B. People and Environments: The Role of Government and Responsible Citizenship · Government and Citizenship

Citizens Taking Action

B3.9 B3.1About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can describe different ways citizens can take action on social and environmental issues.
I can choose an action that fits an issue and my age.
I can write a clear letter to an elected representative.
I can explain what makes an action responsible: informed, safe, respectful and legal.

Words to know

take action
To do something to help solve a problem.

volunteer
To give your time to help others without being paid.

advocate
To speak up in support of a cause or for other people.

raise awareness
To help more people learn about an issue.

water protector
A person who works to protect water. Many Indigenous people use this name for themselves.

Small hands, big changes

In 1998, a six-year-old boy in Kemptville, Ontario, named Ryan Hreljac learned in class that many children in other countries had no clean water nearby. He did extra chores to raise money for a well. His action grew into Ryan's Well Foundation, which has helped build many wells and water projects.

You don't need to be an adult, a politician or famous to take action. Citizens of every age can help solve social and environmental issues.

Way to take action	Examples
Learn and raise awareness	Read about an issue; make posters, a video or a presentation; talk with friends and family
Make changes in your own life	Reduce, reuse and recycle; walk or bike; save water; include kids who are left out
Volunteer	Help at a food bank, a shoreline or park clean-up, a seniors' home or an animal shelter (with a grown-up)
Raise money or collect donations	A bake sale or food drive for a local charity
Contact representatives	Write a letter or e-mail to your councillor, MPP, MP, trustee or chief and council
Join or start a group	Eco-club, student council, a youth council, a community group
Sign or start a petition	Ask a government for change, with many signatures
Take part in public input	Answer surveys, attend meetings, speak at council (deputations)
Peaceful demonstrations	Join a peaceful march or gathering (adults with children)
Vote and run for office	Vote at 18; run for student council now, and maybe for government one day
Choose carefully what to buy	Buy local food, choose products with less packaging, or skip things you don't need

Ways citizens can take action. Many of these are things kids can do now.

Indigenous water protectors

Many First Nations, Métis and Inuit people take action to protect water, which many see as sacred and as a relative to be cared for.

Josephine Mandamin, an Anishinaabe grandmother from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, walked around all the Great Lakes, carrying a copper pail of water, to raise awareness about protecting water. She passed away in 2019, and her walks still inspire people.
Her great-niece, Autumn Peltier, also from Wiikwemkoong, became a well-known water protector as a young teen. She has spoken at the United Nations about clean water for First Nations communities and was named Chief Water Commissioner for the Anishinabek Nation.

Is it a responsible action?

Before you act, check that your action is:

Informed: you learned about the issue from good sources.
Safe: a grown-up knows and helps when needed.
Respectful: it treats people kindly, even people who disagree.
Legal: it follows the law and the rules.
Useful: it actually helps solve the problem.

Spreading rumours, damaging property, or bullying people who disagree are not responsible actions.

Five checks for a responsible action: informed, safe, respectful, legal and useful.

Worked example

Let's choose an action

The trail behind Oak Street School is covered in litter every spring after the snow melts. Which actions could Grade 5 students take?

Learn: where does the litter come from? Count and sort it (with gloves and a grown-up).
Raise awareness: make posters for the school about not littering.
Volunteer: organize a spring clean-up with teachers and families.
Contact a representative: write to the councillor asking for more garbage cans along the trail (trails and parks are usually municipal).
Check: informed, safe (gloves, grown-ups), respectful, legal, useful? Yes.

Students can learn, raise awareness, volunteer for a clean-up, and ask the municipality for more garbage cans. Using several actions together works best.

Full garbage bags, litter grabbers and work gloves sit beside a wooded trail, with volunteers far down the path. — A spring clean-up is one way citizens of any age can take action on an environmental issue in their own community. AI-generated image

Worked example

Let's write to a representative

Write a short letter to a councillor about the trail.

Greeting: Dear Councillor (last name),
Who you are: I am a Grade 5 student at Oak Street School in your ward.
The issue + evidence: Every spring, the trail behind our school is full of litter. Last week our class picked up four bags of it.
Your request: Could the city please put two garbage cans along the trail?
Thanks and closing: Thank you for reading my letter. Sincerely, (first name), Grade 5

A good letter is polite, explains the issue with evidence, makes a clear request to the right level of government, and says thank you.

The parts of a good letter to a representative, from greeting to closing.

Just for fun

What does a superhero need to help their community?

No cape required! Picking up litter, collecting food for a food bank and writing a polite letter all count as super powers.

Hands-on activity

Take one action this week

With a grown-up, choose one action and do it:

Clean-up: pick up litter in a park or along your street. Wear gloves, stay with a grown-up, and don't touch sharp objects (like broken glass or needles). Tell your grown-up instead.
Food drive: collect non-perishable food from family or neighbours (with a grown-up) for a local food bank.
Letter: write to a representative about an issue you care about, using the steps above.
Awareness poster: make a poster about saving water or energy and put it up at home or (with permission) at school.

Afterwards, write 3 sentences: What did I do? Who did it help? What would I do next time?

Your turn

Name four ways citizens can take action.

What is a volunteer?

Who started Ryan's Well Foundation, and how old was he when he began?

What is a water protector?

Name the five checks for a responsible action.

Which representative would you write to about a municipal park?

More practice: warm-up

Name one action a Grade 5 student can do at home to help the environment.

Which Anishinaabe grandmother walked around the Great Lakes for water?

At what age can you vote in Canada?

Is spreading rumours about people who disagree a responsible action?

Name one place you could volunteer with a grown-up.

More practice: on your own

Why is it a good idea to learn about an issue before taking action?

A food bank in your town needs help in winter. Suggest two actions for your class.

Why should a letter about a provincial highway go to your MPP, not your councillor?

How did Autumn Peltier take action?

Why might several actions together work better than just one?

Challenge

Choose a social issue in your community (for example, kids who don't have warm winter clothes). Plan three actions: one personal, one community, one aimed at government.

Why do you think young people's actions, like Ryan's or Autumn's, sometimes get a lot of attention?

A group wants to stop a road being built. One member suggests blocking the construction trucks by sitting in the road. Using the responsible-action checks, what concerns would you raise, and what could the group do instead?

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which is a responsible way to take action?

What did Ryan Hreljac do?

Which is an example of volunteering?

To whom would you write about more garbage cans in a town park?

Who is Autumn Peltier?

Which of these can a 10-year-old do now?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Citizens of all ages can take action on social and environmental issues: learning, raising awareness, changing habits, volunteering, donating, contacting representatives, petitioning, giving public input, joining groups and peaceful demonstrations. Responsible action is informed, safe, respectful, legal and useful.

How to help at home:

Choose and complete one action together this week; let your child lead the planning.
Help your child find the right representative for their issue (municipal, provincial, federal, school board, or chief and council).
Share your own volunteer or community experiences.

Safety: For clean-ups, provide gloves, supervise, and teach your child never to touch sharp objects, needles or broken glass; an adult should handle or report them. Keep personal information private in letters and online.

Common difficulties:

Thinking only adults can make a difference. Use Ryan's and Autumn's stories.
Choosing actions that are not responsible (e.g., angry posts). Go through the five checks.