Canadian Government Lesson 10: Structure of Canadian Government (Day One) 1. Begin the lesson by reading the first worksheet in this lesson (1 of 4). This reading puts into context how Canada gained its independence and then sought to create a new government. 2. Have students read the paragraph to themselves. Tell them to underline or highlight any dates in the reading. Next, read out loud to students and then have them complete the timeline at the bottom of the page. After going over the timeline, have students come up with an appropriate title. 3. Take a few minutes and ask students to consider the question at the bottom of the page. Remind them of the following: a. The United States and Canada share a border and have a shared history: both were British colonies. b. The United States gained independence in 1776 and Canada looked both to British government and the United States for examples of what government should look like. c. Ask if they recall what the learned in lesson 2 (when they created charts on the governments of the western hemisphere)? What kind of government does Canada have? (Constitutional monarchy) Who is the head of state? (the Queen) Who is the head of the government? (Prime Minister) 4. Have students go on to the next worksheet (2 of 4). Although Canada has three branches of government, it can be a bit confusing as there is overlap between the Executive and Legislative branches – it is recommended that you go over this worksheet as a class.
Lesson 10: Rights of Canadian Citizens (Day Two) 1. Remind students that in the previous lesson, they learned of the events that led to Canadian independence and about the structure of the Canadian government. In this lesson, they will be looking at the rights of Canadian citizens. Before handing out the worksheets, ask students to write down 2 – 3 rights guaranteed to American citizens through our Bill of Rights. Have students share and record on the board. 2. Next, as a class, read out loud the paragraph at the top of worksheet 3 of 4. Help students to make connections between our Bill of Rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 3. Have students pair up. Ask one student to read the first three rights on the chart and ask the other students to read the second three. After reading on their own, ask students to tell their partner about the three rights they read. As a class go over all of the rights on the chart to ensure that students understand the rights. As you discuss, refer to the list you wrote on the board at the beginning of the lesson. Encourage students to make comparisons. 4. Finally, have pairs work together to complete worksheet 4 of 4 with a partner applying their understanding of these rights to the scenarios outlined on the worksheet.