Social Science

Grade 5: Canada and World Connections: Aspects of Citizenship and Government in Canada	Planning: Term # Tracking: Ach. Level
Overall Expectations	1	2	3	4
* summarize the structures, functions, and interactions of Canada's federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal governments, and identify and describe significant Canadian symbols, ceremonies, buildings, and political figures;
* use a variety of resources and tools to gather and analyse information about government processes, the rights of groups and individuals, and the responsibilities of citizenship in Canada, including participation in the electoral process;
* identify concrete examples of how government plays a role in contemporary society and of how the rights of groups and individuals and the responsibilities of citizenship apply to their own lives.
Specific Expectations
Knowledge and Understanding
* describe the structure and components of Canada's federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal governments;
* describe the rights of groups and individuals and the responsibilities of citizenship in Canada, including participation in the electoral process and the granting of voting rights to various groups (e.g., women, First Nation peoples);
* identify responsibilities that accompany particular rights (e.g., the right to vote / the responsibility to become informed; the right of freedom of speech / the responsibility to respect the free speech rights of others; the right to freedom from discrimination and harassment / the responsibility to treat people with fairness and respect);
* explain the processes of electing governments in Canada;
* identify services provided by the federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal governments (e.g., defence, health, education, social assistance, garbage collection);
* describe the basic rights that are specified in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms;
* describe the process by which immigrants become Canadian citizens (e.g., applying; residing in Canada for three years; learning English or French; preparing for and writing the test; participating in the citizenship ceremony);
* identify current and historical political figures and their significance (e.g., provincial/ territorial, municipal, and federal leaders; members of provincial legislatures and the federal Parliament; members of municipal council);
* explain the significance of civic buildings and symbols (e.g., the federal Parliament Buildings, the Peace Tower, the Speaker's Mace, the national anthem, Queen's Park, flags and coats of arms, local public buildings and memorials);
* describe some civic ceremonies and celebrations, and explain what they mean or commemorate (e.g., citizenship and reaffirmation ceremonies, the changing of the guard, the opening of Parliament, public events for International Day for the Elimination of Racism, Aboriginal Solidarity Day, Canada Day celebrations, Remembrance Day services).
Inquiry/Research and Communication Skills
* formulate questions to develop a research focus (e.g., What are the duties of a member of Parliament? What are the responsibilities of the members of the Supreme Court of Canada? Why is the Chief Electoral Officer not allowed to vote? How can citizens have an influence on government decision making?);
* use primary and secondary sources to locate information about the structure and functions of government (e.g., primary sources: interviews, classroom visitors, field trips; secondary sources: atlases, encyclopedias and other print materials, illustrations, videos, CD-ROMs, Internet sites);
* use media works, oral presentations, written notes and descriptions, drawings, tables, and graphs to explain how the different levels of government share responsibility for providing selected services (e.g., in the areas of taxation, health care, roads, environmental protection, sports, arts and culture, recreation);
* use graphic organizers and graphs to sort, classify, and connect information (e.g., charts of services provided by three levels of government; a flow chart of how tax dollars are collected and used);
* use media works, oral presentations, written notes and descriptions, drawings, and tables to present information about processes or sequences of events (e.g., the immigrant journey towards Canadian citizenship; the process of law making; the process of becoming a member of Parliament);
* use appropriate vocabulary (e.g., government, local, municipal, provincial, federal, democracy, citizenship, legislature, constituency, prime minister, premier, mayor, governor general, monarchy, lieutenant-governor, cabinet, opposition, election, majority, minority, electors, riding, county, civil servant, right, responsibility) to describe their inquiries and observations.
Map, Globe, and Graphic Skills
* construct and read a variety of maps, graphs, diagrams, and/or models to display and interpret information for specific purposes (e.g., maps showing local electoral ridings, major municipalities of Canada, time zones that determine the closing of electoral polls; bar graphs showing party standings after each election; a diagram of the House of Commons).
Application
* research and report on concrete examples of how the three levels of government work together to meet challenges or perform tasks (e.g., in responding to crises, in organizing Olympics or World Fairs/ Expositions);
* identify the relevance to their own lives of individual and group rights (e.g., language rights, equality rights);
* model activities and processes of responsible citizenship (e.g., re-enact or model a citizenship ceremony; engage in democratic class meetings; hold a mock election; create a series of diary entries that a new Canadian might have written throughout the immigration and citizenship process; plan and participate in a heritage-day event).
Student Name:

Expectations: Copyright The Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2004.  Format: Copyright B.Phillips, 1998.