Civics in the Classroom: Citizenship Challenge Elementary Education Guide

MESSA TEACHER ONLINE RESOURCES The guide is meant to give teachers tools to help students think critically about topics in Canadian civics and engage with civics education more deeply. This guide complements provincial and territorial curricula for grades 4–6 history and social studies units and is meant to help prepare students for the Citizenship Challenge , a mock quiz based on the test taken by those seeking a path to citizenship. The Challenge tests students’ knowledge of Canada and their ability to meet the standards expected of newcomers to the country. The lessons may be used in sequence or individually. This guide was produced with the generous support of the Government of Canada. Historica Canada offers programs that you can use to explore, learn and reflect on our history, and to discover what it means to be Canadian. Additional free, bilingual educational activities and resources on Canadian civics are available on The Canadian Encyclopedia . Historica Canada’s bilingual education guides are part of a collaborative process that engages educators, academics, and community stakeholders in content creation and lesson planning. The following list of bilingual resources supports educators and students. The Citizenship Challenge: Citizenshipchallenge.ca The Canadian Encyclopedia Citizenship Collection: T hecanadianencyclopedia.ca/ en/collection/citizenship Elections Canada – Elections and Democracy: Electionsanddemocracy.ca Native Land: Native-land.ca INTRODUCTION This education guide teaches students about key topics in Canadian civics. You can use the guide to learn about how the Canadian system of government works, your rights and responsibilities as Canadians, and how students can engage in active citizenship — for example, through stewardship of the natural environment. It also asks students to consider the enduring legacy of colonialism for Indigenous peoples in Canada and highlights the responsibilities of Canadians of all ages in the process of reconciliation. The guide also encourages students to understand that they can create positive change in society by becoming active citizens. It stresses that civic engagement involves more than just voting. Through active citizenship, young people can make a meaningful difference in their communities, and help shape the future of the country they would like to inhabit. SECTION HOW CANADIANS GOVERN THEMSELVES ACTIVITY 1: DEVELOPING A VISUAL ANCHOR CHART Canada has three levels of government: federal (the Government of Canada), provincial/ territorial (for example, the Province of Manitoba), and municipal (cities, towns, and villages). Each level of government has different responsibilities. In this activity, students will learn about the responsibilities of each level of government. 1. Your school is divided into groups, each with different responsibilities: the Classroom (teachers), the Office (principal and vice principal), and the School Board (superintendents and trustees). Similarly, Canada’s government is divided into three groups, each with their own responsibilities. 2. Your teacher will write the three groups in your school — Classroom, Office, School Board — on the board. As a class, come up with a list of six to eight responsibilities for each level and write them on the board. 3. Working as a class, propose a list of responsibilities that span Canada’s three levels of government (e.g., snow removal, education, foreign aid). Make sure that there are at least as many responsibilities on the list as there are students in your class. 4. Working as a class, develop a “Canada’s Three Levels of Government” visual anchor chart that can be permanently displayed in the classroom. Using visuals, the chart will showcase the different responsibilities of each of the three levels of government. 5. As a class, create three visual icons to represent the three levels of government, and place each icon at the top of a column. 6. Using the list you created in Step 3, each student will create a visual representation of a responsibility and place it on the visual anchor chart below the level of government that you think is responsible. 7. Review the anchor chart as a class. Your teacher will point out different responsibilities and ask the contributing students why they placed them where they did. Be prepared to justify your own placement of responsibilities to your teacher/class. Classroom - Teacher Office - Principal School Board – Director/Superintendents/Trustees Example: Creating an annual budget Example: Ensure students’ safety Example: Class rules TEA Consider writing each responsibility on a sheet of paper, and have students draw them from a hat. Here are some responsibilities (and the responsible jurisdictions) to get you started: Municipal – Mayor Provincial – Lieutenant-Governor Federal – Governor General / Premier / Prime Minister City police Garbage collection Recycling Streetlights Provincial police (Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador) Education Healthcare RCMP (federal police) Internet Foreign relations (talking to other countries) Relations with Indigenous governments Cover images: Dancers at a multicultural fashion show in Vancouver in 2012 (Dreamstime/ Howesjwe/25474158). Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (courtesy Library and Archives Canada/ Robert Stacey fonds/Crown copyright/ R11274-148/1 of 2). A federal elections ballot from Elections Canada (Dreamstime/ Photopal604/63896418). Canadian Parliament buildings in Ottawa (Dreamstime/Adwo/91479599). 2