Government Walk – Natasha Bakker

Some people believe that the great questions of life can be solved by simply taking a walk. We tested this theory last month in Grade ⅘.

Our current unit in Social Studies is one that looks at the three levels of government: federal, provincial, and municipal. One of the key questions in the Grade five social studies curriculum is “What level of government has the most effect on your daily life?”. To answer this question, the Grade ⅘ class took to the streets of Terrace armed with clipboards and enough curiosity to seriously threaten a cat . We began our adventure in our own backyard, discussing the role of the provincial government in our educational system. We then took a route that brought us past the courthouse, medical buildings, Taylor Bachrach and Ellis Ross’s offices, BC liquor stores, bus stops, and many many more physical representations of the three different levels of government.

And of course a quick donut break was needed to sustain our strength and energy on our journey 😉

 

After returning to school, we spent some time discussing how we could answer the pressing question and writing down our thoughts. Here’s what some students had to say:

 

“I think the provincial government has the most impact because I go to school and I use electricity.” – Elizabeth

 

“The municipal government affects my life the most because I make garbage everyday, I use roads everyday, I make sewage everyday and lots of other things.” – Olivia

 

“Municipal government because the most things impact me under it like parks, garbage, crosswalks, fire hydrants, and recycling.” – Jayden

 

Our discussion about government and community also included questions such as “How can we be a positive influence in our communities?” “What does it look like to be justice seekers in our school, town, and country?”. Students demonstrated thoughtfulness in their answers as they considered their roles as community builders and God worshipers in a broken world.

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