Assignment #24: Canadian Political Parties

Hello R8A,

  All Canadians over the age of 18 have a big responsiblity on Monday, May 2nd. We are heading out to the polls to select our next government. You aren't old enough to head to the polls yet, but it is still important for you to learn what is going on and do some critical thinking.

  Your newest task is to either:
A: create a campaign poster for one of the candidates in next week's election
or
B: decide who you would be voting for if you were 18 or older and either present three compelling reasons orally or in writing

  Read this article. When you have read the text, click on some of the hyperlinks to learn more about the political parties and candidates.

  Then make a choice of which task (A or B listed above) you would like to complete.


  More information and marking criteria:

Select either task A or B

Task A:
Learn about the political parties of Canada and make a poster for one of the candidates who is running for Prime Minister. Make sure to include at least two important statements that will tell Canadians why they should vote for your candidate (these must be based on facts and in your own words).


Bonus: The five political parties discussed in today’s article use colours in their advertisements to help Canadians identify their messages. Use the chart below to make sure you are using the correct colour for your candidate!
Conservatives – Stephen Harper (Blue)
Liberals – Michael Ignatieff (Red)
NDP – Jack Layton (Orange)
Bloc Quebecois – Gilles Duceppe (Purple)
Green Party – Elizabeth May (Green)

Marking criteria for Task A
-accuracy of information
-at least two statements to support your candidate

-use of your own words

-use of political party's colour

-creativity

-poster is attention grabbing

Task B: Prepare a short piece that you can either post on your blog or share aloud with the class answering the following questions: If you could vote in the May 2nd election, which party and candidate would you vote for? Why do you think they would do the best job? Use at least three pieces of factual information to support your opinion.

Marking criteria for Task B

-accuracy of information

-ability to support decision with three valid points

-creativity

-clarity of writing/oral presentation

-argument is compelling (convincing to others)