I Am CanadianCanadian Identity

Grade 9

Objective

• Students will be able to identify a personal understanding of Canadian Identity by examining Canadian culture, values and norms.

• Terms you need to know:culture, values, norms, identity

• Students will celebrate and show their personal understanding of the Canadian identity.

Key Concepts in this PresentationKey Concepts in this Presentation

What is identity?What is identity? What shapes identityWhat shapes identity evolution of identityevolution of identity

forces that shape identityforces that shape identity what does it mean to be what does it mean to be

Canadian?Canadian? MulticulturalismMulticulturalism CRTCCRTC

Identity

• What is identity?

– It is a set of characteristics by which something is recognized or known

Personal Identity

• What makes up a person’s identity? What helps shape an individual’s identity? – Their background. (family)Their background. (family)– Where they live (lived)/school.Where they live (lived)/school.– FriendsFriends– HobbiesHobbies– early experiences:early experiences:– As people grow older their identity changes due to life As people grow older their identity changes due to life

experiences and their environment. experiences and their environment.

What has shaped who you are?

What words or images would describe you?

Identity Web

• Create a web with yourself in the middle and all of the things that have helped make who you are. Include the things that describe you as a person.

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ME

Canadian Identity• If identity is a set of characteristics by which

something is known, what does Canadian Identity mean? (Write your answer in your notebook.)

8 minutes in Groups

What are the things that come to mind when you hear the word

Canadian?(Things that we identify as being Canadian. Things we

cherish as Canadian.)

4 minutes in Groups

What things have shaped Canada’s identity?

The Forces That Shape a Nation’s IdentityThe Forces That Shape a Nation’s Identity

GeographyGeography

Legal SystemLegal System

Major Major ReligionsReligions

Government Government SystemSystem

MediaMedia

HistoryHistory

Main Languages Main Languages UsedUsed

Economic SystemEconomic System

Canadian Charter Canadian Charter of Rights and of Rights and

FreedomsFreedoms

SchoolSchool

Cultural Cultural and Ethnic and Ethnic

GroupsGroups

HELLO!HELLO! BONJOUR!BONJOUR!

Why is it Difficult to Describe Canadian Identity?

• With a group of 4, make of possible reasons.

Why is it Difficult to Describe Canadian Identity?• Canada is young;

• Canada has many cultural groups and languages;

• Canada doesn’t have many historical tragedies;

• Canada has a large English and French debate;

• Canada is physically large.

Multiculturalism - AMulticulturalism - A society that is society that is characterized by various ethnic and characterized by various ethnic and cultural populations. cultural populations.

An ideal of equality and mutual respect among a An ideal of equality and mutual respect among a society’s cultural groups exists.society’s cultural groups exists.

Pride shown in the media.

(In the upcoming clips the actors point out some of the myths that other have of Canada as well as things that

Canadians hold important. Make note of these.)

I’m Joe and I am Canadian

The Unofficial National Anthem

Enough is Enough

Pair and shareIn a group of 3-4 create two lists:1.Stating all of the items that were mentioned in the videos poking fun at Canadians or the myths people have about Canadians.

2.Stating the ideas and items Canadians hold important

What are the things that were celebrated in those clips?• Railroad• Heritage• Peacekeeping• Symbols and Landmarks (flag, beaver Niagara Falls)• Slang (toque, chesterfield, eh)• Bilingualism• Hockey• That we are different from the US• Size does matter to us. (2nd largest nation)• Proud of international opinion.

– We’re big enough, smart enough and dog-gonnit people like us. • We like to make fun of ourselves

What were the myths that were mentioned?• That we are all Eskimos

– Live in igloos– Own dogsleds

• That we are a giant mass of snow and ice.• We are a bunch of dumb drunks.• That we all wear toques.• We are Lumberjacks• We are behind the times

• No electricity • Running water

DiscussDo the items mentioned throughout the videos reflect your idea of Canadian Identity?

Canada Is…Roger Whittaker

Canadian Identity: How Others See Canadian Identity: How Others See UsUs

Canadian Identity: PerceptionCanadian Identity: Perception

How we view ourselves + how others view us How we view ourselves + how others view us = Our Canadian identity = Our Canadian identity involves the mental perceptions people construct.involves the mental perceptions people construct.

Canadian identity is composed of aspects Canadian identity is composed of aspects that make Canadians different from citizens that make Canadians different from citizens of other countries. of other countries.

National identity = a composition of National identity = a composition of characteristics and traits that people characteristics and traits that people recognize as distinctive of that country and recognize as distinctive of that country and may be considered a source of pride. may be considered a source of pride.

Canada and the United StatesCanada and the United States

• Canadian identity includes how other Canadian identity includes how other nations see us. nations see us. – Especially the United States Especially the United States – Can sometimes lead to an identity crisis. Can sometimes lead to an identity crisis.

• Why?Why?– One of the most influential countries in the world. One of the most influential countries in the world.

• US is our largest trading partner, and a US is our largest trading partner, and a large market for Canadian goods and large market for Canadian goods and services.services.

Poking Fun• We feed off of the misconceptions and like

to joke about them.

• We like to show how uninformed outsiders (Americans) are about Canada.

• Molson Canadian TV commercials• Rick Mercer – Talking to Americans• Bob and Doug MacKenzie

• How have we fed into the misconceptions in the upcoming movies?

Talking to Americans

Canadian Icons

More Bob and Doug

Misconceptions reinforced

• In the previous clips how did Canadian TV reinforce some of the misconceptions talked about earlier?

Cultural ProtectionismCultural Protectionism

• What is protects our identity from being What is protects our identity from being swallowed up by the US?swallowed up by the US?

– The Canadian Radio-television and The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) was Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) was created in 1967-68 to regulate all broadcasting in created in 1967-68 to regulate all broadcasting in Canada.Canada.

– The CRTC ensures that 30% of Canadian radio The CRTC ensures that 30% of Canadian radio must be Canadian content, and 60% of Canadian must be Canadian content, and 60% of Canadian TV programming must include Canadian content. TV programming must include Canadian content. These rules do not apply to cable companies. These rules do not apply to cable companies.

Symbolism Assignment

Symbolism Assignment

• What is a symbol?

– A symbol is one thing that represents something else by association.

Symbolism Assignment

• What do you think are our biggest national symbols? Symbols that Canadians really hold dear.

• Find pictures of what you think are the 9 top symbols of our country. For each, include a 25 word write up telling why each symbol is so important to Canadians. (The symbols could be a popular place or structure, or person.)

Symbolism Assignment

• The first symbol will be given to you. It is the Canadian Coat of Arms. Find it and in your own words write an explanation behind each part of it. (ie. What do the lions represent? What do the maple leaves represent? What does the Latin saying mean? Etc.) You will probably need to research it. This write up should end up being close to 100 words.

Symbolism Assignment

• Using digital mediums, (PowerPoint, Prezi, SlideRocket, Ebook) create a digital book of Canadian symbols.

• Each symbol on a separate page with its write-up.

• Due date is Friday.

Marking Factors

• What will make an assignment great?– Visually attractive. Neatly presented– Write-ups are informative and without

mistakes.– Write-ups are in your own words.– Proper format is followed.– Wow factor!