Government of British Columbia - Ministry of Education
PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES - SOCIAL STUDIES 11
Download a full copy of the Social Studies 11 IRP and PLOs here.
Politics and Government
Case Study of a Public Policy Campaign
- Demonstrate understanding of the political spectrum
- Distinguish among BC’s major political parties in terms of policies, philosophies, and priorities (Green, Liberal, New Democrat)
- Explain how Canadians can effect change at the federal and provincial levels
- Describe the significance of the following in the workings of government:
- Passage of legislation (including First, Second, and Third Reading; Royal Assent; private members bills). (See also Legislative Assembly.)
- Party discipline versus free votes
- Cabinet
- Patronage
- Order-in-Council
- Compare mechanisms whereby public policy can be changed (e.g., elections, petitions and protests, lobbyists, special interest groups, court actions, media campaigns)
- Describe the significance of the following in the workings of government:
- Explain how federal and provincial governments are formed in Canada
- Describe the elements of the electoral system (e.g., candidates, parties, constituencies, voting, election campaigns)
- Distinguish between majority and minority government in terms of benefits and challenges
Case Study of a Public Policy Campaign
- Trace the progress of a current or historical public policy campaign over time, examining how politicians, special interest groups, and/or individuals have made use of the parliamentary process, media campaigns, lobbying, and other strategies to influence government policy. Historical examples could include:
- Women’s suffrage
- Gun control
- Redress for internment of Japanese-Canadians
- Aboriginal land claims/self-government
- Charter challenges
- Briefly review the basic structure of the Canadian government (e.g., Governor General, Senate, House of Commons, Member of Parliament, branches of government). Use a video, parliamentary sources, or flowchart to demonstrate the passage of legislation through Parliament. Explain to students that the passage of legislation through the BC Legislature differs in that there is no Senate and theLieutenant Governor gives Royal Assent.
- Simulate the legislative process by organizing a model parliament. Assign the role of the caucus of each of political parties that you will be including in your simulation. Students may use the political parties currently elected to the House of Commons or BC Legislature, or they may assume more generic parties. Determination of which party will form government can either be based on reality or on the results of a separate model election.
- Assign student groups to research and present overviews of each of the major federal and BC provincial political parties. The overview should include
- Party history
- Philosophical origins/basis of party
- Major policy positions
- Criticisms made of the party
- Current leader and opinion poll and electoral status.
- Create a worksheet of terminology, rules, and procedures associated with the electoral process (e.g., voter and candidate eligibility, independent and official party candidates, voting process, means of tabulation, seat distribution, and current party standings). Ask students to complete the worksheet using Elections Canada or Elections BC web sites. Provide direct instruction on circumstances that precipitate an election call.
- Introduce the issue of candidate nomination through a case study of a recent competitive party nomination battle or by creating a classroom simulation of the process. Case studies or simulations should address questions such as the following:
- Who can vote? Is this the same for all provincial and federal parties?
- How does the balloting process work? (e.g., majority system, preferential ballot, multiple ballots)
- Should a party leader be able to circumvent the nomination process by appointing or refusing candidates?
- What restrictions should exist on the signing up of party members prior to the vote?
- Provide direct instruction on majority and minority governments, using specific examples. Create a chart for students to complete regarding the benefits and drawbacks of each.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the challenges faced by Aboriginal people in Canada during the 20th century and their responses, with reference to
- Residential schools
- Reserves
- Self-government (e.g., Sechelt First Nation)
- Treaty negotiations (e.g., BC Treaty Commission, Nisga'a Treaty)
- Describe the impact of the Indian Act on Aboriginal people (e.g., marginalization and dependency)
- Describe the impact of residential schools on Aboriginal people (e.g., destruction of lives and communities)
- Identify various Aboriginal responses to challenges (e.g., negotiations, protests, and court cases with respect to land and resource issues; demand for self-government). (See Aboriginal Rights.)
- Formulate answers to questions such as the following:
- What are the challenges and benefits for Aboriginal people living on and offreserves?
- Why are Aboriginal people concerned about cultural appropriation?