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Chapter Two

The Context of It All

Part One

Contextualizing context - For a little context on why context is important.

Read Story Instead

Prefer reading instead? Here's the text version of your lesson.

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Questions & Activities

Reflect on your lesson with short activities, or by exploring referenced articles, featured podcasts, term definitions, and more!

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Featured Hot Take

We all need a little context. How to get it? Pollsters help! And few are as informed as Shachi Kurl, the Executive Director of the Angus Reid Institute. She took time away from analyzing the news – and our opinions on the news – to join us in conversation.

We’re featuring this podcast across all five Nature Labs subjects. You might not like every course you take in school, but they are all related. By listening to this podcast, hopefully you’ll better understand why.

Reflection

  • Does polling inform better policy? Does it help create more empathy for those we disagree with?
  • How valuable is it to have unbiased, impartial research to better understand public opinion?
  • Do you believe polling can be unbiased? Or can the questions that drive research polls be loaded or leading, helping create answers that reinforce certain perspectives?
  • How do we create more movements that unify, rather than divide?
  • Do moments have value? Or are sustained movements the only way to truly move the needle?
More on Shachi Kurl

Part Two

THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES WILL HELP YOU BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPTS YOU NEED TO LEARN IN THIS CLASS. YOUR TEACHER WILL SELECT WHICH ACTIVITIES YOU NEED TO COMPLETE BELOW.

Defining Your Community

Who are your people? Why do you need them? Get to know yourself and your communities.

Investigate

Mapping Biodiversity

What's your natural context? Find and map the biodiversity hotspots in your community.

Map it!

Understanding Your Views

How has your upbringing shaped who you are? Why is it important to understand the context of others?

Begin

Determine Your Position

Where do you stand on the political spectrum? Who best represents your values and beliefs?

Find out!

Student Parties

Don’t like our political parties? No problem! This is your chance to create new ones and take them for a test drive in a classroom election.

Party time!

2025 Federal Election

Recap what happened in the most recent federal election in Canada and understand the voting process across the country.

Vote!

What's Your Context?

How do you think we should balance people and nature? Start brainstorming your ideas and questions. * Recommended

Brainstorm

The Curated Library

Understand the context. Use the Curated Library to compare and contrast different perspectives on an issue that interests you.

Find resources

Part Three

HOW DOES THIS CLASS RELATE TO REAL-WORLD ISSUES?

Inquiry Media

Does nature need half?

Go!

Canada at a Crossroads

NEW: Inquiry Media Series

This five-part story will be featured across each of the first five chapters of Nature Labs and will ask students to explore the question of how Canada can protect our economy and sovereignty while still addressing the other challenges of our time, including biodiversity, the climate, and reconciliation. (Chapter Three coming Dec. 1st)

Go!

Further Exploration

Latest News

Newfoundland & Labrador Election: #9 – What does this mean?

News
https://youtu.be/WBezlG0trxg An overview of the Newfoundland and Labrador election with your host, Simon Jackson. ICYMI - Here's a playlist of the previous updates from last night: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLghJkRMPFsTgqMFeaqyW_2mouT4hxz5ZC
Read more

Newfoundland & Labrador Election: #8 – The Results

News
https://youtu.be/YYq2zz6KEmU An overview of the Newfoundland and Labrador election with your host, Simon Jackson.
Read more

Newfoundland & Labrador Election: #7 – Bridging Divides

News
https://youtu.be/rBTIKrlpI7U An overview of the Newfoundland and Labrador election with your host, Simon Jackson. The Life and Times of Honorable, Dr. Donald H. Oliver, CM, ONS,...
Read more
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Resources From the Curated Library

Politicians: Why do they do it?

Sub-Category: Governance Source: National Post File Type: Essay Overview: Political backroom fighters Web Link: https://o.canada.com/news/the-warriors-of-democracy-why-do-they-do-it

Canada is careening towards a constitutional crisis in the Senate

Bias: Centre/Right Source: The Hub File Type: Essay Overview: Canada is careening towards a constitutional crisis...

Nail the Process: Recapping What You’ve Learned

Social Studies Resources
What is a GovernmentDownload Political PartiesDownload Creating LawDownload The ConstitutionDownload Rights and ResponsibilitiesDownload The Path to Truth and ReconciliationDownload After reviewing the above, answer these questions: What is a party platform? List...
Read more
More From the Curated Library
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Unit completion

Chapters

Chapter One

The System of Things

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Chapter Five

Here’s How

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Chapter Nine

Own Your Hypocrisy

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Chapter Two

The Context of It All

You are here!

Chapter Six

Your Turn

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Chapter Ten

Keep Going

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Chapter Three

We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know

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Chapter Seven

Dig Deeper

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Chapter Eleven

One Last Thing

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Chapter Four

Hard Stuff is Hard

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Chapter Eight

Be Better

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Chapter Twelve

The End (of the Beginning)

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