Lesson Plan: The Queen's Role in Canadian Identity

Lesson Plan

Before Exploring

Discuss with students the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Point out to students that recent polls suggest that while the Queen's importance as head of state may be declining, her personal popularity appears virtually unaffected. 

Outline the Opportunity

Organize the class into groups of three. Have the groups divide up and review the clips on the topic Canada's New Queen, on the CBC Digital Archives website.

As students participate in the research process, they will complete the download sheet The Queen's Role to record the details of the Queen's visits to Canada. They should note clip number, the time period, the location, the significance or purpose of the visit, and other points they feel are important.

Have students meet to share their research, adding new information to their records. Using the information they have gathered, each student will write a personal opinion paper about the Queen's place in defining Canadian identity.

Revisit and Reflect

As a group, reflect on the Queen's place in Canada throughout the years. Is this role important in light of the fact that the Queen has been our head of state for over 60 years? Students can share points from their opinion paper.

Extension

Students can conduct a classroom or school-based poll to determine opinions on the relevance of the Queen as head of state and her personal popularity and place in our country.