December 3, 2003

NEIGHBORLY INTERESTS:
Comparing and Contrasting Characteristics of Canada and the United States

Grades:  6-8, 9-12

Subjects:  Civics, Economics, Global History, Health, Language Arts, Social Studies

Related New York Times Article
"Canada's View on Social Issues Is Opening Rifts With the U.S., By CLIFFORD KRAUSS", December 3, 2003

Overview of Lesson Plan:: In this lesson, students examine the social differences between Canada and the United States. They then create and present Venn Diagrams comparing various characteristics of these two countries.

SUGGESTED TIME ALLOWANCE:
1 hour

OBJECTIVES:
Students will:

  1. Explore their beliefs about the relationships between neighboring countries.
  2. Consider the social views of Canada and the United States by reading and discussing the article, "Canada's View on Social Issues Is Opening Rifts With the U.S."
  3. In pairs, research a particular characteristic for both Canada and the United States in order to create a corresponding Venn Diagram.
  4. In pairs, synthesize their knowledge by presenting Venn Diagrams that highlight the similarities and differences between Canada and the United States.

RESOURCES / MATERIALS:

ACTIVITIES / PROCEDURES:

  1. WARM-UP/DO NOW: In their journals, students respond to the following prompt (written on the board prior to class): "What type of relationship should countries have with their neighbors? What responsibilities, if any, do they have towards each other? What issues may matter most to neighboring nations? Why?" After a few minutes, allow students time to share their answers and debate particular points of view.
  2. As a class, read and discuss the article, "Canada's View on Social Issues Is Opening Rifts With the U.S.," focusing on the following questions:
    1. Which continent is Canada beginning to resemble?
    2. Why does Rick Mercer think, "Being attached to America these days is like being in a pen with a wounded bull"?
    3. What stance has Canada taken in the war against Iraq?
    4. According to Gil Troy, what event increased the differences between Canada and the United States?
    5. For each country, what is the social "center of gravity"?
    6. How could the decriminalization of marijuana in Canada affect the United States?
    7. What political stance have American leaders taken towards same-sex marriages?
    8. Which three countries allow same-sex marriages?
    9. What makes Vancouver different from a typical American city?
    10. What type of program is being launched in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver in 2004?
    11. What economic roles did each country play during the Depression?
    12. How did the countries' roles change during the 1960's?
    13. According to Peter Jennings, with what is Canada currently struggling?
  3. Divide students into pairs. Explain to students that they will be conducting research on a country characteristic that relates to both Canada and to the United States. Their findings will be used to create a Venn Diagram and presentation illustrating the similarities and differences between the two countries. Assign each pair of students one of the following characteristics (repeating the assignments as necessary due to class size): Health Care, Government, Same-Sex Marriage, Drug Usage, Military, Economics, Political Parties, Education, Geography/Environment, and History. Using all available resources, instruct pairs to research and answer the corresponding questions for each country (copied onto a handout for easier student access):
    HEALTH CARE
    GOVERNMENT
    SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
    DRUG USAGE
    MILITARY
    ECONOMICS
    POLITICAL PARTIES
    EDUCATION
    GEOGRAPHY/ENVIRONMENT
    HISTORY Once research has been completed, pairs will work to create their Venn Diagrams to be shared in a future class. Students may consult the VennDiagram.com Web site (http://www.venndiagram.com) if they need assistance in designing their diagrams.
  4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Pairs create presentations explaining the similarities and differences between Canada and the United States regarding their assigned characteristic. In a future class, each partner will present their research and comparative analysis as it relates to their Venn Diagram.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated based on initial journal responses, participation in class and pair discussions, completion of research and Venn Diagrams, and thoughtful creation of oral presentations comparing Canada and the United States in their particular area of research.

VOCABULARY:
chasm, static, brittleness, accentuated, resonated, consensus, fissures, exploitable, decriminalize, Parliament, glibness, dominant, vowed, tolerant, acclaimed, ignorant, abundantly, ethnic, linguistic, commentators, divergence, chromosome, realigns

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

  1. Create a scrapbook of political cartoons illustrating the relationship between Canada and the United States. Begin your research at (http://cagle.slate.msn.com//). Include a brief description of the cartoons you included and your personal opinions about each artist's portrayal.
  2. Research one of the major disagreements Canada and the United States have had over trade, drugs or the war in Iraq. Create a timeline that highlights the development of the disagreement and the resolution.
  3. Create a children's book about famous Canadians. Include a picture and a short biography for each of the following fields: sports, politics, entertainment, inventions, and exploration.
  4. Conduct a debate on the legalization of recreational drugs. Look at countries that have already legalized certain drugs (such as marijuana) to gather information for your debate.

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS:
American History- Research Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous economic policy, the New Deal. How did it change the direction of American politics and the economy? How is this policy relevant today?

Mathematics- Create a poster illustrating the Metric system. What is it? What are the major forms of measurement? How do these measurements compare to those used in the United States? Why doesn't the United States use the metric system?

Media Studies- Watch the documentary, "Bowling for Columbine" (2002). The director, Michael Moore, makes many comparisons between the United States and Canada in this documentary regarding violence and guns. Write a reaction paper expressing your thoughts on the ideas mentioned in the film.

Copyright 2003
The New York Times Company

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