Activity 1 page 2

Explore

On July 1, 1867, Canada was born as a nation; therefore, every July 1 we celebrate Canada's birthday. On Canada Day, people across Canada celebrate our nation, who we are as Canadians, and why our country is such a great place to live. The Canada you know today has required time to build.

The Fathers of Confederation produced a set of rules for how government would attend to the needs of Canadians; this became an act of the British parliament and was called the British North America Act (BNA Act). We now refer to the BNA Act as the constitution. The constitution describes the rights, freedoms, and responsibilities that government and citizens have. With the signing of the BNA Act, a prime minister was chosen to lead the government.

Canada's first prime minister was John A. Macdonald. His government applied the BNA Act as the framework toward his vision for the kind of country that Canada is today.

To begin your investigation of Canada's political federal system, complete the reading below.


The textbook, Issues for Canadians, introduces the role of the Prime Minister of Canada in a cartoon tour called "PM for a Day". Read the cartoon tour on pages 21, 23, and 26.

You will begin to identify the roles and responsibilities of the prime minister, the executive branch, and the legislative branch.

To investigate the executive and legislative branches further, read pages 22, 24, 25, and 27 of your textbook.

Complete the Executive Branch handout by clicking on one of the links below.
 
Executive Branch (Word)
Executive Branch (pdf)
Executive Branch (Google Doc)

Store your completed handout in your Activities folder.

©Thinkstock