These classroom-ready activities are designed to be easily downloaded, copied and integrated in your curriculum, with minimal preparation. They are intended to help you and your students prepare for the National Election for Youth Rights, by understanding the concept of rights and becoming informed to make good choices on Election Day. Teachers are invited to try one or more activities, according to their available time.

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Teaching-learning concepts

Every society hopes and expects that its children will grow up to be capable and responsible citizens who contribute to the well-being of their communities. Schools are among the important places where children are prepared for democratic life by practicing democracy. Children's growth into responsible citizenship requires opportunities to practice with rights and to make choices. By participating in the Election, your students will come to understand the basic principles of exercising their democratic rights as well as their rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. By engaging in one or more of these ready-to-use activities, your students will:

understand the concept of rights know what rights they are entitled to under the Convention on the Rights of the Child learn their own roles in assuming their rights practice exercising their rights and responsibilites as subjects of the Convention and as citizens in a democracy

General goals for students

The activities are intended to:

provide students with an opportunity to practice the responsible exercise of children's rights foster appreciation for citizenship rights, including the right to vote and other kinds of decision-making increase awareness that exercising citizenship rights helps safeguard Canada's democratic system and exercising children's rights helps to improve children's well-being promote understanding that all rights are equally important and interconnected enable students to take an active and responsible role with regard to their rights and the rights of others locally and globally

How the activities fit into your curriculum

What does a citizen in a democratic society do? What rights do children have and how can they exercise them responsibly? Although voting is a personal choice, democratic citizenship requires joint deliberation and action. The activities in this guide encourage participatory learning that involves perspective-sharing, consensus seeking and decision-making, group-building, conflict resolution and cooperation as well as opportunities for action, campaigning and change agency. They are designed to fit curriculum requirements in all grade levels and subject areas or strands. Teachers may choose one or more classroom-ready activities and adapt them accordingly. Teachers may also devise their own teaching-learning activities for this unique "teachable moment", helping prepare their students - the electorate - to vote. These activities constitute the election "campaign" in your school and will be informative, engaging and fun! Find out more about children's rights connections to curriculum guidelines at www.itsyourvoice.com.