Lesson Plan (grades 11-12)

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Lesson Title: Introduction to human rights in 20th century in Canada
Teacher:
Date:
Class: Duration: 1 week + homework time Materials: Computer lab, Internet access, copies of handouts 1,2,3,4,( 5)
Curriculum Objectives:
Specific Objectives: To have students discover, analyse, synthesise, and integrate the evolution of human rights in 20th century Canada.

Activity 1: Launching the unit

Duration: 15 minutes
Suggested directives:

• Launch a discussion about fairness. Ask: "Can anyone give me a historical example where a dispute was settled fairly? Can anyone give me an example of an injustice they have witnessed?"
• Brainstorm possible solutions. Write the answers on the blackboard. Ask: "How would you propose to end injustices and promote fairness?"
• Explain how the courts and legislators have asked themselves the same questions throughout history. Invite the students to discover the government's response to injustice by visiting the Canadian Human Rights Commission web site (http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca).

Activity 2: Investigation

Duration: 30 minutes
Suggested directives:

• The purpose of this activity is to have students explore the site. The site will become a powerful research tool once the students have become accustomed to it.
• Tell the students they are about to go on a "scavenger hunt". Distribute Handout 1. Tell the students to scour the site to find the answers.
• Assist the students. Students may work individually or in teams if resources are limited.
  [Teacher Tip: If students are lacking motivation, have them compete to see who can hand in a complete and correctly answered handout. Give prizes to those who finish 1st , 5th , 10th , 15th and 20th in order to ensure that everyone has a chance to win.]

Activity 3: Analysis

Duration: 45 minutes
Suggested directives:

• Whereas activity 2 served to familiarise the students with the web site, Activity 3 invites them to make sense of what they have learned. Ask the class to come up with an analogy that would illustrate the evolution of human rights. [A suggested answer: Just as human rights are built one milestone at a time, so are brick houses built brick by brick, layer by layer, from foundation to rooftop.]
• Distribute Handout 2 and have the students answer the questions individually or in teams of two. Again, the purpose is to stratify the information they have gathered in activity 2 into knowledge.
• Assist the students.
• Handout 2 may be corrected in class, or handed in.
  Teacher Tip: Pick up the handouts and then redistribute them for immediate correction by the students themselves. Students are more likely to learn from their mistakes when they're pointed out soon after being committed.

Activity 4: Synthesis

Duration: 60 minutes
Suggested directives:

• The purpose of this activity is to have students construct their respective subject positions on the foundation of knowledge established in activities 1-3. So far, they have learned facts and then added order to them. Now, they must interpret the impact of their findings.
• Ask the students: "Ok, so you know that human rights have evolved in 20 th century Canada. So what? What does it all mean? What impact does all this have on your life? On Canada?" Students will most likely not know how to answer these questions at first. Comfort them by saying that these are complicated questions with many possible answers.
• Distribute Handout 3 and go over the elements of a proper paragraph (topic sentence, clearly divided & properly supported points, concluding sentence) and of a proper research essay (introduction, development, conclusion)
• Distribute Handout 4 and ask them to prepare an outline of their 5-paragraph answer. Arrange a time for students to meet with you and go over their outlines. Assist students. Use "Handout 3: Evaluation Grid" for correction.
• The essay should most likely be handed in for correction with 2 weeks.
  Teacher Tips:
• Depending on the level of the students, you may wish to model the writing process (brainstorm, organise, write, edit, publish) and/ or handout the evaluation grid to better prepare the students for evaluation.
• To avoid a stampede, have students write their names on the board to establish an order for the one-on-one consultations. Also, keep a checklist of the students you have met in order not to miss anyone.

Activity 5: Personal Integration

Duration: Dependant on class size
Suggested directives:

• So far the study of human rights has been mostly cerebral. Now it is time to get your students moving and feeling. This activity has the students assume an Other's subject position. They are to dramatise the plight of Simon Thwaites (see milestone 136). In so doing, the students will learn that people, not facts, make history. Remind the
  students that this is a serious activity that should broached with sensitivity and maturity.
• Launch the activity by visiting the sensational Canadian Heritage Project site where students may see "history come to life" by viewing some of the celebrated "heritage minute" vignettes.
• Ask the students what they like about the vignettes and invite them to incorporate these elements (costume, props, special effects, effective acting) into their own presentations.
• Distribute Handout 4. Go over the requirements with the students.
• Give the students time in class and at least one week to prepare.
• Use "Handout 4: Evaluation Grid" to evaluate the presentations.
  Teacher Tip:
• Allow video presentations as they often inspire creativity

Enrichment Activities (see other lesson plans for more ideas)

• Handout 5 is an optional final quiz that evaluates the students' retention of the knowledge they have acquired in activities 1 through 5.
• Have students create a photo essay of injustices they witness in their community. · Have students write and stage a play on the subject of the evolution of human rights in 20 th century Canada.
• Have students sculpt a statue of a key figure in the evolution of human rights in 20 th century Canada.

Handout 1: Scavenger Crossword Puzzle

Scavenge the Canadian Human Rights Commission web site at www.chrc-ccdp.ca to find the answers to the clues below.

Across

2 In 1900 visible minorities and _______ aren't allowed to vote (5)
3 The average number of people per household in the year 1900 (4)
5 In 1986, everyone including the mentally challenged cannot be sterilised for non-medical reasons without giving their _____ (7)
8 The first province to grant women the right to vote in 1916 (8)
9 In 1993, Richard Sauvé, a ______, is granted the right to vote (8)

Down

1 The number of provinces in the year 1900 (5)
3 The Charter of Rights and ________ was signed in 1982 (8)
4 In 1960, aboriginal peoples are given the right to _____ (4)
6 Banned from public schools in 1988 (6)
7 Japanese-Canadian who was refused the vote, Tomey _____ (5)

Corrected by:_________________

Handout 1: Answer Key

Scavenge the Canadian Human Rights Commission web site at www.chrc-ccdp.ca to find the answers to the clues below.

Across:

2 Women, 3 Five, 5 Consent, 8 Manitoba, 9 Prisoner.

Down:

1 Seven, 3 Freedoms, 4 Vote, 6 Prayer, 7 Homma.

Handout 2: Making Sense of it All

Now that you have had a chance to look over the Canadian Human Rights Commission web site, it's time to make sense
of everything you have learned. Answer the questions below by referring to the Internet whenever
necessary.

1) Identify the year in which the following occurred (see human rights timeline in the library): [      /5 marks]

(a) _____ Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms
(b) _____ 1 st human rights code
(c) _____ Women become "persons" (Person's Act)
(d) _____ Blind Person's Rights Act passes in Ontario
(e) _____ Women first get the vote
(f) _____ No discrimination allowed in selling land
(g) _____ Aboriginal peoples get the vote
(h) _____ No laws against discrimination
(i) _____ Asian-Canadians get the vote
(j) _____ Sexual orientation protected

Now, put the letters in chronological order in the timeline below:

2) Observe the colour of "Human Rights Milestones" from 1900 to 2000. Do you notice a trend? Describe the
pattern you observe and write down what this seems to indicate about human rights in 20th century Canada. [     /2 marks]

3) Select one of the following groups and describe how their situation in Canada has improved in the past century. How is life as a person from this group easier today than it was in the year 1900? Mention at least one "Human Rights Milestone" in your answer. [      /3 marks]

4) Examine the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to sort the following rights and freedoms. [      /5 marks]

5) Explain section 33 --the "notwithstanding clause"--in your own words. How is section 33 restricted? Give two examples of when it was invoked. [      /5 marks]

Handout 2: Answer Key

Name:____________________ Date:______________________

Now that you have had a chance to look over the Canadian Human Rights Commission web site, it's time to make sense of everything you have learned. Answer the questions below by referring to the Internet whenever necessary.

1) Identify the year in which the following occurred (see human rights timeline in the library): (one half mark per answer) 5/ 5

(a) 1982 Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms
(b) 1962 1st human rights code
(c) 1929 Women become "persons" (Person's Act)
(d) 1970 Blind Person's Rights Act passes in Ontario
(e) 1916 Women first get the vote
(f) 1950 No discrimination allowed in selling land
(g) 1960 Aboriginal peoples get the vote
(h) 1900 No laws against discrimination
(i) 1949 Asian-Canadians get the vote
(j) 1992 Sexual orientation protected

Now, put the letters in chronological order in the timeline below:

2) Observe the colour of "Human Rights Milestones" from 1900 to 2000. Do you notice a trend? Describe the pattern you observe and write down what this seems to indicate about human rights in 20th century Canada.
2/ 2

The milestones are pre -dominantly red in the early 20th Century and become progressively greener as time passes [observation= 1 mark]. This suggests that human rights have evolved over the past hundred years [analysis= 1 mark].

3) Select one of the following groups and describe how their situation in Canada has improved in the past century. How is life as a person from this group easier today than it was in the year 1900? Mention at least one "Human Rights Milestone" in your answer. 3/ 3

The situation for women in Canada has improved in the past century [topic= 1 mark]. In 1900, women were not considered people under the law (Person's case 1929) [milestone 1 mark], were not allowed to vote or to own property, and were scarcely permitted to work. Since then, suffragettes like Nellie McClung have worked diligently to right these wrongs. Thanks to the evolution of human rights-- especially the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982)--women today have not only the right to work and to vote, but also the right to be treated as equals under the law [improvement= 1 mark].

4) Examine the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to sort the following rights and freedoms.

One half mark per correct answer = 5/ 5

5) Explain section 33 --the "notwithstanding clause"--in your own words. How is section 33 restricted? Give two examples of when it was invoked. 5/ 5

Section 33 allows the federal or provincial governments to pass a law despite the fact that (i. e. notwithstanding) it violates sections 2 and 7 to 15 of the Charter [explanation = 1 mark]. The law just has to include a clear statement to that effect. Section 33 is a Charter "escape" or "loophole" clause [personal interpretation = 1 mark]. It allows a government to makes some laws as if the Charter doesn't exist; however, it can't be used to override voting, mobility or minority language education rights [exception = 1 mark]. The clause has only been used twice: Once by Saskatchewan's Provincial government in a labour dispute and once by Quebec to pass its controversial French only signs in 1988 [ 2 examples = 2 marks].

Handout 3: What Do You Think?

Now that you have learned about the evolution of human rights in 20th century Canada, it's time for you
to make up your mind about what it all means. Is Canada a better or worse place to live now than it was 100
years ago? How is it better, or how is it worse? In other words, how have human rights changed Canada?
Follow the writing process (brainstorm, organise, research, write, revise, and publish) to write a five paragraph
essay that explains your point of view.

Handout 3: Essay outline

1. My topic: _____________________
2. Brainstorming possibilities:
__________________ __________________ __________________
__________________ __________________ __________________

3. My structure:
Climactic
Chronological
Other:_____________

4. My thesis:

5. My major ideas in topic sentence form:
Paragraph 1:

Paragraph 2:

Paragraph 3:

6. Possible counter-argument:

7. Possible clincher:

° Approved
° Incomplete
° Revise: ________________________________________________
Comments:

Handout 3: Essay Evaluation Grid

A. The Writing Process (      /6):
The student followed and applied the writing process, handing in all required materials with his or her final draft.

B. The Introduction: 1. The introduction effectively incorporates the following (      /8):

2. The Thesis Statement (      /8)…

C. The Development:
1. Structure, Unity, and Flow (      /20):
The main ideas are structured in an effective and logical manner. (Each paragraph begins with a transitional topic sentence that both lends the text continuity, and introduces the main idea. In addition, each paragraph ends with a concluding sentence that imparts a sense of closure, and connects the main idea to the thesis statement.)

2. Ideas (      /24): The ideas are very original, easily distinguishable, clearly stated, fully explained, well supported and
documented.

D. The Conclusion (      /8): The conclusion effectively contains the following:

E. Style (      /16) : The author uses an appropriate tone, precise diction, varied sentences, rhetorical devices, as well as an authentic and genuine voice to express his or her ideas.

F. Mechanics (      /10): The student, in terms of grammar, spelling, and general usage…

Pitfalls to avoid in the future:

G. Presentation ( /4): The essay follows the prescribed format (title page, font, spacing, etc.)

H. Mark adjustments:

Comments:

Final Mark:      /100

Handout 4: Walking a Mile in His Shoes

One of the perils of studying history is being absorbed by facts and losing sight of the people who shaped it. It is good to know that discrimination based on sexual preference is rampant to this very day. But, perhaps a greater lesson lies in imagining what kind of courage it takes Simon Thwaites (see milestone 136) to battle against not only the HIV virus, but also his employer, the Canadian Armed Forces, which told him that homosexuals with HIV/ AIDS do not have the right to defend their country. Your assignment is to pretend you are Simon Thwaites and make an impassioned plea for justice before a jury of your peers--your class. Your
speech should last between 3 to 5 minutes and you must hand in an outline of your three major points or ideas. You will be evaluated in terms of your ability to give an accurate and convincing portrayal of Simon Thwaites.

5 steps to follow:

Research > Organise findings > Write your speech > Set it in motion > Rehearse

Keys to a successful presentation:

• costume
• portrayal of character
• historical references
• clear, modulated speech
• effort
• absence of laughter
• originality
• mastering your lines
• timing
• having your outline

5 important questions to ask yourself:

1. If Simon Thwaites had three wishes, what would they be? Why?
2. What kind of person is Tomey Homma? How can I make these characteristics show in the way I speak? In the way I move?
3. How can I add emphasis to important lines in my speech?
4. How can I move around to make the meaning of my speech clearer?
5. Are there any props or costumes that I can use to enrich my presentation?

Be proud of what you do.
Have fun.
Break a leg.

Handout 4: Evaluation Grid

1. Preparation: The student completed the preliminary work, handing in a complete, pertinent, and original overview of his or her major ideas and arguments. [      /2 marks]

2. Content: [    /3 marks]
The student captured Simon Thwaites's perspective as a victim of discrimination.

3. Characterisation: [      /3 marks]
The student acted in a manner fitting a man fighting for justice.

4. Pertinence: [      /3 marks]
The student made appropriate and effective historical references.

5. The Big Picture: [      /4 marks]
Overall, the student's presentation leaves the audience…

Comments:

Final mark:      /15

Handout 5: Final Quiz

Section 1: True or False

Section 2: Timeline
Put the following events in chronological order from 1 to 5).

Section 3: Fill in the blanks

A man named _______________ Thwaites thinks it is unfair that people with _______________ aren't allowed to _______________. Mr. Thwaites takes his case to court. In the end, Mr. Thwaites _______________ his case. He _______________ returned to active service.

Corrected by:________________

Handout 5: Answer Key

Section 1: True or False

Section 2: Timeline
Put the following events in chronological order from 1 to 5).

Section 3: Fill in the blanks

A man named SIMON Thwaites thinks it is unfair that people with HIV/ AIDS aren't allowed to SERVE IN THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES. Mr. Thwaites takes his case to court. In the end, Mr. Thwaites WINS his case. He HAS NOT returned to active service.

Corrected by: ________________