Official Languages Act Education Guide

ROYAL COMMISSION ON BILINGUALISM AND BICULTURALISM: VIDEO ACTIVITY A C T I V I T Y 6 : I t’s important to look at perspectives and perceptions about the commission to provide us with more context about what language relations looked like in Canada at the time. The commission emerged as a reply to longstanding issues and the relationships Canadians have had with language. The commissioners were tasked with evaluating why French Canadians were at a disadvantage. They did so by evaluating bilingualism in the federal government; exploring the role of organizations in promoting French-English relations; and assessing opportunities for Canadians to become bilingual. 1. Watch the B&B Commission video , available on on YouTube at youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiE7YBxN9zmL42B1Gx6m07rI- ivaj7P3j , taking, taking notes on the perspectives you see in the video. 2. Beginning with The Canadian Encyclopedia , and continuing with research online, gather evidence to corroborate or refute the perspectives presented in the video. • What did people think of the commission? Were these perspectives unified along linguistic fronts? Did these perspectives change over the course of the commission? 3. Individually or in small groups, create an advertisement for or against the B&B Commission from one perspective you encountered. Your advertisement could take the form of a radio ad, a newspaper ad, a magazine ad, a TV ad, etc. Get creative, and use both visuals and words to get your ideas across. 4. Choose the perspective you want to represent in your advertisement, as well as the audience you would target (e.g., French-speaking minority in Ontario). Make sure that your ad is a believable representation of this voice, and try to capture the values and beliefs that influence this view. Why would they have thought this way? In your advertisement, include why you think the commission is important (or not), and why it was relevant (or not) in the Canadian context at the time. Extension Activity: As a primary source, political cartoons are evidence of beliefs and views of the past. Have a class discussion about the value of political cartoons as primary sources. What can political cartoons reveal about people and events in the past? What value do political cartoons offer for helping us understand how different world views are represented? What value do these cartoons have in helping us understand the political climate in Canada at the time? Modification: Pre-teach the elements of political cartoons prior to this activity (e.g., caption, labels, symbols, stereotypes, caricatures, etc.). Choose a specific cartoon that is easier to interpret to practise the skills required in this activity. Modification: Provide a list of items to look for before watching the video, as well as a list of criteria for success related to the final advertisement activity. Modification: Allow Special Education and new language learner students to pre-read this article using FluentU, Read & Write, or another similar digital reading and decoding tool. ROYAL COMMISSION ON BILINGUALISM AND BICULTURALISM: CAUSES A C T I V I T Y 5 : I n the wake of the Quiet Revolution and the discontent of francophone communities across the country, the B&B Commission was called to address the cultural, academic, and economic gap between English- and French-Canadian communities. Two commissioners were appointed to lead the commission: André Laurendeau and Davidson Dunton. As the Commission put it, their work was the result of “the greatest crisis in Canadian history.” 1. As a class, read th e Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism article on The Canadian Encyclopedia . You can also refer back to your research in Section 1. Using the information from the article, list the factors that led to the creation of the commission. 2. Break the class into three groups, and have each group investigate one of the immediate causes of the B&B Commission. 3. With your group, evaluate the historical significance of the cause you are investigating. How important was this cause? Was it a short-term or a long-term cause? 4. Form new groups of three, with each member coming from a different home group. Take turns presenting your cause to your new group. Once you have all presented, compare your causes. How do they relate to each other? Which was the most influential? Which were immediate causes, and which were long-term causes? How did one influence the other? André Laurendeau and Davidson Dunton, Dec. 1967 (courtesy Library and Archives Canada/Duncan Cameron fonds/ a209871). Québec “Français” sign, 1967 (courtesy Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec/Fonds Jules Rochon/P743,P49). Rally for national independence, 19 April 1963 (courtesy Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec/Fonds Antoine Desilets/ P697,S1,SS1,SSS16,D80_086). Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism press conference, November 1969 (courtesy Library and Archives Canada/ Duncan Cameron fonds/e011303026). A C T I V I T Y 4 : C O N T I N U E D 9