Social Studies 30 Unit Four Table of Contents

Activity One

The purpose of this activity is to help students understand the concept of political culture and the important role it plays in Canadian society.

• Students need to understand that the process of politics is governed by a set of values that have evolved over centuries. These values centre around the question of how society should distribute, control and hold accountable the use of power.
• Understanding this concept is important to understanding and appreciating the need for constitutions and constitutionality (which is the central concept of activity two).
  • Constitutions are determined and guided by the political culture that is in force in society.
  • That is why societies which have an anti-democratic political culture find it impossible to protect a democratic political system with a constitution alone.

The second purpose is to let students know that politics is not entirely a chaotic, cynical process where politicians, particularly those in power, are free to do whatever they want and wilfully ignore the wishes of the voters.

• Students should understand that the political culture has very strict rules about the way the political process is conducted.

Activity Two

This activity is a simulation of the Quebec Conference, 1864. The simulation will have three components:

• gaining an understanding of the political culture and its impact on the construction of a constitution;
• the actual process of negotiating a constitution; and,
• the application of the constitution to Canadian society after its construction and an evaluation of its performance.