Day 12 Wednesday, February 20 - Set-up of Parliament continued. Filmstrip or video and questions or note-taking on Parliament. Handout – “On the Job With a Member of Parliament.” Read 231-233 sidebar. Do #1-3, p. 233.
Thursday, February 21 - Filmstrip or video & questions or note-taking on Parliament. Complete material from last class. Take up homework, #1-3, p. 233. The Senate – Pros and cons of present setup (Be sure to look at the Senate material at Mapleleafweb). Handout – newspaper article. Essay Writing. There will be an essay question on what shall be done with the Canadian Senate on the next unit test.
Friday, February 22 - Go over homework -- the Senate Essay planning. Introduction to the executive branch. Role of the Queen, Governor General and Prime Minister. Reread “Constitutional Monarchy” on p. 223. Identify points for and against getting rid of the Queen and Governor General. Should Canada become a Republic? Why or why not? Identify 3 reasons for and 3 reasons against doing so. Look at the Monarchist League of Canada and the Canadian Monarchist Online websites for arguments supporting the monarch; see Citizens for a Canadian Republic for arguments against retaining the monarchy. There has also been an active debate in Australia and New Zealand on this topic. Web searches would yield useful information