Understanding different views is important because it encourages empathy and respect, personal growth, creativity and innovation, and a sense of community. It’s key to becoming a better critical thinker.

This activity is meant for you to reflect on your personal journey. It will help you to understand where you have come from and why people have different views within your community and across the country.

The goal for this activity is to find empathy for others and to understand why others have different views and interests across the country. It will also help you become aware of struggles that others face and how it impacts everyone.

Your community can be your school, your town, city, or region, or a neighbourhood you live in.

Your Community

??‍? What community do you live in? How is your community unique from other parts of the country.

??‍? How does your community inform your views on nature and biodiversity? Why does biodiversity matter?

????‍♀️Interview several of your family members, community members and friends. What do they think about nature and biodiversity? Why does biodiversity matter to them? How much are they involved in the political system?

??‍? Why do you think biodiversity is important to every community? What are a few things that impact biodiversity?

??‍? Give an example in your daily life where you rely on biodiversity? Where you rely on the political system?

??‍? How do you contact your elected representative? Why would you? Give examples for each level of government.

??‍?/????‍♀️ What traditional territory are you on? What is the historical relationship between indigenous nations that first settled the land you call home, and our country? Is there a treaty? Is there a self government relationship? What is your land acknowledgement?

??‍?/????‍♀️ Look at a map of your community. What ecoregion are you in? What species are best known to exist in your area? How much original natural land remains? What species are at risk in your area? What organizations or policies exist in your area to protect the remaining ecosystem and the animals within it?

Your Views

????‍♀️Gather with your classmates and discuss the similarities and differences in how they view politics as well as nature. Research more about someone else’s preference from a different community and discuss why they may view things differently.

????‍♀️What parts of the country historically are conservative? Liberal? Why do you think this is the case?

????‍♀️ Why is it important to understand other people’s views/context?

??‍?/????‍♀️Use a map of Canada and fill in the following for each province (or you can break it down further into regions):

  • traditional politics (what political party do the majority of people vote for?)
  • economic history (what were/are the main economic activities?)
  • where are immigrants coming from and settling?
  • what signed treaties are in the province?