Lesson Plan Charter of Rights and Freedoms #1 (Rights) and #2 (Responsibilities)

Warm-Up: Heritage Moments Showing (Separate Document). Objective (Both Days): This lesson will have students reading the Discover Canada text. This text lays out simple yet effective definitions for the important and age appropriate terms regarding the Charter of Rights and Freedoms of Canada. The objective of this unit is for each student to understand what it means to be a Canadian citizen and the roles that come along with said citizenship. After the two lessons have been taught on the Charter, classes will perform skits/poems/tableaus/drawings about specific Rights/Responsibilities. Materials (Both Days): Discover Canada books, pencils/pens, paper, KWL charts, Smartboard/Whiteboard. Lesson #1 : Students will each receive a Discover Canada text. These books will be kept in the classroom and students are to ask if they would like to sign one out. It will be explained to the classes that they will be writing a citizenship test in class. This class will not be marked by teachers, but will be submitted to the Citizenship and Immigration office of Canada where each class will be entered to win a trip to Ottawa. A KWL chart will be created by each student. They will have five minutes to fill out what they KNOW about Rights and Freedoms in Canada. Remind students of the previously watched Heritage Moments. A short deliberation will happen (2-3 minutes) about what students already know about the Charter/Rights. Students will be expected to add notes to their KWL chart throughout a Powerpoint. A Powerpoint will be shown to the class to help define the following terms: Magna Carta A document that was signed in the year 1215 in England. This document granted citizens with certain rights and freedoms. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms A bill of rights that lays out our rights and responsibilities as Canadian citizens. This bill came to pass in 1982 and is part of our Canadian constitution (law).

After the two definitions have been explained and talked about, each of the following four rights will be discussed. As these are being talked about as a class, students will be encouraged to write their own thoughts on the WANT TO KNOW or LEARNED section of their KWL chart.

Students will be asked to highlight words that they are uncomfortable with so that we can talk about them as a class. Some words have already been highlighted these words will be discussed as a class during their individual slides. These four points will also be on the Powerpoint presentation: Mobility Rights Canadians can live and work anywhere they choose in Canada, enter and leave the country freely, and apply for a passport. Aboriginal Peoples Rights The rights guaranteed in the Charter will not adversely affect any treaty or other rights or freedoms of Aboriginal peoples. Official Language Rights and Minority Language Educational Rights French and English have equal status in Parliament and throughout the government. Multiculturalism A fundamental characteristic of the Canadian heritage and identity. Canadians celebrate the gift of one anothers presence and work hard to respect pluralism and live in harmony.

Wrap-Up/Conclusion: Students will be told that they will be doing a group activity with the Charter in an upcoming class. Have students write down TWO OR MORE people who they would be comfortable working with on a sheet of paper to pass in at the end of class. Warm-Up: For this warm-up, a poem will be read to the class in SLAM style (using VOICE as the main contributor to this style of reading.) Since I have written the piece, I am able to answer questions directly that the students may have about my poem. This will show the students one of the ways that they may choose to present their creative Canadian Citizenship project.

Students who prefer to work alone will be talked to one-onone. Inform these students that they may write you a note on their sheet of paper what they would be most comfortable doing (ei: working alone, working with a specific person, etc.).

The poem I have written and will be sharing with the class is about The Equality of Men and Women, and how I learned about the importance of this right. My mother was a tomboy growing up, and would often tell stories about how hard it was to be a girl in the early 1960s who wanted to play hockey. I always found these stories really inspiring and wanted to share my own personal experience with the class. Lesson #2 Students will continue writing in their KWL charts that they created the previous day. This lesson, we will be focusing on the Responsibilities of Canadian Citizens, focusing on the following subjects: Obeying the Law - Individuals and governments are regulated by laws and not by random actions. No group or one person is above the law in Canada. Responsibility of Oneself and Ones Family - Getting a job and taking care of your family is an important aspect within Canadian values. Work contributes to personal dignity and self-respect.

Jury Duty When called to do so, Canadians must serve on a jury to help the judicial system run smoothly. Voting Once youre 18, every Canadian has the right to vote in federal, provincial and local elections! Volunteering - Volunteering is an important aspect of Canadian culture. Millions of Canadians donate their time each year to help build their community and Canada as a whole. Volunteering builds self-esteem and allows you to gain a sense of community and independence. Ask students if they or their families volunteer anywhere! Protecting our Environment - Its our responsibility to make sure were protecting Canadas natural, cultural and architectural heritage for future generations to enjoy! Optional Military Service: Military service is not mandatory in Canada. However, there are many people serving in our Canadian Forces (navy, army and air force). These jobs are noble ways to contribute to Canada!

These will be shown in a brief Powerpoint presentation. Students will also get a chance to follow along in their Canadian Citizenship Study Guides. During the Powerpoint, they will be asked to continue their notes on their KWL charts. Wrap-Up/Closure: An exit slip will be used for the last 10 minutes of this class. Students will be asked about what creative projects (skits, tableaus, Identity Boxes, poems, etc.) they are thinking about for their creative projects. I will gather these exit slips at the end of class to create a master list of student generated ideas to share amongst all Grade 8 classes. Inform students that they will be told who they will be working with during their next class.