Education and Early Childhood Learning

Democratic Agents of Change

How should Canada be governed?

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This Grade 9 interdisciplinary English language arts/social studies project was designed to take place about halfway through the school year. Learners collaborated in small groups to answer the question, “What is the best way to govern Canada?”

The project began with the teacher supporting the learners by setting up centres where learners could receive some background knowledge. They learned about the houses of government, the division of responsibilities among the branches of government, and Canada’s electoral process where important government decisions are made. To get them started, they were provided with video link resources relating to how the federal government is structured and news articles focused on different ideas of reforming government (voting age, abolishing the Senate, Indigenous ways of governing). The learners were introduced to a notetaking system to keep track of their learning, their questions, and their ideas related to their learning. This active collaboration and practice of open communication throughout the inquiry process ensured that all learners had the same general understanding of current systems before they made decisions about the changes they might like to see.

Learners also participated in literature circles and Socratic seminars (twice a week for three weeks) with novels that had government systems as a central theme. They were asked to choose one book but could read as many as they liked. These discussions from the Socratic seminars broadened their thinking about the role of government(s).

The second phase of the project required group decision-making. The class started with a discussion of respectful participation in collaborative and creative environments during this process to set up the expectation that, although working together may be hard, it was important to think with other people when dreaming up something new. The class co-constructed elements of effective collaboration, discussed various methods of decision-making, and learned about different ways to overcome conflict.

Groups were asked to add, change, or delete three things in government to improve our current system. Some groups suggested dramatic, big picture changes to the system, while others focused on smaller details that would make the system more efficient or fair. To make these decisions, they spent time investigating examples of government systems and structures from other places in the world and/or time periods. Learners also taught their peers what they learned, using summary-focused visible thinking routines from Project Zero Thinking Routines. They used protocols such as “Options Diamonds” and “Take a Stand” to weigh evidence that informed their decision-making. After making their decisions about the changes they might like to see, they provided evidence to justify their positions.

The next phase of the project was to develop presentations to share their ideas, both orally and visually, to an authentic audience. Learners were given choice in how they might communicate their ideas visually. Some chose to prepare poster board presentations, some created websites, and others created symbolic representations to communicate their ideas in a visual way. The teacher provided mini-lessons to support effective communication of visual ideas. The process of writing, feedback from multiple sources with active revision, conferencing with the teacher, and practising speeches with peers and for other practice audiences was an important feature before official presentations began.

As a culminating event, learners participated in a learning fair–style exhibition, explaining their ideas to invited government officials (school trustees, city councillors, MLAs, MPs, and senators), along with the school community and parents.

Learners self- and peer-assessed their collaboration skills and justified their assessments. The project ended with a reflection of their strengths and challenges, and the skills they learned and would take forward to future work.

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Dimensions of Global Competencies in Action

Collaboration

• Learners welcome and seek to understand diverse perspectives, voices, and ideas.
• Learners value and put trust in others’ contributions.
• Learners work through differences and show a willingness to compromise or change perspective when appropriate.
• Learners co-construct meaning with others.
• Learners contribute equitably part to the collective purpose or common goal.

Critical Thinking

• Learners find, use, and reflect on diverse sources strategically, efficiently, and effectively.
• Learners evaluate the sources of their and others’ perspectives for bias, reliability, and relevance.
• Learners connect ideas, patterns, and relationships, using criteria and evidence.
• Learners ask relevant and clarifying questions to further learning.
• Learners develop informed opinions and make judgments, based on observation, experience, and evidence.