Lesson Plan

Grade/Subject: ss9 Unit: Canada’s Federal Political System Lesson Duration: 72 minutes

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General Learning Outcomes:
9.1- Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how
Canada’s political processes impact citizenship and identity in an attempt to
meet the needs of all Canadians.
Specific Learning Outcomes:
9.1.4- examine the structure of Canada’s federal political system by exploring and reflecting upon
the following questions and issues:
9.1.4.2 – What is the relationship between the executive, legislative and judicial branches
of Canada’s federal political system? (PADM)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
- Describe the role of the monarch and governor general in Canada.
- Identify the roles and responsibilities of the Executive Branch
ASSESSMENTS
Observations: Key Questions:
- Class discussion - What is the structure of Canada’s
- Ask students to define terms in political system?
their own words- see if they - Who is the representative of the Queen
understand. in Canada?
- What is the role and responsibilities of
the executive branch?
Written/Performance Assessments:
- Chapter Vocab- Formative/summative
- Executive Branch- note sheet
LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED
- Textbook
- Ourcommons.ca
o https://www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/ministries
MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
- Vocab worksheet
- What is the structure of Canada’s political system? Worksheet.
PROCEDURE
Introduction (15 min.):
Hook/Attention Grabber:
- Have students grab their duotangs from the basket.
- Remind students about Remind and Course Outline- say who you are missing from (on sticky note).
- Review Identity, Citizenship, and Quality of life, issues.
- Have pages 15 &16 up on the board. Have students ponder the questions:
o Think, pair, share.
o What do you notice?
o What evidence can you identify that governance has changed in Canada since 1867?
o To what extent might the different experiences of the Canadians on this page affect their views or
perspectives?
Body (50 min.):
1. Hand out vocab worksheets. Explain to students that they have the next 15 minutes to work
on vocab sheet. If they do not finish it within that time- they can do it for homework. They
will be working alone on this.
a. If they do not finish, they will have it for homework due next class. They can put it
in their duotang.
2. Inquire students about what they know about the federal government- such as where it is
operated, who is apart, who represents the people, the different levels, etc.
a. Executive (Prime Minister, Cabinet), Legislative (House of Commons, Senate), and
the Judicial Branch.
3. Ask students who they believe if the “head of state” in Canada. (the Queen of England,
Elizabeth II).
a. Explain that we are a constitutional monarchy- and that means: a country that is
governed by a king or queen within laws which limit his or her power. Britain is
governed in this way, with the Queen (or King) as head of state and with Parliament
and the elected government holding almost all the real power.
i. Her representative is the Governor General- Julie Payette.
i. Chosen by the Queen- on recommendation of the PM. and usually holds
office for five years, although terms have been extended to as long as
seven years.
i. All executive authority is understood to derive from the Sovereign, who is
Canada’s formal head of state.
ii. The state is embodied in the Sovereign; therefore every one of Canada’s
Members of Parliament is required to swear allegiance to the Queen
iii. the Sovereign actually has very few powers and prerogatives. The
authority of the Crown is delegated to the various branches of government
according to the provisions of the Constitution.
iv. Elections are called and laws are enacted in the name of the Crown. No
bill may become law without Royal Assent. Formally, the Prime Minister
and the Cabinet are the Crown’s council of advisers. They govern in the
name and with the consent of the Crown. The Sovereign is represented in
Canada by the Governor General.
v. The Governor General is responsible for the appointment of the Prime
Minister. In practice, he or she must appoint the leader of the party
winning the most seats in the House of Commons in a general election.
The Governor General does, however, have some discretion when the
governing party is in a minority position in Parliament and loses the
confidence of the House
vi.
4. The prime minister is the “head of government” in Canada.
i. To become PM, you must be elected as a leader of your political party
ii. Then elected as a MP,
iii. The party you lead must win the most seats in the House of Commons.
5. The cabinet:
i. Includes the people with responsibility for different government
departments and agencies- or portfolios- such as health, finance, and
environment.
ii. The members of the cabinet belong to the leading political party in the HoC
and are either MPs or Senators.
iii. They are called cabinet ministers
iv. The PM decides what portfolios to include in the cabinet and chooses the
 cabinet ministers.
v. The Cabinet proposes most of the ideas that become laws.
vi. The PM and the Cabinet run most of the day-to-day business of the
government. For ex. The minister of Environment runs the department of
the environment which has staff and equipment to, among other things, keep
track of air pollution.
vii. Cabinet ministers stay in the cabinet until the current PM resigns- either
because of a general election, vote of non-confidence in the HoC, or simply
he they no longer want to be in office.
viii. Look at the list of cabinet ministers in 2006 (pg. 25). What do you notice?
1. What factors do you think the PM takes into account when
appointing cabinet ministers?
2. As PM, how could you use cabinet possessions to respond to issues
about government that concern Canadians?
3. Why might a PM create new cabinet positions?
ix. how are they chosen?
b. Compare the 2006 cabinet ministers to the ministers in 2018.
i. Pass out hand out with the current cabinet ministers.
ii. How is the cabinet today different than the one in 2006? (pg 26).
1. Male/female ratio, number of portfolios, regions represented, etc.
a. Give students time to look at the hand out by themselves
before opening it up for class discussion.
b. What is missing? (no minister of education)
2. Why do you think PMs change the structure and people of cabinet?

Closure (7 min.):
At around 11:10 for 9C, 12:25 for 9H, and 9:55 for 9R, have students work on exit slip (see below)
Justin Trudeau (ONT) Jody Wilson-Raybould Diane Lebouthillier Bardish Chagger (ONT) Mary Ng (ONT)
(BC) (QC)
Prime Minister & Leader of the Government Minister of
Minister of Youth Minister of Justice and Minister of National in the House of Commons Small Business
Attorney General of Revenue and Export
Canada Promotion
Ralph Goodale (SK) Chrystia Freeland Catherine McKenna François-Philippe Filomena Tassi
(ONT) (ONT) Champagne (QC) (ONT)
Minister of Public Safety
and Emergency Minister of Foreign Minister of Minister of Infrastructure Minister of
Preparedness Affairs Environment and and Communities Seniors
Climate Change
Jane Philpott (QC) Harjit Singh Sajjan Karina Gould (ONT) Jonathan
(BC) Wilkinson (BC)
Lawrence MacAulay (PEI)
Minister of Indigenous Minister of Democratic
Services Minister of National Institutions Minister of
Minister of Agriculture and
Defence Fisheries,
Agri-Food
Oceans and the
Canadian Coast
Guard
Jean-Yves Duclos (QC) Amarjeet Sohi (AB) Ahmed D. Hussen (ONT) William Francis
Carolyn Bennett (ONT)
Morneau (ONT)
Minister of Families, Minister of Natural Minister of Immigration,
Minister of Crown-
Children and Social Resources Refugees and Citizenship Minister of
Indigenous Relations[a]
Development Finance
Marc Garneau (QC) Maryam Monsef Ginette C. Petitpas Taylor Mélanie Joly
(ONT) (NB) (QC)
Scott Brison (NS) Minister of Transport
Minister of Status of Minister of Health Minister of
President of the Treasury Women Tourism,
Board Official
Languages and
La Francophonie
Dominic LeBlanc (NB) Marie-Claude Bibeau Carla Qualtrough Seamus Thomas Harris Patricia A.
(QC) (BC) O’Regan (NFL) Hajdu (ONT)
Minister of
Intergovernmental and Minister of Minister of Public Minister of Veterans Minister of
Northern Affairs and Internal International Services and Affairs and Associate Employment,
Trade Development Procurement and Minister of National Workforce
Accessibility Defense Development
and Labour
Navdeep Singh Bains (ONT) James Gordon Carr Kirsty Duncan Pablo Rodriguez (QC) Bill Blair (ONT)
(MB) (ONT)
Minister of Innovation, Minister of Canadian Minister of
Science and Economic Minister of Minister of Science Heritage and Border Security
Development International Trade and Sport Multiculturalism and Organized
Diversification Crime
The Executive Branch

This branch is responsible for _____________________________________________________.

Prime Minister Cabinet Governor General

Role: Role: Role:

Duties: Duties: Duties:

Came to Power by: Came to Power by: Came to Power by:

-elected ______ of party -elected as an ______ -selected as an ______

-elected as an ______ -selected by __________ -appointed by _________

-party wins __________ -appointed by _________

Name:________________

In your own words, what is the role of the executive branch in Canada’s politics?

What are two ways that the executive branch can impact your identity, citizenship, and quality of life?

Name:________________

In your own words, what is the role of the executive branch in Canada’s politics?

What are two ways that the executive branch can impact your identity, citizenship, and quality of life?