Understanding different views is important because it encourages empathy and respect, critical thinking, personal growth, creativity and innovation, and a sense of community. It also helps promote diversity and tolerance, which are important for creating a more inclusive and harmonious society.
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?
Regionalism and Your Views
Regionalism in Canada refers to the distinct identities, cultures, and interests that exist within different regions of the country. It acknowledges the unique characteristics and perspectives that arise from the geographical, historical, and socio-economic differences among the provinces and territories.
While regionalism highlights the diversity and unique characteristics of different regions, Canada as a whole values its unity and the idea of being a diverse and inclusive nation. The federal government works to strike a balance between recognizing regional differences and promoting a sense of national identity and cohesion.
Can you describe the regional differences in terms of:
Geographical Diversity
Cultural Differences
Economic Disparities
Political Representation
Interprovincial Relations
See if you can relate a type of economy to a region in Canada:
Did you know most of them?
Do you think regionalism has affected your views?