Assume the role of Prime Minister and write a statement that could have been used to announce one of the following milestones in the evolution of Canadian citizenship: Official Languages Act (1969), Multiculturalism Policy (1971), Advisory Council on the Status of Women (1973), Office of Native Land Claims (1974), Constitution Act and Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982).
Complete a K-W-L-H chart about the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms or some aspect of the Charter, such as democratic rights, mobility rights, or legal rights.
Participate in a jigsaw cooperative learning structure designed to have them learn about the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and its impact on Canada. Use the information to complete a concept web on “The impact of the Charter on Canadian life.” The main categories may include: fundamental freedoms, democratic rights, mobility rights, legal rights, equality rights, official languages of Canada, minority language education rights, enforcement, Aboriginal rights, and application of the Charter.
Develop a list of the various rights and freedoms, and complete a ranking exercise to identify which ones students value the most. Collate the results to see which are most important to the group. Discuss the differences.
Work in small groups to examine each of the fundamental rights and freedoms listed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Make a list of what they consider to be the most important of these rights and freedoms. Explain why you think these rights are so important. Why has the Charter been such a powerful force of change?
Create a “Manifesto of Responsible Citizenship.” Students in small groups or individually can produce a document similar to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in which they outline the characteristics of a responsible citizen in Canadian society. This could be personal, classroom, school or community-based and could include lists or a series of statements. The presentation copy of this manifesto might include symbols of citizenship and the nation.
Create a realistic personal action plan based on the “Manifesto of Responsible Citizenship” by identifying ways they can help their classroom, school, home, or community. They could create presentations, videos, or work with local media to record actions taken to carry out their plan.
Brainstorm and make a list of the factors that influence the differing relationships between various provinces and territories and the federal government (e.g., culture, language, geography, and finances). Discuss the various provincial and regional differences between the two levels of government.
Use information in the phone book and Internet sources to create a organizer showing the services by the three levels of government in Canada. Draw conclusions about the general duties of each government. identify at least one power that they would change from federal to provincial or local control, or vice versa, and explain why.
Organize a Federal/Provincial conference where students represent the federal government and each of the provincial and territorial governments to debate federal-provincial issues. Students would argue from various provincial and territorial perspectives to try and convince the federal government to allocate more tax dollars to them.