Workbook 1 Activity 3

Activity 3: My Quality of Life

Get Focused

What do you think of when you look at the images below?


In Activity 1, you began exploring your individual identity, your collective identity, and your citizenship. This activity introduces you to the concept of quality of life.

As you have been thinking about your identity, you will have thought about what is important to you. This includes the things in your life that mean the most to you such as your values, beliefs, and what makes you happy.

In this activity, you will begin to examine this question:

How is my quality of life influenced by my government and the economy?

Imagine that you have been selected by the local radio station to describe what makes you, as a Grade 9 student, happy.

Consider all the items (include material items such as clothing, food, and luxury items and non-material items such as a supportive family, feeling safe in your community, and having access to good health care) that make you happy.

The things that make you happy are part of your identity. An important part of our identity as Canadians is quality of life. In Canada, our quality of life is influenced by our strong economy and our democracy, including the rights and freedoms that we share as well as the province and community that we live in. Quality of life in Canada is also shaped by our society's values and beliefs.

In the previous activity, Elder Albert Yellowknee, Sandra Vidakovic, and Dolorèse Nolette shared their thoughts about their individual and collective identities, citizenship, and the factors that influenced their quality of life. Each expressed various factors that made their lives better. Every individual perceives quality of life differently based on personal experiences, values, and beliefs.