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ARCHIVED - Under a Northern Star
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Educational Resources
Handout 2.1 – Reflection: Why Is this Subject Important?
Name: _______________________________________
- Read over the three debating points from the table below.
- Are you reminded of any information you found in Activity 1.1? How do these topics relate to your previous research? Discuss.
- Choose one topic from the table to debate:
- Human Rights
- The Role of Citizen Action
- Cultural Interaction
- Explore Library and Archives Canada's Under a Northern Star website to find original material to support your responses, or use the sites in Activity Resources or online search engines.
- Start with the Preparation section for your topic (in the table below), and answer the question(s) by using the research from Activity 1.1, by searching the online sources listed above in # 4.
- Respond to the Debating point for your chosen topic.
Your goal is to understand why these events and people are important to us today. By exploring Canada's past, you will be able to discover the extent of our progress as a nation and develop your own informed opinions.
Human Rights
Preparation
How were human rights treated during the period of time covered by the Under a Northern Star website? Use examples from your research to illustrate your points. Was Canada the land of freedom? Is it the land of freedom today?
What does it mean to have human rights ?
Debating point
Does including human rights in our laws truly protect all people in Canada today? Why or why not?
The Role of Citizen Action
Preparation
How did people cause change in society during the period of time covered by the website Under a Northern Star? Use examples from your research to illustrate your points.
Compare the past to the present. Think about who holds power, who has influence and what citizens are free to do. Does social change happen the same way today as it did in the past? Explain.
Debating point
Is it still possible for ordinary citizens to create significant social change the way historical figures did?
Cultural Interaction
Preparation
When different groups come into contact, they influence one another. What happened in the past, when different cultures had to live together? Use examples from your research to illustrate your points.
What happens today in Canada when two or more different cultures have to live together?
Think about the difference in status of a majority group versus a minority group, assimilation and social change.
Debating point
Is it possible today for two or more different cultures to live together peacefully?
