make the decision regarding the special class activity. The activity with the most votes will be selected. Model C – Democratic (Universal): Everyone in the classroom will vote to make the decision regarding the special class activity. The activity with the most votes will be selected. Debrief this exercise by considering some or all of the following questions as a class: How do you feel about each model? Is your opinion heard? Are you happy with the decision that has been made? How do you feel when you are a part of a group that is not allowed to vote? How do you think you might be perceived by voters? How do you feel when you are part of a select group that is allowed to vote? How do you think you might be perceived by non-voters? Is it fair when only certain people have a say in decisions that affect everybody? What are the pros and cons of each model? Use your reactions to each model to draw conclusions about how communities living in a dictatorship, limited democracy or universal democracy might feel about that system of decision-making. Afterwards, review the history of voting rights in Canada. Simulation | Class Discussion | Four Corners Debate | Rapid Writing Supporting the Main Idea | Writing an Explanation | Draw a Cartoon | Handout 1.5
8 Lesson 1 – Our Rights & Responsibilities Intermediate/Secondary Resource
2. Identify the motives that influence an individual’s decision to vote in an election. Prepare a list of questions that you could ask a person who has participated in an election. Consider asking about the first time the person voted and about his or her current motivation to vote or not to vote. As a class, coordinate who each student will interview in order to acquire information from a diverse range of voters and analyze the results of your interviews. Interview | Class Discussion | Think-Pair-Share | Mind Mapping | Writing an Explanation Report | Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Work Create Imagine an election in which only a small percentage of people voted (e.g., 1 out of 10). Prepare a list of reasons why people did not vote and propose the consequences of voters’ inaction. Imagine that this small percentage was only made up of a certain group of the population (e.g., women over 75). What happens to other groups of people in the country? What changes in the country? How are decisions made by the people who are in charge? Mind Mapping | Story | Poem | Song | News Report | Video | Script Evaluate Imagine that you are a Member of Parliament (MP) who sits on the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC) for the House of Commons. Since less than 40 percent of eligible voters aged 18–24 participated in the 2008 federal election, the Committee is considering a bill that would modify the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by excluding any voter who chooses not to par- ticipate in a federal election from participating in the subsequent federal election. An individual would regain the right to vote after that federal election had ended. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of such a bill and recommend whether or not a bill like this should be enacted into law. How would you feel about such a bill? Would this bill enhance the value that Canadians place upon voting? How would voter turnout be affected? Should voters lose the right to vote after repeatedly deciding not to cast a ballot? Should voters have to prove that they have the knowledge required to make an informed decision? Should there be a fine for not voting and/or a reward for voting in an election? Should the voting age be adjusted? Writing an Explanation | Supporting the Main Idea | Adding Details Four Corners Debate | Comparison Chart Reflect Reflect upon one of the following questions to demonstrate what you have learned from this lesson. 8 What is the most important idea that you learned today? 8 What questions do you still have about your right and responsibility to vote? 8 In your own words, what is a “right” and a “responsibility”? 8 Should voters lose the right to vote after deciding not to cast a ballot? 8 What would you want to know before making a decision at the ballot box? 8 What are the consequences of every eligible voter participating in an election? 8 What are the consequences of only a small percentage of eligible voters participating in an election?
Journal | Rapid Writing | Ticket Out of Class
Additional Materials for Teachers Printable Resources 1.1 Know Worksheet: Definitions 1.2 Understand Handout: Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms 1.3 Understand Worksheet: Our Rights and Responsibilities 1.4 Apply Worksheet: How To Know When You Are Making an Informed Decision 1.5 Analyze Handout: History of Voting Rights in Canada
Lesson 1 – Our Rights & Responsibilities 9 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
1.1 Know Worksheet: Definitions
In the table below, write a definition of your own and one that your class decides upon for each of the terms on the left.
Term Your Definition Class Definition
Government
Democracy
Dictatorship
Right
Responsibility
10 Lesson 1 – Our Rights & Responsibilities Intermediate/Secondary Resource
1.2 Understand Handout: Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Fundamental Rights Included here are the freedom of conscience and religion1; freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression including the freedom of the press and other media2; freedom of peaceful assembly3; and freedom of association4.
Democratic Rights Democratic rights include the right for every Canadian, 18 years of age or older, to vote in an election, to be a candidate in an election and the require- ment that governments hold elections at least every five years and that these governments meet at least every year to pass laws.
Mobility Rights Mobility rights mean that all Canadians can choose to live and work in any province or territory in Canada. Linked to this is Canadians’ right to live in, leave or re-enter Canada whenever they choose.
Legal Rights Legal rights guarantee that Canadians, when arrested, must be told their right to see a lawyer and must be tried within a reasonable amount of time. Canadians are also guaranteed the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Equality Rights It is against the law in Canada to discriminate against any Canadian on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age, or mental or physical ability.
Official Languages All Canadians have the right to use either English or French in of Canada communications with Canada’s federal government and some of Canada’s provincial governments.
Minority Language This right guarantees that French and English minorities in every province Education Rights and territory have the right to be educated in their own language.
1 This means that Canadians are free to worship the religion of their choice or not to worship at all. 2 This means that unless the media report something that is untrue, the media cannot be prevented from reporting anything that happens inside Canada. 3 This means that Canadians can meet as a group in private or public provided that the meeting is non-violent and peaceful. 4 This means that Canadians have the right to associate or befriend anyone they choose and the government does not have the right to limit these associations.
Lesson 1 – Our Rights & Responsibilities 11 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
1.3 Understand Worksheet: Our Rights and Responsibilities
Fundamental Rights
Democratic Rights
Mobility Rights
Legal Rights
Equality Rights
Official Languages of Canada
Minority Language Education Rights
12 Lesson 1 – Our Rights & Responsibilities Intermediate/Secondary Resource
1.4 Apply Worksheet: How to Know When You Are Making an Informed Decision
What could you do or who could you talk to in order to acquire more information?
What questions might you ask when you are trying to acquire more information?
How could you show your understanding about an issue?
How do you decide when you are informed enough to make a decision?
Lesson 1 – Our Rights & Responsibilities 13 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
1.5 Analyze Handout: History of Voting Rights in Canada
The following provides some highlights regarding the history of voting rights in Canada.
British North America—Only Affluent Men May Vote (1758–1866) In the colonies that would later form Canada, voting was restricted to a small part of the population: wealthy men. Voting eligibility was generally based on property ownership—an individual had to own property or other assets of a specified value. However, paying a certain amount in annual taxes or rent could also qualify an elector. Women and various religious and ethnic groups were excluded the right to vote. In the case of women, the exclusion was a matter of convention rather than law. Extending the Right to Vote (1867–1919) After Confederation, convention became law and women were disqualified from voting. As early as the 1870s, Canadian women began to organize to acquire the right to vote. Women’s suffrage was a long and laborious process that started to gain strength in the early 1900s. Women campaigned persistently with petitions, lectures and various demonstrations. Undeterred by hostile public opinion and politicians, they engaged the help of influential organizations and managed to have bills introduced in provincial legislatures to extend voting rights to women. When the bills were defeated, they had them reintroduced over and over until they were successful. In 1916, Manitoba was the first province to extend the vote to women and shortly after many provinces followed. By 1918, women had the same right as men to vote in federal elections. Making the Vote Universal (1920–1960) The modern era in the history of the vote in Canada began with the adoption of the 1920 Dominion Elections Act. In principle the right to vote became universal, but discrimination was present due to significant loopholes in the electoral law. As a result, Native people and people of “Oriental” origin were unable to vote. In particular, Canadian citizens of Japanese origin were at one time denied the right to vote even if they had served in the Canadian army during the war. Various religious groups were also affected. Native people could vote since Confederation, but only if they gave up their treaty rights and registered Indian status. The last of these limitations were lifted in 1960 only after much political debate. Accessibility for All (1961–1997) A variety of steps were taken to make voting even more accessible and convenient for all electors, including those with disabilities and those unable to go to their polling station on Election Day. Over time, several methods have been introduced to ensure that all voters can exercise their franchise. a) Employers were legislated to provide their staff with sufficient time off to vote if schedules would not permit time to vote otherwise. b) Voting hours were extended. c) Advance polling and voting by postal ballot (special ballot) were introduced at first on a limited basis but ultimately made available to any voter unable to go to a polling station on Election Day. d) Level access for people in wheelchairs was provided at polling stations. e) Mobile polls began visiting various institutions to collect the vote. f) Voter information was systematically made available in both official languages and in some Native and ancestral languages.
Source: History of The Vote
14 Lesson 1 – Our Rights & Responsibilities Intermediate/Secondary Resource
LESSON 2 The Canadian Electoral Process
Big Idea The Canadian electoral system guides the process in which votes are translated into seats in the House of Commons. The political party that wins the most seats (normally) forms the government. A thoughtful election administration strategy is essential for ensuring a fair, transparent and inclusive election. Background Canada’s federal electoral system is referred to as Single-Member Plurality or First-Past-the-Post. In each of Canada’s 308 electoral districts (also known as ridings), the candidate with the most votes wins a seat in the House of Commons and takes on the role of the Member of Parliament (MP) for their electoral district. The political party that wins the most seats is normally invited to form the government. An elections office is the non-partisan body chiefly responsible for ensuring that the process in which these representatives are selected is fair and transparent. Elections Canada is the agency that is responsible for all federal elections, by-elections and referenda. Elections Canada is also responsible for monitoring compliance with Canada’s Elections Act, enforcing electoral legislation, administering political financing provisions, conducting voter education and information programs, and providing support to the independent boundaries commissions in charge of adjusting the boundaries of federal electoral districts. School-Wide Idea Invite every class in the school to make a contribution to the Student Vote election campaign (e.g., art classes make posters, math classes organize opinion polls, drama classes make morning announcements). Keywords Chief Electoral Officer – Returning Officer – Deputy Returning Officer – Poll Clerk – Scrutineer Polling Station – Ballot – Ballot Box – Voting Screen – Voter Turnout – Riding – Electoral District Voter Apathy – Single-Member Plurality – First-Past-The-Post – Elections Canada – Non-Partisan Activity Options Hook 1. As a class, examine the Canadian and/or provincial electoral district maps provided in the Student Vote package. 8 Can you find your electoral district? 8 What differences do you notice between the electoral districts? Propose some reasons for these differences. 2. Use the Elections Canada website to print a map of your school’s electoral district. 8 What villages and/or towns lie within your electoral district? What streets act as the boundaries? 8 What landmarks demarcate your electoral district? Know 1. Canada’s electoral system is called First-Past-the-Post or Single-Member Plurality. Outline the lifecycle of a single vote from a citizen to the election of a candidate in an electoral district and to the formation of a governing party and appointment of a Prime Minister. Class Discussion | Think-Pair-Share | Rapid Writing 2. Collect the following information for each province and territory across Canada: population, number of electoral districts and number of voters per electoral district (the latter can be found on the Elections Canada website—www.elections.ca). What differences do you notice between the provinces? Finding Keywords While Reading | Worksheet 2.1 | Think-Pair-Share
Lesson 2 – The Canadian Electoral Process 15 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
3. Define the roles of the following participants in an election and identify relationships between each of the participants by using information from the Elections Canada website: Chief Electoral Officer, Returning Officer, Deputy Returning Officer, Poll Clerk and Scrutineer. Finding Keywords While Reading | Mind Mapping Poster | Bulletin Board | Incomplete Note | Worksheet 2.2 Understand 1. Using results from past federal elections, summarize the inner workings of a First-Past-the-Post sytem (Single-Member Plurality) by interpreting the data. In each year, which party formed the government and why? Compare the number of votes and number of seats for each party. Why does the number of valid votes not determine seats? (Contrast the seat and valid vote count for the Conservative Party in 2006 to 2008.) Class Discussion | Think-Pair-Share | Handout 2.3 2. As a class, in groups or independently, demonstrate the importance of specific administrative roles in an elections office by responding to the following questions: 8 Consider the roles of Returning Officer, Deputy Returning Officer, Poll Clerk and Scrutineer. How might cheating occur if one of these roles did not exist? Reflect on recent elections around the world where Canada sent observers to ensure a fair process (Canadian International Development Agency or Canadem.ca). 8 Consider the objectives of the outreach and communications department of Elections Canada. How should an elections office communicate or advertise to citizens where and how they can vote? 8 Summarize the importance of a transparent and trustworthy elections office and consider the implications of an election in which voting results were intentionally or unintentionally reported incorrectly. Why should citizens know how election results are determined? How would you feel if you discovered that your vote had not been counted? Activity Stations | Jigsaw | Drawing Conclusions From Reading Think-Pair-Share | Class Discussion | Worksheet 2.4 3. Interview the Returning Officer (or other elections official) for your electoral district to learn how an election is smoothly administered and how the media is involved in an election. The list of Returning Offices can be found at www.elections.ca. Guest Speaker | Interview | Class Discussion Apply As a class, take on the roles of an elections office in order to administer the election for your school’s Student Vote Day. Establish SMART (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Oriented) goals for voter turnout and organize the following election task forces: Communications: How can you inform students and teachers about Student Vote Day? What methods of communication are available? How can you develop interest in the campaign? How can you advertise the vote? Voter Education: How can you inform students about the issues? Are there activities that you can organize to help educate the rest of the school? Is there literature that you can create and distribute to students or classrooms? Events: What types of events can you organize to develop interest in the campaign and inform students about the issues (e.g., all-candidates meeting, informative presentations, watching the leaders’ debate)?
16 Lesson 2 – The Canadian Electoral Process Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Operations: How should you organize Student Vote Day at your school? Should you incorporate advance voting? Who will take on the roles of elections officials? Refer to the Operations Manual for Student Vote Day administration. Media Relations: How can you engage local media in the school campaign? In your task force, come up with a group plan by following the IDEAL problem-solving strategy (Identify problems and opportunities, Define goals, Explore possible strategies, Anticipate and act on the chosen idea, Look back and learn). Put your group plan into action by posting activities and deadlines on a class calendar and working regularly on activities throughout the election campaign. Experiential Learning | Group Work | Mind Mapping | Prioritizing Ideas and Information Create How would you improve Canada’s electoral process? Develop a proposal that includes an identification of the problem to be solved, an example of how your plan would be carried out, a reflection on the public’s reaction to your plan and a suggestion for how you would go about testing your plan (e.g., online voting, mandatory voting, proportional voting, change in the voting age, change in electoral boundaries). Mind Mapping | Writing an Explanation | Election-Related Computer Program | Poster Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Work Evaluate 1. Representation-by-Population was a founding principle in Canada and other democracies around the world. Regardless of where you live, you should have the same voting power — one person, one vote. Assess the validity of the principle today by comparing the population in electoral districts across Canada. Use reports from the Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation or Elections Canada to defend your evaluation. Internet Research | Mind Mapping | Making Notes | Class Discussion | Debate Writing an Explanation | Publish Your Results 2. There is one federal electoral boundaries commission for each province in Canada and each is responsible for considering and reporting on any changes to the boundaries of the federal electoral districts (as the Northwest Territories, the Yukon Territory and Nunavut constitute only one electoral district each, no federal electoral boundaries commissions are required). Write a proposal recommending a change to the boundaries in your electoral district. Internet Research | Class Discussion | Writing an Explanation | Publish Your Results Reflect Reflect upon one of the following questions to demonstrate what you have learned from this lesson. 8 What is the most important idea that you learned today? 8 What questions do you still have about our electoral system? 8 What questions do you still have about the roles in an election? 8 Why is it necessary to have an elections office? 8 Is representation-by-population being dishonoured in Canada today? Journal | Rapid Writing | Ticket Out of Class
Lesson 2 – The Canadian Electoral Process 17 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Additional Materials for Teachers Printable Resources 2.1 Know Worksheet: Electoral District Analysis Across Canada 2.2 Know Worksheet: Election Office Terms 2.3 Understand Handout: 2006 & 2008 Federal Election Results 2.4 Understand Worksheet: Election Roles
18 Lesson 2 – The Canadian Electoral Process Intermediate/Secondary Resource
2.1 Know Worksheet: Electoral District Analysis Across Canada
Collect the following information and answer the question below.
Province Population Number of Average Population Electoral Districts Per Electoral District British Columbia
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Ontario
Quebec
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
Newfoundland & Labrador
Nunavut
Northwest Territories
Yukon
Canada
Question: Can you identify the differences in electoral district distribution between the provinces?
Lesson 2 – The Canadian Electoral Process 19 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
2.2 Know Worksheet: Elections Office Terms
In the table below, write a definition for each of the terms.
Term Definition
Chief Electoral Officer
Returning Officer
Deputy Returning Officer
Poll Clerk
Scrutineer
On the reverse, create a diagram to illustrate the relationships between each of these roles.
20 Lesson 2 – The Canadian Electoral Process Intermediate/Secondary Resource
2.3 Understand Handout: 2006 & 2008 Federal Election Results
Political Party Distribution of Seats Number of Valid Votes
2006 2008 2006 2008
Animal Alliance Environment 0 0 72 527 Voters Party of Canada
Bloc Québécois 51 49 1 553 201 1 379 991
Canadian Action Party 0 0 6 102 3 455
Christian Heritage Party 0 0 28 152 26 475 of Canada
Communist Party of Canada 0 0 3 022 3 572
Conservative Party of 124 143 5 374 071 5 209 069 Canada First Peoples National Party 0 0 1 201 1 611 of Canada
Green Party of Canada 0 0 664 068 937 613
Liberal Party of Canada 103 77 4 479 415 3 633 185
Libertarian Party of Canada 0 0 3 002 7 300
Marijuana Party 0 0 9 171 2 298
Marxist-Leninist Party 0 0 8 980 8 565 of Canada
neorhino.ca 0 0 - 2 122
New Democratic Party 29 37 2 589 597 2 515 288
Newfoundland and Labrador 0 0 - 1 713 First Party People’s Political Power 0 0 - 186 Party of Canada
Progressive Canadian Party 0 0 14 151 5 860
Western Block Party 0 0 1 094 195
Work Less Party 0 0 - 425
Independent 1 2 76 696 89 387
No Affiliation 0 0 5 164 5 457
Lesson 2 – The Canadian Electoral Process 21 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
2.4 Understand Worksheet: Election Roles How might cheating occur if one of the following roles did not exist? How are unintentional mistakes in vote counting avoided when each of the following individuals are present during an election?
Poll Clerk
Returning Officer
Deputy Returning Officer
Scrutineer
The Chief Electoral Officer is responsible for ensuring access to Canada’s electoral system for all eligible citizens through public education and information programs. List the means by which an election office can communicate or advertise to citizens where and how they can vote.
Summarize the importance of a transparent and trustworthy elections office and consider the implications of an election in which voting results were intentionally or unintentionally reported incorrectly. Why should citizens know how election results are determined? How would you feel if you discovered that your vote had not been counted?
22 Lesson 2 – The Canadian Electoral Process Intermediate/Secondary Resource
LESSON 3 The Levels of Government
Big Idea Canada has three levels of government: federal, provincial and municipal. Each level of government has its own elected representatives and areas of responsibility. An understanding of the structure and function of each level of government allows citizens to efficiently present concerns to the appropriate body and hold the government to account. Background In choosing a federal form of government, the Fathers of Confederation assigned particular responsibilities to the different levels of government. However, public servants at all levels of government were charged with the responsibility to reflect the desires of Canadian citizens. The division of powers is found in Sections 91–95 of the Constitution Act. The constitutional division of powers is based on the principle of subsidiary, in which the government closest to the issue governs it. Some powers may overlap between federal and provincial jurisdictions. This is called concurrency. At the federal level, elected representatives are called Members of Parliament (MPs). When the House is sitting, MPs are responsible for studying, debating and voting on bills (proposed laws) and raising issues that concern their constituents. When the House is not sitting, MPs spend their time meeting with constituents to discuss their concerns and to provide guidance and advice relating to government services. School-Wide Idea Create and post a large illustration listing the responsibilities of the federal government in a public space within your school. Keywords Federal Government – Provincial Government – Municipal Government – Parliament Legislative Assembly – Council – House of Commons – Legislature – City/Town Hall Member of Parliament (MP) – Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) – Member of the National Assembly (MNA) – Councillor – Prime Minister – Premier – Mayor – Federalism – Ministry/Department – Minister of the Crown – Mandate Activity Options Hook As a class, have a discussion about the role of government. Do you think the government impacts your life? Know: 1. Review the concept of government and identify the three levels of government in Canada. As a class, in small groups or independently, identify the following for each level of government: 8 Name of the government building (e.g., House of Commons, Provincial Legislature) and where it is located 8 Official title of the leader 8 Official title of the representative and abbreviation 8 Two or more government responsibilities 8 Next election date Placemat | Think-Pair-Share | Incomplete Note | Jeopardy Finding Keywords While Reading | Bulletin Board | Internet Research Poster | Graphic Design | Worksheet 3.1 2. As a class, in small groups or independently, categorize government responsibilities according to the level of government in control of that responsibility (e.g., foreign affairs is a federal
Lesson 3 – The Levels of Government 23 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
responsibility, education is a provincial responsibility, waste disposal is a municipal responsibility). Sections 91–93 of the Canada Constitution Act, 1867 will also be a useful resource for categorizing government responsibilities. Class Discussion | Placemat | Internet Research | Jeopardy | Handout 3.2 Understand 1. As a class, collect print, audio and/or video reports from across the country focusing on governments in Canada. Classify reports by the level of government (federal, provincial, municipal) and by the department/ministry (e.g., Health Canada, Education) or the body (e.g., city council, Legislative Assembly) principally addressed in the article. Consider summarizing or highlighting news articles for your classmates before they are filed. Database | Internet Bookmarking or Tagging | Filing | Bulletin Board | Oral Presentation 2. Invite your local MP, MLA/MPP/MNA or councillor into the classroom for a Q&A. Ask questions about the structure and responsibilities at their level of government, why they wanted to get involved and their biggest accomplishments to date. Guest Speaker | Interview | Class Discussion Apply 1. As a class, in small groups or independently, illustrate how government policy impacts nearly every aspect of Canadians’ lives by tracking your activities over the course of one day and relating those activities to a federal, provincial or municipal government responsibility. For example:
7:00 am Eat breakfast Agriculture (Federal) 7:30 am Shower & brush teeth Water & Sewer (Municipal) 8:00 am Go to school Education (Provincial) Mind Mapping | Rapid Writing | Write an Explanation Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Work 2. Illustrate the relationships between the public, a cabinet minister, legislation and government policy. Select a story from the news pertaining to a specific department and discuss how each of these participants or components might be affected by the story and subsequently interact with the other parties. 8 To whom do citizens express their opinions? 8 From where do citizens acquire additional information? 8 How does the government respond to the news story internally and to the public? For example: Following the publishing of an article discussing the treatment of women in Canadian corrections facilities: a) Members of the public respond to the news reported in the article; b) The Minister of Public Safety holds a press conference to clarify existing legislation; and government policies that protect women in correctional facilities; c) Government policies are reviewed and adjusted to respond to citizens’ expectations; d) The Minister of Public Safety considers proposing new legislation to reflect the new government position. Mind Mapping | Draw a Cartoon | Dramatic Presentation Rapid Writing | Writing a Procedure
24 Lesson 3 – The Levels of Government Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Analyze 1. There are certain responsibilities, such as health care, that are shared between the provincial and federal governments. Explain the concept of concurrent powers and distinguish how the two levels of government share such a responsibility by analyzing information from the appropriate departments’ websites. Finding Keywords While Reading | Making Inferences While Reading Prioritizing Ideas and Information | Drawing Conclusions from Reading Writing and Explanation | Adding Details When Writing | Publish Your Work 2. Imagine you are an investigative journalist. Analyze news articles about a ministry and information offered on that ministry’s website to summarize how effectively the ministry is achieving its current strategic plan. 8 What is the ministry’s mandate? 8 What priorities have been identified over the short-term and long-term? 8 What are its key strategies and activities? 8 How well are these strategies and activities being carried out? Consider extending your research to reports from think tanks and university researchers. Finding Keywords While Reading | Making Inferences While Reading Prioritizing Ideas and Information | Drawing Conclusions from Reading Writing and Explanation | Adding Details when Writing | Publish Your Work Create Review the list of current ministries listed on www.canada.gc.ca. Imagine that you are a Member of Par- liament and propose a new ministry that will improve the lives of Canadians. How will this ministry serve to help Canadians? Why is it necessary? Outline the ministry’s mandate, its principal tasks and how the ministry will remain responsive to Canadians’ needs. Mind Mapping | Placemat | Adding Details while Writing | Dramatic Presentation (Media Scrum) Oral Presentation | Writing a Business Report Evaluate 1. As a class, in small groups or independently, evaluate the government’s track record and notable accomplishments and failures since the last general election. Consider reviewing news reports, political party websites, political blogs, party advertisements and transcripts of debates (also known as the Hansard) in the House of Commons. Placemat | Think-Pair-Share | Mind Mapping | Finding Keywords While Reading Write an Explanation | Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Work 2. (Non-Election Activity) As a class, in small groups or independently, evaluate the effectiveness of different forms of communication with an elected representative. Consider sending communications to your Member of Parliament (or MLA/MPP/MNA) in different formats (e.g., email, letter, social media, phone call) in order to measure response times. Consider the following: 8 Are some forms of communication more influential than others? 8 How does an MP respond when a number of similar messages are received? 8 How are communications from citizens tracked? 8 Use your results to identify the most reliable means of influencing a Member of Parliament to represent your views in Parliament. Guest Speaker | Letter Writing | Making Notes
Lesson 3 – The Levels of Government 25 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Reflect Reflect upon one of the following questions to demonstrate what you have learned from this lesson. 8 What is the most important idea that you learned today? 8 What questions do you still have about the structure and responsibilities of government in Canada? 8 If you became Prime Minister, what would be your vision for Canada? 8 What body, office or ministry of government interests you the most? Explain. 8 How do Canadians know if a government department is responsibly serving Canadian citizens? Journal | Rapid Writing | Ticket Out of Class
Additional Materials for Teachers Printable Resources 3.1 Know Worksheet: The Three Levels of Government 3.2 Know Worksheet: Government Responsibilities
26 Lesson 3 – The Levels of Government Intermediate/Secondary Resource
3.1 Know Worksheet: The Three Levels of Government
In the table below, answer the questions for each level of government.
Question Federal Provincial/ Municipal Territorial
Where does this level of government meet? (Name of building and city)
What is the official title of the leader at this level of government? Who currently holds this position and which party does he or she represent?
What is the official name of the elected members at this level of government? Who currently holds this position for your area?
What are two or more responsibilities at this level of government?
When is the next election?
Lesson 3 – The Levels of Government 27 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
3.2 Know Worksheet: Government Responsibilities
Provincial/Territorial Federal Municipal (may differ slightly)
Agriculture and Agri-Food Aboriginal Affairs Building and Health Inspection
Canada Customs and Agriculture Libraries Revenue Agency Attorney General Local By-laws Canadian Heritage Citizenship and Immigration Parks and Recreation Canadian International Development Agency Culture Planning and Zoning
Citizenship and Immigration Community and Social Services Policing and Fire Protection
Environment Consumer and Commercial Relations Solid Waste Management
Finance Development and Mines Transportation
Fisheries and Oceans Economic Development and Trade Water and Sewer
Foreign Affairs and Education International Trade Training, Colleges and Universities Health Environment Human Resources Development Energy Indian and Northern Affairs Development Finance
Industry Canada Health Justice Canada Labour Labour Municipal Affairs National Defence Natural Resources National Revenue Tourism Natural Resources Transportation Public Works and Government Services Canada Rural Affairs
Economic Development Agency
Public Safety Canada
Transport
Treasury Board Secretariat
Veterans Affairs
28 Lesson 3 – The Levels of Government Intermediate/Secondary Resource
LESSON 4 Youth Participation
Big Idea Participation in democratic processes such as elections and a personal connection with public affairs are essential for young voters to influence government institutions. Background In Canada, voter turnout has been in steady decline since the late 80s, reaching an all-time low of 59 percent in the 2008 federal election. This trend of declining voter turnout can mainly be attributed to the low levels of participation among young citizens. In the 2008 federal election, only 37 percent of citizens aged 18 to 24 cast a ballot. This is remarkably lower than the 65 to 74 age group, which had 67 percent voter turnout. In the past, people were more likely to vote as they got older (once they bought a home or started a family), though this is no longer a given. Recent research suggests that habits of voting and non-voting persist over time and that the best predictor of individual turnout is whether or not a person voted in the previous election—which is why youth participation is so important. School-Wide Activity Provide a workshop for all students who will be 18 years of age or older on Election Day. Help them to prepare for casting a ballot by sharing information regarding local candidates, information about where to vote and what they need to bring with them. Keywords Voter Turnout Activity Options Hook Explain how the following poem can be related to positive or negative attitudes about voting. Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words. Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions. Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits. Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character. Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny. – Unknown Author Know 1. As a class, in small groups or independently, list approaches or methods for convincing friends, strangers or authorities to accept an idea or take part in something (e.g., joining an extra-curricular club, convincing the school administration to hold a camp-out on school grounds, making a donation to a charity). 8 Are there effective and ineffective ways of convincing somebody to do or think something? 8 What makes one person’s opinion seem more important or valuable than another person’s opinion? 8 Outline the fundamental ways to have influence in a given situation. Class Discussion | Placemat | Think-Pair-Share 2. Have a discussion about rates of voter turnout among young people. Does anyone know the percentage of young people, aged 18 to 24, who voted in the last federal election? 8 How does it compare to older age groups? 8 Why do you think people aged 18 to 24 are not voting? Class Discussion | Placemat | Think-Pair-Share
Lesson 4 – Youth Participation 29 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Understand 1. Examine the percentage and approximate number of young voters who participated in previous general elections. Compare the participation of young voters to the participation of older voters to determine the impact that youth currently have on the government and to infer the potential impact that youth could have if every eligible Canadian between the ages of 18 and 24 voted in the upcoming election. Research | Graphing | Class Discussion | Think-Pair-Share 2. In small groups, illustrate the impact that different levels of individual involvement within a group have on an individual’s ability to influence the group. Select and debrief a group task. For example, build the tallest tower out of mini-marshmallows and dry, uncooked spaghetti in a limited amount of time OR collectively select a song that will be the theme at your graduation cer- emony. Selected members of your group may be assigned special challenges by your teacher (e.g., work blindfolded, cannot use hands for direction or construction purposes, cannot speak during the task, can only communicate using pictures or sign language). When the allotted amount of time has elapsed, identify the impact of the participants based on their level of partici- pation. Consider some or all of the following questions: 8 What do you think worked well in your group? 8 What do you think did not work well in your group? 8 Who took a leadership role within the group? Who had the most influence? 8 What was it like working with the group members who were assigned challenges or who had limited participation? 8 What was it like trying to contribute in spite of a challenge? 8 What would individuals want to change to make a better tower or select a better song next time? Relate the experience of group members who did not have as much influence to the situation of young voters who do not vote. Suggest how young voters might acquire influence in govern- mental affairs or grab the attention of politicians. Illustrate the impact of different levels of participation on an individual’s ability to influence public policy by discussing a current election issue. Members of your group may be assigned special impediments by your teacher to hinder effective discussion. Afterwards, consider the questions listed above. Simulation | Placemat | Mind Mapping | Class Discussion Apply 1. Establish a strategy to ensure an inclusive election at your school. How can you make sure all students have a voice on Student Vote Day? How can you help them make an informed decision? Class Discussion | Audio, Visual or Oral Presentation | Simulation 2. Set up a challenge to other schools in your electoral district to see which school can achieve the highest voter turnout on Student Vote Day. Under the direction of the core election team or lead class, incorporate a voter participation strategy within your school. Invite media to report on the turnout of students in your electoral district. Activism | Audio, Visual or Oral Presentation | Simulation
30 Lesson 4 – Youth Participation Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Analyze 1. In small groups or independently, predict future election results by graphing previous Student Vote elections (seat count and popular vote percent) and looking for patterns. Analyze the implications for political parties in the future. Consider sharing your analysis with the major political parties. Graphing | Statistics | Class Discussion | Jigsaw | Writing a Business-Style Report Oral Presentation | Guest Speaker | Publish Your Work 2. List the differences between political advertisements and advertisements for clothing, games, music or food that you would buy by analyzing examples of both categories of advertisements. Consider focusing on Internet advertisements, video advertisements or print advertisements. Use your analysis to draw conclusions about the impact that political parties’ current advertising campaigns have on youth and propose steps that political parties could take to create an advertising campaign that is more relevant to youth. Collage | Portfolio | Audio, Video or Oral Presentation Writing a Business-Style Presentation | Jigsaw | Publish Your Work Create 1. Imagine that you are a marketing advisor hired by Elections Canada. In small groups or independently, design a campaign that will foster greater youth participation in elections by articulating the importance of voting and that incorporates digital, print, audiovisual and/or active elements. Execute your campaign plan in your school or community. Consider inviting representatives from an elections office, a local community member (media or marketing specialist) or the CEO of Student Vote to evaluate your plan. Mind Mapping | Poster | Pamphlet | Audio | Visual | Activism Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Guest Judges 2. Discuss the purpose and key elements of a Public Service Announcement (PSA). Develop a PSA for Canadian voters that will demonstrate how their vote is an important contribution to the selection of a democratic government. Play the video leading up to Student Vote Day or post it on YouTube. Mind Mapping | Writing an Explanation | Poster Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Work Evaluate 1. As a class, in small groups or independently, create a checklist of behaviours and activities that politicians should demonstrate to prove that they are engaging with all members of the community, especially young people. Use this checklist to evaluate local candidates’ outreach efforts. Think-Pair-Share | Placemat | Checklist | Audio, Video or Oral Presentation 2. Compare two to three different organizations that aim to address voter disengagement in Canada. Use specific examples to argue why the approach of one particular organization is more effective than the others. Summarize your conclusions in a medium that can be sent to the CEO of Student Vote. Internet Research | Practice Reading Graphical Texts | Mind Mapping Making Notes | Class Discussion | Debate | Writing an Explanation Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Results
Lesson 4 – Youth Participation 31 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Reflect Reflect upon one of the following questions to demonstrate what you have learned from this lesson. 8 What is the most important idea that you learned today? 8 What questions do you still have about the importance of youth participation in politics? 8 Why do some opinions seem more important or valuable than others? 8 How can you most effectively influence decision-makers? 8 Predict the influence that Student Vote results could have on political parties. What kind of influence do future voters have? 8 Describe what an effective advertisement targeted at youth looks like. 8 How well are politicians engaging youth in politics? 8 How would you measure youth engagement in the political process? Journal | Rapid Writing | Ticket Out of Class
32 Lesson 4 – Youth Participation Intermediate/Secondary Resource
LESSON 5 The Political Spectrum
Big Idea The political spectrum is a means of characterizing beliefs, values and priorities, and provides a conceptual framework in which to view and evaluate political parties and platforms. Background The historical origin of ‘left’ and ‘right’ (as associated with the political spectrum) refers to the early seating plans of the French legislatures. The left side of the legislature was predominantly comprised of members of the Third Estate, or the non-aristocratic class, which included peasants, workers and merchants; however, some members of the First Estate (the clergy) and the Second Estate (the aristocracy), also sat on the left because of their support for revolution and an end to monarchical reign. On the right of the legislature sat repre- sentatives of the First and Second Estates, who continued to support the King during the French Revolution. While there is much debate over the modern meanings and relevance of the terms ‘left’ and ‘right’, we can still use these terms to describe the general nature of governments, as well as individual policies. Ideas on the left historically promote movement, change and reform, while ideas on the right would support order and tradition. Ideas close to the centre are moderate, while more extreme ideas are farther from the centre. The Left generally encompasses progressives, social liberals, social democrats, socialists, communists and anarchists. The Right generally encompasses conservatives, capitalists, monarchists, nationalists and fascists. Governments, politicians and citizens are made up of all combinations of socialists, capitalists, conservatives, liberals and everything in between. Visit www.politicalcompass.org to read about where some political parties, prominent leaders and public figures stand on the spectrum. School-Wide Activity Create a blind policy questionnaire for all students in the school. For key election issues, provide a summary of each federal party’s policy suggestion without identifying the political party (select all the parties that are running candidates in your local electoral district). Ask students to select the policy they most prefer for each issue. Afterwards, provide an answer key in which students can identify which party and platform they most agree with. Keywords Political Spectrum – Liberalism – Fascism – Conservatism – Socialism – Communism Extreme Moderate – Left-Wing – Right-Wing – Libertarian – Statist – Authoritarian Activity Options Know As a class, in groups or individually, review the basic political spectrum and define the following terms: political spectrum, conservatism, fascism, nationalism, liberalism, socialism and communism. Identify which terms are linked more to the left-wing and right-wing. Class Discussion | Think-Pair-Share | Placemat | Handout 5.1 | Worksheet 5.2 Understand Political spectrum surveys are tools that can help individuals acquire a sense of where they stand politically. Independently complete the World’s Smallest Political Quiz to identify trends in your political beliefs. Afterwards review these terms: left, right, libertarian and authoritarian. Compare your position on the political spectrum to that of your classmates. Think-Pair-Share | Handout 5.3 | Worksheet 5.4
Lesson 5 – The Political Spectrum 33 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Apply 1. In small groups, identify each political party’s position on the political spectrum by reading each party’s platform and completing a political spectrum survey from the point of view of each party. Illustrate your results. Making Notes While Reading | Drawing Conclusions from Reading Online Quiz | Worksheet 5.5 2. In small groups of students, consider some or all of the questions below and ask students to provide two responses reflecting two different political positions for each question. As a class, compare group responses to each question. 8 Does Canada have a responsibility to support human rights initiatives in other countries? 8 Should Canada commit more of its resources to become more influential on the world stage? 8 Should we trade our water as a commodity? 8 Should we have a public or private health care system? 8 Who has more power over how Canadians live? Government or Corporations? 8 Has the rapid adoption of technology been a positive change for all people? 8 Should Canada play the role of “peacekeeper” around the world? 8 Do we need stricter limits on freedom of speech? 8 Should the government increase penalties on drug use and drug possession? 8 Should the primary focus of education be job training? 8 Should the government enforce greater restrictions on television programming and video games that include nudity and violence? 8 Should the government fully fund all levels of education in Canada? Activity Stations | Jigsaw | Rapid Writing | Adding Details when Writing | Worksheet 5.6 Analyze Assemble a variety of opinion articles about the election from a media source or journalist. Identify statements in each article that can justify the article’s placement on the political spectrum. 8 Which issues do the articles focus on? 8 What is the opinion of the writer? 8 Are certain parties or values consistently supported or questioned? Try to discover a theme in the political viewpoint of the newspaper or writer, TV network or media website. Portfolio | Presentation | Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions While Reading Create As a class, use current election issues to create a political issue survey for the 41st general election. Consider dividing the class into groups and assign each a specific issue. Distribute the survey to students in your school and compile the results. Using the results, develop a ‘People’s Platform’ with the most popular perspectives and create policies to address them. Mind Mapping | Group Work | Supporting the Main Idea | Survey | Data Analysis Evaluate Many political parties in Canada are named after a political theory. Evaluate the actions and policies of each political party by collecting information from each party’s website or election platform in order to determine whether any party’s name is a misnomer. Do a party’s policies reflect a consistent position on the political spectrum or does its position fluctuate from policy to policy? Making Notes While Reading | Drawing Conclusions from Reading | Debate | Four Corners Debate
34 Lesson 5 – The Political Spectrum Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Reflect Reflect upon one of the following questions to demonstrate what you have learned from this lesson. 8 What is the most important idea that you learned today? 8 What questions do you still have about the political spectrum? 8 Are you surprised about your position on the political spectrum? 8 Will knowing your position on the political spectrum help you to understand or describe your position in debates with other people? 8 Should political parties be named after political theories? Journal | Rapid Writing | Ticket Out of Class
Additional Materials for Teachers Printable Resources 5.1 Know Handout: The Basic Political Spectrum 5.2 Know Worksheet: Political Spectrum Definition 5.3 Understand Handout: The World’s Smallest Political Quiz 5.4 Understand Worksheet: The Political Spectrum 5.5 Apply Worksheet: The Political Spectrum of Canada’s Political Parties 5.6 Apply Worksheet: Applying Political Theories to Big Questions Source Some of the debate samples in the Apply section are from: Saskatoon Public Schools, Topics for Debate – Social Studies, retrieved from http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/pd/instr/strats/debates/topics.pdf on 17 April 2010.
Lesson 5 – The Political Spectrum 35 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
5.1 Know Handout: The Basic Political Spectrum
Please note: These terms are very broad and are meant to serve as only an outline of historically understood political positions on a single axis.
LEFT CENTRE RIGHT
Social conditions need to change Change of social conditions The present system should be as quickly as possible. should take place, but at a maintained. Change only when cautious pace. absolutely necessary and do it slowly and carefully. Society is not bound by tradition. Tradition is important, but change Traditions must be respected. must be accepted if it is the will of They provide society with stability the majority. and security. Government has a moral There are many different Government should not interfere in obligation to take care of needy approaches to caring for the the lives of individuals (government persons directly. needy. provides a helping hand, not a handout). Private charity and self-reliance are better. Everyone should have equality Everyone should have equality of Everyone should have equal of condition. opportunity and condition. opportunity. The rights of individuals have the Law and order is important, but Law and order have the highest highest priority. the rights of the individual come priority. first. The government should own key Some form of government Business and industry should industries, banks, transportation management of the economy is be kept in the hands of private facilities and natural resources. necessary. individuals. Left is generally associated with Centre is generally associated with Right is generally associated with being socialist. being liberal. being conservative.
36 Lesson 5 – The Political Spectrum Intermediate/Secondary Resource
5.2 Know Worksheet: Political Spectrum Definitions
In the table below, write the definition for each of the following terms:
Term Definition
Left
Right
Spectrum
Conservatism
Nationalism
Fascism
Liberalism
Socialism
Communism
Lesson 5 – The Political Spectrum 37 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
5.3 Understand Handout: The World’s Smallest Political Quiz
Take the WORLD’S SMALLEST POLITICAL QUIZ. Then use the Self-Government Compass to find your political identity. Circle Y when you agree with a statement, M for Maybe, Sometimes, or Need-More- Information, or N for No. Are you a self-governor on PERSONAL issues? 20 10 0 Government should not control radio, TV or the press (including books) Y M N Drug laws do more harm than good and should be repealed Y M N There should be no laws or regulations concerning sex between consenting adults Y M N Private clubs and organizations should be free to admit or refuse any member Y M N Government should not interfere in arrangements between doctors and patients Y M N
Are you a self-governor on ECONOMIC issues? 20 10 0 Businesses and farms should operate without government subsidies Y M N People are better off with free trade than with tariffs Y M N Minimum wage laws cause unemployment and should be repealed Y M N Government should not dictate hiring or employment practices Y M N Union membership should be voluntary, not compulsory Y M N
To use the Self-Government Compass, mark your personal score on the left, and your economic score on the right. (See example of 20 percent personal and 10 percent economic.) Then follow the grid lines until they meet at your political identity!
LIBERTARIAN
100 LEFT CENTRIST RIGHT 100 (Liberal) (Conservative) 80 80
60 60 AUTHORITARIAN 40 40 PERSONAL ECONOMIC 20 20 ISSUES SCORE ISSUES SCORE 0 0
The compass measures self-government. Liberals value freedom of expression. Conservatives value free enterprise. Libertarians value both. Authoritarians are against both. Examples: Margaret Thatcher (right); F.D. Roosevelt (left); Henry David Thoreau and Thomas Jefferson (top); Hitler and Stalin (bottom). This is a Canadianized version of the World’s Smallest Political Quiz, originally adapted for the November/December 1993 issue of the Canadian Student Review by John Robson. The U.S. version is published by Advocates for Self-Government, Inc., a 510(c)(3) non-profit organization in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, please call (404) 417-1304. Source: The Fraser Institute
38 Lesson 5 – The Political Spectrum Intermediate/Secondary Resource
5.4 Understand Worksheet: The Political Spectrum
Chart your position and those of five classmates on the political spectrum.
LIBERTARIAN
100 LEFT CENTRIST RIGHT 100 (Liberal) (Conservative) 80 80
60 60 AUTHORITARIAN 40 40 PERSONAL ECONOMIC 20 20 ISSUES SCORE ISSUES SCORE 0 0
Lesson 5 – The Political Spectrum 39 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
5.5 Apply Worksheet: The Political Spectrum of Canada’s Political Parties
Chart the position of each political party on the political spectrum.
LIBERTARIAN
100 LEFT CENTRIST RIGHT 100 (Liberal) (Conservative) 80 80
60 60 AUTHORITARIAN 40 40 PERSONAL ECONOMIC 20 20 ISSUES SCORE ISSUES SCORE 0 0
40 Lesson 5 – The Political Spectrum Intermediate/Secondary Resource
5.6 Apply Worksheet: Applying Political Theories to Big Questions
Recommend at least two responses reflecting two different political theories for each question.
1. Does Canada have a responsibility to support human rights initiatives in other countries?
2. Should Canada commit more of its resources to become more influential on the world stage?
3. Should we trade our water as a commodity?
4. Should we have a public or private health care system?
5. Who has more power over how Canadians live? Government or Corporations?
6. Has the rapid adoption of technology been a positive change for all people?
Lesson 5 – The Political Spectrum 41 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
5.6 Continued
Recommend at least two responses reflecting two different political theories for each question.
7. Should Canada play the role of “peacekeeper” around the world?
8. Do we need stricter limits on freedom of speech?
9. Should the government increase penalties on drug use and drug possession?
10. Should the primary focus of education be job training?
11. Should the government enforce greater restrictions on television programming and video games that include nudity and violence?
12. Should the government fully fund all levels of education in Canada?
42 Lesson 5 – The Political Spectrum Intermediate/Secondary Resource
LESSON 6 The Political Party
Big Idea It is important to be familiar with political parties, which bring together people with similar political ideals and goals who are seeking to effect change by being elected. Background A political party is made up of people who share similar political ideals and have similar political goals. For those goals to become law and for changes to be made in Parliament, the party must achieve power through election to the House of Commons. Policies are put into practice after the elected parties and politicians have met, discussed and voted on the proposed policies. Joining a political party—many of which have special youth wings—can be an effective way for you to influence those parties and politicians, as your voice will be heard and taken into account when policies are being formed and reviewed. Since 1974, political parties have had the option of registering with the Chief Electoral Officer of Elections Canada. Registration offers political parties status under the Canada Elections Act and brings with it certain obligations (e.g., reporting of election expenses) and benefits (e.g., being allowed to issue official income tax receipts for contributions, inclusion of the party’s name on the ballot under a candidate). For a current list of political parties, please visit www.elections.ca. School-Wide Idea Operate information booths representing political parties participating in the election in common areas out- side of the classroom where students can visit to ask questions about a particular political party. Make sure that students representing each party are knowledgeable about the party’s policies and platforms. Keywords Election War Room – Partisan – Political Party – Riding – Seat Count – Slogan – Electoral District Activity Options Hook Watch video clips of campaign speeches or rallies by party leaders in the current election. What patterns do you notice in each of the clips? Know 1. As a class, in small groups or independently, list the registered political parties and their leaders participating in the election. Identify the broad political ideals or goals that each party represents. Identify the parties and candidates running in your electoral district. Jigsaw | Placemat | Class Discussion | Finding Keywords While Reading Poster | Flashcards 2. In small groups or independently, research and discuss the method and requirements for joining a political party (age, financial contribution, obligations, etc.). Consider dividing the political parties amongst your classmates and comparing how each party’s membership requirements differ. Research | Finding Keywords While Reading | Class Discussion Understand 1. Consider a time that you worked on a project with others. Did you always agree on the best course of action? Were there benefits to working collectively as opposed to independently? Use your reflections to help you outline the pros and cons for an electoral candidate to be associated with a political party (consider the election results from the last election). What advantages and disadvantages result as an MP from political party affiliation? How would an MP’s activities in the House of Commons, in committee meetings and in public be affected by political party affiliation? Rapid Writing | Think-Pair-Share | Mind Mapping | Worksheet 6.1
Lesson 6 – The Political Party 43 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
2. In small groups or independently, summarize the history and political standpoint of a registered political party participating in this election. Consider the following questions: 8 When and why was the party originally founded? 8 How often has it been in power? 8 How would you characterize the party’s political ideology? Use information from party websites, the Parliament of Canada website and the Library and Archives Canada website to develop your summary. Stations | Jigsaw | Finding Keywords While Reading Making Notes | Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Worksheet 6.2 Apply In small groups, research a political party that is running a candidate in your school’s electoral district. Use information from party websites and advertisements to create a brief presentation that outlines the party’s main election promises and issues. Craft your presentation so that it can be shared with and easily understood by other students and adults at your school. Cafeteria Presentation | Classroom Visits | Radio | Video | Poster Analyze 1. Interview a representative of a local political party association, a local candidate or a member from their campaign team. Prepare a list of questions before meeting with the representative. Potential questions: 8 What benefits does the existence of a political party or membership in a political party confer on everyday voters? 8 What does a political party do? 8 How do they operate? 8 What new initiatives are underway to recruit new members? 8 How is party policy developed? Mind Mapping | Finding Keywords While Reading | Making Notes Guest Speaker | Audio, Video or Oral Presentation 2. Analyze the history of Canadian federal governments. Consider the following questions: 8 Which political party has most often formed government? 8 From this data, can you make any inferences about political parties in Canada? 8 Can you draw any conclusions regarding where Canadians sit on the political spectrum or particular trends? Research | Graphing | Class Discussion Create In small groups or independently, create a new national party and identify the audience you want to engage. Develop a name, slogan, audio and visual advertisements, vision for Canada, platform, a roster of key supporters and a strategy for acquiring broad support across the country. Mind Mapping | Adding Details When Writing | Writing an Explanation Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Poster | Website Design Evaluate An election war room acts as the hub of operations for a national campaign; it involves a skilled group of individuals in various capacities, contains all the necessary information and equipment needed and is the place where problems are confronted and strategies are created. As a class or in small groups, take on the roles of an election war room (e.g., communications, policy, advertising, scheduling/events)
44 Lesson 6 – The Political Party Intermediate/Secondary Resource
in order to spin election issues and promote the party of your choosing. Establish SMART (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Oriented) campaign goals for voter support and decide upon a method for passing reports and commentary to local or national party members. Volunteer for a war room role in one of the following areas: Leader Scheduling: Track where the party leader is campaigning each day. Identify swing ridings to visit, hot spots to avoid visiting and opportunities for positive press coverage. Policy Planning: Develop a campaign platform and highlight your party’s key priorities. Plan when and how policy announcements will be made during the campaign. Analyze the response from voters and suggest how platform ideas or presentation can be adjusted to better appeal to voters. Campaign Advertising: Design the brand and messaging of the campaign. Suggest ways to distribute party messages efficiently and effectively—nationally and locally. Voter Engagement: Analyze how the party is reaching out to specific groups of Canadians. What different strategies will work for different groups of people? Problem Solvers: Keep track of any gaffes made by the leader. Create a strategy to avoid future problems and spin the situation in a way that will not cause further loss of face. In your role, come up with a plan by following the IDEAL (Identify problems and opportunities, Define goals, Explore possible strategies, Anticipate and act on the chosen idea, Look back and learn) problem-solving strategy. Integrate your plan with those of other group members and post activities and deadlines on a class calendar to work regularly on activities throughout the election campaign. Experiential Learning | Group Work | Mind Mapping | Prioritizing Ideas and Information Reflect Reflect upon one of the following questions to demonstrate what you have learned from this lesson. 8 What is the most important idea that you learned today? 8 What questions do you still have about political parties? 8 Should electoral candidates declare themselves as members of political parties? 8 How closely should a Member of Parliament be forced to follow a party’s stand on any particular issue? 8 What is the key factor in determining whether you will join a political party? 8 What is the best way for a national political party to acquire popular support across Canada? Journal | Rapid Writing | Ticket Out of Class
Additional Materials for Teachers Printable Resources 6.1 Understand Worksheet: The Pros and Cons of Party Affiliation 6.2 Understand Worksheet: Political Party History
Lesson 6 – The Political Party 45 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
6.1 Understand Worksheet: The Pros and Cons of Party Affiliation
Candidates are usually associated with a political party, but occasionally a candidate runs for election as an independent. Think critically about the pros and cons for a candidate to be associated with a political party and fill in the table below.
Pros Cons of being associated with a party of being associated with a party
e.g., Support from party members for issues e.g., Required to support the issues and needs of important to candidate and his or her other party members and their electoral district. electoral district.
46 Lesson 6 – The Political Party Intermediate/Secondary Resource
6.2 Understand Worksheet: Political Party History
Summarize the history and political standpoint of a registered political party participating in this election. Use information from party websites, the Parliament of Canada website and the Library and Archives Canada website to develop your summary.
Name of political party:
Name of current party leader:
When and why was the party originally founded?
How often has this party been in power? Which years?
How would you characterize the party’s political ideology?
Are there any interesting facts about the party (e.g., other names the party has had in the past, party slo- gans, significant election years)?
Lesson 6 – The Political Party 47 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
LESSON 7 Understanding the Issues
Big Idea To be active and informed citizens, it is essential to consume news and information critically, evaluate differ- ent points of view and identify political biases in order to understand national issues, local issues and what different parties and candidates will do if elected. Background In an ideal situation, election debate centres on ideas and arguments that will move the nation in a particular direction. It is important to remember that people have different priorities and issues they care about and they have their own perspectives. In order to better understand the role of media in an election, it is important to become aware of the different forms of election media. Earned media or free media refers to any type of news story or opinion piece, whereas paid media refers to any type of advertising. School-Wide Activity Conduct an opinion poll among students in your school to identify their top three issues at the federal level. Once the three issues have been identified, collect news and information to improve students’ knowledge of these issues. Keywords Bias – Election Issue – Op-Ed – Opinion Poll – Platform – Point of View – Political Party – Wedge Issue Activity Options Hook Identify the differences between a news article, an opinion piece, an editorial cartoon and a press release from a political party. Placemat | Class Discussion | Interactive White Board or PowerPoint Presentation Know 1. Survey a variety of news providers offering election information. Identify a resource that is both trustworthy and interesting to you. Video Clips | Radio Clips | Internet Search | Newspaper Review | Worksheet 7.1 2. As a class, in small groups or independently, explain and illustrate the meaning of bias by comparing the traditional story of The Three Little Pigs to Scieszka’s The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. Alternatively, seek out two newspaper articles that cover the same story with a different perspective. For either choice, consider the following questions: 8 What differences do you notice between the two stories? 8 From whose point of view is each story told? 8 What is the agenda/perspective of each narrator? 8 From what other point of view might the story be told? 8 How is the reader to decide upon truth in the story? 8 How does this story apply to the analysis of election issues? Comparison Chart | Mind Mapping | Class Discussion | Think-Pair-Share | Placemat Previewing a Text | Making Inferences While Reading | Worksheet 7.2
48 Lesson 7 – Understanding the Issues Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Understand Contrast the difference between fact and opinion by selecting a political advertisement, an opinion ar- ticle and a news article that share the same main idea. Classify each resource as earned media or paid media. Identify the resource you find most convincing and explain your reasoning. Highlight statements in the three resources that you believe require more explanation or more balanced facts. Identify who the resources are written by and who the resources are written for. 8 What bias might the author have? 8 Who would be most likely to read or see each of these resources? 8 Share your findings. Prioritizing Ideas and Information | Finding Keywords While Reading Making Inferences and Judgments While Reading | Audio, Video or Oral Presentation Apply 1. Identify the different viewpoints that Canadians hold on an election issue of your choice by collecting facts from a variety of news reports, opinion polls and websites. 8 What different viewpoints have been described in the news? 8 What is your opinion on this issue? 8 What are the opinions of people around you on this issue? 8 Use the information that you have gathered to become an expert on the subject and debate the best approach with a knowledgeable classmate. Four Corners Debate | Triangle Debate | Worksheet 7.3 2. Write a letter to your local newspaper about an issue that you feel is important in your community and should be addressed by candidates running for election. Prioritizing Ideas and Information | Writing an Explanation Analyze 1. As a pre-activity, conduct a poll of students and parents to identify some of the pressing needs to be addressed within your electoral district (e.g., ask them to identify their top two local concerns). The next day compile the responses and identify the top three issues. Have a class discussion about each issue and consider the following questions: 8 What different options are available for addressing the problem? 8 What are the implications of a particular course of action? 8 Categorize the needs and possible solutions for your electoral district. Guest Speaker | Field Trip | Taking Notes | Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Poster Four Corners Debate | Fishbowl Debate | Discussion Panel Open to Community 2. In small groups or independently, analyze an election issue by investigating the different policies and resulting implications. 8 What election issue particularly interests you? 8 Where can you acquire information about this issue? 8 What policies have been proposed by political parties? 8 Are there other policies that have not been proposed? 8 What underlying values are being debated with this issue? 8 What are the implications that each policy would have for Canadians? 8 Present your analysis in a non-partisan fashion that clearly communicates possible outcomes of different approaches and offers clear options to your audience. Prioritizing Ideas and Information | Finding Keywords While Reading Making Inferences and Judgments While Reading | Poster Writing an Explanation | Audio, Video or Oral Presentation
Lesson 7 – Understanding the Issues 49 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Create Create an advertising campaign with various elements (e.g., poster, video, brochure, op-ed piece) that aims to raise awareness about an issue that is important to you. What will you say or illustrate in your campaign to push your issue onto the national agenda? Will your campaign propose multiple policy strategies or focus solely on one? Mind Mapping | Class Discussion | Think-Pair-Share | Placemat Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Dramatic Presentation | Publish Your Work Evaluate 1. As a class, devise a checklist to evaluate how well news providers offer a balanced story of an election issue, leader or candidate. Evaluate reports from various news providers using the checklist. Consider sending your evaluations or writing an op-ed piece to the news agency being evaluated as part of a demand for a balanced discussion of election issues. Checklist | Class Discussion | Mind Mapping | Think-Pair-Share | Placemat Writing an Explanation | Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Work 2. Interpret the scope of an election issue by interviewing a community group that will be affected by the outcome of the election. How significant is the election issue “on the ground” in comparison to the attention the issue is receiving in the media or from politicians? Is the community group investing any time or money into a campaign to raise awareness about their issue? Writing an Explanation | Audio, Visual or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Work Reflect Reflect upon one of the following questions to demonstrate what you learned from this lesson. 8 What is the most important idea that you learned today? 8 What questions do you still have about political bias? 8 How well are Canadian news agencies generally doing in providing non-partisan election coverage? 8 In your opinion, what is the most important election issue in your electoral district? 8 In your opinion, what is the most important election issue nationally? 8 How important is it to have some form of personal experience with a political issue? Journal | Rapid Writing | Ticket Out of Class
Additional Materials for Teachers Book Scieszka, J. & Smith, L. (1989) The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. New York, NY: Viking Kestral. (Found in libraries) Website The Wolf’s Side of the Story http://www.shol.com/agita/wolfside.htm Printable Resources 7.1 Know Worksheet: Surveying News Providers 7.2 Know Worksheet: Comparing the Stories 7.3 Apply Worksheet: Different Viewpoints on an Election Issue
50 Lesson 7 – Understanding the Issues Intermediate/Secondary Resource
7.1 Know Worksheet: Surveying News Providers
The issue I have identified is:
Find two news sources that have covered the issue.
Source From whose point of view What is the opinion of e.g., name of newspaper, website, etc. is the story told? the narrator?
Lesson 7 – Understanding the Issues 51 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
7.1 Continued
What differences do you notice between the two stories?
From whose point of view is each story told?
How is the reader to decide upon truth in the story?
How does this story apply to the analysis of election issues?
52 Lesson 7 – Understanding the Issues Intermediate/Secondary Resource
7.2 Know Worksheet: Comparing Two Stories
1. What differences do you notice between the two stories?
2. From whose point of view is each story told?
3. What is the agenda of each narrator?
4. From what other points of view might the story be told?
5. How is the reader to decide upon truth in the story?
6. How does this story apply to the analysis of election issues?
Lesson 7 – Understanding the Issues 53 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
7.3 Apply Worksheet: Different Viewpoints on an Election Issue
What election issue is important to you?
What is your opinion on this election issue?
What other opinions have you heard or read about in the news regarding this issue? At home? Online?
Different people have different points of views on election issues. Some will agree with your point of view and others may not. Make a list of arguments in support of your opinion on your issue, as well as a list of arguments that people against your point of view might have.
Arguments Supporting My Opinion Arguments Against My Point of View
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
54 Lesson 7 – Understanding the Issues Intermediate/Secondary Resource
LESSON 8 The Leaders’ Debate
Big Idea The leaders’ debate allows citizens to gauge the qualities, substance and image of national leaders and also to compare and contrast their positions on major election issues, key priorities and visions for Canada. Background The leaders’ debate and subsequent media and public interpretation of the leaders’ performances can act as a turning point in an election campaign or reinforce already existing assumptions among voters. Traditionally, there are two national debates within federal election campaigns, one in each official language. Since there are so many political parties, the leaders’ debate is usually restricted to the parties represented in the House of Commons. An exception was made during the 2008 federal election to permit the Green Party Leader to participate due to the amount of popular support for the party across the country. The debate is coordinated by a media consortium and has taken on various forms. Sometimes questions are asked by a panel made up of prominent members of the media and other times a well-known host poses questions that have been submitted by the public. The stage set-up has also varied from podium style to round-table discussion. School-Wide Idea On the evening of the debate, make the school auditorium available to students and their families interested in watching the debate on a big screen. Keywords Archive – Closing Statement – Consortium Debate – Constructive Remarks – Media – Moderator Opening Statement – Rebuttal Activity Options Hook Before the leaders’ debate, preview highlights from previous federal debates found in the CBC’s online archives. Predict how the upcoming debate will compare to previous leaders’ debates. Know Watch the leaders’ debate with family and friends. Take notes regarding the names of the leaders, the party each leader represents and the issues that they discuss. Name the individual that you felt proved herself or himself the best candidate for Prime Minister. Finding Keywords While Reading | Prioritizing Ideas and Information Note-Taking | Drawing Conclusions from Listening | Worksheet 8.1 Understand 1. Before the leaders’ debate, select one of the leaders participating in the debate and imagine yourself in that leader’s position. Outline what you hope to achieve by participating in the lead- ers’ debate. 8 What election issues do you want to discuss or avoid? 8 What other leader(s) do you want to target in your questions and responses? 8 Consider using highlights from previous leaders’ debates and campaign materials from the current party leaders to support your reasoning. Peer Editing | Letter Writing | Worksheet 8.2 | Audio, Video or Oral Presentation
Lesson 8 – The Leaders’ Debate 55 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
2. Before the leaders’ debate, as a class or in small groups, compare what you know about the leaders participating in the debate. Whose ideas have been well-received? Who has been catching the most media attention, either positive or negative? What perceptions does each leader need to foster or challenge? On what national issues will each candidate want to focus on during the debate? Debate | Triangle Debate | Four Corners Debate | Class Discussion Think-Pair-Share | Jigsaw 3. Before the leaders’ debate, in small groups or individually, explain the importance of watching the debate. Put yourself in the position of an executive with a popular television station that often shows music videos but has been requested to air the debate. How would you promote the importance of the debate to a teenage audience? Placemat | Poster | Comic | Audio or Video Advertisement Peer Editing | Publish Your Work Apply 1. Demonstrate your understanding of a party’s national campaign by preparing and delivering a 45-second opening statement that you believe would make a lasting positive impression on viewers if you were one of the participating leaders. How would you pre-emptively address specific criticisms from other party leaders? Would your strategy focus on strengthening your own credibility, undermining your opponents or both? How would you ensure that you come across as genuine and articulate to viewers? On what issues and ideas would you focus? Mind Mapping | Peer Editing | Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Work
2. After the leaders’ debate, conduct a mock leaders’ debate in class or for a school assembly. Use arguments from the leaders’ debate as well as information collected from campaign mate- rials and news reports to debate on behalf of the leaders. Finding Keywords While Reading | Prioritizing Ideas and Information Drawing Conclusions from Reading | Debate | Triangle Debate Fishbowl Discussion | Jigsaw Analyze 1. Before the leaders’ debate, in small groups, suggest qualities of a successful party leader by reviewing one or more of the leaders’ debates from past elections. What issues were discussed in the debate you viewed? What made a leader a strong or weak debater (e.g., control of debate, good composure, deflecting criticism)? Identify any memorable or crucial moments in the debate. Pay particular attention to the candidate who was elected Prime Minister in the election for which the debate took place. Finding Keywords While Reading | Prioritizing Information and Ideas Note Taking | Drawing Conclusions from Listening | Worksheet 8.3 | Jigsaw Audio, Video (Highlight Reel) or Oral Presentation 2. After the leaders’ debate, identify the key messages put forward by each leader by analyzing a word cloud of each leader’s arguments. From a transcript of the debate, copy and paste each statement by an individual leader in the Wordle online word-cloud generator to create a word cloud. Finding Keywords While Reading | Think-Pair-Share | Writing an Explanation Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Work
56 Lesson 8 – The Leaders’ Debate Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Create Before or after the leaders’ debate, imagine that you are a consultant for the television consortium responsible for airing the leaders’ debate. You have been tasked with the job of improving viewer ratings for these debates. In small groups, propose a new format for the leaders’ debate that will engage and interest Canadians while continuing to provide an opportunity for the country to evaluate each of the party leaders. What audiences are presently unengaged? Who will be present in the audience? What will the set look like? Model your new debate format as if you and your group’s members were the party leaders. Placemat | Mind Mapping | Writing an Explanation | Dramatic Presentation | Debate Evaluate Before the leaders’ debate, as a class, in small groups, or independently, establish criteria and different levels or standards by which candidates can be evaluated. What characteristics do you look for in a leader? How should an ideal leader debate with the other leaders? How will evidence of a leader’s worth be observed and measured? Consider surveying past leaders’ debates in order to help identify some key characteristics of a political leader. Consider acting out how each of these standards might appear during the debate. After the leaders’ debate, evaluate the leaders according to your criteria. Rubric | Placemat | Mind Mapping | Finding Keywords While Reading Prioritizing Information and Ideas | Note-Taking | Drawing Conclusions from Listening | Writing an Explanation Debate | Four Corners Debate | Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Work Reflect Reflect upon one of the following questions to demonstrate what you have learned from this lesson. 8 What is the most important idea that you learned today? 8 What questions do you still have about the leaders’ debate? 8 Who has the most to lose/gain by participating in the debate? 8 What would you ask the leaders? 8 Who has been the best debater in past federal debates? 8 What characterizes a great leader? 8 Is a great debater necessarily a great leader? Why or why not? 8 What would make the leaders’ debate more meaningful for you? 8 How should a voter evaluate who the best leader is? Journal | Rapid Writing | Ticket Out of Class
Additional Materials for Teachers Printable Resources 8.1 Know Worksheet: Observing the Leaders 8.2 Understand Worksheet: Preparing as a Leader in the Debate 8.3 Analyze Worksheet: Characteristics of a Strong Leader
Lesson 8 – The Leaders’ Debate 57 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
8.1 Know Worksheet: Observing the Leaders
Fill in the table below based on the leaders’ debate. If you have less than five leaders, leave spaces blank. If you have more than five leaders, continue on an additional worksheet.
Name of leader Issues leader Personal ranking and party focused on of leaders
58 Lesson 8 – The Leaders’ Debate Intermediate/Secondary Resource
8.2 Understand Worksheet: Preparing as a Leader in the Debate
1. Select a leader and imagine yourself in that position. Write the name of the leader and party.
2. What do you hope to achieve by participating in the leaders’ debate?
3. What election issues do you want to discuss or avoid?
4. What other leader(s) do you want to target in your questions and responses? What issues will you use to target the other leader(s)?
Leader to target What issue will you use to target this leader?
Lesson 8 – The Leaders’ Debate 59 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
8.3 Analyze Worksheet: Characteristics of a Strong Leader
Select a previous election debate to review.
Which leader was elected Prime Minister in this election?
Identify strong or weak qualities exhibited by the debaters. (e.g., control of debate, good composure, deflecting criticism)
Name of leader Comment on their strengths or weaknesses and party
60 Lesson 8 – The Leaders’ Debate Intermediate/Secondary Resource
8.3 Continued
What issues were discussed (and by which leaders)?
Identify any memorable or crucial moments in the debate. Identify a couple of key minutes in the debate that you are examining.
Lesson 8 – The Leaders’ Debate 61 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Lesson 9 Going Local
Big Idea Electors across the country vote for different candidates and may be influenced by different issues. It is important to evaluate local candidates’ approaches to important local issues. Background Currently, the House of Commons is made up of 308 Members of Parliament from 308 electoral districts. Each Member of Parliament represents the constituents in his or her electoral district and address issues at the local level. School-Wide Idea Invite all students to an all-candidates meeting and ask each class in attendance to generate a question for candidates to answer. Keywords Constituency – Debate – Member of Parliament – Riding Association Activity Options Hook Covering or blacking out the names of the candidates, read a brief biography of each candidate running in your electoral district. Examine candidates’ age, political experience and occupation, and consider whether each candidate has the qualifications that you desire in a Member of Parliament. Know 1. Identify your electoral district and the candidates running for election and their party affiliations. Discuss different ways to interact with the candidates in order to learn about them and their priorities before Student Vote Day. Think-Pair-Share | Class Discussion 2. Prepare for and attend an all-candidates meeting (see the Apply activity for organizing one). Note the name and party of each candidate and their campaign promises. Name and explain who you felt proved herself or himself the best candidate for Member of Parliament in your riding. Finding Keywords While Reading | Prioritizing Ideas and Information | Note-Taking Drawing Conclusions from Listening | Worksheet 9.1 | Worksheet 9.2 Understand 1. As a class or in small groups, identify national and local issues about which you are concerned and create questions that you could pose to local candidates. What election issues have you been following most closely? What concerns you about this issue or what solutions do you want to see implemented regarding this issue? What main question and follow-up questions can you pose that will enable you to know more about a candidate’s or party’s position on that issue? Consider various options for communicating these questions to candidates (e.g., letter, email, invite candidates into your class one day at a time). Class Discussion | Mind Mapping | Placemat | Think-Pair-Share | Peer Editing 2. Before an all-candidates meeting, predict the local and national election issues on which each candidate will want to focus during the meeting. Consider using campaign websites and print advertisements as well as local news reports to support your reasoning. Finding Keywords While Reading | Prioritizing Ideas and Information Drawing Conclusions from Reading | Triangle Debate | Audio, Video or Oral Presentation Publish Your Work | Worksheet 9.3
62 Lesson 9 – Going Local Intermediate/Secondary Resource
3. Invite candidates into school during lunch period and have a political party. Give candidates an opportunity to introduce themselves to students and answer any questions that they may have about local issues. To keep things running smoothly, allow each candidate an equal amount of time to speak. Guest Speaker | Class Discussion Apply 1. As a class, organize an all-candidates meeting for your class, learning community or school (see Handout 9.4 for more information). Volunteer for one of the following task forces: Logistics: Where and when will you hold the meeting? How will you promote the meeting? What local media will be invited and where will reporters and photographers be situated for the meeting? How will the meeting be recorded so that it can be reviewed by your class later on? Meeting Coordination: Who will be responsible for moderating the all-candidates meeting? How will the debate be moderated and candidate responses limited? What will the format of the meeting be (e.g., timed responses to questions or comments, open debate on issues, agreeing with and building on other candidates’ points, identifying strengths of other candidates)? Questions: What questions will be asked during the meeting? How will the questions be determined? Who will ask the questions during the meeting? Will there be an opportunity for questions from the floor? Candidate Services: How will you invite and stay in contact with the candidates? Who will greet and escort the candidates to and from the meeting location when they arrive at and leave the school? What refreshments will be provided to the candidates? In your task force, come up with a group plan by following the IDEAL problem-solving strategy (Identify problems and opportunities, Define goals, Explore possible strategies, Anticipate and act on the chosen idea, Look back and learn). Put your group plan into action by posting activities and deadlines on a class calendar and working regularly on activities leading up to the all-candidates meeting. Group Work | Experiential Learning | Guest Speaker 2. In small groups, create a poster or presentation about one of the candidates in your electoral district. Make sure that each candidate is assigned to a group. Use information collected from newspapers and other media sources, campaign websites and literature. Display your poster in a visible place in the school or make a presentation to other classrooms. Audio or Visual Presentation | Dramatic Presentation | Poster Analyze 1. Demonstrate your understanding of a local campaign by organizing a mock debate. In small groups, select one student to take on the role of a particular local candidate; the rest of the group will be the candidate’s campaign team (see Lesson 6 for a breakdown of roles in the election war room). Using arguments from newspapers, party/candidate websites and campaign literature, work together to prepare the candidate for the debate. Finding Keywords While Reading | Prioritizing Ideas and Information Drawing Conclusions from Reading | Debate | Triangle Debate Fishbowl Discussion | Jigsaw
Lesson 9 – Going Local 63 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
2. After an all-candidates meeting, as a class, in small groups or independently, put yourself in the position of a political journalist trying to draw out points of debate and analyze the main points that each candidate tried to convey. Questions to consider: 8 What ideas did the candidates repeatedly mention? 8 What reasons did they give for proposing a specific course of action? 8 What did you notice was left unsaid? 8 Did any candidate avoid a particular question? Finding Keywords While Reading | Prioritizing Information and Ideas Note Taking | Drawing Conclusions from Listening | Writing an Explanation Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Work Create An all-candidates meeting is one means of creating a dialogue between candidates and voters. In small groups or individually, propose and design a live or online event that would maximize the number of voters each candidate was able to personally speak with. Think-Pair-Share | Mind Mapping | Audio or Visual Presentation | Dramatic Presentation | Poster Evaluate As a class, in small groups or independently, establish a checklist of criteria to evaluate candidates. Consider the following questions: 8 What characteristics do you look for in a representative for your local electoral district? 8 How will evidence of a candidate’s worth be observed and measured? 8 How should an ideal candidate interact with voters and other electoral candidates? During the final week of the campaign, evaluate the candidates according to your criteria. Checklist | Placemat | Mind Mapping | Finding Keywords While Reading Prioritizing Information and Ideas | Note-Taking | Drawing Conclusions from Listening Writing an Explanation | Debate | Four Corners Debate Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Work Reflect Reflect upon one of the following questions to demonstrate what you have learned from this lesson. 8 What is the most important idea that you learned today? 8 What questions do you still have about your local electoral district and the candidates? 8 Who has the most to lose/gain by participating in an all-candidates’ debate? 8 What would you ask the candidates? 8 What characterizes a great debater or candidate? 8 What idea or proposal from the all-candidates meeting did you find the most exciting? 8 What idea or proposal from the all-candidates meeting did you find the most concerning? 8 What would make the all-candidates meeting more meaningful for you? 8 How should a voter evaluate who the best candidate is? Journal | Rapid Writing | Ticket Out of Class
Additional Materials for Teachers Printable Resources 9.1 Know Worksheet: Preparing for the All-Candidates Meeting 9.2 Know Worksheet: At the All-Candidates Meeting 9.3 Understand Worksheet: Upcoming Debate Issues 9.4 Apply Handout: A Framework for Planning an All-Candidates Meeting
64 Lesson 9 – Going Local Intermediate/Secondary Resource
9.1 Know Worksheet: Preparing for the All-Candidates Meeting
To prepare for your all-candidates meeting, answer the following questions about your electoral district. 1. Describe your electoral district boundaries.
2. List a few of the responsibilities of the federal government.
3. What are some of the election issues in your electoral district?
Now that you have considered what the purpose of the all-candidates meeting in your electoral district will be, answer these questions about the format of the meeting.
4. What do you think the format of this meeting will be?
5. What is the structure of participation of the candidates and voters in an all-candidates meeting?
6. Name the candidates and their parties that will be at this meeting.
Lesson 9 – Going Local 65 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
9.2 Know Worksheet: At the All-Candidates Meeting
Fill in the table below based on the all-candidates meeting. If you have more than five candidates, continue on additional worksheets.
Personal Name of candidate Issues candidate ranking of and party focused on candidates
66 Lesson 9 – Going Local Intermediate/Secondary Resource
9.3 Understand Worksheet: Upcoming Debate Issues
Before the all-candidates meeting, think about the issues of this election and answer the following questions.
1. What local issues have been of importance in the news?
2. What national issues have been discussed by each candidate?
3. What issues are mentioned in newspaper and website campaign advertisements for each candidate?
4. Which of these issues are most important to you?
5. Which of these issues are most important to the candidates?
Lesson 9 – Going Local 67 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
9.4 Apply Handout: A Framework for Planning an All-Candidates Meeting
Preparation: 8 Consult with your administration regarding the event and review any related board policies. 8 Decide on a time, date and location of the meeting (remain flexible to accommodate candidates). 8 In larger communities, consider organizing the event with another participating school or videotaping/ podcasting/live-streaming the event to share with other schools in your electoral district. 8 Work with the Music Department or AV club to set up microphones for the candidates and questions from the audience. Invitations/Awareness: 8 Schools should invite the candidates of all political parties and all independent candidates to participate in the meeting/debate. 8 Inform school staff of the meeting and encourage their students’ participation. 8 Contact local media to publicize and cover the debate. 8 Invite school and community representatives to view the event but not participate. 8 Post notices and information around the school to build excitement and interest. Format/Questions: 8 Choose a moderator and establish an agenda and guidelines for the meeting. Invite a local commu- nity leader/journalist to host the debate. 8 Develop a format for the event and determine the length. a) Introduction – Moderator introduces candidates and indicates meeting format. b) Opening Statements – Candidates are given time to outline their party platform. c) Format – Decide on the type of questions and response length for each type, and decide how many pre-determined questions there will be and when you will open the floor to the audience. d) Questions – Decide which issues will be covered and who will ask the questions. e) Closing Statements – Candidates will make concluding statements. f) Thank You – Arrange for students to thank the candidates for coming. 8 Inform candidates and press about the details, format and duration (but not the specific questions). 8 Have students prepare some written questions ahead of time to ask candidates. Encourage other classes to submit questions and have your class pick the top ten questions. Suggestions for the Debate: 8 Include some personal questions – Why did you decide to run? What makes you qualified for the job? What are you passionate about? 8 Ensure a respectful, non-partisan environment. Let students know expectations for their behaviour and participation. 8 If a candidate cancels or does not show up, respect their campaign schedule and ensure that students are aware that the candidate is running but is unable to attend. 8 Invite parents or members from the community to the event. Note: This event is for students. Non-student audience members should NOT be asking questions. 8 If possible, provide time for students to talk with the candidates after the meeting. 8 Students can take notes during the debate to review in class.
68 Lesson 9 – Going Local Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Lesson 10 Preparing to Vote
Big Idea Consider personal priorities and critically analyze information from a broad range of sources before making an informed and purposeful electoral decision. Background Electors may excuse themselves from voting so as not to make a “wrong decision” at the ballot box. Many leave the responsibility to those they believe “know what they’re doing”. But why should anyone allow someone else to make a decision for them? Informed voters need to consider, who or what they are supporting when they cast their ballot—the election of a Prime Minister, political party, local candidate, a specific issue, an entire platform, or some or all of the above? School-Wide Idea Implement a formal registration system for Student Vote Day that includes voter registration cards. Keywords Advance Poll – First-Past-the-Post – Information Card – Registered Voter – Special Voting Rules Activity Options Hook Have a class discussion and consider the following questions: After participating in these campaign activities, do you think you know more about the election than your parents? Do you think the Student Vote results will be different than the official election results? Why or why not? Know Put yourself in the position of a soldier in Afghanistan, a backpacker in Kenya, a newcomer to your province or a registered voter. Use information from the Elections Canada website to list the steps and information you would need to take in order to cast your ballot. Assume that each of these characters lives in your electoral district. Activity Stations | Jigsaw | Finding Keywords While Reading | Writing a Procedure | Worksheet 10.1 Understand 1. Explain how you have acquired the characteristics of an informed voter and what your responsibilities are as a citizen. Rapid Writing | Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Portfolio 2. Help an eligible voter acquire the knowledge they need before casting an informed ballot on Election Day and assist them in finding information about where and when they can vote. Family Discussion | Interview | Mentoring | Internet Research 3. As a class, in small groups or independently, describe an experience in which your contribution was part of a larger project or decision and compare this experience to the act of voting. How significant was your contribution? Did the outcome of the project or decision meet your expectations? How did you feel about the outcome of the project or decision? Rapid Writing | Class Discussion | Think-Pair-Share | Placemat
Lesson 10 – Preparing to Vote 69 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Apply 1. Your actions and words can be a means of voting. When you buy a certain chocolate bar, shop at a particular store, or choose one option from a selection of many, you are identifying that thing, place, or concept as more worthy than other options. As a class, in small groups or independently, choose and act upon a way to express support for a particular candidate or party using your words or actions (e.g., initiating political discussions, political donations, lawn signs, rallies or marches, volunteering with a political campaign). Think-Pair-Share | Field Trip | Experiential Learning 2. Make your decision and cast your vote at the ballot box. Report your school’s results to Student Vote and keep them confidential until the close of the official polls. Experiential Learning | Simulation Analyze Conduct a survey to analyze how individuals at your school and in your community come to their voting decisions. What key factors affect individuals’ choice of candidate? Consider focusing on a specific group of people in your community (e.g., senior citizens, business owners, local athletes). As a class, organize your collective results in order to make generalizations about how voters typically come to a decision. Class Discussion | Graphing | Electronic Spreadsheets | Mind Mapping | Field Trip Worksheet 10.2 | Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Results Create 1. In small groups or individually, create a morning announcement for the final seven days of the campaign or before your Student Vote Day. The goal of these announcements should be to prepare students to cast their ballot and boost enthusiasm. Radio | Audio Presentation | Dramatic Presentation 2. Create a Facebook group dedicated to the election for your school. Compile information about your electoral district, the local candidates and their political parties. Encourage dialogue about local and national issues. Post videos, web links and other background information. Internet Research | Multi-Media | Publish Your Results Evaluate Evaluate the importance that class activities, your own values, election issues and developments in the election campaign have had on your decision to vote for a particular party or candidate. Reflect upon why your decision changed or remained the same over the course of the election. Portfolio | Writing an Explanation | Audio or Oral Presentation | Rant Reflect Reflect upon one of the following questions to demonstrate what you have learned from this lesson. 8 What questions do you still have about making an informed and intentional voting decision? 8 Describe your voting experience. 8 Do you prefer your decision to be private? Explain. 8 Should the election be discussed by every student? Explain. 8 What single moment in the election campaign has had the biggest impact upon your decision? 8 What moment in the election campaign has had an overstated impact on the election campaign? Journal | Rapid Writing | Ticket Out of Class
Additional Materials for Teachers Printable Resources 10.1 Know Worksheet: Many Ballots, Many Voting Methods 10.2 Analyze Worksheet: Survey of Voting Decisions
70 Lesson 10 – Preparing to Vote Intermediate/Secondary Resource
10.1 Know Worksheet: Many Ballots, Many Voting Methods
Use information from the Elections Canada website to list the steps and information you would need to take in order to cast your ballot (www.elections.ca).
Imagine it is Election What steps would you need to take in order to vote? Day and you are… What do you need to sign? What do you need to bring?
A Canadian Soldier in Afghanistan
Taking a Vacation in India
Newcomer / Voting For the First Time
Registered Voter
Lesson 10 – Preparing to Vote 71 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
10.2 Analyze Worksheet: Survey of Voting Decisions
1. What is your profession?
2. How old are you?
3. What is your gender?
4. What issue is most important in this election?
5. How many people did you talk to about the election?
6. How frequently did you read or watch news about election issues?
7. Did you know who you were going to vote for as soon as the election was called?
72 Lesson 10 – Preparing to Vote Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Lesson 11 Post-Election Analysis
Big Idea Post-election analysis allows voters to reflect on the election outcome to predict how the new Parliament will impact Canadians. Background Now that ballots have been cast and counted, it is time for the outcome of the vote. The composition of the newly elected Parliament may affect the new government’s ability to realize promises made during the election campaign. The informed voter needs to understand how the power to govern has been assigned and the implications that election results will have on how Canada will be governed. School-Wide Idea Recognize the winner of the Student Vote election in your school and electoral district. Keywords Electoral Reform – Popular Vote – Proportional Representation – Seat Count – Vote Count – Voter Turnout Activity Options Hook Share the results of Student Vote Day in your school. Please remember to wait until the day following the official election. Know Compare the results of the Student Vote election and the general election. Identify the newly elected governing party, opposition parties, Prime Minister and Official Leader of the Opposition, as well as the Member of Parliament for your local electoral district and the surrounding electoral districts in your region, province, or territory. Complete this step both for the national Student Vote election results, as well as the general election results. Class Discussion | Map Labelling | Poster | Worksheet 11.1 Understand 1. Interpret the Student Vote election results visually in order to explain the differences between the Student Vote election and general election. Consider illustrating the Student Vote results from your school, from all of the participating schools in your electoral district, and from your province or territory. Complete this step for both the Student Vote election results and the general election results. Graphing | Electronic Spreadsheets | Map Labelling | Poster | Worksheet 11.2 PowerPoint or Interactive White Board Presentation 2. As a class, in small groups or individually, compare the seat count, vote count and popular vote percentage of this general election to the corresponding results from the previous general election. Did certain parties gain or lose seats? Did certain provinces or territories gain or lose support more dramatically than others? Graphing | Map Labelling PowerPoint or Interactive White Board Presentation | Worksheet 11.3 Apply 1. Predict how the newly elected government or opposition expects to interact with the party opposite them in the House of Commons. Consider a time when you won or lost a competition and then had to interact with your opponents later on. How did you feel immediately after the competition ended? How do you think your opponents felt? How did you and your opponents
Lesson 11 – Post-Election Analysis 73 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
treat one another in the time following the competition? Were you and your opponents happy with how you treated one another? Consider writing from the perspective of your local Member of Parliament. Rapid Writing | Mind Mapping | Dramatic Performance Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Writing an Explanation 2. Once an electoral candidate is elected to Parliament, she or he often has to make decisions about which issues to pursue first on behalf of her or his constituency. Write your new Member of Parliament and identify the issue that you believe should be considered a priority based on party promises and your personal interests (please note that you will likely reach an exec- utive assistant via email). Members of Parliament contact information can be found on the Parliamentary website, www.parl.gc.ca. Mind Mapping | Reorganizing Ideas | Asking Questions to Refine Writing | Writing a Letter 3. Recognize a local candidate in your electoral district who received a significant proportion of the votes in the Student Vote election in your school or electoral district but perhaps did not win a seat in the general election by inviting the candidate into the class for an interview. Consider debriefing the campaign with the candidate and finding out the candidate’s future plans. Class Discussion | Guest Speaker | Preparing Interview Questions Analyze 1. Analyze opinion poll results from the election campaign and the seat count in the new House of Commons in order to predict the government’s ability to pass promised legislation. Were the polls correct? What legislation will move quickly or slowly through the House of Commons? What issues will be extensively discussed by the governing and opposition parties? Compare your analysis to that of a political commentator. Class Discussion | Think-Pair-Share | Writing an Explanation Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Work 2. Contrast the proportion of different linguistic, gender, age, ethnic and disabled Members of Parliament to the proportion of these groups in Canada’s population. What generalizations can you make about how Canada is represented in the House of Commons? What inferences can you make about how the linguistic, gender, racial, ethnic or physical ability composition might affect Parliamentary debate? Class Discussion | Graphing | Map Labelling | Mind Mapping Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Worksheet 11.4 3. Draw conclusions about what the Student Vote results imply for politicians. Refer to key election issues, to the political parties’ responses to these issues and students’ support of these parties at the polls as well as the graphs you made in the above post-election activities. Class Discussion | Think-Pair-Share | Placemat | Mind Mapping | Write an Explanation Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Work Create Imagine that you are the newly elected Prime Minister preparing the Throne Speech. Prioritize the issues and legislation that the government should address in order to quickly take advantage of a mandate to lead the country and to win over Canadians who continue to support other political parties. Consider holding a Cabinet meeting in your class in order to determine a schedule of legislation to pursue. Class Discussion | Mind Mapping | Simulation | Audio, Video or Oral Presentation Debate | Writing an Explanation | Make a List
74 Lesson 11 – Post-Election Analysis Intermediate/Secondary Resource
Evaluate 1. As a class, in small groups or independently, examine the difference between the popular vote percentage and the seat count percentage. 8 Is it important for the popular vote percentage and the seat count percentage to be similar? 8 Who are the winners and losers with the current voting system? 8 What examples of electoral reform have been proposed by those who are unhappy with the current voting system in Canada? 8 Consider referring to recent provincial debates on electoral reform to learn more about the options available to Canadian voters. Think-Pair-Share | Placemat | Mind Mapping Finding Keywords While Reading | Writing an Explanation Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Results | Internet Research 2. As a class, in small groups or independently, evaluate the impact that election awareness- raising activities in your school had on voter turnout during Student Vote Day. What activities affected the most students? What activities had the greatest impact on students’ attitudes towards voting? What were students in the halls saying about voting? Were there issues with spoiled ballots? Think-Pair-Share | Placemat | Survey | Writing an Explanation Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Results 3. As a class, in small groups or independently, recommend effective methods to influence the new government (e.g., letter writing, protesting, lobbying with an organization, consulting). What interests do you share with the new government that could be pressed or would be warmly received? Mind Mapping | Writing a Letter | Activism Audio, Video or Oral Presentation | Publish Your Results Reflect Reflect upon one of the following questions to demonstrate what you have learned from this lesson. 8 What is the most important idea that you learned today? 8 What questions do you still have about the analysis of the election? 8 Who were the biggest winners and losers in this election? 8 What events were turning points in the campaign? 8 What should the new government’s top priorities be? 8 How effective will this government be? Explain. 8 How well does the House of Commons reflect the makeup of our country? 8 How will you continue to make yourself heard by the new government? 8 What are different ways you can stay informed and active in between elections? Journal | Rapid Writing | Ticket Out of Class
Additional Materials for Teachers Printable Resources 11.1 Know Worksheet: Comparing Election Results 11.2 Understand Worksheet: Comparing General and Student Vote Elections 11.3 Understand Worksheet: Comparing the 40th and 41st General Elections 11.4 Analyze Worksheet: Composition of Canada vs. Parliament
Lesson 11 – Post-Election Analysis 75 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
11.1 Know Worksheet: Comparing Election Results
Answer the following questions with a name and/or party based on the results for both the general election and Student Vote election.
General election results Student Vote results
Who was elected as the governing party?
Who was elected as the opposition party (or parties)?
Who was elected to be Prime Minister?
Who was elected to be Official Leader of the Opposition?
Who was elected as the Member of Parliament in your electoral district?
Who was elected as Member of Parliament in ______?*
Who was elected as Member of Parliament in ______?*
*Write in the names of two neighbouring ridings for the bottom two rows.
76 Lesson 11 – Post-Election Analysis Intermediate/Secondary Resource
11.2 Understand Worksheet: Comparing General and Student Vote Elections
Visually compare the results of the general election to those of the Student Vote election.
Fill in the House of Commons seating chart and the blank pie chart below to represent the distribution of seats among the parties in the general election.
Fill in the House of Commons seating chart and the blank pie chart below to represent the distribution of seats among the parties in the Student Vote election.
Lesson 11 – Post-Election Analysis 77 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
11.3 Understand Worksheet: Comparing the 40th and 41st General Elections
Visually compare the results of the 40th and 41st general election.
Fill in the House of Commons seating chart and the blank pie chart below to represent the distribution of seats among the parties in the 40th general election.
Fill in the House of Commons seating chart and the blank pie chart below to represent the distribution of seats among the parties in the 41st general election.
78 Lesson 11 – Post-Election Analysis Intermediate/Secondary Resource
11.4 Analyze Worksheet: Composition of Canada vs. Parliament
Fill in the pie charts below based on the composition of the Members of Parliament in the House of Commons.
First Language Gender
Age Ethnicity
Statistics like this help us see if the representatives we elect are demo- graphically representative of the country as a whole.
Differently-Abled
Lesson 11 – Post-Election Analysis 79 Intermediate/Secondary Resource
11.4 Continued
Fill in the pie charts below based on the composition of Canada’s population.
First Language Gender
Age Ethnicity
Statistics like this help us see if the representatives we elect are demo- graphically representative of the country as a whole. If they aren’t demographically rep- resentative, questions may be raised such as: Why aren’t we electing those who demographically represent us? Is it important that they are or aren’t demographically representative? What are the implications, if any? Are there barriers keeping some groups from participating as candidates? Differently-Abled
80 Lesson 11 – Post-Election Analysis