Home · For Teachers · What Does “Medicare” Mean to You?
6-8
What Does “Medicare” Mean to You?
Project type: Assignment
Related topic:
The Birth of Medicare
The Birth of Medicare
Subjects
Social Studies
Political Science
Political Science
Summary
Students will explore various health-care options for the country and share their opinion in a letter to the Prime Minister.
Duration
1 to 2 lessons
Purpose
To express an opinion on a topic of national concern
Before Exploring
Ask the students to think about the last time they visited a doctor or the hospital. (Be sensitive to the fact that some students might be facing some challenging medical situations.) Write “Doctor’s Office/Clinic” on one side of the board and “Hospital Visits/Stays” on the other side. Assign a student to be the recorder for each heading. Ask the students to state what their expectations are when they go to the Doctor’s Office/Clinic or when they visit or stay in the hospital. Students may suggest cleanliness, friendliness, and punctuality, and they may comment on costs.
Outline the Opportunity
Have students use a Canadian dictionary to define the term “Medicare.” Explain to the students the differences between a national Medicare program, a two-tiered system of Medicare, and a private system of Medicare.
Have students view Clip #5 on the Medicare topic of the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site. Students will then write a letter to the Prime Minister to show support for a national Medicare program, for a two-tier system of health care delivery, or for private medical programs. Have students present a first draft of their letter to another student for peer editing. They should then submit a revised letter for evaluation.
Revisit and Reflect
When students have completed their letters, they can gather with other students who wrote about or supported the same topic: those who support national Medicare, those who think a two-tiered system could work, and those who support a private system. Have each group create a list of the most salient points to support its position. Each group then selects a spokesperson to present its argument to the class. Hold a class discussion where students can defend their position or change their position based on the arguments they heard.
Extension
Students can explore the Additional Clip on the Medicare topic of the CBC Radio and Television Archives entitled “Citizen’s Forum discusses the possibility of Medicare.” Ask the students to consider whether the issues are the same as they were a half century ago. Would they have written the same letter in 1955 that they wrote today? Have students revise their letters to reflect the views from 1955.
