Secondary Lessons
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Title
Rights and Responsibilities In a Democracy
Guiding Question
What rights and responsibilities do I have in a democracy?
SUMMARY
Citizens living in a democracy have guaranteed rights and freedoms, and these rights come with responsibilities.
In this lesson, students discuss the rights they have at school in a Placemat Activity. Together they create a class charter and reflect on the responsibilities that go along with their rights. Students review the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and then create a Mind Map to draw relevant connections to their lives. Afterwards, students consider the responsibilities associated with the rights and freedoms they have in Canada. In the ‘Consolidation’ activity, students reflect on low voter turnout and the significance of voting in elections.
LEARNING GOALS
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Work in a collaborative and critically thoughtful manner with their peers to discuss, clarify, and compare perspectives about the rights and responsibilities they have at school;
- Use the concept of political significance to guide investigations into their rights and responsibilities as a Canadian citizen;
- Use the concept of political significance to analyze connections between the Charter and their own life, and compare the views of others;
- Use the concept of objective and results to assess the impact of related to personal and societal rights and the responsibilities (Citizenship Education Framework – Attributes).
SUCCESS CRITERIA
- I can work collaboratively with my peers to discuss and compare perspectives about the rights and responsibilities we have at school;
- I can explain the political significance of our rights and responsibilities in Canada;
- I can create connections between the Charter and how it impacts my own life;
- I can use the concept of objective and results to explain the importance of being a responsible citizen.
CURRICULUM LINKS:
CHV2O: A1, A2, B1, B3, A1.1, A1.4, A1.5, A2.2, B1.2, B3.1, B3.2
DOWNLOAD CURRICULUM LINKS (PDF)
READINESS
In advance of the lesson, survey five people who are eligible to vote in elections in Canada and ask about their voting habits and attitudes (Activity 7.1). What does the information collected tell you about attitudes towards voting?
MINDS ON
1. Discuss the concept of a ‘right’ and ask students to brainstorm a list of rights they have at school. A right is a legal entitlement or a protected freedom. Some examples include the right to an education, the right to a safe space and the right to make your own friends.
2. Divide students into groups of four. Give each group a piece of chart paper. Ask students to take a few minutes to think about their rights and responsibilities as a member of their school community. Have each student write a list of rights that should be guaranteed to every student in their school.
- Have each group list the common ideas in the centre of the chart paper. Afterwards, have the class walk around and read each group’s common ideas or review them as a class.
- Create a class charter taking the common ideas amongst all groups and ask students to consider the responsibilities that go along with each right.
ACTION
1. Using Slide Deck 7 and Handout 7.2, review the rights and freedoms we have in Canada. Guiding questions:
- What is the Constitution of Canada?
- What is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
- What are the seven sections of the Charter?
- How have our rights evolved over time? What is universal suffrage?
2. Have students construct a Mind Map to display which aspects of the Charter are relevant to them. Each branch should extend to a section of the Charter (e.g., Fundamental freedoms) and split into smaller branches for the specifics or examples that relate to their life (e.g., speak freely, social media posts, friendships).
3. Give students time to walk around and observe their peers’ Mind Maps before comparing and discussing aspects of the Charter that relate directly to them. Guiding questions:
- Is there a common thread among students?
- Do a majority of students consider the same aspects of the Charter as the most pertinent? Why or why not?
- What influences our perspectives?
4. In pairs or small groups, have students consider the responsibilities that go along with their rights. Have students fill out Activity 7.3 (I have the right to…. but I have the responsibility to…).
CONSOLIDATION
Watch the ‘Right to Vote’ video with your students and have a closing discussion about voter turnout. Alternatively, students could write a reflection on one or more of the following questions.
- Why do you think some people do not vote? What is the significance of low levels of voter participation?
- Should people be fined if they do not vote? Why or why not?
- At what age do you think people are responsible enough to vote?
ASSESSMENT IDEAS
Analyze the results of the voting survey (Activity 7.1) completed in the ‘Readiness’ section.