Current Events Lesson Plan: October 15-21, 2015
Current Event: Landslide Election in Canada
The Liberal Party won by a landslide in the recent Canadian federal elections. The Liberal Party captured 184 seats in Parliament. The next highest total was the Conservative Party, which won 99 seats. In Canada’s electoral system, people vote for a candidate for a parliamentary seat; if one party achieves a majority in parliament, the leader of that party becomes prime minister. This means that Justin Trudeau, the leader of the Liberal Party, will replace Stephen Harper as prime minister of Canada. The vote for the Liberal Party was especially strong in the east of Canada. Only in Alberta did the Conservative Party win a majority of the seats.
Objective:
Justin Trudeau was born in Ottawa, Ontario, on Dec. 25, 1971. He is the son of Pierre Trudeau, who served as prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984. Justin Trudeau received a B.A. degree in English literature from McGill University in 1994. From 1999 to 2002, he taught at West Point Grey Academy and Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School, both in Vancouver, British Columbia. He taught several subjects, including drama, English, French, math, and social studies. Justin Trudeau first became a Liberal member of Parliament in 2008, when he was elected for the riding of Papineau, Quebec. Five year later, he was elected Liberal Party leader. The Behind the Headlines news story and related World Book articles explore many aspects of Canada, including its government and history.
Words to know:
- Canada
- Conservative Party of Canada
- Government of Canada
- Justin Trudeau
- Liberal Party of Canada
- Parliament
- Pierre Trudeau
- Prime minister of Canada
- Stephen Harper
Discussion Topics:
1. Ask your students what they know about Canada. (Students might say that it is the second-largest country in the world; Canada is a union of 10 provinces and 3 territories; Ottawa is the country’s capital and Toronto is its largest city; both Ottawa and Toronto are in Ontario, Canada’s most populous province; the northern part of the country is uninhabited or thinly populated.)
2. Ask your students to name the 13 provinces and territories that make up Canada. (Students should say Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Yukon.)
3. Justin Trudeau is the son of two-time Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Ask your students what they think are some of the advantages and disadvantages of having a famous parent.
4. Ask your students to use World Book’s Timelines feature to view or add to the Canada: 1900 to Present timeline.