I am Canadian

Article: I am Canadian (PDF)

Objectives

• To explore the concept of ethnicity and its relevance to our lives.

Classroom instructions

1. Have the students conduct a survey to find out how they would answer the census question, "To which ethnic or cultural group did your ancestors belong?"
2. Discuss why, in response to this question, some people indicate a Canadian origin, while others with similar ancestral backgrounds do not.
3. Invite the students to share their views on what it means to be Canadian. Are Canadians different from Americans?
4. The article, "I am Canadian," states that "ethnicity means different things to different people." Discuss with the students their own definitions of ethnicity and have the class choose one that best incorporates all their views.
5. Belonging to an ethnic group may result in advantages or disadvantages. Have the students debate the consequences of a utopian world without ethnicity or one where ethnic distinctions cease to be made. What would be the plusses and minuses?
6. According to "I am Canadian," some people report multiple ethnic backgrounds such as, for example, Canadian along with another ethnicity. Discuss why some ethnic groups are more likely to do this than others.

Using other resources

Use E-STAT to obtain data on the population from any town, village, or municipality in Canada who responded Canadian to the ethnic origin question on the census. You can use the data to generate a map showing the proportion of Canadian respondents.

Please e-mail comments or examples of how you used this exercise in your class.