Lesson Plan: The Canadian Thing to Do

Lesson Plan

Before Exploring

Have students identify times when they have stepped up to help another person. Ask them to identify the reasons why they felt compelled to do so. Have them list these for future reference.

Outline the Opportunity

Have the students listen to and/or view the clips titled "A Christmas message", "East helps West", and "Returning the favour" from Devastating Dry Spells: Drought on the Prairies on the CBC Digital Archives website.

Then have them research the Archives website for other situations in Canadian history that people have gone out of their way to help those in need. They will list as many situations as they can and identify similarities in the way Canadians have responded.

Revisit and Reflect

Once the students have completed their investigation, have them answer the following questions:

Why do Canadians always seem to reach out to help those in need in other parts of the country?

What does this tell us about our Canadian identity?

Extension

Have the class identify a group in need in their community or elsewhere in the country, identify a specific need, and devise a plan to help the group. Students can work in conjunction with an existing organization or begin an independent project.