Elementary/Intermediate 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 Elementary/Intermediate Resource How To Use This Resource This resource has been designed for use by educators at the elementary and intermediate school levels. Big Idea The activities have been divided into ten lessons and each lesson is guided by a big idea, which is intended 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 election. Even though some students may not be studying Canadian government this term, 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 Elementary/Intermediate 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 . 13 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 . 19 Government is made up of the people we choose to make decisions about our community. They make decisions about things that matter to us all. Canada has three levels of government and each 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 . 24 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 Party . 27 Differences of opinion should be respected and accepted, and like-minded individuals are permitted to organize in a democracy. Political parties bring together people with similar political ideals and goals who are seeking to effect change by being elected. 6. Understanding the Issues . 32 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. 7. The Leaders’ Debate . 38 The leaders’ debate allows citizens to assess 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. 8. Going Local . 44 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. 9. Preparing to Vote . 50 Consider personal priorities and critically analyze information from a broad range of sources before making an informed and purposeful electoral decision. 10. Post-Election Analysis . 53 Post-election analysis allows voters to reflect on the election outcome and predict how the new Parliament will impact Canadians. Lessons & Big Ideas 3 Elementary/Intermediate Resource Sample Pathways The following pathways have been designed as 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 15 min Rapid Writing Understand 1 25 min Bulletin Board 4 4 - Youth Participation Hook 5 min Understand 1 15 min Think-Pair-Share Create 1 or 2 40 min + homework Audio, Visual or Oral Presentation