Workbook 1 Activity 2

©Thinkstock

Activity 2: Point of View and Perspective

Read carefully the definitions of point of view and perspective below.

point of view: opinions and preferences based on what an individual sees, hears, feels, or understands

perspective: values and ideas shared by people with a common language, culture, and history

Point of view is used to refer to the viewpoint of an individual. See the examples below.

- "I love hockey. It is the best sport in the world!"
- "I believe that the government should do more to protect our environment."

Perspective is used to refer to the viewpoint of a group. See the examples below.

- "We believe that festivals such as Heritage Days and The Fringe are important events that bring people together and celebrate our city."
- "Encouraging citizens to reduce their amount of waste and to recycle as much as possible is something we believe governments should do."


Vocabulary

Record the key words point of view and perspective on your Issues for Canadians Definitions handout.

Record the definitions of the key words in your own words.

Save your updated handout to your Activities folder for future use.

What does citizenship mean?

Citizenship means you belong to a country, province, and community. It means you have the freedoms, rights, and responsibilities associated with that country, province, or community. For example, all citizens in Canada are guaranteed freedom of speech as a right. With rights come responsibilities. As a citizen, you must obey laws and pay taxes.

How could being a Canadian citizen affect your individual and collective identity? Canadians are well respected in many countries. Because Canada is a country comprised of many diverse nationalities, the language and identity of many people are valued.

Before 1947, no one was a Canadian citizen. Canadians were considered to be British subjects.

©Thinkstock

©Thinkstock

Read the points of view or perspectives about quality of life as presented by three Canadians on pages 6 and 7 of your textbook, Issues for Canadians.

quality of life: the happiness and contentment a person has with his or her life; contributing factors include material wealth, freedoms, and/or job satisfaction

Summarize the main idea of the three speakers featured in your textbook. Which statements reflect an individual point of view, and which statements reflect a group perspective on factors affecting quality of life?

Complete the Point of View and Perspective handout from one of the links below. Save your completed handout to your Activities folder.

Point of View and Perspective (Word)
Point of View and Perspective (pdf) 
Point of View and Perspective (Google Doc)

Going Beyond

Explore what it means to be a citizen as well as the pride that new immigrants experience when they become citizens of Canada as they swear the Oath of Citizenship.

Did you know that you can participate in a citizenship ceremony to reaffirm your citizenship?

Internet Web Search

To do this, you need to open an Internet web browser and use the keywords "reaffirmation ceremony". You will be instructed on how to organize a reaffirmation ceremony.

Consider hosting a citizenship ceremony in your local community centre or school. Perhaps you will reaffirm your citizenship at the ceremony. To do this, you need to open an Internet web browser and use the keywords "how to host a Canadian citizenship ceremony." You will be guided through the steps.

©Thinkstock