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

Government and Citizenship: Unit Review

B1.1 B1.2 B1.3 B2.1 B2.2 B2.3 B2.4 B2.5 B2.6 B3.1 B3.2 B3.3 B3.4 B3.5 B3.6 B3.7 B3.8 B3.9About 40 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can describe citizens' rights and responsibilities and the jobs of each level of government.
  • I can describe First Nations, Métis and Inuit governance and the duty to consult.
  • I can explain shared responsibilities, public input and different perspectives.
  • I can assess government actions, take responsible action, plan, and investigate an issue.

Words to know

jurisdiction
A government's area of responsibility.
citizen
A member of a country, with rights and responsibilities.
self-government
When a people govern themselves and make their own laws about their own affairs.
duty to consult
The responsibility of the federal and provincial governments to consult, and when needed accommodate, First Nations, Métis and Inuit before decisions that could harm their rights.
perspective
A point of view based on interests, values and experiences.
plan of action
A step-by-step plan of what will be done, by whom, and how success will be measured.

Let's review!

In this unit you learned about the rights and responsibilities of citizens and the Charter. You explored the federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments and their jurisdiction, plus school boards and band councils. You met First Nations, Métis and Inuit governments today and learned about the duty to consult and accommodate. You saw how governments share responsibilities, how they ask the public for input, and how to assess their actions. You explored perspectives, ways citizens take action, made plans of action for social and environmental issues, and carried out an inquiry.

This review has a few questions from every lesson. Try each one, then press Show answer to check. If a part feels tricky, go back to that lesson.

pothole on your streetcouncillor (municipal)a new passportMP / passport office (federal)leaking school gym roofschool board trusteenew homes in a First Nationchief and councilmore hospital servicesMPP (provincial)
Who should you contact? Match the problem to the government or elected body that is responsible.
1. askquestions2. gatherand organize3. usemaps4. analysedata5. evaluateand conclude6.communicate
The six steps of the inquiry process you used in the last lesson. Use them for any issue you investigate.

Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens

1

Name two rights protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

2

Name two responsibilities of citizens.

3

Why do rights have reasonable limits?

Three Levels of Government: Who Does What?

1

Which level is responsible for each: (a) passports, (b) hospitals, (c) garbage pickup?

2

What is an MPP, and where do MPPs meet?

3

Who leads the federal government? Who leads a provincial government?

4

Where do territorial governments get their powers?

Other Elected Bodies: School Boards and Band Councils

1

What do school board trustees do?

2

Who leads a band council?

3

Why is a ballot secret?

First Nations, Métis and Inuit Governments Today

1

Name one First Nations, one Métis and one Inuit governance structure.

2

What does self-government mean?

3

In what year did Nunavut become a territory?

Working Together: Sharing Responsibilities

1

Give two reasons governments share responsibilities.

2

In a big flood, which level responds first?

3

What is Jordan's Principle?

Having Your Say: How Governments Ask the Public

1

Name three ways governments ask for public input.

2

What is the difference between a petition and a survey?

3

What makes a strong comment to a government?

The Duty to Consult and Accommodate

1

Who has the duty to consult?

2

Give one situation where the duty to consult applies.

3

What does accommodate mean?

Governments Taking Action: Is It Working?

1

What did Ontario do after the Walkerton water tragedy?

2

A town's garbage fell from 16 000 to 12 000 tonnes. By what fraction did it drop?

3

Name two criteria for assessing a government action.

Why People See Issues Differently

1

Name three things that shape a group's perspective.

2

Why might farm families and gravel workers see a new gravel pit differently?

3

What is bias?

Citizens Taking Action

1

Name three ways a Grade 5 student can take action.

2

What are the five checks for a responsible action?

3

Who is Autumn Peltier?

Making a Plan of Action: A Social Issue

1

Name four of the eight steps in a plan of action.

2

Make this goal specific: "Help kids who need coats."

3

Why should a plan include actions for both governments and citizens?

Making a Plan of Action: An Environmental Issue

1

Where does water from a street storm drain usually go?

2

Year 1: 30 bags of litter. Goal: cut it in half. Year 2: 14 bags. Was the goal met?

3

Name one role for a First Nation in a creek plan.

Be a Social Scientist: Investigating an Issue from Many Perspectives

1

Name the six steps of the inquiry process.

2

Is a survey you did yourself a primary or secondary source?

3

Why doesn't a pattern in data always prove a cause?

Just for fun

Riddle: What has 343 members, meets in Ottawa, and isn't a hockey team?

The House of Commons!

How to use this review

  • Do one or two sections at a time, not the whole review at once.
  • Say your answers out loud before pressing Show answer. Explaining is great practice.
  • Mark any question you missed. Go back to that lesson and redo its Your turn questions.
  • Then take the quiz below. Read every choice before picking one.
Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which level of government runs public libraries?

2.

In what year did the Charter of Rights and Freedoms become part of the Constitution?

3.

Who is elected to a school board?

4.

Which is an Inuit governance structure?

5.

Who has the duty to consult First Nations, Métis and Inuit about decisions that could harm their rights?

6.

A new bridge is paid for by Canada, Ontario and the town. This shows...

7.

A group of people sign a request asking council for a crosswalk. This is a...

8.

Which is the best evidence that a program worked?

9.

Which action is responsible?

10.

Which is the strongest inquiry question?

For parents and teachers

Use mistakes to choose what to revisit. Each review section matches one lesson.

  • Mixes up rights and responsibilities, or thinks rights are unlimited: revisit Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens and redo the family charter.
  • Matches services to the wrong level, or mixes up MPs and MPPs: revisit Three Levels of Government: Who Does What? and redo the scavenger hunt.
  • Unsure what school boards or band councils do: revisit Other Elected Bodies: School Boards and Band Councils.
  • Thinks there is only one kind of Indigenous government, or mixes up First Nations, Métis and Inuit: revisit First Nations, Métis and Inuit Governments Today.
  • Gives only one level for shared services like health, environment or emergencies: revisit Working Together: Sharing Responsibilities.
  • Can't name ways to give input, or confuses petitions and surveys: revisit Having Your Say: How Governments Ask the Public.
  • Thinks companies hold the duty to consult, or can't say when it applies: revisit The Duty to Consult and Accommodate.
  • Judges actions by opinion instead of evidence, or has trouble with the fractions: revisit Governments Taking Action: Is It Working?
  • Calls other views "wrong" without reasons: revisit Why People See Issues Differently and play the perspective cards again.
  • Chooses unsafe or disrespectful actions, or writes to the wrong representative: revisit Citizens Taking Action.
  • Writes vague goals or forgets citizens' roles: revisit Making a Plan of Action: A Social Issue.
  • Forgets to measure before and after, or mixes up storm drains and sewers: revisit Making a Plan of Action: An Environmental Issue.
  • Asks yes/no questions, uses one source, or treats a pattern as proof: revisit Be a Social Scientist: Investigating an Issue from Many Perspectives and try another mini-inquiry.

A few mistakes are normal. Praise your child's reasons and use of evidence, not only correct facts. Keep discussions about current politics non-partisan: focus on how government works, not on parties or people.