S

Subject area: Humanities Social Studies & English Language Arts

Topic: Democracy, The Local Government & Opinion Writing
Unit title: Democracy and the Local Government
Teacher(s): Sierra Bennett (Mentor: Laura Groulik)

Lesson Duration: 45min

Rational:
This Humanities unit has a general focus around the concept of Democracy. The students will start by learning about what democracy is, and what
it looks like in our local government, in the city of Calgary. Before diving into our local government, the students will first learn about what the Charter of
Rights and Freedoms is and how they can relate that to our classroom. They will get to create small speeches describing rights and responsibilities that
should go on our Classroom Charter, and through this they will be able to understand the bigger picture of how our rights are always balanced with our
responsibilities as Canadian citizens.
Once we have been introduced to the concept of what a democracy is, we will start to talk about what that looks in a Local/Municipal setting, such
as Calgary. Students will experience a variety of learning activities, both individually and in groups in order to discover the who, what, when, where, how,
and why of the local government. As a final project to solidify students learning, they will be able to find some type of problem, or suggestion they may
have, within their Ward, and present how they would go about participating in decision-making with the local government. Students will be encouraged to
follow through with their contact towards their Ward Councillor after we are through with this part of social studies.

Essential/Big Question

1. How does our government reflect

democratic principles?
2. In what ways does democracy
encourage people to participate in
bringing about change?

Enduring Understandings

1. In what ways is local

government part of a
democracy?
2. How can citizens participate in
local government?
3. How can people organize
themselves to meet needs not

Humanities Stems
#1 Reads to explore, construct and extend understanding
#2 Writes to develop, organize and express information and ideas
#3 Manages and evaluates information and ideas
#4 Constructs meaning and makes connections through speaking
#5 Constructs meaning and makes connections through listening
#6 Represents ideas and creates understanding through a variety of media
#7 Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of citizenship and identity
#8 Explores events and issues from different points of view
#9 Demonstrates skills and processes for inquiry and research
#10 Communicates ideas in an informed and persuasive manner

met by government?
Key Terms and Concepts
-Democracy
-Equity,
Justice,
Freedom,
Representati
on
Discriminatio
n
-Majority Rule
-Compromise
-Diversity
-Constitution
-Citizen

-Injustices
-Rights
-Rule of Law
-Councillor
-Council
-Revenue
-Bylaw
-Motion
-Urban, Rural,
First Nations,
Metis
-Bias

-Advisory
Committee
-Civil Servant
-Nominate
-Ballot
-Petition
-Trustee
-School
Board
-Public,
Separate,
Francophone,
Charter, First
Nations
Schools

Social Studies Outcomes (not marked on report cards)

6.1.2 Fundamental principles of democracy:
1. What is democracy?
3. What are the rights and responsibilities of living in a representative democracy?
4. How does Canadas justice system help protect your democratic and constitutional rights?
6.1.3 Charter of rights and freedoms:
1. How does the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protect the individual rights and freedoms of all Canadians?
6.1.4 Local Government:
1. How are representatives chosen to form a local government (electoral process)?
2. What are the responsibilities of the local government (bylaws, taxes, services)?
3. How are local governments structures differently in rural and urban settings?
4. What role is played by school boards (public, separate, Francophone) within local communities?
6.1.6 How we impact decision making of Local Government:
1. How can individuals, groups and associations within a community participate in the decision-making process regarding current events
or issues (lobbying, petitioning, organizing and attending local meetings and rallies, contacting elected representatives)?
2. In what ways do elected officials demonstrate their accountability to the electorate (respond to constituents, participate in local events,
represent and express in government meetings the concerns of constituents)?

Assessment Tool

HUM Stems

Descriptions

In class observations
Exit/Entrance Slips

Multiple
Multiple

1 min speeches

4 and 7

Important vocabulary booklet

2 and 3

In the News

Formal Debate

4 and 5

Formative assessment through observation during class time.

Exit and Entrance Slips are used throughout the unit in order
to gage students understanding of new concepts learned
during that certain lesson.
1 minute speeches about our Classroom Charter of Rights
and Freedoms will be done to assess the students Speaking
and their understanding of Citizenship and Identity in the
classroom. This is also being used as formative and
metacognitive assessment as the students are marking
themselves.
This vocabulary booklet contains concepts that will be talked
about throughout the whole Local Government Unit, therefor
students are to be keeping it up to date with definitions and
examples as we go along. They will be marked on their
writing and their management of ideas and concepts.
Students will be analyzing a news article about the Blue Ring
in Calgary and will be marking on their ability to organize the
information they find in the article about the Local
Government.
Students will get a mark for both their participation in the
debate (the points that they contribute) and for their

Fo
r

As

Of

Formal Debate Written Piece

8 and 9

Final Project

2, 3, 6, 9

Journal Entries Rough &

Good copies.

2 and 3

Lesson

Lesson 6
sept19

Lesson 7
sept19

participation as a audience member (their feedback

component on the student that they are assigned to)
Students will do a small writing piece about the opposing
side of the debate that they were on.
Final project students will find a problem (research it) within
their ward that relates to the Local Government, present a
solution (how? What steps will you take?) and present it in
the form of a prezi or a Powtoon or *otherif discussed with
me.
Students write in their writing journal 2-3 times per week for
15-20 minutes straight, as well as polish a good copy of a
writing piece of their choice at the end of each month.

Objectives

Learning experiences

Assessment
Summative #4, and #7

sept20
Tuesday

Resources

Present 1 minute
speeches for
Classroom Charter
of rights and
freedoms

Speeches

Groups written on board

Class vote with real

ballot

Vote

Peer shares/feedback
on how speech
went/feelings about
public speaking

Class discussion on voting situation

Self assessment sheet

Ballots
Formative observations of how
students act as audience
during speeches.

Notes sheet per student to make it easier

to remember group to vote for

Self assessment

Self assessment
Lesson 8

Journal Entry #5
Go through WOTW
Partner Shares

Formative assessment
observations if they are
following along with editing
process.

WOTW handout uncanny

*WOTW* - Uncanny

Lesson 9
sept20
Tuesday

Lesson 10
sept21
Weds.

Lesson 11

Go over the real

Charter of rights
and freedoms.
6.1.3 Charter of rights and
freedoms:
1. How does the Canadian
Charter of Rights and
Freedoms protect the individual
rights and freedoms of all
Canadians?

Watch Charter video together

Discussion
Activity to discover which situations would
fall under which right/freedom.

Formative assessment of
worksheet to discover which
situation would fall under
which.

Charter Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=YAIM1qzO9_w

Formative assessment of
charter challenge quiz use as
example of what an acceptable
answer is.

Charter challenge instructions and

example

Group work

Editing a previous
journal entry writing
piece

On SMART Board go through the Editing

Checklist and have them do each stage of
it. *only doing self-evaluation piece today.

Charter Challenge

Activity to discover what part of the Charter

their challenge falls under and why.

Charter Challenge

sept21
Weds.

Lesson 12
sept22

Read Theory reading

comprehension practice

Computers booked

Thursday

Lesson 13
Sept22
Thursday

How to debate. Set

rules as a class and
practice a debate
that is not for
marks.

Debate: Should the voting age be lowered to

16?
Debate #2 dont have a choice which side
they go on, talk about how this means you
need to try and see the problem from the
other side

Formative observation of how

they do with a debate before
we do one that will count as
speaking stem summative
mark.

Debate topics/rules

Formative assessment of use

of adjectives

Writing Prompt

Desks formed into a U

Cards of yes or no will be handed out before

receiving the debate topic.

Lesson 14
Sept26
Monday

Journal Entry #6

Keep journal and WOTW to 30 min

WOTW

Word of the Week

New word for WOTW

Goal Setting

Do goal-setting since Friday was PD

Weekly Goal handout Make new one

Terry Fox Tag

Make Terry Fox tags quickly

Terry Fox tags Laura has these

Detecting Bias

Lesson 15
Sept26

Do bias detecting activity from textbook.

They will have to answer, as a group,
questions to decode whether the article
contains bias or not.

Handouts from textbook(copies)

Charter Quizzes marked

Review Charter Quiz Give example of an

answer that I am looking for from other
class.

Monday

Exit Slip What does bias mean?

Hand them back go through which is

which why...Keep in binder.

Lesson 16
Sept27
Tuesday

Investigate
Government at all 3
levels

^ double block
activity
Lesson 17

Research to fill out the chart on worksheet

3.2 before zooming into Local Government
First go over how to type questions into
google without filler words, only key
words.

Lesson 18
Sept28

Important Vocabulary Handout

*if they finish early they can go onto read

theory

Hum Mark #2 throughout

Hum Mark #3 throughout

Important Vocabulary

Journal entry re-do

GOOD copy for
summative mark

Weds.

Hand out Important Vocabulary for

students to fill out throughout Local Govt
unit
Pick your journal entry that you think is the
most interesting, and make it better. Typed.
Think about spelling, punctuation, go through
your checklist!
-

Lesson 19

Worksheet 3.2

Sept27
Tuesday

Computers booked

Computers booked

Adjectives, adverbsreminder

Journal entry re-do

GOOD copy for
summative mark

**when done readtheory reading practice or

D2L websites for Parts of Speech practice.

Computers booked

Lesson 21

Local Government

Show who does what video

Sept29

Services, Taxes &

Revenue

Go through web on p. 102 in text book with

partner and come up with needs for the
different services add them to their webs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=AVE3OsR5W-0

Sept28
Weds.

Thursday

6.1.4 Local Government:

2. What are the responsibilities
of the local government
(bylaws, taxes, services)?

Taxes and Revenue activity.

Prepared Questions for after

Video

Why do we have local government?

Servicesneeds Worksheet
Power Point Taxes and Revenue

+ Hand out

Lesson 22

Reading Practice
Activity

Read theory

Journal Entry # 7
(15min max)

Fit in Goal Setting from Friday if we did

not have time in Bronco Block

Sept29

Formative what reading level

are they reading at on Read
Theory, do they find it difficult.

Computers -

Thursday

Lesson 23
Oct3
monday

Lesson 24
Oct3

JE Writing Prompt
WOTW

WOTW

Government related
News Article
analyzing/discoverin
g

use the blue ring 3-year article

#3 Manage information

Blue Ring Article

http://calgaryherald.com/news/localnews/every-time-i-see-it-i-still-get-madcalgarys-big-blue-ring-turns-threeyears-old

monday

Article print off to share with partners

in the news worksheet **edit it
Council

Finding your own ward Councillor and their

name

Formative circulation if they

are filling out their map

Latest on OUR
schools ward
councillor Drew
Farrell Dental,
CAVITIES!

Activity on the latest on OUR schools ward

councillor Drew Farrell Dental, CAVITIES!

Research Mark #9

^ double block
activity (or extra
catch up time)

Journal Entry #8

Journal Entry only 15min. Shares for 3 min.

Formative assessment
homework, adding 5 more

Peer editing print off / they have it in

Ward councillor
discovery
Lesson 25
Oct4
tuesday

Oct 4
tuesday

Lesson 26

Laptops in class
Ward map to fill out / find yours
**Make worksheet

Mention Final Project Homework over

next couple weeks is to find something
within YOUR Ward that is a problem
that could be brought forwards to your
councillor.

-who is ward councillor, some more

details about them

Oct5

Nouns

weds

Lesson 27
Oct5
weds

Lesson 29
Oct6
thurs

How are officials

elected? (such as
our councillors that
we talked about
yesterday)

NounTown video. Students search for Noun

categories in video and make a table
afterwards sorting out nouns.
-

examples to table of each type

of noun.

their journals (glued)

Textbooks

Activity in groups students try to order

the electoral steps that they have cut up
in a baggie in middle of group. Race
against other groups, followed up class
discussion and examples on smartboard.

Electoral Process steps (cut-up)

6.1.4 Local Government:

1. How are representatives
chosen to form a local
government (electoral
process)?

Urban, Rural, FN,

Metis.
6.1.4 Local Government:
3. How are local governments
structures differently in rural
and urban settings?

Students work in partners on worksheet How

are local governments organized group
discussion/clarification afterwards.

Observations
personal devices
worksheet
textbooks

Lesson 30
Oct6
Thurs

Urban, Rural, FN,

Metis.

Students retrieve personal devices from

lockers.

6.1.4 Local Government:

3. How are local governments
structures differently in rural
and urban settings?

-scavenger hunt on google for Urban vs Rural

communities and their municipal
governments.

Urban vs rural review

Bylaws
Lesson 31
Oct11
tues

Lesson 32
Oct11

6.1.4 Local Government:

2. What are the responsibilities
of the local government
(bylaws, taxes, services)?

6.1.4 Local Government:

2. What are the responsibilities
of the local government
(bylaws, taxes, services)?

tues
Lesson 33
Oct12

Field Trip

Journal Entry #9

Observations
-

How well do they work

with personal devices in
class?

Observations

JE writing prompt

WOTW
Urban vs rural review on board as a class
recalling what we know
-

WOTW

Make a venn diagram each

Bylaws -think-pair-share what are bylaws?

What would it be like without them?
How are bylaws passed?

Homework find a bylaw,

write down the name, brief
summary, and amount of fine $
for disobeying it.

Lesson 34

Field trip

Oct12

Oct 13
Thurs

Formal Debate for

summative marks
this time.

Time to research about debate

statement/question to have factual points
during this debate

Computers - booked

Go over rules of debate that we made during

informal practice debate
Oct 13

Desks set up in debate style

Summative Hum mark

Debate schedule written on board. Timer

ready to go. Rules set in place.

Thurs
Oct 14
(Friday
only 1
period)

Formal Debate takes place.

#4 speaking
#5 listening (audience
feedback/vote)

Journal Entry #10

Oct 17

Writing piece about other side of debate that

they were not speaking for

WOTW

Summative hum mark

#8 different points of view
#10 persuasive

monday

WOTW ready

Parts of Speech Game

Pronouns Video + Activity
How do these different types
of governments and
numbers of councillors and
their structure show
fairness and equity?

Oct 17
monday

Oct 18
tues

Oct 18

Structure of the government.

-Make webs of government structure with City
Manager and departments. Brainstorming of
departments as groups and as a class.
Mention (again) Final Project Homework
is to FINALIZE idea for something within
YOUR Ward that is a problem that could
be brought forwards to your councillor.

6.1.4 Local Government:

4. What role is played by
school boards (public,
separate, Francophone) within
local communities?

Adverbs video + Activity adverbs

charades.

Observation of group work in

new table groups

School boards Group reading and booklet

activity.
^

Writing Prompt - Example of how to

layout their writing piece guide them
through it

tues

Journal Entry #11

Oct 19
weds

Oct19
weds

6.1.4 Local Government:

4. What role is played by
school boards (public,
separate, Francophone) within
local communities?

6.1.6 How we impact decision

making of Local
Government:
1. How can individuals, groups
and associations within a
community participate in the
decision-making process
regarding current events or
issues (lobbying, petitioning,
organizing and attending local
meetings and rallies, contacting
elected representatives)?

Oct 20
thurs

Oct 20
thurs

Oct 24
Monday

Read Theory

6.1.6 How we impact decision

making of Local
Government:
1. How can individuals, groups
and associations within a
community participate in the
decision-making process
regarding current events or
issues (lobbying, petitioning,
organizing and attending local
meetings and rallies, contacting
elected representatives)?

WOTW

Discussion about Final Project and ways of

contacting local government.
Students exchange ideas for their project
and share with me to verify it is ok.

Silent Reading + Reading Comprehension on

readtheory

Project Start

Final Project Assignment handout

Exit Slip Formative

Assessment

Assessment through tracking

their progress on readtheory
site.

Computers Booked

Computers - Booked

Computers booked

Computers booked
Work block

Oct 25
Tues

Continue with School Boards

Verbs + Game

Oct 24
Monday

Writing Prompt

Computers booked
Work block

Oct 25

Computers booked

Tues

Work block

Oct 26

Work block

Weds

(6-26 will be interrupted by Druh Farrell visit

10:30-10:55)

Computers booked

Oct 26

Computers booked

Weds

Work block

Oct 27

Work block

Thurs

*finishing touches

Oct 27

Gallery Walk Peer

Feedback self
assessment

Thurs

Computers booked

Hum #2 writes

Computers booked

Hum #3 manages ideas

Hum #6 variety of media
Hum #7 Citizenship and identity
Hum #9 research

Oct 28

Quiz tentative

Computers booked in case

Friday
(1 period)

Oct 31
Monday

Nov 1
Tues

JE #12
Parts of Speech remaining
Student survey for PIP
Journal Rewrite BY HAND dictionaries

PIP survey