Classroom materials

Apathy is Boring is a national non-partisan project that uses art, media and technology to encourage active citizenry, outreaching to a broad demographic of youth about how to be more involved in their communities and the democratic process.

This site is about the history of Canada through the words of the men and women who shaped the nation. Built around the Government Documents collection of the Early Canadiana Online collection, it integrates narrative text with links to primary source texts. The site has been designed for students and teachers of Canadian studies, history and law, but will also be useful to researchers and anyone else interested in Canada’s past.

Classroom Connections is a non-profit organization which produces educational materials which are innovative in content and pedagogy and designed to engage and motivate youth. Many of their resources deal with citizenship and diversity.

This booklet gives teachers user-friendly information on copyright law, combining items from the Canadian Copyright Act and its regulations, contractual and tariff arrangements with copyright collectives, and court decisions. Much of the information would also be of interest to general audiences. [2005, pdf – 25 pages]

Every Living Thing is the Alberta SPCA’s humane education website for teachers who aim to inspire compassion for animals, people and the environment – every living thing! The Alberta SPCA believes people have a duty to accept responsibility for the welfare of animals. The SPCA hopes to nurture a humane attitude toward animals through a humane education program.

Canada’s parliamentary system is open and democratic. It offers the opportunity for people to give their input and it is designed to make sure proposals for laws are carefully considered. Canada’s Parliament consists of three parts: the King, the Senate and the House of Commons. They work together to make the laws for our country. This guide provides an overview of the following topics: The Canadian Parliament, Who’s Who in the House, A Working Day in the Commons Chamber, Parliamentary Highlights, Making Canada’s Laws,The Role of a Member of Parliament, and Being Part of Parliament.

These guidelines support the creation of welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environments that foster diversity and nurture a sense of belonging and a positive sense of self . Their purpose is to enable school authorities to use best practices in creating and supporting learning environments that respect diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions. (January 2016)

The following guide will explain the process by which a typical government initiated bill becomes law. This guide provides an overview of the Federal Legislative Process. To become law, a bill must first be introduced in either the Senate or the House of Commons. It must then pass through various stages in each House: first, second and third reading. Then it must receive Royal Assent.

In Canada’s Parliament, bills may originate in either of its two houses – the Senate and the House of Commons. Most legislation begins in the House of Commons. Regardless of where a bill originates, it must be passed by both houses in identical form before it can receive Royal Assent and become law. This guide provides an overview of the process of how a Senate Bill goes through Parliament.

Media Smarts offers a range of media education and Internet literacy resources.

The John Howard Society of Alberta is a non-profit agency concerned with the problem of crime and its prevention. The organization takes its name and spirit from the 18th century humanitarian John Howard, whose name has become a symbol of humane consideration for prisoners. It was incorporated in 1949, and today the organization consists of six separately incorporated districts along with the Provincial Office. The website provides information about the services available in each of these districts.

In Canada, each of us has a part in ensuring that the law works properly and that justice is done. Two ways of contributing to justice in Canada are being on a jury and testifying in court. This information covers the role of the public in the jury process,

This guide, produced by the Civil Liberties Association of BC, outlines some basic ideas and concepts concerning civil liberties for students. It can however be used by anyone who is interested in civil liberties, including parents, guardians, teachers and school staff. Knowledge is power: if you know what rights are and how they work, you can better understand and protect your rights, and protect and respect the rights of others.

This activity sheet is a twist on the classic children’s game that helps players learn how to make smart privacy choices by climbing up a ladder when they make a good decision or sliding down a snake because they have shared a password with a friend, for example.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has created this graphic novel to help young Canadians to better understand and navigate privacy issues in the online world. The 12-page graphic novel– is designed to appeal to tweens and younger teens. The novel was developed with feedback from young people, it tells the story of a brother and sister who learn (sometimes the hard way) about the privacy risks related to social networking, mobile devices and texting, and online gaming.To accompany the graphic novel, they have also developed a discussion guide that educators can use to generate further discussion and learning.

The Student Legal Services Legal Education Project (Edmonton, AB) manifests itself in three main ways: lectures, mock trials, and summer law camps. Presentations to school classes can be scheduled to fit class time, upon discussion between the teacher and the Student Legal Services coordinator. For more information on the opportunities offered by the Project check out their website.

An online community that connects youth to find inspiration, access information, get involved, and take action in their local and global communities. Learn about and become involved in issues related to Social justice and human rights, Poverty and globalization, Peace and conflict, Environment, Cultural diversity and equity, Education, Health and wellness. The site also includes a special section for educators.

Talk Rights is a new online space for the Canadian public to learn about their rights and freedoms. Explore their collection of resources, and you can contribute your own ideas, stories and priorities to the conversation. Teachers check out their resources for elementary and secondary students.

TERMIUM Plus® is one of the largest terminology and linguistic data banks in the world, gives you access to millions of terms in English, French, Spanish and Portugese. TERMIUM Plus® can be used to find terms, abbreviations, definitions and usage examples in a wide range of specialized fields. The data bank is an essential tool for understanding an acronym, checking an official title, finding an equivalent in another language, and much more. 

This website from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection has been created to provide you with a one-stop-shop on all things related to Internet safety. The Canadian Centre for Child Protection is committed to helping parents, teachers, and anyone else who would like to better understand the good, bad, and ugly about the web.

The federal and provincial and territorial governments are all responsible for the judicial system in Canada. Only the federal government can appoint and pay judges of the superior, or upper-level, courts in the provinces. Parliament can also establish a general court of appeal and other courts. It has created the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal, as well as the Tax Court. This Justice Canada webpage provides an outline of Canada’s court system.

This online resource is from the Heritage Community Foundation and is part of the Virtual Museum of Canada. The Making of Treaty #8 in Canada’s Northwest, commemorates a historic event of enormous importance to Alberta’s northern First Nations.

This page points to resources about copyright and patents across the WIPO website, which may be of particular interest to students ranging from upper elementary to university. Resources for younger students include a set of comic books.

Casting your ballot lets you speak your mind. It lets you be heard. This site shows you how. It’s loaded with information for anyone who wants to know how elections work. You can look up the answers to election basics or go deeper to find information on Canada’s electoral system.

Produced by the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, this guide uses easy-reference language yet provides detailed explanations. It is suitable for students from Grade 7-12 and for newcomers wishing to learn more about the Charter. Available in English or French. (free download via Scribd, 48 pages)