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

Making a Plan of Action: A Social Issue

B1.2 B2.6About 45 minutes

Learning goals

I can explain what a plan of action is.
I can create a plan of action to address a social issue.
I can name the roles of different levels of government and of citizens in my plan.
I can decide how to measure whether my plan is working.

Words to know

plan of action
A step-by-step plan that says what will be done about a problem, who will do it, and how we will know it worked.

goal
What you want to achieve.

accessible
Easy for everyone to use, including people with disabilities.

food insecurity
Not having reliable access to enough healthy food.

timeline
A list of when each step will happen.

From caring to doing

You've learned about rights, governments, perspectives and taking action. Now it's time to put it all together in a plan of action.

A social issue is about how people live together: things like poverty, housing, hunger, bullying, accessibility and inclusion. A good plan doesn't just say "someone should fix this!" It says who will do what, when, and how we'll know it worked.

Step	Question to answer
1. Name the issue	What is the problem? Who is affected? What are the facts?
2. Find who is responsible	Which level(s) of government have jurisdiction? Which other groups (Indigenous governments, school boards, charities, businesses) are involved?
3. Hear perspectives	How do different groups see it? Who must be asked?
4. Set a goal	What exactly do we want to achieve?
5. List actions	What should each government do? What can citizens do?
6. Make a timeline	What happens first, next and last?
7. Measure success	What evidence will show the plan is working?
8. Share the plan	Who needs to hear it, and how will we tell them?

The eight steps of a plan of action.

The eight steps of a plan of action, in order. Follow the arrows from naming the issue to sharing the plan.

Remember: who is responsible?

Municipal: parks, playgrounds, community centres, local transit, libraries; in Ontario, municipalities also help with social services and housing.
Provincial: schools, health care, many social programs; Ontario's accessibility law, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005).
Federal: national programs like the Canada Child Benefit; many responsibilities to First Nations and Inuit.
Indigenous governments: services and programs for their own communities.
Citizens: volunteer, donate, raise awareness, give input, contact representatives.

Worked example

Let's make a plan: an accessible playground

Issue: In the pretend town of Maple Creek, the only playground at Riverside Park has wood chips and steps everywhere. Children and parents who use wheelchairs or walkers can't use it.

1. Name the issue: The playground is not accessible. Kids who use wheelchairs, and parents or grandparents with walkers, are left out. Fact to check: how many families in town would use an accessible playground?
2. Who is responsible? Parks are municipal: the town council decides. The province sets accessibility standards for new or rebuilt playgrounds. The province or federal government may offer grants (money).
3. Perspectives: families of children with disabilities (want to play together), other families (want fun equipment), council (cost, safety), the town's accessibility advisory committee (expert advice).
4. Goal: Riverside Park will have an accessible playground within two years.
5. Actions. Government: council includes the playground in its budget; the town consults families and the accessibility committee; applies for grants. Citizens: our class writes letters to council, makes a presentation (deputation), and raises awareness with posters; families help fundraise.
6. Timeline: Month 1: letters and survey. Month 2: speak at council. Months 3–12: design and fundraising. Year 2: build.
7. Measure success: Is the playground built? Do families who use wheelchairs use it? Survey families after it opens.
8. Share: present to council; post the plan on the school website (with permission).

A complete plan names the issue, the responsible governments, perspectives, a clear goal, actions for governments and citizens, a timeline, and how to measure success.

A playground with a smooth rubber surface, a long ramp up to the play structure, ground-level play panels and a supportive swing. — Ramps, smooth surfaces and ground-level activities make a playground accessible, so children who use wheelchairs or walkers can play too. AI-generated image

Worked example

Let's write a strong goal

Which goal is stronger? (a) "Make things better for hungry kids." (b) "By June, our school's breakfast program will serve every student who wants breakfast, four days a week."

A strong goal says what will change.
It says who it is for.
It says when and how much, so you can measure it.
(a) is too vague; you couldn't tell if it worked. (b) says what, who, when and how much.

(b) is stronger because it is specific and measurable.

Goal (b) is stronger because it says when, what and who, and how much, so you can measure it.

Just for fun

A plan without a goal is like a GPS that only says, "Go somewhere nice!" You need to know exactly where you're going and how you'll know you got there.

Hands-on activity

Write your own plan of action

Choose a social issue in your school or community, such as: kids without winter coats, loneliness among seniors, a place that isn't accessible, or students who come to school hungry.

On a large sheet of paper, make an eight-box chart, one box for each step. Fill it in with a grown-up's help. Use your municipality's website to find out who is responsible.

What to look for:

The issue is described with at least one fact.
The plan names the correct level(s) of government.
There are actions for both governments and citizens.
The goal is specific and measurable.
There is a way to measure success.

Bonus: share your plan with your class, your principal or your councillor.

Your turn

What is a plan of action?

Name three social issues.

Which level of government is responsible for town playgrounds?

What does accessible mean?

Why should a plan include a way to measure success?

Name one thing citizens can do in a plan of action.

More practice: warm-up

What is a goal?

What is a timeline?

Which Ontario law is about accessibility?

What is food insecurity?

Is "Make the world better" a specific goal?

More practice: on your own

Make this goal more specific: "Help seniors feel less lonely."

For a plan about kids without winter coats, which groups might be involved besides governments?

Why should a plan about an accessible playground include people who use wheelchairs in the planning?

Give one way to measure success for a school breakfast program.

Why do plans include actions for both governments and citizens?

Challenge

A First Nation community wants a new youth centre. Which governments might be part of the plan, and why?

Your plan's measure shows that after six months, only 3 kids use the new breakfast program, but 30 said they wanted it. What might you do?

Explain why a plan of action should consider more than one perspective.

Check your understanding

Quiz

What is the first step in a plan of action?

Which goal is specific and measurable?

A town playground is not accessible. Which level of government decides on park improvements?

Why include a timeline?

Which is an action citizens can take in a plan?

Which is a social issue?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: A plan of action turns caring into doing. It names the issue, who is responsible (levels of government, Indigenous governments, other groups), perspectives, a specific goal, actions for governments and citizens, a timeline, and a way to measure success.

How to help at home:

Help your child pick a manageable, local issue and use the municipality's website to find who is responsible.
Push gently for specific goals: "How will you know it worked?"
If your child wants to share the plan publicly, help them do it safely and politely.

Common difficulties:

Vague goals. Use "what, who, when, how much".
Forgetting citizens' roles or only blaming governments. A strong plan includes both.
Choosing a huge issue ("end world hunger"). Narrow it to something local.