Bert Church Social 9
9.1 Issues for Canadians: Governance and Rights
General Outcome
Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how Canada’s political processes impact citizenship and identity in an attempt to meet the needs of all Canadians.
Specific Outcomes
Values and Attitudes
Students will:
Students will:
examine the structure of Canada’s federal political system by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:
General Outcome
Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how Canada’s political processes impact citizenship and identity in an attempt to meet the needs of all Canadians.
Specific Outcomes
Values and Attitudes
Students will:
- 9.1.1 appreciate the impact of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on rights and governance in Canada
- 9.1.2 appreciate the various effects of government policies on citizenship and on Canadian society
- 9.1.3 appreciate how emerging issues impact quality of life, citizenship and identity in Canada
Students will:
examine the structure of Canada’s federal political system by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:
- How are laws passed in the federal political system?
- What is the relationship between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of Canada’s federal political system?
- What processes are used to determine Members of Parliament (MPs) and Senators?
- To whom are Members of Parliament and Senators accountable?
- What is the role of political parties within Canada’s federal political system?
- What is the role of the media in relation to political issues?
- How do lobby groups impact government decision making?
- To what extent do political and legislative processes meet the needs of all Canadians?
- analyze the role that citizens and organizations play in Canada’s justice system by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:
- How do citizens and organizations participate in Canada’s justice system (i.e., jury duty, knowing the law, advocacy, John Howard Society, Elizabeth Fry Society)?
- What are citizens’ legal roles and their responsibilities?
- What is the intention of the Youth Criminal Justice Act?
assess, critically, the impact of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on the legislative process in Canada by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:
A) In what ways has the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms fostered recognition of
individual rights in Canada?
- How do citizens and organizations participate in Canada’s justice system (i.e., jury duty, knowing the law, advocacy, John Howard Society, Elizabeth Fry Society)?
- How does the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms support individuals in exercising their rights?
- In what ways has the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms affected conditions in the workplace (i.e., issues of gender, age, race, religion)?
- What is the relationship between the rights guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the responsibilities of Canadian citizens?
- 9.1.7 assess, critically, how the increased demand for recognition of collective rights has impacted the legislative process in Canada by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:
- In what ways has the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms fostered recognition of collective rights in Canada?
- In what ways does the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms meet the needs of Francophones in minority settings?
- To what extent does the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms meet the needs of Francophones in Québec?
- To what extent should federal and provincial governments support and promote the rights of official language minorities in Canada?
- How does the Indian Act recognize the status and identity of Aboriginal peoples?
- How does legislation such as Treaty 6, Treaty 7 and Treaty 8 recognize the status and identity of Aboriginal peoples?
- How do governments recognize Métis cultures and rights through legislation (i.e., treaties, governance, land claims, Métis Settlements in Alberta)?
- In what ways has the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms fostered recognition of collective rights in Canada?
- 9.1.8 assess, critically, how legislative processes attempt to address emerging issues of immigration by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:
- What factors influence immigration policies in Canada (i.e., economic, political, health, security)?
- How are changes to Canadian policies on immigration and refugees a reflection of world issues?
- What impact does increasing immigration have on Aboriginal peoples and communities?
- How are provincial governments able to influence and implement immigration policies?
- How is the implementation of immigration policies in Québec an attempt to strengthen the French language in North America?
- What is the relationship between immigration policies in Canada and the rights guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
- To what extent does Canada benefit from immigration?
- What factors influence immigration policies in Canada (i.e., economic, political, health, security)?
Day 1
Welcome to the class.
Today we need to go over the following:
Class Guidelines/Expectations
Course Outline
Letter to your Teacher
Economics Introduction
Transactions - 0:00-3:02
Central Bank/Credit - 3:02-6:19
Cycles - 6:19-
Market Activity - Pencils/Candy
Economic Systems Notes
Wrap Up Video
Design an Island Project
This project will be ongoing. You will be creating a country on an island. This will be a year long project, and we will be putting it together in little chunks throughout the year.
We will be starting with economics. What kind of economic system do you want to run on your island? A mixed economy? A market economy? A command economy?
First, figure out which of the following industries will be privately owned and which ones will be government owned?
1. Health Care
2. Education
3. Transportation(roads, bridges)
4. Transportation(cars, boats, airplanes)
5. Food Production
6. Food sales
7. Entertainment
8. Police/Firefighting/Military
9. Utilities(water, electricity, energy)
In order to ensure that you fully understand the concepts, you will have to individually write a 300 word response that answers the following questions:
1. What are the advantages of a command economy?
2. What are the disadvantages of a command economy?
3. What are the advantages of a market economy?
4. What are the disadvantages of a market economy?
5. Why did you choose the style of economy you chose?
Today, we will complete two political quiz questionnaires and evaluate their effectiveness.
votecompass.cbc.ca
canada.isidewith.com/political-quiz
Then, answer the following two questions for each:
1. Which party does the quiz say you should vote for?
2. Do you agree with this assessment?
Wednesday we will review the unit and on Friday we will write the exam.
Today, we will start by going over our exams, and then we will get into the Canadian Governmental System.
What Does The Executive Branch Do?
What Does The Legislative Branch Do?
The legislative Branch includes the House of Commons, the Senate and the Governor General.
House of Commons
How do Members of Parliament (MP’s) see their role?
MP’s have two key responsibilities:
How are MP’s elected?
The structure of Canada’s electoral system partly determines who represents. The become elected, a candidate must win the most votes, but it may not necessarily be more that 50%.
What Impact does the popular vote have on the results of an election?
Popular vote means the total support that political parties win during an election, even thought they may not win tier riding.
The Senate
What Does The Judicial Branch Do?
Supreme Court of Canada
We will start by doing this scavenger hunt:
Video: Canadian Government
How a Bill becomes Law in Canada.
Research an MP!
For the next two days, we will be researching a current sitting Member of Parliament.
You will need to find the following information:
A) Where are they from?
B) What riding do they represent? Are they from there originally?
C) What party do they belong to?
D) What are three bills that they have voted in favor of?
E) Do they belong to the cabinet? If so, what is their portfolio?
As well, find the following media:
A) A photo of them
B) A video or photo of them campaigning
C) A map of their riding and the province their riding is in.
Rubric can be found here.
Media Influence on Politics
How Does The Media Connect Canadians To Their Government?
How do reporters see their role?
Parliamentary Press Gallery
Your assignment is to find an example of a political reporter from Canada, and find three articles that they have written. Summarize those articles by answering the following questions:
1. Who is the article about?(1-2 sentences)
2. What is the article about?(3-5 sentences)
3. Where did it take place?(1 sentence)
4. When did it take place?(1 sentence)
Charter Notes
Video
Lobbyist Assignment
Rubric
New Unit: Collective RIghts
Collective Rights Notes
Treaty #7 Questions
-When was it signed?
-What reserves are included?
-What bands were included?
What were some of the conditions of the treaty?
Residential School Graphic Novel Assignment
Create a graphic novel(like a comic) telling the story of a First Nations child sent to residential school
It must have twenty panels.
Each panel must have a significant written component(either dialogue, narration, or historical information).
Use the panels for your drawings and the sidebars to put in your information
You can use dialogue or you can make it a narrative
(include facts about the time period, Native beliefs, Western beliefs, and their treatment)
Rubric
Collective Rights Notes
Rick Mercer Rant Exemplar
Consumerism
Ad Analysis Assignment
Consumer Activism:
Boycotts
Earl's Restaraunts
Why are boycotts effective?
Research Project:
Look up two examples of boycotts and answer the following questions:
You can use this website to help your research:
1. What product is being boycotted?
2. Why?
3. Is the boycott effective?
4. Has the company responded?
5. Do you agree with the boycott? Would/Will you participate?
Environmental Impact Poster
You will be making a poster that analyses the environmental impact of a product.
Steps:
1. Choose a consumer product.
2. Identify the following:
A. Where is it made?
B. How much water is consumed?
C. How much CO2 is produced?
D. What are the negative environmental impacts of its production?
E. What is the lifespan of the product?
F. What are some better alternatives to using this product?
Your poster must, in a creative and visually pleasing way, answer the questions from above.
Rubric
Consumerism Written Response
You will write a two paragraph position response that answers the following question:
Does consumerism increase or decrease quality of life?
A well written position response needs to do the following:
Explain the issue:
In this case, give a definition of the term in question, and explain what the implications of it are. Explain what both sides of the issue are. Why are some people in favour of consumerism and why some people are opposed.
Choose a side:
State, very clearly, whether you believe consumerism is positive or negative.
Support your side:
Give at least two strong reasons why you have chosen your side.
Conclusion:
Sum up your arguments, restate your position, and finish with a strong, powerful sentence to convince your reader of your point.
Welcome to the class.
Today we need to go over the following:
Class Guidelines/Expectations
Course Outline
Letter to your Teacher
Economics Introduction
Transactions - 0:00-3:02
Central Bank/Credit - 3:02-6:19
Cycles - 6:19-
Market Activity - Pencils/Candy
Economic Systems Notes
Wrap Up Video
Design an Island Project
This project will be ongoing. You will be creating a country on an island. This will be a year long project, and we will be putting it together in little chunks throughout the year.
We will be starting with economics. What kind of economic system do you want to run on your island? A mixed economy? A market economy? A command economy?
First, figure out which of the following industries will be privately owned and which ones will be government owned?
1. Health Care
2. Education
3. Transportation(roads, bridges)
4. Transportation(cars, boats, airplanes)
5. Food Production
6. Food sales
7. Entertainment
8. Police/Firefighting/Military
9. Utilities(water, electricity, energy)
In order to ensure that you fully understand the concepts, you will have to individually write a 300 word response that answers the following questions:
1. What are the advantages of a command economy?
2. What are the disadvantages of a command economy?
3. What are the advantages of a market economy?
4. What are the disadvantages of a market economy?
5. Why did you choose the style of economy you chose?
Today, we will complete two political quiz questionnaires and evaluate their effectiveness.
votecompass.cbc.ca
canada.isidewith.com/political-quiz
Then, answer the following two questions for each:
1. Which party does the quiz say you should vote for?
2. Do you agree with this assessment?
Wednesday we will review the unit and on Friday we will write the exam.
Today, we will start by going over our exams, and then we will get into the Canadian Governmental System.
What Does The Executive Branch Do?
- Includes the Prime Minister and the cabinet?
- Prime Minister (PM) is the head of Canada’s government and the leader of the political party with the most number of votes.
- He/ she must be chosen by that political party to be their leader. They must be elected to a seat in the House of Commons by their riding.
- The cabinet includes people that are responsible for different portfolios or government departments. (Example is Health, Finance, Environment)
- Cabinet members also belong to the leading political party in the House of Commons.
- Members are called cabinet ministers. The Prime Minister decides who and what portfolio.
- The Prime Minister and the cabinet ministers run the day to day business of the government.
What Does The Legislative Branch Do?
The legislative Branch includes the House of Commons, the Senate and the Governor General.
House of Commons
- The House of Commons is the major law making body in Canada’s federal political system.
- Members debate, study and vote on proposed laws (bills)
- Members of Parliament (MP) are elected by their riding or district.
- Most MP’s belong to a political party.
- Party with the most members in the House of Commons is the government. Government can be a Majority or a Minority.
- All other political parties are the opposition.
- EVERYTHING that occurs in the House of Commons is in English and French.
- House of Commons has 338 seats.
How do Members of Parliament (MP’s) see their role?
MP’s have two key responsibilities:
- Represent their constituents
- Create legislation for all Canadians
How are MP’s elected?
The structure of Canada’s electoral system partly determines who represents. The become elected, a candidate must win the most votes, but it may not necessarily be more that 50%.
What Impact does the popular vote have on the results of an election?
Popular vote means the total support that political parties win during an election, even thought they may not win tier riding.
The Senate
- The members of Canada’s Senate are called Senators.
- They are not elected but appointed by the PM
- They can remain in office until the age of 75.
- PM’s tend to appoint people who support their political party.
- The Senate includes people from a variety of political parties.
- Senators represent the interests and rights of Canada’s regions especially the Maritimes.
- At the time of Confederation there were only 3 regions. (Maritimes, Quebec and Ontario) The idea was to make ensure that the Francophone population in Quebec had an equal voice. As provinces and territories joined new regions were added.
- All proceedings are in French and English.
- The Senate can propose laws but they are only considered bills after they pass through the House of Commons.
- The Senate gives “sober second thought” to all legislation proposed in Canada.
- Senators provide a second round of study and debate on proposed laws in Canada.
- Senate provides a different perspective on issues as it represents the different regions of Canada equally.
- The Senate cannot propose laws that create or spend taxes.
- A bill cannot become a law until the House of Commons and the Senate pass it.
- Senate has power to reject laws from the House of Commons but rarely ever does.
What Does The Judicial Branch Do?
- Judicial Branch includes Canada’s courts of law. The Judicial Branch is separate from other branches in the federal government and provides a “check” on their powers.
Supreme Court of Canada
- The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court in Canada and has the final word on all legal questions.
- It interprets and applies all laws in Canada including the rights of Canadians.
- The main responsibility is to make sure that the rights of Canadians are respected.
- It has an unequal number of judges to ensure that there is never a split vote.
We will start by doing this scavenger hunt:
Video: Canadian Government
How a Bill becomes Law in Canada.
Research an MP!
For the next two days, we will be researching a current sitting Member of Parliament.
You will need to find the following information:
A) Where are they from?
B) What riding do they represent? Are they from there originally?
C) What party do they belong to?
D) What are three bills that they have voted in favor of?
E) Do they belong to the cabinet? If so, what is their portfolio?
As well, find the following media:
A) A photo of them
B) A video or photo of them campaigning
C) A map of their riding and the province their riding is in.
Rubric can be found here.
Media Influence on Politics
How Does The Media Connect Canadians To Their Government?
How do reporters see their role?
- Media includes newspapers, magazines, film, books, radio, television, internet, books and billboards.
- Media doesn’t just report the news, it influences our personal understanding of the world and how it works.
- All media messages are created by people who INTERPET the facts and make choices about how to tell the story.
- Politicians develop key messages for the media to control how the media presents them. These are usually memorable quotes or phrases.
- Journalists make decisions about what stories to cover and whose perspectives to include.
Parliamentary Press Gallery
- An association of reporters who cover decisions and actions of the Canadian government.
- The Press Gallery includes about 350 reporters from media outlets across Canada.
- These include: Aboriginal People Television Network, Association de la Presse Francophone, CBC Radio Canada, Le Devior, Ming Poa News, and Omni Television.
Your assignment is to find an example of a political reporter from Canada, and find three articles that they have written. Summarize those articles by answering the following questions:
1. Who is the article about?(1-2 sentences)
2. What is the article about?(3-5 sentences)
3. Where did it take place?(1 sentence)
4. When did it take place?(1 sentence)
Charter Notes
Video
Lobbyist Assignment
Rubric
New Unit: Collective RIghts
Collective Rights Notes
Treaty #7 Questions
-When was it signed?
-What reserves are included?
-What bands were included?
What were some of the conditions of the treaty?
Residential School Graphic Novel Assignment
Create a graphic novel(like a comic) telling the story of a First Nations child sent to residential school
It must have twenty panels.
Each panel must have a significant written component(either dialogue, narration, or historical information).
Use the panels for your drawings and the sidebars to put in your information
You can use dialogue or you can make it a narrative
(include facts about the time period, Native beliefs, Western beliefs, and their treatment)
Rubric
Collective Rights Notes
Rick Mercer Rant Exemplar
Consumerism
Ad Analysis Assignment
Consumer Activism:
Boycotts
Earl's Restaraunts
Why are boycotts effective?
Research Project:
Look up two examples of boycotts and answer the following questions:
You can use this website to help your research:
1. What product is being boycotted?
2. Why?
3. Is the boycott effective?
4. Has the company responded?
5. Do you agree with the boycott? Would/Will you participate?
Environmental Impact Poster
You will be making a poster that analyses the environmental impact of a product.
Steps:
1. Choose a consumer product.
2. Identify the following:
A. Where is it made?
B. How much water is consumed?
C. How much CO2 is produced?
D. What are the negative environmental impacts of its production?
E. What is the lifespan of the product?
F. What are some better alternatives to using this product?
Your poster must, in a creative and visually pleasing way, answer the questions from above.
Rubric
Consumerism Written Response
You will write a two paragraph position response that answers the following question:
Does consumerism increase or decrease quality of life?
A well written position response needs to do the following:
Explain the issue:
In this case, give a definition of the term in question, and explain what the implications of it are. Explain what both sides of the issue are. Why are some people in favour of consumerism and why some people are opposed.
Choose a side:
State, very clearly, whether you believe consumerism is positive or negative.
Support your side:
Give at least two strong reasons why you have chosen your side.
Conclusion:
Sum up your arguments, restate your position, and finish with a strong, powerful sentence to convince your reader of your point.