LawNow magazine is an incredible resource for teachers. Each issue offers engaging articles about law in language suitable for students. Teachers Talk LawNow is a series of lesson plans for teachers based on these articles.
This LawNow article is available to download in the July/August 2012 issue of LawNow magazine :
- “Corruption and Scandals – A Modest Proposal – Electoral Reform “ Phil Lister, Q.C.
Who doesn’t love a good scandal? Politics can be a hard sell to some kids. Grab their attention by starting your lesson with a discussion on political scandals. This article is a great conversation starter to get kids to think about electoral reform and how elections work in other countries.
Evaluating Electoral Systems
1. Place students in small groups to review the article and then answer the question, “what reforms to our political system (if any), are required to keep democracy healthy in Canada?”
2. Students will research electoral systems in other countries to create a proposal to change or protect our current electoral system.
3. Hold a class referendum where groups present their proposals to the class. Guide students in a debate on the merits of each proposal.
4. Conclude the lesson with a final class vote on the proposals.