Local Government Makeover

Suggested Activities

Students identify significant differences between local and provincial governments by identifying the three most significant changes a municipal government would have to undergo to become a provincial government and by creating advertisements informing the citizens about the changes.

Imagine Calgary and Edmonton as provinces
Invite students to imagine a future when both Calgary and Edmonton have decided to lobby the federal government to be granted status as new provinces. What are the most significant changes Calgary and Edmonton would have to undergo to become provinces?

Use a Venn diagram to review the similarities and differences of governments
Allow students time to review the similarities and differences in the structures of municipal and provincial governments by looking at their notes, authorized student resources and reference materials.

Next, ask students to take part in a popcorn activity in which students toss out similarities and differences. (A popcorn activity is like popcorn popping––students do not raise their hands or wait to be asked, but just toss out answers.) As the students toss out ideas, try to capture the similarities and differences on a large overlapping Venn diagram.

For more information on using Venn diagrams, see Venn Diagrams (Support Material).

Alternatively, provide briefing sheets or a list of questions to guide student research on municipal and provincial governments. Students might consider these questions:

• How are government members chosen?
• What is the process of decision making?
• Who are the players in each level of government? (e.g., elected officials, citizens, civil servants) 

Students can record their research on a data gathering sheet, such as Collecting Information (Support Material).

Determine changes needed to convert from a municipality to a province
Using the Venn diagrams for guidance, direct students to identify the three most important changes to government that would be necessary to convert an urban area from a municipality to a province. Remind students that this is not actually possible.

Students should make their judgements based on criteria for significant change that might include the following:

• affects a large number of people
• is not a small adjustment
• takes a lot of effort.

Ask students to use information technologies to create promotional advertisements informing the municipality's citizens about the most significant changes that will take place with the conversion to a province.