Civics @ WDHS
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Unit Two: The Canadian State and Government

Overall Expectations Addressed:

A1. Political Inquiry: use the political inquiry process and the concepts of political thinking when 
investigating issues, events, and developments of civic importance;

A2. Developing Transferable Skills: apply in everyday contexts skills developed through investigations 
related to civics and citizenship education, and identify some careers in which civics and citizenship 
education might be an asset.

B2. Governance in Canada: explain, with reference to a range of issues of civic importance, the roles 
and responsibilities of various institutions, structures, and figures in Canadian governance 

Activity: Who's Who in our government

Who's Who in Government
File Size: 75 kb
File Type: pdf
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Did you know?




Waterdown District High School has its own Parliament with different roles and responsibilities? The positions held by our students can all be found in Canada's expression of parliamentary democracy. 
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Vice Principal Merlino returns the mace to the 2011 Student Parliament of WDHS
Whether it is The Queen, prime minister, or the sergeant-at-arms, every position in our Parliament (at Waterdown, or Ontario or Canada) has an important role to play.
Waterdown District High School's Student Parliament Constitution
File Size: 1948 kb
File Type: pdf
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The Written and unwritten Constitution, including Responsible Government

Most Canadians of all ages have little to no understanding of the Canadian Constitution. Perhaps because the country is inundated by American media and entertainment, Canadians think that their constitution closely resembles that of the United States, but this is simply not so. While the American Constitution is a written document, the Canadian version is a complex series of written and unwritten traditions, conventions and practices.
Canada's Written and Unwritten Constitution

The Canadian Constitution.pdf
File Size: 250 kb
File Type: pdf
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What does Responsible Government mean?
Proroguing Parliament as an example of Responsible Government
File Size: 545 kb
File Type: pdf
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Ontario LG explains Responsible Government.pdf
File Size: 269 kb
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Reviewing Responsible Government

Review Resp. Government

Canada's form of government is a Constitutional Monarchy

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Thanks to Canada's ideologies we govern ourselves using a system of government called a Constitutional Monarchy. This means that the state is built around the Canadian Crown, which is personified (represented in a human way) by Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen of Canada. Our government is seen as separate from the State (or Crown), and is run by a Prime Minister. 

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The Federal Parliament of Canada

Canada's  Federal Parliament is made up of three parts:
The Queen, the Senate and the House of Commons


Ontario's Provincial Parliament is made up of two Parts: The Lieutenant Governor (The Queen) and the Legislature

Canada's Parliament.pdf
File Size: 249 kb
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Road Trip.pdf
File Size: 177 kb
File Type: pdf
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Booklet - How a bill becomes law in Ontario
Video - Explore Canada's Parliament (Parliament 360)

Choose which Area you would like to learn about:

​The State

The Government

  • Home
  • WDHS Student Parliament
  • Unit One
  • Unit Two
  • Unit Three
  • Unit Four
  • Unit Five
  • Culminating Assignment
  • Symbols of Canada
  • Important Links