In Classroom Debate Lesson Plan
Audience: Grade 5 Social Studies
Length of time: Approximately 70 minutes
Overview:
After being introduced to Canada’s three levels of government, the various roles found in Ontario’s Parliament, and how Bills are introduced, students will hold a classroom debate on a provincial issue that affects their lives.
Objective:
Students will understand how lawmaking debates take place in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will:
• Learn about the various roles in the Legislative Assembly.
• Discover how provincial laws are debated and made in Ontario.
• Debate and think critically about a provincial issue that affects their lives.
• Learn the jurisdiction of different levels of government in Canada.
• Explore and evaluate the various perspectives of citizens and of the levels of government in addressing social and environmental issues in Canada.
Curriculum Links:
Inquiry: Differing Perspectives on Social and Environmental Issues
• Formulate questions to guide investigations into social and/or environmental issues in Canada from various perspectives, including the perspective of the level (or levels) of government responsible for addressing the issues (B2.1)
• Gather and organize a variety of information and data that present various perspectives about Canadian social and/or environmental issues, including the perspective of the level (or levels) of government responsible for addressing the issues (B2.2)
• Evaluate evidence and draw conclusions about social and/or environmental issues, outlining the strengths and weaknesses of different positions on the issues, including the position of the level (or levels) of government responsible for addressing the issues (B2.5)
• Communicate the results of their inquiries, using appropriate vocabulary (B2.6)
Understanding Context: Roles and Responsibilities of Government and Citizens
• Describe the jurisdiction of different levels of government in Canada (B3.2)
Application: Governments and Citizens Working Together
• Explain why different groups may have different perspectives on specific social and environmental issues (B3.6)
Background Information:
Three Levels of Government
Parliamentary Roles
What is a Bill
How does a Bill become a Law in Ontario?
The Three Levels of Government Lesson Plan
Create a Provincial Bill Lesson Plan
Roles in Ontario's Parliament Lesson Plan
The Classroom Debate
Introductory Discussion (15 minutes)
What is a debate?
• A formal discussion on a particular topic in a public meeting or legislative assembly, in which opposing arguments are put forward. Debating is an essential part of an MPP’s job.
• Debates allow MPPs to defend their ideas and to listen to the ideas of the opposing parties. They are an important step in how a bill becomes a law.
Discuss the various roles in Parliament (Speaker, Clerk, Sergeant at Arms, Member of Provincial Parliament) and what each student should do in their role during the debate.
Activity (30-45 minutes)
• Chose or create a bill to debate. The bill can be created from the Create a Provincial Bill lesson plan or you can chose to use a bill currently or previously debated in Ontario’s Parliament
• Assign students the following roles: Speaker, Clerk, Sergeant-at-Arms, Premier, Leader of the Opposition (you can also have Pages and Hansard reporters if you wish)
• Assign remaining students into two groups: Government MPPs and Opposition MPPs
• The two groups will meet separately to discuss the arguments they will present during the debate. They should record who will say which arguments. (5 minutes)
• The Speaker, Clerk and other non-partisan roles will discuss what they will do during the debate and how they will remain neutral and non-partisan. (5 minutes)
• Use the Legislative Assembly seating plan as a guide to arrange the classroom for the debate.
• Optional: Use the debate script (see below) and incorporate it into the debate. Alter the script as required (if you have no pages, remove them from the list) (15-20 minutes)
Group Discussion (10 minutes)
Allow students time to discuss their experience in passing a bill. Sample discussion questions following the debate could be:
• If you were in a neutral role, how did you feel during the debate? Did you want to support a side?
• If you were on the Government party, did you always agree with your fellow Government MPPs?
• If you were on the Opposition party, did you always agree with your fellow Opposition MPPs?
• Were all possible opinions represented?
Additional Activities:
Conduct an Election of the Speaker (approximately 15 minutes) - Students will elect a fellow student as Speaker
- Have students nominate themselves or others to run for the role of the Speaker
- Each nominated student will then make short statement as to why they feel they would be the best candidate for the role ( 2 minutes each)
- Students will write down the name of their choice for Speaker on a piece of paper. The teacher will collect and tally the votes.
- The chosen student will act as Speaker during the classroom debate
Invite your MPP to the school to talk to the class by contacting his or her office. Click on Contact an MPP (internal web site) for contact information.
The Classroom Debate Script
Teachers may replace the highlighted sections with the bill topic decided by the class.
Teacher: ORDER!
All Members of Provincial Parliament must stand once order is called and remain standing until prayers are finished.
The Sergeant-at-Arms, carrying the mace over his or her right shoulder leads the Speaker, the Clerk, and 2 pages into the room. The Speaker, the Clerk, and the pages go to and stand at their positions while the Sergeant-at-Arms walks around the Clerk’s table and places the mace at the end of the table furthest from the Speaker. The crown should point toward the Government. The Sergeant-at-Arms stays standing before the table until prayers are finished.
Speaker: “We come before You this day, asking Your Blessing upon her Gracious Majesty Queen Elizabeth and upon Her
Representative in this Province.
Give to each Member of this Legislature a strong sense of the great responsibilities laid upon us. Give us a deep and thorough understanding of the needs of the people we serve. Help us to use power wisely and well.”
Members may take their seats. Sergeant-at-Arms bows to the Speaker and sits down at the back of the room.
EXAMPLE
Speaker: “We will now move on to debate Bill 15, The School Uniform Act”
Government Members, what do you have to say about this bill?”
At this point, one of the Cabinet Ministers explains the goal of the bill.
Cabinet Minister: “If this bill is passed, all primary students in Ontario will be required to wear uniforms to school.”
After the goal of the bill is explained, Government Members will make points supporting the bill and Opposition Members will make points against the bill. The Speaker will help to keep order in the room as the debate takes place and tell Members when they can talk. If you are conducting this Student Parliament in the classroom, you can allow the students to debate for as little or as long as you wish.
Students will debate one at a time, their points for or against the bill.
With 5 minutes remaining:
MPP: “I move that we vote on this Bill”
Speaker: “Is it the pleasure of the house that the motion carry?”
MPPs: “Aye!”
Speaker: “All those in favour of the bill, please rise.”
All those voting for the bill stand until the Clerk (with the help of the Clerk Assistant) has counted them.
Speaker: “All those opposed, please rise.”
All those voting against the bill stand until the Clerk has counted them.
Clerk: “The ayes are __________. The nays are __________.
(number in favour) (number against)
Teacher: “I move that we adjourn the House until tomorrow.”
Speaker: “Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry?”
All MPPs: “Aye!”
Speaker: “This House stands adjourned until 8:30 of the clock tomorrow.”
Teacher: “ORDER!”
All Members must rise as the Sergeant-at-Arms collects the mace and leads the Speaker, the Clerk, the Clerk Assistant and the pages out of the Chamber.
At this point you may wish to discuss what happens to the bill. If more than 50% of Members voted in favour of the bill, it goes to the Lieutenant Governor for Royal Assent. If less than 50%, nothing further happens.