Education 460
Michael Sokolowski & Alex Dingman
Grade 9—Charter Rights and Freedom Activity
Critical Question: Does Bill C-51 go against Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
Task/Activity: In this inquiry you are a member of the Supreme Court of Canada and recently Bill C-51 has been introduced by the Harper-led Conservative government of Canada. However, it is unclear whether this bill is constitutional. As a member of the Supreme Court of Canada it is your job to debate with your colleagues and decide whether this bill is consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. To do this you must take a stance within a horseshoe debate format to conclude whether or not the bill goes against the Charter.
As a member of the judiciary, it is your responsibility to advise legislators and inform the legislative process. Following the debate, you will use what you have learned to write a letter to your local member of parliament outlining your view on Bill C-51.
Suggested Activities:
To begin the unit, students will be introduced to the topic and controversy through the use of media clips entitled “Ezra Levant & John Robson - Canada's new anti-(Islamic) terror measures”, “Counter-Terror Law Expert Robert Diab”, and “Thousands of Demonstrators across Canada protest anti-terror bill”:
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To show the opposing positions on the topic. After watching the video the students will discuss what they saw as a class and do a Think-Pair-Share exercise to answer the following questions:
What is the main issue being discussed?
What is the position of the person in the video clip?
What is their main argument?
What evidence, if any, do they use to support their position?
What are the students’ first impressions of the bill?
The ideas and responses from the students will be tracked on the chalkboard and a larger class discussion will be had.
Resources:
“Ezra Levant & John Robson - Canada's new anti-(Islamic) terror measures”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqPtcwBitDI
“Counter-Terror Law Expert Robert Diab”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAg_AvUP2Nk
“Thousands of Demonstrators across Canada protest anti-terror bill”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3a0k6nMUx0
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In pairs, students will use a T-Chart from Education Place to compare and describe what they think the differences between laws and rights are. Students will then convene as a class to define laws as the articulation of permissible societal behaviours and norms. The class will then discuss the ways in which rights protect citizens and restrict governments from making laws that infringe on fundamental freedoms. In facilitating this conversation, the teacher should make it evident to the class that rights and laws can come in conflict with one another. Students should learn that rights allow people challenge laws.
The students will then work with these concepts in relation to a specific news story:
“Taber bylaw bans public swearing, spitting and yelling in Alberta town”
Students will be asked to apply the law/right binary to this story, identifying both the proposed laws, and the rights that could be used to protect Taber residents from these laws. They will put their findings on their previously used T-Chart. The students will then hand in their T-Chart for a completion mark. These T-Charts will be handed back to aid students in the following lesson.
Resources:
T Chart
http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/tchart_eng.pdf
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A lesson will be taught on Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It will begin with a discussion on what students already know about the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In order to learn about specific categories of the Charter relevant to the assignment, students will be split into groups and made responsible for summarizing different sections of the Charter. Additionally, groups will be given a relevant news article depicting an incident in which a Charter right may have been infringed, and will be asked to identify how the incident came into conflict with the Charter. The groups will discuss what kind of rights are protected in their section: Democratic Rights; Mobility Rights; Legal Rights; Equality Rights; and Minority Language and Educational Rights. The groups will then present their summary and their findings to the class by responding to the following questions:
What rights does your section of the Charter protect?
How could this section of the charter protect you personally?
How are Charter Rights being used to challenge laws in the news article you discussed?
How might your section of the Charter relate to Bill C-51?
Resources:
Fundamental Freedoms: “Niqab controversy: Judge struck down ban without referring to charter”
Democratic Rights: “12,500 prisoners get to vote on June 28”
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/12-500-prisoners-get-to-vote-on-june-28-1.485086
Mobility Rights: “Rob Ford wants Ottawa to use immigration laws against gun crimes”
Legal Rights: “Why school strip searches for drugs are legally troubling”
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/why-school-strip-searches-for-drugs-are-legally-troubling-1.2961468
Equality Rights: “Gay rights aren’t that complicated, Mr. Premier”
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Students will look at Bill C-51 through the perspectives of social groups expressing alarm about the bill. Students will be put in the scenario where they will take the place of a board listening to various perspectives of concerned groups with regards to the bill. They will be exposed to these oppositional perspectives through various media clips and news articles. The students will hear four different perspectives including Aboriginals, Environmentalists, Canadian Muslims, and the government. After each perspective is viewed the students will write a reflection addressing the following questions:
a) What is the argument being presented by each group with regard to Bill C-51?
b) Do you agree or disagree with their perspective? Why?
Resources:
“Anti-terrorism powers: What's in the legislation?”
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/anti-terrorism-powers-what-s-in-the-legislation-1.2937964
Aboriginal View:
“Aboriginal leaders fear anti-terror bill gives licence to target them as ‘terrorists in our own territories’”
“AFN Chief Perry Bellegarde addresses House of Commons Bill C-51”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLFib4xxUyE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb5GiCPn4Hk
Muslim View:
“NCCM’s Ihsaan Gardee discusses proposed security laws on CTV’s Power Play”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apOC9vJihms
Government View:
“Bill C-51: Environmental Activists, Aboriginals Fear Legislation Will Tread On Rights”
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/03/12/reject-flawed-anti-terror_n_6854550.html
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As a class, students will come up with a rubric for what constitutes a good debate argument. To do this, students will be shown an instructional video clip good debate skills. Following this video, the class will reflect on the video and summarize the important qualities of a good debate: how can you tell that someone is making a good argument; how can you tell that someone is speaking well (speed, clarity etc.)? Discussion and brainstorming will be directed with the pre-existing rubric in mind.
Resources:
“The Art of Debate: Never Lose An Argument Again”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LesGw274Kjo
“Conducting a Debate”
http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/socstud/frame_found_sr2/tns/tn-13.pdf
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Before beginning to write and research their positions for the debate on Bill C-51, the teacher will model a debate for the students with the help of either another teacher or a teacher’s aide. Teachers will debate whether or not all teenagers below the age of 16 should be restricted from using Facebook for their own good. This debate will allow students to focus on the style and conventions of the debate (opening statements and arguments by each side, chance for rebuttals, concluding statements, etc.). Students will assess the teachers based on the rubric they created and decide a winner
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In order to give equal resources for writing and researching their debate scripts, the teacher should book a lesson in the computer lab. The students will be taught a lesson on how to find credible sources on the internet. Tell students that in order to use this time effectively, they should be thinking about:
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Whether after learning about the Charter and Bill C-51 they are for or against the bill.
b) How the bill interacts with the Charter in a way that is consistent with their position.
Students will be given a “Debate Organizer” from Spartan Guides to begin their research. Upon completing the worksheet, students will show it to the teacher for formative feedback. After the worksheet has been approved they will begin to write their script for the debate. The script should be approximately one page.
Resources:
“I Found It on the Internet: Teaching Students to Locate, Evaluate, and Cite Credible Online Sources”
Spartan Guides: Debate Organizer
http://sdst.libguides.com/content.php?pid=344603&sid=3012574
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Formative Feedback: In order to ensure that the students are on the right track in their script writing, the teacher will collect the students’ drafts after two classes of writing and researching, and assess them according to the first two categories of the rubric (Knowledge and Understanding and Formation of Argument) Special attention will be paid to the student’s position/stance, and to how they make reference to sections, passages, or ideas taken from the Charter and Bill C-51.
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After receiving formative feedback on the first draft of their script, students will continue to work on and revise their work. More computer lab time should be booked to enable the students to do so. They will be asked as they finish to sit down with the teacher for verbal formative feedback.
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The students will present their arguments in a horseshoe debate format. Nine students will debate at a time (representational of the Supreme Court). Another group of nine students will observe the debate in the class. Each group will be given approximately thirty minutes to debate. The students will be given two minutes for an opening statement and after each student has presented, there will be time for students to offer their rebuttals to what their fellow students have said. Upon the completion of the debate the students will vote on whether they feel that Bill C-51 is constitutional.
Resources:
http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b143/inquiries/graffiti/decision/debate.html
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While debate is happening, the remainder of the class will be drafting a letter to their local Member of Parliament in the library. In the letter they will state what their position is on Bill C-51 and their reasons for it. Each student will get one class to work on their letter, after which they will submit it for feedback and a completion mark. Following the teacher’s approval, the students will send said letter.
Outcomes:
Knowledge & Understanding
9.1.1 appreciate the impact of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on rights and governance in Canada (C, I, PADM)
9.1.6 assess, critically, the impact of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on the legislative process in Canada by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:
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In what ways has the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms fostered recognition of individual rights in Canada? (PADM, I
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How does the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms support individuals in exercising their rights? (PADM, C, I)
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In what ways has the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms affected conditions in the workplace (i.e., issues of gender, age, race, religion)? (PADM, I, C)
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What is the relationship between the rights guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the responsibilities of Canadian citizens? (PADM, C)
Skills & Processes
9.S.1 develop skills of critical thinking and creative thinking:
• determine the validity of information based on context, bias, source, objectivity, evidence or reliability to broaden understanding of a topic or an issue
• evaluate, critically, ideas, information and positions from multiple perspectives • demonstrate the ability to analyze current affairs from multiple perspectives
• re-evaluate personal opinions to broaden understanding of a topic or an issue • generate creative ideas and strategies in individual and group activities
9.S.7 apply the research process:
• reflect on changes of perspective or opinion based on information gathered and research conducted
• integrate and synthesize concepts to provide an informed point of view on a research question or an issue
• develop a position supported by information gathered during research
• draw conclusions based upon research and evidence
• determine how information serves a variety of purposes and that the accuracy or relevance may need verification
• organize and synthesize researched information
• formulate new questions as research progresses
9.S.8 demonstrate skills of oral, written and visual literacy:
• communicate in a persuasive and engaging manner through speeches, multimedia presentations and written and oral reports, taking particular audiences and purposes into consideration
• use skills of informal debate to persuasively express differing viewpoints regarding an issue
• elicit, clarify and respond appropriately to questions, ideas and diverse points of view presented in discussions
• make reasoned comments relating to the topic of discussion
• listen to others to understand their perspectives