Canada's Constitution Challenge

1. Canada achieved full legal autonomy from Great Britain in 1931, but it took the passing of the Canada Act in 1982 to end the power of the British Parliament to amend the constitution. Have students learn about Canada's path to independence. Encourage them to explore Canada's history with Great Britain by researching their right to self government (1867), the Statute of Westminster (1931), and the Canada Act (1982).
2. Have students divide into small teams to create a board game that teaches some facts about Canada's constitution and history. Have them decide what information to include and specific rules and game play for the game. Will it be played by individuals or teams? Will there be challenges and opportunities that advance or stall players? Even the design of the board should be planned. It can be linear or provide alternative paths. Determine if players will roll dice or draw cards as part of the game play.
3. Have the teams draw the game board outline on poster board using colored pencils. Then use markers to add vibrant color and icons or landmarks. They can use Model Magic to create game pieces and other features, such as the Parliament buildings, the CN Tower (the tallest free-standing structure in the Western world), the dome of Science World, etc. They can create other game items, such as question/answer cards or challenge cards.
4. Beta test the game play and revise the rules based on if players get stumped or have difficulty achieving the goals. Refine the work and then play the games as a fun way to share information about Canada with other classes.

SS: Power, Authority, and Government: Develop awareness of rights and responsibilities of people in specific contexts.

SS: Time, Continuity, and Change: Understand various perspectives and examine changes in relationship between peoples, places, and environments.

SS: Individual Development and Identity: Describe factors important to the development of personal identity and the context of identity within families, peer or affinity groups, schools, communities, and nationalities.

Have students explore and learn about the traditional igloo once used by Indigenous Canadians such as the Inuit. Some were smaller, temporary shelters; others were designed for family dwelling. How were they built? How were they insulated?

English and French are the two official languages of Canada, but there are also Indigenous languages. Have students learn about some of them, such as Ojibwe, Cree, Mi'Kmaq, Inuktitut and others. Where are they spoken? Who speaks them today? What is being done to preserve them? Encourage students to watch the 2019 YouTube video of Emma Stevens, a Canadian Mi'kmaq teenager singing the Beatles' classic "Blackbird" in Mi'kmaq.