14 | Student Vote Resource

4 Political Parties

OBJECTIVE F) Each group selects a leader to interact with the Students will learn about ’s political parties and other leaders and determine what sport to play. research their party platforms. Correct answer: D, B, E, F, C, A KEY WORDS political party, platform, electoral district, party Follow-up discussion: What lesson is to be learned member, party leader, candidate, campaign, slogan, here? What is the benefit to working alongside speech individuals who share the same opinions and interests? Is the final decision fair? QUESTIONS TO BE EXPLORED DURING THIS LESSON • What is a political party? Instruction: 10 min • Why do political parties exist? 1. When a community or large number of people • How do political parties form government? need to get something done, people with similar • Which political parties can you name in Ontario? opinions and interests often form groups and work • What is a party platform? together to achieve their goals. In politics, these groups are called political parties. A political party PREPARATION is made up of people, called party members, who • Verify which parties are running candidates share similar beliefs and goals for their community, in your school’s electoral district city, province or country. Each party also selects (http://www.elections.on.ca). a leader, usually through a vote. In order for the • Collect a variety of campaign literature from the party’s goals to be accomplished, the party must parties running candidates in your electoral district. win an election and lead the government. • Make copies of Worksheet 4.1 and 4.2, if required. • Obtain information on Ontario’s political parties from the Student Vote Ontario election site (www.studentvote.ca/on2014).

TEACHING STRATEGIES Hook: 10 min Assign students Worksheet 4.1: It’s Party Time! The following six parts of a story are jumbled. Figure out what is happening and put each part in its proper place in the story (e.g., first, second, etc.).

A) Due to popular support, the group of 100 kids decides to play street hockey. B) A quick survey of the 100 kids tells us that 30 like baseball, 30 like soccer, 30 like street hockey, 9 like basketball and 1 likes swimming. C) Through discussion, the lone swimmer decides to join the baseball group and the basketball group decides to join the street hockey group. D) A large group of 100 kids has to make a decision about what sport to play at camp. E) Based on their interests, the kids form groups. There is a 30-kid baseball group, a 30-kid soccer group, a 30- kid street hockey group, a 9-kid basketball group and a 2. Ontario’s system of government is based on 1-kid swimming group. political parties. Each political party has a leader, Lesson 4: Political Parties | 15

and during elections they create a party platform, wide assembly. Please refer to Lesson 6 for additional which is a list of ideas or goals for the province. engagement ideas. While all the parties may agree that education is a priority, they may have different ideas about how Debrief: 5 min to improve the system or which aspects to focus Have a brief closing discussion about political parties on. with your class. Alternatively, ask students to write a reflection for their election scrapbook or learning log. 3. During elections, political parties also select • What did you learn about political parties? individuals (candidates) to join their team, spread • Why are political parties important? their message and platform, and compete for • Would you ever join a political party? Why or why the job of local representative for their local not? area (electoral district). In the Ontario provincial • Which political party do you like the most? Why? election, there will be 107 local election races happening across the province. EXTENSION ACTIVITIES A. Using Bitstrips for Schools 4. After the election, the political party that wins (www.bitstripsforschools.com/studentvote) or the most number of local election races forms Worksheet 4.3: Vote for My Party, ask students to government. The leader of that party becomes the create a comic strip persuading their classmates to premier (or prime minister at the federal level). vote for one particular political party on Student Vote Day. They should explain what their party stands Activity: 50-100 min for, what they are promising to do if they form the (several blocks of time, plus homework if need be) government and what makes them the best choice to 1. Review the list of political parties in Ontario and lead Ontario. identify which are running candidates in your local area (electoral district). A list of registered political B. Invite a past parliamentarian to visit your class for parties can be found at the end of the lesson. a question-and-answer period or coordinate a Skype Please refer to http://www.elections.on.ca for a interview. Prepare a list of questions in advance (e.g., current list of parties and the list of confirmed Why did you join a political party? Why did you decide candidates. to run for election? What was your experience like? What are your favourite memories?). 2. Have students organize themselves into groups and select a political party (or assign them one). Using C. Have students create their own Ontario political campaign literature, media and the Internet, each party. The political party should have a name, logo, group should conduct research into their party slogan, key priorities and ideas for helping the people using the following questions as a guide: of Ontario. Presentations could include posters, • What does your political party stand for? campaign literature, speeches and other election • Who is the current leader? Who is the local paraphernalia. candidate? • Find the party’s logos, slogans, emblems, D. Using the statements on Worksheet 4.4: Where posters and advertisements. What are the do you Stand?, play a game of ‘Agree/Disagree’ with party’s key messages? your students. Post two signs in the classroom on • What are the main ideas your party is focusing either side of the room, one with ‘Agree’ and one with on in this election campaign? What is your ‘Disagree.’ Read out a statement and ask students party’s platform? to vote with their feet by walking to the sign that fits with their opinion. Ask students to explain their 3. Using the information collected, each group will choice. Afterwards, review the concept of the political make a presentation about their party and their spectrum. campaign platform. Students can also create videos, posters or signs introducing their political HOME CONNECTIONS party. The leaders’ debate is an opportunity for the major party leaders to share their platforms, point out 4. Give each group an opportunity to present their weaknesses in their opponents’ ideas and encourage party to the class. During the presentations ask voters to support them. Ask your students to watch students to make notes about each party using the leaders’ debate with their family and friends. Ask Worksheet 4.2: Getting to Know the Parties. students to record quotes or arguments they liked or disliked. Afterwards, have students and their family Teacher Note: It is suggested that you coordinate each and friends evaluate the performance of each leader group to visit other classes in the school on a rotational using Worksheet 4.5: Watching the Leaders’ Debate. basis to help inform and prepare students for Student Vote Day. Alternatively, you could coordinate a school- 16 | Student Vote Resource

BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS support from the electorate and ultimately to secure What is a political party? What purpose does it serve? votes on election day. A political party is a group of like-minded individuals with a shared vision and similar political ideals whose RESOURCES intention is to achieve power through an election, form • PowerPoint 4: Political Parties government and create meaningful political change. • Worksheet 4.1: It’s Party Time! Political parties compete against each other during • Worksheet 4.2: Getting to Know the Parties election campaigns and appeal to the public for their • Worksheet 4.3: Vote for My Party support and ultimately their vote on election day. • Worksheet 4.4: Where do you Stand? • Worksheet 4.5: Watching the Leaders’ Debate What is the political spectrum? • Bitstrips for Schools, Teaching with Comics: The political spectrum is a means of characterizing “Vote for My Party” — beliefs, values and priorities, and provides a www.bitstripsforschools.com/studentvote conceptual framework in which to view and evaluate • Campaign literature (pamphlets, advertisements, political parties and policies. A linear spectrum is articles) represented as a horizontal line, with parties on • Schools Program, Canadian Association of Former the left embracing change and parties on the right Parliamentarians — www.exparl.ca favouring tradition. Ontario Political Parties How do political parties form government in Ontario? (For a current list visit http://www.elections.on.ca) Ontario’s system of government is based on political • Canadians’ Choice Party — parties. During elections, an organized course of http://www.canadianschoice.com action is taken by a political party, its candidates and • Communist Party of Canada (Ontario) — campaign team, with the intention of spreading their http://www.communistpartyontario.ca message in the hopes of securing constituent support • Family Coalition Party of Ontario — and votes. http://www.familycoalitionparty.com • Freedom Party of Ontario — The political party that elects the most candidates http://www.freedomparty.on.ca (usually) forms government and their leader becomes • - http://www.gpo.ca the premier. Most candidates running for election • New Democratic Party of Ontario — belong to a party, unless they are running as an http://www.ontariondp.com independent or are not affiliated with any party. • Northern Ontario Heritage Party — http://www.nohp.ca How do political parties work? • — Political parties are made up of interested members of http://www.ontarioliberal.ca the general public. Anyone above the required age can • Ontario Libertarian Party — be a member of a political party — for most parties http://www.libertarian.on.ca the age is 14. Party members can discuss ideas and • Ontario Provincial Confederation of Regions Party propose policy. Many parties also have youth wings. • Party for Human Rights in Ontario • Party for People with Special Needs — Party members choose their party’s leader and http://www.ppsn.on.ca local candidates and help them get elected. Local • Pauper Party of Ontario — candidates are party members selected through http://www.on.pauperparty.ca a nomination process by the local constituency • People First Republic Party of Ontario — association. The party selects the person they feel has http://www.pfrpo.ca the greatest chance of success as their candidate. • Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario — http://www.ontariopc.com Candidates campaign during the election, share • Reform Party of Ontario — their party’s ideas and aspire to represent them in http://www.reformontario.com the legislature. To become a Member of Provincial • Socialist Party of Ontario — Parliament, candidates must receive the most votes in http://www.socialistpartyofontario.ca their electoral district during an election. • The Only Party • The Peoples Political Party — What is a party platform? http://www.peoplespoliticalparty.net A party platform is a series of declared principles and • Vegan Environmental Party policies on party and jurisdictional issues concerning government and the public. Parties share their platforms through announcements, advertising and events, and share their ideas in order to attract